Thank G-d, it doesn’t happen often. When it does, silence reigns.
What am I referring to?
Children saying Kaddish, the mourners’ prayer.
There they were. Young-looking father with two boys beside him. One, about 11 or 12, trying hard to emulate his father in his prayers and pretty much succeeding. The other, younger by a year or two, standing in place and mouthing the words that he had just begun to learn. When an adult begins to say Kaddish, I notice and try to find out who died, and perhaps say a comforting word.
In this case, I didn’t quite know ... more
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Serfs, Tablets and Jews
The everyday life of a typical Russian peasant was not exactly charmed, it seems. They lived in a terrible serf system, were almost as poor as the Jews, were usually uneducated and their lives were harsh and often cruel. No wonder few Jews were interested in assimilating into local Russian peasant culture.
Jews do tend to leave Judaism, however, when the outside world is new, impressive, and exciting. It happened under the Greeks (over 2,000 years ago), during the Golden Age of Spain (almost 1,000 years ago), and in the Enlightenment (200 years ago).
In the last 15-20 ... more
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The political season is 365 days a year, it seems, and, in America that means the hunting season as well. Republicans and Democrats seem to vie for the title of tough-man or woman, or gun-rights advocate, by showing they hunt.
The pictures are interesting, but how should we feel about the actual subject? I don’t mean gun rights – this is an identity newsletter not a political one – but the actual subject of hunting.
Is hunting Jewish?
While the plant and animal worlds were given to humanity for our use, we were not given permission to destroy or use unnecessarily. Cruelty ... more
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The last time I’d been in St. Petersburg it was still called Leningrad. Much has changed, of course, yet not everything. Same snow. Same cold. Same expansive skies and vast territory.
The Jewish community has changed. Now they live in freedom. Many have moved to Israel or America. I was there for less than 24 hours as part of a speaking tour of European cities. I teach (mostly on Jewish pride, Raising Kids to LOVE being Jewish and other topics) but I also learn. Several interesting lessons come to mind.
#1: The lady running the little hotel I was staying at was ... more
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The brain, I am told, spends an enormous amount of its power blocking information. Without doing this, our eyes would notice too much, our ears would hear too much, our bodies would feel too much…and we’d be overwhelmed. So the brain prioritizes. Decides to notice some things and not others. To hear some things and not others.
A practical expression of this idea: look around the room and notice anything red. How many things did you see? Now look for blue things. How many are there? Most people didn’t really notice the blue stuff when they were focusing on the ... more
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Hello everyone,
Friend of a friend came to visit me yesterday, looking for advice. He heard about what I do and thought that I (with several others he consulted this week) would perhaps be able to give suggestions to help his community stay Jewish. Not a “religious” fellow per se, he has been distressed watching his kids’ generation leaving behind their Jewish identity and came to the conclusion that whatever is happening now simply isn’t working. Kudos to him for taking the initiative.
I asked what he was thinking now and what had been suggested so far. Some good ideas from experts ... more
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The lights of Chanukah this year include some lights we’d rather not have: Major Fire in Israel. Almost forty people killed. Huge areas of land burned. Fire is still raging. Thousands evacuated.
This tragedy – as well as other communal challenges we face and any personal difficulties a person may be struggling with – makes the holiday of Chanukah hard to understand.
Think about it. The Maccabean Revolt was a great success - saving Judaism, rededicating the Temple, and inspiring generations. Still, the Hashmonean dynasty - within only a couple of generations - descended into corruption and infighting. The Romans ... more
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The Jewish holiday season is coming to an end.
Many Jewish kids are sad for two reasons: They like the holidays and they like all the time off school.
Many Jewish parents have mixed feelings: they enjoy the family time and Jewish connections…but are happy/relieved that the kids are going back to school.
All is as it should be. But let us not forget Simchat Torah, which takes place tomorrow (Wednesday night/Thursday in Israel) on the same day as Shemini Atzeret, or in the Diaspora on Thursday night/Friday, the day after Shemini Atzeret.
Simchat Torah literally means, “"Rejoicing with/of the Torah.” ... more
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Three Keys to Yom Kippur
#1: Make it meaningful for yourself. Yom Kippur can only be a positive day for your family if it is a positive day for you. So spend a few minutes thinking, reading, and getting into the Yom Kippur mode. Some basic ideas: (a) Yom Kippur is a fast day, but not a sad one. Traditionally, it is considered a beautiful and happy day; (b) It is a day of forgiveness, of rising above normal physical life for one day in the year, and of new starts; (b) Yom Kippur only “atones” for our mistakes when we ... more
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Rosh Hashana is celebrated by enjoying wonderful holiday meals with family and friends, trying to reconnect to meaning and spirituality, joining the community to hear the Shofar, and getting re-inspired.
Rosh Hashana is early this year. The summer has just ended and the kids are just getting back into school. So many people have not really thought too much about it.
While there are only a few days left until the Jewish New Year, there is still much you can do to get ready. Here are a few simple ideas:
· Read up a little on the holiday. Google words like Rosh ... more
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