Category Archives: Uncategorized

School is almost upon us. With the start of school I can expect that I will inevitably get a call from one, or more, of my congregants – indeed, I too have this issue – that one of my kids’ … Continue reading →

A lot of discussion of late has centered on identity. Identity, of course, is not only about how we identify ourselves but how others identify us. When we are younger and more versatile, we are able to shift identities, to … Continue reading →

Who Cares So there has been much ado about the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale (HIR) having a woman lead Kabbalas Shabbos. In a pithy phrase of many wise men, who cares? HIR is a modern Orthodox shul in the way … Continue reading →

My first rabbinic position was as an assistant rabbi. I started during the summer, right around now, during the post Tisha’Bav lull. I was a newly minted rabbi and was joining an established shul, whose rabbi had been in that … Continue reading →

I have a congregant, let’s call him Shimon. Shimon is a BT (used to be Steve). Shimon is a quality person, has a good job and a nice family. Fairly typical and clichéd, at least in my community. Shimon and … Continue reading →

Magical Thinking Loss has a hybrid quality to it. It can be intangible and physical, general and personal. In my last post I discussed a general loss, in that case the loss of the beis ha-mikdash and how we may … Continue reading →

Freedom is not a binary thing. It can be defined, but its definition need not be all-encompassing. Freedom can include as severe restrictions and unpleasant experience as there was before, but it is only the perspective that has changed. A … Continue reading →

Fear, Not Of all the noteworthy things I’ve gleaned from the comments to my actually existing and in laying out where I am coming from and what my perspective is, it was not the vitriol—unfortunately, that is a standard and … Continue reading →

In the Beginning… There is no easy way to explain why or how the light suddenly goes on, how something just clicks, and all the disparate information that you have accumulated but have shuttered away due to a lingering sense … Continue reading →

Of the many comments the recent post have generated, I wanted to focus on one.  Kollel nick was kind enough to point out that while my current practice is to use only mevushal wine (cooked wine) when I have guests, he asserts … Continue reading →