Toward the end of Parashat Noah we encounter an intriguing but perplexing story: After the flood, Noah’s descendants multiplied and began to settle in the land of Shinar, otherwise known as Babylon. There, they decide to build a great city … Continue reading
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about luck. It all started this past summer, when my friend Nadya invited me to her naturalization ceremony. Now, I’d never been to such a ceremony before. But I assumed it would be a … Continue reading
With your permission, I want to share something personal tonight. My hope is that, by baring a little of my soul, I might offer us all a new framework to embrace this holiday. Too often, we encounter Yom Kippur as … Continue reading
Some of my earliest and sweetest Jewish memories are of Junior Congregation at my childhood synagogue, Ahavath Achim in Atlanta. In those days, Junior Congregation was led by a kind and energetic woman named Janet Schatten. One of the first … Continue reading
Picture, if you will, a world of rigid hierarchies, where men control women’s lives, and women are used for their bodies. Perhaps it sounds like I am describing The Handmaid’s Tale, the classic dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood that was … Continue reading
Temple Beth-El, Richmond, Virginia, July 22, 2018 כָּל֨וּ בַדְּמָע֤וֹת עֵינַי֙ חֳמַרְמְר֣וּ מֵעַ֔י “My eyes are spent with tears, my heart is in tumult.” These are the words of the biblical book of Lamentations, traditionally believed to have been authored by … Continue reading
On June 14, 2018, I was honored to speak to the graduating class of Maggie Walker Governor’s School at their Baccalaureate ceremony. Here’s what I said: Class of 2018, Let me begin by expressing my gratitude for having been invited … Continue reading
The Tisch