Why the Un’taneh Tokef Scares Me and What We Can Do About It
The Un’taneh Tokef scares me. The tragic ends it describes – famine and thirst, flooding and drought – all are imminent possibilities in today’s world.
Related Blog Posts on Rosh HaShanah
Hannah’s Prayer: Seeking Wholeness in the Face of Mental Illness
As the blast of the shofar awakens our souls this High Holiday season, so, too, can it awaken us to the pleas of people who suffer with mental illness.
High Holiday Lessons from an Alaskan Glacier
Rosh HaShanah is more than a meal shared with family and friends or time in synagogue. According to tradition, Rosh HaShanah marks the day God created the world.
Taking a Closer Look at the Words That Move Me on Rosh HaShanah
As I practiced my Haftarah, the words flowed, but I didn't feel emotion, perhaps because I didn't fully understand the portion. So I took the time to try to understand the meaning of the words.
A Poem for Tashlich: “Stale Bread and Old Sins”
Tashlich (to cast), a ritual practice of Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews, customarily takes place on the afternoon of Rosh HaShanah near a natural body of water.
On Chocolate and Children: High Holiday Reflections
Our daughter-in-law gave birth to our first grandchild. A couple of months later, On the Chocolate Trail was published. Each whispers of mortality and immortality.
How to Cast Away Your Sins and Protect the Environment
Learn ways to perform the ritual of Tashlich (casting away our missteps on Rosh HaShanah afternoon) in a way that’s environmentally friendly.
In the Wake of Irma: Starting With Silence to Rebuild
For one rabbi, silence at this season of renewal is an appropriate way to start to rebuild and shape our world after Hurricane Irma.
On the Virtue of a Bent Finger: A Challenge for the Days of Awe
At recent years’ Days of Awe services, I could swear I saw index fingers popping out all over the place – fingers of accusation, not of ownership or responsibility.
Honoring the Matriarchs and Our Vibrant Jewish Tradition
My involvement with Judaism began in college, I engaged in Jewish culture in my kitchen and cooking became an accessible path into a world of Jewish tradition.