Buying a new car is always a test of the Mussar trait of savlanut ( patience) as I don’t enjoy interacting with the over-eager salesmen...

“Who is wise? He who learns from everyone….Who is honorable? One who honors his fellows.” Ben Zoma, ancient Jewish sage in Pirkei Avot On...

“ If there is anxiety in a man’s mind, let him quash and transform it into joy with encouragement.”   Proverbs 12:25   In our evening...

When Rabbi Jamie went on sabbatical several years ago, fellow congregant Bonnie Houghton and I agreed to take the responsibility of...

At a holiday party, I heard about a new (to me) writing process called nature journaling. A friend directed me to a website hosted by...

Reading Samantha Harvey’s novel “Orbital,” I discovered a number of Mussar lessons. The winner of the Booker Prize for Fiction, the book...

How can humility lead to response-ability, the ability to respond with compassion and love, rather than wanting to take responsibility –...

Rosh Hashanah family lunch, circa 1960:  Matzo ball soup. Chopped liver. Challah. Mandarin orange noodle kugel. Roast chicken. Honey cake...

As a meek elementary school student, I turned down the chance to run for treasurer of Student Council. In high school, I refused the...

It’s been a busy summer of travel, from The Netherlands to Yellowstone, New Mexico, St. Louis, Massachusetts and Connecticut – five...

When we started planning a Viking cruise that would originate in Amsterdam, my sister, Ellen, and I knew that we wanted to visit the...

This week my granddaughter got her driver’s permit and went on a date. Selam. Driving. Selam. At the movies with a boy. Whether I’m ready...

Mid-March. Herald of spring?  Not here! 39 inches of snow on the driveway, Over four feet of hardpack where the county plowed us in. Our...

My home office has some treasures: A musical snow globe, circa 2002 – gifted to me by a young Jeffco student who organized an...

Last weekend, Super Bowl advertisers paid $7 million for a 30-second spot with the hope of making their brands and slogans memorable to...

“You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn I have never tried surfing. My feeble attempt at paddle boarding...

I’m a septuagenarian with osteoporosis. So when my teacher friend Deb encouraged me to come to Jazzercise class in October, I thought...

They choke off air and stop the blood from pulsating freely.” When Rabbi Jamie read the poetic prayer, “Untie,” by Rabbi Sheila Peltz...

October 8, 2023 was the 25th anniversary of Bubbe’s death. It’s hard to believe that this force of nature, who impacted so many of our...

Dedicated to Irv: “You're my anchor in life's ocean, but most of all you’re my best friend.” ** In August, Irv and I celebrated our 55th...