As in all things Jewish, there is a debate. I’m willing to bet most have heard the expression “All beginnings are difficult”. The quote is attributed to Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha, a sage of the 1st Century. And some (like Rav Google) also credit the Jewish American Rabbi and author,...
In a matter of days it will be the beginning of February and we will look to the prognosticator of prognosticators to tell us whether or not we have six more weeks of winter. I can say with a great amount of certainty that I would love to think that...
Shana tova, happy New year! Can you believe it’s 2025! If wishing a happy new year feels a bit redundant it might be because we just experienced the beginning of a new year as recently as October. As Jews, we are lucky. We get to celebrate New Year’s twice in...
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. At the end of this month, we will begin celebrating the holiday of Chanukah. Known as The Festival of Lights, the Chanukah story retells the Maccabees rebellion during the time of the Greek Empire. If we look back at history at the...
Not “Goodbye” but “Be Seeing You” My dear Am HaYam Family, Our tradition teaches: kol hat-cha-lot kashot, “all beginnings are difficult.” This phrase has been something that many speakers, ancient and modern, religious or secular, have used. I myself have said it many times. But as I prepare to end...
The Value of the Violin in You The story is told of the great Jewish-born violinist Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962).[1] Some critics had suggested that the only reason he made such beautiful music was because of the Stradivarius he played. So on one particular concert night, Kreisler enraptured the audience with...
A Passover Lesson: Don’t Let Opportunities Become Chametz Why did the matzah quit his job?.…Because it didn’t get a raise. What army base is off limits on Passover?.…Fort Leavenworth. Why did the matzah go to the doctor?.…Because it started feeling crumby Why did the matzah baker rob the bank?….He needed...
Purim: We’re Still Here The Purim story ominously portrays a serious and massive antisemitic event. And while the biblical book of Esther is a work of fiction, its story has shaped Jewish consciousness and our approach to antisemitism. Let’s begin by acknowledging that this austere and grim tale is...
The Witness of Conscience Our tradition tells of a certain rabbi with a strict sense of justice. Far and wide he was known as an incorruptible judge. One day his own wife raised an outcry because she believed that the housekeeper had stolen a piece of jewelry that was of...
STARTING OVER Every morning, weekday or Shabbat, we Jews traditionally praise G!d as m’chadesh ma’asei v’reishit, “the Renewer of Creation.”[1] G!d fashions something new each and every day. That includes renewing us, so that we can live out in wholeness what life may bring us this, and every, day. We...
