Tonight we light the 4th candle and our question is: What four books or movies impacted you this year? I have heard from many people that since the pandemic, reading for pleasure has been difficult. It has been this way for me, as well, which has been a sadness because reading novels has been a comfort since I was a little girl. We watched a lot of Continue Reading
Hanukkah Inspirations Night 3: What 3 musicians or poets inspire you?
Tonight we light the 3rd candle. Our question for tonight's lighting is: What 3 musicians, poets, or artists inspire you? Many of us turn to art, poetry, and music for inspiration and light. It is so important to nurture the creative sides of ourselves. Music and poetry and art express what is often difficult to capture in words. With a poem, there Continue Reading
To Those Who Are Brave–We Remember You
This is a time of great extremes - there are people who cower in the corner instead of speaking up, while others shine a great light with their bravery in standing up for justice. When despair grips us, it’s helpful to remember people who spoke (and speak) the truth and took courageous action, regardless of the consequences. These often ordinary people acted Continue Reading
Increase the Light
Tonight we light the 3rd candle of Hanukkah. The story of Hanukkah is that even in the darkest of times, we make light. The tradition is that we light a new candle for each of the 8 nights of the holiday, thereby increasing the light each night. The rabbis understood that light was not just the physical light that we see with our eyes. There's an inner Continue Reading
Hold Both Truth & Joy
Rosh Hashanah 2019 This is the sermon I delivered on Rosh Hashanah at the Jewish Collaborative of Orange County. People asked to read it - so here it is: Rabbi Alan Lew, of blessed memory, writes that the High Holy Days season promises nothing less than total personal transformation - IF we do the work, and pay attention. Each of us should leave Continue Reading