Creating & Sustaining Jewish Traditions at Home
Whether you’re the Jewish parent or the non-Jewish parent, you’re probably busy. That makes integrating Jewish traditions an additional task – and a time consuming one at that! What can you do? What do...
View ArticleBaby and Me workshop
New babies are infants for such a short time. For brand-new parents it is a very intense time – and can also be a stressful time. A long time friend of mine is an Infant Development Specialist and is...
View ArticleWhen Holidays Collide!
(Image by Mike from Pixabay) I don’t remember when Christmas last fell on the first night of Hanukkah! While the holidays have overlapped in past years, I don’t remember this configuration. Does this...
View ArticleWhat about this word “Christmakah”?
Did you know that we humans have trouble conceiving of something that doesn’t have a name? Once it is named we build around the word. It doesn’t have to have a single definition, but we do need a...
View ArticleI Hope You’ll Join Me
I would love to see you – online! I have this program coming up at the end of January: Creating & Sustaining Jewish Traditions at Home Whether you’re the Jewish parent or the non-Jewish parent,...
View ArticleHow to Attend Shiva
A while ago Rabbi Corey Helfand gave me permission to share his useful explanation of how to attend a shiva. I want to share with you. *** Shiva calls can be hard to make, especially if it is your...
View ArticleYou Can Hold as True, Contradictory Beliefs
One of the unique differences between Western/American thought and Jewish thought is that Jews believe you can hold opposing ideas simultaneously. Here’s an example from a local rabbi’s recent email to...
View ArticleLearning of a Death
In Jewish practice, the traditional statement upon learning of a death is: ברוך דיין האמת Baruch dayan ha emet Blessed is the true judge Tradition teaches that this statement, “Blessed is the True...
View ArticleTu B’shvat – the birthday of trees/fruit
It’s almost February and we’re looking ahead to Tu B’shvat! Tu B’shvat – The Birthday of the Trees/Fruit You’ll immediately see from the list of coming events that Tu B’shvat (also Tu Bishvat) is on...
View ArticleDo You Have One Jewish Parent?
Are you the child of an interfaith couple? If you answered “yes” then you have unique understanding of this little-discussed topic. As this section of the Jewish population grows it is time to share...
View ArticleSurviving as a Jew and an Outsider
This is a very hard four years facing us. The way to survive is to stay focused and plan how we will uphold our values. Do you want to protect immigrants, trans folks, minorities? Many of the...
View ArticleHard Times Often Produce a Jewish Holiday – this one is Purim
So much of Jewish programming in the US is holiday oriented. That’s rather perfect because Judaism has SO MANY HOLIDAYS! Coming right up is Purim. It begins at sunset on March 13th. Purim is typically...
View ArticleWarning: Difficult topics ahead.
Right now the sun is out and I can hear birds singing. I’ve been thinking about what to say to you for a couple weeks. Shortly after Oct. 7th a friend gave me a bracelet with the name and age of one of...
View ArticleCommunity Purim Carnival!
PJ Library, Temple Beth Abraham and Building Jewish Bridges are thrilled to invite you to a fun filled Carnival! We will have: * Bounce house * Face painting * Balloon twisting * Purim crafts *...
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Adar: Increasing Our Joy
Has anyone mentioned that Life is Hard? Yeah, I thought so. But we are now in the month of Adar. The Talmud states that Jews are to “increase our joy” during this month. We are urged to find happiness...
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Jewish Roots & Branches: A basic Judaism class in San Leandro
It’s difficult to find a basic Judaism class this late into the spring. Most classes will begin in the fall and interested individuals have to wait for months. Here’s a short class you can take RIGHT...
View ArticleDo You Consider Yourself Part Jewish, Half Jewish, or Jew-ish? (Online)
Do you have one Jewish and one non-Jewish parent? Join a conversation exploring the unique aspects of our lives inside and outside of the Jewish community. We will begin with time to share personal...
View ArticleTeen Religious Development
Teens! Did you ever read that a teen given a sanity test meant for adults would would be found to be insane because that’s where their brain is during this critical age? I would remind myself of that...
View ArticleDevelopmental Stages of Religious Ideas in Children
Parents are the primary teachers for their children. We are often told to utilize age appropriate materials and methods. What is “age appropriate”? Cornell Law School of Education states: The term...
View ArticleWarning: Seders Are Closer Than You Think!
You’ve barely washed the make-up off your little Vashti or Batman and it’s time to figure out an age appropriate Seder for kids, plus how to keep the adults interested. It’s lucky that there are so...
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