Reflections

  Many of us just learned for the first time about an amazing convergence of circumstances: The moon is exactly the right distance (400 times closer to Earth) and exactly the right size (400 [...]

In the summer of 1969, Joni Mitchell’s manager advised her to forego performing at a “three days of peace and music” festival in New York State (so she could instead appear on the televised Dick [...]

In her 80s, Rose Schotz unexpectedly emerged from a mysterious weeks-long illness that had brought her close to death (and sometimes begging for it). She had already survived the Nazis, two bouts [...]

Our group leader challenged us to find a particular souvenir during our impromptu stop at Manufaktura. But he provided no description or clues about where to look for it in the massive shopping/ [...]

In the days leading up to the kick off of National Child Abuse Prevention Month (April), I was given the opportunity to view the trailer for a chilling documentary in production. It focuses on a [...]

Anyone exposed to the news and hateful social media posts might find the featured quote incongruous with the situation in today’s world. What’s to cheer in the return of virulent anti-Semitism, [...]

A television commercial running frequently (at least in our market) features a series of children finishing the sentence “love is. . . .” It is not meant as a peek into the world of endearing or [...]

Every day, multiple online e-letters and e-zines arrive in my inbox.  Most of them I never have time to even scan. But this week, seemingly by chance, I happened to read an article in one that [...]

When Rosi Schotz first approached me about writing her life story, I knew her only as a sartorially eccentric older member of our congregation. Always pleasant, to be sure, she was a regular [...]

Although we’re Jewish, my family always had a celebration on Christmas Day–because it happens to be my mother’s birthday (happy birthday, Mom). Often we would drive from our house on Long [...]