Blog

  • Identity Shift

    Identity Shift

    Back in 2018, while working on my doctoral pursuits, I wrote this blog about how Jewish identity cannot be framed in the Christian construct of “Religious or Spiritual” and began developing a framework based in lived Jewish experience. During that process, with feedback and a few iterations, I landed on a version released in this…

    —

    in
  • When Terror Hits During Chanukkah

    When Terror Hits During Chanukkah

    My head is spinning from the total overwhelming nature of JewHate around the world. I was sharing with my non-Jewish psychiatrist how overwhelming it can be to be a Jew right now and even moreso a Jewish professional. I expressed sadness that I am not sure if I will ever have again in my lifetime…

    —

    in
  • Because Bubbie Did It!

    Because Bubbie Did It!

    So much of my Judaism is connected to my maternal great-grandmother. While she passed when I was three months old (and we only met once), so much of her Judaism was passed to me through her seven children, her 16 grandchildren, and dozens and dozens of stories. When my mom would use the food processor…

    —

    in
  • I Am Not a Jewish American

    I Am Not a Jewish American

    It is Jewish American Heritage Month and I get agitated every time I hear this term. It’s inception was declared by President Bush in 2006 (which was predicated by a Jewish Heritage Week since 1980). I remember the first time I heard the following question debated:  Are we American Jews or Jewish Americans?  I was…

    —

    in
  • Mixing Traditions.

    Mixing Traditions.

    Since February of 2021, I have developed a dozen new anaphylactic allergies to a variety of fruits (added to the four I developed between 1990 and 2006). These allergies include apples, which make the Ashekanzi charoset I grew up lethal for me. After researching several Sephardic and Mizrahi recipes, I realized that I was going…

    —

    in
  • Allies and Jewish Artifacts

    Allies and Jewish Artifacts

    Thousands of non-Jews order mezuzahs after a pro-Israel Christian puts one on her door in solidarity There is a huge debate this week among Jewish professionals (primarily clergy and educators) on if we are okay with the implications of this headline or if we are really disturbed by it. The headline comes from this article…

    —

    in
  • 50 Facts (and opinions) of My Own

    50 Facts (and opinions) of My Own

    By now, I am sure most of you have seen and read Mo Husseini’s “50 Completely True Things” post on Medium. It inspired me to write my own list of 50 True Things (with a little educated opinion thrown in).  This list is meant to educate, call to action, and inject some nuance into what…

    —

    in

  • The REAL Queen Esther Lesson(s)

    Back in 2000, I started my journey into Jewish Family Education by attending the Whizin Institute (z’l) held in LA on the American Jewish University campus (now a Milikin campus). One of the moments I clearly remember was a story that Rabbi Eddie Feinstein and Harlene Appleman z’l told in a breakout session. It goes…

    —

    in

  • It’s About Dialogue (Dagnabbit!)

    Years ago (MANY years ago), I began to teach “Hot Topics” to teens, using Jewish text and context (ancient and modern) to frame discussions on everything from Interfaith Relationships to LGBTQ+ Relationships to Death Penalty.  When I started getting requests to teach these same topics to adults, I decided to open every discussion by first…

    —

    in

  • Is “Advertising the Chanukkah Miracle” Safe Right Now?

    Writer’s Note: There is only one “correct” way to spell the holiday this blog addresses and that is חֲנֻכָּה‎ or חֲנוּכָּה‎.  But, in transliteration, there are dozens of options.  My personal preference is Chanukkah. Some of the sources I will use have it translated differently.  Since October 7th and the subsequent rise in JewHatred across…

    —

    in

  • Moderate Zionist’s Digestible Timeline of “The Land”

    The recent invasion of Hamas into Israel has led to much debate about “Whose Land Is This Anyway?” Just like media, timelines often come with a specific bias.  I have tried to create a digestible (two-page) timeline of what is known to Jews, not only as Israel, but as HaEretz (The Land).  I have tried…

    —

    in

  • Israel-Hamas News and Resources: Critical Thinking a Must

    Years ago I was leading a high school service-learning program and the teens wanted to dive deep into conflict resolution. They researched a few organizations that worked in that field and one they chose to investigate more is called Seeds of Peace. This group brings young people from conflict regions together into an immersive camp experience. I…

    —

    in