The central section of the Yom Kippur liturgy is the public confession known as the “viddui.” Originally patterned after the priestly narrative of Yom Kippur in Leviticus 16, the current iteration, with its poetic catalogue of sins, is the work of our rabbinic sages, who believed that the best way to have mastery over our…
If your family is like mine, there’s the divide between those who love a snappy Seder – quick, tasty, to the point, and done by midnight – and those who like a long and leisurely evening of games, song, good food, and much discussion. We have our own set of variables, set into play by…
Each year, as we read the parable of the four children, I think about all those other children not mentioned in this historically, simplified description of human behavior. “One who is wise or thoughtful. One who is wicked or rebellious. One who is simple or innocent. One who does not know how to ask.” Adapted…
American parents plan their kid’s summers sometime in November. Junior, who’s had a fabulous time at camp the summer before, comes home and after a few sad-eyed weeks at home bemoaning his loss of independence, his bunk buddies, and even the singing of Birkat Ha’mazon, Grace after meals, after every meal, is signed up by…
