Esther

Let’s take a step back and look at the context of the Purim story.

They called her names. They wanted her to believe that the thing which made her different from them was terrible. They called her ugly. It would be a lie to say that the words didn’t hurt. Those words did have some power over her. But her mother whispered...

Esther’s evolution seems to be one of a different nature. Her second name does not, on the surface, bring her closer to G‑d or to her people. It puts her into hiding . . .

Physical perfection in today's day and age takes on a whole new meaning in the fast paced and consumerist society we live in. It is most apparent in our everyday living; our desires and aspirations so often revolve around what we can call our own, what we...

I am sitting cross-legged on a make shift throw at my childhood synagogue's Purim carnival. It must have been then that I decided I wanted to be Queen Esther when I grew up. I took the matter seriously, perfecting the costume over the years...

I walked past a bus stop just as a bus pulled over and opened its doors for me. “No, thank you,” I shouted to the driver, “I’m just walking. I don’t want to get on the bus.” “I know,” he replied, “I see you every morning. I just wanted to let you know tha...

I've been a committed student of a Middle Eastern Dance class that meets every Wednesday night, and even though my mind was begging to differ, I knew my body would thank me later. But all I could see was a postpartum pooch shimmying in a baggy tee-shirt.....

I slip into my “just do it!” outfit and wear a smile to a wedding, even though my heart is dull. The garb and the smile carry me into their space and I end up dancing with joy for the bride (or her mom, whose circle I've suddenly become part of!). But I h...

Wasted time counts for far more than the present moment, or even our own lifetime. This was Rabbi Akiva's message. A minute could mean a street. Think of Fifth Avenue and the loss becomes tangible...

When I was sixteen, I went to Israel for two months and gained about twenty pounds. I had been thin, even skinny, my whole life and never gave my weight a second thought...