Editorial & Commentary

We need to plug in. We need to recharge our spiritual batteries. What good is our life and our actions in this world if they are devoid of spiritual energy?

The natural process that forms pearls is something many of us can relate to.

There are two ways to live life: focus on what you lack (and you’ll be miserable) or focus on what you have (and you’ll be happy). It’s as simple as that.

Modern women feel pulled in too many directions.

I usually focus more on the more powerful nuclear reactions, where there is a very evident immediate effect. But who is to say that these subtle moments of grace are not at least as powerful, if not more so?

If the pragmatic circumstances of Shalo’s life gave me pause, the physical crises he had endured and wondrously overcome from birth onward completely bowled me over.

Life is hard. So many painful, disturbing and distressing events occur to us and to the world around us. Can we really be joyful in this kind of environment?

Did you know that there are no outright jokes about a rebbetzin? Are rebbetzins taboo?

So many times in my life I had planned out my future, and so many times I had been handed the unexpected. It struck me at that moment that I was experiencing the hand of G‑d literally reaching into my life and changing the course of my future.

With a little education—and a lot of help, support and advice from friends and others in my life—I decided to take the kosher plunge.

What is that smell I love . . . the smell that cries out to my soul? It’s the smell of Shabbat cooking, whether it’s matzah-ball soup or Moroccan fish, cholent, t’fina or kibbe hamda. It’s that smell of something special and familiar. The smell of Shabbat. The smell of home.

To be Jewish is to understand that there is much to do, that time is fleeting, and that each day affords us the priceless gift of life.

The trait of a good eye is not just about seeing others with a good eye, but about seeing life in general with a good eye.

I have questions. I’m still intrigued. But I am worried that the criminal charges will close that door. Why? Because I might see you as “other” and relate more to the “not me” part of your story.

My soul is awakened, as if it could hear someone calling its name. It stirs slowly at first and then begins to become fully alive, as if it finally has a purpose.

What, if any, possible knowledge of their Jewish heritage or ancestors was transmitted to them? What did they know about being Jews, and did this have anything to do with choosing Jewish wives, or was that simply a “coincidence”?

Judaism offers prayers to say for every occasion. But a few prayers said by women offer a distinct path to communicate with the Divine.