Oh NO, Not Another Hanukkah Article!
About a month ago I was ordering a latte at a local coffee shop. The barista, a...
Waiting (Wasting) Time
We all spend a lot of time waiting. Waiting for a light to change, waiting for...
Tiffany Haddish Learns Hebrew or How To Get More Hebrew Into Your Life
Turns out, comedian, actress and writer Tiffany Haddish has a Jewish father. In...
The U.N.'s Erasure of Jewish History and Why it Matters for Israeli Leftists
For roughly 1,000 years a temple stood on top of the Temple Mount in the center...
Pursuing Communal Needs “Be’Emunah”
In the third paragraph of a prayer that is recited on Shabbat immediately after...
Cookie Day
I kid you not, December 4th is National Cookie Day. (I’m not sure if...
Not Your Grandmother’s Judaism
Many years ago, I attended a memorable talk, delivered by Dr. Lawrence...
The Answer to the Growing Israel-Diaspora Rift = Torah
Everyone understands the awkward potential of a large family gathering. Maybe...
Thanksgiving
I am not an American, so as an outsider it is interesting to view how Americans...
The Hidden Irony of Chanukah Decorations
Every year around this time, Jewish people begin to comment on social media...
One of my Favoriate Torah Scenes
One of my favorite scenes in the Torah is in the portion of Vayeira which we...
The Ancient Jewish Debate about Modern Israeli Politics
“...Now appoint us a king to judge over us (so we can be) like all other...
The Wisdom of a 41 Year-Old Jew
How much better is it to acquire wisdom than gold! And to acquire understanding...
Moving On
An extended stay at the hospital for my husband in a ward generally meant for...
Jewish Practice and Abolishment of Human Sacrifice
Right outside of the southern wall of the old city of Jerusalem lies a deep...
Hearing the Buttery Voice of God
A while ago, I squirreled away the very last pack of butter in the back of the...
Feeding the Hungry
Feeding the Hungry Yaakov Bieler Many years ago, I recall a student’s...
Desert Survival & Judaism
I was recently on a desert survival workshop through Tour Adumim in the Judean...
Explaining Eden- The Deep Philosophical Truth at the Beginning of the Torah
Man’s banishment from Eden serves as a prologue to the Torah and...
Noah's Ark, or I was Unjustifiably Upset
I was unjustifiably upset. I bought a Noah’s ark toy for my...
Adam & Eve
What Do You Really Know About Adam and Eve? At this time of year, Jews around...
The Gifts of Being A Certain Age
A few months ago, I wrote about turning a new age. Four months later, I’m...
An Introduction to the Talmud_Part 3_Tips for Starting Your Talmudic Journey
This is part three in a series: An Introduction to the Talmud. For part 1 click...
The Book of Genesis Lays a Foundaton
My grandfather used to tell me with prideHow his parents came to Canada to...
Sukkot by Dani Shira Plung
Last Sukkot—which fell at the end of September, by the Gregorian...
History, Memory, and Sukkot
One of the central dialectics within Judaism is the interplay between history...
Guess Who’s Building A Sukkah? A JVO Photoblog
NOTE: Please don't be discouraged by the image formatting in this post. The...
Red Lights & Judaism
Sometimes I like to stop at red lights. That might seem weird, but think about...
Like Water For Torah
This past Shabbat afternoon, while I was taking my customary Shabbat afternoon...
Justin Trudeau did T'Shuvah
In a few day’s time millions of Jews will gather in synagogues across the...
Jewish Training Wheels
On Rosh Hashana, at one of our meals, an interesting question was posed. Why do...
An Introduction to the Talmud - Part 2 - What Is In the Talmud?
This is part two in a series: An Introduction to the Talmud. For part 1 click...
The Score Board of Life
I was sitting in a gymnasium and saw the score board. It hit me that I...
Praying to Avoid Embarrassment
Praying to Avoid Embarrassment In the prayer that is offered by the...
The Question
The Value of the Question The Torah reading for the Second Day of Rosh Hashanah...
G-d's Elevator Speech
Do you have an elevator speech? In case you are not familiar with elevator...
An Introduction to the Talmud - Part 1 History
“Where does the Talmud start?” she asked. “What?” I...
Are You Using the Right Card
In order to enter the offices of my health care provider I have to use a...
Punishing children for their parents’ sins
You know the story. The Jews are waiting down at the base of Mt. Sinai for...
I, CAIN
The World’s First Murderer Talks About Killing His Brother, Abel. You...
Potty Humor. Potty Prayer.
At least in our culture, children seem to naturally think that the human...
The Rosh Hashanah Table
No matter where you are on the religious scale, you still eat dinner on Rosh...
Re-Analyzing the Biblical Law Against Homosexuality
This is going to be a long article - probably double the length of my normal...
Have a Good Day!
I recently went to a hospital for a regular appointment at a specialty clinic....
With God In The Elevator
Many years ago, I was living in suburban Baltimore with my family. An old...
Seeking God – and Losing Him
B”SD Øåá÷ùúí îùí àú ä àìå÷éê åîöàú ëé úãøùðå áëì ìááê åáëì ðôùêØ –...
Dr. Seuss Questions
Dr. Seuss asks children if they rather be a cat or a dog. My question is if you...
Racism, Ethiopian Jewry, and the Red Sea Diving Resort
The critics are correct. Netflix’s new movie The Red Sea Diving Resort...
A Blessing of Appreciation upon “Surviving”
The Talmud (Berachot 54b) states that based upon four extremely dangerous...
Crying Out To God
My five-year-old grandson stayed overnight with me recently. He woke up in the...