I have loved “Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations” ever since I found it as a kid. Bartlett’s felt like a whirlwind tour of great literature, tiny snippets of huge works that I would someday read at greater length. I’m pleased that Bartlett’s isn’t...

In late June, I noticed that Congregation B’nai Amoona had been selected to receive the prestigious 2013 Ruderman Prize for “Radical Inclusion,” recognizing B’nai Amoona for excellence in inclusion, connectivity and community building.  Rabbi...

Promises, promises.“I do.” “I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United...

Jewish women congregate at the Wall in Jerusalem to pray.  Because they are wearing Tallitot and chanting from the Torah, they run a gauntlet of “true believers” intent on preventing them from reaching their destination.  These “true believers”...

For over two centuries, professionals in the field of psychology have been interested in human development: Do we all develop similarly? Are our personalities predestined or are they the result of our environment? How can we most effectively impact another’s...

Before he was “Dad,” he was Timothy Gerard LaVictoire—a baby boy born June 24, 1952. Throughout his first 10 years, Tim welcomed one sister and four little brothers into his humble home in Mt. Morris, Mich. He learned how to shoot a gun from his...

When is a curse a blessing? Sometimes it’s hard to tell which is which. In our parasha this week, the non-Israelite prophet Balaam is summoned by Moabite King Balak to curse the Israelites. Somehow, throughout Jewish history, we have been seen as a...

Sometimes, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.As a parent, there are moments when I find myself suddenly furious. It seems as if my children have made just one demand too many. All of the whining and insistence that I drop whatever I am doing...

Animals can speak. Flowers can be painted. Mice can sew.  Lamps can house genies. Dragons can be trained. Toasters can have feelings.  If I told you these things, you’d think I was crazy. Surely, none of these things is true. And yet, as children...

I was a really picky eater when I was young, and I mean really picky. I didn’t like tomatoes, onions, lettuce—well, pretty much all vegetables—corned beef, thin salami (thick was OK), mayonnaise, pepper, fish, beans, sausage, honeydew, cherries…...

I am always intrigued by the minds of b’nai mitzvah students, especially the lessons they glean from their parshiot. This week, my daughter celebrates becoming bat mitzvah. As with all of my students, I have had the opportunity to peer into her mind...

They say the first step towards change is admitting you have a problem, right? Well, today I’d like to own up to one of my most unattractive qualities, something I’ve dealt with since I was very young: I’m extremely possessive.In kindergarten, I...