On hearing that I had converted to Judaism many African-Americans — family members, friends and even recent acquaintances, have all basically asked the same question “How are you being treated…?” Typically I give recent acquaintances the succinct response of “Well.” With family and friends I offer a more nuanced response. I tell them of my Continue Reading »
I loved my grandmother. I always thought of her as the typical Jewish grandmother. She worried and kvetched. She bragged about famous Jews as if she knew them. She used coupons to buy things at the store whether she needed them or not. What she didn’t do was cook. At least well. She also didn’t Continue Reading »
The Big Move Moving to a new city is never easy, but when you are empty nesters with no kids at home to help anchor you into the new community, it is especially difficult. We moved to Washington four and a half years ago, after having lived in the Wilmington, DE area for the prior Continue Reading »
My Judaism story began with my Roman Catholic childhood. During my early life I attended daily Mass, first in the context of Catholic grammar school, then Catholic high school and finally college at the Jesuit Sacred Heart University. In case you are unfamiliar with the Jesuits, they are some of the most badass freethinkers in Continue Reading »
On May 7 our class, the Dibrot, was honored at the Kehillat Shabbat service. Tom Plotz, lay leader of the service, and Cantorial Soloist Robin Helzer, periodically invite graduates of the many previous classes to chant the Torah and Haftorah portions, give the D’var Torah and recite the blessings. While our class has had this Continue Reading »
About nine months after my husband died I went up to Smith College to teach in the school of social work. I lived in a faculty dorm and ate and had dialogues and drank wine with some very nice and interesting people. It felt like the switch from black and white to color in The Continue Reading »
My connection with Temple Sinai began nearly 20 years ago. Before starting college at GW, I worked at Camp Harlam. There, I met Rabbi Reiner who was on staff for a two week rotation. After working together on a few programs, he encouraged me to visit Temple Sinai if I needed anything while in DC. Continue Reading »
The Chanukah Mart for me is like an open tent – a chuppah. It has four poles and four pole holders who hold it high for all of us to come under. The first pole holder is the overall Chair, Carole Brand. Like the manager of a large train station, Carole has a strong arm, Continue Reading »
When I was a teenager attending High Holy Day services, the liturgy did not speak to me. “Who shall live, and who shall die,” part of Unetanah Tokef, the central prayer of the Rosh Hashanah service, had little meaning to me then or even later when I was in my 20s and 30s. I am Continue Reading »
When I first discovered the YAWS group (the acronym for parents of young adults who struggle), I didn’t know what I wanted from it. I just knew that it was important that I attend, and I expected that I would figure out the why as I went along. What I quickly came to experience was Continue Reading »