by Webmaster | May 27, 2015 | Identity
It’s the end of the summer, and my children are educating me about Jewish pirates. “They lived in the Caribbean in the 16th and 17th centuries,” my teenage daughter insists. “Hebrew was their secret language, because no one else around them spoke it.” “And,” my...
by Webmaster | May 18, 2015 | Identity
1 in 6 contemporary Jews are new to Judaism. How are we supposed to welcome these converts? Rabbi Juan Mejia, a convert himself, provides a modern reading of the biblical story of Ruth to find some guidance. An uneasy minyan stands at the gates of Bethlehem. The sun...
by Webmaster | May 11, 2015 | Identity, Recipes
The first time I tasted a mojito, and I mean really tasted a mojito, I was in Havana with my family, and my dad had whisked me away to a local hotspot after a long, sweaty day of delivering humanitarian aid to those in need. That night was particularly warm, and the...
by Webmaster | May 5, 2015 | Identity
My family has always been the foundation of my life. I have very strong bonds with both my parents. Over the years, I have come to appreciate how my parents raised me based on their life experiences. My parents have been married for 33 years, and I always look to them...
by Webmaster | Apr 28, 2015 | Identity
This is the final in a short series on adoption in Jewish families. Enjoy! In 1988, I had my entire life completely worked out. I was ordained as a cantor, married the love of my life and moved from New York to a community just west of Boston. We would live in...
by Webmaster | Apr 23, 2015 | Identity
“Ima, I’m eating breakfast. It tastes like home. I want to live here forever.” The simplicity and joy of my daughter’s phone call from her first morning in Israel keeps replaying in my head. It is a balm on my soul and a window into the blessing that is the State of...
