Something that comes once a week can never compete with something that comes once a year. Rosh Hashanah is our New Year. That gives it a certain magic, even a sense of urgency. Shabbat comes once a week. We’re used to it. We see it all the time. Tonight, the annual and the weekly will […]
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Picture this: a ceremony at sunrise in a cork oak grove, quiet enough to hear the leaves. By sunset, the same wedding party is standing above a UNESCO-listed river valley, watching the hillsides turn gold. Not two weddings, not two destinations. One country, one day, one couple who decided their wedding would be an adventure […]
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On Tuesday morning, Nov. 12, 2024, I stepped out of the shower in my home, slipped on the finished wooden floor, and fell backward, hitting my head on the side of the bathtub on the way down. The result was a catastrophic injury: I was rendered quadriplegic, paralyzed from the shoulders down. Fortunately, I sustained […]
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With the 25th anniversary of 9/11 fast approaching, I knew it was high time to bring everyone back together into the same room, to learn and remember what the community actually consists of. Survivors and First Responders. Those are likely what you first think of. If I say “9/11 Survivor,” your mind will go to […]
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I was working on a column on humility when I got interrupted by my obsession with sports, a childhood condition I still can’t shake. The story of the NBA imposing one of the harshest penalties in league history to the Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer has buzzed throughout the sports world this week. […]
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This year, as Rosh Hashanah lines up with the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Repair the World and Hillel International are joining forces for a day of service. Across the country, more than 800 college students at 22 campus Hillels will be honoring this day through acts of service in their communities. The initiative, which was […]
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Most Jewish young adults are engaged with their Judaism, according to an unprecedented new study from the Jim Joseph Foundation. The research, which was conducted by Sense Worldwide is known as Project Prism, and it shows that three quarters of Jewish young adults reporting doing something Jewish in their lives regularly. The dataset represents more […]
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There is a new documentary about the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023 that is unlike any of the others — this one rocks. Literally. “The Bridge” follows 10 Israelis affected by the attacks, and what they experienced in Los Angeles at Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy Camp. For the 10 Israeli musicians in “The Bridge,” this […]
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Nitzavim-Vayeilech — standing-and [Moses] went (Deuteronomy 29:9–31-30) Know before whom you stand.They are goldmines.They are every possibility.They have history and secrets,baggage and joys. Know before whom you standwhere they have come fromwhat brought them to this spotin front of you, in front ofthe words you will tell them.Choose those words carefully. Know before whom you […]
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One of my favorite things about gathering people for my show, are the hundreds of friendships that have developed with people all over the world. Linda Royal took the effort to send me her best selling novel “The Star on the Grave” all the way from Australia, and both my wife Adi and myself are […]
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