Category: Science and Health

Elie Wiesel describes Moses as “the loneliest” character in the Bible. Moses is the ruler of an unruly bunch of former slaves, as well as a prophet and lawgiver, and, for a short time, the High Priest. As Wiesel puts it, Moses “embodies the very concept of leadership, with its collective triumphs and personal disillusionments.” […]

It was impossible to distinguish who was happier or prouder: The 10 elderly Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH) residents celebrating their bar and bat mitzvahs, or LAJH CEO and President Dale Surowitz. The men and women between the ages of 76 and 98 were glowing as Surowitz told them, “What you have accomplished is absolutely […]

The memorial service for Charlie Kirk took place this Sunday; chances are the only things you know about it are that Erika Kirk gave a graceful, heartfelt speech; Tucker Carlson blew a dogwhistle; and President Trump joked-not-joked that he genuinely hates his political opponents. I watched the entire event, and it struck me as a […]

Asking for forgiveness may be mandated by our tradition at this time of year, and if we do it right, it’s one of the toughest things we’re called to do. Who wants to be reminded that they messed up, that they hurt someone, that they must humble themselves and ask for forgiveness? Even the Almighty […]

In the firestorm over Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension from his late-night talk show, which has turned him into a free speech martyr, virtually everyone is ignoring Kimmel’s approach to speech itself. Kimmel was suspended by ABC after blowback from his comments suggesting that the accused shooter of Charlie Kirk was actually “MAGA” rather than a leftist […]

For many of us these are dark days. War in Gaza and in Ukraine, climate change, the tragic Los Angeles fires, and domestic political turmoil conspired to turn the zeitgeist into a foul wind. In my medical practice, I see the challenges of disease and debility faced by so many. In such times hope takes […]

It is hard to be an optimist these days. Wars rage without resolution, terrorism strikes without warning, political discourse grows increasingly toxic, and natural disasters remind us of our fragility. In such a climate, hope can feel like naïve denial, and faith in a better future can seem more like wishful thinking than rational conviction. […]

  Arbitrariness Shabbat Thought Nitzavim 2025 (adapted from previous versions) This week’s Torah portion, Nitzavim (“Stand up and be counted”), contains stark language. Choose – life or death, blessing or curse. In my words, choose the laws of the moral and spiritual order or flout them. Blessing if you align yourself, catastrophe if you don’t. […]

At every synagogue in the afternoon on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, congregants perform Tashlich by casting off bread crumbs into a moving body of water to release the sins of the previous year. But at Beit T’Shuvah, a synagogue and residential treatment center on Venice Boulevard, the ritual continues week after week. Jesse […]

My daughter-in-law recently asked me what I looked forward to during the upcoming Jewish holidays. “Nothing!” I replied, “I dread them.”  When I think about any Jewish holiday, all I can think about is cooking – and cooking – and serving and clearing and cooking some more. I’ve been doing this for nearly 40 years.  […]