Reflections

I had started to feel bad, as if I was supposed to be so mad at G-d regarding the events of October 7 that it would affect our personal connection.

Discover the transformative power of Shabbat as it invites you to peel back the layers of identity, unmasking your true self and essence.

Growing up in the former Soviet Union, we constantly worried about rationing the next meal.

I heard Mom go into the closet and take out her pocketbook, go back into the kitchen and then scream, “My money is gone. The whole $12. That was my food money for the week! What will we eat?”

Follow the journey of a young professional as she explores Guatemala and reflects on her Jewish identity.

After seeing the movies, reading the books, visiting the museums and hearing the stories, I was ready to go to ground zero of the Holocaust and take upon myself what I saw as an obligation for every Jew (and the more I think about it, every human): Go see for yourself what humanity is capable of.

Chana wasn’t drunk. But she taught me how to be sober.

I pray that I will be able to take care of myself for a long time.

My focus is total as I connect completely to the ebb and flow of my story.

“I want you to have this. I won’t be needing it anymore,” she said.

I awoke that morning with hesitancy; I ended the day with gratification.

Each of the shattered bowls reminds me that G‑d is the only constant in our lives, there when we need His loving care to remake us in a new and better way.

I should have remembered from prior visits that there are two parking lots, and they are hard to find. But it was not at the forefront of my mind.

Words have a life of their own; moreover, they embody permanence.

The first step is to remember that all of your symptoms are not the actual issue that needs to be addressed; they are the warning bells.

Humans can only see so far, but if we had the ability to view everything through G‑d’s eyes, we’d see the “sunshine,” the goodness, in all He created.

How can I use these cold and dark winter months to spiritually soar?

The Torah’s teachings, like the tree, provide support, faith and encouragement. The good deeds we do are its fruit. I needed to hold on to its support now as I remembered the prayers that were being said in synagogue for my sister.

Some things that the rebbetzin did, however, were less easy to fathom. I noticed that whenever I visited the Chabad House, the hands on the wall clock weren’t moving. The time was perpetually 2 p.m.

I felt sick. Where are you, G‑d, in all of this?

Recently, they experienced an event that has shaken their professed lack of belief.

I was finally able to fill the gnawing emptiness inside when I found the spiritual nourishment I was craving.

Standing next to the small table with prepared candles, I saw a young girl hiding in the shadows.

Feel G‑d shaping and fashioning you into the person you are meant to be, revealing the inner beauty and light that lay waiting in potential within your soul.

It didn’t surprise me that Rivka’s family elected to erect the stone earlier to provide this tribute as soon as they could to the wife and mother whom they accompanied as far as death’s door.

Moshiach is not only a solution for our pain in this life. If that’s what I believe, then why would I risk upheaval for the sake of something that doesn’t affect me in this moment?

Something inside my head is trying to remind me to be grateful for this little guy, but at 2:30 am, all I want to be grateful for is my bed.

As I formulate my battle plan to beat the morning rush, I ponder an old, unanswered question. What is it that drives dish towels to the floor from whichever spot they are hung or perched?

I was sure that my future would not hold the religious beliefs I had grown up with. To me, the rules and guidelines I was forced to keep in school were all that was keeping me religious.

The night we met with the cantor, my almost-13-year-old son announced: “I’m a scientist, and also I’m an atheist.”

I start my day stressed out, and it usually progresses that way until bedtime. ..

I demand of my heart, no tears at Auschwitz.

It has to be simple and unadorned, but its significance is far from simple.

Interesting, she didn’t say that she’s tired or overwhelmed or overworked, but weak; the woman actually thinks that she is weak.

I’ve read the Tehillim portion in English on trains, buses, in Starbucks coffee shops and anywhere necessary to stick to my commitment.

I can handle your tantrum because I know three things with absolute certainty.

I believe in G‑d. Even before I became Torah observant, I felt His hand dancing through the events of my life. I saw purpose behind both the good and the bad, the happy and the painful.

I found myself in a murky world, sailing around and around and around in excruciating circles. There was often no seashore in sight.

I woke up feeling like I shouldn’t fly. And while I know people who’ve altered their plans on a feeling, I was never one of them; I refused to let fear make my choices.

This tiny watch has actually taught me something valuable about the way we approach our lives on a daily basis.

It began with a late-night text from Dena, a close friend of mine: “Don’t want you to worry, but we had a fire. Thank G‑d, we managed to get out in time, but the house is gone.”

We learn our uniquely designed lessons from our limitations and from our lows. Somehow, we need the darkness for our essence to emerge as well.