Yizkor after My Child’s Suicide
The loss of a child to suicide is a difficult and painful journey. This is another yizkor prayer focused on the circumstances surrounding the death of…
Let Tranquility Reign
This is a prayer for peace. Not the kind of peace that nations appear to be willing to adopt these days, the simple absence of war.…
Vaera 5775: I am Pharaoh
In this week’s Torah reading, and in last week’s, G-d tells Moses that G-d will harden Pharaoh’s heart. What does it mean for G-d to harden Pharaoh’s…
Aux Juifs de France, Modifié
This is a prayer for the Jews of France after the terror attack on a kosher market in Paris. The prayer appears first in French followed by…
Shemot 5775: In Praise of Adoption
Exodus begins with extraordinary examples of care for children: midwives Shiphrah and Puah refuse Pharoah’s order to kill newborn males; then, Moses is adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter and nursed…
Tending Gardens
Some gardens are tended by our hands. Others are tended by G-d’s will. This is a meditation on both the willingness to act in order to…
Before Calling Social Services
This is a prayer for humility before taking a difficult step: calling a social service agency to report a neighbor, family member or some other individual…
Vayechi 5775: On the Birth of a Child
In Vayechi, Jacob “blesses” his children. They read like praises for some and curses for others. This is consistent with the parenting skills exhibited in Genesis,…
Vayigash 5775: Against Worker Exploitation
This is a social justice prayer for Shabbat Vayigash. In this week’s Torah portion, Joseph saves the Egyptians. He also also enslaves them. In his weekly commentary,…
Passing of a Beloved Pet
Recently, a number of my friends have seen beloved pets pass away. Many have struggled with the loss of a dear, loving presence, the loss of…