On Handing Down an Heirloom Tallit at a Bar/Bat Mitzvah
This idea for this prayer was suggested by a member of Rodef Shalom Congregation, Pittsburgh, whom I met while serving as their 5776 Yom Kippur Scholar.…
Read articlePrayer with Wings
This is another prayer of yearning, yearning for the impossible, to know that my prayers have been heard. This is an important theme in my writing.…
Read articleIn Gratitude for Your Gifts
This prayer of gratitude is one of my few attempts at an English alphabetic acrostic. Here, the acrostic is in second word of the first two…
Read articleQuick Blessing for a Past Love
In my single life, before and after my marriage to Ami z”l, I’ve been blessed with the company of women who’ve loved deeply, women who have…
Read articlePinchas: Mountain Prayer at Twilight
The death of Moses is foretold in this week’s parasha, Pinchas. When the time comes, Moses will ascend yet another mountain, see the land that he…
Read articleThe Gifts of Our Lives
This new prayer of gratitude includes an alphabetical acrostic. Acrostics were a mainstay of Jewish liturgical poems, known as piyutim. This piece combines the acrostic with a four-part…
Read articleVayakhel-Pekudei: For the Gift of Art
In this week’s double torah portion, Vayakhel-Pekudei, the master artist Bezalel is named to direct the creation of the tabernacle, all of its symbols and tools,…
Read articleOn Starting a New Job
Here’s a prayer of thanks for beginning a new job. It is one of several prayers about employment and unemployment, including: “Upon Losing Employment,” “Upon Gaining…
Read articleBeshalach: Miriam’s Word
Imagine what happens the moment after Miriam and the women finish their dance. Elated and exhausted from celebration, her people having crossed the sea into safety…
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