Posts from the ‘Holidays’ category

Holidays and holy times in the secular and Jewish calendars.

Two Prayers to End 2020 and Start 2021

This is a two-prayer liturgy to end 2020 and start 2021, combining my Rosh Hashanah 5780 prayer “Pervasive Peace” with my Rosh Hashanah 5781 prayer “Wildly…

Read article

Meditation for the End of Chanukah

After the eight days — after the Eternal Lamp stayed alight for eight days on one day of oil — the rededicated Temple was back in…

Read article

Vagabond Prayers: A Covid Ushpizin (of sorts)

A Covid-inspired meditation, an Ushpizin (of sorts) for these times when the idea of visitors — and blessings from heaven — may seem distant. Ushpizin is…

Read article

These Vows – A Covid Kol Nidre

Finished in the hours before Yom Kippur, 5781… And a year has come and gone… Now, Yom Kippur 5782… These Vows – A Covid Kol Nidre…

Read article

Wildly Unimaginable Blessings: A Prayer for 5781

This new Rosh Hashanah prayer — written this morning — is a response to Covid-19. Since March, since the reality of pandemic and plague struck our…

Read article

Assembly

This prayer is the result of spending nearly two months studying the High Holidays machzor in preparation for teaching my “Mysteries of the Machzor” series. I’ve added…

Read article

Authentic Confession: Meditation on the Vidui

In preparation for the Yamim Noraim, I’ll lead a free workshop called “Authentic Confessions: Selichot that Matter,” presented by the soon to be launched ‘High Holidays…

Read article

Fathers and Mothers: A Holocaust Memory

Yesterday, in anticipation of Yom HaShoah, the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies hosted child Holocaust survivor Rena Quint to tell her story. Her testimony is powerful.…

Read article

Meditation on the Vidui

Here’s a meditation to be recited after the Yom Kippur confessional prayer, written to reinforce the core message of repentence and return. It was originally posted…

Read article

Pervasive Peace: A 5780 Prayer

In these difficult times, perhaps less is more. On this last Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah 5780, I’m offering a simple, one-line prayer to set a tone…

Read article