One You
A meditation on the vastness of creation and the uniqueness of each and every soul. This piece appears in This Precious Life: Encountering the Divine with…
For George Floyd’s Family
After a moment of joy and relief at the guilty verdicts in the murder of George Floyd, my overwhelming emotion is sorrow, my heart immediately with…
Between Egypt and Sinai
On Saturday evening we finish counting three weeks of the Omer. With four more weeks to go, we have metaphorically left Egypt behind, but — on…
Hallel in a Minor Key
This Hallel is for singing praises in times of struggle or sorrow. “Hallel in a Minor Key” is the name of both the liturgy and the…
For the U.S. Asian Community
In Atlanta, eight are dead after a killing spree centered on the Asian American community, as the number of hate crimes against that community continue to…
Stones of Remembrance
This meditation is based on four lines in Tetazveh (Exodus 28:9-12) instructing the creation of stone shoulder fasteners for the high priest’s Ephod (see postscript). Called…
First Coffee
This is a bit of whimsy wrapped in a classic prayer. I have for some time thought about writing a prayer for the first coffee of…
Three Meditations for Tu B’Shvat
Here are three meditations for Tu B’Shvat. It’s also called Rosh HaShanah La’Ilanot, the ‘New Year of the Trees,’ which begins Wednesday evening, Jan. 27, 2021.…
A Liturgy for the U.S. Presidential Inauguration, 2021
A three-prayer liturgy for the U.S. Presidential Inauguration. It includes a new prayer for Vice President Kamala Harris conceived with Cantor Evan Kent. Brief descriptions of…
Against Domestic Insurrection
This is a prayer in response to the rioting and attacks on the U.S. Capitol, an attack on the great history of the peaceful transition power…