by Jill Maidhof Three good friends are on a hike, walking each day and enjoying hot dogs and beer each night. One evening, an oversized globe glides in their direction and floats just feet away from them. Not only that, but it speaks, saying “Pick up the stones on your path tomorrow and at the Continue Reading »
By Nina Fondiller Woldin It’s early morning, the water is like glass, and you can feel that the day will be warm and humid. Ducks swim by silently, and fish PLOP as they jump. Dragonflies buzz on the surface of the water, and butterflies explore the tall grass on the shore. You are reminded of Continue Reading »
I have been thinking about Community a lot lately. Where you can find a community, how do you define community and what makes up a community? My friends are a community. My mah jong group is a community. My book group is a community. The parents of my kids sports teams are a community. My Continue Reading »
By Rabbi Deb Smith This week Chai Mitzvah began a new five-session series called Critical Conversations. Our first session focused on the topic of “Modern Day Idolatry (Lies About Power).” We had a very energetic conversation about the definition of monotheism and what it means to believe in idols. How does the concept of idols differ Continue Reading »
By Nina Fondiller Woldin Did you watch the debate last week? And more to the point, did the larger debate spark smaller political debates among your friends and family? Each candidate claimed their opponent was lying, and audiences around the world reacted in various ways: frustrated, disheartened, or even amused. In a time where each Continue Reading »
by Jill Maidhof I’m an Air Force brat whose heart still swells when I hear the sound of jet engines. One of my most vivid memories was being at Dow Air Force Base in Bangor, Maine, hearing the blare of an “alert” and watching my father, a pilot, get from the shower to the cockpit Continue Reading »
by Audrey Lichter Reflecting on a trip I recently took to“Jewish Spain,” I was thinking about the fact that there was little to see about Jewish Spain since the Jews were expelled in 1492 and most (if not all) of their buildings had been repossessed, and most of their holy sites are buried and lost Continue Reading »
by Michalee Merritt As I sit here and think about Shavuot, I think of the transition of the ancient Israelites into a religious community. We were given the Torah on Mount Sinai. It was a contract between us and G-d. My youngest son graduated from high school a few weeks ago. As the students were Continue Reading »
by Rabbi Debra Smith I find the times we are living in now to be particularly challenging and wearing. Looking back over my life, I can honestly say that these times are the most difficult and emotionally exhausting ones I have ever experienced. Being Jewish now is particularly frightening because of the steep increase in Continue Reading »
by Jill Maidhof I’ve been thinking about a question that I heard somehow at some time in my life: “What did you do in the war, Daddy?“ If, in 20 years, my children ask me “What did you do about the state of our country in 2024, Mommy?” my answer could very well be, “Well, I Continue Reading »
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