By Nina Fondiller Woldin Last week, Jewish communities everywhere were shaken to the core. Like many, I found myself unable to enjoy my many blessings, reminding me of the first lines of Yehudah Halevi’s* famous poem, My Heart is in the East: My heart is in the east, and I in the uttermost west– How Continue Reading »
by Michalee Merritt I had planned to write a blog today about a wonderful weekend celebrating Simchat Torah. But I am having trouble writing about it in light of what is happening in Israel. My synagogue is undergoing a Torah restoration project and we had a major event planned for the holiday. It still went Continue Reading »
by Rabbi Debra Smith The Gates don’t truly close until the eighth day of Sukkot, right before Shemini Atzeret. The mystical book the Zohar teaches that, while the judgment for the new year is sealed on Yom Kippur, it is not delivered until the end of Sukkot, giving us an extra measure of time to lessen the Continue Reading »
by Jill Maidhof Author, teacher and presenter Rabbi Joseph Telushkin once told an audience that he watches what he eats pretty carefully. At the same time, he confessed that if he were about to bite into a piece of cheesecake and someone urged him to think twice, “…all I’d be thinking is ‘how soon is this guy going Continue Reading »
by Nina Fondiller Woldin It’s the morning after Rosh Hashana, and I am driving my youngest daughter to the airport. Discussing the holiday, she reminds me about how the words to Joni Mitchell’s song Circle Game chronicle our experience. This year my family viewed the themes of the holiday on many different generational levels – from Continue Reading »
by Audrey Lichter Last night I attended the annual board meeting of our Greater Hartford Federation. The community had not gathered together in person since 2019. Although I have never been on a Federation board, I always go to the meetings to cheer on the people that give their time and passion to the needs Continue Reading »
by Michalee Merritt A friend I met in a Jewish Leadership Academy/Community Leadership Initiative year-long class ran her first board meeting this past week. She shared with our cohort how she started and ended the meeting. She opened the meeting by asking her board members, “How do you find balance in your life?” She ended Continue Reading »
Rabbi Deb Smith I am good at making resolutions, G-d, but I am not very good at keeping them. There are so many things I would like to achieve, so many changes I would like to make. I pray to you G-d, for strength and for wisdom. I want to live a meaningful life, G-d. I want to Continue Reading »
By Nina Fondiller Woldin Yesterday at a bluegrass concert I was reminded of the power of community. The streets were filled with people enjoying music together – singing along and dancing – and good spirit seemed to permeate every interaction. In observing this scene, I was reminded of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (Chief Rabbi of Continue Reading »
by Audrey Lichter As is our custom, wherever our family vacations, I always try and visit at least one synagogue or Jewish organization and let them know about Chai Mitzvah, Yesterday, on our trip home from our annual family reunion in Acadia National Park, I visited Rabbi Bill Siemers of Congregation Beth Israel in Bangor Continue Reading »
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