Gratitude

What Do We Want?

Everyone always asks us for more. Everyone wants more. But what is the ONE thing we all seek and truly need?

This year, the one thing we truly want is to be together. We want to dwell, share, pray and sing. We want to be with each other.

Make Your Blessings Count

His letter came at just the right time: Thursday afternoon, just 2 days ago, when I was struggling with what words I might say to you today...

After reading this letter from my friend and classmate from Schechter who was incarcerated 7 years ago for 45 years, I made a promise to myself: I will never complain about my life again. And if I do, you may hold me to this, please say to me: count your blessings and make your blessings count...

But after Friday's disgusting erasure of transgender civil rights protections in health care, during Pride Month, and on the 4th anniversary of the shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando where 49 people were murdered and 51 more wounded, it is our LGBTQ friends and allies that I am especially thinking of today...

What a Candle, Spice Box, and Grape Juice Can Really Do for Your Family

I’ve always been a big believer in the family Shabbat experience. In our family, we light Shabbat candles together every Friday night in our dining room (a room our boys so rarely eat or play in that they actually call it the “Shabbat room” since that’s what we do there). We sing “Shabbat Shalom” and give high fives and kisses to everyone.

Originally published on Kveller 12/18/2015

Fragile X Awareness

In our world of parenting a child with special needs, all you have to do is say "Holland" and everyone knows you are dealing with challenging days and lost dreams.

Originally published in the Jewish Week 7/2/2014

Returning To The Pulpit, With Gratitude

Last Rosh HaShanah, I heard the shofar blasts in my kitchen, when my rabbi (who is also my mentor and friend) came over in the afternoon of the first day of the holiday, shofar in hand.

Originally published in the Jewish Week 9/28/2016