Jewels 2009

“An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth. The injury one inflicted on another shall be inflicted on him.” (Leviticus 24:20)These are harsh words

“Clever” seems eager to begin at Homeboy Silkscreen and, at 22 years old, he has assured me he is ready to retire his jersey from

For a long time, I thought that things – people, experiences, relationships, my self – could be fixed. I’ve since come to believe that while

I remember the day. It was September 9, a Tuesday, when he left me. One minute we were gallivanting on Laguna Beach like movie stars

Anger and unresolved conflicts can be the source of heavy loads that weigh on our chests and on our subconscious. The effects of unresolved issues

“We forgive not because we believe that what was done was unimportant, but because we are prepared to put aside our anger long enough to

The blackboard brush didn’t hit me, but it was close. It crashed through the large window behind me. I got up. No one in the

My grandma’s spirit died long before she did. To say that her grandchildren were devoted to her doesn’t begin to describe it. Once a week,

Imagine riding in a speedboat on a lake with an automatic pilot set to go east. If you decide to reverse and head west, you

I’m not sure I know how to forgive; I certainly haven’t had much practice at it. For forgiveness to be a possibility, there must first be

As Americans have become increasingly psychologically sophisticated, it becomes much easier for people, Jews and non-Jews, to say, “I’m sorry.” But Teshuva requires more than

A great loss, what is it? Is it 9-11? A Tsunami that kills thousands? The Holocaust, which killed millions? As mind-boggling as these are, they

As Jews, we are obligated to honor our parents in the way we honor God. The idea reflects a simple truth: without them, we wouldn’t

As a spiritual caregiver to elders, I have often wondered if it is ever too late for forgiveness. Sam and his son and daughter-in-law, Irv

What if the injured party is dead? How, then, do you repent? My grandmother was a take-charge Jewish woman, a business executive in the 1930s long

When I first moved to Los Angeles, we didn’t exactly hit it off. I found the city too driven by appearance and dominated by one

This is a season when we are compelled to turn and look at ourselves, even as we learn that sometimes the only thing worse than

“Ready or not…here I come!” As the mother of three girls, this is a familiar refrain in my household. When we play, I think about

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said that we should live our lives as if painting a work of art. When I first read this as a new

The l6th of January, 2009, is the day when my three precious daughters and niece were killed by Israeli shells. I do not want anyone

When I was a small child in Jerusalem, I would go shopping with my mother. We would see lots of people with numbers tattooed on their

I talk to my mom at least once a day. My peers (not to mention my partner!) think it’s a bit excessive. But I live

Twenty-five years ago, I was a young woman living and learning in Israel. To support myself, I started a private aerobics business. One of my

It’s New Year’s Eve, 1988. I’m traveling alone off the coast of Belize. After spending the day snorkeling, I’ve come down with a terrible infection. Racked

For all politicians, an election is a referendum on their responsiveness to constituents, their awareness of the needs of the community, and their pledge to do a

“Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing; a confusion of the real with the ideal never goes unpunished.” ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe No

I was greatly privileged to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which assisted our relatively peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy. While we were frequently

In my vengeful hours, I imagine all the men who I feel should beg for my forgiveness. I create dramatic scenarios. Either I’ve become a

I have officiated at more than 500 funerals and held the hands of many loved ones as they slipped away. All of my spiritual training,