Jewels 2010

Al Ta’azvenu B’et Ziknah Adonai, do not leave us in our old age. When I turned 50, I went for a walk on the Santa

My daughter Katie and I were trying to navigate our way to a restaurant located one state over. The phone’s GPS had given out and

The first time I heard God’s call was at my Bat Mitzvah. I chanted my Haftorah, read the prayers, and spoke in front of the

From an early age, my creative passions have been equally divided between the sciences and the arts. In childhood, I built rockets and remote control

I have been blessed with a diverse career, from pulpits in Florida to Jewish agencies in Detroit, to the national Jewish public affairs scene and,

In November, I am getting drafted into the Israel Defense Forces. By then I will be 22 years old, with a degree from a prestigious

On the first day of the month of Kislev, I prayed Shacharit, as usual, wearing my talith at the Kotel, together with my friends from

How does one begin again from rape?  It had always been my greatest fear, but then again, it is an instinctive fear for all women.

Robert Bly once wrote that failure is a necessary part of the life of any man, and over many years – and many failures –

In my late thirties my vision deteriorated; by 40 I was blind.  I picked up a paintbrush and my life changed. Just a slice of my

In May, 1969 when I was a senior at the University of Wisconsin, I was incarcerated in a psychiatric hospital. The Vietnam War was raging

My parents never encouraged me to make my dream come true of being a rock star. Instead, they did everything they could to discourage me

The thought has always occurred to me what I might do given the opportunity to start anew, wipe the slate clean so to speak. The

“Starting over means forgetting all the “Nos”. I live in L.A. and work in what is commonly referred to as Hollywood. We get a lot

My 16-year-old sister, Samira, had been complaining of a migraine headache for about a week. I was 12. When the doctors finally figured out it

A rendition of Psalms 150 “Halleluyah” graced the eardrums of the seats filled with smiling faces and victors. I faintly smiled and was whisked away

Throughout the Bible, God asks our prophetic ancestors: “Where are you?” “Hineni,” they answer: “Here I am.” The question is not a geographic one, but

My safta wanted great grandchildren more than anything. In fact, when I was in my early twenties she sat me down and told me that

Contrary to the popular belief, Rosh Hashanah does not commemorate the creation of the world. Rather, it commemorates the sixth day of creation, the day

No matter how many fights I have under my belt, each and every fight is a new challenge and a new beginning. Before each fight,

It was February 7, 1984, and I was pacing the office of the Chief Sefardi Rabbi in Jerusalem. I was so overwhelmed with emotions that

Writing sermons brings a myriad of emotions for me: fear, excitement, nervousness, and anticipation.  Will I inspire, challenge, comfort, educate, or transform those listening?  Will

In labor with child number two, my body was pulsating, gripped at irregular intervals by fierce contractions. I felt like a food processor operated by

It seems I was born without the gene that makes a person afraid to try new things.  I only know about this gene because I’m

“The smoothest path is full of stones.” Yiddish Proverb One day my daughter, Noa, who has physical disabilities, asked me if she could have a

I’ll never forget the rat infestation in my apartment on 25th Street in New York City. I was 25 years old at the time, working

It’s hard to believe that G-d hasn’t been watching out for me when I’ve had so many obstacles with drugs, rejection and people not believing

A woman spoke with me after her double mastectomy. She couldn’t accept her body. We sought a new metaphor. Your chest is a sacred altar,

The world is a little too full of “can’t” — and there’s not enough “why not?” What’s more frustrating than to be told a problem