Jewels 2021

Dear Friends, Thank you for being a part of Jewels of Elul. I hope that you found the introspections from the past 29 days to

Music speaks louder than words It’s the only thing that the whole world listens to Music speaks louder than words When you sing People understand

I grew up in a small town in Northern Wisconsin in the 1970s. The measure of diversity was the occasional Minnesota Vikings enthusiast who bucked

Sometimes people ask what kind of Jew I am. I know what they mean— Reform, Conservative, Just Jewish, etc. But I’ve taken to answering with

Every Yom Kippur since childhood, my father held me close and placed his hands on my forehead to recite the Priestly benediction, along with the

When I was 11 years old, my mother converted to Christianity. She was open with me throughout her journey, neither shying away from my questions

In nearly all of my memories with both parents together, they were arguing. They fought about big things and they squabbled endlessly about the little

My father taught me a lesson critical to my career as a political reporter: don’t romanticize Washington, DC. We moved there from Berkeley in 1953

When I was just a year old, my parents started teaching me how to pitch-match by finding notes on the piano. They would play a

Jewel: Love the stranger. Be the stranger. You shall love the stranger, Abraham shows by example as he washes the sandy feet of his desert

I spent my adolescence going to funerals. Here, a dead child. There, a friend’s father. Dead, dead, dead: murdered by terrorists who hate us. You

Randy: Connecting with strangers can be an essential part of Tikkun Olam. Jason: Some of my earliest memories come from Dad taking us with him

As children, my father told us that “if you are good at what you do, there will always be a demand for you.” We had

One of the many lessons we have been gifted from our parents can be boiled down to this simple formula for a meaningful and fulfilling

Last Stop first Stop, Elul Station Jews around the world have used the spirit of Elul to mark the season of connection – with God,

Wisdom From My Parents Must remember that I’m holy The stars above know me The sky wants to hold me When land feels too lonely

Growing up, I had a family member who was incarcerated. He wrote to us often. Every year, I received a birthday card from him with

My impoverished, Holocaust survivor parents lost almost all of their families in the Holocaust. Yet, they taught me and my brother the importance of gratitude,

My mother, Juana Sequeira Solis, was a stunning example of resiliency. From a very young age, she instilled in me the desire to serve others,

My father had a way of living big…you knew when he was in the room. And he could see through everyone’s defenses and get to

My mom never let me go to bed angry at her. If it could not be mitigated with a funny face, she insisted on talking

As told to her son Jonathan.   I think the most important thing I learned from my mother was to never give up. Giving up

There was a large shift in my life when I learned my parents had imperfections. I was told by someone close to me that you’ll

I’ve saved his voicemails over the years, each one sweeter than the last. “I love you Rachie. You are magnificent. I’m proud to be your

Over summer vacation many years ago, my father and I traveled to St. Andrews, Scotland to play one of the original golf courses. In contrast

Alex Zohar is an artist, illustrator, and author who lives and works in Los Angeles. www.alexzohar.com

I never knew that family was not chosen. For all I knew, the people we ate shabbat meals with every week might as well have

13 is hard enough, so busy growing up Now you’re sitting on a secret no one knows You see him after school, he barely looks

Asking a convert for lessons on Jewish life from their parents is tricky of course, but I’ve wedged a lot of their wisdom (and mistakes!)

My parents grew up in Detroit and deeply loved the city.  My childhood was filled with stories of walking to school, hanging out with cousins

As a child I once showed up in synagogue with two different shoes.  My mother shook her head; “David, on occasion people get confused and

Our lives are built on relationships. Mother Earth and her children, people and their God, business partners, siblings, lovers, friends. Some relationships are close, others