Jewels 2022

Dear Friends, Shana Tova, Happy New Year and thank you for being a part of this year’s 20th edition of Jewels of Elul. We hope

I was a junior cantor. Not to flex, but I was a junior cantor! I grew up going to a Reform synagogue, Temple Judea in

I am a 59-year-old stand-up comedian. I am female. I am Jewish. I am a mother. I don’t have a vast selection of shoulders to

A few years ago, I was stood up on a date. Depressed, I wandered the crowded streets until I found myself walking into a storefront

Back in the 90’s, most of the shows that were on the air had white people in them. Most of the crews were primarily white.

I stand on the shoulders of my most beloved professor in college, Tessa Hicks Peterson. Tessa introduced me to the concepts of healing justice, anti-racism

We are a result of our experiences. The people, places and events all contribute to who and what we are. “I stand on the shoulders”

As a Hindu, I was raised with the concept of paramapa, a Sanskrit word which translates as “succession” or “continuation,” and which traditionally referred to

It’s a misnomer that the key to a great marriage is balance. The key to a great marriage is not falling off the teeter totter.

I have always had a great relationship with my parents since before I can remember. When I started my journey in music at the age

Jordan had a motorcycle. And a black leather jacket. And a girlfriend. I was astounded. I didn’t yet have a driver’s license. Perhaps this is

My parents, Jerry and Sylvia Atkins, told countless stories about my relatives. Although my mother’s beloved parents died when I was very young, they were

Seeking to understand my Near-Death Experience, I met mystic scholar Rabbi Jonathan Omer-man, who, after listening to my intense journey, told me: “Meditate on a

I inherited my father’s prayer shawl on the first day of Shiva, a few hours after we buried his body in Jerusalem. There it was,

Dr. Eugene Borowitz, z”l was our dignified, well-regarded and well-loved professor of Theology. He was known for his rigor, his writing, and his formidable presence.

When bewildered colleagues ask me what Shabbat is like, I say that it’s like preparing multiple Thanksgiving meals every week. I never feel like we’re

I learned my theology from rabbis and professors. But I learned more from my children. When my daughter was small, we had a bedtime routine.

I was raised a Conservative Jew. We were expected to be knowledgeable about Torah, text, and religious observance. “Knowledgeable” implied integrating Judaism into our everyday

Everyone. A countless everyone that allows this delicate thing I call my life to keep on spinning and boiling my tea water. In Japanese Buddhism

My Grandpa Mike never complained, even though he could have if he wanted to. First, a catastrophic medical misdiagnosis that left his youngest son permanently

Sometimes we feel like imposters. Whether in business, school, or with family or friends, there are times when our accomplishments feel like they don’t measure

My parents had mighty shoulders. Their greatest strength was their remarkable courage. Elizabeth (Suzie) and Joseph Wilf z’’l, pushed with determined spirits and a commitment

Never underestimate how meaningful a small act can be. For me, it’s offering a piece of toast. As a child, I had trouble sleeping. I’d

I am a ceramicist, creating vessels out of earth, water, fire. In the studio of my teacher Kashio, a Japanese national treasure, was a ledge

“Are you happy?” A nurse hovering over me was asking what I deemed an entirely inappropriate question given the timing. It was now two in

Walter Alonzo Frazier, z”l, is my father and my buddy. He had an amazing smile and a sweet presence. When he was gathered up to

“A woman of valor who can find? For her worth is far beyond rubies.” Slow your roll there, Proverbs! This isn’t “Where’s Waldo.” An Eishes

My father was good at boxing. He was a fighter in the old country and legend has it that at some point he went to

My ancestors are Vikings and starving Hasidic Jews. My ancestors braved the North Sea and the Ocean of Torah. My ancestors taught me insane bravery

I was blessed, throughout my childhood, with wonderful teachers. I was a little oddball with a big (often antiquated) vocabulary and even bigger, very pink

In the mid-1960’s, the renowned sociologist Robert Merton decided to find the origin of the phrase attributed to Sir Isaac Newton: “If I have seen

Shoulders come in all shapes and sizes. Some shoulders can be used as a ladder up, some a safe place to lean on. Some people