Jewels 2023

Me ’n Dad sit inside, he’s nearing his 102nd birthday, I’ve just turned 38. Dad: I think that’s right. Me: What’s right? Dad: That I’ve

Rabbi Simcha Bunim, the 18th century Hasidic master, taught that every person should hold two pieces of paper in each of two pockets. In one

I want to lose every debate. My favorite moments in life are when someone shows me a new perspective — a way of thinking I

As a Catholic, I live by three virtues: faith, hope, and love. Faith in God. Hope in the promises of Jesus. And love as the

The three legs that the world and I stand on: Torah (a frame to understand our universe), Avoda (reflecting deeply and work), and Gmilut Hassidim

From the start, I’ve been pursuing two passions: art and design, and it has always been about finding a balance between these two. Art is

I don’t have to agree with someone on everything in order to work together on a specific problem. I focus on what needs to be

As an actor, when stepping into a new role we often ask “What’s My Motivation?” as a way to discover what’s truly at the heart

Gratitude is the “canary in the coal mine” of my spiritual life, which is inextricably interwoven with my family life and sometimes, more than I’d

I learned about balance while tuning my violin. After hours of practice, changes in temperature and humidity, and day to day wear and tear, the

I was born a three. I am a three. I will forever be a three. For you see, I am a triplet. Being a triplet

My first visit to Sudan’s Darfur region during the genocide there changed me. It’s an arid landscape with few sources of water, so the Janjaweed

A day of rest each week 15 years ago, my father was diagnosed with brain cancer and given nine months to live and I found

Vince Lombardi, the great Green Bay Packers legendary football coach once said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” Recently I chose to become homeless for

If the proverbial fire broke out in my house, what items would I rush to save? Answer: These Three Things: my Hebrew Bible, my copy

Finding balance has meant different things to me at different stages in my life. I remember my father’s words: “Dom, the world is yours, be

As a Black and Jewish woman, I have felt a strong calling to serve the people in my community. This past year I became a

Balance supposes there exits an equilibrium that is ideal to maintain a desired state of being. I am skeptical that balance is a worthy goal.

I grew up in the South, raised by an amazing woman who loved unconditionally. She truly was a renaissance woman. While I was growing up,

“On three things the world stands, on Torah – learning, on Avodah – divine service, on Gmilut Hasadim – acts of kindness.” This ancient teaching

For as long as I can remember, my instinct has been to seek balance. My parents were both very balanced people and carefully guided and

My Iraqi Jewish grandmother’s advice was always to go back to the start, al-Bidaya. Whenever you are lost, do that. Jews should do that too,

Over my last six decades of activism, I have attempted to reach others to work together in creating a more loving, vibrant, and healthy planet.

HONESTY The first word that comes to mind is truth, but truth is elusive. Honesty is more trustworthy than truth, because truth is silent while

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, I led a number of college students on Jewish service learning trips to the Gulf Coast. Inevitably,

Is it weird that when I hear the word “balance,” my mind goes directly to “work/life?” As if there are precisely two components of balance:

My husband and I grew up rigidly Orthodox with a dose of chasidus. When we had our first child, we were determined to redefine what

I recently got an Oura ring, a device that monitors your sleep and heart rate. After a few weeks, it reported that my heart rate

A few years ago, I traveled, as I have done every year, to my natal oasis Lamhamid in Southern Morocco’s Anti-Atlas Mountains, accompanied by my

How to keep balance when so much life is fired at us point blank? The social media messages, the bills and obligations, the people demanding

I have been producing the Jewels of Elul for over two decades. That’s a long time and a ton of inspiration! The Jewels have become