I love this piece by Sara Kupor, the JCC East Bay Shamash Resident, so much that I asked her permission (and the JCC’s) to republish it here. When I first learned about the work of the UCB Greater Good Science Center back in 2009 I was struck by how much their findings sound like rabbinic…
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Free and Low Cost Services In case you misplaced the link I sent you for where to go in the bay area for free or low cost services here it is again. Streaming Services Can’t get out of the house? You can also stream services from a number of shuls. My Jewish Learning has provided…
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There is a Yiddish term for the parents of your son or daughter-in-law. The word is Machatunim and is plural. I think it’s a very useful word. When your adult child falls in love and gets married you want very much for your two families to get along and share happiness. As you are building this relationship…
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Despite the hot weather that may lead you to believe it is the height of summer, in fact the autumn is here. The kids are back in school which means that Hebrew school is also beginning, along with soccer practice, tutoring and all those kid-involved activities. We are in the month of Elul; a month…
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For a month before the High Holy Days begin with Rosh Hashanah, we have the month of Elul. It is a time to reflect on who we are, how we are doing morally and spiritually, and what we want to do better in the coming year. Rabbi Avi Schulman of Temple Beth Torah in Fremont…
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I received a number of comments on my March 26 Mixed and Matched column about an 11-year-old who wants a bat mitzvah but would be starting from scratch because she has not been raised Jewish. I’d like to reply to all of you: “A bat mitzvah need not take place at age 13. You can have a…
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