Dear Dawn: How many times do I have to hear a Jewish parent worry about the future of their child’s romance with a non-Jew? At a recent lunch with several Jewish girlfriends, one worried out loud about her son’s non-Jewish girlfriend. There is always this focus on the non-Jewish girlfriend/boyfriend’s perceived level of interest (or lack…
Read More »
For many, many years I have attended High Holidays at my congregation. The most attended service of the year is Kol Nidre, the evening service on Yom Kippur. While Rosh Hashanah is joyous, Yom Kippur feels sorrowful to me even though I love it. Yom Kippur is traditionally viewed as one of the two happiest…
Read More »
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…
Read More »
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…
Read More »
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…
Read More »
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…
Read More »Our weekly email goes out to hundreds of interfaith couples & families in the Bay Area. Topics cover the many questions and mysteries that interfaith couples want answered.