A meaningful life

Looking to the coming year: 5786 — Could you use some wisdom?

As we stand on the threshold of Rosh Hashanah it seems rather perfect that a brilliant Jewish teacher, Robert Reich, will be speaking about on Wednesday, September 24 in Redwood City. He will be in conversation with journalist, Angie Coiro from Kepler’s Books. Here’s the description of his talk: From political economist, cabinet member, beloved professor,…

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9/11 and Be true to Yourself

Twenty four years ago we all stood in shock as we took in the images of planes crashing into American buildings. I texted a NY friend this morning just to say, I know this day is still hard for you. She worked next to one of the towers, ran down many flights of stairs, fled…

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Loving Your Neighbor

We have only two weeks of August remaining. The heaven of summer is moving on and the serious part of life is revving up. Kids and teachers go back to school, vacations are over, and California is turning brown or gold – depending on how you see it. We are almost into Shabbat and I…

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Adar: Increasing Our Joy

Has anyone mentioned that Life is Hard? Yeah, I thought so. But we are now in the month of Adar. The Talmud states that Jews are to “increase our joy” during this month. We are urged to find happiness and celebration. So where does happiness come from and can we “pursue” it?  According to the…

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You Can Hold as True, Contradictory Beliefs

One of the unique differences between Western/American thought and Jewish thought is that Jews believe you can hold opposing ideas simultaneously. Here’s an example from a local rabbi’s recent email to her congregation.  Rabbi Ilana of Beth Jacob Congregation in Redwood City  expressed her gratitude and reflected on “where do we find God?”  I am moved by…

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Weekend Reading for Fun and Calm

It’s been a tough year so far and doesn’t seem likely to improve soon. So how about some peaceful and encouraging reading options for Shabbat and the weekend? Willie Mays loved his Jewish friends. The J-weekly shared this story about local baseball legend, Mays. Put your money where your mouth is! Robert Kraft, majority owner of the…

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