The rabbis of Peninsula Temple Beth El sent out this email to their community. Dear PTBE Community, This morning the sun rose just as it did yesterday and as it will tomorrow, but for most of us it doesn’t feel the same. Today greets our nation with feelings of unprecedented division. For some elation…
Read More »Another question sent to my Mixed and Matched column in the Jweekly. My husband is Jewish; I’m not. This is a second marriage for both of us, and we raised our kids within our own religions. My husband attended synagogue as he was raising his children, but I never had a religious community. I guess…
Read More »I received this message from a reader of my Mixed and Matched column in the J-weekly. Your column is always suggesting convoluted ways that interfaith couples can deal with more traditional Jewish views. Why bother? Why don’t you just tell them to join a Reform synagogue and be done with the people who don’t agree…
Read More »Sometimes people who feel they are on the margin of Jewish community because they don’t belong to a synagogue believe that there is not much available for them to do. Wrong! Every week I send out a list of random activities that ANYONE can attend. Here’s a list for the coming weeks. Of course there…
Read More »I feel very strongly that we need to teach compassion for our fellow Jews and to avoid sinat chinam (senseless hatred). Many Jews condemn other Jews, citing internalized anti-Semitism, in-group elitism and the unpleasant practice of figuring out whether a person is Jewish or Jewish-enough. I think it is important to stimulate compassion for the…
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“The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. The first to forget is the happiest.” This statement, from Rabbi Ken Cohen, is truly worth considering Apologize? I know people who can’t get the words, “I’m sorry” out of their mouths. They sometimes will say, “I’m sorry if I…
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.