"But how can you call a family ‘upright’ if they fight so much?" As we come to the end of the book of Genesis, we are struck by the friction within the first Jewish families.
Read More »Watch But Don’t Look
‘Don’t let the lights….see your wallet.’ In the prayer recited after lighting, there is a phrase: ‘these candles are holy and we have no permission to use them.’
Read More »From Extinction To Eternity
Rather extraordinary, I say to myself. Two very different personalities, Father Desbois and Stan Lee, take center stage of history on the very same calendar day!
Read More »Divine Reflections
Morah Yehudis reflects on "Oh My God," the recent Theater Or production at the Boulder JCC featuring Rabbi Marc Soloway playing God.
Read More »Wolves Walk In Where Angels Fear To Tread
Post Rosh Hashanah may seem like a strange time to go to an off-beat movie. But after the fact, seeing Alpha did feel seasonally appropriate.
Read More »Identical Triplets And One Rebellious Son
So much in life is about listening, and so much about listening is hearing the unspoken.
Read More »Mr. Rogers Mirrors Torah
I recently saw his very favorably reviewed biopic, ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor.’ I loved the film and felt terrible at the same time.
Read More »Ikea at Sinai – A Shavuot Teaching
Please join us in an all-night community gathering of a ‘Tikkun’! Leil Shavuot, this year focusing on the theme of feminine Torah at Har Hashem on May 19th.
Read More »The Shape Of Our Inner Monsters
When I saw ‘The Shape of Water,’ this year’s Oscar winner, and winner of the Golden Globe awards, I was at first repulsed but then intrigued, both with the film and its director Guillermo Del Toro.
Read More »A Tale of Two Crowns
As Purim is upon us, I can’t help comparing the Purim story to the latest popular Netflix series, ‘The Crown.’
Read More »Soliloquy of Yehudis
Given the present day focus on gender abuse, the story portrayed here about Judith and the Maccabees seems to have particular contemporary relevance.
Read More »Coco and Jewish Perspectives on Life and Beyond
Honor your parents, follow your destiny, remember your ancestors, cherish honesty…prime Jewish values? Indeed, these are some of the main themes in the upcoming Joseph story throughout the final Torah portions of the book of Genesis.
Read More »Mother Sarah and ‘Me Too’ Encounters
Since the disclosures about Harvey Weinstein and others, a media flurry of ‘me too’ talk on sexual harassment has emerged- some of it constructive, some of it not so. My purpose here is not to comment on these individual responses, but rather to shed some healing perspectives about this issue, from this week’s Torah portion, Chayei Sarah.
Read More »Flatline Termination and Yom Kippur De-Termination
For years people have asked me to recommend a movie to watch before Yom Kippur. I have often suggested the 1990 academy award nominee, "Flatliners."
Read More »L.E.D. Through the Darkness
Many rabbis ask why we do not say a blessing for an eclipse as we do for other natural phenomena that we encounter, like thunder and lightning, earthquakes, etc.
Read More »The Torah of Wonder Women
One of the memorable lines from the recent blockbuster Wonder Woman: “I will fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.”
Read More »Moses, Dr. Strange and the Heroism of Humility
I often ask myself, ‘Why is our culture so obsessed with movies about heroes and villains?'
Read More »A Remarkable Man Comes To Boulder
Salvador "Sal" Litvak makes two appearances at the Boulder JCC this week, on Thursday (with his film, "When Do We Eat?") and on Sunday, as the Accidental Talmudist.
Read More »Counting From a Higher Place
...What I did know was that numbers terrified me to the extent that I flunked elementary school math...
Read More »Transformative Time: When Your Enemy Becomes Your Ally
‘How long does it take to change the essence of a man?’
Read More »“Dirty Wolves” and De-Liberating Women
The Boulder Jewish Film Festival of 2017 has come and gone, but their impact still remains with us. Of the many films that I saw, one was my personal favorite: "Dirty Wolves."
Read More »Light Rules
On Tuesday, January 31st 2017, several JCC’s around the country received bomb threats. The Boulder JCC was one of them.
Read More »Cataracts, Shopkins, and Dr. Strange – Electing to See Beyond
The third Hebrew month of Kislev is soon upon us, and with that - no matter how you spell it, - Hanukah, the festival of lights is coming.
Read More »Guardians of the Spirit
Who are the true guardians? In Judaism the superheroes are not those who wear capes, but who wear kittles...
Read More »Elul, Amalek and Doctor Who
Who has not seen or at least heard of the long-running TV series, Dr. Who? Why do I bring it up at this time of the year? Primarily because of this week’s Torah portion, Ki Teitzei.
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