Faith and Trust: I Can’t Have One Without the Other by Peter Blair
Each year, Elul seems to bring challenges and decisions that have tremendous impact on my life. The practice of searching my spirit and soul for inspiration is a serious one for me and I am more introspective than usual in this month. Trust and faith have been an integral part of my past year and […]
The High Holy Days: Self Compassion in the Uncertainty of Certainty by Rabbi Asher Knight (Charlotte Jewish News Editorial, September 2018)
Years ago, during a visit to the Cairo museum, I stared into the face of Ramses II. Mummified and frozen in time, his body delicately preserved since the time of his death in 1213 BCE. Tradition tells us that Ramses enslaved and tried to destroy our people. My family was surprised (as were a few […]
Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust by Nora Yesowitch
For me, faith and trust go together because if you meet a person and you get to know them and start to want to be friends with them, then you start to gain trust in them as you learn more about each other. And if they’re a good friend, they won’t share your secrets or […]
Exploring the Animating Spirit of Life by David Weinrib
At 13 years old, I did not have a Bar Mitzvah. I did, however, have lots of questions. Growing up in Montgomery, Alabama, I attended “Sunday School” in a classical Reform Jewish congregation but had no Jewish classmates in my public school classes. It was not uncommon for evangelical Christian friends to tell me that Jews (and other non-Protestants) were going to hell if we did not accept […]
From Fear to FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) by Jaden Auslander
Hello. My name is Jaden Auslander and I have juvenile arthritis, or JA. My JA affects every joint and most of the muscles in my body. Living with chronic pain can be pretty scary sometimes, and this fear used to hold me back. When I was 9 years old, all of my friends were talking […]
FEAR: Face Everything And Rise by Megan Harkavy
I recently read a quote: “F.E.A.R has two meanings: Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything And Rise.” I used to follow the “Forget Everything And Run” and realize now that fear stopped me from enjoying possible new experiences. The first time I can recall allowing fear to stop me was when I wanted to […]
On Fear and Courage and Stepping out into the World Anyway by Rabbi Dusty Klass
This year during Elul, my chevruta (study partner) Rabbi Leah Citrin I have been reading Psalm 27 each day as part of our preparation for the High Holy Days. I am not usually one for routines – I don’t like the idea of being tied to a daily task, or I forget once, decide I […]
Secure Your Own Oxygen Mask First by Susan Cherin Gundersheim
Growing up as an only child with a single mother, I felt a lot of responsibility for people’s happiness at an early age. My mom gave me unconditional love and wisdom as she raised me, but I was the only constant person she could lean on, even as a young child. Surrounded by dysfunctional adults, I became the “solution” to everyone’s problems – the entertainment, the […]
Mutual Relationships: Responsibility and Accountability by Randy Perneszi
Balancing responsibility for others with responsibility for myself has been a challenging experience all throughout life. I have always felt responsible for family, partners and those around me whom are regularly present in my life. I have always felt responsible for being the “good” one and for maintaining relationships. When family needed me, I rose […]
