Category Archives: Thoughts

Yesterday, I sat in synagogue for a B’nei Mitzvah – the plural of Bar/Bat Mitzvah. B’nei means children. Bar means son of. Bat means daughter of. Mitzvah means commandment. So, it means either child of or children of the commandments. It is a Western coming of age ceremony in a society that has gradually lost its coming of age ceremonies.… (more…)

I’ve been reading up on a traditional Shabbat. Having never really experienced one, I decided to do one. The thing about a traditional Shabbat is really no creative work. There are many categories of work that are prohibited traditionally. The idea is that you prepare and avoid those actions on Shabbat. You use timers to turn things on and off,… (more…)

Sixteen days ago, I became a Jew. Well, that’s when the public ceremony was. I actually fulfilled the three requirements 2 days before: beit den, hatafat dam brit, and immersion in the mikveh. So, what’s it like being a Jew? Has anything changed? Before that happened, I thought I’d be at this point and be able to say “Nope! I’m… (more…)

Last week was a spectacular week for me. I went through the circumcision (hatafat dam brit, in my case), beit den (religious court), and mikveh (ritual immersion). I then went before my community and became a Jew. Words cannot express how I feel now. It is an experience unlike any I’ve ever experienced. It was a deeply emotional and religious… (more…)

Baruch Atah Adonai Eleheinu Melech Ha-Olam Shehecheyanu vekiyemanu vehigianu lazeman hazeh. We praise you, Eternal God, Sovereign of the Universe, for giving us life, sustaining us, and enabling us to reach this season. In Judaism, there is the idea of tikkun olam – repairing the world. The idea is that we look around us at the world and see God… (more…)