Jewish Institute for Lifelong Learning & Innovation

This past Shabbat we started a new Jewish month, the month of Nissan. In the Book of Exodus this is called the month of Spring, Hodesh HaAviv. Springtime is a time for renewal, for new beginnings.

Pessah, the Hebrew name for Passover, is a holiday that requires advance preparation before we can enjoy it. First things first: the thing we are not allowed to eat during Pessah is Hametz. Hametz is any kind of food prepared from five specific species of grain (rye, wheat, barley, spelt…

I have a jumble of negative feelings as I sit to write to you today, reflecting on the week that passed. I do not have to tell you the details of the Russian invasion of Ukraine—you know what is happening.

My God, Thank you for showing me beauty, goodness and grace. When I fail to see possibilities,when I lose perspective,allow my heart to feel the encouragement coming from the people that surround me,

This past week I was very angry at Whoopi Goldberg for her assertion in the television program The View that the Holocaust was not about race, that it was about people being inhuman to one another. When challenged by a co-host who said that she was wrong, that it was…

This past week two things happened that made my Jewish heart beat with extremes of both joy and sadness. On Thursday evening the Fairfax County school board voted to adopt an inclusive 2022-2023 academic calendar.

I was preparing for a class I am teaching next week when I re-read a text from the Talmud that is a great example of the rabbis’ sense of humor, their educational concepts, and their understanding of our bodies and our needs. We read in the Talmud, in Massechet Brachot…

Today, we are filled with gratitude for the rescue of the hostages at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. Tonight, we celebrate TU B’Shvat, the New Year of the trees. According to the Mishna (Rosh HaShanah 1:1), this is the day when we determine the tithe of produce from the…

Every time I teach students to read Hebrew, there is a magic moment when we get to learn the Hebrew letter rayish, and the student is able to read the word Baruch.