Look at Who Made You.

Sheila Goldberg

David Sherman

Fran Niberg

Todd Markley

Rachael Bregman

David Wolfman

These are only six of many Jewish educators who shaped me during my formative years. They taught me at Sunday School, in youth group, in my Hebrew High School program, as Principals, and as mentors. They are people who I see now at URJ Biennials, when I go to Shabbat services at my home congregation, or as they post on Facebook. I may be in touch with them regularly or rarely, by email or through my parents. What ties them all together is that I would not be who I am today without them.

When I struggled with my mother over attending weekday classes (yes it’s true, it happens to everyone), David Sherman would welcome me into the room and make chanting V’ahavtah challenging but interesting. Fran engaged me in thoughtful discussions about why Vashti was a hero for Jewish people everywhere. Todd taught me how to connect Torah text to Star Wars. Rachael Bregman helped me understand that all you need to create holy space is a candle, close friends, and a good Jewish question. Rabbi Wolfman taught me that the fact that I cry in public is a beautiful thing. And Sheila was my first Religious School Principal—the one I look to for guidance in the most challenging of moments.

I remember their names, their faces, and I remember what they taught me. I suspect I will always remember these things about them because they mattered to me. Sure, I remember the people who taught me in my secular schools as well, but what we are able to do in religious schools, in these supplementary settings, is go deeper—not just teach a text or an equation, but help to mold well rounded, wonderful Jewish human beings. We can talk about what’s happening at home or on the news, we can share pieces of personal information to help build relationships, we can talk about the tough stuff head on instead of skirting around the issue.

And at Temple Beth Or, our teachers allow our students to take the lead. We are a grassroots organization in that way—our teachers walk in with lesson plans, but they know that if the students decide the conversation or the activity needs to go in another, more meaningful and important direction for them, that’s the way it will go.

Every week I am blessed to watch beautiful moments happen in classrooms. Stacey plays Hebrew bowling with her students, Morgan helps a 1^st grader with an art project, Nancy and her students wrestle with Torah text, Kenny shares his experiences about becoming a bar mitzvah, students stand on the table with Janet, Kordell does dramatic reenactment of Bible stories. These moments enhance our students lives and getting to see them makes my life better.

I am blessed to be their teacher. I am blessed to work with the teachers at TBORS. I am blessed to watch beautiful teaching happen every week within these walls. We are blessed to have these amazing teachers and madrichim teach our children. And for that we can all say Amen.

Look at your pets

If you know me, you know Mabel. Mabel is my terrier/corgi mutt mix that I adopted three years ago next month. I met her at an adoption event in Fayetteville, NC, and had no intention of adopting an animal that day...but of course I met her and it was over. Mabel is just about the sweetest creature on planet earth (and I am fully aware that every pet parent feels this way). She is a cuddler, a kisser, and a massively loud snorer. She worships anyone who will give her attention. She is always happy to see people and animals that cross her path. 




I write about her because Mabel is my role model. She, and almost all dogs, are the most zen animals on earth. They live 100% in the moment, only care for people that care for them, and don't other themselves with trivial things such as how they look or what the hot trend is that month. If they are fed, given water, loved, and given basic health care, they are happy beings. I wish I could be more like Mabel. I alo wish I could go on the Dog Diet--where some diety-like figure would just plop food in my bowl and that was what I ate, no questions asked, no pizza tempting me or cupcakes sitting in the office. Just what I'm given.


If reincarnation exists I want to come back as one of my pets. Or any pet who is loved and cared for. Because to be honest, their existence seems spectacular to me. 


Found this somewhere on the web:

If you can start the day without caffeine;

If you can get going without pep pills;

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains;

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles;

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it;

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time;

If you can forgive a friend's lack of consideration;

If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you when, through no fault of your own, something goes wrong;

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment;

If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him;

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend;

If you can face the world without lies and deceit;

If you can conquer tension without medical help;

If you can relax without liquor;

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs;

If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed or color, religion or politics;

Then, my friend, you are almost as good as your dog.

Look at the Occupy Movement

I am the grandchild of unionists, and I have been known to love a good protest. In 7^th grade my friend organized a walkout and march to City Hall in Newton, MA to speak out about the unjust sentencing of Mumia Abu Jamal. In college you could find me with Reverend Jesse Jackson protesting the treatment of faculty at NYU. In Raleigh I have been a part of rallies against segregation in schools and the “National Organization for Marriage”.  I have not made my way to an Occupy rally yet, but have followed it closely in the news, on social media, and through my friends’ involvement.  I may make some of those friends into enemies with this post, but here goes nothing…

1.     The Occupy Movement stands for things I stand for. Economic justice, universal human rights, and against corporate greed. They are standing up in a grassroots way, which I love. Grassroots organizing is like catnip to me, and what the Occupy folks have done is inspiring—they took it to the streets and made it about the people. They made it theatrical and dramatic too, which I think only heightens the message…mostly.

2.    The Occupy Movement confuses me, in that I am not sure if one message is supposed to be pervasive throughout each Occupy site or if each one should have its own set of goals and objectives. Do they have goals and objectives? Am I missing out on this because I am an outsider? Without a centralized message I fear that the public doesn't know what to think, where to look, how to focus. The noise of all the messages, all the reasons for protesting, unfortunately overwhelm most folks and we shut down to the importance of what's being said. 

3. I am concerned about the future of the OM. Without the immediate excitement and attention that was created by the activism all over the country, where are we now? What's happening? is it all lost? Where is everyone?


No answer to these questions, or maybe there are many. I don't know. What I do know is that I want to see where it will go and I hope it goes far, organizes itself, and makes the desired impact. 

Look at 2011

Every year I make a mix CD (yes, people, a CD) of 13 tracks. The first 12 tracks represent each month of that year, correlating to whatever happened or how I was feeling most of the time. The last track is what I hope the new year will be like. 

Some of you are getting copies whether you want them or not, and some of you can request them. I'd be happy to send you one with an individualized note!

CD of 2011:

January-This Could All Be Yours (Guster)

February-Hold You in My Arms (Ray LaMontagne)

March-A Bird's Song (Ingrid Michaelson)

April-Save Me (Nicki Minaj)

May-Cosmic Love (Florence and the Machine)

June-Book of Love (Peter Gabriel)

July-The Harold Song (Ke$ha)

August-I Am Not My Hair (India.Arie)

September-Home (Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros)

October-Not the Same (Ben Folds)

November-Two Points for Honesty (Guster)

December-Hide and Seek (Imogen Heap)

2012-We Are Young (Fun. with Janelle Monae)
Bonus Track-Best Thing I Never Had (Beyonce)

Look at your Language.

I wrote this on December 16, 2011, after Representative Eric Cantor addressed the Reform Movement at the URJ Biennial.

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When I found out Representative Eric Cantor would be addressing the Biennial, I had to ask…”Why?” Besides his Jewish upbringing, everything I’ve heard about Representative Cantor has been that he stands for values and ideals that are contrary to those of the URJ. He is anti-choice, against marriage equality, and has voted against raising minimum wage for the American worker. I assumed, and now I know rightly so, that he was invited because he is the single highest ranked Jew in the history of the United States Congress, is a strong proponent of America’s alliance with Israel, and that he would present another side to the political discussion that will no doubt be represented tomorrow by President Obama.

            When Representative Cantor spoke about pluralism and bipartisanship I was hopeful that perhaps his views on Israel would reflect more inclusivity than I had thought. But when he told a story about a female suicide bomber, I felt my stomach drop. Mr. Cantor went on to condemn the Muslim “culture of hatred” that could propagate such acts of violence. And then I was shaking. For years, the Jews have been vilified and looked down upon because of misperceptions or the experiences of just a few, fringe groups. By casting an entire community comprised of millions of individuals into one slim category, Representative Cantor has committed what I consider to be another act of violence. His words incite prejudice and distrust, things that I fear the American Jewish community dwells on too frequently when it comes discussing the situation in Israel and Palestine.

            While politics may not be my most impressive area of knowledge, I know language. I know that language can lead us to do great or horrible things. I know that the way we choose words speaks volumes about our personality, upbringing, politics, and intentions. When Representative Cantor chose to use harmful language toward the entire people of Palestine, I felt that I wanted to leave and turn away from the message. If it hadn’t been for committing to write this post, I might have. I am glad I didn’t. Rabbi David Saperstein, one of my personal greatest inspirations, introduced Representative Cantor with so much class and grace that I felt it in my best interest to emulate that as best I could. The need for dialogue, meaningful bi-directional conversation that can result in progress and agreement, is what our country needs. It is what our Union needs, and it is what our future hinges on.

A final thought on language, from Rabbi Saperstein himself on the issue of anti-Muslim bigotry: "We know what it is like when people have attacked us physically, have attacked us verbally, and others have remained silent.” I hope we don’t remain silent on Representative Cantor’s statements, that we as a movement make our voices heard and that we can find ways to create constructive dialogue from this moment forward.