Today is my 65th birthday. It would also have been the 100th birthday of my father, who passed away on September 18, 2018, Erev Yom Kippur, just four months prior to his centennial year. Today I celebrate many things amidst the sadness of losing my dad whose death, although deeply felt, was not a tragedy….
What do Moses and Nobel prize winner in chemistry Daniel Shechtman have in common? No, this isn’t a joke, although it’s a bit of brain teaser which a dear friend recently related to me after hearing a Shabbat morning sermon in Haifa. Delivered by Rabbi Daniel Hershkowitz, noted Talmudic scholar, mathematician and former Israeli Minister…
September in Tucson brings many things I love: cooler temperatures permitting long walks in Sabino Canyon, intermittent rains that drench my garden and the Jewish holidays that kick off the new year. A sense of optimism, of new beginnings and opportunities, fills the air. In stark contrast, I began September with a horrendous car accident….
Several years ago I was asked to speak about being Jewish in America today to a large interfaith audience. It was extremely difficult to try to wrap my head around such a huge subject, let alone do justice to it. Do I talk about Jewish law and tradition? Immigration of Jews from different countries to America and their…
I’ve been running most of my life to catch up with myself. Whether it’s answering emails or paying bills, putting away laundry or finishing a story, I race through the day picking up the remains of all I haven’t done. This is not a habit I’ve developed as an adult; it’s a tendency I’ve had…
I was born and raised in northern New Jersey but haven’t lived there since 1976, when a college degree, combined with wanderlust, led me to Arizona where I’ve happily remained ever since. I’ve listened to many jokes over the years about being a “Joisey girl.” I’ve tried desperately to lose my Jersey accent, although I never…
One of the hallmarks of modern society is unrelenting noise. The persistent sounds of traffic, sirens, cell phones, television and unsolicited conversations are all part of contemporary life and “living out loud.” We have come to accept as normative the constant bombardment of visual and auditory noise. From electronic devices which keep us plugged in,…
In 1980, I began my career as a law clerk working at the Arizona Court of Appeals. My job was to research issues for the judge and work on draft opinions, which would then be thoroughly reviewed, analyzed and edited until he was completely satisfied with the result. I spent countless hours examining case law…
Brazil was nothing like I had expected it would be. Lush, bustling and diverse, it was a thriving country of varied landscapes and cultures. My family’s primary reason for going was to visit our 17-year-old daughter, Lauren, who in 2004 was a foreign exchange student for the year. Despite the exhausting 20-hour trip from Tucson,…
I have a habit of calling my dad on Friday afternoons. In my mind, it’s my “pre-Shabbat” ritual of connecting with him, but in truth, it’s due to more practical reasons. Mom is at bridge and it’s the only time he can get a word in edgewise. The conversation is often about the week’s concerns…
