Frankly, I can’t imagine how one makes a living peddling the maudlin outpourings of one’s diseased ego but that is precisely what many so-called artists amazingly accomplish. Back in 1987, one of these ‘artists’ produced a notorious image of a crucifix immersed in what he proudly proclaimed to be his own urine. Since then, Andres...
A few years ago after visiting my daughter, I was heading to the airport to return home when I realized that I had no reading material. Rachelle’s roommate offered me her copy of O, Oprah’s monthly magazine. I probably would never have picked this magazine up on my own and I had never seen an...
While serving the remarkable congregation I planted in Southern California some years ago I discovered valuable insights. This one has saved me from many a serious mistake and might help you too. Here’s what happened: By chance, one day, I overheard a member addressing his wife with loud brusqueness. The following Shabbat, I devoted my...
Anyone who is neither evil nor wacky rejoiced at the return of Gilad Shalit to his family after five years in captivity. Anyone who is not naïve also felt emotions ranging from concern to trepidation, and even grief and anger at the release of terrorists which secured his freedom. One can wish the Shalit family...
“Death is very likely the single best invention of Life” said Steve Jobs during his 2005 Stanford Commencement address. I am not going to eulogize the recently deceased technical visionary. So many excellent celebrations of his life have been written. However, his quote is a segue linking him to the year’s most joyous Biblical festival...
Every morning for the last few months, I gingerly sidled around my desk to reach the window blinds. Frequently, I knocked over one or two items on the way, since the path to the window is narrow. This morning I realized that if I moved my desk back by about an inch and a half,...
My wife and I love making ancient Jewish wisdom accessible, helping everyone understand how the world REALLY works. We do so with personal appearances, our radio and television shows, and through the books and audio CD programs we publish. Soon, we hope to use podcasting and video. We are wedded to the idea, not the...
For most of my childhood, my grandparent, aunts, uncles and cousins all lived in the same, general area. Even those who moved “far away” were usually within an hour’s drive. Family relationships were augmented by neighbors who became friends, the relationships often emerging more from proximity than from shared interests. One of my closest companions...
