Jewish Thought

Not every immigrant’s story was a happy one. My great-grandfather struggled and let disappointment rule. Nowadays, too many kids lack determination to work through problems. Perhaps they could use a little Moses.

The Wicked Son gets a bad rap at Passover. Is it deserved? And what can we learn from him during a pandemic?

It is too easy slap derogatory labels on mentally ill people. We treat them as less then whole. What does that say about us as a society and how can we act more kindly?

God turned Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt because she looked back. Was this a fair punishment?

Not many of us end up in the belly of a whale, but Jonah is one of the more relatable characters in The Torah. Why?

My grandmother, Nana Sarah, and my eight-year-old mother were vacationing in New Hampshire. The hotel burned down, and local hotels were unwilling to help the evacuated guests. Why the refusal? Because the women and children were Jewish. One hotel owner did offer hospitality, but for a price. Nana Sarah refused to pay it. The story of that terrible night and Nana Sarah’s courage have stayed with me all these years.

Even at the age of ninety-one, my grandmother, Nana Evelyn, believed in self-improvement. It’s never too late to take stock of who we are inside. So what does her wisdom have to do with “Dayenu?”

My grandfather, Papa Harry, was a brilliant man. He was one of the first Jews to attend MIT. Was there anything he didn’t know? But it was my grandmother, Nana Sarah, who inspired his love of music. It wasn’t until toward the end of Papa Harry’s life I discovered the value of learning from unexpected places.

After my father served in the Navy, he returned home to live with his parents. It was a difficult transition, but he did his best to be respectful. As Moses exemplified, we are never too important to do the right thing.