Our tradition tells us that the sole purpose of Torah is for us to refine our character, and the way toward that end is through action,...

In this era of constantly expanding communications we simultaneously contracting understanding.

How tolerant are we of our own mistakes? Do we forgive others more easily than we forgive ourselves? Should we hold ourselves in contempt...

Our days are rather filled "up" with day-to-day undertakings, and sometimes we barely get in all the activities we schedule. So where and...

This year, I am involving myself more personally and seriously than ever before in the counting of the Omer, the period of time between...

Hebrew is full of secrets, embedded with layers and layers of meaning, woven from the thread of reality as Judaism sees it. I happened on...

Tikkun Olam, תיקון עולם, literally "Repair the World" is a Jewish concept that barely needs definition. Showing up in many places, it is...

How different am I this week than I was the week before? The chameleon has it relatively easy. Spending not too much energy, he gets a...

When we encounter another individual truly as a person, not as an object for use, we become fully human. Martin Buber The middle-aged...

Gratitude is being present in order to experience awe When we are truly present we experience something riveting. The timeless nature of...

In what ways do I acknowledge God as the Source? Do I see the miraculous every day, or am I blinded by my own security in the regularity of

"One of the greatest religious problems is that people fear having a relationship with God and consequently distance themselves from...

Remaining in Focus What many of us strive for in life is achieving personal integrity, a state of being when our ‘inside’ motivation...

“It is because I believed in God that I was angry at God, and still am. But my faith is tested, wounded, but it’s here. So whatever I...

What if God is waiting for us to cry out? What if all we need to do is to cry out in despair, as Abraham did thousands of years ago?...

How can I reach the heavens when all I can think of is that I need some caffeine? Yom Kippur heightens the juxtaposition between the holy...

Joni Mitchell, Woodstock Woodstock There are plenty of stories about the “half a million strong” that were part of Woodstock, and even...

It is hard for me to personalize Shavuot, though I know there is great spiritual meaning to be found within it. Shavuot is one of the...

What would you do in an emergency? I heard something disturbing that I couldn’t shake off. This is not what I usually write about, but I...

Yet Again? This piece in The Hill, written by Rabbi Steinmetz, senior rabbi at Congregation Kehillath Jeshurun and editor-at-large at...