Twilight Zone
My recent posts...Twilight Zone בֵּין הַשְׁמָשׁוֹת Bein hashemashot, literally, between the suns. בֵּין הַשְׁמָשׁוֹת A twilight zone of time, or rather, out of time, between one day and the next. Our sages of old used this concept to explain certain miraculous...
When to Pray Yizkor
My recent posts...My edited comments from this past final day of Pesach. Ellie’s mom, Julia Helfman, died on her 95th birthday, December 24, 2025. This was the first Yizkor service Ellie feels obligated to attend. She said, “I’m now a member of a club I was not eager...
Timing
It had become a Kremer household Pesach tradition, or rather, a pre-Pesach tradition. Somewhere within a couple of days prior the first seder and noon on erev Pesach, something would go awry in the kitchen.
A Moment of Hebrew
My recent posts...רֶגַע שֶׁל עִבְרִית regga shel ivrit: A moment of Hebrew The summer of 1970, I was one of 250 teens in Israel with Camp Ramah. (Ellie was on the same program, but we didn’t meet then.) I got an outsized pleasure of riding an Egged public bus in...
Of Vision and Light
“In God We Trust” we write on our money, encouraging ourselves to elevate our vision from loving the stuff of our lives to living the meaning of our loves.
Adonai, elohey haruchot l’chol bassar / Adonai, Source of the animating spirit in all creatures, breathe Your most generous inspiration into the leaders of our nation. Welcome into the shelter of Your peace those with constrained views of justice along with those who have broad visions of freedom and right.
Holy One of Blessing, preserve the strength and impart victory to those who defend us and our values; give stamina to the volunteers who do what otherwise would not be done; grant us all appreciation for the diversity of our citizenry — our vast range of experience, belief and culture that can expand our horizons and enrich our lives.
These days, Lord, we are hurting … hurting one another; hurting the most vulnerable among us; hurting Your earth; hurting our chances for a brighter future. Help us replace enmity with empathy, jealousy with generosity, castigation with compassion, hate with harmony.
Dear God in heaven beyond and here, by our sides, on earth: Remove the blinders from the eyes of our elected officials, and from ours. Shine Your light upon us as we work together to realize a vision of common wealth, of common sense, of the common purpose of “E Pluribus Unum,” from many, one.
We pledge allegiance to this singular nation united in embracing the many peoples who share this blessed land and its challenged history.
Keyn yehi ratzon, may Your will become ours as we pursue justice, act with mercy, and walk humbly before You, leading one another to a life of peace.
Amen.