Every art medium — from music to oratory, sculpting to calligraphy — requires negative spaces. Pauses, rests, breaths, openings, unpainted areas add nuance, definition; without them, there would be much less there.

Months before her installation as Shirat Hayam’s new president, Karen Pollock, started planning a community block party at our shul. The Bayside Bash, an outdoor festival, is meant to promote our vitality and our location, to introduce ourselves to those who don’t yet know us and to give everyone a fun afternoon.

The New York Times has been delayed this week, meaning that we get yesterday’s news tomorrow. I mentioned that, when I was a teenager, I discovered that you could get the Sunday NY Times on Saturday night — tomorrow’s news today?! How could they know?

Ellie and I got to spend too little time with each of our Massachusetts families (delightful), and we played tourist in Boston for a couple of days (recommended). And it goes so fast, yes, it does!

More than a year and a half since we were able to hug and kiss our grandchildren. Until today!

Israel and Hamas are, at this writing, holding to a cease-fire. Israel is expected to negotiate with Hamas. Could there be anything more challenging?

Rockets were heading toward Jerusalem, air raid sirens sounded. The adults grabbed some snacks and toys for Or and headed to the hallway that served as a (relatively) safe space in the apartment building. It was “baby’s first” air raid!

Jerusalem of gold

Torah tells us to count seven weeks of seven days from Pesach to Shavuot. Doesn’t tell us why or whether there’s anything we’re to do but count.

My recent posts...יִּקַּח יְיָ אֱ׳לֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְגַן־עֵדֶן לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ he Lord (Adonai) God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden, to till it and tend it. (Bereisheet / Genesis 2:15) To “tend.” The...

Names are important to us and they have been so since earliest biblical time

As our holy days begin, no matter what we do, the sun will set — it’s sacred time!