What does it mean to live a life that is spiritually engaged? How does someone find spiritual motivation, and what does that mean? Does it require some kind of connection or immediate experience of the “divine”? And what does that look or feel like? A number of years ago, a friend of mine who has … More »
Why Would We Settle?
There are a variety of uses for the word “settle,” and as I began to think about those various meanings, I found that in many cases (most cases, even) it was difficult to conceive of “settled” without “unsettled” as an inherent part of the construct. In other words, the idea of “settling” remains in a … More »
Empathy and the “Jewish Science”
It has always been clear to me that, despite Freud’s reservations, psychoanalysis is a “Jewish science.” This “Jewishness” doesn’t stem from Freud’s religious practice (about which much ink and time has been spent), but from a Jewish sensibility that pervades the psychoanalytic endeavor as a whole. On a structural level, Freud’s method of dream interpretation … More »
The Kotel and Negotiated Space
It seems almost unnecessary to say that the Kotel is iconic. As a signifier of the historic tie of the Jewish people to Jerusalem, the Kotel, provides a physical manifestation of what appears to be an intersection of religious and Zionist destinies. But this point of convergence, this mythic meeting place, continues to confront us … More »
The Work of Giving Up
While I was studying rabbinic literature, I attended daily minyan with the rabbinical students, but I frequently felt frustrated. I realized I have a very ambivalent relationship with prayer. When I described my concerns to a senior rabbi he responded my telling me that there are three paths of devotion: prayer, study, and service in … More »
Resistance and Change
I should begin by saying that I look forward to Yom Kippur. Despite my annual anxiety about successfully completing the fast, as Yom Kippur approaches I find myself humming the melodies, singing Kol Nidre to myself, thinking about the various themes that run through the service, hoping that this year I won’t get quite as teary-eyed when … More »
Looking Past Newton
Since the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut this past December, my teenage daughter has been tracking reports of gun crimes on an almost daily basis. She expresses outrage every time she reads about a child who has accidentally shot a playmate, sibling or himself. She could barely contain her contempt for the parents in Kentucky who … More »