“This uncertainty is killing me. And it’s the chase that keeps my feet on the ground.” — from the song, “Uncertainty” by The Wellspring The conclusion to one of the most personal of the Amidah’s blessings reads, “Baruch atah Hashem, shomea tefilla” — “Blessed are You, God, who hears prayers.” Whether or not we believe, … More »
Portfolio Careers: Why Pick One?
As an Internet industry executive, trend spotting is my business. Last year, I unwittingly became part of a new trend. I became a portfolio careerist. I didn’t invent the term “portfolio career,” but I now understand it firsthand. Similar to the way investment portfolios are treated, more and more successful 30-somethings, on the rise in … More »
Sources of Jewish Restlessness
From my perch in Kathmandu, I see a lot of wandering Jews. Most, especially the younger ones, are Israelis. Older wanderers are a fascinating group as well: They include Jews enraptured by Tibetan Buddhism as well as individuals who have come here to work for human rights or social justice organizations or the United Nations. There … More »
A Life Seemingly Fixed
My parents’ sukkah is built by the time my children and I arrive in Memphis for the holiday; four wooden doors hung from a frame my father built. The doors have been painted by my mother, with pictures of King David holding a harp, Moshe carrying the Ten Commandments, Miriam with a tambourine. The container … More »
‘I Wander, Therefore I Am’
The Wandering Jew is one of the oldest Jewish stereotypes, one that was used by Christians to define Jews’ centuries of exile and dispersion. The stereotype renders the Jew a perennial wanderer who learned the hard lesson of survival while “on the road.” But this notion of wandering is not simply a consequence of historical … More »
My Ohio Home
Nobody will ever mistake Athens, Ohio, for one of the great Jewish cities of the world. There’s no beit midrash, or JCC, or federation, or mikveh, or day school — not even a kosher section at the supermarket. We have one rabbi (me), a small Hillel (me, plus college students), and a Jewish fraternity house … More »
Loss, Grief, and Anxiety
Dear Mom, It’s been well over 30 days since you died. The shloshim (first 30 days of mourning after the funeral) is over and, yes, I’m keeping the beard (at least for now). During the five months while you were “enrolled’ in hospice, I said good-bye to you each day and at the end of … More »
Expanding Rooms: Getting From Here to There
Picture a pre-banquet cocktail party. The invitees drift from conversation to conversation, clutching cards with table assignments and growing increasingly hungrier as time wears on. At last, the ballroom doors fling open: dinner is served. Yet they do not all rush madly in to take their seats. They need to be reminded, even herded in … More »
Clean Look, New World
When my grandmother pressed our drapes, she would run her wrinkled hand over the surface of the lace fabric. A smell of clean laundry would rise from the cloth. Babushka (what I called her) washed and ironed the curtains, which took away that naked and unfriendly look from the windows of our small apartment. The curtains … More »