I first fell in love when I was twelve years old. Until then, I had used the word to represent some concept of permanence. I loved my parents, because they loved me, they took care of me, they consoled me when I was hurting, they supported me when I succeeded, and they supported me when … More »
As I approach Rosh Hashanah this year, I am wondering about the sweetness of new beginnings in a time of bitterness. Throughout the world, Jews of every color and tradition will be celebrating the new year by replacing the symbolic salt on their challah with honey. It is tradition to greet one another with the … More »
In the dry desert heat on the road to the river Nile, a foreign man and a foreign woman attract the stares of the local gentry. The oppressive sun has gotten to the locals. They are thirsty, they are tired, and their minds are muddled, creating an explosion of conflicting thoughts and emotions, whims of … More »
From my office window in Boro Park, I see Hasidim buying flowers and carrying challahs. Girls in long skirts and leather shoes talk in front of brownstone stoops, covering their mouths as if embarrassed by their giggles. “Es iz tsayit tsu geyn a haym,” my supervisor tells me. “It’s time to go home, Yoni. A … More »
Nearly one hundred years after Martin Buber encouraged his readers to pursue the moments of I and Thou, and almost fifty years after Emmanuel Levinas developed his philosophy regarding the face of the other, the I-centered culture of our age has succeeded in its attempt to distance itself, not only from God, but from one … More »
(All Quotations come from Roland Barthes’ A Lover’s Discourse) A Buddhist Koan says: “The master holds the disciple’s head underwater for a long, long time; gradually the bubbles become fewer; at the last moment, the master pulls the disciple out and revives him: when you have craved truth as you crave air, then you will know … More »
The advent of a new year invariably calls to attention the promises of self- improvement. It becomes impossible to find an open machine at the gym, bikes clutter the often roomy shoulders of local streets, and the kale and quinoa farmers swim in giant pools of money like Scrooge McDuck as they pride themselves on … More »
With the pressing forward of the technological revolution, the world as we know it, whether in the scope of business, politics, or culture continues to shrink. While this global connectivity has been a great success in the marketplace, it has been a disaster to the European political philosophy of nationalism. The creation of the EU, … More »
It is taught that one should always carry two notes in two different pockets. One note should read, “for my sake was the world created.” The other should read, “I am but dust and ashes.” The great Rabbi of Peshischa, Simcha Bunim stressed the importance of this message to his followers. While the hassidim adhered … More »