I was 58 years old when my father suddenly died last Erev Rosh HaShana. On the one hand, I was blessed to know my father for a very long time. On the other hand, 58 years of relationship is very hard to lose. This was my first intimate encounter with death. My father asked to … More »
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 »
Like any other Argentinean child, I really wanted to become a soccer player. My first encounter with a vision for the future, my first impulse when completing the phrase, “When I grow up I want to be…” was certainly shared by all my peers in elementary school. We all wanted to be part of that … More »
How fitting it was for the Sh’ma editors to open this month’s edition with Shoshana Olidort’s piece, “On First Encountering Doubt.” Doubt seems to be one of several leitmotifs that weave through these articles. While it may seem odd, what first comes to my mind is Pope Francis. About a year ago, a papal interview … More »
I wasn’t prepared. After enjoying the benefits of childhood, (being served prepared meals, having my material needs provided for, and being nurtured, etc.) how was I supposed to go and start looking for work? However, after realizing that I needed to fill open time in my schedule and that I needed to have my own … More »
I wore Krishna beads and chanted Hare Krishna (etc.) between Government and AP English classes. But I never made it to the free meals at the temple in Maryland. Early on Rosh HaShannah morning – I was maybe 14 or 15 – I walked out into the woods and sat cross-legged in the cleft of … More »
There are two empty seats next to me on the plane. This makes the plane ride to Israel comfortable, but the nagging discomfort is there too, knowing that fewer people are traveling at this time. I toss and turn between comfort and discomfort, my stomach churning all eleven hours, a back and forth. The waves … More »
August 19, 2014 To my distant cousin David, I know your grandfather, Sherman. He is one of my grandmother’s favorite cousins. And while I don’t know him well, if I caught his eye at a family celebration across a buffet of chopped liver, I’d know it was him, I’d know his name to be Sherman. … More »
In school, did you like math and foreign language classes? Most people hated them, but for some reason I loved both. Frankly, it’s only since moving to Knoxville, Tennessee, and having so many scientists as congregants, that I finally came out as a math nerd. In fact, I’m told that math, languages, and music all share … More »