Human Interest
9 min read
I can't recall at what age the words "I hate myself" first crossed my lips, but by the time I was old enough to express these sentiments, my self-loathing burned with a fire and passion so intense it was almost scary. I couldn't stand to stay in my own skin, and the more I thought […]
Rosh Hashanah
5 min read
The day after Rosh Hashanah marks the Fast of Gedalia, one of the "minor fast days" in the Jewish calendar year. The fast begins in the early morning at dawn, and ends in the evening at dusk. What is the meaning of this fast, and why does it occur during the intermediate days between Rosh […]
Many people approach Yom Kippur as a day of guilt and making promises they know they won’t keep. But beneath the fasting and confessions lies the ultimate chance to return to our truest selves and highest purpose.1 We step away from food, drink, intimacy, and physical pleasure not as deprivation, but as elevation—so we can […]
An excerpt from Ceremony and Celebration: Introduction to the Holidays by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks What then does Rosh Hashanah say to us? How can it transform our lives? The genius of Judaism was to take eternal truths and translate them into time, into lived experiences. Rosh Hashanah, the anniversary of the creation of humanity, invites […]
Video
Rabbi Dov Ber Cohen busts five myths about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
