THE LIVING JEWISHLY BLOG
Behind the Mask: The Lives We Don’t Lead
For centuries Purim has been labelled “the holiday of masks”. In our latest blog post, Dr. Elliott Malamet dives into the meaning of the "holiday of masks" and discusses how the era of Covid-19 has caused us to put on both physical and emotional masks distancing us from those we love.
The Plague of Darkness: Waking up to Depression
Through these difficult times, many of us have been struggling with our mental health. May we all find the grace and strength to see each other through these troubling times and look out for one another, so that, as day breaks, we can get up and start to live, one step at a time.
Hope “Twenty-One” is Going to Be a Good Year. Mitzvot are recommended.
2020 has brought us many challenges that we have endured with strength and bravery. May we have hope that 2021 will be a year of making things better for everyone.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and the Key to Eternity
May Rabbi Sacks’ memory be a blessing, because surely his accomplishments and his contributions have already brought enormous blessing to Judaism, and grace and dignity, faith and hope, to a fractured world.
In Those Days, For Our Times
Chanukah is a celebration of light, family, and food related events. It's meant to be simple, and it is also an opportunity to promote what we call “eight nights of giving”, whether one gives to charity, to various members of family, chooses a mitzvah project across eight nights or eight projects. Chanukah is a concise and specific opportunity at the darkest time of year to bring light to so many.
A Prayer of Light
The glow of the menorah has a special power, one that binds families together and communicates a message of love and faith in a culture where despair has become routine. As Chunakah grows nearer we are reminded of the value of light in our lives, whether the spark is derived from candles, oil, or emotional insight and belief in the future.
The Wandering Eye, The Restless Heart
To listen to the heart or the head? The problem here is that the very thing which brings us to love and joy and freedom also can be the wrecking ball that swings through our lives and leaves everything in tatters.
KISLEV: A Dreamers Month
This month is the month of dreamers and plays between our dreams and our waking lives. May it gift us with dream presence and dream play, and may we manifest our dreams to our fullest integrity, and for the wellbeing of the whole world.
Life Unlived
If life is a narrative, many of us find ourselves wandering for much of the book, not sure how to proceed or even what story we are telling. We need to stop and find ourselves and take back control of our lives.
The Art Of Rest /Shabbat Shalom
As we enter shabbat at this time of the full moon of cheshvan, we are invited into Rest as a sacred practice.
Twelve Steps to Inner Peace
It is a fairly common complaint that Judaism is a religion of rules and regulations that is heavy on structure, but light on facilitating serenity and joy. Here is a modest 12 step program towards inner peace, based primarily on Jewish teachings.
Forgiving One Another
Before you read this, think about one person, past or present, with whom you still have some unresolved argument or hurt, whether it is something you caused or received. Maybe you need to apologize; maybe it is they who need to approach you. Perhaps a little of both. Keep them in mind.
Becoming Human
Rosh Hashana allows us to fully inhabit our situations, to stop wasting time on that which is beneath us, to put aside our petty squabbles and repetitive and unfounded fears and begin to the live the life we were meant to live, to take our first halting steps, fully and joyously, towards becoming human.
We Are Not Alone
Is God like a distant volcano that we have heard about - imposing, inaccessible, somewhat brooding but capable of eruption? Or simply a word, three random letters in English, four in French and German, of several lengths in Hebrew?
What is your Post-Covid Bucket List?
The Internet is filled with post-Covid bucket lists. Lockdown has only enhanced wanderlust it would seem, as people muse about the places they are going to explore, whether it is vacation spots or simply parties and concerts and sporting events. Much of this is premised on economic capability, of course, and leaves out many citizens of the world for whom long term hardship is in store.
Prayer for Everyone
One of the most devastating prayer sentences in any language is also one of the most innocuous. “Lord open my lips, and may my mouth speak your praise.”
The World on Hold
How will we relate as Jews to what has transpired? Will we return to the tired and true, and treat our “time off” as a temporary nuisance? Or as a period in our history with implications for the future of Jewish spirituality?
Let’s Celebrate Boredom!
Let's Celebrate Boredom! After all, how many Netflix series can one watch or Zoom meetings attend before your eyes and your mind just bug out?
