Why Food is Much More than a Dish at my Holiday Table Food Fragrances at Our Holiday Celebration Every holiday brings a scent of cooking and baking that fills a home, each with its own unique dish at the table. While faith traditions may differ, food always plays a central part in holiday celebrations. Our families and loved ones gather and expect the smell of pies and cakes in the oven. Or we are welcomed by the deep fragrance of a... Read more
How to Wish a Happy Hanukkah ‘Tis the holiday season again, and friends of all faiths are celebrating their traditions with friends and family. Like every year, you might find yourself wondering how to best wish someone a happy Hanukkah. But first, we need to think about what Hanukkah is. What Is Hanukkah? Hanukkah is a holiday filled with the wonderment of a flame and sacredness of a miracle, symbolizing resilience and hope throughout our history. In this joyous holiday, we... Read more
Hatred Captures Our Attention Much of the world’s attention is often turned toward words of division between faiths, of hateful rhetoric and divisive action. It’s easy to understand why – influential figures with hundreds of millions of followers have recently made headlines for divisive remarks. Instead of building bridges between faiths and traditions, we focus on what divides us. Faith, in all colors and creeds, shares more than just ideas and religious figures. All congregations spread hope and light among... Read more
Thanks to Giving MORNING INSPIRATION Thanks to giving. Offer your knowledge, wisdom and experience. Share your stories, sing your songs. Listen with intent, provide your compassion. Gift the gentleness of an unconditional embrace. Devote a moment to making it better, learn his language, honor her needs. Swim side by side in the ocean of humanity, this is your heart giving. It is in giving that we connect with each other and the world. May we all be touched by the... Read more
MORNING INSPIRATION There is never room for bigotry, racism, or ill treatment toward anyone. There is never room for actions of abhorrence proclaiming to be just. There is never room for hatred. There is always room for kindness. There is always room for love. There is always room for respect. Allow room for all that can make the moments of our world better ones. I wrote this Morning Inspiration after the march in Charlottesville when slurs of hatred... Read more
Getting Busy in the Kitchen of Your Soul Being back in NYC from Tel-Aviv is always a day or two of mind adjusting. This time I fell into election energy, similar to where I had just come from. Some clear and pure heart awareness moments are what I needed. When I write Morning Inspiration, it consists of something from my moments. Hoping to lift another soul and usually it lifts mine as well. The Morning Inspiration below consists of various... Read more
Finding Hope in Challenging Times This past week has been a challenging one. Sitting in my Tel-Aviv home, recovering from a second round of Covid, I listened as the voices of equality, peace and unity were being quieted. I had moments of grief, sadness and frustration. Some were harder than others. I believe it is my continuous close relationship with hope that sustains me. Hope is a necessity; we mustn’t stand in her way. She doesn’t cure an illness nor... Read more
I listen to stories. I feel incredibly privileged to be the audience of so many storytellers. Some schedule time to share their words, others find me unexpectedly. Both are a beautiful source of inspiration and gratitude for the language of the heart. This weekend I flew to Pittsburg for a book signing, as well as a Naot footwear donation. Sitting behind my colorful book table, pen in hand, stories of humanity lined up. A young woman approached, her face covered... Read more
When I sit down to write my Morning Inspiration, I have a ritual of recalling a moment. A moment of awareness, heart attentiveness, that awakened my soul. Sometimes it is visual, others it is in the words I may have heard, or in the simplicity of a warm embrace I can recall. As a spiritual counselor, I have the privilege to spend moments with amazing souls that are faced with the pains of grief, loss and illness. I continue to... Read more
Place Gratitude In Your Soul’s Toolbox This past week I was met by a very unexpected and challenging event. Sitting quietly at a nearby restaurant, right from in back of me, my wallet was stolen. Having discovered this only two hours later due to many expenses that were not mine, a feeling of violation emerged. As the day went on, canceling credit card and reaching out to the DMV, I focused on what I could control and not what I... Read more
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