PinnedFood For Felons: The Orange CardI didn’t wake up in a cell, for the first time in years. The first feeling I felt was - Hunger. The previous day I had traveled by bus from Federal Correction Institute Petersburg Virginia to a Halfway House in Baltimore, MD. I was given a bus fare and one…Prison11 min readPrison11 min read
Published in The Write Place·Sep 9, 2022A Week Terrestrial: The AJO In-Person Summer ProgramTiffany turned and asked me: “Are you OK? It looked like that call was tough?” I froze. Nothing was O.K. I would never see him again. I had walked out of a learning session to take a call from Eran. …Writer5 min readWriter5 min read
Published in The Jewish Times·Sep 6, 2022The Viceroy’s Dog: A Tale of Jewish ChutzpahAt a particular time, a viceroy ruled over the province of Aragon. The Viceroy, a great lover of animals, was indifferent to most of the communities that fell under his dominion. However, it was a peaceful time and his subjects, including a sizeable Jewish community, prospered during his rule. It…Dogs4 min readDogs4 min read
Apr 17, 2022Increased Because of SufferingWhat is the best response to suffering? Bad things happen to us all; sometimes, they are the direct consequences of poor decision-making; other times, life is unfair. Either way, suffering is an unavoidable fact of this world. Reading today’s chapter, Exodus 1, I was struck by the first half of…Bible2 min readBible2 min read
Apr 14, 2022Be Strong.Translating the Hebrew word “sefarim” as “books” is often incomplete. A Holy Jewish text is not just a book; it is a conversation. You enter into dialog with everyone involved in the process of creating a fantastic item. Today in the 929 cycle we finished the book of Bereshit or…Bible1 min readBible1 min read
Apr 13, 2022Ya’aqov’s Last WordsMaybe telling someone that you love them is not the most important thing you need to say before it is too late. We have all heard the advice, “Don’t wait to tell people you love them because tomorrow might be too late.” …Judaism2 min readJudaism2 min read
Apr 12, 2022Redeemed from All EvilHow can I get her to stop crying?? I was exhausted, my wife was exhausted, and all we wanted was a few hours of sleep, but our newborn baby wouldn’t stop crying. Music! The idea popped in my head, and I fumbled with my phone while continuing to rock and…Children2 min readChildren2 min read
Apr 11, 2022“What is your occupation?”“What is your occupation?” The Torah leaves out lots of information you want to know, and it repeats the apparently mundane. When the Israelites arrive in Egypt, Yosef tells them that he will go up to Pharoah and say to him that they are shepherds. (Genesis 46:31–32) Yosef also warns…Meaning1 min readMeaning1 min read
Mar 24, 2022The Poetic Beginnings of Israel Reborn“Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn” begins poetically, but this is not a reference to the prose. Instead, the author, Daniel Gordis, starts the story of the modern State of Israel by introducing us to a poet — Chaim Nachman Bialik. Gordis first introduces us to the relevance…Israel1 min readIsrael1 min read
Mar 23, 2022The WhatsApp Roll CallWe sat down yesterday after ordering a pizza with extra cheese and onions yesterday, and I pulled out my phone. The first thing I noticed was a message in our Shul Whatsapp group. “Did you see what happened at The Big?? everyone ok.” I looked up from the screen and…Israel2 min readIsrael2 min read
