Latest posts
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Modeh Ani: The First Words of Gratitude on Waking
The very first sentence said on waking is a thank-you. Here is what Modeh Ani says, why it skips God’s name, and how to say it.
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Teaching a Child the First Words of the Morning: Modeh Ani
The very first words a Jewish child learns to say on waking are short, simple, and profound. Here is what Modeh Ani means and how to teach it gently.
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‘The Machzor: The High Holiday Prayer Book Explained’
The thick High Holiday machzor can feel daunting. A guide to how its prayers are ordered and where to find your footing in the Days of Awe.
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Kriah: The Torn Garment and the Black Ribbon of Mourning
Mourners tear a garment or wear a torn ribbon. What kriah means, when it is done, and why the tear is over the heart for a parent.
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Chesed in Jewish Wisdom: Why Acts of Kindness Hold Up the World
Why does Jewish tradition say kindness sustains the world? Teachings on chesed, gemilut chasadim, and walking in God’s ways.
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What Jewish Wisdom Says About Gossip and Guarding the Tongue
Why is gossip treated so gravely in Jewish thought? The sources on lashon hara, slander, and the power of speech to harm or heal.
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The Unveiling: Setting the Stone and Marking the First Year
Around the first yahrzeit, the gravestone is unveiled. What the matzevah means, what is said, and why the stone is set at year’s end.
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Healing in the Jewish View: When Prayer and Medicine Meet
Does asking for healing mean refusing the doctor? Discover how Judaism holds prayer and medicine together, and what it asks of the worried heart.
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The Two Inclinations: How the Tradition Trains the Restless Will
When an impulse pulls hard, willpower alone fails. Learn the Jewish teaching of the two inclinations and the quiet practice that masters them.
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‘Everyday Jewish Meditation Practices of Inner Quiet’
You do not need a retreat to find stillness. Learn the small, repeatable Jewish practices that turn ordinary moments into contemplation.