From Sorrow to Renewal
For those who follow the rhythm of Jewish time, a slow but steady build-up is underway. In the physical universe—where …
Author Archives: SRQ Jew
I Will Not Mourn on Tisha B’Av
This Sunday (Aug. 3) is Tisha B’Av. The ninth day of the month of Av. Jews around the world will …
Reverse Omer for 2025
Spiritual preparation for the Jewish High Holidays is difficult. First, you have to figure out when they are, because it …
A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Torah
Sci-fi author Douglas Adams—who made the number 42 famous for entirely different reasons—probably didn’t know about the 42 places the …
The Single Letter That Speaks Volumes
It’s been a good week for me. A tough week, but a good one, so I’ll keep this brief. After …
A Donkey, a Prophet, and Vision
Embedded in nearly every Torah portion is a subtle message about how we interact with each other. Some messages are …
Celebrating My Birthday and My Life
This week marks two milestones in my life. On July 3rd, eleven years ago, I began what became a weekly …
On Becoming Myself
I’m not sure why we give birthdays so much weight. A single day passes, and suddenly I’m a full year …
What if The Torah Had Suggested Peace Instead of War?
This week’s Torah portion is the disastrous story of the 12 scouts (or were they spies?) sent into the Promised …
Together in Courage & in Prayer
The news that Israel attacked Iran to cripple their nuclear bomb program was itself a bombshell. It was as if …
