by Leeza Negelev, Associate Director of Education I like to consider myself someone who has an appreciation of the absurd, but there has always been something about the absurdity of Megillat Esther that I have found unnerving. This Purim, for the first time, I find it comforting. Purim is a tale of a power-hungry villain who […]
Continue ReadingAs Hannukah approaches, we are reminded of this amazing story by former Board Member Jane Matlaw, and we want to share it with you. “When my children were young, they got something small each night of Hanukkah. Growing up, my parents had demonstrated the importance of giving back and I wanted to pass this value […]
Continue Readingby Leah Robbins, Administrative and Marketing Assistant Thanksgiving 2016 is over, but Hannukah is approaching, and I am still riding the thankful-train for all that Hashem has gifted me this year. Let us review my timeline: In April I completed my undergraduate thesis at the University of Florida about Jewish feminism, during which time I became […]
Continue Readingby Lisa Berman, Mikveh and Education Director The wind swirls today. Is it here to strip us of our unwanted bits, to smooth our testy edges, to burnish the gems in our souls? It bends the trees, branches, and bowed heads. Can it bend us to our own wills, to release our pains, to emerge […]
Continue Readingby Kelly Banker My monthly immersions have been interrupted, and their absence is showing up everywhere I turn. Each immersion felt like a suspension of time; a breath of new life into each month. This summer, though, I was living in western Massachusetts and only recently returned, and have not had the time to immerse […]
Continue Readingby Nate Vaughan Last year, around this time, I immersed at Mayyim Hayyim for the first time, in preparation for Rosh Hashanah. Ever since I first heard about Mayyim Hayyim, I’ve listened to many people speak about their immersion experiences. In part, those stories led me to immerse. But this isn’t a story about the incredibly meaningful […]
Continue Readingby Rachel Eisen, Director of Annual Giving Let me tell you a little secret of mine. I actually hate getting in the water. I’m not a fan of summer, in part because I’d rather be cold than hot, but also because I hate swimming. I can’t remember if I liked it as a kid or […]
Continue Readingby Yasmine Moideen “A donde?” “Por la calle y la Calle trece.” My friends and I entered the dented, sky-blue, 1954 Bel Aire landing on creaky seats, shutting the doors harder than we should have. We were in Havana, Cuba on a trip with our synagogue. It was nearing Shabbat, around 6:30 pm. That day, […]
Continue Readingby Leeza Negelev, Associate Director of Education Receiving the Torah was terrifying. Mount Sinai trembled and the ram’s horn blared. Thunder and lightning erupted again and again, while smoke billowed out of the mountain like a kiln. I can’t help but wonder if all of the special effects leading up to Matan Torah (the giving […]
Continue Readingby Kelly Banker, Intern I have always been captivated by water. It holds a certain mystical quality, a kind of knowing. Growing up, my family spent our summers living in a cottage on a lake in New Hampshire, so water has been a staple of my life from an early age. Lakes, streams, rivers, waterfalls and […]
Continue Readingby Shira Cohen-Goldberg “Abba, is Santa Claus real?” says my four-year-old from the back of the car. This is most certainly my child. I used to put cookies and milk out on the counter for Santa to take when he came to our house on Christmas Eve. In the morning, the cookies and milk were always […]
Continue ReadingBy Jane Matlaw, former Board Member When my children were young, they got something small each night of Hanukkah. Growing up, my parents had demonstrated the importance of giving back and I wanted to pass this value onto my children, as well. I wanted not just to talk about, but actually engage in philanthropy. We […]
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