I grew up praying to a god in a language I did not understand. In particular, as an observant Conservative Jewish American (that is, “Conservative Jewish, not “conservative, Jewish”), I grew up ...

Shema Yisrael: The importance of listening and learning in the darkness To hear – even in the dark. To listen – when we feel silenced. To act – when it would be easier to despair. To love – when hate ...

It would be reasonable to assume that a language that contains the verb “to command” must also contain the verb “to obey.” The one implies the other, just as the concept of a question implies the ...

The Shema bookends Yom Kippur. It is dramatically said at Yom Kippur’s onset. While the sentence Baruch Shem Kevod which follows Shema is normatively said quietly, on Yom Kippur it is said aloud.

In one ear, and out the other. That's the usual conversation we have with our children when we tell them to put away their Legos, only to painfully step on them the next morning. Hearing alone isn't ...