Should I tell them I’m sick?
Aging Jewishly – What Our Traditions Teach Us about Growing Old It has been three weeks since Dan got the news and his head is still spinning. “I know I’m getting on in years,” says the 78 year old retired biology teacher and part time musician, “but I never expected that a regular check-up would […]
When a Loved One Dies by Suicide
Aging Jewishly – What Our Traditions Tell Us about Growing Old As her cell phone slid from her grasp, it occurred to Dorothy that she was in shock. The room was spinning, so much so that Dorothy grabbed the back of her kitchen chair and stumbled forward in an awkward attempt to sit down. Now […]
The Golden Girls as Role Models for Our Golden Years
Aging Jewishly – What Our Traditions Teach Us about Growing Old “I know it sounds silly but I guess I wanted her to live forever,” Paulette said to the reporter who approached her in the local shopping mall to ask about the death of Betty White. Paulette characterized her feelings this way. “Sure she was […]
Tu B’Shevat Haggadah/Guide IN ITALIANO
COMINCIA IL SEDER: SPIEGAZIONE Noi ebrei diciamo “Shanah Tovah,” “Auguri per il Nuovo Anno!” quattro volte durante l’anno. Certamente la Mishnah dice che abbiamo quattro Rosh HaShanah da festeggiare: il giorno primo di Nissan – Rosh HaShanah per i rei (kings) quando ogni “Leader” deve pensare profondamente come e’ il mio rapporto con le mie […]
The Holocaust’s Official Beginning Compels the Story of an Extraordinary Man
It was November 9 and 10, 1938 when the streets of major German cities were covered with sparkling shards of glass, but unbeknownst to the world, those pieces were the initial testimony to the unspeakable Nazi horror yet to come. Officials did nothing while Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues were destroyed. Streets were littered with […]
Pinocchio’s Jewish Roots
It was Mamodines, the Rambam, who said, ”Nothing can stand in the way of teshuvah.” Our sages teach that God is open to Teshuva, which has been described as the spiritual change in someone’s behavior. In fact, our rabbis teach us that God is open to Teshuvah from any person, at any time, for any […]
Clairvoyant? An Elderly Aunt Discloses a Dubious Gift
Aging Jewishly – What Our Traditions Tell Us about Growing Old Rabbi Barbara Aiello She was just a little girl when it happened. It was early morning in her family’s tumbledown house in a steel town in western Pennsylvania. The little girl, still tucked in her bed with her two sisters asleep by her side, […]
Reclaiming Shabbat
Reclaiming Shabbat Rabbi Barbara Aiello For Harvey it was the sweet smell of the challah. “I’d come in the door and, Oh, that smell! When I think of Shabbat it’s my mother’s challah that always comes to mind.” “It might sound silly but it was the newspaper on the floor. It meant that Mama had […]
Handing Out Cash to the Grandkids – Is There a Better Way?
Handing Out Cash to the Grandkids – Is There a Better Way? Aging Jewishly – What Our Traditions Tell Us about Growing Old Rabbi Barbara Aiello “One, Two, Three, Four and Five! That’s it, five envelopes all ready for the grandkids.” Ed smiled as he visualized each of the two boys and three girls, ranging […]
Lost Sicilian Jews
A Story of Lost Sicilian Jews She arrived on Sunday morning, having received an announcement of our meeting several days before. At first she was not certain that the gathering would be appropriate for her, but curiosity overcame her fear and she found herself at the door of an apartment in Palermo, Sicily ready to […]