As spring blossoms throughout the land, let us journey together to gather the deep root medicine of Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical path, as a guide for our hearts and a balm for our souls. The ancient tradition of counting Omer — the seven weeks between Passover and Shevuot — begins today, March 29. Each week, I’ll be sharing teachings to help us use these weeks to meditate on the divine presence in and around us, and to cultivate our own goodness…

As we approach the first anniversary of COVID lockdowns around the world, the possibility of accessing vaccines brings some relief after a year of civil, economic, and racial upheaval. Here in the U.S., as we embark on a more hopeful era under the Biden-Harris administration, we look ahead for ways to put an end to the “uncivil war” that came to a violent head on January 6.

Last night, as the moon floated in her dark ocean and owls called to one another across the naked landscape, a celestial summit occurred. Two great beings—Jupiter and Saturn—came together in a Great Conjunction, elegantly coinciding with the Winter Solstice.

In Kabbalah, these two ancient planets Jupiter and Saturn are associated with Chesed and Gevurah, respectively. Chesed (blessings, mercy, loving kindness) and Gevurah (structure, discipline, capacity to hold) are like two wings of a great bird. Both are needed to fly…

Happy new moon of Cheshvan! This Shabbat is a time of renewal when we re-scroll the Torah to begin again at Genesis—and revel in the ongoing powers of creation.

We will need it! Our 2020 election is 18 days away, and any way we slice it, these will be formidable times. They require each of us be grounded, steady, and connected to our highest values.

Our souls communicate in images, Jung said. And right now, our country is galvanized by one image: the brutal murder of George Floyd. It is one image amidst a sea of images, one hate crime amidst an endless tally of white supremacist hatred. But this week it was one too many.

Life has changed radically in the past few days. As the COVID-19 virus spreads throughout the world, we are being forced to recalibrate our lives, our habits, and the speed at which we travel.

I write this as a gigantic moon rises overhead, paling the night sky and all her shimmering stars. Maybe this is what our ancestors felt as they stepped out of their homes, children strapped on their backs, plodding under starless skies into the Sea of Reeds uncertain if the waters would part. Maybe this is what our ancestors felt as they journeyed over the Carpathian Mountains, onto Danish fishing boats, and over the Pakistani border seeking freedom.

In a world where truth and justice are so often twisted, veiled, and falsified, last week I found my faith restored in a most unexpected place, the San Quentin Corrections Facility in Northern California.

Here's an ancient mystical tradition that may interest you: When we enter the Sukkah* each evening, we make an incantation to our ancestors, the matriarchs and patriarchs of Jewish life. They are called USHPIZIN, the sacred ancestral guests who dwell in the invisible realm…

The Zohar* tells us that just before Rosh Hashanah, the moon gets dangerously shrouded, like a jewel encased in stone. It is our task to break open the layers covering her to free this celestial jewel to shine her light on the world. For without her light, the world cannot survive…

The new moon of the Jewish month Elul is upon us: fresh and invigorating. The Hassidic masters taught that this is the month when the Divine forces cross over to our human realm, to listen closely to our prayers, commiserate with our human pain, and give us strength to grow beyond ourselves.

We are food and drink for one another. There is no life without each other.

“Our ancestors connect us to the eternal realm, too. When we are in relationship with them we open to the Eternal within, the part of us that does not die. I discovered the ancestors' magic slowly, and only after great reluctance.”

On Sunday night, June 2, we gathered at Congregation Nevei Kodesh for The Internal Fable of the Ancestors, a rare and beautiful evening dedicated to the healing of body, soul and community.

I have a soft spot for July Fourth. I think it's because my grandparents all found refuge and opportunity here, and their gratitude magnifies my own for this great country, which opened its gates to so many for so long.

Passover is here with all of its beautiful spring bustle. Like many Jewish traditions, this 8-day holiday offers us a variety of doors to enter. There is the nostalgic door, through which we savor the familiar tunes, aromas, wine-stained books, and fragrant foods—all invitations to the childlike heart.

Last Friday’s attack on Muslims in two mosques as they prayed in Christchurch, New Zealand, was a shocking act of hatred and terror that desecrates all that we hold as is holy and sacred.

Did you see the majestic phenomenon of the solar eclipse last week?

Before Election Day, I had myself convinced that humanity was making slow (if sometimes halting) progress in the direction of liberal democracy, and that the light of reason would ultimately prevail.