There are some people in our lives who continue to help us and influence us long after they are no longer with us. Myra, my beloved wife of blessed memory, remains a powerful influence in my life.

This past weekend, I experienced a miracle on Fourth Avenue. Purim, one of the Jewish calendar's most joyous and essential festivals.

Thanksgiving can be a wonderful family gathering or a source of pain. Here are my thoughts on how to bring peace to your Thanksgiving table, and perhaps a new path ahead to ease family strife.

Today’s world is filled with challenges and uncertainties, therefore, the concept of “grit” has gained significant attention.

As the Hebrew month on Tishrei is upon us, it is a time of reflection and an opportunity for each of us to think about what is strong and true in our lives, despite the horrors we are facing in the daily reports on the Hamas—Israel war.

Where do we go from here? That is the question I am receiving each day. First and foremost, never lose hope. Then, find an organization that supports Israel and donate.

The annual High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, allow us to reflect on our actions, atone for wrongdoings, and set intentions for the coming year.

This week we faced an unfathomable reality. The situation happening in Israel is complex. Our hearts are in the east while we remain in the west, trying to comprehend the inhumane destruction of our people.

Forgiveness is a central and significant aspect of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Yet, forgiveness can be a complicated matter. Here are my thoughts on how to take the first steps to overcoming some of the emotional barriers that might stand in our way.

One of the rewards of “downsizing” or going through boxes that have been stashed away in storage is the discovery of things we may not have seen in a great many years. Out of one of the many boxes I have came a sermon that I wrote in May of 1988.

As we all know too well, the days are lengthy, yet the years blink by. And so, a year has come and gone since the loss of Myra, and while many could look back with sadness, the rearview mirror reflects much more.  

For each transition I have faced, I have unknowingly and perhaps knowingly grown and evolved despite my older age. The day we stop learning is the day of our last breath.

Friends often become family and if you are lucky enough to understand the compounds of a good friendship, then you've struck gold.

The pivotal and groundbreaking movement and connection between Dr. King and Rabbi Heschel have inspired my Rabbinate from day one.

For the Jewish community, the menorah's illumination reminds us of our perseverance, freedom, and the magic of miracles.

The American poet Langston Hughes said, “Hold fast to dreams, for when dreams go, life is a barren field frozen with snow.”

In Torah, Jewish relationships are molded around the essence of belonging, believing, and behaving, each acting as a testament of our faithfulness to ourselves and to others.

The power of prayer and meditation helps us remove a judgmental lens of others but most important, of self.

In life, we will be faced with matters beyond our comprehension. It is how we face those challenges or life situations that ultimately express who we are as individuals.

Often the strongest of souls are the very people that need a friend.