At the end of October, I wrote that celebrating Halloween can be considered permissible for an observant Jew. As part of my justification, I shared an extract from an opinion offered by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, who was a leading 20th century decisor of Jewish law and for my own background thinking also utilized the work of other Jewish legal thinkers like Rabbi Michael Broyde. They did not address Halloween, but were examining whether an observant Jew may observe New Years or Thanksgiving or other non-Jewish customs.
Recording from Shabbat Service, December 16, 2017 - Rabbi Stampfer's 3rd Bar Mitzvah. Recorded and edited by Ed Kraus.
There is a wonderful story about a king who dreamed about possessing the most precious ring in the world. He sent his advisors out to find something that could live up to this vision. When they finally returned with the one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry, the king opened the box to find a simple, plain-looking ring.
This past week, President Donald Trump gave a speech in which he noted, "I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. After more than two decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians." While he made no decisions about Jerusalem's borders or East Jerusalem, it has still unsettled many and created global outrage among them.
When I was a little girl, like most kids, I had an imaginary friend. I named him Petey the Ghost. I was about four years old when I “met” Petey, and he soon started taking the blame for everything I did wrong. Who took all the clothes out of the drawer? Petey. Who made a mess at dinner? Petey.
I’m reading a marvelous book. It’s called Dinner with Edward by Isabel Vincent, and it’s a gift from Marci Atkins. Marci is a member of our wonderful “Wise Aging” group that I am privileged to lead. Privileged, because it is an honor to spend time and learn from these individuals who have so much more hard-won life experience than I. Indeed, it’s not so much that I lead the group as that I convene it.
Seemingly incompatible temperaments can work together. My husband Duncan and I are a prime example of this. We could not be more different when it comes to our emotional response and tolerance. We compare ourselves to the way different materials react to heat.
