In 2002, I began studying to become a chaplain. This entailed taking a 1,600-hour series of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) courses. In addition, since I am neither a rabbi nor a hazzan, but rather an Orthodox laywoman, it was necessary for me to obtain a degree “equivalent” to semikha. I no longer recall what my
Sometimes the Chaplain Is the Only One Who Can Mourn Read More »
Until I was married, I had not encountered death close up. No funerals, no shiva calls. Some time during the first few years of my marriage that changed. It was a very difficult transition. In those years I was terribly shy and insecure. Going to pay a shiva call was almost unbearable. Where do I
עד ספוד ועת רקוד A Time for Mourning and a Time for Dancing Read More »
I grew up in a large family and busy household in New York’s Upper East Side. On Friday afternoons my friends and I would part ways to go home and help our mothers prepare for Shabbat. Later, as we lit the candles we felt as if we were re-creating the miracle of beriat ha’olam. Although
Shabbat in Phoenix Read More »
As long as I can remember I have always wanted to be a dancer, and I have been dancing since I was six years old. I am now a contemporary ballet and modern dancer and currently work with several dance companies in New York. For many children, becoming a dancer is a dream; for a
This month marks the second anniversary of Yavneh, a partnership-style minyan that meets once a month on New York’s Upper East Side. Our stated purpose is to create a “Makom Tefilla,” a place of worship where all people, at all levels of observance, can come and explore their relationship with God, prayer, and their community.
Makom Tefilla: Counted and Counted On Read More »
As a young girl aged five or six, I accompanied my father to shul in New York every Shabbat – in the evening, morning, and afternoon. Whether I was sitting in shul learning to daven with my father or playing bottle caps in the hallway while the men ate se’udah shlishit, I was never treated
The Evolving Phases in the Life of a Female Shul-Goer Read More »
I have been a shul-goer for as long as I can remember. Family lore has me attending Shabbat services as an infant, sitting on my father’s lap, well behaved and attentive. Growing up, I knew of only two valid excuses for missing services on Shabbat morning: illness and blizzards. Arriving late was also frowned on;
Celebrating Shabbat: Redefining Roles Read More »
Immersed in poetry ever since I was a child, I realize now that I have always gained spiritual sustenance from poems. As I grew into an adult, the world of poetry – writing, reading, coordinating poetry events, teaching poetry, being mentored by poets – sustained me. But over time it was no longer enough. My
What is Hidden is Blessed Read More »
Being female, I think I can confidently state that women have always had a complicated and stormy relationship with their clothing. There is the ongoing, eternal love affair with fashion, its trends and follies, and then there is the more complex, individual language of specific clothing: its implicit message, symbolism, and power. As an artist,
Coat of the Agunot and Garment of the Sotah Read More »
Just before our wedding almost 55 years ago, I asked my fiancé if he wanted me to cover my hair once we were married. His response seemed cryptic and somewhat indirect. He had grown up in the Boro Park of the 1930s and 1940s, at a time in which few women covered their hair at
Reflections on Head Covering: Then and Now Read More »
