As Sukkot, the Jewish harvest festival, begins, I present “Stories in the Sukkah” a video of three stories about food, generosity, appetite, scarcity and plenty. The tradition is to spend time in a temporary dwelling, open to the elements, acknowledging the fragility of shelter, and the cycles of seasons, growing and harvest. My experience with growing food goes back to when I was a teenager. … [Read more...]
Children Wonder about Trees and Torah
March 5, 2020 by
“How are we like trees?” I asked a group of third graders at Temple Shir Tikvah* in Winchester, MA. “Trees are unique, like us,” one child pointed out. “Trees take showers when it rains. Then they dry off in the sun,” another child laughed. “Yeah, the sun is like their towel!” We were off to a great start. I had wondered: would 8 and 9 year olds be able to think metaphorically? “Let’s … [Read more...]
Ruth Rubin’s Legacy of Yiddish Folksongs
October 3, 2018 by
Ruth Rubin was my mentor and my friend, and the subject of a video documentary I produced in the 1980's. I am thrilled that the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research recently launched an online archive of the life work of this remarkable Yiddish folksinger and folklorist. This new online resource “Ruth Rubin Legacy” includes 1100 field recordings of Yiddish folksongs from the 1940’s - 1970’s, … [Read more...]
Stories of Roots and Routes
August 16, 2018 by
Within days of arriving in Boston in 1991, Mila and Mike Margul looked for a temple to say mourner’s kaddish for Mike’s parents. As immigrants from Odessa, Ukraine, being in the U.S. meant that now they could observe Jewish customs more freely. Mike found Temple Shalom of Newton on a map and walked 1½ hours to find it. He was met with a warm welcome: temple members brought toys and clothes for … [Read more...]
Stories Create a Legacy
June 21, 2018 by
Ros was nervous. The night had arrived to tell her story at “The Emoth Hour” – Temple Emeth’s version of a “Moth” style coffee house with members telling personal stories. As people were setting up the social hall she confessed to me, “I’m not sure I can do this.” I encouraged Ros to try a run through for the small group of storytellers who had arrived early. Supported and assured that her … [Read more...]
Journey to America
April 10, 2017 by
“Right away we made plans to go to America,” my Grandpa told me. “Your Grandma and I, we met, we fell in love. We wanted to go join our brothers in New York.” My grandparents, Markus Horowitz and Mania Alter, were born in Poland at the turn of the 20th century. Like many of their generation, they dreamt of immigrating to America, a land that offered more opportunity and less … [Read more...]
Gathering Sparks
December 18, 2016 by
One night, on the new moon, the Ari led a group of his students out into the darkness. They carried no torch, and had only the stars to light the way. They walked until they came to a place and there they prayed. And as they swayed, it was as if they were rocked in a cradle of stars. Then there was silence, as profound as if it was the first day of creation. At midnight, the Ari spoke, revealing … [Read more...]