Chevre, The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “You cannot step in the same river twice.” Why not? I see two reasons. One, the river is ever-flowing and, hence, ever-changing. And, two . . . you, also, are always changing. Heraclitus’ teaching came to mind the last...

Chevre, I am excited to share with you, this coming Friday night, the life and work of my cousin, Chuckie, an Israeli artist with a unique oeuvre, as he approaches his ninetieth birthday. Born in Chicago, Chuckie studied at the Art Institute before making aliyah in...

Chevre, Here's a quick look at our calendar for March. I'll provide details in the near future. Friday, March 1, 6:00 pm Shabbat tefilot, dinner and learning: viewing and discussion of the Israeli documentary film "Let There Be Fire" about my cousin, artist Chuckie...

Chevre, Those who attended last weekend’s kallah had a wonderful time of learning and laughing, eating and singing, and enjoying the camaraderie and community that marks B’Chavana. Many thanks to Robin and Stew for tending to the logistics of our program, as well as...

Chevre, Written into the mission statement of Rochelle Zell Jewish High School - where I teach - is a commitment to nurturing our students’ ability to think critically. In all of our classes - be it History, English, Chemistry, Bible, Talmud, or Jewish Thought - we...

It seems that prayer ought to be one of the most natural of things to do.  And, yet, often it is a lot harder than we expect. Frequently, we are distracted or frustrated by our inability to simply pray . . . or to pray simply. Our kallah learning this year will focus...

Chevre, In the show "Hamilton," the eponymous character asks his colleague, "Burr, what will you stand for?" Though not perfect, Hamilton is a man of character - a man of ideas and principles. Burr, by contrast, is an opportunist whose flag flies in whichever...

It seems that prayer ought to be one of the most natural of things to do.  And, yet, often it is a lot harder than we expect. Frequently, we are distracted or frustrated by our inability to simply pray . . . or to pray simply. Our kallah learning this year will focus...

Chevre, We enjoyed a beautiful Shabbat morning at Karen and Larry's home, able to look at the trees and the serene, snow-filled surrounding while also going deep within.  Our intimate davvening prepared us well for an extended exploration of Dr. King's thoughts on...

Chevre,  I apologize again for sending the wrong date earlier.  The date for our viewing of the film Marshall is Sunday afternoon, Feb. 10, at 2:00 at our home. To reserve your seat, contact Susan: [email protected] L'shalom, Marc