Monthly Archives: March 2012

The Object is Permanent

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Gail F. Nalven

A few weeks ago, I heard a d’var Torah about how, as the Israelites wandered in the desert, God appeared to them as a cloud during the day and fire during the night. As a psychologist, the speaker linked this … Continue reading →

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Moon over the Seder

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Gail F. Nalven

One of the hazards of the professional Jew is that we can’t help spending time looking at the heavens.  And sometimes, it affects us more than you could imagine.  On Purim evening, I was rushing back to NYC for the … Continue reading →

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The Big Question. Or, at least, one of them.

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Gail F. Nalven

Ellen DeGeneres used to do a bit about how, with so many people praying all the time, God’s answering machine must be really full.  I thought about this when Tal, a fifth-grade student asked the big question, “How can God … Continue reading →

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A Shehecheyanu Moment, For All The Wonders

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Gail F. Nalven

Yesterday I heard something that I had not heard in a while.  I was standing in my kitchen, just making a cup of tea in the middle of the morning, and there it was.  It was a simple chirp.  Nothing … Continue reading →

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Blogging the Torah: Hazak Hazak V’Nithazek, Be Strong, Be Strong, and You Will Be Strengthened

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Gail F. Nalven

Congregations around the world chant these words as we end each book of the Torah. Five times a year we stand together to proclaim the words: Be Strong, Be Strong, and You Will Be Strengthened. Where do these words come … Continue reading →

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Blogging the Torah: Parashat Ki Tisa, from Sinai to Haifa

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Gail F. Nalven

Leadership.  I’ve been spending a great deal of time lately learning about leadership, reading about leadership, and working with colleagues to discover what kind of leaders we can be.  And the only thing that is really clear to me so … Continue reading →

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