Teach these words to your children and speak of them–when you sit in your house, when you go by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. — Deuteronomy 6:7 As is our tradition, the first and last thing I do every single day is recite the words of Sh’ma. Those thirty seconds bookending each morning and evening remind me to never take a single day for granted, and this simple practice keeps me wholly connected to God as I take in those first and last breaths of the day. Additionally, over the past two years, it has been my deepest joy and privilege to fulfill the mitzvah of teaching these words to Ruby; she can’t fall asleep without singing the words of Sh’ma. Indeed, the practice of ending and starting our days with prayer is one of the richest gifts of our tradition. Whether with the words of Sh’ma or [...]

My nephew was born in the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic last January. His birth was, like every baby’s, a miraculous moment for our entire family, but sadly, we couldn’t be there in person to celebrate with my brother and sister-in-law. The baby’s brit milah took place in the hospital with little ceremony and we prayed for a time when we could gather safely to give him his Hebrew name. Last month, we came together at my brother and sister-in-law’s beautiful new home (after taking several precautions, including taking rapid tests that morning) to give now almost-toddler Guy his Hebrew name (Malachi ben Levi Shimshon). The occasion brought our family such heightened joy, both in celebrating little Guy in this religious ritual and in finally being all together. It was a beautiful reminder that we have lost so much these past twenty months but that we also have so much to [...]

Stephen Sondheim, the beloved Jewish-American musical composer, passed away four weeks ago yesterday. His influence on musical theatre composition was unparalleled, his flair for both earnestness and humor in his lyrics unrivaled, and his passion for the creative arts an inspiration to generations of American composers, actors, and artists alike. I recently read the book Putting It Together: How Stephen Sondheim and I Created Sunday in the Park with George, by Sondheim’s three-time collaborator, James Lapine, a well-respected Broadway director (also Jewish). Lapine explores how he and Sondheim, even with opposing creative processes--Lapine unhesitating, efficient, methodical and Sondheim a famous procrastinator with genius ideas pouring out at the last minute--were able to create such masterworks like Sunday in the Park, Into the Woods, and Passion. Their common drive to share stories and generate beauty allowed for brilliant collaboration despite differences in creative process. Sondheim explores the idea of creation in his song “Finishing the [...]