What a change of environment -- from the barren mountains of the Judean desert to the flat, lush green manicured landscapes of Florida, from the sound of planes overhead being a sign of Israeli airpower on its way to one of the war fronts to "normal" air traffic taking people to various destinations.

Do you ever walk into Home Goods and feel the exhilaration of all the pretty things around you?  Really, I don’t actually need anything but walking through yesterday I really enjoyed seeing so many pretty things.  We live in a material world and it is the Jewish way to embrace beauty and use it for good, thereby uplifting the world with beauty.  

Enjoy this gallery from The Great Challah Bake - November 2nd, 2023

This image of the empty Shabbat table is set with 203 seats, representing the 203 hostages that are still being held by terrorists in Gaza.

What a crazy week it’s been.  Everyone is coping differently, but I find many are feeling quite similar. Missing appointments, loosing important items and not being able to focus has been a common complaint. With that introduction, I wanted to share one meaningful mindset shift I experienced this week.

One of the many advantages of living in a part of the Land of Israel that is so open to the hills and sky is that every evening we can see the moon quite easily. Being in the month of Elul, most people are watching the changes in the moon more closely as each phase shows us clearly that Rosh Hashanah will soon be here.

Dear Ladies I have run several half-marathons. I had to train for several months in order  to prepare to run those 13.1 miles.  Had I just shown up on marathon day with no preparation, it would be a missed opportunity.

"How's my driving?" We've all seen those bumper stickers on the backs of company trucks, as companies know how their employees drive reflects positively or negatively on their company. Interestingly, those signs appear on trucks here in Israel as well.

We are now in the period called the 3 weeks, and it is considered a period of mourning.  I have often wondered how we really mourn for something that we really do not understand.  Historically  the temple was destroyed and we were exiled, but those are not things I REALLY understand because I have never experienced a time with a temple or a world that recognizes G-d and Eretz Yisroel