Strength within Endurance, 23 Days Omer 5782

Today is twenty-three days, which is three weeks and two days of the Omer, in the year 5782. גבורה שבנצח Gevurah ShebeNetzach, Strength within Endurance. Sometimes, it feels like we have no more reserves. The will can sag under the weight of the world. Lean on God's staff, keep following Her rod.

Mother's Day and Bodily Autonomy

I met a mother today who asked, "how can we focus solely on flowers and good wishes when the rights of all women to bodily autonomy are being stripped away?"

Until she said that, I had no idea what was weighing me down today. If you are being weighed down by the irrationality treating women subhuman at the same time that one function of procreation is being venerated, you're not alone.

Process Personal History, Create Incredible Art

I cannot think of a better ending to Mother's Day than taking some time alone to ingest culturally important art. It was such an honor to be at Jenny Yurshansky's final artist talk walk-through of her exhibition at the American Jewish University, "Legacy of Loss: There Were No Roses There." (Reservation required to see it, through May 12.)

It is so incredible to reconnect with someone you knew in junior high. Someone who has pursued her dreams throughout her life and is such an inspiration. I got chills at the beginning of her talk, realizing how important it would have been to my beloved history professor, Dr. Bob Levy, zichrono livracha. Jenny has a gift for bringing alive the stark reality of Jewish otherness and statelessness. She epitomizes strength within endurance.

I pray her exhibition is put up in museums across the country -- people really need to grapple with everything she discusses: from identity to nationalism to refugee status to the ethnic reality of Jewish identity.