Image by Joe from Pixabay This week, we celebrate Tu B’Shvat - literally the 15th of the Hebrew month of Sh’vat, which the Talmud designated as the New Year for Trees. This was for the purpose of determining which fruit trees would be tithed each year, as there were different rules depending on the age … Continue reading Let’s Talk About Trees

Dear friend, As you know, I have recently changed my name from Hadass to Emet. I would like to invite you to a renaming ceremony on Zoom, on Sunday, February 11th, at 10 am PST/12 pm CST/1 pm EST/8 pm IST. My friend and fellow AJR rabbinical student, Dr. Rachel Posner, will be co-leading this … Continue reading An Invitation!

Image by Martin Büdenbender from Pixabay It’s a new year! 2024, no less, almost a quarter of a century into the 21st, which seemed so shiny and new not so long ago. At least, that’s how it seems to me, I guess that means I’m old. My youngest, who is now a functioning adult of … Continue reading New Year, New Habits … Right?

Image by Steven from Pixabay It’s been a while since I’ve written a health post - but sometimes my body reminds me that it needs attention too. When my cat wants my attention, she may walk on my keyboard or nip at my fingers. When my body is feeling the same way, it whips up … Continue reading Let’s Talk About Inflammation

Image by Evgeni Tcherkasski from Pixabay I was trying to write a really good message about Hanukkah, and this amazing post by my SVARA teacher Maggid Jhos Singer landed in my mailbox. I could not possibly say any of it better than he did (and he really does talk like that!). Enough said. Happy Hanukkah, … Continue reading The Real Miracle of Hanukkah

Image by thank you for 💙 👍 💬 from Pixabay “Shame is the fear of disconnection—it’s the fear that something we’ve done or failed to do, an ideal that we’ve not lived up to, or a goal that we’ve not accomplished makes us unworthy of connection. Here’s the definition of shame that emerged from my … Continue reading Shame is the Fear of Disconnection

Safe for travel! November is about to turn into December. Around here, there is snow on the ground and a chill in the air. Our Thanksgiving was in October, but the holiday parties have definitely started. People are gathering indoors, and the ventilation isn’t always great. Cue the same triple-demic we had last year - … Continue reading Why This is a Good Time to Mask

Image by M W from Pixabay First of all, my apologies for missing last week’s blog post - I went to a retreat with my rabbinical school early Sunday morning, and somehow it just didn’t get done. Nobody is perfect, not even me, but I’m back! I’m writing this on Saturday night, and my mind … Continue reading Is There a Scarcity of Blessing?

Image by Enrique Meseguer from Pixabay Life is non-binary, but it is human nature to want to choose a side. Black hats and white hats, good guys and bad guys. My country right or wrong, painting the humans on the other side of a dispute as the evil incarnate. It may be natural, but it … Continue reading Holding On to Complexity

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay Sometimes we get caught up in our own expectations, and we need to be aware of what is actually important, and what we are just doing because we think we should. As you probably know if you follow me on any social media, I am quite addicted to running … Continue reading It’s OK to Adjust to Your Needs