Families and dear friends of those killed by violence, or in the throes of wartime, or in acts of terrorism feel the pain of those tragic deaths every day. We may sympathetically mouth terms like “closure,” but for most who mourn in those circumstances, there is no closure. Growing up, I can still remember the story of the couple who lived not far from our house — on a quiet, residential street in a small [...]

Every morning for the last 15 years or so, I log-on to “Religion News Service,” an online publication with reliable, well-researched and documented coverage of global religion news. I learn about faith as practiced around the world by Islamists, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Jews and indigenous and folk tribalists living in the far corners of this earth. Through the years, I have passed on to readers of The Shofar many of these stories about Jewish traditions [...]

A strange question was put to me a few days ago, and I’ve been dwelling on it, stewing about it ever since. The telephone rang. The caller was a reporter from Newsday, wanting to know about the situation in our shul swirling around the news that Rabbi Capela would be leaving his position as spiritual leader. An experienced reporter in my own right, I gave no details to this reporter, nor to the Suffolk Times [...]

As we approach the High Holy Days, I am reminded of a discussion held in our sanctuary one recent Shabbat morning. A question was posed: “What is holy?” It was a reasonable question. Prayer after prayer in the Siddur refers to holiness — the holiness of God, the holiness of Shabbat, even the holiness of prayer itself. If you Google “holy,” you will find terms as inscrutable as the word itself — words like [...]

As I write this message for the July issue of The Shofar, the outdoor temperature is pushing 92 degrees, and my hair is bushing-out uncontrollably from the humidity. I’m reminded of another scorching hot day one summer long ago. I hope readers will find charm in the story, and wisdom in the postscript. In the tradition of the proverbial chicken that crossed the road to get to the other side comes this story about [...]

Two years ago, I was nominated and elected president of our shul — again, having served in the position about 15-or-so years earlier. Friends from my other lives around the country responded to the news with condolences, commiserations, and various forms of body language to suggest tough luck, misfortune and mercy. They would be so wrong. Oh, of course I understood that, like life itself, the administration of a synagogue could be messy from time [...]

From the north-facing windows of my apartment here at Peconic Landing, I look out at the daffodils that have pushed up through brown earth — earth still frozen hard from a cold winter inserting itself into spring with arduous reluctance to let go. Has it been ever thus, or am I just feeling the chill so much more this year? And yet, there they are — persistent, determined little bunches that add a burst of [...]

For my column this month, I’m borrowing from the correspondent who had inspired my March column with his statement: “I try to do a good deed every day.” An insightful concept, I reasoned, one with a path forward for the good of self and the world. I wrote about it, and some readers wrote back to me that they had thought about it. I hope they are continuing to do so. Now, with a little [...]