I'm still drinking that spiritual lemon water from last night. So my neshama (soul) is supposed to be great. Interesting. That's what's happening here. And I'm supposed to thank G-d for all the lemons. If you are completely confused, please read Lemon Water for Your Soul first then come back here. I've been contemplating a long time… Continue reading Thanking G-d for Life’s Bitter Lemons
I came to the synagogue with anything but emuna. I came with nerves about how we were paying for the speaker Rabbi Brody's team. I came with nerves that no one would show up. I came with nerves over who would say what when and where the podium would look best and whether the men… Continue reading Lemon Water for Your Soul (What Rabbi Lazer Brody Said)
First, what does Ahavas Yisrael even mean? Love for Israel. By Israel, I mean the people, the nation, the Jews, each other. Jewish unity. I just saw and felt what it looks like and feels like, coming back from a Jewish women's retreat made up of very diverse women. It looks like No Judgment. It… Continue reading What Ahavas Yisrael Looks Like
I saw your face in the darkness of my mind, with my eyes closed and covered by satin in a quiet yoga studio. I saw your face smiling gently, when you loved me, if you loved me. The Soothing Mother reads poetry, truth: No Cloud Lasts Forever. As I lay dead as The Corpse. I let… Continue reading No Cloud Lasts Forever
After writing The Man in a Dress at a Simcha (which I later removed to protect him and his family) and acknowledging my bias from my pre-conversion Christian past, then being confronted about it, then considering calling in for backup a Jewish guy with more sources than me (a Boss for truth who frequently gets himself in trouble… Continue reading Why I Love Extremists
The Oral Law. I'm scared to write about this. Scared because of my own ignorance and doubts. Scared to say something wrong. Scared I don't know enough or what I think I know is limited by my lack of learning. Scared that my skepticism will dint my reputation as a Jew or Judaism itself. My… Continue reading Do the Rabbis Really Know What They’re Talking About?
"Could you delve one day into the difference between belief and knowledge? It's one of those very uncomfortable topics that takes harsh honesty. I'd like to hear your thoughts. Love, your very agnostic cousin (who believes most people are agnostic but can't come to terms with it because of societal pressures and upbringing)." I LOVE… Continue reading To My Agnostic Cousin
(A Response to My Christian Mother – with So Much Love) Proving why the hopefully soon-coming Moshiach/Messiah is human (rather than divine) is basically like asking someone to prove that Judaism is more true than Christianity. It's a huge topic and one article will never be able to answer all the questions or cover all… Continue reading 39 Reasons Moshiach is Only Human
I wrote a piece in college called "The Anti-Perfection Rebellion." It's one of my favorite things I've ever written because it represents my first taste of self-awareness and freedom from yucky false beliefs from childhood. I don't have to be perfect to be loved!! I'm hoping I can find it and share it on my… Continue reading Anti-Perfection
When I first heard G-d referred to as "Hashem" I was reading a Jewish novel in Lawton, Oklahoma. Over a decade ago. Newlywed. Not even Jewish. I didn't even mean to pick a Jewish book, funny how a convert can look back and see things like that. I thought it was very, very weird to… Continue reading Who Are You, Hashem?
Rina Means Joy 