This week, Torah, the Jewish calendar, and personal experience converge in a powerful way. As we read Parashat Tazria-Metzora, enter the healing month of Iyar, and count the Omer through the lens of Tiferet, I reflect on what it means to hold hope and heartbreak at the same time while accompanying both my daughter and my father on their cancer journeys.
Journey
Hidden Blessings and Beginning Again
When Everything Changes Genesis 45:5 Parashat Vayigash brings us to a moment of profound emotional reckoning. Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers and reframes years of betrayal and suffering with words that continue to echo across generations: “for it was to preserve life that God sent me before you.” (Genesis 45:5) Joseph does not deny the […]
Showing up in Love; Planting Seeds of Legacy
This week’s Torah portion, Vayeira, reminds us that faith and legacy often take root in the simple act of showing up. When Abraham plants a tamarisk tree, he establishes a living covenant — a promise that continues to grow long after him. My prayer Seeking Connection begins with the word Hineini — “Here I am” — and that sacred readiness has become my mantra as I accompany my daughter on her cancer journey. I can’t control the path ahead, but I can choose how I show up in this moment: with love, courage, and faith. Each prayer, each act of compassion, is a seed we plant — our legacy in the making.
Lech Lecha — Trusting the Journey
“Lech Lecha — Go forth to the land that I will show you.”
This week’s Torah portion invites us to trust the journey, even when the destination is unknown. In this week’s reflection, I share my illustration of Genesis 12:1, the prayer Not Knowing from my soon-to-be-released book Illuminated Journey, and a new illustrated prayer, Journey.
I also share information and resources about BRCA awareness in the Jewish community — and ask for prayers for my daughter, Samantha Trattner (Shira Natanya bat Yocheved), who is courageously navigating her own unexpected journey.
Sacred Spaces:
“How goodly are your tents, O Jacob…”
This week’s blog reflects on sacred space, both physical and spiritual. I share my Torah illumination and prayer for parasha Balak, photos from the ALEPH Kallah, a heartfelt prayer for those impacted by the Texas floods, and an invitation to join my Zoom Havurah.
At the Mountain:
As Shavuot approaches, we stand at the sacred intersection of Parashat Bamidbar and the culmination of the Omer journey. In this week’s post, I share two prayers—Journey to the Mountain and Journey Toward Revelation—along with journaling prompts and reflections on what it means to be counted, to be called, and to receive Torah anew.