Religion

At the beginning of this year, I am reminded once again of the connection among all people. I heard just a couple of days ago that former President Jimmy Carter believed that there was a spark of the divine in all of us. I...

If you were told to repent the day before you die, when should you start repenting? Right now!  Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (10 days apart) are the Jewish High Holy Days. Observance includes communal prayer, food (such as apples dipped in honey for a...

The Father of our nation, George Washington, had a remarkable correspondence with the first Catholic Bishop in the United States, John Carroll. At the time Catholics were, at best, 1% of the population of the young nation and were living in only two states:...

2026 is trying to be a New Year, but two weeks in, are you feeling hopeful? Where do you find places of solace that bring you hope in the midst of a dark geo-political world? How can all who are here on United States’...

My dear wife recently gave birth to our daughter Mushka on July 23, bringing another blessing into our family and into the world. In honor of this joyous occasion, allow me to share some thoughts on the significance of having a child. Judaism places a...

I like etymologies, the origin of words. I like to play with words, especially in different languages. I think we often use words without really thinking about what they really mean and what they imply. “Thanks” is one of those words.  In English, the word...

Gilroy Life goes online only for rest of year Local news publication Gilroy Life has ceased printing its paper edition until the end of this year following the September death of publisher Marty Cheek, according to Gilroy Life editor Robert Airoldi. The publication will continue...

Last month, you may have celebrated Saint Patrick’s Day by wearing green, drinking dyed beer, eating corned beef and cabbage or possibly pinching someone NOT wearing green. March 17 is the anniversary of Saint Patrick’s death in the year 461. The day honoring the ...

In the San Francisco Bay Area, we seem to be in a bubble of more open-minded thinking and inclusion. There are other places, regions and states that seem to be filled with fear of the outsider and suspicion of neighbors of different ethnicity, national...

How powerful words are! Rabbi Seymour J Cohen wrote: “Words can inspire, destroy, console us, entice us. Throughout history words promoted hatred, murder, even wars! How many politicians permanently had their careers ended by false rumors and innuendos!” Each of us have experienced the power...