Nobody makes something from nothing, not even God. But God molds the tohu va-vohu, the chaos swirling in the deep, and -- miraculous to say! -- life emerges.   Life is simple at first, then complex. Reflexive at first, then conscious. Life becomes.   It takes all that love, all that power, all that guidance, but life does emerge, waddle, and walk.   Mother, my own creator: Read more...

Jewish tradition holds many stories of mothers and those seeking to be mothers, of step-mothers and mothers-in-law, and even of adoptive mothers. One challenge for those of us seeking the tradition from a female-identified perspective is that while there exist stories about us, these stories are rarely interpreted by us. Therefore, in honor of Mother’s Day, I’d like to share a modern midrash – a mode of biblical interpretation originally utilized by the rabbis which has now been reinvigorated by modern women. Read more...

Long before cancel culture was even in the lexicon, my brother and I decided to cancel Mother’s Day. We were rebellious teens and had incorrectly read that the holiday was invented by Hallmark to drive sales. As vociferous individualists against commercialism, we took a personal stand. Our plan was not well received. My father was furious, and my mother was destroyed. To this day, I still remember the tears gathering in her eyes as we explained why there would be no cards or gifts. I thought she would never forgive us. Read more...

Quick quiz: Who was the first Jew? Be honest – was the name that popped into your head “Abraham”? Read more...