Author Jane Tillner, in a book called Nothing, tells the story of Pierre-Anthon, a seventh grader who learns about death and realizes there is no meaning to life. Pierre leaves his classroom, climbs a tree, and stays there. Despite their greatest efforts, his classmates cannot make him come down, not even by pelting him with rocks. Read more...

In my home, there’s one refrain I often hear. Whenever I turn off the television while my son is watching, he invariably says, “No, Mom, this is my favorite part.” I must have an uncanny talent – of knowing exactly what his favorite segment is of every program because no matter when I turn off the television, it’s his favorite part. Read more...

And Moses instructed them as follows: Every seventh year, the year set for remission [of debts], at the Feast of Booths, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place that He will choose, you shall read this Teaching aloud in the presence of all Israel. Gather the people - men, women, children, and the strangers in your communities – that they may hear [the Torah] and so learn to revere the Lord your God and to observe faithfully every word of this Teaching. Deuteronomy 31:10-12   Read more...

"You stand this day all of you, (KOL), before the Lord your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Yisra'el" (Dvarim/Deuteronomy 29,9).   My irreverent mind engages my reverent mind when asking "Every word in the Torah has meaning so what does "all of you" ( KOL) mean?" How else does one show up? In pieces? At different times of the day? Read more...

A few weeks ago Rabbi David Wolpe of Sinai Temple was visiting AJU and the Ziegler offices. Although we are taking a brief hiatus from producing our "Holy Day Conversations" DVD series, we didn't want to miss an opportunity for our Dean, Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, to sit down with Rabbi Wolpe and discuss some of the 'big questions' that ought enter our consciousness at this time of the Jewish year. Below, you'll find links to their conversation--broken up into three short parts - on the Ziegler School's Youtube page. Read more...