The Systematic Elimination of Daydreaming

by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar A phrase I encountered this week that momentarily stopped me in my tracks is that one of the biggest challenges we face as a society is the systematic elimination of daydreaming. I don’t know if all generations experience this, or if it is just those of us who have a close and […]
2AM, and the Rabbinical Students Stand in Their Bathrobes

by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar I’ve never considered myself a poetry guy, which is strange, because: I love music — a well-written song lyric can stick with me for years; Jewish tradition is filled with poetry, from the ancient psalms to the piyutim, the hymns in our prayer books; and even sermons, when done well, are meant […]
Believing in Ourselves, at Every Age

by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar One of the opportunities we have when celebrating a young person in our community becoming Bar Mitzvah is to reflect on: what are the core lessons one is tasked with learning when making the transition, when traveling through the passageway, from childhood to adulthood? We all, all Jews, automatically become Bar […]