Instinctively the human being is "self oriented" and looks out for self pleasure and gain. However, a person has the choice to go beyond self and be "other oriented," when we do so we feel the sensitivities and needs of others.

Soon, I will be landing in Kuala Lumpur and settling into my hotel room to observe the holiest of Jewish days while amongst the Islamic people. I am looking forward to the adventure.

When technology helps us be present and connect to others, it's a wonderful tool. But we also must be mindful of when we're using technology simply for its own sake and evaluate whether it is standing in the way of deeper connections.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is celebrated in 2012 from sundown on Sept. 16 to nightfall on Sept. 18. The Hebrew date for Rosh Hashanah is 1 Ti...

(RNS) For thousands of years Jews have been commanded to blow the shofar, the horn of an animal, whose sound is said to rouse the soul. Shofar blow...

May the sounds of the Shofar awaken us out of our slumber and lead us to this higher calling of unity, to self-forgiveness, and to our duties to all humankind, to the meaning of life, and toward the knowledge that we are all inextricably bound together in unity.

Like Judaism, it seems to me that classical music is another system that allows us to approach and praise God; perhaps it is one of the most important pathways to God.

Next week begins the Jewish High Holidays, a month of feasting and fasting, of repenting and rejoicing -- like every other time of the Jewish year. Except that the High Holidays are actually a time of radical newness.

Only when we do good together, and see ourselves doing it, will we have hope. God needs us to do this. So does the world.

As you reflect on why your dreams have not been realized, how will your frustrations and disappointments impact you moving forward in the New Year?

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and a time for reflecting on the past year while opening wide for the sweetness of the year to come. I'll cook for the Jewish holidays and offer the recipes to you.

The mere fact that bee honey is kosher is itself odd. After all, it is a product of the non-kosher bee. How can a product of a non-kosher animal be kosher?

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is celebrated in 2011 from sundown on Sept. 28 to nightfall on Sept. 30. The Hebrew date for Rosh Hashanah is 1 Ti...

From the 10th anniversary of 9/11, to the beginning of the Jewish year of 5772, to the ways we observe birthdays and anniversaries, there are some moments that call for ritualized recognition.

The mikveh feels a little like the womb. But you can't stay under long, no matter how lovely the sound and sensation of your splashing heart. You have to get out of the water, where the rest of this life is waiting to begin.

Memo to peacemakers in Washington, Jerusalem and Ramallah: Embrace those who link to a common humanity. Among them, you may be able to hammer out a negotiated agreement. All others will reap the whirlwind.