My Mom, My Daughter, My Granddaughter, and Me (Vayigash 5776)

The distinct and sometimes parallel paths of my mother’s life and my daughter’s life intersected powerfully this week at a hospital in Santa Monica. 

My mother has lived in Santa Monica for more than 50 years; my daughter and her husband moved there just five months ago. 

At the hospital my mother received challenging and sad news about the return of her cancer. At the same hospital, by sharp contrast, my daughter joyfully delivered her healthy (beautiful!) baby girl. [Mother, father, and daughter are all doing great]

The powerful intersection of two life paths is almost too poignant for words. Yet words are mixing in my mind that have to be shared. One set of words comes from my mother. The other comes from this week’s Torah portion.

Bringing Light to Darkness: #OneCandleForChesed (Chanukah 5776)

During this season when days are short and nights are long - when the darkness of violence and destruction threatens to envelop the light of hope and peace, Chanukah comes as a reminder of our power to bring light into the world.  

The darkness of the last few weeks - killings in Paris, killings on American streets, killings in Israel, killings in San Bernardino - bring darkness threatens to swallow up the light. So much sadness. Too many unanswered questions. It's time to affirm that every life is precious. In that way, we can begin answering questions for which there are no easy answers.