When I think about any Jewish holiday, all I can think about is cooking – and cooking – and serving and clearing and cooking some more. I’ve been doing this for nearly 40 years.

One kind act can generate incalculable results in the life of another person.

“Quo Vadis?” As I entered my cousin Erika Jacoby’s home, she looked me in the eye and asked me the question: Quo Vadis?

Starting from right where we are, we can radiate acts of chesed, or lovingkindness in our four amos.

So far, I have not dropped the ball. Will they pass the tradition to their children? Time will tell.

But I’ve found three ways to fight back against that feeling and take back the sense that I can make a difference to the world around me.

Fear is here to stay for the foreseeable future. What I need is a way to manage it. 

Every small thing we do because we believe that is what Jewish tradition demands from us is a step toward a more spiritual life.