Articles written by Dasee Berkowitz
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At Chanukah, how do we kindle the lights within ourselves?
JERUSALEM (JTA)-There is nothing cuter than my 5-year old daughter coming home from kindergarten with an overly decorated menorah in hand singing "Ner li Ner li, ner li dakik," the Israeli version of...
Marking the passage from slavery to freedom
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Transitions are never easy. You decide to leave one place that is known to you for some unfamiliar territory. You don’t feel quite like yourself (and probably won’t for a while). You try to act like everything is fine even thoug...
What the shmita year can teach us about Chanukah
ERUSALEM (JTA)—When the Maccabees climbed the stairs of the Temple in Jerusalem, they lit the menorah with the knowledge that there was only enough oil to last for one day. Only a miracle could turn oil into a renewable resource. And the future of t...
Considering 'Next year in Jerusalem'
NEW YORK (JTA)—On a recent trip to Jerusalem, my son decided that his favorite color was gold. Whenever he’s asked why, he replies with a wry smile befitting a 5-year-old. “Jerusalem is the city of gold, of course,” he says. When we told him our fam...
At Thanksgivukkah, celebrate uniqueness of the separate holidays
NEW YORK (JTA)-Some folks are taking the rare confluence this year of Thanksgiving and Chanukah to heart, renaming it Thanksgivukkah, redesigning their menus for the occasion (latkes topped with...
What children can teach us at Rosh Hashanah
NEW YORK (JTA)—A deep spiritual life is hard to find. While opportunities abound for spiritual connections (yoga, meditation, retreats and the like), for most of us it doesn’t come easy. The noi...
In experiencing real freedom, the importance of boundaries
NEW YORK (JTA)—We have a love-hate relationship with boundaries. We hate being confined or told what to do. Many adults don’t like having a boss, and many schoolchildren get annoyed when the answer is “no.” Boundaries limit our individ...
A Purim directive: Laugh it up!
NEW YORK (JTA)—Little kids will laugh at anything. The simplest knock-knock joke or a tickle fest—even the threat of one—can so easily end in hysterics. They laugh because they are surprised by somet...
