Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been a worrywart. I would often redo my homework in a bid for perfection, and I’d repeatedly study for tests. (Although this resulted in reasonably good grades, it was no help when it came to getting a decent score on the math SAT.) Excessive worrying followed me into adulthood – which is why I started going gray in my 20s. And with that kind of a track record, it’s easy to imagine how being in the midst of a pandemic has intensified my worrying. more

As we head into a summer without many of our favorite activities and events, it might seem a strange time to count our blessings – but it’s worth doing as we strive to maintain a sense of … more

So much has changed since I wrote my first column on the coronavirus pandemic, in mid-March. Back then, we were neophytes at this social-distancing stuff, and we were naively hopeful that this would … more

As I write this in mid-March, uncertainty abounds over the coronavirus pandemic, but one thing is certain: No matter how long the outbreak and its fallout last, it has already hurt the quality of … more

AS I WRITE THIS in mid-March, uncertainty abounds over the coronavirus pandemic, but one thing is certain: No matter how long the outbreak and its fallout last, it has already hurt the quality of our lives, and has made us care more deeply about activities that we otherwise take for granted. Even though most Americans realize it’s a serious situation, it’s hard to accept the severe restrictions imposed on our personal lives because of the virus, especially since past pandemics, including the H1N1 swine flu in 2009-10, never reached this level. For instance, in those other outbreaks, people weren’t thrown out of work, closed off from their schools and houses of worship, or told that they couldn’t patronize bars and restaurants. Not since 9/11 has American life changed so dramatically and so rapidly. more

Purim, which this year will be celebrated on March 10, with the megillah reading the evening before, is a festive holiday. But underneath its celebratory aspects lurks an egregious example of … more

“The days of our years are three score and 10.” – Psalm 90, verse 10 Between the reflection that usually accompanies the turning of the page to a new year and the nonstop … more

While the Jewish New Year often sets us on a soul-searching mission to become more spiritual and to improve our relationships with others, as well as with God, the turn of the secular calendar to … more

Hanukkah and Christmas overlap this year, with the first night of Hanukkah falling on Sunday, Dec. 22, two days before Christmas Eve. This proximity will bring more attention to the Jewish … more

Twenty years ago this month, my wife and I were getting ready to celebrate what we believed would be a particularly meaningful Thanksgiving, because it would be the first since our then-only daughter Arianna became a naturalized American citizen, at age 3. more