When my family gathered for the Passover Seder in 1998, I didn’t know it would be the last time I’d see my younger brother Gary alive. Fifty-one days later on the second day of the Jewish holiday Shavuot, I received a phone call at four in the morning telling me that he had died suddenly … Read more
[Image: Jacob Buksbaum’s painting of his mother, Sara, who survived Nazi work camps during the Holocaust.) Today, Holocaust Memorial Day, marks the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp 77 years ago. The following story is about my husband Jacob’s parents, who were forced into work camps during the Holocaust. This close connection serves as a reminder … Read more
Chanukah always falls during the darkest time of the year when the days are shorter. That’s why it’s so inspiring to light ascending candles for eight nights to bring hope and illumination into our homes and into the world. Sometimes a few simple words can create an enormous gateway for healing and transformation. Often, we … Read more