I grew up in a Latin household in which food was central to our home. No celebration was ever held without mass quantities of food and competitions with all of the aunts vying to be the best cook. So, as I began my journey into Messianic Judaism, I was surprised there was a holiday (Yom … Continue reading The Desperate Ones by Diana Levine
L’Shanah Tovah – To a good year! We dip the apples in honey and we wish and pray for a sweet year. A new year - perhaps a time of new beginnings...sounds good, no? But sometimes new beginnings mean something will need to change. The idea of new may be exciting and even thrilling. But … Continue reading L’Shanah Tovah – To a good year! by Hope Chernoff-Edelstein
This blog post will be different from others you’ve read on Neshama Women because it’s me you’re getting. I lean far more to a practical faith and I’m not an incredibly spiritual or even vaguely pious woman; I’m just sometimes funny. But I want to tell you a story. It has a beginning, but so … Continue reading It Started With a Brisket by Melissa Moskowitz
It starts slowly, the melody that always breaks my heart, the one that draws me deeper into a whirlpool from which I do not wish to break free, the one that brings me to the Heart of my Father, my King. The cycle follows: guilt, repentance, forgiveness, mercy, freedom. The Avinu Malkeinu, recited on Rosh … Continue reading We Have Nothing To Offer Except Ourselves by Jamie Eaton
Every year there is a distinct period of time when I realize the High Holy Days are approaching. Why? Because spiritual warfare begins ferociously. Whether it is personal issues being brought to the surface, kids getting sick, work problems, synagogue craziness or all of the above...the heavenly storms begin to brew. It is no wonder … Continue reading Psalm 27: Waiting on the Lord by Brooke Manolis
You’re invited… To the month of Elul… Let me describe the party before you accept the invitation. It includes praying, looking at all that you have done wrong (and normally remembering what has been done to you), asking for forgiveness, and fasting eventually. Sound like your kind of party? Then Elul is for you! Actually, … Continue reading Embracing Elul by Heather Rosenberg
