Our Voices

I’ve been thinking about the word joy a lot lately. What does it actually mean? I guess it’s closely related to the word happiness. But it’s not exactly the same. When I was a Senior in high school I was asked to consider what my goal was in life (I think it was part of starting to look for a college). I remember that I answered that my goal was “to be happy.” That’s all I could think of even though I was expected to come up with...Read more...

Every few years, my mom and I take a trip to Disneyland. Just the two of us, two grown adults, wandering through the park, eating spicy pickles, soaking in the nostalgia of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and basking in the childlike joy of spotting Mickey, Minnie, and...Read more...

In an age of global conflict and instantaneous reaction, few topics provoke as much passion and discomfort as discussions about Israel. Whether in classrooms, workplaces, or on social media, conversations about the Israeli state often become minefields —...Read more...

In 2023 and 2024, a team of attorneys from Peninsula Temple Sholom undertook three cases for Afghan refugees, petitioning for permanent refugee asylum in collaboration with the pro bono legal arm of Jewish Family & Children's Services East Bay ("JFCS-EB"). In total, we represented six...Read more...

Almost every evening, I’m greeted by a familiar and welcome sound—my husband Dan whistling as he walks through the front door. I love the way he enters the house, upbeat, and smiling, no matter what kind of day he’s had. I think his whistling reflects his ability to find his...Read more...