Reading Time: 5 minutes One of the advantages of practicing optometry in downtown Berkeley, California was the opportunity to meet people from every conceivable place on the spectrum of humanity. One moment I could be chatting with a Pulitzer Prize winner and an hour later I’d be airing out the exam room after working with a homeless street person. […]
Reading Time: < 1 minute Catherine deCuir and I will be reading excerpts from our book, “The Rabbi Finds Her Way,” this SUNDAY, July 21 at 3 p.m. at Afikomen Judaica, 3042 Claremont Ave., Berkeley. Hope to see you there! #therabbifindsherway #afikomenjudaica
Reading Time: < 1 minute Choral Director Rita Lilly (right) led the Lafayette Christian Church choir this morning in a wonderfully sensitive performance of my composition, “Sh’ma Koleinu” (Hear Our Voice). I was honored to be present for the service as Pastor Steve Borgard spoke of the tragic shooting in Pittsburgh, and Rabbi Jay Asher LeVine from Temple Isaiah delivered […]
Reading Time: < 1 minute This morning I looked at lifehacker.com as I do most mornings, and found a video episode of “How I Work,” which I particularly enjoyed. Scott Wiener operates scottspizzatours.com in NYC, and began his video with a reminiscence of how, as a boy, he’d bought his first lunch, a slice of pizza and a Coke, for […]
Reading Time: < 1 minute I want to thank my friends, old and new, for your caring support, for cheering me on, for your thoughtful comments, and for continuing to worry about me during the 170 days of my journey. This includes my friends and relatives, and classmates from Wantagh High School, Boston University, UC Berkeley, and CSU East Bay, […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes Life is indeed different in First Class. Roger and I ate an early breakfast and we were out of the house at 7 am. He and his family own real estate developments and properties in New Jersey, and we visited them on the way to Newark airport, all the while trading stories. There’s something special […]
Reading Time: < 1 minute All day I thought about the strange emptiness I’m feeling. Some possible reasons: I no longer have to wonder where I’ll be sleeping tonight. (In a motel? A pasture? Behind a mound of asphalt? In someone’s backyard?) I don’t have to worry about drinking water, and certainly don’t have to carry a gallon in my […]
Reading Time: < 1 minute As promised, Roger picked me up at 7:30 am, and we headed off to IHOP for Swedish pancakes. Then we drove to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. I walked the last few miles into the iconic beach town and down to the boardwalk, where I took off my shoes and socks, waded in, and… Poof! My journey […]
Reading Time: < 1 minute My attempt to attend Shabbat services at a local congregation this morning fizzled when I discovered too late that their online schedule was inaccurate. So instead I walked five miles through “Old Salisbury” and beyond, had an early lunch, and checked into the motel where I’ll be spending my final night in Maryland. Tomorrow morning I’m […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes Rain. Wind. Gray skies. I’ve seen worse of each, but I am near the end. This morning’s meal was epic. I counted eight varieties of fresh fruit, and five different vegetables accompanied my eggs and English muffins. I complimented Elise on the striking color contrasts in the food presentation, but she waved it off, alluding […]