Opinions

Corn stalks stood at attention for harvest, but oddly, they looked as if a blow torch had consumed them, leaving burnt skeletal remains of crops, mile after mile.

It is that time of year again, when we are called to do acts of teshuvah, of repentance and return.

I’m tempted to wrap up the last 12 months of news with a bow and send it on its way, but I will save my news recap for our secular new year’s issue.

We live in such narrow lanes that when serendipity broadens them, we may find we have been given unexpected gifts.

As a child, the thought of Yom Kippur filled me with cold, existential dread. The day itself would find me in tears, certain of my well-deserved doom — like, tomorrow.

I wasn’t expecting to have a mystical encounter while reporting a story about kosher meals in Overland Park, but as I open the door of the Torah Learning Center (TLC) a few days before Passover, I feel the pull of something sacred draw me inside.

My husband and I are blessed to be expecting a child this fall. Yet, when I look at the two children we have, I am filled with fear for our anticipated third.

We’re all familiar with the idea of parents’ responsibility to teach their children. When I hear this, I think about mitzvot, the parsha or Jewish morals and ethics, but modern parenting includes so much more.

If you follow news from the KU Jewish Studies Program, you may have noticed that we have had several changes in directorships in the past few years. This is normal.

How does something so unpretentious as a Simcha Gift bag make such a huge impact?