From the Executive Editor

In My Own Words: Culture shock

By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

I couldn’t believe it. That one sentence completely overthrew what I’d known as a fact since childhood. What could have caused such culture shock? It was a simple statement in the latest issue of the AARP’s magazine. I was skimming an article about dentistry …

In My Own Words: Divide and conquer

By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

“We need to grab our piece of the pie.” That worldview suggests that there are limited resources and, if someone else gets a piece of that pie, there will be less for us. It also means that we are always in competition for every resource, and therefore we shoul…

In My Own Words: My continuing journey with a CI

By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

If I ever doubted I had a computer attached to my skull, the letter I received in June 2021 made it clear. Cochlear, the company that makes my cochlear implant, sent a letter to everyone who used a particular version of one of its CIs that it was no longer going to…

In My Own Words: Freedom to, freedom from

By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of gr…

In My Own Words: American history

By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

When I was in college during the 1970s, a non-Jewish friend worked as an intern for a non-profit organization in Washington, DC. During one of my visits, we decided to do some sightseeing. Since it wasn’t far from where she worked, we went to the offices of B’na…