Yesterday I was in Manhattan and on my way to lunch at a fabulous restaurant, I passed a traffic cop at Broadway and Thirty Fourth Street. Now, I've always thought that of all the jobs a police officer could have, directing traffic was probably the worst. It's not exciting, and if it's bad weather, you're still stuck outside. I had decided that the directing traffic job was given to rookies or those that had somehow 'deserved it' as no one else would want it.

Well, this young police officer was directing traffic like it was the passion of his life! He was having fun with it - saying pleasantries to the people passing by, yelling 'happy... more

My first day of ninth grade, my teacher - a rabbi - walked in to the classroom, sat down, and then did something that I have never seen any other teacher do before or since then. He said the following:

"Write this down."

And then he gave out his home telephone number. "Keep it somewhere safe. If you need me - at anytime - call. Now, tomorrow, or ten years from now. I am here for you now and will be here for you then."

I thought it was a) the coolest thing in the world - what teacher gives out their home phone number and b) the dumbest thing in the world - what... more

Here is one of my favorite stories. It's short and simple, but the message has stayed with me. I know it has been helpful to the mind set of many parents facing the challenge of raising children who may be disabled in some way...

Once, the great Hassidic leader, Zusia, came to his followers. His eyes were red with tears, and his face was pale with fear. "Zusia, what's the matter? You look frightened!"

"The other day, I had a vision. In it, I learned the question that the angels will one day ask me about my life."

The followers were puzzled. "Zusia, you are pious. You are scholarly and humble. You have helped so many of us. What question about your... more

Sandra over at the International blog brought up a really amazing idea. "At the very minimum, every person should plant a tree, have a child and write a book." She says it's of Talmudic origins, though I can't find the direct source. Regardless it is such a simple quote but amazingly multidimensional and evokes very deep thoughts.

I can go in so many different directions on this but I think I'll start with this story that I first heard early in elementary... more

Talking about language and respect for the past two posts brought this famous story to mind. It has been told in many forms, and I didn't seem to have a copy of it in my house. Browsing the internet, I found it on the Union for Reform Judaim's site, but it is also a great story available for children in book form called "Yettele's Feathers", by Joan Rothenberg. It goes like this...

There's... more