Get some of the vital facts about Passover before the holiday starts! Continue reading

Ever heard of the movie "Goyband," featuring Adam Pascal (Rent) as a boyband pop star who'd fallen on hard times and took a job at a Glatt Kosher casino? Neither had we. Continue reading

The High Holidays provide an annual chance for us to examine and correct our behavior as we enter a new year. And for writers, they provide an annual chance to write about every aspect of the holiday. Since I haven't written in this space for a while, I wanted to share some of the pieces I've written about this season: some of them have borne the test of time better... Continue reading

What? No new Crazy Ex-Girlfriend episodes until next season? Time for a retrospective on some of Rachel Bloom's (& CEGF's) best work. Fun facts & links await. Continue reading

Every Purim, my spiritual community, IKAR, takes the opportunity to laugh at everything that they're so serious about during the rest of the year. IKAR is known for having left-leaning positions on a number of issues and for being committed to social justice and equality issues. Members of the Purim shpiel (let's say that translates to "comedy show") committee pitch ideas at a brainstorm meeting and some of those make... Continue reading

I took this photo of Dave Burnett in the Galilee, during Leading Up North, Winter 2006-2007. I don't think he knew that I was photographing him. I don't write here as much as I used to. I have other outlets. I have other commitments. Too many commitments, really. But it's here that I did such formative work, and it's here that some of my favorite pieces - rejected by other... Continue reading

Look! It's my head, and the Obamas, at the White House! (December 9) I was beyond honored to have been invited to the White House on December 9 to celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah (#WHHanukkah) with Jewish movers and shakers from across the country at a party and ceremony hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. (You can read more about the two parties - I was... Continue reading

Back by (no one's) popular demand, it's JFNAGABingo, the unofficial and unsanctioned Jewish Geography-Meets-Scavenger Hunt way to meet new people at the Jewish Federations of North America's annual General Assembly (#JFNAGA) conference. If you're playing in-person in Washington, DC, don't forget to tag your bingo achievements with #JFNAGABingo and #JFNAGA so we can follow along with your conference bingo prowess! Enjoy! Download JFNAGABingo-2015 Related articles Who Do You Know?: #JFNAGA... Continue reading

People ask me a lot of questions. Here are some of the most frequent ones, with some snarky answers. Continue reading

I was honored to have been asked by three spiritual communities in Los Angeles to offer some reflections on my experience saying Kaddish for my mother at a community program on the fast day known as Tish'ah B'Av (the 9th of Av). These are the remarks I delivered (slightly edited for publication). After the death of my mother in May 2011, I said Kaddish every day (more or less) for... Continue reading

It takes a village to find a lost iPhone. Continue reading

Highlights from a Q&A with writer/producer Gideon Raff, the creator of Hatufim (which became Showtime's Homeland), FX's Tyrant and USA's Dig. Continue reading

From FunnyOrDie, via Haggadot.com: http://www.haggadot.com/clip/dayeinu-graph This is the story of a song that everyone seems to know, whether or not they want to. To describe it to you in a sentence would have been enough. But this song isn't known for its subtlety or its brevity. It's known for its repetition, its words that don't quite fit into the tune, it's barely-there-musical-tune reminiscent of the Pac-Man theme, and, of course,... Continue reading

For IKAR's Purim #SHPIEL2015 last night, we gave Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" earworm the Purim treatment. You know, 'cuz Haman's gonna hate, so when we hear his name, baby, we're just gonna shake it off. :) Continue reading

From the minute I saw Katy Perry's outfit during the "Teenage Dream/California Girls" portion of her SuperBowl Halftime Show, I knew I had to do this. (And the dancing sharks were pretty awesome, too.) Continue reading

It's been a week. Ready to flashback to #GoldenGlobes 2015, Storified? Continue reading

Very proud to have been part of the Comedy for a Change conference in Jerusalem in December, as an attendee and also as their manager of social media (and live-Tweeter-in-chief). Check out my blog recap here, part one of the Storify below, and if you're totally connecting to this concept of comedy making a change in the world and MUST HAVE MORE, here are links to Day 2's Storify, as... Continue reading

In 1997, Anita Diamant published The Red Tent, a novel inspired by the Biblical story of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, who – despite inspiring one of the bloodiest chapters in early Biblical history – never speaks a word in the text. Diamant gave her a voice and a context that enthralled many readers, and even enraged a few, showing that her work interpreting biblical characters and context... Continue reading

Heroes & Villains. Saints & Fools. These characters populate literature of all kinds, from contemporary culture extending back to sacred texts and storytelling traditions. On this Sunday, November 16, tune into a special exploration of this subject, in a one-day, round-the-clock, open-to-everyone learning opportunity for everyone, no matter where you are! Don't miss this free chance to engage with Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz and more luminaries of learning. And they'll... Continue reading

Jews have always been involved in the American comedy scene. I won't get into the history, frankly because I don't have that kind of time right now. But this December, a group of writers and content creators/producers are gathering in Jerusalem to talk about Jews, comedy and how the two can come together for social change in a first-of-its-kind conference called "Comedy for a Change." And to celebrate Jews and... Continue reading

I'm not at the GA (#JFNAGA). So I made #JFNAGABingo to help me be there virtually & to help those who are there meet each other. :) #conferencejunkie #coalitionoftheleftbehind Continue reading

I'm not what you might call "a Halloween person." But when I got to college, I realized that I had missed something vital in the secular calendar cycle. Here's the story of my first time trick-or-treating, when I was 18. Continue reading

I've been in L.A. six years, and keep finding notebooks with musings about living here on the West Coast. Here's one short piece for my 6th LAnniversary. Continue reading

Everyone has something they regret. (image via http://techneur.com/post/2315611963/regret-minimization-framework) "It's the season of spiritual inventory and self-reflection. What do you regret? What aching, burning yearning or deep guilt has trailed you for years? Be brave. Reflect & write." And with this writing prompt, IKAR asked members - as they do every year - to reflect on the year gone by, and submit personal stories on a particular theme; these essays and... Continue reading

5775 is a palindrome. So I made some Rosh Hashanah cards, hopefully, for your entertainment. Featuring characters from Girls, Frozen, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The Simpsons. Continue reading