By Rabbi Nicole Guzik on
August 21, 2020
In a rare escape from our home, my husband and I were driving through West Los Angeles, admiring the sunset and looming palm trees. Something compelled me to ask him, “What’s one of your dreams?” And I qualified the question, “Something you haven’t shared with me before. What’s something you want to do in your lifetime?” With a moment’s hesitation, he looked at me and said, “One day, I want us to live in Jerusalem. For a month, for a summer, but live in an apartment and share Jerusalem with our children.” We have always pined to go on an…
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By Rabbi Nicole Guzik on
August 14, 2020
Five months ago, I never would have imagined celebrating a birthday during a pandemic. Five months ago, I never would have imagined planning for Rosh Hashanah, the birthday of the world in the midst of quarantine. Five months ago, I never would have imagined wishing summer away so that the semblance of school brings back routine to my family’s life. And yet, this newly minted 39-year-old has some fresh realizations, that perhaps, five months ago, I wouldn’t have been able to articulate as well: No other gifts are necessary or come close to the joy of receiving three handmade cards…
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By Rabbi Nicole Guzik on
August 7, 2020
On Sunday, my brother and now sister in law got married. The wedding had been postponed from May and the bride and groom decided not to let any more time go by to celebrate their love. If you had asked the couple six months ago to describe their dream wedding, I’m sure masks, an extremely limited guest list, no reception, no hugging, social distanced seats, and a backyard location would be far from the listed details. And yet, if you asked them to convey the emotion and meaning of the day, there would be no difference in description. Their wedding…
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By Rabbi Nicole Guzik on
July 31, 2020
We’ve recently moved. Our family feels blessed that our children will create memories in this beautiful home. The kids have claimed their spaces, started decorating their rooms, and seem to forget they lived anywhere else. Our home has become more than a dependable place. My husband and I breathe a sigh of relief when we walk through the door. As if the confusion and horrors of the outside can’t possibly penetrate our inner sanctum. The mental game we play with ourselves is perhaps one many of us choose to enter: if we just close the curtains and turn off the…
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By Rabbi Nicole Guzik on
July 24, 2020
My son has a custom of wearing his swim goggles in the bathtub. He figures if the goggles keep out the water in the pool, they must keep out the soap in the tub. Somehow, no matter how hard we try to protect his eyes, a few bubbles always seep through. With the recent information in Los Angeles about online schooling and continued rise of Covid cases, it is difficult shielding our children from the onslaught of news. My husband and I carefully determine when and where we will speak about world events, but our children have questions, curiosities, and…
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By Rabbi Nicole Guzik on
July 17, 2020
I am going to take the liberty of my Bisl Torah space to write about terms that are being thrown around in an unfortunate way: “opting out” or “taking a break”. In choosing whether or not to belong to a synagogue or support nonprofit institutions, many are deciding to take a “year off” and consider rejoining the following year. Jewish professionals across the world are reaching out to colleagues and peers, understanding that if enough people decide to opt out, the Jewish world that once was, will never look the same. The Jewish world that once was, will not have…
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By Rabbi Nicole Guzik on
July 10, 2020
The world is heightened with emotion. When someone sneers or complains, it can feel like a snag at the soul. When someone smiles or offers a kind word, the gesture extends far beyond that moment. With the onset of the pandemic, like many of you, my online ordering has hit an all-time high. Groceries, household supplies, activities for the kids…Amazon is pretty much my only visitor these days. I was surprised to see that on one of the boxes, the Amazon delivery man left a sweet message: “Happy Independence Weekend, Be Happy, Sincerely, Your Delivery Driver, Edgar!” Could very well…
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By Rabbi Nicole Guzik on
July 3, 2020
What kind of name do you hope to gain in this world? Are you known as a leader, thinker, doer, source of compassion, gossiper, kvetcher, change maker, well of goodness or blessing? The Midrash tells us that when God desired to create the first human being, God consulted the angels. God asked, “Shall we make human beings?” They responded, “What will they be like?” God said, “Well, their wisdom will be greater than yours.” How did God prove it? God assembled all of the animals and asked the angels to name them. The angels were perplexed. But the first human,…
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By Rabbi Nicole Guzik on
June 26, 2020
When we were kids, my siblings and I created a time capsule. We put in pictures of ourselves, favorite phrases and sayings of 1989, magazines and newspapers, and a list of the books we enjoyed reading. And we included letters to ourselves, declaring what we wanted to be when we grew up and grand plans for the future. Who knows exactly where that time capsule is now…I am not sure if it even matters. It feels special looking back, remembering what felt important to freeze in time, wondering what our 30 something year old selves would say to their childlike…
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By Rabbi Nicole Guzik on
June 19, 2020
Our family decided to plant a garden. For those that know me, I am not a gardener. I enjoy purchasing roses of different colors and displaying the beauty on our Shabbat dinner table. But as we determined ways to spend our time at home, gardening seemed like a way to distract our minds from the confusion and chaos of the outside world. Some sunflower seeds. A ton of soil. Water each day and a bunch of sunlight. Each day, my family walks by our little patch and remarks on the status of the seedlings. Sometimes, the greenery seems wilted, other…
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