by Elliott Rabin | Oct 27, 2017 | Uncategorized
A recent report on NPR compared the results of two methods to try to increase memory. Both methods, ironically, were based on games using computer technology, which is surely responsible for a decrease in memory. While the researchers found that one was significantly...
by Elliott Rabin | Oct 10, 2017 | Uncategorized
Yom Kippur I have come to find an increasingly uplifting experience. The melodies and singing in my synagogue lift me like eagle’s wings. I look forward each year to exploring the piyyutim and various sections of the liturgy in greater depth; and for those...
by Elliott Rabin | Sep 19, 2017 | Uncategorized
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the holidays of literary tropes. We invoke blessings for the new year by eating symbolic foods (simanim) associated with good outcomes through qualities of the food (sweetness, seeds) or wordplay: After eating LEEK or CABBAGE, say:...
by Elliott Rabin | Apr 7, 2017 | HaYidion
In his classic study The Hero with a Thousand Faces from the mid-20th Century, Joseph Campbell describes patterns of behavior and character that are found among heroes of all cultures around the world. Here is his summary of the “monomyth,” the universal...
by Elliott Rabin | Mar 24, 2017 | Uncategorized
In the famous incident in which Jacob wrestles with an angel, Jacob emerges with a limp. Among the ways that this incident is often interpreted, one popular way is to see Jacob as wrestling with himself. Jacob is a character with some troubling characteristics, who...
by Elliott Rabin | Mar 13, 2017 | Uncategorized
Since this is my first blog post for Prizmah, I’ll take this opportunity to introduce myself, in a different way than if I met you in an elevator or at our conference. I’ll give you a little sense of the person behind these words. For as long as I can remember...
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