Congregation Emanu El

“They saw a beautiful land — and then said, ‘We were like grasshoppers in our own eyes.’” How often do we let one tiny “however” shrink our courage and possibility?

The camp duffel, the packing list, the hug that lasts a little longer than usual: getting ready for camp is its own ritual. What if those chaotic drop-offs are actually sacred moments of sending and being sent?

This is the time of year when parking lots fill with minivans, trunks with duffel bags and pillows, and kids who can barely contain their excitement—and their nerves—as they head off to camp.

Rabbi Pam Silk explores the “grasshopper feeling” of standing at a new threshold — whether it’s sleepaway camp, retirement, an empty nest, or learning to live after loss. What does it mean to meet that moment with a ruach acheret, a “different spirit,” like Caleb and Joshua?

Watch and join us in asking: when we look at the land ahead, can we say, “The land is good, and I am capable of meeting it”?

Pride is a Jewish value.

“When the text comes through that simply says, ‘I landed,’ that’s the symbol of a job well done.” Rabbi Oren Hayon reflects on goodbyes and the holy work of stepping back so the people we love can rise on their own. For parents, teachers, and anyone saying tender goodbyes this season.