Happy Valentine’s Day from Moment
Whether you believe that Jews should celebrate Valentine’s Day in February or Tu B’Av in August, there is no question that love, both romantic and platonic, is important in our culture and history. Jewish people continue to connect and to love under the best, and worst, of circumstances.
Ask the Rabbis | What Does Judaism Say About Love?
Love is the gravity that pulls the universe together.
The Jewish expression of love is a triangle: love of self, love of another and love of God.
Read these and other commentaries about the meaning of love in Moment’s flagship column, “Ask the Rabbis,” where rabbis across the denominations discuss age-old questions.
Great Love Stories from the Holocaust
It is easy to find love in a beautiful place. But to find love in the shadow of death is most remarkable. The young Jews who, caught in the Holocaust, held onto life in ghettos, forests, transit camps, slave labor camps and death camps were indeed remarkable. Combining love with mourning, they began to rebuild their lives. Love was a gateway to the future: new lives, new lands, new homes and children.
Why tell these stories now? Each love story—mysterious, deep and forged in pain—has something to teach us. Read these inspiring Holocaust stories of love, courage, grace and spirit here.
Beshert—Destiny and the Jewish Soulmate
What is “beshert?” Where does the word come from, and what does it mean? The term beshert is most often used to designate a soulmate: the one person whom an individual is divinely destined to marry. How does the idea of beshert—or destiny—fit within Jewish philosophy? Explore the meaning of history of the term beshert in the Moment‘s feature “Jewish Word” column.
We’re Asking!
Below is a special selection of our Beshert stories. We hope you enjoy and find meaning and inspiration in them on Valentine’s Day and every day.
Beshert | “Apartners”—After He Buffed the Scratch on Her Car
Kenny and I knew each other for years. I’m a singer, he’s a drummer. In the club date biz, you
Beshert | Hello, Columbus
When I graduated from Brooklyn College and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1960, a Jewish philanthropist named Sam
Beshert | All the Light We Cannot See
It’s been a tough week, generally speaking, to present the idea of beshert as a positive “meant-to-be” experience. Snow. Ice.
Beshert | Boulders and Olive Trees
It is a few months before I meet my beshert. I dream. My child’s father has gotten into my apartment.
Beshert | Sitting in the Nosebleed Section
It was February 1, 1993. I had just finished shooting a video in Israel for a corporate client. I was an
Beshert | A Pandemic Pup with a Name of Her Own
We called her Toots, for about a day. And then I could not look at our wild-haired, chipmunk-size puppy and
Beshert | The Meant-To-Be Coffee Pot
Judi Connery admired her mother’s classic coffee pot painting. In the midst of a pandemic, when she needed it most, the coffee pot found her.
Beshert | When Cats Fly
“Your cat is in business class.” Startled, I looked up from my magazine and regarded the flight attendant. She couldn’t
Beshert | Six Degrees of Aunt Beck
As editor of my college newspaper, the Oberlin Review, part of my job was to ensure that capable underclassmen were
Beshert | Inching Out of a Pandemic
It’s that time of year in Texas when walking down the sidewalk or over a knot of roots or down