Spiritual Odysseys

Organic Radiation

by Hannah Kafree

Fighting cancer with a combination of sprouts, prayer and traditional medicine.

Jewish Life on an Aircraft Carrier

by John David Shelton

A Southern Baptist, en route to conversion, talks about God and life in the U.S. Navy.

Coma

by Judy Doobov

The doctors told me my grandmother was essentially dead. But she seemed too feisty to just disappear into a coma. My instincts told me: Talk to her!

Protection in Tahoe

by Brynn Olenberg Sugarman

A surrealistic car crash triggers an uncanny string of events.

Suffering and Consolation: A Father's Perspective

by Rabbi Asher Resnick

My daughter's battle with leukemia taught me how to find consolation even in the midst of terrible pain.

Serenity Lost and Found

by Rabbi Pinchas Winston

Early morning in a birthing hospital, amid the joyous sound of a baby's first cry, my wife gave birth to silence.

My History, Validated

by Yudit Brown

Something big had happened that I didn't want to know about. My history had shoved itself into my face, and I couldn't make it disappear.

Meeting God at Harvard

by Bracha Goetz

How did I get to be here at this exclusive WASPy garden party among the Kennedys and the Rockefellers? Then the answer hit me: by running away.

Dear Mr. President

by Yudit Brown

Sometimes great people do write back.

Not So Small Miracles

by Sara Yoheved Rigler

God is always communicating with us. Sometimes it takes a miracle for us to get the message.

Lights At The End Of The Tunnel

by Dr. Lisa Aiken

My personal struggles with infertility.

Victories of the Heart

by Marion Levy

A memoir of my mother's hardest battles.

Search and Recovery

by Kate Axelrod

A mother, whose son perished in the Twin Towers, searches for elusive "closure."

Football Victory: A Yom Kippur Story

by Sara Yoheved Rigler

Not all wins take place on the playing field.

9/11: One Year Later

by Jack Alvo

How life has changed for one World Trade Center survivor.

My Thirst for Spirituality

by Chana Gila Davis

My return to Judaism and the many detours along the way.

The Yo-Yo In the Window

by Ross Hirschmann

When I was 20, I spent my junior year in college in France to run away from Judaism. But God had other plans for me.

Father Dear

by Jacob Stewart

A story about abandonment and the deep bonds of love.

Saying Goodbye to Ruchama Rivka: A Father's Eulogy

by Rabbi Asher Resnick

After a 12-year bout with leukemia, a teenager's parents say goodbye.

The Perfect Storm

by Yaacov Deyo

God sent a letter and used half the Mediterranean as stationery.

Growth Through Rules

by Louis Renaldo

From reductionism to Judaism: A convert describes his path to Jewish observance and spiritual fulfillment.

Arriving At Sinai

by Sara Yoheved Rigler

One woman's search for her life's compass.

Choosing Life

by Miriam Luxenberg

Despite doctors' dire warnings of a problematic pregnancy, a couple decides to go full term.

Smuggling Out Of Hell

by Tova Lebovits

Through ingenuity and chutzpah, one man saved lives in the Holocaust. His daughter tells how.

The Terrorist and the Builder

by Sara Yoheved Rigler

How to feel good amidst catastrophe.

Daredevil on the Bridge

by Rabbi Shraga Simmons

Clarity sometimes comes when you least expect it.

For Myself, A New History

by Jenna Ziman

A recent convert to Judaism describes her spiritual odyssey.

In the Light of the Bereaved

by Steven Feuerstein

Seth and Sherri Mandell's remarkable mission to Asia brought a profound message of peace and hope amidst the darkness.

Pulling the Plug

by Miriam Luxenberg

When our baby went into a coma, the moral dilemma began.

Taharah: A Personal Look at the Jewish Way of Death and Burial

by Varda Branfman

The mysteries of life and death provide one woman an unusual gateway into the meaning and beauty of traditional Judaism.

Looking for God

by Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt

God is intimately involved in all that happens in our lives. And if what happens is cancer, then not only does He know about it, He makes it happen.

Fooling Ourselves

by Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller

One man's story of the self-deception and honesty that clashes inside all of us.

Cancer's Surprising Gift

by Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt

When my wife was diagnosed with cancer, something odd happened. Her anger at God went away.

Lessons From Elana

by Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt

An Aish UK rabbi, whose wife passed away some weeks ago, shares some profound lessons he has learned.

Heroes: A True Story

by Sara Yoheved Rigler

God becomes believable when life becomes unbelievable. *

Reality Knocks

by Ross Hirschmann

By volunteering one hour to help others, we may encounter some deep surprises about ourselves and the world.

The Day My Brother Died

by Deborah

Ten years after her brother was killed in an auto accident, a young woman reflects back on what she learned.

The Power of Pickled Tomatoes

by R. M. Grossblatt

A great sage and leader of American Jewry teaches a lesson about small acts of caring.

Shai's Big Hit

by Jonathan Rosenblum

There are special moments in life when we touch God's perfection. Here's one of them.

When Walls Speak

by Rivka DeLay

A recent convert to Judaism discovers that spirituality is embedded not only in souls, but also in the bricks of a wall.

Changing The World

by Emuna Braverman

By way of feminism, socialism and idealism, a small Jewish spark turns into a passionate flame.

Shwarma: A Love Story

by Rabbi Tzvi Gluckin

Sometimes a person needs to meditate and think about things. Most of the time he just needs to eat something greasy.

Buddhism, Judaism, and The Great Cheerio Fiasco

by Sara Yoheved Rigler

Many Jews turn to Buddhism to rise to spiritual heights. Judaism says, "Take the whole world up with you."

Of Angels And Poinsettias

by Sara Yoheved Rigler

Angels can be created by human beings. My father taught me how.

Breaking the Comfort Barrier

by Sara Yoheved Rigler

Forget the holiday hike. A real spiritual path is steep and challenging.

Holy Fire

by Sara Yoheved Rigler

When Esh Kodesh was a boy, he wished his kindergarten teacher: "May they not kill you. May you not die young." Last month, he died at age 25, gunned down by an Arab terrorist.

Alice's Cake

by Sara Yoheved Rigler

Israel is traumatized when a terrorist bomb maims three children, but one woman is catapulted to a new level of gratitude.

Lieberman's Connecticut Wasn't My Connecticut

by Sarah Shapiro

I was a Jewish kid who didn't know what it meant to be Jewish, who was painfully, earnestly trying to fit in by concealing the Jewishness I knew nothing about.