Gratitude is one of the most important human emotions. As the Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah day nears, it is time to contemplate how to most meaningfully thank those who have been on your Bar/Bat Mitzvah team

Many complain of having difficulty finding deep meaning in the traditional prayer service. Many of us were conditioned to accept that for Jews "praying" is accomplished by simply reciting or chanting all the words, preferably in Hebrew. It is helpful and interesting to note that in the Talmud our ancestors worried that writing down their prayers could lead to just such a deadening rote recitation by subsequent generations.