Spiritual Practice

The Perils of Travel (and Food) Snobbery

Posted by ilona fried ⋅ August 26, 2014 ⋅ Leave a comment

Comparison is the thief of joy. – Theodore Roosevelt As a fairly well-traveled person with an educated palate, I once took pride in having sampled authentic cuisine in dozens of places around the world. Too much pride, at times. Having tasted what I thought was “the best” or “the truest”, I couldn’t comprehend how many Americans enjoyed meals that … Continue reading →

Remembering a Holy Maverick: Encounters with Reb Zalman (z”l)

Posted by ilona fried ⋅ August 19, 2014 ⋅ 1 Comment

The world lost one of its luminaries, Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (z”l), in early July. At a moving celebration of his life last weekend, I recalled a few of the more powerful times when my life intersected with this amazing being, with a “heart as big as the world”, if not as large as the cosmos. Grief introduced me to … Continue reading →

Road Trip: My American Camino (Part I)

Posted by ilona fried ⋅ August 9, 2014 ⋅ 1 Comment

Before setting off on my last minute road trip, the voices of fear gave me a lot of flak for not having planned it in advance, or “enough” in advance. Still, days into my trip, demons continued to berate me (“What the hell are you doing?!” they asked), anxiety held me in its death grip, and I was … Continue reading →

Texting to Enlightenment? Spiritual Practice on the Go

Posted by ilona fried ⋅ July 30, 2014 ⋅ Leave a comment

Not to fear, I don’t text while driving, cycling, or walking for that matter. But after getting an iPhone after years of resisting (and recoiling from texting), I began exploring its possibilities. On my road trip, texting comes in handy when visiting friends in different cities and confirming last minute logistics. At times, texting was more reliable than e-mail, when my phone’s wireless … Continue reading →