Read an excerpt of Dignity Beyond Death: The Jewish Preparation for Burial by Rochel U. Berman. More →

August 13, 2004

Buddhist meditation techniques are widely popular, and one such method is called Shambhala meditation, a simplified version of Tibetan practice. Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, author and meditation leader, told a group of beginners to relax, note their breathing, set aside their thoughts, and just be — quietly — who they are. More →

April 30, 2004

The Jewish tradition of tahara, the washing and purifying of a dead body, is considered one of the greatest of all good deeds — mitzvot. Those who perform taharas are volunteer members of the burial society, chevra kadisha. Women attend to deceased women, men to men. More →

February 6, 2004

“Repentance, prayer, and charity are the hallmark[s] of this season,” says Rabbi Gary Bretton-Granatoor, “We search our souls and then we pour out our souls to God, saying, ‘God help us, give us the strength to be the kind of people that we want to be.'” More →

September 13, 2002

Part four of a five-part series: According to the Gallup organization, between 1984 and 1998 there was a phenomenal jump in the number of people who said they felt a need for greater spiritual growth — from 56 percent to 82 percent, in just 14 years. Part five looks at the many Americans, both religious and nonreligious, who have turned to alternative practices to facilitate this spiritual growth. More →

May 17, 2002

For Tibetan Buddhists, the new year is celebrated with dancing, and R & E sat in as members of the Drepung Loseling Monastery in Washington, D.C. performed. Our guide was Geshe Lobsang Tenzin, who spoke of the power of negative and positive energy, and about the legends associated with snow lions and the Black Hat Masters. More →

February 8, 2002

During the weeklong Jewish holiday of Sukkot, many Jews build lean-tos, open to the elements, called “sukkahs,” to recall the way their ancestors lived for 40 years in the desert after their escape from slavery in Egypt. More →

October 5, 2001

“Rather than to try to change God, prayer should change us, should make us better human beings. That is the ultimate purpose of prayer,” says Cantor Abraham Lubin of Congregation Beth El in Bethesda, Maryland. We spoke with him as he prepared for the high holidays. More →

September 21, 2001

MARY ALICE WILLIAMS: Buddhism is the world’s fourth largest religion, founded about 2500 years ago in India. The Buddha taught that life is suffering and the way to overcome that is to get rid of attachments. Widely practiced across Asia, … More →

July 6, 2001

While a Bris, or circumcision ritual, has been the traditional way for Jews to welcome baby boys into the covenant, many families are now creating rituals to welcome their baby daughters. More →

June 22, 2001