According to the 2025 Compassion Report from Sanford’s School of Medicine, only 1 in 3 Americans feel compassion for all groups of...
Dazed and Confused
I’m left dazed and confused by the responses of friends and family members who say, in spite of their reservations about Biden’s support for Israel’s unrelenting attack on Gaza, they will vote for him to stop Trump, insisting Trump will obliterate our democracy. Let’s take a close look at the anemic democracy Biden supporters are defending. [...]
Pat Taub
My Picks for Summer Reads
It’s that time of the year again when I share my selections for summer reading. Seeking to combat the stress from daily life dominated by wars, global warming and economic hardships, I’ve selected books that offer an escape into worlds that will make you laugh, be deeply moved, and think in new ways. Most of my choices are short story [...]
Pat Taub
What I Hold
This past weekend I hunkered down with treasured artist Maira Kalman’s latest book, Women Holding Things, a collection of playful drawings of women holding things accompanied by Kalman’s witty commentary. This delightful book prompted me to make a list of some of the things I hold along with those that will free me up if I stop holding [...]
Pat Taub
The Sounds of Silence
GUEST POST by MARY DUNN “… Silence like a cancer grows Hear my words that I might teach you Take my arms that I might reach you But my words like silent raindrops fell And echoed in the wells of silence….” The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel These lyrics are known to many of us. A much-loved song that makes me [...]
Pat Taub
Debunking “Age Is Only A Number”
Birthday milestones are celebrated with fanfare until one reaches middle age and beyond when getting old carries a downside. A baby’s first birthday is a time when infancy moves into small personhood. Becoming a teen at 13 is seen as a beginning entry into adulthood. Other rites of passage are: obtaining a driver’s license at 16; earning [...]
Pat Taub
Talking to Penny Rosenwasser, Jewish Voice for Peace Activist
Initially my plan in interviewing Penny Rosenwasser, a founding board member of Jewish Voice for Peace, was to highlight the work of JVP. But I got more than I bargained for. Not only did I end up with a detailed understanding of JVP, but I received a courageous story of how an insecure young Jewish girl became a national and international [...]
Pat Taub
Mother’s Day and the Duty to Protect
GUEST POST by JANET WEIL “The Gaza Strip is once again the most dangerous place in the world to be a child.” –UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell “It’s the mother in me,” mused Emory University Professor of Philosophy Noëlle McAfee, as she was interviewed on campus about why she witnessed and then tried to peacefully intervene, [...]
Pat Taub
The New Anti-War Elder Activists
Protests against the genocide in Gaza have become intergenerational on an unprecedented scale. When I marched against the war in Vietnam, a grey-haired protester was a rare sighting. Many elders at the time shared the view of my then 70-something neighbor who commented, “I’ve done my part. It’s up to the younger generation now.” [...]
Pat Taub
Thinking About Death
While I’m an elder, I hadn’t given a lot of thought to dying, that is until my brother, who’s 20 months younger, announced in a recent late-night phone call that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. (To preserve my brother’s privacy, I’ll refer to him as “G.”) G calmly described his intentions not to live in an advanced [...]
Pat Taub
Say These Five Words
GUEST POST by MICHAEL STEINMAN Imagine you’ve had a visible medical scare: a dermatologist has carved a chunk out of your forehead, or perhaps you are using crutches. But you have a lunch date with your best friend, and as you approach their table, they ask, politely horrified, “What happened to you?” You get three sentences [...]
Pat Taub