Lenny Kravitz, that great Afro-Hebraic troubadour of the late 20th century, had it right when he proclaimed to the world, or at least to anyone who would listen, these three crucial words: “Let love rule.”
But the boundaries of love transcend merely that of the romantic or amorous variety. Arguably, there are infinite forms of love — love of country, love of family, love of pets, love of sports, love of technology, etc. The list is endless.
Love is indeed all around us, yet it exceeds how conventional society generally defines that term. In Judaism, we’re taught that the word for love — ahavah — connotes a type of unconditional love for many things, including such sacrosanct concepts as justice, community, education and faith. “Many waters cannot quench love,” extols the Song of Songs (8:7), “neither can the floods drown it.” Powerful stuff.
In the spirit of this widely observed season of love, Jmore asked four local scribes to offer their thoughts and feelings about where their passions lie.
Listen to Lenny. Let love rule.
Books – Beyond Branding, by Emma Snyder
A Love That Feels Natural, by Josh Rosenstein
A Love Transcending Words, by Aliza Friedlander
A Fierce Love, by Melissa Gerr
Looking for Love and Searching for Second Chances, by Aliza Friedlander
Join Melissa Gerr on Jmore’s Weekend Agenda on Facebook Live Feb. 15 at 12:30 p.m. and Emma Snyder on March 8 at 12:30 p.m. at facebook.com/jmoreliving.
A Chestertown resident who grew up in Anne Arundel County, Kyle Marisa Roth was a popular producer of celebrity gossip on TikTok and other platforms.
Pikesville resident Jamie Neumann offers a firsthand account of being in Israel during the recent Iranian attack against the Jewish state.
Former PHS athletic director Dazhon Darien was charged by Baltimore County Police with disrupting school activities, retaliation, stalking and theft.
The gala will be a homecoming for the Pikesville native, who became a bar mitzvah at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation.