With an Adopted Ethiopian Daughter in the Kitchen

9 years ago, I took a parenting class with Rabbanit Talia Helfer. I loved that class. It totally made me into the mom I am today.

But what I loved most about Rabbanit Talia’s classes was how she told us so many unforgettable stories about parenting her own children. And the story that filled me with the most longing, I think, was when she told us about the atmosphere in her kitchen before major holidays. The music playing, the laughter, the air thick with camaraderie and excitement over the fun mother-daughter togetherness and the approaching holiday.

This article by JewishMOM Ilie Ruby about working in the kitchen with her adopted Ethiopian daughter reminded me of Rabbanit Talia’s pre-holiday kitchen. Ilie Ruby writes, “I wonder if feelings of home…are created through work that is done to take care of a family, shared by a mother with her daughter, together, again and again, side by side.”