My Daughter’s Unusual Indian Menorah
My 2nd-born child, 19-year-old Hallel, has been traveling around India since September. Right now she’s in West Bengal, participating in a study-program learning how to build an ecologically-sound house out of mud (you can see the participants doing just that, in this photo.) Hallel is one of 4 Israelis there. So, of course, last week, […]
Read MoreMy Pre-Chanukah Gloom
This morning, after a challenging interaction with a family member, I felt so upset. LIke even the things in my family I thought were going well–well, they aren’t. So I decided to cheer myself up (or at least take a breather from crying) with a walk through the forest. Oh, it was so beautiful out […]
Read MoreAlways on Time? Giving Birth at 28 Weeks by Chany Zagury
I was expecting baby number 4. A great pregnancy, going through some personal struggles, but a recent visit to my doctor confirmed that everything was going well. I had just entered my 28th week of pregnancy. That morning I went to work as usual. As soon as I came home, I felt great pain and […]
Read MoreThe Rape of Dina: A Surprising Perspective from Rebbetzin Malki Friedman
This Shabbat, we read the horrible story of the rape of Dina. Why did this have to happen to Dina? Why didn’t Hashem protect her? The Torah doesn’t provide us with the “why”s. But every story in the Torah does provide us with pillars of faith to integrate into our own lives. And the pillar […]
Read MoreBeing a Jewish Mother is Not a Waste of My Time! by Sivan Rahav Meir
Whoever brings children into the world “wastes” his free time. Whoever keeps Shabbat “wastes” one-seventh of the time he can earn (and spend) money. Whoever learns Torah “wastes” time that could be spent learning a practical profession. Opposite this utilitarian perspective, there is a verse in this week’s Torah portion that expresses a completely different […]
Read MoreMourning Jersey-City Victim, 33-Year-Old Leah Mindel Ferentz
My heart this morning is with the families of all the Jersey City victims, among them 33-year-old mother Leah Mindel Ferentz, who co-owned the JC Kosher Supermarket with her husband, Moishe. Before the shooting, Moishe had gone to the shul next door to daven mincha. Moishe’s mother, Victoria, told the New York Times: “After a […]
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