Why the Soldier’s Face was Shining all Succot as told by Rabbi Fischel Schachter
When I heard this, it brought tears to my eyes cause it filled me with such yearning for the intensity of joy when I sit in my own Succah that that Czarist soldier felt so many years ago. It also makes me wonder about the experiences of my own great-great grandfather, Matvei, who was a […]
Read MoreMy Challenging-Daughter Teshuva
I have a child who manages to press my buttons more than any other person in the universe (maybe because the things about her that bother me are the same things that make me cringe when I think of myself at her age…). So this week, in preparation for Yom Kippur, I did the 4 […]
Read MoreThe Druse Man Who Discovered He’s Jewish this Rosh Hashana
My daughter’s fateful encounter this Rosh Hashana at the ancient synagogue of Pekiin.
Read MoreBuying PJs for My Soldier-to-Be
Yesterday afternoon my daughter made a party in the yard with some friends in honor of her enlistment into the IDF today, while I sat at the kitchen table furiously labeling markers and pencils “with Yoni W. 1st Grade” as if my life depended it. My tension level was more suited to a surgeon clamping […]
Read MoreMy Big Boy’s 1st Day at Yeshiva
My oldest son, 14-year-old Yoel, started yeshiva today. It’s a great yeshiva and I was thrilled when he got accepted. It felt like a dream come true. But several hours after leaving Yoel off there (we won’t be seeing him again for 10 whole days!) I am feeling a mixture of numb and blue. Dull […]
Read More