Selflessness vs. Selfness
Recently I posted several poems by poetess Sorah Rosenblatt who passed away earlier this year, and was so happy to see many of you loved these poems too. This past Shabbat we were staying at a Jewish hostel with a large library, and I was so excited to discover Sorah Rosenblatt’s out-of-print collection of poems […]
Read MoreWhy I Lied to the Teacher
When I was growing up, one year my father sent in money to the IRS to contribute towards the social security of our family’s cleaning lady. A few months later, the IRS returned the money, saying my father didn’t have to pay taxes for her. But my father sent the money back, writing a letter […]
Read MoreMotherly Mitzvot
In her newly-released book House of Diamonds, Fay Klein talks about the power of kavana (focus) in our mothering lives. We can change a diaper, serve breakfast, drive carpool and it can be an annoying burden or a mitzvah with eternal reward, depending on our attitude. Over the last few days, I’ve been trying out […]
Read MoreTaking my Son to Gan on Yom HaShoah
We have a garden full of beautiful, colorful flowers. But the resident of our garden that’s been getting the most attention recently is our strawberry. Yes, I meant to write that in the singular. Just one. A single strawberry. At first it was white, and then it started getting embarrassed from all the attention and […]
Read MoreWhy I Was Laughing in the Graveyard
Since I read her biography, I’ve been trying to visit Henny Machlis’ grave about once a week. What do I experience when I’m there? Do I hear the voice of Henny’ soul? Do I hear what I imagine Henny would probably say? Either way, I always leave Henny’s grave feeling more clarity than when I […]
Read MoreA Year Ago today I Was Racing to the Hospital
First thing this morning, Rosh Chodesh Nissan, I made sure my kids were wearing white shirts, took my three youngest to school and gan, bought some fruits and vegetables on the way home, and then recited the blessing over the trees together with my husband over our neighbor’s blossoming fruit trees. “I think saying the […]
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