Burying Mom
It’s hard for me to think of things I don’t like about being an Orthodox Jew, but until mom died, I had a biggie. I didn’t tell anybody, really, because sharing the thing I really didn’t like about Judaism would have been as taboo as saying “I’m Orthodox but I love bacon,” or “I’m Orthodox […]
Read MoreI Think Mom Knew She Was About to Die
This is a strange story, I know. But here goes: I think my mom knew that she was about to die, and I think she tried to tell me so during our final real conversation about a week before she passed away. But first, some family history. When my mom had been 25, her family […]
Read MoreTelling Mom’s Patients She’d Passed Away
My mom, Gladys Arak Freedman, passed away last Thursday, but that didn’t stop the regular bombardment of phone calls, faxes and Emails for Dr. Arak throughout her shiva. Many times a day the phone would ring as loud as an old mechanical alarm clock with incoming faxes or calls from patients. At first, before the […]
Read MoreA Granddaughter’s Eulogy for Mom
This morning was my mom’s funeral, it was such a beautiful ceremony for such a beautiful person. One of the highlights, I thought, was the eulogy written by my 22-year-old daughter, Hadas, about going on a walk around the block with Savta. Here’s what she wrote: I have a strong memory of me and savta […]
Read MoreSome Sad News
My mom, Gladys Arak Freedman, suffered a massive stroke on Wednesday and passed away peacefully the following day. I’m on my way now to Baltimore for the funeral and shiva. I’m sure I’ll be sharing more with you about the remarkable woman my mom was, as well as an incredible story about her death–at a […]
Read MoreA Young Mother on the Verge of Panic
The young mom in front of me in the corner-store line this afternoon had a toddler on her hip and a baby in her stroller. She told the corner-store owner in a near-whisper that that morning he’d mistakenly charged her for garlic. The owner looked at the bill, trying to figure out what had happened, […]
Read MoreElection Tension and Rain Boots
At 7:10 this morning, feeling around the jacket hooks for an umbrella, I realized that, shoot, instead of getting to the things I’d hoped to get to today, I needed to get out all our winter stuff ASAP. And then…I had one of those moments. You know what I mean, when you wake up and […]
Read MoreMarriage Makeover Tip (2-Minute Rabbi YY Jacobson Video)
From Rabbi YY’s memorable appearance on the Ladies Talkshow with Leah. This tip is important reminder for me and I assume most of us married folks! You can watch the whole show here.
Read MoreSelf Care Tips for Mommy (2-Minute Elana-Mizrahi Video)
My friend, Elana Mizrahi, is a source of inspiration for so many moms, including me! This morning I woke up feeling so angry. But then I remembered this video, and did what Elana suggested, and it helped immensely. Go Elana! Sign up to receive her daily inspirational WhatsApps at: 972-53-429-3882
Read MoreJewishMOM’s Steps to Success
I saw these steps to success at an optometrist’s office this morning, and it made me smile. So I asked my graphic artist to JewishMOMify it. I think she did an awesome job:)
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