My Internet Problem
For a few months now, my internet’s been turning off and on. Around 10 times on a good day, 20 on a less-good day. But it doesn’t bother me so much. I just refresh the page a few times. And then, if that doesn’t work, I run the windows diagnostic thingamajig. Or restart my modem. […]
Read MoreFinding God on the Trans-Siberian Railroad
Today, I attended a class on the month of Kislev. About the transformative light that can be found in this darkest of months. On the bus home, I sat next to a woman named Tsippora who had also been at the class. Tsippora spoke Yiddish and dressed like she had been born in Mea Shearim. […]
Read MoreAfter Divorce, will Noa Trade in Her Scarf for a Sheitl? (4-Minute Video)
I found this episode of Yes Man so powerful, hearing newly divorced Noa Yaron Dayan reflecting on what her beloved headscarf meant to her over the course of her 20 years of marriage, and what it represents to her now that she is divorced. My daughter and I watched this together on Saturday night, and […]
Read MoreThe Secular Bride’s Chuppat Niddah by Rabbi Shai Naveh
The name of the groom, whose wedding I would be officiating at in an hour, popped up on my telephone display. “Hey Gai, what’s up? Excited?” “Rabbi, Keren and I are waiting for you, when will you get here?” I didn’t understand why they were nervous, we’d decided that I would arrive twenty minutes before […]
Read MoreFunny Questions Our Non-Jewish Guests Ask Us
I’ve told you before that my husband and I host a lot of non-Jewish tourists (www.chefrabbijosh.com) who come to our home to eat a yummy meal and to receive answers to all their questions about Jews and Israel. After years of hosting groups like this, I know that their first questions are usually about “those […]
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Ode to That Mother Feeding Her Baby at 4 AM by Rabbi Menachem Nissel
Rav Yerucham of Mir asked how we know if a person has achieved greatness. And the answer, Rav Yerucham explains, is that we can always know if a person has achieved true Jewish greatness by watching how they do small things. If in those small things you see greatness then everything about them is great. […]
Read MoreTriplets in Manhattan (5-Minute Inspirational Video)
Rabbi Uriel and Shevy Vigler of Chabad of the Upper East Side had 5 small children when they were shocked to discover that Shevy was pregnant with triplets. This inspirational video about what it’s like raising a big family moved me to tears. [Warning: watching this video is likely to make you want to have […]
Read MoreWhen Noa’s OTD Son Even Says “No” to Bar Mitzvah (3-Minute Moving Video)
I wrote a few weeks about Noa Yaron Dayan, a well-known rabbanit and writer, whose world came crashing down 2 years ago when her famous rabbi (now ex-) husband stopped being observant, and most of her 7 children followed his lead. In this video, we see how Noa faces a mind-boggling challenge–her off-the-derech almost 13-year-old […]
Read MoreMy Daughter Stuck Penniless in India
Remember I told you that my oldest daughter was in India? Well, she came home b”H, but now her 19-year-old sister, Hallel, has taken her place there. Hallel was having a fantastic time until yesterday, when she accidentally punched in the wrong pin number, so her credit card got blocked. Hallel wrote me: “Eema, can […]
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