What My First Year as a Widow Has Taught Me by Gafna Vanova
Last October, my husband and I were brought in by the Jewish community of Prague to give some classes as part of the international Shabbat Project. On our first day there, we met with Gafna, a long-time JewishMOM.com reader as well as director of Jewish studies at Prague’s Jewish school. Gafna is a sensitive, deep, […]
Read MoreAs For Me and My Household
I just saw this verse embroidered on a cloth banner at a tourist shop downtown. The verse was written like this: “As for me and my household, we shall serve the LORD.” With that translation, it sounded like a verse from the New Testament. But then I looked at the bottom of the banner and […]
Read MoreHearing the Shofar’s Call from a Hindu Temple (3-Minute Mommy Peptalk)
The shofar blast that reminded my daughter in India that Elul is here. My oldest daughter, 21-year-old Hadas, is traveling around India for the next month. And before Shabbat she shared an incredible story with me. That morning, she had been walking by a Hindu Temple, when she suddenly heard shofar blasts coming from the […]
Read MoreThe Tiny, Unnoticed Things We Moms Do Over Summer Vacation
Award-winning journalist and JewishMOM of 5, Sivan Rahav Meir, is also one of Israel’s most popular Torah teachers, with tens of thousands of students (myself included). Sivan and her family have just arrived for a year of shlichut in New York. And that means that yesterday she gave her famous Wednesday Parsha class for the […]
Read MoreInjured Brother of Rina HY”D Plays “Afilu b’Hastara” (1-Minute Video)
Yesterday, 4 days after his sister was murdered and he and his father were injured by a terrorist’s bomb, Dvir Shnerb played the song “Afilu b’Hastara” on his guitar, as visitors to his hospital room sang along. I cannot stop thinking about this mind-blowing video. 19-year-old Dvir Shnerb, after losing his beloved 17-year-old sister, and […]
Read MoreSabras in the Summer (30-Second Cute Video)
The thing I love most about summer in Israel is the vacation atmosphere that fills the Land. Millions of Israelis enjoying each other in the summer sun. Seeing these vacationing Israelis makes my heart lift and my lips curve upward. And that’s what I thought of when my husband sent me these photos he took […]
Read MoreHow I’m Surviving Summer Vacation with My 6 Kids by Sara Gallor
We just moved, again (!) and camp is long over. The start of school got delayed due to construction and I now have 11 more days til regular routine begins. After a trip to the library with all my children ranging in ages from 13 to 1, I felt like I hit rock bottom. My […]
Read MoreMourning my Daughter’s Classmate, Rina HY”D (2-Minute Video)
This past Friday, my 17-year-old daughter, Maayan, came up to me looking pale and shaken. “Eema, you heard about the terror attack this morning? The girl who was murdered was Rina Shnerb from my class at Ulpanat Baharan.” And then Maayan rushed off to attend the funeral of her 16-year-old friend, whose father and brother […]
Read MoreWould Your Kids Really Want a Perfect Mother? by Rebbetzin Mina Gordon
Earlier this week, I posted that my kids have been reminding me recently that I’m not a perfect mom. I adored this insightful comment from Rebbetzin Mina Gordon of Melbourne, Australia, and wanted to share with all! Would your children really want a perfect mother? It can be a real handicap! Here are some of […]
Read MoreMy Crazymaking Child
Imagine an oreo cookie. Now imagine that somebody takes that oreo cookie. Places it inside a ziploc bag, and bangs it over and over with a heavy wooden rolling pin. “It’s already crushed!” you want to say. “Stop banging already!” Now imagine, just imagine, that my home is that oreo’s delicate white filling, and the […]
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