The Photo that Broke My Heart
I’ve cried over so many heartbreaking photos and videos and heartbreaking stories and tragedies from the Shoah. But for some reason this black-and-white class photo of a Jewish child forced to turn his back to the camera made me cry nearly harder than any of them. In 1932, 5-year-old Paul Philip Freudenberger was the only […]
Read More“I See My Sons on Sundays”: A Response to Sheryl Sandberg
“I only see my sons on Sundays…” A few months back I heard from an old college friend whom I’ll call Caroline. Even though we are rarely in touch, I love Caroline. She’s a person who is full of life, has an infectious laugh, is passionate about ideas. She graduated summa cum laude from Bowdoin, […]
Read More“Yes, That’s My Father” (4-Minute Shoah Video)
I am posting this in honor of Yom HaShoah, this Thursday. I thought this was very, very powerful.
Read MoreCouples who Live Together Before Marriage More Likely to Divorce
The most Emailed New York Times article today is “The Downside of Cohabiting Before Marriage” by clinical psychologist Meg Jay. Jay writes that two-thirds of Americans in their twenties believe that living together before marriage is like getting a vaccination against divorce. “If we can live together and get along…” the logic goes, “then we […]
Read MoreFree Pedophiles?
Last week, I saw the pedophile drinking an espresso at a cafe downtown, enveloped by a cloud of his own exhaled smoke. The Nachlaot pedophile ring is already well-known for its horrific sadism towards the neighborhood’s children, but this particular pedophile was one of the worst. So how is he still free? Because he (like […]
Read MoreTruck Driver Delivers 3rd Baby Roadside (1-Minute Inspirational Video)
As a hyper-idealistic high-school student, I once asked a social activist I admired what profession I should choose in order to most help the world. I was expecting a grand answer like “Study medicine and treat children in a 3rd world country” or “Go into politics” or “Become a teacher in the inner city.” But […]
Read MoreThe Duggars of “19 Kids and Counting”: A Day in the Life (7-Minute Video)
I can’t get enough of these videos about huge families, I find them so inspirational…I love Mrs. Duggar. She is clearly so pumped to be a mom and to keep her mega-sized household functioning. I love seeing how being a mom is her mission in life, and she is on fire with it! I wish […]
Read MoreThe Rebbe of Sacher Park
Ohhh, Sacher Park on a Chol HaMoed morning…It’s Heaven. The kids giggling as they pour water through the deep moat around their sand castle. The light breeze cooling my face as I chomp on palm oil potato chips and skim through a magazine. The holiday chirping of picnicking families all around me, the men tending […]
Read MoreIs Passover too Scary for My Kids?
When Catholic-born Cassandra Barry started dating her Jewish husband, she was hesitant to attend her first Jewish religious event, a Passover seder with his family. But once she finally attended his family seder, she discovered that she greatly enjoyed her boyfriend’s extended family’s riotous discussions, his colorful/difficult relatives, and the fact that Judaism as a […]
Read MoreThe Person I Hate the Most
I don’t often hate people. This is the result of a conscious decision I made a few years ago. I came to the understanding that the primary victim of my own hatred is ME. When I hate someone I get all obsessed and upset and focused all the time on a person I hate rather […]
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