Focus on the Step in Front of You
I’m making a bat mitzvah in two days. This is my 5th and final bat mitzvah so I thought I could do this in my sleep already! And then President Biden decided to visit Jerusalem on the same day as Tsofia’s bat mitzvah! Jerusalem shuts down pretty much when US presidents visit. The Jerusalem equivalent […]
Read MoreSaba Hananya by Hanan ben Ari
Hanan ben Ari’s tribute to his late grandfather and role model, an Afghani-born tea-seller with rock-solid emuna and unshakeable values.
Read MoreStealing the Purple Suitcase by Reb. Shira Smiles
When her children were small, Reb. Smiles would joke with them at baggage claim about stealing the suitcase that was purple, her favorite color. An inspiring lesson about embracing our own “suitcase” in life.
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An Empty-Nester Reminisces about her Once Full House by Cheryl Kupfer
This is the Shabbat before Tsofia’s bat mitzvah. All my kids will be home and we b”H have family that flew in from America for the Big Event. Ours will be a very full house. If I feel myself getting overwhelmed I’ll remember this poignant piece from the Jewish Press. And remember the blessing of […]
Read MoreMy Teenage Son and the Hedgehog
This morning at 7:15 AM, while getting my 2 little boys ready to head out for the school bus, my 7-year-old Yoni came into the house from checking the front porch for magazines and declared, “Eema, there’s a hedgehog in the bucket.” “Yoni, did you just say there’s a hedgehog in the bucket?” Yoni nodded […]
Read MoreAiden in My Heart
News reports of a 2-year-old boy found wandering around in the aftermath of the July 4th attack, looking for his parents, stained with blood, moved me to tears this morning. Tragically, it was discovered later that his parents, Kevin and Irina McCarthy, had been murdered along with 5 other innocent victims. This boy triggered painful […]
Read MoreMourning Jewish Mom, Jacki Sundheim: July 4th Shooting Victim
This past Shabbat we bonded over kugel and cholent with a wonderful group from a Chicago synagogue, not far Highland Park and from the congregation where Jacki Sundheim A”H spent decades as a devoted employee, volunteer, and member. Maybe that experience combined with reading about Jacki and what a committed Jew and a giving, loving […]
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Bone Tired
We hosted 3 groups this past Shabbat totalling 50 people. I met so many lovely people and I truly enjoyed every minute of it. Except for one thing. I couldn’t find any cleaning help except for a 13-year-old boy who was super motivated. But that didn’t change the fact that he was still a 13-year- […]
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