It’s never too early to start teaching children about the importance of doing something for others. My son is 2 ½ years old. We will teach him tzedakah in baby steps. We’ll give him his own tzedakah box and help establish giving – whether it is in the form of money or time – as a natural part of life. Continue reading
Why do I write? I want someday to see my name on the cover of a book, but fame is not my motivator. Hope is. There is hope that someday something I write will touch countless readers’ hearts. Continue reading
Isolation. Ostracism. Experiencing both after my family’s move from western New York to rural Ohio set the stage for my becoming a writer. I ached to protest in some way, but did not know how. Writing became my way of expressing what I did not feel brave enough to say aloud. Continue reading
The secret to my future success as an author is clear. Pink. It’s the color pink.
How can I be so sure? I saw the magic of pink during a reading at last week’s Boston Books Festival. Draped in pink feather boas, the author and illustrator of the popular children’s book series, Fancy Nancy, drew adoring young fans to their reading. The series revolves around a little girl who loves tiaras, princess garb, and of course, everything pink. Several of the book series fans showed up wearing pink.
We may consider ourselves Jewish writers or writers who just happen to be Jewish. It does not matter what we call ourselves. We cannot prevent our life experiences from coloring the way we look at the world. Continue reading
I used to shun most anything religious. As I went from my 20s to my 30s, I became more curious, primarily, about my own religion. Until tonight, I had never attended a Simchat Torah service. Until tonight, I did not know just how much I missed all those years when I avoided setting foot into a synagogue. Continue reading
What do the High Holy Days look like to a toddler? I imagine what’s going on in my 2 1/2-year-old’s son as he experiences Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in bits and pieces. There’s yummy food, dogs at an old reservoir, and light sticks. Continue reading
It was a moment of awe, a moment I will never forget. It was a moment about Israel, not about the political tumult that often divides Jews, but about love for a country – and community.
On Erev Rosh Roshanah, the associate rabbi at our temple gave a sermon about the need for us – no matter where we stand politically – to find a way to connect to Israel. Maybe, she suggested, we could connect to its food, its culture, music, or dance. As the sermon ended, the cantor walked … Continue reading
Yizkor at Yom Kippur can be one of the most powerful moments of the High Holy Days and one of the most terrifying. High Holy Days often draw the largest crowds, and mourners in different stages of grief may be nervous about displaying their personal sorrow among hundreds.
Today, I thank Rabbi David Stern, the senior rabbi of Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, for teaching me about the beauty, power, and even the angst of yizkor. I left Dallas for Boston in 2004, but Rabbi Stern’s lesson of a decade ago remains … Continue reading
No bona fide reason excuses me from fasting each Yom Kippur. It is my choice. Call me a Yom Kippur slacker. Continue reading
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