Jewish Holidays
We read in Pirkei Avot, “Be among the disciples of Aaron – seek peace and pursue it.” One of our highest aspirations as Jews is to establish peace within our homes, within our communities, and in our world. Sh'lom bayit (peace in the home) is a core value of Jewish life. For 30 years now, Jewish women have gone in peace to the plaza of Hakotel Hama’aravi, the Western Wall in Jerusalem, to hold a morning service for Rosh Chodesh. At 7 a.m., Women of the Wall begin with Shacharit (morning prayer services), proceed to Hallel (praise), and hope to arrive at the... Read More
When it comes to practicing Judaism, I sometimes ask myself: How can I take part in a communal religion when being around people can be so draining? Purim can be a particularly difficult holiday for those of us who consider ourselves introverts. When my home synagogue, Congregation B’nai Tzedek in Fountain Valley, CA, was just starting out, we had an annual Purim tradition: a Purim basket (shaloch manot) was delivered to every single member family within driving range. Every single one. On the Sunday before the 14th of Adar (the beginning of Purim on the Hebrew calendar), volunteers... Read More
That blush on my cheek? It's paint, And I have glittered my eyes And robed myself in the finery of silk and gossamer, lapis and gold-- And whored myself for your salvation. You asked for no thoughts. You merely offered my body to the king-- My life forfeit If my beauty failed. You asked for no ideas And I gave you none, Though I had a thousand, And ten thousand more. Diplomacy was played on the field of my body, The battle won in the curve of my hip And the satin of my skin, Fevered dreams of lust And redemption. That blush on my cheeks? It is the stain of...
My first experience with a kiddo living in a costume was in college, when I was working as a nanny. He was 3 years old and dressed as a wolf – all the time. In the wolf costume, this little boy growled at his siblings, his peers, and me. He felt quite comfortable in this state of contrary. His sister, who had a very different disposition, one day put on a kangaroo costume and asked her brother if he wanted to climb into her pouch. My heart melted, and I learned something really powerful: These kids used costumes to navigate their feelings. They didn’t have grown-up words to say what they... Read More
Even when my children were very young, I worried about alcohol addiction. It is so common and so destructive – and by the time teens reach high school, there’s not much you can do to shield them from it. My children are at increased risk because my father and grandfather both suffered from alcoholism. So I did what any vaccine-loving mom would do: I inoculated them! On our daily commute, there were plenty of opportunities. As we passed a man sprawled on the sidewalk with a bottle next to him, I said to my toddlers, “Yikes! That poor man passed out. He might have had too much alcohol. I... Read More
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