When I found out I was pregnant, my mind was immediately filled with questions and plans. When my son Logan was born at 34 weeks, many of those plans quickly changed.
Hanukkah is one of my favorite holidays, partially because it gives me the opportunity to give gifts to my loved ones every night for eight nights! Gift giving with intentionality is one of my favorite ways to express affection while teaching my child about Jewish values and traditions.
In Judaism, words are powerful; names are perhaps even more powerful. In the Torah, naming is an important theme related to identity and essence. If you find yourself looking for a name this Hanukkah, we hope this list inspired by the themes of the season will help.
Earlier this year, on a beautiful spring day, we drove 30 minutes from our home in Philadelphia to a Thai temple and cultural center to celebrate Songkran, Thailand's Lunar New Year.
As I watched my son play, my mind would drift to mothers in Israel whose toddlers were no longer able to do so. My heart broke for the parents and young children who were caught in the crossfire of the war for no reason other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.