Parenting

10 Jewish LGBTQ+ Affirming Children’s Books

C.E. Harrison

Rachel Hall

So many of us who identify as LGBTQ+ grew up with little to no queer/trans representation in the media we consumed. While there is still a long way to go in normalizing LGBTQ+ identities in children’s media, kids can now see themselves and their families represented in many ways, including in the books they read.

Red paper heart against an orange background with a white line through it like an echo cardiogram

COVID-19

I Was Diagnosed with Cancer in the Middle of a Global Health Crisis

Rabbi Alex Kress

May 25, 2020

When I turned 30 a few months ago, I had no idea that COVID-19 and cancer would disrupt my life so violently, but I have discovered an opportunity to reorient my life toward the intangible sparks that make life worth living: love, kindness, amazement, and gratitude.

Family Activities

Tips for Talking to Kids about Illness

Dr. Wendy Mogel

Children are brilliant at picking up nonverbal cues, which means that when a serious illness strikes within your family circle, they’re likely to sense – from the change in your mood and whispered conversations – that something is not right.

The author poses for a smiling photo with his elderly mother

Mother's Day

A Mother’s Day Interview with My 99-Year-Old Mother, a Holocaust Survivor

Aron Hirt-Manheimer

May 6, 2020

This is the third year in row that I’ve interviewed my mother, Adela, a Holocaust survivor, for Mother’s Day. In our 2018 and 2019 interviews, she revealed memories that she’d previously kept to herself, like the last time she saw her own mother.

Close up of a book with a turned page formed into the shape of a heart

books

For Mother's Day in Quarantine, I'm Revisiting Jewish Mother-Daughter Memoirs

Babette Dunkelgrün (JTA)

May 6, 2020

For Mother’s Day this year, I’m revisiting memoirs that have provided comfort through their relatability over the years. My life isn’t exactly like those of my beloved memoir writers, but so many details and stories ring true, almost bringing me back to being in close proximity to my mom.