Who’s the boss?

Here’s a family portrait my four year old, Zoe, drew the other day. That’s me on the left, her father in the middle, and her big sister on the right. Judging from the relative size of my husband’s head, I’m guessing she doesn’t buy into the idea that her father and I are equal partners [...]

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Why Hebrew? (Or, why I send my child to a Jewish Day School, part 2)

I spent yesterday at a conference about teaching Hebrew to students with various learning needs. The conference wasn’t as useful as I had hoped*, but it left me thinking a lot about why, of all the second languages my children could be learning, we have chosen Hebrew. There are many languages that would serve them [...]

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In honor of Bubbe

  My mother came to visit this weekend so that she could be here for Grandparents Day at my five year old’s school. She lives six hours away, but I wish she lived around the corner so every shabbat could be like this one. In her honor, here’s a story I wrote a couple of years [...]

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Perhaps I should change the name of my blog

or close up shop altogether, after reading this wonderful piece.

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Conversation in Car

(newly!) four year old: Mama, were you sad when you worked for Pharoah? me: Honey, I didn’t work for Pharoah. That was a long time ago. four year old: But you said you were in Egypt! me: Yes, but I was just visiting. four year old: Oh. (moment of silence.)  Were there other harsh rulers? [...]

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What’s Jewish about Earth Day?

In another lifetime, I was an outdoor educator. My work involved taking kids to play, and sometimes live, in the woods. For several years after  college I worked as a teacher at Nature’s Classroom, a five-day residential environmental education center, and as a wilderness guide for Outward Bound. While there was nothing Jewish about either [...]

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Jewish Advent Calendar

With all things Passover pretty much packed up until next year, we’ve been experiencing something of a denouement around here. I’ve been wondering what to blog about….what Jewish thing is going on in our lives now that the ultimate home-shuling holiday has come and gone? Of course, if we were a little more observant, this [...]

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What to do with all that leftover matzah?

  A thousand pardons for not posting my favorite passover recipe before, or at least during, Passover, when you might have actually appreciated it. On the other hand, if you’re like me, and bought five pounds or more of matzah, you might still have an half-eaten box sitting in the pantry. Once your digestive system [...]

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The Book of Exodus-a photo essay

Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens.  And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go   And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: [...]

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The ultimate in home shuling

  Almost every Jewish family I know, no matter its level of affiliation (or staunch non-affiliation), participates in some kind of seder. It may not take place on one of the first nights of Passover, it may not be kosher, it may not include all of the steps – it may not even use a [...]

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