.חֲנֹ֣ךְ לַ֖נַּעַר עַל־פִּ֣י דַרְכּ֑וֹ גַּ֥ם כִּֽי־יַ֜זְקִ֗ין לֹֽא־יָס֥וּר מִמֶּֽנָּה” Train a child according to his way; even when he grows old, he will not turn away from it.” As a mom of three (perfect) children, this wisdom from Proverbs has always rattled around in my brain and in my heart – though I only recently really […]
When it comes to the disruption of modern American Jewish life, no group is more scrutinized than Millennials, the generation roughly between the ages of 18-35. In their lifetimes, the iPhone has captured the American imagination while traditional Jewish institutions, from Federations to synagogues, have struggled to stay relevant. As a result, the mainstream Jewish […]
My dad isn’t on social media, so I figured I’d go a little more longform. He likes to Google me sometimes too…so now he’ll have this to find. I really like words and there are some that just stick with you. One of my all-time favorite words in the English language is idiosyncrasy. And as […]
Dear Mammalehs, I have received a few questions recently about when is the right time to call your child’s doctor or not when you think they don’t feel well. Some are not sure when this visit — one outside of the normal wellness exam — is necessary. Along those lines, some are questioning if they […]
What if you were the only Jewish student in your grade school, middle school, or high school? Would you take a stand and teach everyone about your traditions, or would you go quietly about your day trying not to draw attention to your different beliefs? What if you attempted to do both? Welcome to my […]
Hello Mammalehs, It is the season of sparkling lights, snow-tipped branches, seasonal foods and music and the commercial push to buy, buy, buy!! It is also the season that brings anxiety to many families. You may be challenged because you have a spouse who is not Jewish, a spouse who has a different cultural background […]
Every inspirational movie has one. It usually happens right at the main character’s turning point. Just after they decide to make a change and throw themselves into the pursuit of whatever it is they are choosing to pursue. We’ve all seen it. It’s “The Montage Sequence.” I’ve always been fascinated and amused by the montage […]
It was summer 2017 and my cousin and I was hiding out from the oppressive New York City heat in the air-conditioned lounge of the newly opened One Brooklyn Bridge Hotel. The place was brand new; a mostly undiscovered hidden gem at the edge of Brooklyn Bridge Park. The lounge had a living wall creeping […]
I hadn’t been to Israel in 17 years, since going on Birthright with a group of fellow students from UW-Madison, on a trip lead by Benjie Kaplan, the current University of Minnesota Hillel director. Since that trip, Israel just sort of existed in my memories as a place I had enjoyed, the homeland for the […]
It is 7:05 a.m. on a Thursday morning in early January and I somehow find myself in my car with my almost 10-year old son eating his breakfast in the back seat, trying to perform the small feat of taking him to see his best friend in Minneapolis while still getting him to his school […]