Children and Lashon Hara

So what do you do with 10 year olds when they say things that are not true when they do not understand the gravity of there words?
I live in a small sleepy suburb just West of Boston, MA. It is a bedroom community where the executive elite of Boston reside. It is a wealthy town. It [...]

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Am I living Srugim?

Or is Srugim living my life?
Srugim is a TV show about the life I have just re-entered; the single’s life in Katamon, Jerusalem. I’ve watched TV shows about New Yorkers, LAers, even Canadians but I’ve never seen a show that is so connected to me personally. From what I know of Israeli TV (I barely [...]

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The Katamon “bitza” or the singles scene, an introduction

Today I was invited to go to a friend’s friend for Shabbat lunch. My friend is visiting from the U.S. and that was her way of seeing me while she’s here for a few days. That worked perfectly for me because, since I just moved back to Israel, I really need to meet new people [...]

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Israel, for better and for worse

Today, Monday, is the first day of the rest of my life, even though I arrived here three days ago. Friday was the eve of Rosh Hashana – the Jewish new year – and so I got a grace period during which I got to enjoy Jerusalem at its best.
And yet, as I sit here [...]

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Sin’at chinam – baseless hatred

This morning I was so riled up by the events in Jerusalem. Very Charedi woman arrested for allegedly abusing her son. Major, extremely intense protests by her community (and beyond?) against her arrest. Threats. Burning garbage. Throwing stones. Really quite horrifying!
I cannot say that it’s easy for me to be understanding about their behavior. But [...]

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My top 10 things about being Jewish

Here is the full list of the top 10 things I love about being Jewish. Let me know what you think!

We believe in the sanctity of life.
We don’t missionize.
Arguing and asking questions is an integral part of Judaism.
Friday night dinners.
We aren’t easily defined. We aren’t exactly a nation or a religion.
We are supposed to be [...]

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What I love most about being Jewish #10

I can travel anywhere in the world and have something to sort of ground me. One of my favourite things about travelling is going somewhere for Shabbat wherever I am and getting to know the Jewish community there.
That’s number 10.

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