How to take advantage of Sukkos to come close to Hashem and those around us. It’s been an awe inspiring Yamim Noraim, replete with mindful soul searching and dedicated self-improvement. We’ve made ourselves vulnerable, we’ve shed our facade, and we’ve dug deep within in our quest to perfect ourselves and come closer to our Creator….
Why We Let Go and How to Move On
“Machul Lack,” you are forgiven! Why forgiveness benefits us more than it benefits them. As we beg Hashem for forgiveness for all that we have done over the past year, we seek as well to forgive those who have wronged us and to ask forgiveness from those we have wronged. The older we get, the…
I’m Keeping My Baby at Home While I work
This time around, I will work with my baby next to me. Can it really work? I type these words as my baby sits beside me on the couch, nestled into my side as she fiddles with my empty coffee mug. I know my moments are numbered; as soon as she tires of trying to…
How to Teach Young Children the Meaning of Tisha B’Av
There are age appropriate ways to help our children tap into the meaning of the day. Tisha B’av as a young mother of children is challenging, to say the least. We are torn between our own hunger pangs, our guilt at not feeling what we are supposed to be feeling (okay, the guilt is my…
Party or Pass? Do You Celebrate Your Birthday?
No matter how you acknowledge (or don’t acknowledge) your birthday, the day holds opportunity. How do you feel about birthdays? Are you one of those who eagerly count down to your next birthday as soon as the previous one has passed? Do you make elaborate parties for your kids’ birthdays and spend months trying to…
How to Make Your Bas Mitzvah Girl Feel Special on Her Special Day
Mazal Tov, she’s now a woman! There’s something special about planning a bas mitzvah. I haven’t yet had the zechus to make a bar mitzvah, but I’m deep in the throes of planning my second bas mitzvah. Bas Mitzvah parties are celebrated so differently from community to community. Where I live, there is no standard…
Your Quick Guide to Pre-Shavuos Inspiration
If you didn’t find the time to learn Pirke Avos over Sefirah, you can still bring the sparks of greatness into your Shavuos. Take in these highlights from the sixth Perek, also known as “Perek Kinyan Torah.” The Shabbos before Shavuos is the perfect time to learn and absorb these messages of the majesty of…
The Fire Within: A Lag B’omer Primer for Growth
What does this day mean to us? How can we use it for growth? Ner elokim nismas adam. Our neshama is compared to a fire, and there are a number of ways this can be manifested. What I have always considered the most poignant relationship between fire and soul is the constant pull to reach…
Eight Life Lessons from Pesach
We’ve learned a lot in our journey towards Pesach. These are lessons to bring with us into Yom Tov. We’ve dragged our weary bodies into Pesach, hopefully a little more refreshed than usual thanks to a solid Shabbos nap. Now what? We have a week of celebrating, of feasting, of rejuvenation, and a week of…
Finding Meaning in the Madness
Nine Life Lessons of Purim Purim is a Yom Tov like no other in the sheer craziness it brings. First, there are weeks preceding it with so many decisions to make. This is no where should we spend first days and last days, and what side dishes should I make with my Sukkos roast. There…
