What does it mean to be a truly empowered woman? Let’s learn from Yehudis Empowerment is a buzzword today. It’s the term people use when they want to do as they please, when they please, how they please—but it may not necessarily be pleasant. The emphasis placed on “women’s empowerment” in championing for equal rights…
4 Things to Be Thinking About When the Shofar Blows
We hear the sounds, and we look down, trying to concentrate. But what should we be thinking about during tekias shofar? The children are busy with their snacks and the baby has thankfully drifted off. As the shuffle on the men’s side quiets down and the ba’al tokeiah readies himself to blow the shofar, the…
BFF: 5 Ways to Help Your Preschooler Make Friends at School
Even if you’re not there with her, your interactions with your child could encourage her to form new relationships and make friends At my daughter’s kindergarten orientation this year, she was surprised to discover that, due to a grade rearrangement, some of her friends from the year before wouldn’t be in her class anymore. In…
Of Pasta, Pools—and Pain. 3 Ways to Make the Nine Days Meaningful
How can we truly mourn the churban nowadays? Some nine days inspiration. I remember the summer I was head counselor at a sleepaway camp. Know which days needed the most spectacular program? The same days that need the best dairy menu. The famous Nine Days. If you think about it, the Nine Days have become…
You’re Never Too Old for Mommy and Me
Don’t have the relationship with your mother that you crave? You can still get it—and even nurture yourself when she’s no longer here Every human being, especially every woman, has an inherent need for a deep, fulfilling relationship with her very first primary caregiver, her mother. While some may admit it and others will deny…
No Love Lost: How to maintain a long-distance connection to your kids in camp
For each of your children, it’s something different that you do that means the most to them. Discover which love language speaks to each of your children the most. If you’re sending off a child or two to camp this summer, very soon, it’s time to get packing! If you’re like most mothers out there,…
Feel Stuck in the Kitchen While the Men are in Shul? Here’s Three Ways That Women Can Find Spiritual Inspiration on Shavuos
Between preparing the Kiddush, serving meals, and tending to the kids, is there a way to make Shavuos a meaningful Yom Tov for us moms? For the men, it’s a given. Go to shul, sit there all night, and immerse yourself in the words of Torah our nation has just accepted. Now that seems like…
How Rebbetzin Kolodetsky Inspired Me to Daven Shacharis Every Day—Even on Purim Morning
Don’t have time to daven in the morning? Here’s how tefillah can save time…not take time A funny thing happened when I (almost) sat down to write this post. Because my usual davening slot got filled with sandwich-making, cucumber-peeling, and a trip to my son’s cheder down the block on this hectic erev Purim morning,…
Three Great Ways You Can Use Toys to Connect to Your Child
You don’t need to sit and build Legos for hours to spend time together. A parent and child can still connect. You walk into your kids’ playroom and marvel at the shelves that are literally caving in from the weight of the stacks of games they’re loyally storing. There are bins of colored blocks, Magna…
The Trees and You: Three Relationship Tips in Honor of Tu B’Shvat
With Tu B’Shvat around the corner, you’re probably getting into fruit mode sooner or later, planning a menu that’s centered on the bounty we reap from the trees. But Tu B’Shvat offers way more than a fruit-filled feast. It gives us an opportunity to ponder the deeper connection we humans have with trees (sounds like…
