Monday, December 29, 2014

My Family is Thinking About Moving to Israel–But It’s Hard Not to Be Afraid

By Denise Yellen Ganot for Raising Kvell

When I was a senior in high school, my family and I made our first trip to Israel for my little brother’s bar mitzvah. It was then that I decided that I wanted to marry an Israeli. All of my years at Solomon Schechter Day School learning Hebrew would be put to good use, I would get to visit a country I loved on a regular basis, and our kids would be bilingual and cute. All the kids I knew who had one Israeli parent were bilingual and cute. So, how could I go wrong?

I did marry my Israeli, as it turned out. A mutual friend set us up on a blind date and the rest–as they say–is history. We have kids who are cute, though not yet bilingual. They, too, are at Jewish day school, and they are using more Hebrew with each passing day.

Since that first trip 23 years ago, I have developed a strong connection to Israel. And so, on our last trip a year ago, I turned to my husband and said, “What if we moved here for a year or two? Wouldn’t that be amazing for our kids and for us?”

At the time, it seemed like a pipe dream. My husband’s career was in the U.S., though his only family and our nieces were in Israel. Our kids are settled at their school, we love our synagogue, and my family and our friends are here in Boston. But once we had planted the idea in our minds, we were unable to let it go.

Continue reading.


Follow us on   

Monday, December 22, 2014

The Biblical Ideal of Marriage

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Addresses Humanum Conference

Jonathan Sacks, chief rabbi emeritus of the United Kingdom, argues that the biblical idea of marriage (and love) is a contribution as important as monotheism itself. Addressing an interfaith conference at the Vatican, Sacks narrates the evolution of the family as seen through biology, anthropology, and the Bible, and concludes with a surprising exegesis of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.


Monday, December 15, 2014

Light Your Fire: What Does the Menorah Symbolize?

The Menorah stands for light, wisdom, and Divine inspiration. In this period of darkness, we welcome the approaching Festival of Lights and the timeless lessons of the Holy Menorah.

Originally, the Menorah was a seven-branched candelabra beaten out of a solid piece of gold that served as one of the sacred vessels in the Holy Temple. It stood in the southern part of the Temple and was lit every day by the High Priest. Only pure, fresh olive oil of the highest quality was suitable to light the Menorah.

As its unique design communicates, the Menorah endures as a symbol of Divine light spreading throughout the world. To this end, God commanded that the Menorah’s goblets be turned upside down on their stems, emphasizing the importance of spreading light to others. This design reflects the Menorah’s exact purpose in the Holy Temple, which was to spread the light of Godliness to the entire world.

Continue reading.


For more great Hanukkah ideas, check out our    page.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Hanukkah Kit

Where can you read all about the origins, history and different customs of celebrating Hanukkah?  From denominations of Reform to Orthodox to Interfaith?

Where can you find all the best videos about the holiday from the Lady Gaga of Hasidic Music to Woody Guthrie?

Where can you find the best recommended books for both children and adults?

And where can you find recipes for Cajun Potato Latkes, Coconut Latkes, Bimuelos, Torzelli and Kuku Sabzi?

You should check out Jvillage's Hanukkah Holiday Kit.  It has all this and so much more including crafts to make with your family, a guide to gifts including one-of-a-kind and personalized; music, DVDs, DIY menorahs and edible dreidels.

Check it out and have a Happy Hanukkah.



For more great Hanukkah ideas, check out our    page.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Love and the Older Dad

By Lili Kalish Gersch for Raising Kvell

My father was 46-years-old when I was born. He already had two children in their early 20s, and had recently been through a bruising divorce. He raised my half-siblings through his own 20s and 30s, a time when he was building his career, buying his first house, and going to school part-time. Before he knew it, they were grown.

This happens to so many parents…so busy providing for our kids that we miss some of the magic of their childhoods. But how many of us actually have a chance to go back and do it all again? My dad did.

This time, he promised himself that he would be there to experience everything. As a kid this translated into Daddy and Me classes, frequent dinner dates, a built-in chauffeur for all my weekend enrichment activities, constant homework help, and much more. I took all of this for granted–it was the only thing I knew–but as a parent I now realize that he carved out an astounding amount of time to spend with only me.

Continue reading.

Follow us on   


 

Monday, November 24, 2014

Hanukkah for Families

Eight days of fun.


By Sarah Gershman for MyJewishLearning.com

Hanukkah's proximity to Christmas can complicate the holiday.

For those who try to make Hanukkah more like Christmas, it inevitably seems to fall short. Yet while Hanukkah was traditionally not one of the most central holidays of the Jewish calendar, it can, nonetheless offer many opportunities for fun and joyous celebration. Here are some suggestions for how you can make this Hanukkah memorable, while still staying true to the essential meaning of the holiday.

Bringing Light out of Darkness

There are many ways to make this year’s Hanukkah a real "Festival of Light." As Rabbi Arthur Waskow writes in his book, Seasons of Joy, “Hanukkah is the moment when light is born from darkness, hope from despair.” Historically, this was reflected in the unlikely victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks, in the oil that brought light for eight days instead of one, and in the very act of lighting candles during the darkest time of the year.

Continue reading.

For more great Hanukkah ideas, check out our    page.

Monday, November 17, 2014

My Adopted Son Wants to Be Christian–And I Need to Let Him

By Dr. Gary Matloff  for Raising Kvell


We were walking out to the car after Yom Kippur services when my son Matheus, 14 years old at the time, unexpectedly broke the silence and asked, with a tinge of exasperation in his voice, “Father, when can I go to church?”

It had only been a few months past our first anniversary since I’d adopted him and his younger brother from Brazil. Up until then, Matheus had mostly kept to himself any thoughts he might have had about his religious inclinations. His brother had decided that he wanted to become Jewish, abandoning his Christian roots barely nine months into our first year together—he could hardly wait to attend Hebrew school later that year.

Continue reading.


Follow us on   


Monday, November 10, 2014

Reconsidering Jewish Day School

by Nina Badzin @NinaBadzin for JCJewfolk.com

Where to send our kids to elementary school is the conversation dominating parents of preschoolers. I’m sure this is true in many areas of the country, but in Minnesota where we have open enrollment, parents often discuss which schools they’re considering for their children.

“Open enrollment,” if you’re not familiar with the term, means if there’s space at a public school in any district, parents can apply to get spots for their children.

As a mom with three kids already at a Jewish day school and one still in preschool, I’ve been listening to these conversations for almost a decade. There are many legitimate factors to consider when choosing a school, but I often hear parents automatically eliminate day schools from the running for reasons that are not supported by the facts.

If you have never considered even looking at Jewish day school, let me try to put your local day school on the list of possibilities by eliminating a few of the most common misconceptions. (1) I want my kids to be exposed to more than Judaism and Jewish people. (2) We aren’t as Jewish as the other families at the school. (3) Private Jewish education is too expensive.

1. I want my kids to be exposed to more than Judaism and Jewish people.

Another way of saying this is, “I don’t want my kids to be sheltered.”

Continue reading.


Follow us on   


Monday, November 3, 2014

I Care Less About Chores, More About Kindness

By Julie Levine for Raising Kvell


This summer, my son wore his bathing suit and swim shirt for five days in a row—he slept in his bathing suit, wore it swimming the next day, and to bed that night. He did this for about five different weeks throughout July and August.

My kids (13 and 11) don’t make their beds every morning. They don’t do their own laundry either. Or take out the garbage. Ditto for loading the dishes in the dishwasher. Sometimes I feel guilty that they don’t help out more around the house. Once in a while I’d like my son to put on a clean shirt and brush his hair. But truthfully, I don’t care that much.

Before you start thinking that my kids are spoiled, entitled or just plain slobs, and before you think that I’m an indulgent parent, let me tell you what I do care a great deal about—I care deeply that my kids are good citizens of the world. A great deal of my parenting energy is spent trying to raise children who will grow up to be mensches.

Continue reading.


Follow us on   

Monday, October 27, 2014

The Catholic School Teacher Who Made Me Want to Raise My Kids Jewish

By Hilary Levey Friedman for Raising Kvell

I’ll never forget the first roll call in fourth grade at the St. Fabian School.

“Levey, Hilary? [Pause] Really?!”

Yes, really. My father, who gifted me his last name, is clearly a Member of the Tribe (Levite, natch). But my parents decided to baptize and raise me as a Roman Catholic, like my mother.

I was a child interested in rituals and I loved weekly school mass when the priest wouldn’t just speak at us during his homily, but ask us questions. My hand was frequently up and I cherished the days when I was called on to answer a question. So it was no surprise that later, in my fourth grade year when the teacher asked who would like to help the priest by being an “altar boy,” my hand shot up.

“But, you’re a girl, you can’t do that,” said the same teacher who had already made me feel like I didn’t belong.

As I looked at the boys sitting around me–roughhousing, picking their noses, cheating off of my schoolwork–I wondered precisely how they were better suited to the task by virtue of having a Y chromosome (girls were welcomed as altar servers a few years later, in the early 90’s, but too late for me). I couldn’t figure out how or why an institution, let alone a religious one, could decide to exclude whole categories of people without knowing anything about them as individuals.

Continue reading.


 Follow us on   

Monday, October 20, 2014

Purim and Halloween

An ideological face-off


By Esther D. Kustanowitz in MyJewishLearning.com

Purim and HalloweenRecently, someone asked me whether I liked Purim better than Halloween.

It seemed like such an odd question; the holidays had been so distinctly incomparable in my mind. But upon consideration, perhaps because my name is Esther, perhaps because of my Jewish background, I would have to say that Purim unequivocally kicks Halloween's rump. Of course, I am slightly biased: If Halloween featured a Queen Esther, I might be inclined to change my preference. But I doubt it.

When I was growing up, Halloween was only celebrated by public school kids. At my yeshiva (Jewish day school), a letter from the principal was sent to parents each October warning them that observance of Halloween was pagan and therefore destructive to the Jewish educational process. As a result, while my public school contemporaries demanded candy from strangers, I stayed home and watched "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." Again. And that was Halloween.

Continue reading.


Follow us on    page.



Monday, October 13, 2014

How to Celebrate Sukkot

An easy and fun craft project for kids of many ages.


From Kveller

Simchat Torah FlagsTraditionally on Simchat Torah, children walk around the synagogue waving homemade flags to help create a parade-like atmosphere. Whether or not you’re making it to services, it’s always fun to wave a flag. Here’s a simple and easy way to make one at home for kids of all ages.

You’ll need:
Empty paper towel roll
Construction paper
Stickers
Dot paint (comes in a bottle with a roller top--much less messy than normal paint)
Tape

First, have your child decorate the construction paper using dot paint and stickers (or whatever other art supplies you choose).
Next, tape the construction paper to the paper towel roll. (By using a paper towel roll instead of a stick, you avoid any potential stick accidents).
Give to your child and prepare to wave!

Check out Jvillage’s High Holiday+    page.


While you're at it, check out our High Holidays Holiday Spotlight Kit for ideas, crafts, recipes, etc.



Monday, September 29, 2014

I Felt Uncomfortable Around Kids With Special Needs Until I Had My Own

By Richard Kligman for Raising Kvell

SpecialNeedsI’ll be honest: I used to generally try to avoid kids with special needs if I could. Aside from the awkwardness of not knowing how to react or interact, I also failed to understand how families of kids with severe disabilities stayed sane. Feeding, dressing, washing, and changing older kids’ diapers was not my idea of a good time, and I didn’t know how they did it.

Then I had a kid of my own. We didn’t realize it when Moishy was born, but during routine testing when he was 3 months old, they told us that his head was not growing, among other issues, and further testing was necessary. This news sent us on a crazy whirlwind of doctors, hospitals, cat scans, x-rays, and more. Eventually the diagnosis was clear: Our beautiful boy had cerebral palsy and microcephaly.

I looked myself in the mirror and realized that I had to change. Now I had my very own child with special needs. Avoidance was no longer an option.

Continue reading.

Follow us on    page.

Monday, September 22, 2014

New Things to Do for Rosh Hashanah

By Amy Deutsch for Kveller

Honey tasting


Honey TastingAs it turns out, there are lots of different kinds of honey out there. Because bees suck nectar from all types of flowers, the honey can have a very different taste. Assemble your family for a taste test. Go to the local farmer’s market and buy two or three different kinds of honey. (Not only are you supporting local agriculture, but you’re also showing your kids where food comes from.) At home, arrange a smorgasbord of foods to dip into the various kinds of honey—challah, apples, pretzels, bananas, etc. Which honey goes best with which foods? When you find your favorites, you can put them out at your Rosh Hashanah table. (Check with your pediatrician, but generally honey is not recommended for children under the age of 1.)

Continue reading for four more suggestions.

Check out Jvillage’s High Holiday+    page.  And while you're at it, check out our High Holidays Holiday Kit 

Monday, September 15, 2014

I Was Juggling Too Much–So the Dog Had to Go

By Naomi Elana Zener for Raising Kvell

Dog had to goAfter nearly a decade of practicing law, I embarked on a journey to become a writer, causing a 180-degree shift in my life. I had to juggle being a mom to two little humans and a canine, a wife, a lawyer, a daughter, a friend, and now, a writer.

Having no clone to delegate to and not being an octopus myself, something had to give. I’m good at multi-tasking, but I’m no superhero. And, I don’t have a nanny. My husband and my body were telling me to slow down. So, I sat down and looked at the sobering reality of my existence:

Continue reading.

Follow us on    page.

Monday, September 8, 2014

High Holiday Spotlight KitHave you checked out the Jvillage Network High Holiday Spotlight Kit?  It is a wealth of information for all the fall holidays -- when they occur, what they are, customs, blessings, special foods, recipes, books, videos and a whole lotta challah!

This week we want to highlight Gateways High Holiday Resources, which can be found here or on the Spotlight Kit under 'the yamim nora'im."  At Gateways you can browse and download free High Holiday resources for kids, prepared by Gateways' experienced special education teachers: High Holiday Blessings with Visual Supports, High Holiday Social Stories (including customizable Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur social stories), High Holiday Related Social Skills Support, Make Your Own High Holiday File Folder Activity Kits, and High Holiday Crafts with creative ideas for adapting for different types of learners.

Continue.
 
But why stop there?  Check out all the many resources we have on the High Holiday Spotlight kit.  It's your one-stop for everything you need to know on how to celebrate, from Slichot through Simchat Torah.


 
Check out Jvillage’s High Holiday+    page.

Monday, September 1, 2014

After 10 Years, Finally a Diagnosis For My Son

By Samantha Taylor for Raising Kvell

Diagnosis For My SonMy son Joey is turning 10 this fall. His development has been anything but normal.

Since Joey was 18 months old, we have seen countless professionals who have attempted to evaluate and diagnose him. None of the doctors, therapists, psychologists, or teachers were ever able to satisfactorily define Joey’s behavior. I often wondered if he was autistic, but that didn’t totally fit. He also exhibits a lot of Asperger’s characteristics, but again, not a complete match.

Allow me a moment to give you an idea of what I’m talking about:

Continue reading.

Follow us on    page.


Monday, August 25, 2014

The Risks of Being an Interracial Family

By Alina Adams for Raising Kvell

The Risks of Being an Interracial FamilyLess than a year ago, two blond children in Ireland were taken from their Roma parents because the police decided they didn’t look related, even though legal documents, including passports, were produced. Meanwhile, the same thing happened to a blond girl in Greece. Even though her DNA didn’t match anything on record in the Missing Child database, and even though her biological mother was found and insisted she had voluntarily left her daughter with a Roma couple, the State decided that little Maria should not be returned to her foster parents, but placed in an orphanage, instead.

Continue reading.

Follow us on    page.



Monday, August 18, 2014

Your Kids Are Ready to Talk About Israel. Are You?

By Sivan Zakai & Miriam Heller Stern for Raising Kvell

Talk About IsraelOur children are listening. When we pore over news sources and incessantly check our Facebook feeds to find out the latest from Israel and Gaza, our children are watching. When we whisper in muted voices or cry out in protest about the situation in the Middle East and the resurgence of anti-Semitism around the world, our children are hearing.

How do we talk to young children living far away from Israel about the current situation when they are not yet old enough to understand terms like “Zionism” or “anti-Semitism” or “terrorism” or “occupation”?

Continue reading.

Love Israel? We do too. Follow our Israel board on    page.


Monday, August 11, 2014

Living the Value of Hiddur P’nei Zaken (Honoring the Elderly)

By Brandi Lerner, jkidphilly parent

Lerner FamilyMy own, personal connection started with the Abramson Center for Jewish Life when, in the mid-90’s I began going to the Philadelphia Geriatric Center (the former Abramson located next to Einstein Hospital) monthly to celebrate Shabbat. This mitzvah was something that I looked forward to, and continued for six years before leaving for college. Now, as a parent, it is amazing to give my son the same experiences that I cherished.

I began bringing my son Ethan, now 2, to Abramson when he was about 4 months old through a jkidphilly program that was held there. His face lit up when entering the sun-filled atrium to the residents being serenaded by Cantor Buzzy Walters. The warm welcome of the residents and the immediate smile on my son’s face confirmed that this was the right decision. I am glad that I have this wonderful environment to teach my son Hiddur Penei Zaken, honoring the elderly – a mitzvah dear to my heart.

Continue reading.

Follow our    page.


Monday, August 4, 2014

Talking with Zach Braff, Kate Hudson & Mandy Patinkin of “Wish I Was Here”

By Molly Tolsky for Raising Kvell

Wish I was hereAs we’ve mentioned before, Zach Braff’s new movie “Wish I Was Here” gives us plenty to talk about here at Kveller. I sat down with three of the film’s stars, Zach Braff, Kate Hudson, and Mandy Patinkin, to talk about their Jewish connection to the movie, being a child no matter how old you are, and the hardest part about playing the role of a dying man.

On the role Judaism plays in the film:


Zach Braff:

My brother Adam and I wrote this, and he’s 10 years older than me. When he was a kid, my parents put him in Yeshiva. By the time they got to me, they downshifted to Conservative and kosher. Both of us have grown up to be adults who organized religion does not work for. We love the jokes, we love the humor, we love the culture, we love the fun of the family gathering.

Continue reading.

Follow our    page.


Monday, July 28, 2014

Should a Mom Be Jailed for Her Own Stillbirth?

By Rabbi Jill Jacobs for Raising Kvell

Jailed for Her Own StillbirthAs I enter my final few weeks of pregnancy, I sometimes worry about ordering a cup of coffee. Too often, the barista responds, “Decaf?” or a stranger within earshot wonders aloud whether I’m “allowed” to drink that.

It’s not just coffee. When I was pregnant with my daughter, a waitress balked at my husband and my order of labneh, and a co-worker expressed shock that I was eating sushi (never mind that I’m vegetarian, and the sushi in question involved avocados and cucumbers).

Continue reading.


Follow our    page.


Monday, July 21, 2014

Prayers for Preemie With The Help of Google

By Elisheva Blumberg for Raising Kvell

PreemieThe last thing I told her before it happened was, “Oh my goodness, Aliza, you’re so tiny! You’re barely showing!”

My oldest childhood friend was starting her sixth month of pregnancy, and she had the cutest baby belly I had ever seen. I couldn’t wait to see how enormous she would grow in the months ahead, and neither could she. But neither of us got the chance.


Continue reading.

Follow our    page.


Monday, July 14, 2014

In Favor of Letting Toddlers Run Wild At Temple

By Justin Sakofs for Raising Kvell

This past Shabbat, my wife, son and I visited another shul. For the record, we went to this shul not because we were unhappy with our current one, but because there was a guest speaking and friends had invited us to join them. It was during Kedusha that our 2.5-year-old son began to do what he does best: explore.


Continue reading.
Follow our    page.


Monday, July 7, 2014

Breaking From Hasidism, Online

Exploring the Internet led me to knowledge, questions, and, ultimately, leaving the Hasidism I’d grown up with


By F. Vizel

Breaking From HasidismIn my Hasidic community, people knew me as the young newlywed, mother of one, daughter of so-and-so, and married to such-and-such, with a scarf over my head and an apartment in the new development. But on the Internet, I was anonymous. I was anyone. I was everyone. I was a mystery, and I was hidden. I was whoever I wanted to be, and I could say whatever I wanted to say without fear.

I didn’t intend to create this dual identity. I hadn’t been prepared for what could happen to Hasidic life in the Internet age, because no one knew. My husband purchased a laptop with Internet access for some business ventures, and when I used it I chanced upon some blogs by fellow Hasidim and soon after created my own. It was an impulsive act. The topics of conversation online were enthralling and broke every taboo. It broke the prohibition of men and women conversing and shmoozing, it broke the barriers that divide those who left from those who are in the community. It gave anyone a space to be heretical and outrageous without the social repercussions that usually come with it: ostracization, having your children expelled from the Hasidic schools or even worse, your parents sitting shiva over you.

The social environment online was diverse and gritty, and I was there anonymously. I could finally say things, express my opinions and confusion and use my own voice, which had been trained to be silent. No one knew or would ever know that indeed I was so-and-so’s daughter, the pious-looking woman who swayed to and fro in prayer like everyone else in synagogue. Under the guise of an authorial pseudonym, I commented, posted, and debated. Not for many months after I began blogging did I realized that my little literary adventures on the Internet—on those dawns while the challah was rising and my Hasidic family was still fast asleep—were life-changing acts.

 Continue reading.

Monday, June 30, 2014

How to Be Respectful to Your Racist Grandparents

By Alina Adams for Kveller

Michelle ObamaMy husband and I have a rule for ourselves: We don’t argue with old people.

This rule applies primarily to our parents and their friends, but also old people in general.

We also have a rule for our three kids, ages 14, 10, and 7: You will respect your elders. Whether you agree with them or not. Especially when you are a guest in someone else’s home. That’s just Etiquette 101 in our book.

Continue reading.

Monday, June 23, 2014

How One Exec Runs Busy Digital Agency While Staying True to Her Faith

360i Global CEO Sarah Hofstetter on Balancing Work and Orthodox Judaism


By Alexandra Bruell for AdAge

HofstetterWhen 360i's global CEO Sarah Hofstetter is out of the office, she puts IsTodayAJewishHoliday.com in her automated email response. The link has a dual purpose. It adds a little humor to what would otherwise be a dry out-of-office reply, and it convinces clients that she's not making up Jewish holidays.

This is just one of the ways Ms. Hofstetter, an Orthodox Jew from Long Island, N.Y., balances her professional life with her personal life and faith.

The 39-year-old CEO runs one of the most-buzzed-about digital agencies and has been promoted three times in two years. She's managed that success while taking care of two kids; keeping kosher despite the wining-and-dining demands of running an agency; and completely shutting down between sunset on Friday and sunset on Saturday to observe Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest.

After graduating from Yeshiva and then Queens College, Ms. Hofstetter worked as an editorial assistant for a New York Times syndicate. A year later, at 22, she got married and decided to go to what she humorously calls the "dark side," handling in-house PR and investor relations at telecommunications company IDT. "We were really young," she said of herself and her husband. "We just needed enough money to cover costs."

Eight years later, she decided to set up her own shop. IDT was her first client, and 360i soon followed. At IDT she hit a glass ceiling, she said, but working directly with a CEO for so long taught her about business and about how to make choices. "The things you choose not to do are as important as things you choose to do," she said. It's a motto of sorts that's guided her at 360i.

 Continue reading.

Monday, June 16, 2014

When Your Kid Gets Rejected From Jewish Day School

By Yossi Fendel for Raising Kvell

Rejected From Jewish Day SchoolWe are a “dual-school family.” Our daughter is in 6th grade at the local Orthodox Jewish day school while our son is in 3rd grade at a public school.


Continue reading.