Less
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. 
Our
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.
My
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. 
As
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.