There was a beautiful, festive bar mitzvah at shul this past Shabbat. As I sat down in my usual seat, I found myself unexpectedly crying. I shouldn’t really say unexpectedly…. I cry all the time. I cry for my children’s war experiences, for the widows and orphans, for reserve soldiers, for the hostages, for the… Read More Imperfect Blessings
She doesn’t want to stand at attention by his grave, by these stones, by the pacifier and pop-up toy. She wants to listen to him cooing in her arms. See him smile Watch him learn to crawl, to walk. She wants to watch him eat solids Teach him to potty train, to ride a bike,… Read More They Don’t Want to Stand at Attention
We are very lucky to have five of the six kids home for chol hamoed, so yesterday they packed up two cars with tents, chairs and food and headed out to a camping adventure. Early in the evening, they posted an innocuous picture of themselves camping. To me, it looked like any campsite and I… Read More A People of the Land
You were with me in those days of nervous energy, hope, fear and change as we packed the house, sold the cars, left the jobs, kissed the family goodbye and boarded the plane to our new life. You were with me. A part of me. You were with me when we arrived, exhausted, frazzled and… Read More As We Send You Off…
People ask me periodically how I am getting through this difficult time in Israeli history. It has not been easy. I have found some new coping mechanisms that may help others. I would love to hear from you to know what new tools you’ve put into your tool box for times of need. 1. Community:… Read More From Mahjong to Mitzvot
We are all a bit broken in Israel. After 16 months of war, we are tired, worried, anxious. Last night, Idan Amedi repaired a tiny bit of that broken spirit, uniting us through his beautiful words and his incredible presence. Amedi has come back to himself, and to all of us, after being gravely wounded… Read More A Superman for our Times
The first time that I went to synagogue on Friday night, after October 7, 2023, I thought I might pass out. I could barely sit there in my own skin. Our shul attracts a vibrant crowd with a lot of singing and beautiful davening, and there are many teenage girls who come to be part… Read More Braided Hope
Yesterday was the 1 year anniversary of the fall of Ephraim Jackman, a friend and neighbor who died defending all of us in our war against terror. Ephraim fell in Gaza and I think most of us at the cemetery probably remember where we were at the moment that we heard the terrible news a… Read More From Cemetery to Ceasefire
The year is coming to an end, and I always like to share my favorite books from the year. This year it was a very tall order to find books that would keep my interest while I was focused on my children at war, my country at war, my hostages in captivity, my displaced neighbors… Read More Romi’s Reading Roundup for 2024
A few days ago, I stood with thousands at Har Herzl to pay our last respects to Yona Brief. Yona was a member of the elite commando Duvdevan unit. On October 7th, 2023 while fighting in Kfar Aza, he was shot 13 times and survived his injuries for 417 days in intensive care. 417 days… Read More Intersecting Paths at Har Herzl
