We aren’t in the midst of a conflict here in Israel. You read that right. There’s no conflict. A conflict is inherently an event where two parties are engaged in a fight, a battle, a struggle. There’s no conflict in Israel right now. There is terror. Period. Out and out one-sided terror. When I see… Read More There Is No Conflict Right Now In Israel
My kids are constantly reminding me that there is life outside of today’s news. My big boys can’t be sheltered. They follow the news more closely than do I (for better or for worse) and they know through Whatsapp, Facebook and everywhere else what’s happening every second. We check in with them and make sure… Read More Bathtub Bands
Simchat Torah has ended, with all of the fun and dancing that accompanies it. We said goodbye to the sukkah, we danced with the Torah scrolls and we listened as the congregation finished the entire Torah. And then we started again. And herein lies one of the most important moments that I experience every year… Read More No Time for a Torah High Five
“Mommy, put down your iPad and cuddle with me,” my four year old whines this morning in the sukkah. I hear him. And I certainly get what he’s saying. But I can’t. I can’t get away from the images swarming in my head, from the images that didn’t stop all night long, of Rabbi Eitam… Read More And Who Will Hug Naama’s Four Year Old?
The Sukkot holiday started on Sunday night, and as usual, I found myself rushing around right before lighting candles and ushering in the holiday. “Mommy,” Yehuda called while I was setting up in the kitchen. “There’s a banana bread there that Avital just brought over.” “What?” I said, completely sure that I had to have… Read More The Banana Bread Bond
My feet are firmly planted on Israeli soil. And yet, I have found over the years that we’ve been here, that there are certain choices that I make in order to feel more comfortable. And they aren’t always the most “Israeli” choices. Saving money matters – but so does saving my sanity and saving my… Read More Only Those with Carts Need Apply
The first day of school always evokes two very distinct memories for me. Since the entire country starts school on the same day, there is a real sense of excitement that permeates the whole country, of beginnings (and endings) and of camaraderie. Our first year in Israel, we had a meeting on August 31st at… Read More New Beginnings, Again
We just returned from an absolutely amazing three week trip to the States to see family. It was glorious for many reasons. It was wonderful to see so much family and to get to enjoy time together. It was a joy to have so much uninterrupted time with my children, to watch them bond and… Read More Zionism on the Road
While I’m no Tiger Mom, and my kids aren’t over scheduled, they do have a lot going on during the school year. They go to school until about 3 and then most of them have after-school basketball, judo, art and other activities. And this means that they are generally on the go and occupied. When… Read More Batman, Bands & Bookcases
There were so many amazing and awe-inspiring moments yesterday at the Nefesh B’Nefesh arrival ceremony. But the one that was the most inspirational for me was to watch my oldest son, Matan, with his Israeli friends. Matan arrived in Israel at the age of four. Here is Matan waiting to board the flight to Israel!… Read More And the Shofar Blows
