My Papa Jerry just started receiving hospice care. I know, I really shouldn’t be surprised. He’s 91 after all, and it’s certainly inevitable that he would deteriorate at some point. But, somehow that doesn’t make saying goodbye any easier. I’ve been trying, for the last few days, to figure out how to sum up what… Read More My Papa Jerry

I love seeing how artistic Matan and Yehuda are. And I’m not just saying that because I’m their mom. I am incredibly – depressingly – ridiculously – NOT talented when it comes to drawing, painting, clay work, etc. and I’m amazed when they can draw a bird in two seconds, or create an elephant out… Read More Talent That Skips Generations

Here are two very different videos from our activities of the week. Matan had the culmination of his month of initiation into Bnei Akiva on Saturday night. The entire yishuv comes out for a show put on by all of the kids in their various units. Matan’s group was surprisingly good! Josh took this video… Read More Dancing & Scooting with the Sussman Boys

I try my best to keep up with all of the housework and other household maintenance. I’ve got a laundry system, a grocery shopping system, a dirty dishes system, etc. etc. etc. The kids always have something to wear – and our soldier always manages to get back to his base with clean clothes. Yet,… Read More Household Chores & Such

Amichai’s 5th birthday is this week. I think, for the rest of my life, that his birthday will be a benchmark for our Aliyah. I arrived in Israel with Nefesh B’Nefesh five months pregnant with Amichai. I look back on that experience and marvel at how daring we were (at least in my opinion) when… Read More

I remember the first day that I sent Matan to daycare. He was three months old, and I couldn’t believe that I had to ask someone else how much he had had to drink, when he had napped, and if he had smiled. How could I not be monitoring those things myself all day long?… Read More Growing Up, Bnei Akiva Style

Today, Josh and I had a lot of errands to run, and then I dropped him at work. Since I was in the neighborhood….I couldn’t pass up the chance to drop into my favorite clothing store. While I was on maternity leave over a year ago, Zeli and I discovered Mekimi and went there a… Read More Give that Lady a Raise!

(Matan and his Ark. Notice the black eye on his left eye…an accident with a mean light post.) Matan loves, and I mean LOVES, building things. A few weeks ago, before Sukkot, they had a competition in his school to see who could build the most creative Sukkah. He spent hours building two sukkot –… Read More The Rising Architect

(Matan and his Ark. Notice the black eye on his left eye…an accident with a mean light post.) Matan loves, and I mean LOVES, building things. A few weeks ago, before Sukkot, they had a competition in his school to see who could build the most creative Sukkah. He spent hours building two sukkot –… Read More The Rising Architect

Stella and Romi on Purim I am often amazed when I look around at the coincidences in my life. Whether you want to call it Hashem working, or coincidence, or the cosmic way of the world…it’s really quite amazing for me to look at my life in Israel and the people who have joined me… Read More Friends At My Door