“Um, excuse me,” she began, “but aren’t you Yarden Frankl?” Looking around the table at us and our forming giggles, Yarden turned to the eager young girl. “Yeah…” “Oh my gosh!” She exclaimed. “I just knew it. And you’re Stella,” she said, pointing to the other end of the table. “I’m writing an article about… Read More The World Eating Tour and Chance Encounters
I wonder if some cultures have a party, or a ceremony, or something for the day that they nurse their last baby. I could really use one right now. What a strange feeling. When I had Matan, someone came to visit me (with a Starbucks latte – yum!) and told me a beautiful thing about… Read More The End of an Era
It all started yesterday at about 2 pm. Matan got a mysterious phone call asking if we had room to sleep two boys. He answered “yes.” Hmmm….well, ok. Since he had already answered yes, I figured we could scrounge up some sheets and welcome them in for Shabbat. “Um,” I asked Matan, “Who is this… Read More Operation Solomon and a Game of Monopoly
Life is so full of surprises, and today’s surprise took my breath away. While I was on the cancer ward today, I helped a woman about my age to move from the day ward to a bed. She had been sitting with us and she was overcome with the need to lie down. I felt… Read More Singing for a Cure
Should you happen to see me on the street these days and to ask how I’m doing, here is my answer: This is Rivka Frankl. The same Rivka whose mother was told five months ago, as we sat in the oncologist’s office in Jerusalem, that she had inoperable, late stage stomach cancer. The same Rivka… Read More Believing in Miracles
Yes, I’m a broken record. Every year now, for the last three years, I’ve kveled during the Chodesh Irgun ceremonies for B’nei Akiva. For those of you who don’t speak Israeli youth language, this is the month right after the holidays when our kids (from 4th grade and up) start their youth group activities… Read More The Promise of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Looking at this recent picture of my father with my boys, my first reaction made me giggle. “Wow!” I thought to myself, “There are really a lot of them!” In my daily life, I don’t sit back often to reflect on where I am, or where I’ve come from. As I believe most of us… Read More One for the Mantel
Words fail me at the moment…but I feel the need to capture a tiny bit of our activities tonight on paper – or on cyber paper as you will. Yarden started his 12 hour long, one-man bike-athon tonight to raise money for families like his that have been struck by illness. He told us about… Read More Longing for a New Dawn
I’ve been in a diet group for quite awhile, and the leader of the group always talks about how we perceive food. Food, she explains, shouldn’t be used as a reward or as a celebratory focus. Well, sometimes you just have to throw that advice to the wind. Stella loves Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.… Read More The Sweet Taste of Hope
As a teacher, I’ve always impressed upon my students that their actions speak louder than their words. When I became a parent, I made this one of the cornerstones of my parenting. Your actions – not what you say – will reflect who you are and what you want to convey to others. Yarden Frankl’s… Read More Fight like Hell and Ride like the Wind
