The Clock Is Ticking

Posted on: July 8th, 2009

The other day, while schmoozing with a friend, the conversation (as chats often do) turned to food. My friend talked about a delicious dish she had eaten as a guest during Shavuot. She mentioned how she planned to replicate it in her kitchen, but hadn't gotten around to it yet.

E-Mail This – Or Else?

Posted on: June 24th, 2009

Like most people on this planet whose abodes are wired to electricity, I have a computer and go online. It is amazing to me that information on any subject or on any matter can be instantly retrieved with a few clicks of a mouse.

Do You Know What Time It Is?

Posted on: June 10th, 2009

Human nature is such that we tend to procrastinate the attainment of important milestones and goals, such as an education or a shidduch. This is so because we delude ourselves into thinking that we have all the time in the world.

Protecting Our Children

Posted on: May 27th, 2009

I wait at the airport for the arrival of my youngest son, along with his wife and baby. Upon arrival, they will rent a car and make their way in an unfamiliar city to his oldest brother's house.

The Holocaust Grandchild

Posted on: May 6th, 2009

My mother's recent yahrzeit after Pesach, coupled with Yom HaZikaron and recent Yom Tovim and Shabbatot spent with my children and grandchildren, has cemented my belief that I was robbed of a major life asset - my grandparents. While I knew that having them was a life-enhancing relationship, I didn't truly comprehend it until I became one.

Irena’s Vow Offers Hope

Posted on: April 22nd, 2009

Over the years, I have been to many, many theatrical productions, most in Toronto, some in Israel and of course, in New York - on Broadway, off-Broadway, and even off-off Broadway. At times I have been entertained, amused, moved, and educated by what I have seen ( and on the negative side, sometimes bored or disgusted or angered) but I don't think that I have ever been imbued with a much needed sense of hope.

Warning: Arrogance May Be Bad For Your Health

Posted on: March 18th, 2009

I know Purim is over, but Megillat Esther is so rich with lessons on how people should live their lives - along with the consequences of not doing so - that I wish to share one of the many wisdoms that I have gleaned from reading it. I believe that the world wouldn't be in the mess it is in - economically, socially and spiritually - if people would only open their eyes to the megillah's masterful insights on how to behave.

Warning: Hating Jews May Be Hazardous To Your Health

Posted on: March 4th, 2009

In many countries around the world it is required by law to put warning labels on products, activities or places that can cause injury or death. Thus the labels of many medications and foods or items, such as cigarettes and alcoholic beverages, contain strong warnings on them saying that they are harmful. Likewise beaches that are unsafe to swim in due to a strong current, lack of a lifeguard, or high bacterial count also have signs posted cautioning people not to go swimming. Hospital rooms that contain radioactive products have signs warning about entering.

The Lament Of The Unborn Children

Posted on: February 11th, 2009

I wrote a version of the poem below many years ago, before the term "shidduch crisis" came into vogue.

Can Too Much ‘Pressure’ Turn You Into An Ostrich?

Posted on: January 28th, 2009

In my case, the answer to the above question is, "Yes, too much pressure (in my case blood pressure) led me to indulge in not so smart (actually stupid) "avoidance" behavior.

A Prayer For Eretz Yisrael

Posted on: January 14th, 2009

For me, the moments before sundown every Friday evening are like a "mini" Yom Kipper.

A Mother’s Lament

Posted on: December 17th, 2008

I recently became a bubbe again with the birth of a granddaughter, Kayla Elisheva.

Beware Of Becoming Gimpel The Fool

Posted on: December 3rd, 2008

I recently had the good fortune to be able to attend a musical in New York City that was entirely in Yiddish, a presentation of the National Yiddish Theatre Folks­biene.

The Light After The Dark

Posted on: November 19th, 2008

Many of us, especially those who are in mid-life, have weathered certain "storms" in our lives - some easier to cope with and "get over" than others.

The Power Of Words

Posted on: November 5th, 2008

The first half of the following poem is loosely based on a true situation as shared with me by a very close friend whose family "culture" was to "good- naturedly" tease one another or make gentle fun of each other's looks and actions.

Bubby? Who Me?

Posted on: October 22nd, 2008

When my oldest grandchild, Penina Bracha, was born three years ago on Yom Kippur, the fact that there was now a third generation in the family - two after me, didn't really have any major impact on how I viewed myself.

Al Chait… (For The Sin…)

Posted on: October 8th, 2008

Every year as we sit in shul during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we make a chesbon nefesh - a reckoning of our actions and reactions.

It’s How You Look At It

Posted on: September 24th, 2008

It's hard to believe Rosh Hashanah is just days away. It seems like we were just putting away our Pesach dishes and hoping that the looming summer months would not be too unbearably hot and humid.

Going Back To The Old Ways

Posted on: September 10th, 2008

According to the Talmud (Ta'anit 30b-31a), on the 15th of Av unmarried girls would dress in plain white clothing, so that those from wealthy families could not be distinguished from the poorer ones.

Going Back To The Old Ways

Posted on: September 10th, 2008

According to the Talmud (Ta'anit 30b-31a), on the 15th of Av unmarried girls would dress in plain white clothing, so that those from wealthy families could not be distinguished from the poorer ones.