Rich And Sweet
I stood there on the steps, rather stunned. I couldn’t believe he was serious; surely this was just a chocolate-obtaining-method of flattery. But I sure wasn’t taking a chance.
Thoughts On Synagogue Terror
I am naive, but only in an optimistic sense, seeing the good in the world like only a 20-year old can.
Twisted Media: The Skinny Truth
I’m going to tell you something that the media doesn’t want you to know. The image of the perfect woman they promote as healthy - That’s not actually that healthy. I mean, we all want to look good and feel good, but the body image that the media shows today is truly horrible.
It All Comes Out In The Wash
This past Friday it was finally almost official. It was going to happen. Be’ezras Hashem.
Audiologist in Training Writes
It's time for finals and I've been studying hard for all of my exams. My favorite class this semester was audiology, and studying more about the field has solidified my decision to pursue audiology as a career.
New Jersey Connects To Nitzan
He wondered what it was like to live in Israel, to be religious.
Kashrut – More Than Just A Symbol On A Box
When I walk in to the grocery store it is second nature for me to just check to make sure that that bag of chips or that cookie has an OU or other kosher symbol on it. To many Jews, it is just something that they do, and it usually is like that for me. But when this question was asked, I thought deeper. I began to think about how this label gives me a sense of community; and as I made that connection, I thought of our rich heritage, and once that relationship was made I thought about our homeland – Israel.
Being Healthy – Inside And Out
I passionately believe that focusing on healthy habits for people of all sizes is so much more important than focusing on weight loss.
All that You Do
Dear Hashem,
I am writing to you because I am very confused. I am going through a hard time in my life right now. Over the last few years, there have been many times that I’ve felt my world was crashing down. I’ve felt a lot of pain and distress lately. Therefore, I am asking You why have You done this? What did I do to deserve some of the things that occur in my life?
Subway In Action
I take my usual spot
the one by the door
and I let out a sigh cuz
I’ve seen this scene before.
Auschwitz-Birkenau: A Merger Of Silence And Speech
As I powerfully belted out the song, Ani Maamin B’emunah Sheleima – which means “I believe in God with full faith” – a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Up And Down The East Coast On Torah Tours
Some of the thoughts we generally associate with Shavuot relate to the tradition of learning Torah all night or the almost overwhelming amount of dairy food that is consumed over the course of the two-day holiday. It has become a routine, something we do every year as the weather starts turning warmer and our Sefirat HaOmer calendars come to an end.
A Life Of Music
“I was so inspired by the beautiful lessons I learned and by the holiness around me that I just couldn't stop writing songs!” she says.
Moriah
King David prayed to give me my destined glory from his palace; his son to mold me into the mountain that everyone faces when they call to our Creator.
The Five Commandments
Whenever I got praised for an achievement, I feel like I should say that half the praise goes to my parents. Although they can get on my nerves, I am really blessed with a mother and father who have molded and shaped me (by any means necessary) to become a successful human being.
Good Bye, Coney Island
Prepare for something that will change the lively atmosphere of Coney Island forever.
Casinos may be coming to your neighborhood! This must be stopped!
Wrapped
I didn’t need that much garlic. After all… how much garlic, exactly, could I put into the chicken without overdoing it?
But something made me leave the white, rounded head on the counter after cracking off a few bulbs, rather than putting it back in the fridge. Maybe I’d need more.
Why Is Music Education Important?
In the hands of a child with talent, passion and persistence, an instrument can change a life.
Say What?
It was September 25, 2006. Tammy, an oblivious, petite, third grader lay in bed, counting her stationary collection, when she decided she needed a drink. As she descended the staircase, she was surprised to see her mother dressed in this bubby-like gown.
‘Hair’ Today, Gone Tomorrow
“Nechama Gitty Shapiro is leaving,” said the secretary, poking her head into the classroom. My classmates all turned towards me and whispered, “Where are you going?”
My First V-E Day Without Grandpa
Nearly half a million of them fought in Red Army uniforms, under communist slogans but with a personal vengeance that was solely the result of Jewish experience. More than the “Greatest Generation,” they were the living superheroes hidden in plain sight.
The Match That Set The World Ablaze
Watching people a few hundred feet up in the air, walking or bicycling on a string has always astonished me. Regardless of the science behind it (using a long pole as a means of forcing one's center of gravity onto the string) does nothing to subtract from the magnificence of the act.
What is Calling Me?
When I was fourteen years old I understood that I might never return to Moscow and live at home with my parents. While I had lived the bulk of my life in Moscow, at the start of high school I was going to assimilate into the American system of education and the world of American teenageism. I was excited.
Reality Threat
The following is a partial list of things I always knew I would never be good at:
1) Math
2) Creative writing
3) Jewish outreach
4) Playing with children
Turning Toward Teshuva
Is a missed opportunity to do a mitzvah considered a sin?
The Intruder
My sister went to take a shower. I really didn’t appreciate being alone. As I waited for my turn to shower, I suddenly heard voices coming from my parents' bedroom, down the dark hallway.
A Trip Through History
A week- seven days. That’s how long I spent in the dustbin of Jewish History that is Poland. I went there to learn about, and to see first hand, the country that housed the absolute horrors of the Holocaust, but I also went to see the places that had once housed such rich Jewish life. As such the trip focused, in my opinion, on three aspects of Jewish life in Poland: pre-war, the Holocaust years and then post-war.
Treasure
Miri was a special child.
I didn’t know that at first. She had thick, dark hair, round face, and a slow smile. “I’m six,” she said.
But then I learned what it felt like when Miri wrapped her arms around you and hugged. Her face upturned, that slow smile spreading across it. Reaching her eyes, that would grow, and grow and grow, liquid ovals of brown above cheeks tinged deep pink.
Therapy? Straight Talk For Teens
Believe it or not, some schools actually have therapists or guidance counselors on staff.
While The Rabbi Slept
Every moment was a gift. I held each one, savoring.