by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 14, 2022 | Education, Parenting, Shabbat, Va'etchanan
I’ll admit it. I like sleeping in on Shabbat. So when my precious ten-year-old son began nudging my shoulder at 6:00 AM on Saturday morning, I was tempted to roll over and hide under the blankets. But I didn’t. Being a parent is not a nine-to-five job, it is 24/7 and...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 20, 2022 | Community, Covenant, Kindness and Compassion, Parenting, Pinchas
My children are growing up. Long gone are the hectic mornings of breakfast cereal and desperately packing school lunches. My older son, now grown and living on his own, has inherited the habit of drinking a big cup of coffee (or two) before tackling his day. Though he...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 19, 2022 | Parenting, Toldot
Father’s Day is a delightful blend of a secular and religious holiday, combining consumerism with the Biblical mandate to “Honor thy father.” But is it artificially amplified? Are fathers really that important? Mothers are clearly necessary to raise a baby, but the...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 15, 2022 | Beha'alotcha, Marriage and Relationships, Parenting
Whenever I get into theological discussions with clergy of any faith, I always make the claim that God created man, and remains involved in our lives, because of our children. Though it may not be the final word in any religious debate, it always draws a few moments...
by Eliyahu Berkowitz | f 12, 2021 | Parenting, Vayechi
The Torah portion of Vayechi (Genesis 47:28–50:26) tells of the end of Jacob’s life. He lives the last 17 years of his life in Egypt. When he is about to leave the world, Joseph brings his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, to his father to be blessed. As part of the...
by Rabbi Tuly Weisz | f 5, 2021 | Israel, Light Unto the Nations, Parenting, Toldot
After years of infertility and countless heartfelt prayers, Rebecca finally conceives. As grateful as she must have been for being blessed with carrying a child, she finds the pains of pregnancy difficult to bear and goes to inquire of God as to why she is suffering...
