Sometimes my son Shimon wakes up in the middle of the night. Usually it’s when he has a cold, but sometimes there’s no reason at all. When that happens, I go to him, give him a bottle, and often stay in his room. Especially because if I leave, he cries. Once I’m there, he wants to play. I tell him it’s time to sleep. I tell him I have work in a few hours and that I’m tired. I tell him I’ll play with him in the morning. None of it works. Then, almost every time, about an hour

When things are going well in my life, there is often a small voice that asks how long it will last. Not only when thinking about my day to day, but also about the safety I feel simply being able to live openly as a Jew. Part of that sense of security comes from growing up in America, where safety was something I rarely questioned. Lately, that feeling has started to shift as acts of hatred toward Jews continue to surface across the world. I still go about my day and I still

As I have written before, I would much rather add than subtract. Because of that, the positive mitzvos feel easier to write about. Still, this mitzvah matters, so here goes. Growing up, idol worship never felt real to me. I remember learning about Terach, the father of Avraham, who owned an idol shop. One day, he left Avraham in charge. Avraham questioned the customers about worshipping statues and discouraged them from buying the idols, pointing out how strange it was to wor

There are moments, especially in group settings, when I tend to get quieter and take a step back. I watch the room instead of being in it. It is not that I feel unwelcome. It is not that anyone is doing anything wrong. It is just a familiar shift into observing rather than participating, and even though it feels natural, it still makes me wonder why it happens. Why is it that with the people I should feel the most comfortable, I feel the most like an outsider? The answer migh

I started baking Parshah themed desserts with my friend over Zoom. We talk about the Parshah first, then decide what to make. This week we chose small cups of ice cream to remind us of the pachim ketanim, the little things Yaakov went back for. That idea of “small things matter” stayed with me when I checked my bank account and saw I was in overdraft. As a tutor, a babysitter, and a home baker, I was shocked. I earn a steady salary, Baruch Hashem, and I barely spend, so the n