Tu BiShvat is a reminder that we spend our lives planting seeds. Time and effort are needed for our efforts to bear fruit. Wait patiently. One day, like the seed, we will be blessed.

I place an unquantifiable value on the Jewish education I received growing up. I attended Hebrew school through the end of high school, was part of a strong Jewish community not unlike the community in Cheers (where everybody knew my name), and still consider

As I took a short walk last week during a break between Yom Kippur services, a memory, both humorous and deeply emotional, flooded my heart.

I realized that my rebellion against fasting began as a teen.

The old adage “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words shall never hurt me” was first recorded in the 1860s and is something parents have since used to soothe their children’s hurt feelings.

In 1975, I was a little girl coming to URJ Camp Harlam,a Jewish sleepaway camp, following in my cousin’s footsteps. I hung on to her for dear life every time we passed each other in camp.

My wife and I got up early, packed our car with trunks, suitcases, plastic drawers, and sleeping bags, and drove our two daughters to Jewish summer camp. Actually, first we stopped outside the gates to wait in line with a hundred or so other cars.

My parents raised my brothers and me to have a strong identity as Reform Jews. We were clear about our Jewish ancestry. We fully embraced our connection to and responsibility toward synagogue life. We appreciated all the rituals we celebrated as a Jewish family. At the same time, though, they taught us to not be afraid of "the other"–those of different races, ethnic backgrounds and, especially, different religions. In fact, our respect and appreciation for the "the other" helped to strengthen our identity as Jews. So when it came time for celebrating Pesach, our seder was a perfect reflection of that philosophy.

For parents of different faiths, December often brings holiday challenges. For divorced parents with joint custody, these challenges can be amplified.

Before we married, my ex-husband and I decided we would have a Jewish home.