Visiting Israel with Young Children
My baby, Alana, is 25 years old. When she was almost 5, our family visited Israel. This was the children’s first visit. Friends advised us to leave our three young children at home. "They will be bored," "They won’t have anything to eat, "You are wasting your money," they implored. We ignored their entreaties.
Shattered Glass from Carolina to Boston
The sound of glass shattering. Smiles and cheers. That was on Saturday night as Dan and Lauren officially became husband and wife.
"It's Personal": Scenes from Israel on Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut
Galilee Diary: In the Memory Bunker
Monday was Memorial Day for the fallen – in the Israeli army, in the pre-state undergrounds, and in terrorist attacks. It is the day before Yom Ha’atzma’ut (to emphasize the connection), and is observed through ceremonies in schools and other public institutions, cemetery visits, and speeches by politicians. The sense of loss is immediate and inescapable as there is no one who does not have a connection of family, friendship, work, or neighborhood with at least one of the 23,000 fallen.
All of Us Are Boston Marathon Runners
Running the Boston Marathon is a dream of mine. It’s the nation’s oldest marathon, a symbol of endurance in the city of American freedom. Yesterday terrorists turned that symbol and city it into a day of desperation and death. We know how to cope with tragedy. We survived 9/11. But that truth does not help us make sense of it. Running a marathon is not easy. It demands certain qualities of character. Those same qualities can help us today. They give us perspective and coping tools for the days and weeks ahead.
There’s No Cheating in Baseball!
June 19, 1846 – In the first baseball game played under modern rules, the “New York Nine” defeated the New York Knickerbockers at Elysian Fields in Hoboken, N.J., by a score of 23-1.
Women of the Wall: In the Interim
Yesterday I listened to a conference call hosted by the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) about access to the Kotel (Western Wall in Jerusalem).
Overcoming Random Acts of Evil
On Monday, we Americans once again were forced to confront the horrific side of terrorism.
A Different Kind Of Bar Mitzvah: Walking For Autism
Hidden away, they have been waiting for this day. To be used for the purpose for which they had been created. Beautifully, lovingly.
From Sderot to Boston: The Worst and Best of Humanity
I have just returned from the 2013 March of the Living to Poland and Israel. As I write this, the people of the United States are still in shock at the horrific bombing in Boston.