I’ve been around the 12-step block for a while, and one thing I’ve heard more times than I can count is how an “attitude of gratitude” makes all the difference. If I feel grateful, then I’m focusing on the good, instead of what’s lacking in my life. An attitude of gratitude ensures that I […]

So, here we are in our new apartment in Cherry Hill. I am blissfully happy, fully aware that yes, I do live in New Jersey. Our move went off basically without a hitch, thanks to my husband’s and my brother-in-law Shloimie’s muscle. Yonah is thrilled with his “new ‘patment” and has already marked his […]

In the orthodox world, widows, widowers and divorcees are encouraged to get back on the bandwagon quickly — as it says, “It is not good for man to be alone”. The Ortho dating pool is filled with freshly single folk ready for a second (or even a third) go-round, and it isn’t unusual for […]

So why did we choose Akiva?

First of all, in my humble opinion, it’s a beautiful name. Luckily enough, Rabbi Akiva ben Yosef, my son’s namesake, also happened to be The eminent Torah scholar of all Jewish History. A story I heard about him a few years ago is actually one of the things […]

Who’d have thought it? Here I am, living out a dream in one of the most beautiful places the world, and yet I found myself overcome with a wave of homesickness today.

I was chatting on Skype with my sister Shira, who was telling me that it’s already getting cold in Boston. Despite my […]

The craziness of the past two weeks–rushing to find a new place, jumping into school, mountain-climbing on a regular basis- caught up with me around noon today, and I hit a major wall. I could barely keep my eyes open, which was a little awkward since I was sitting in the front row of […]

America is a country obsessed with health and fitness. On every block you’ll find a gym of one sort or another, and all the weekly trash mags are constantly touting the latest health craze (”The Stairmaster Colon Cleanse!”, “Arctic Yoga: Build an Igloo and Strengthen your Heart Chakra!”). But I’ll tell you something: even […]

Quite a bit has changed in my life since last I wrote. After losing my mother to cancer three months ago, I was given the opportunity to reevaluate my life and look hard at the things I wanted. Having carried the dream of living and learning in Israel for over five years, I realized […]