This afternoon, Yonah and I took the bus over to Nachlaot to pick Shuie up from school. I had been to some areas of the neighborhood before, like Machane Yehuda, the big outdoor market that sells everything under the sun. Other sections I had never seen until today. Nachlaot is a maze of stone alleyways […]

This afternoon I traveled to Kever Rachel, Rachel’s tomb. The trip there was relatively quick, only about 20 minutes, and it flew by while one of our teachers, Menucha, gave us some history about the site and shared with us a story about the merit of our foremother, Rachel. It is interesting to note that […]

Rosh Hashana, the beginning of the Jewish New Year, has come and gone here in Israel. As I wrote previously, Rosh Hashana is a holiday that centers around connecting with Gd. By coronating Gd “Our Father, Our King” (and overlooking any controversy those specific words may stir up), I am reminded that Gd is at […]

I am resurfacing from the maelstrom of cooking going on in my kitchen to sit down for a well-deserved break. So far we’ve got 3 kugels and a bean salad down; we’ll see how much energy I have left before my body calls it quits. Picking Yonah up from Rivka’s today, I noticed that his […]

Maybe it’s just me, but Jerusalem has always had a mythical quality. Maybe it’s the history of it, or maybe it’s just how beloved it is for people all over the world. That’s why it sometimes catches me off guard when I remember that Jerusalem is also just a city, like any city in the […]

Yonah has been sick the past two days, which means Mommy had to play hooky from school. Nothing serious, thank Gd, just a runny nose and slight fever (I’m putting my money on some new teeth brewing). Being stuck in the house is not something I do well, and was probably a big contributor to […]

Last night, I sat on my living room couch with a question flashing across my brain as bright as neon: “What did I DO?!” Ladies and gentlemen, I am officially having buyer’s remorse. For those of you who don’t know, buyer’s remorse is the feeling of regret or panic after making a major purchase–a house, […]

In the age of Obama’s health care reform, many Americans think that greener pastures lie beyond our nation’s borders. Other countries look like health insurance utopias. Let me tell you something, Americans: Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Getting insurance in Israel, as a tourist, can be very tricky business. Unless you’re planning […]

Our second Shabbat here in Jerusalem has come and gone. Last night we had a fun dinner at our friends’, Judah and Ariella Katz, and for lunch today we hosted our first Shabbat guests: my bro-in-law Shloimie and three of his friends from Yeshiva. Growing up a Conservative Jew, I never got to mix much with […]

Okay. I know it’s been almost a year and a half since my last post, but I’ve been a little busy having a baby. Although playing Mommy to baby Yonah can be exhausting, I have never been more exhilarated or inspired in my life. I am so lucky to spend every day with my […]