How Tisha B’Av Shows My Kids It’s OK to Experience Loss
A few weeks ago a street lamp collapsed in the empty Jerusalem parking lot my children and I cross through every morning on our way to their preschool. The giant light pole—at least 30 feet… tall—lay strewn across the parking lot, its wooden pole intact but its glass light shattered. I tried to navigate the stroller around the shards and the exposed electrical wires. Although we were not there when the lamp toppled, my kids were very shaken to see how the mighty had fallen, and even now, weeks after… >> Read MoreWhy I Don’t Believe in Chocolate Challah (Or Any Weird Variation)
I’ve got no patience for chocolate challah, chocolate chip challah, pumpkin spice challah, peanut butter challah, apple pie challah, pizza challah, and the myriad other challah mutations popping up… in cyberspace each day. It’s not that they aren’t tasty—I’m prepared to believe that a peanut butter challah can taste good. It’s just that challah needs to be, well, challah. These foods—I’m not quite sure what to call them—have an identity crisis. What are they? Challahs, or some other kind of baked goods—muffins, pie, or… >> Read MoreWhy I Think Tisha B’Av Is the Yoga of Jewish Holidays
So I’m pretty sure Tisha B’Av is the yoga of Jewish holidays. But before I tell you why, I first have to acknowledge that there’s debate in Jewish circles about the compatibility of yoga and… Judaism. I’ve heard arguments that elements of yoga border on idolatry, and I’ve heard other knowledgeable Jews maintain that yoga is a form of exercise, not a religion. I’m one of those Jews who attends yoga classes for the body work, not as a spiritual endeavor, but I do happen to like the closing line… >> Read MoreWhen Mom Is Orthodox & Dad Isn’t, the Kids Have Lots of Questions
On Saturday morning, as I sit on my bed with the fan and air conditioner both blowing on me, fighting to beat back the sweat I built up running on the treadmill, there’s timid knocking at the door.… “Come in,” I say. My little philosopher enters. Her head is down, she might have been crying. She sits down on the bed next to me and starts crying, perhaps for the second time. I put my arm around her neck and hold her head close and let the sobs come. “What is it?” I… >> Read MoreHome Delivery
Get Kveller By Email