Halloween is one of my favorite childhood holidays (aside from the eight days of Hanukah), and even to this day, the best part remains my guiltless binge on bite-size candy bars. Even though I don’t dress up like a scary witch with frizzy black hair anymore, at least not on purpose, I still like to welcome the full harvest moon with much spirit. (more…)
As far as careers go, I never could be an elementary schoolteacher. I just don’t have the patience, nor do I have any desire to inspire on a daily basis an overheated classroom of nearly two dozen rambunctious children, many whom use their sleeves to wipe their runny noses. If I never do another mitzvah again, at least I can say that I have proudly dedicated many hours as a tireless Room Mom for the past decade and still counting.
Thank God for teachers, at least the good ones, because they stimulate thinking and motivate young people to learn. In Judaism, parents and teachers are one in the same, and education goes way beyond the classroom. (more…)
Like so many families whose kids are involved in multiple sports and activities, the soccer field has become my home away from home lately. In fact, I relax in my nylon stadium chair more often than my leather couch at home. A typical Saturday morning soccer game starts out this way: First, I pull the heavy, collapsible contraptions out of the drawstring bags and unfold each one like a magician setting up for a magic show. Secondly, I play musical lawn chairs until everyone enjoys an unobstructed view of the upcoming action. Next, I grab bottled waters from the cooler and arrange a beverage in each empty cup holder. Then, I serve hungry fans handfuls of sunflower seeds, even though we just gobbled chocolate donuts for breakfast. Finally, by half time, I plop myself down and ask, “What’s the score?” (more…)
In the Hebrew month, Tishrei, the season of renewal is not complete without Simchat Torah, which means “Rejoicing the Torah.” This celebration marks the completion of the annual cycle of weekly Torah portions, which is actually five books in one. The Five Books of Moses—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy—teach us how Moses received the Torah on Mount Sinai.
On Simchat Torah, we read the last Torah portion in Deuteronomy, then roll back to the Creation Story in Genesis, which reminds us that the Torah is a circle and never ends. (more…)