I was wandering along through the Weihnachtsmarkt[i] in Hamburg, enjoying a Glühwein[ii] and a wurst[iii] when it occurred to me that tonight was the first night of Channukah. Seeing as the active Jewish community in Hamburg only warranted one synagogue, and I hadn’t seen a single menorah in any window, I felt a […]

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When my husband first proposed the idea of traveling to Las Vegas, I met his suggestion with severe apprehension and haughty disdain. As a self-confessing prude, cultural snob, and “fun-hater” (as my husband, Jason, commonly refers to me), a town with the epithet of “Sin City” certainly did not sit high on my list of must-see destinations. Somehow, I was convinced that if I merely set foot in Las Vegas I inadvertently would transform into a pole dancer answering only to the pseudonym of Electra.

The initial recipe came from the Everyday Italian cookbook, but I’ve modified it slightly since I started making it. This is a fast and flavorful Italian meal that I cook a few times a month.

In thinking about my favorite books, I recognize the limits of my attention span these days. I go from perusing my bookshelf and into the children’s room. I hope that I can foster in my own children a love for themselves and a sense of caring and responsibility for humanity. Books are my tools.

Dear Andrew,
I just had my birthday last week and now I’m freaking out. I feel like I’m behind on life!
Is this how “growing up” happens these days? What do you think?

The blasts of the shofar evoke feelings and emotions that otherwise would not have the time nor the space to come out. As I stand in silence, and hear the shrill blast, I am reminded of what is coming. Not of the large meal and countless hours in synagogue, but I am reminded of the opportunity to start anew.

Few subjects in a woman’s life are discussed in such dichotomous terms other than her period. It’s discussed glowingly: it’s the start of her womanhood, a connection to the tides and moon, and something that gives her the ability to create a life. It’s also discussed with frustration and embarrassment: first periods, accidents, and the euphemisms used just to avoid saying “period”: Aunt Flow, my monthly friend, on the rag, shark week.

Every year is a cycle of beginnings and ending, and every year I take stock of what has changed. It seems coincidental that the New Year comes as the seasons change, from summer to fall here in the northern hemisphere, and from winter to spring in the southern hemisphere. The sun sets a little bit earlier, and still-warm days have a feeling of change.

I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer during the summer between my junior and senior years of college. I didn’t even know what my thyroid did when I was diagnosed, and had no idea what treatment I was going to have to endure before I got better.