Growing up in a Modern Orthodox community, I did not encounter open or positive discourse about female sexuality. Besides the quick basics of reproduction covered in biology class, little or no effort was made to ensure that the women in my all-girls high school were familiar with our bodies, in touch with our sexuality, or […]
A Call for Open Conversation on Reproduction and Sexuality Read More »
“Shabbat Morning Groups for Our Children Are Back … this Shabbat!” read the subject line of an email from my synagogue sent a few months ago, in May 2021. After more than 14 months of spending Shabbat mornings at home with my four children, the prospect of going back to shul filled me with excitement—and
Did COVID-19 Change Us, and How? A Study of Four Modern Orthodox Communities Read More »
As I sat down to write this article, I kept coming back to the thought, “What do I have to say about COVID that has not already been said?” The global experience of COVID, and the myriad ways it has affected us individually and communally, have been analyzed and expounded upon by philosophers, politicians, economists,
Disruption Can Be Our Friend Read More »
My mother, z”l, died almost forty years ago; my father, z”l, four years ago. Although, figuratively, there has been a tenfold improvement between then and now in the status of women saying Kaddish, we still have a long way to go Forty years ago, even in the Modern Orthodox community in which I lived at
Women Saying Kaddish: Are We There Yet? Read More »
A few years ago, during Sukkot, I had a conversation that deeply impacted me. After struggling to fit our family into the small sukkah on our Jerusalem terrace, a non-observant relative asked, “I thought women don’t have to do this—why are you inconveniencing yourself and your daughter?” At first taken aback, I eventually replied, “When
The United States Constitution protects parents’ rights to dictate their children’s religious upbringing. But what does a court do when divorced, divorcing, or otherwise unmarried co-parents disagree about the religious upbringing? First, the easy answers: Family courts throughout the country apply a “best interests of the child” standard to custody and child-rearing determinations. Courts assess
Clashing Religious Beliefs, Custody, and the Constitution Read More »
Being a psychologist whose profession is to support others, I, like so many therapists, froze with fear after the October 7th massacre in Israel. Overwhelmed by horror at the suffering of those who were brutally murdered and those taken hostage, I remember that right after the holiday of Simhat Torah I doubted whether I would
Therapists Post-October 7th and the Courage to Be Human Read More »
Previously published by ejewishphilanthropy.com, May 7, 2024. In the days, weeks, and months after October 7th, I was inspired to see how the Jewish people rallied together to support our siblings in Israel. I was added to new group chats every day, coordinating thousands of donations to Israeli soldiers and families. It was beautiful and
After October 7th, Jewish Unity Must Include Queer Jews Read More »
In January 2024, the Jofa and Maharat mission to Israel met with a number of Israeli leaders, including Rabbi Seth Farber, founder and director of ITIM; Sarah Evron, CEO of the Religious Kibbutz Movement; Dr. Michal Prins, a sexual intimacy counselor to religious couples; Sharon Laufer, who identifies fallen women soldiers and prepares them for
Halakhic Considerations Raised by the October 7th War Read More »
The words that follow carry pain—and also seeds of hope. It is about depression and other mental illnesses. It is about the isolation and anguish felt not only by the person with the illness, but by their families as well. And…it is about taking steps to lift these stories out of darkness and shame. It
Opening the Dark Closet of Depression: From Silence to Support Read More »
