Several months ago, I was asked to speak at an event for Hasidah, a Berkeley-based nonprofit that “raises awareness of infertility, connects people to support resources and reduces financial barriers to [fertility] treatment in the Jewish community,” according to its website. I so wish my family had known about this agency’s work when we were…
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Kids & Family
Parenting
Why I let my 7-year-old run to the store on his own
I was baking cookies with my kids on a recent Saturday afternoon, and realized we were low on butter. I handed my 7-year-old son, Nate, a five-dollar…
The Matzo Chronicles
Am I a Galatz from Galaţi? It would be nice to know.
Before genealogy was a thing, I had a thing about genealogy. It started with my best friend Janie H. We were 14 years old, in junior high school. Janie…
Parenting
My grandpa’s story of survival in Ukraine is our story, too
Even though my grandfather Jacob died when I was 24 and it would be another 10 years before I had children, he’s helped me raise our kids. Throughout his…
Mixed & Matched
My mom was Jewish. Can I convert to Judaism?
Dear Dawn: My mom was Jewish and converted to Christianity; my dad was born Christian. They raised me and my siblings Christian. It never fit for me and…
Parenting
My kids do well in public. But at home? That’s another story
We had a good 20 minutes in Yom Kippur services this year. My 3-year-old, Harvey, napped on my husband, then woke up and gazed around with a tired,…
Kids & Family
A working parent’s Yom Kippur apology
Like so many of you, I’m a working mom trying to juggle it all — my kid, my job and, you know, my life. For the High Holidays, I was inspired to write a…
Mixed & Matched
Why I want to take my daughter to the mikvah with me when I convert
Dear Dawn: I married my Jewish husband a decade ago. We agreed to raise our children as Jews and joined a Reform synagogue when our daughter was born.…
Parenting
My daughter started college, and I’m back at Mommy 101
As a new mother, I had a dedicated bookshelf for parenting books. Classics such as “What to Expect the First Year,” “The Womanly Art of…