Tazria-Metzora Leviticus 12:1–15:33 II Kings 7:3–20 Right now we are in a period of time on the Jewish calendar called the Omer, when we are instructed to count our days. In our agricultural cycle, this 49-day period between Passover and Shavuot marks the start of the barley harvest. In our spiritual cycle, it marks the…
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Kids & Family
Israel at 70
This beautiful, messy country … my Israel
Sticky arms and face from three popsicles too many. Dirty feet from running around barefoot in orange orchards. Hair wild from dipping in and out of the…
Health
How did Israel become the ADHD capital of the world?
Has Israel become ground zero for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder? That question was on my mind as I left my San Anselmo home and flew to Tel…
Israel at 70
A proud love letter to an imperfect land
I’m a Zionist. I come from a family in which loving Israel was second nature. San Francisco is my lifelong home, and I truly love living here. But every…
Yom HaShoah
Holocaust survivors are dwindling, but their children are just getting started
The generation of Holocaust survivors may be passing, but thanks to a just-launched initiative in San Francisco, their testimonies will live on through…
Parenting
The games people play — and the ones my 5-year-old inflicts on them
Games have always been a big part of my relationship with my husband. When we were in college, we played endless hands of gin rummy, and we kept an…
Israel at 70
I was 3 when we left the sorrow of Poland to run free in Haifa
I was 3 years old in 1957 when I left Poland for a new life in Israel with my devastated mother. Her parents and three siblings were murdered in the…
Yom HaAtzmaut
Party like it’s 1948 at these Bay Area Israel Independence Day events
To commemorate Israel’s 70th birthday, Jews and friends of the Jewish state all over the world are gearing up to party. From a Rube Goldberg machine…
Jewish Life
Death in the Bay: weeklong series invites you to 'Reimagine End of Life'
“It’s a weird thing to say: ‘Judaism, we do death well,’ ” said Emanu-El Rabbi Sydney Mintz. “It’s not a great tagline, but it’s true.” That’s one reason…