Parenting
Escaping NYC for more space in Maine — and the best bagel ever
When I was a child, I knew where to find the world’s best bagel: at Mister Bagel, in Portland, Maine. When my parents brought me into the…
First Person
A brutal lesson of perseverance for our kids — and us, too
There’s a critique I once read about the famous “marshmallow test,” in which children were given a marshmallow and told that if they didn’t eat it…
Religion
Orthodox Jews find creative workarounds for b’nai mitzvahs
During the coronavirus pandemic, many bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies in the Bay Area and around the globe are being streamed online, while others have…
Health
How parents of kids with mental health issues are coping
Marla B.’s son suffers from depression and anxiety and has been in therapy since he was 6 or 7. “He was always a challenging child,” she said. “He has the…
Mixed & Matched
How do I tell people that, yes, my kids are Jewish?
Dear Dawn: I keep being told that my kids aren’t Jewish because I am not Jewish. I am sick of hearing this! Any ideas how I can shut people down? I’ve…
Parenting
Our isolation has rekindled my motherly ways — and I like it
I have regressed. I make my son breakfast during the week and bring it to him in his room, where he starts his virtual school day at his desk. I make…
Parenting
Staying at home with two young boys, live streamed drawing time is my savior
Two weeks ago — I believe this timeline is accurate, though time has now lost all meaning — when I went to pick my oldest son up from school, he was…
Passover
Let my people know: this is the first time I’ve had to plan a seder
How long does a seder really have to be? “No, we can’t just say ‘They tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat!’” I tell my daughters. There’s some…
Religion
Coronavirus forces b’nai mitzvah ceremonies online
“It was a little different. It was weird,” 13-year-old Reuben Friedman said of his March 19 bar mitzvah in San Francisco. He did his Torah reading from a…