The simple answer is, “No one.” It has been many years since there was one spokesman like Moses. Even King David had a counterpart in the prophet Nathan. So, while I am aware that columnists do not get to pick the titles of their pieces in newspapers, the heading of William Galston’s piece in the …
Who Speaks for the Jews? Read More »
I am 32 and married 3 years ago. My husband and I do not like children and thus we choose to be childless. Is that okay? Jia Mun Dear Jia Mun, We aren’t sure what ‘okay’ means and we know almost nothing about you and your husband. From the fact that you wrote asking us,...
If you’ve never seen the delightful 1950 movie in which Jimmy Stewart plays Elwood P. Dowd whose friend is a six-foot invisible rabbit eponymously named Harvey, you might enjoy it. I too have an invisible friend, though I don’t know how tall he is because he is, well, invisible! He happens to be a highly...
In observant Jewish households, Saturday night brings more breaking news than other nights of the week. The reason is simple. Since we turn off phones, computers and other technology as the sun sets on Friday night and Shabbat begins, we are out of touch with the greater world for 25 hours. This past Saturday night …
Tree of Life Shooting Read More »
When looking for books for my children, I used to peruse the Newbery Honor books (and, yes, until I started writing this piece, I thought it was Newberry). Since I care about morals as well as language, I admit to favoring books that were chosen for the award in earlier decades. With that in mind,...
When you eat only kosher food, as our family does, traveling has an added element of uncertainty. Will there be a kosher market or restaurant? What will the quality be? We are grateful that in the United States many national brands of crackers and other items are kosher and fruits and vegetable are easily accessible....
I thank you for all the sound advice you give. I enjoy your teachings because of all of the insights. It helps me to see why I sometimes make the wrong decisions and how to make improvements. I need your advice because I am about to make changes in my lifestyle. I have to make...
Can you identify these four short excerpts? Each is found in the opening paragraph of a popular book. “He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck…” “His left arm was...
In addition to what I recently wrote, Sarah Mackenzie makes another important point in her book, The Read-Aloud Family. When we read to older children we expand their vocabulary. While a child might get frustrated reading a book too much above his or her comfortable reading level, children begin to decipher unfamiliar words in context...
One of the greatest blessings of homeschooling is time. Not having to rush out of the house in the morning or spend time on homework in the evening puts you in control (as much as possible) of your family’s hours. You gain all those hours that are otherwise spent on parent/teacher nights and working on...
