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Homeshuling

Most sensible Jews (and all left-wing poultry) are opposed to kapparos, the High Holiday tradition of transferring one’s sins to a live chicken by twirling it over one’s head. I agree that it’s a practice that ought to be retired, or at the very least conducted far from news photographers. But, I must admit – I…

This summer I had the chance to meet my number one author crush, Kevin Henkes. He was the keynote speaker at the Summer Institute for the Teaaching of Writing that I attended this summer at Teacher’s College, and while I didn’t have the foresight to come armed with books for him to sign, I did…

Leave it to us Jews to focus on food even on a fast day. Am I the only one who has spent significantly more time this week making plans for the break fast than preparing myself for the real work of the Day of Atonement? If you are lucky, like us, some good friends, or…

The winner of the book is Katherine, who wrote My daughter loves to sing lots of songs. But she insists on Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star most of the time. Whenever we mention stars or spiders. She was selected by random.org, as are all the homeshuling winners. Wish I could post more…

I’m sitting in my kitchen right now, with a pile of cookbooks in front of me. Odd, because I rarely use cookbooks anymore. I almost always go straight to the internet to find my recipes. But, I’m feeling the need to browse. With three days of meals to cook, since Rosh Hashanah and Shabbat are…

When my husband and I got married, I always imagined we would become a musical family. Not a performing musical family, like the Von Trapps, mind you, but a family that sat around and played music together. It was a reasonable assumption. After all, Keith entered the marriage with six accordions, three guitars, a bass,…

What are you doing on the Sunday before Rosh Hashanah? My kids and I will be making kosher sauerkraut and cheese drumming on recycled household items tie dying hiking the Appalachian Trail climbing trees composting watching “veggie puppetry” (whatever that is) wandering the Jewish calendar gardens baking in a solar oven listening to the music…

I teach Kindergarten at a Jewish day school, and although we are affiliated with the Conservative movement, our children come from a wide range of backgrounds. Some come from homes that strongly identify as Jewish, and some come from homes where more than one  -or less than one – religion is practiced. As we began…

Beliefnet bloggers were asked to contribute our memories of 9/11 for a collective piece called “Where were you on 9/11?” My piece can be found there, shortened to 200 words or less. Here’s the original. On 9/11, I was a first grade teacher at a Jewish day school in Western Massachusetts . With no media…

Wondering might be going on for the High Holidays in my neck of the woods? Check out my latest column on the wonderful blog Hilltown Families. You’ll notice I’m leading tot services in Northampton. Maybe I’ll see some of you there? And because I simply can’t resist, the muppet “Shana Tova” video from last year.…
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