I grew up in an authoritarian home in which self-expression in any form was restricted: socially, academically, psychologically, mentally and financially. Not surprisingly, I was taught to be as stringent as humanly possible when it came to being religious. And so I was as “frum” as physically and mentally possible as I made my way […]
Someone once asked how my skullcap stays put on my head. I jokingly replied, “Peer pressure.” Wearing a yarmulke, otherwise known as a skullcap or kippah, 24/7 is something I said I would never do. At a certain point, I had no interest in being identified as a Jew everywhere I went. While I was […]
Throughout my childhood, I spent a good amount of time hopping around to different churches, reading up on meditation and mindfulness, and surfing the web for some kind of answer to life’s most basic question: “Why are we here?” I’d pose this question to my friends and teachers, but I didn’t feel satisfied with anyone’s response. […]
On an early morning hike, sitting here in the valley, surrounded by these rustic large rocks, I feel enveloped in God’s embrace. The early morning sun rises from behind the rocks, warms my back and soothes my heart. My eyes slowly scan the bumps and curves of the rocks looming around me. It’s as if […]
One of my favorite shows from my tween and early teenage years was Blossom. The lead character, for which the show was named, was a smart, slightly nerdy, goody-goody around my age and was played by Jewish actress, Mayim Bialik. (We had loads in common, except for the fact that NBC had already given her a show, and I was […]
Growing up as a child, I had an idyllic life. The oldest of (then) three boys, we were a rambunctious bunch. My mother was nurturing, singing songs to us every night as we tried to fall asleep. My father was super smart. He was a fountain of knowledge on wide range of topics, including the […]
