Abraham Lincoln is often remembered as the president that ended slavery in the United States and is lesser known for his kindness towards Jews and the friendships he forged with them. Lincoln’s senate portrait was taken by a Jewish photographer, and he supported Jews in their endeavor to work as army chaplains and military officers. One of Lincoln’s close friends was an Orthodox Jew, Abraham Jonas. Jonas and Lincoln most likely met while Jonas was serving in the […]

There’s a little game I’ve been playing with my children since they were old enough to speak. It’s a way to build up their self-esteem while simultaneously teaching them where we derive self-worth from in Judaism. This is how it goes: Me: Who made you so smart? My kid: Hashem (which literally means the name, but […]

Jonah Hill is in hot water again. We discussed him at length several months ago when his dumpster fire movie You People came out. Over the weekend, his ex-girlfriend, Sarah Brady, a surfer, started sharing troubling texts he sent her while they were dating last year. She accused Hill of “emotional abuse” in a collection […]

Chesed is a cornerstone of Jewish life. We encourage our children to do acts of kindness and expect the same of ourselves. Sometimes it can feel like we are going through the motions or are not really sure what the end goal is. But the word natan, to give, is a palindrome, spelled the same […]

“Ma, I’m really not looking forward to school this year.” It’s a sentiment so many parents can relate to as summer vacation ends and the school year begins anew. This one in particular came from one of my kids about their apprehension at starting again. Honestly, it’s a feeling I can relate to. As we […]

There is hardly anything more universal than the desire to love and be loved. It doesn’t matter what country you live in, what religion you are or what family you come from — love unites us all. One thing we’ll never tire of reading is a great love story. Everyone wants to know how the […]