Aviva Kadosh, who serves the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Los Angeles (BJE) as a specialist in religious schools and Hebrew-language programs, has been an educator for 34 years.
First comes love, then comes marriage. But when baby makes three, an interfaith couple has to face hard decisions about their child\’s religious upbringing.
As time runs out on both Bill Clinton and Ehud Barak, it appears highly unlikely that an enduring and comprehensive agreement in the Middle East will be achieved.
Unworthiness is not a quality that carries positive connotations. It\’s usually thought of as a state to be overcome, or a situation to be avoided. Perhaps, though, it has a redeeming feature. Perhaps feelings of unworthiness should actually be reveled in and appreciated — at least sometimes.
From the introduction of Davis\’ book \”Whose Bar/Bat Mitzvah is it Anyway?\” \”You know the joke about how the child is supposed to say \’Today I am a man\’?\” Sandra asks. \”Yes.\” I nod tentatively. \”Well, for me it\’s going to be \’Today I am a basket case!\’\” she says, eyes welling with tears.
Children often are pestered by well-meaning adults. I remember as a child having my cheeks pinched, or, even worse, my ear lobe pulled by some sweet elderly lady. Recounting this experience at one of my evening classes, one student seriously asked me, \”Rabbi, did she pull down or pull up?\”
Religious discrimination in the workplace may be less of a problem for Jews than for other religious minorities, according to a new nationwide study.
\”Don\’t wish for fish, fish for fish.\” These words of sage advice were taught to me by my Grandpa Manny. He was a man of action. He was filled with exuberance for life with a twinkle in his eye and a word of encouragement and inspiration for everyone.
The grocery store used to be a painful place for my 10-year-old son. He has trouble making decisions when there are too many choices. Hence, when in search of an after-school snack, Ralph\’s became his private, post-modern, market-driven hell. \”Okay Aaron, what\’s it gonna be?\” I\’d ask, with the largess of a dad secure in the knowledge he can afford anything in the store.
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