Menu   

A Bisl Torah

Lessons from Putt Putt


Our family spent a morning playing Putt Putt. As someone with little patience during any kind of game, I am not an avid player. Unsure of whether it’s a universal rule, I was happy to learn that we’d have a limit of five turns per player before we moved to the next hole.

Read this post

Locked In


This week I finally have three kids under one roof. It feels as if summer can officially begin. As the three reunited, they ran outside to color the sidewalk with an array of chalk.

Read this post

Mother Guilt


Our children are at sleepaway camp. So far, we haven’t received any letters in the mail. I sent each kid with pre-addressed, pre-stamped postcards. And each day, my husband and I visit the mailbox and stare at its empty container, a reminder that most likely, those letters aren’t coming our way.

Read this post

The Curvy Bridge


I have a deep fear of bridges. More accurately, I’m scared of bridges that stand looming over large pools of water or busy highways. And in order to not extend my anxiety to the driver while I noisily breathe in and out, I request they drive as close to the middle barrier as possible (away from the ledge) and keep my eyes focused forward. Purely focusing on the end of the bridge.

Read this post

A Summer Rain


Growing up in California, I can say with some expertise that heavy rain is pretty infrequent. And when that rain arrives, the “storm” usually shows up in the fall or winter months. But a summer shower is something I rarely see.

Read this post

Outside Our Door


My morning ritual involves 15 minutes of uninterrupted coffee drinking, scrolling through emails and reading the news. On Wednesday morning, a few congregants had already reached out, asking me to check our front doorstep. Apparently, within the blocks surrounding Sinai Temple were strewn packages of hate mail. Ziplock bags blaming Jews for evil within the world and the use of typical antisemitic phrases and slurs. Our security is aware of this action and took appropriate steps to report such behavior.

Read this post

Receiving


The Gottman Institute, an organization dedicated to the repairing and rebuilding of relationships, is known for “Love Maps.” Through a couple’s journey, each partner is encouraged to engage in a love map. A love map identifies the priorities, interests, dreams, and aspirations of each partner. How well did you know each other at the start of the relationship? How well do you know each other now? And a love map, while seemingly designed for couples, can be applied to other relationships. How well do we know the people in our lives? And do we put in the work to understand how they have transformed, who they are today?

Read this post