Quarantined in Brooklyn, Surrounded by Faith
I dress for Whole Foods like
someone dressing for war, or like someone with an acute fear of dying. Maybe
I’m...
Motherhood: Am I Doing it Right?
I’m not sure how I’m doing as a mother. I mean, all self-criticism aside, I’m trying to take a step back, have...
Why My Jewish Kids Love their Advent Calendars
I was at Trader Joe’s the other day and bought an advent calendar. For my dog. While this does make me...
Parenting Christmas, Parenting Hanukkah, Parenting Stories, Tu Bishvat, Young Kids
Can We Be Happier Parents?
Author KJ Dell’Antonia with her daughter. Photo credit: Jessica Lahey
I didn’t read any parenting books...
Talking to Children About Events in Pittsburgh and Anti-Semitism
We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor,...
Anti Semitism, Identity, News, Parenting Stories, Young Kids
What Does My Jewish Community Say About Women?
What does my Jewish community say about women? I can’t remember. For all of my time in Yeshiva, all of my holidays...
Parenting High Holy Days, Parenting Stories, Simchat Torah, Yom Kippur
Why We’ll Be the Family in Midwood Without a Sukkah
I think my family never celebrated Sukkot (the Jewish harvest festival that comes after Yom Kippur) because...
Parenting Christmas, Parenting Hanukkah, Parenting Stories, Parenting Sukkot, Yom Kippur
3 Alternatives for Tashlich with Kids
When I was little, my favorite part of the High Holidays (besides the apples dipped in honey, challah dipped...
Parenting High Holy Days, Parenting Stories, Parenting Tashlich
How to Be a Kosher Vegan in an Interfaith Family
Almost two months ago I became a vegan. It’s a long story. I saw some crazy movies about meat and dairy, I...
Is it Time to Leave Our Orthodox Neighborhood?
My neighborhood of Midwood, Brooklyn, is changing and so is my family. It’s not just that new stores have popped...
When Faith Reaches the Border
There is a photo taken by photojournalist John Moore going around the internet of a child watching her mother...
Anti Semitism, Holocaust, Motherhood, News, Parenting Stories, Young Kids
Why Do I Worry My Daughter Won’t Fit In?
I was never a princess. In my favorite childhood photo I have short brown hair and a leather jacket covered...
We Aren’t as Different as My Neighbors Think
I grew up in an Orthodox community in Midwood, Brooklyn. My mother still lives there and I live three blocks...
I Was the Loca Lady at My Baby’s Naming
Photo By Lizzy Sullivan
I never thought that I would be the crazy lady in synagogue. You know the one: She sits...
Top 5 Things to Know About Jewish Day Camp
You’re starting to think about summertime and what on earth you’re going to do with the kids for two plus months—err—we...
Helen Fell on Her Head and I Prayed to Jesus, Sort of
Helen fell on her head. In case I didn’t think I deserved the “worst mother award” before, I pretty much bolted...
My Jewish-American, Mexican-Catholic Daughter Speaks with a British Accent…and It’s All My Fault
There have been a few changes in our home life since Adrian and I welcomed our newest edition, Alma, to the...
The First Hero
2017-2018 Rising Voices Fellow Emma Mair with her parents at her bat mitzvah in 2013
On my parents’ first date...
Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Growing Up Interfaith, Parenting Stories, Parenting Successes
1 Family, 4 New Year Celebrations, 0 Resolutions
By Jessica Melwani
Today, my family is ringing in the New Year for the fourth time in 2017.
In January, we...
Helen Turns 2 in English, Spanish and Hebrew
I can’t believe my first baby girl is already 2! In the beginning of this journey into parenthood I can remember...
One of These Things is Not Like the Other
Making friends as a grown-up isn’t always easy. When I look at my “mom” friends, we’re...
How to Rebuild on Yom Kippur
A few weeks ago my family had a hard day. It seemed that both my Jewish and my husband’s Mexican/Catholic faith...
The Unraveling of Tradition
This year’s Rosh Hashanah became the beginning of a challenging New Year. Approaching the middle of my third...
Why I Never Visit My Father’s Grave
Numbers are a big deal in Judaism. Hebrew is an ancient language, but numerology is hidden in every letter of...
Death & Mourning, Death & Mourning Stories, Parenting Stories
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