A Parent in Israel

Drive-in

March 20, 2009

My son is now a driver. Those six words are probably as significant, if not more – at least to him – than becoming a bar mitzvah. When you’re 13, you get counted in a minyan but other than that it’s just another day in 7th grade. But 17…that’s the year you transcend being a […]

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Getting Through the Night

March 13, 2009

It was Purim evening and Jody and I went dancing. It was an exhilarating night out as thousands of revelers, young and old, from around the country, came to shake and bounce and twirl to free form world music until the wee hours of the night at the post-Megillah Boogie Jerusalem annual extravaganza. We stayed […]

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Using Social Media When the News is Bad

March 6, 2009

When my brother called at 7:30 AM, I knew something was wrong. We had already made a plan to speak at 8:00 PM that night to discuss some work we are doing together. What could be so urgent about revising a project plan? Dad had been diagnosed with lymphoma that morning, my brother said. It […]

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“Getting Back in Touch” via Facebook – Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants

February 19, 2009

Lately, my wife Jody and I have spent a lot of time getting in touch with old friends via Facebook. It started when I received a friend request from Larry. Larry and I were best buddies growing up. But after I moved away, we fell out of touch. I’ve looked for him from time to […]

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The Case of the Purloined Ice Cream

February 13, 2009

My wife Jody has been in the States for the last two weeks to celebrate her father’s 70th birthday, leaving me a “single parent” back in Israel. I’m pretty good at handling the day-to-day activities at home, taking care of the kids, keeping the house running. Except in one area. The kitchen. Frankly, I’m a […]

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Unfriended on Facebook

January 30, 2009

I’ve been “unfriended” by my 15-year-old daughter. No, I don’t mean she’s stopped talking to me. But Merav and I are no longer friends on Facebook. The ostensible reason? We grounded her. She accepted her punishment but, in retribution, she blocked me access to her profile. That means no more status updates, no photo albums […]

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Alone Again (Not) Naturally

August 7, 2008

The week didn’t go at all as I expected. When Jody made plans for her and Amir to go to Cleveland for Jody’s grandmother’s 90th birthday at the same time as Merav and Aviv were to be in sleep away camp, I thought: this is great. I get the house all to myself. Peace and […]

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Charted and Set Sail

February 10, 2008

It’s been a year and a half since I reported on our family’s using a “chart” system, described in the column “Charting a New Course.” So, you might be wondering right, how did it go? The short answer: well, there’s good news and bad news. We had two goals when we set up our chart […]

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Snow Patrol

January 28, 2008

When I woke up on the second morning of the biggest snowstorm Jerusalem’s seen for 20 years this week, nine-year-old Aviv was sitting on the couch in his pajamas watching cartoons on the TV. Outside in the courtyard of our apartment complex I could hear the happy squeals of children throwing snowballs, building snowmen and […]

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The Most Wonderful Beautiful Miraculous Thing in the World

January 28, 2008

Aviv had been anxiously awaiting the big day for months now. On his eighth birthday, he knew, he would get to go out with his Imma and Abba for a private dinner where he’d hear about “the most wonderful, beautiful, miraculous thing in the world.” “But what is it?” Aviv would ask my wife Jody […]

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