A Parent in Israel

The Meaning of Bat Mitzvah

October 31, 2005

Our twelve-year-old daughter Merav became bat mitzvah this weekend. It was an amazing event for the whole family. She read the entire Torah portion of Bereshit plus the haftorah, and she gave a stellar drash to boot. Jody and I were shepping nachas big time. I wanted to share with you the talk Merav gave […]

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“I Need to Make”

October 24, 2005

We were in the middle of nowhere, hiking through a flat desert plane between two mountain ridges with nary a bush or significant cluster of rocks located anywhere in close range, when seven-year-old Aviv nonchalantly blurted out:   “I need to make.”   Four words that every parent has heard repeated countless times, in countless […]

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Party of Eight

September 22, 2005

There’s a line in the movie “Risky Business” where the character played by a teenage Tom Cruise decides to throw a party while his parents are away for the weekend. When the folks call to check in on him and hear music and merriment in the background, they confront their son over the phone who […]

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Romantic Dinner…For Three

September 8, 2005

Coming home after vacation is always a bit tough. The time away is filled with adventure, with new things to see and do every day. There’s no school, no need to wake up early. And most of all (if everyone gets along that is) you have plenty of quality time together as a family. That […]

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Facing Our Fears

July 29, 2005

With his older brother and sister gallivanting around California presumably having a grand time on an extended summer vacation with their grandparents, we knew we had to spend some extra quality time with our seven-year-old Aviv who had been “left behind” in Israel. This need was made abundantly clear during a phone call Aviv had […]

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B.U.M.

July 21, 2005

“How did this happen?” seven-year-old Aviv asked suddenly one night.   “How did what happen, sweetie?” my wife Jody replied.   “How did it happen that Amir and Merav get to go to America and I have to stay here,” Aviv pronounced with a mix of confusion and rising consternation.   Meanwhile, thirteen-year-old Amir and […]

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Fast Food, Fast Camping Redux

July 7, 2005

It’s been a year since we arrived at the Jerusalem Scouts Summer Camp woefully empty handed. This summer, we went back with goodies galore…and my new digital camera. In honor of both these enhancements, I am republishing the original story here – complete with photos so you can get a better feeling for the event. […]

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That’s a Nice Robe You Got There

May 26, 2005

 “I need help with my homework,” eleven-year-old Merav announced after dinner the other night. Normally I run as fast as I can from these requests. As an immigrant father, it’s not easy to cope with homework in Hebrew which, while it may be one of Merav’s best subjects, is certainly not mine. “It’s geography,” she […]

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Grueling Tiyuling

May 9, 2005

 It’s been nearly a month since I last posted an update on Merav. The news, thank God, is all good. Our eleven-year-old daughter seems to have recovered completely. No more pain, no fever, no jaundice. Whatever it was – and the doctors never were able to come up with a diagnosis – it seems to […]

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No News is the Best News

April 7, 2005

Merav is out of the hospital and feeling a bit better. That should be cause for celebration. So why do I feel so confused? These past weeks – how many has it been, six already? – have been pure hell. For us and for our extended families. Eleven-year-old Merav has probably been the least affected. […]

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