Parenting

Aviv’s Bar Mitzvah

March 25, 2011

It’s been an incredible few weeks around Aviv’s bar mitzvah. Family came in from overseas, we had a slew of great activities (from a lovely walk in the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens to a treasure hunt in the Old City – more on that in an upcoming post) all leading up to the big day. The […]

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The Pause that Refreshes?

March 23, 2011

Purim in Jerusalem…and all the restaurants are booked solid. That didn’t stop our party of 11 from joining the merrymaking mosaic of Israeli society out to celebrate the defeat of the evil Haman some 2,000 years ago. My wife Jody had the foresight to reserve a table at the uber-popular Caffit café far in advance. […]

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War Over the Airwaves in Eilat

December 16, 2010

In 1947, the U.N. partition plan designated the sleepy port of Eilat as the southernmost tip of the new Jewish state. It wasn’t until the final days of the War of Independence, however, when Israel took control of the town in an operation that surprised the small platoon of Jordanian troops stationed in mud huts […]

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The Jody Blum Culinary Institute

September 28, 2010

Growing up, my mother refused to let my brother and me into the kitchen. While this created a carefree cooking-neutral childhood, it hasn’t served me so well as an adult. Whenever my wife Jody goes away – whether for an evening activity or an overseas trip – I slip into panic mode. Tackling menus terrifies […]

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Turning 50

September 8, 2010

“Today I become a man.” That’s a declaration more commonly associated with a bar mitzvah boy but, as I turn 50 today, I feel I am passing a milestone even more auspicious. For what does one really know about being a grownup at a mere 13? Perhaps, once upon a time, that was closer to […]

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Memorial for Walter Blum – Oseh Shalom

June 23, 2010

(מן התפילה) This is the eighth and final post in the series from the memorial for my father, Walter Blum, who passed away last year. The event mixed music and humanistic interpretations of Jewish texts to try to share what my father was like and what he was passionate about. The verses to this final […]

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Anglo Community in Jerusalem Struck by Tragedy

June 11, 2010

The text message came in early Tuesday morning: “There are no words to express our thoughts and feelings at this time. Our darling daughter Lee Gabriella’s funeral will be at 11:15 PM tonight.” By this time, of course, we already knew – half of Anglo Jerusalem did, whether by email, phone calls, or Facebook status […]

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Memorial for Walter Blum – Ma Gadlu

June 10, 2010

(תהילים צ”ב, ו) This is the seventh in a series of posts from the memorial for my father, Walter Blum, who passed away last year. The event mixed music and humanistic interpretations of Jewish texts to try to share what my father was like and what he was passionate about. Next week I’ll post the […]

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Memorial for Walter Blum – Livnat HaSapir

June 1, 2010

(שמות ×›”ד, ×™) This is the sixth in a series of posts from the memorial for my father, Walter Blum, who passed away last year. The event mixed music and humanistic interpretations of Jewish texts to try to share what my father was like and what he was passionate about. ————————————- I’m going to take […]

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Memorial for Walter Blum – Merav’s Song

May 27, 2010

This is the fifth in a series of posts from the memorial for my father, Walter Blum, who passed away last year. The event mixed music and humanistic interpretations of Jewish texts to try to share what my father was like and what he was passionate about. At the memorial, my daughter Merav played a […]

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