One New Year’s Eve when I was 6 years old, I stayed up way past my bedtime and, crouched behind the living room door, I looked on as my parents celebrated late into the night with friends. I watched silently as they twirled to the music of Tony Bennett, drank champagne from crystal glasses and…
I grew up in a house where words were the currency by which my brother and I gained recognition. Unlike most of our peers, where parental approval was dished out for things like making the varsity team or getting straight A’s, my dad’s highest form of praise came as a result of the words we…
Passover is my favorite Jewish holiday for the very simple reason that it is the holiday where we are commanded to ask questions. In addition to having the chance to celebrate together with family and friends, it is a time when, as Jews, we cultivate our curiosity by telling the Passover story and by engaging…
By Amy Hirshberg Lederman Ever since I can remember, I have been in a relationship with God. Despite growing up in a family of agnostics, I always believed in, and even felt, the presence of God in my world. My idea of God as a child was that of a Biblical God – all-knowing, omnipotent,…
I watched him care for his wife until she passed away. He was very quiet, not prone to conversation, but always had a shy smile and a comfortable way about him. I didn’t see him much after she died, except when he would head out of his driveway on his 10-speed bike for one of…
I grew up in a home where money was talked about openly and often. Not about how much money my dad made, but about how he invested it so that it would grow for the future. “Most people make money with their hands, but if you’re smart, you’ll learn how to make money with your…
America is big on holidays, especially those that relate to family members. There’s a holiday for mothers in May, a special day for dads in June and a grandparent’s day in September that usually includes a pancake breakfast at preschool. But what inspires these holidays goes beyond a positive earnings statement for Hallmark. The reason…
I entered the classroom of 32 seventh graders at the worst time imaginable – seventh period on a Friday afternoon, the weekend before winter break. I knew the deck was stacked against me. I had been warned by the very enthusiastic teacher who asked me to read my short story as part of her unit…
The night I met my husband was a warm April evening, and the smell of orange blossoms permeated the Tucson air. The date was “arranged” by mutual friends, but I had a lot of doubts about meeting their old college friend, a nice Jewish doctor from Los Angeles. “If he’s such a great guy, why…
I have a confession to make: I am a “cardaholic.” Some people eat when they get stressed. Others shop. Me? I head straight to the card aisle at Walgreens or CVS and wander for hours, searching for the perfect card for my girlfriend’s deceased pet or my daughter’s half-birthday. I buy cards and stash them…
