In addition to Thanksgiving and Hanukkah coming this week, the Saltzman household is also celebrating the 20th anniversary of an enchanting children’s book written by my mother, Ruth Saltzman. The book, Poppy Bear And the Garden that Overslept, came out in 2001 and was an immediate hit with children, parents and grandparents. In fact, the…
I could honestly write pages on the incredible human being that Rudy Rochman is. Although I am not familiar with Eduard and Noam, I can only imagine they are amazing young men as well. But, as this is a fluid situation, and none of us know what is happening behind the scenes, the families of…
Although the hotter temperatures are just around the corner, we are truly enjoying these cool days as spring begins on March 20. Then, a week later, we will be celebrating the first night of Passover on March 27. It is difficult not to draw some symbolism from these two dates. Spring is associated with new life, and Passover commemorates…
2020 has been a year like no other. We have seen a pandemic, the likes of which the world has not experienced in more than 100 years. We are also experiencing one of the most divisive political and social climates in our nation’s history. Anti-Semitism, racism and unemployment are up, and our economy is tumbling…
At a time when our country feels so divided amid the political climate, COVID-19, protests, economic hardships and now fires, I crave and appreciate kindness. People and relationships that I may have taken for granted are now treasured more than ever. I was in this appreciative mindset when I was even more touched by the kind generosity…
You have probably noticed how much has been written about people’s generosity during these challenging COVID-19 times. And the Jewish community is no exception. Over the last six months, we have had dozens of conversations with our readers and followers about how and where they can help. Some asked for suggestions of where they can donate, while others…
Photo: The ad that made the Szyfbergs celebrities in New Zealand. After two lighthearted conversations with Neil Szyfberg, I can tell you one thing, Jewish mothers don’t have anything over this Jewish father. In fact, Neil’s wife, Mindy – who was a Hebrew school teacher at Temple Beth Israel in Eugene, OR for 20 years…
There are many wonderful things about social media, but as with many things, there is a negative side as well. Over the last four or five months, there have been many, many posts from both Jews and non-Jews about how sheltering in place is akin to what Anne Frank and her family went through during World…
This week has been a tough one for the Jews on social media. Anti-Semitism, Israel bashing and political divisiveness are running rampant. Maybe it is just COVID exhaustion and everyone’s nerves being shot, but we have seen a lot more Jewish on Jewish attacks in the last week, both nationally and locally, then we have…
