I promised to write about the high school teacher's strike, which has been going on now for a month. We're lucky; my eleventh-grader is in a private school, and my eighth-grader has only one striking teacher (but it's her best teacher). Her large school has enough substitutes and non-striking … [Read more...]
Growing up in the middle
November 1, 2007 by
Yesterday I found a blog called Musings from a Square Peg. From the introduction:Recently I have begun questioning my assumptions and wondering if I should be Orthodox – and if so, what stripe. My parents, Jewish educators both, managed to imbue their children with their passion for Judaism. I feel … [Read more...]
"No Market for Used Teenagers"
October 27, 2007 by
I was surfing mommy-blogs last week when I spotted Around the Island, by an American-Israeli mother of two. (You'll have to visit to understand the title.) When the blogger, Robin, commented on my blog I recognized her email--we'd had an exchange about formula advertising that very morning. I've … [Read more...]
Six weeks late: Shalom Kitah Aleph
October 15, 2007 by
My son Y, 6, adjusted easily to kindergarten (gan hova) last September, and loved every minute. When I asked the ganenet (teacher) whether he was prepared for first grade, she dismissed the question with a wave of her hand. I see Y as the most even-tempered and least complicated of my children (not … [Read more...]
The Truth about Nursing in the Ezrat Nashim
September 18, 2007 by
Which of the following situations is disturbing, distracting, or inappropriate in shul? Cracking open a bag of Bamba for a toddler, who proceeds to distribute the contents around the shul Hansel and Gretel style. Shoving chairs right and left while pushing a monster stroller through the … [Read more...]
Nursing in the Negev, or Nursing in the toilet?
September 16, 2007 by
When I received an email from a distressed mother, criticized for nursing in shul, I assumed she lived in the US. Israelis tend to respect nursing mothers. But when I asked for permission to post, the mother said I should call her "Nursing in the Negev." Nursing in the Negev (NN) brought her baby … [Read more...]
Guest Post: Did the Tooth Fairy Come Yet?
September 5, 2007 by
Please welcome my 13yo daughter's first ever guest post. She took the pictures too.My little brother's tooth finally fell out today. I made him a box to put it in, which was supposed to be an envelope, except I forgot how to make them. I still remember some of my teeth that fell out. I was told, … [Read more...]
School Supply Survival Guide
August 28, 2007 by
How can six-year-olds can keep track of all this stuff? (Of course I know the answer.) For first-grade in Israel you need the discipline of a first-year recruit.School supply list:Ten 40-page notebooks "esser shurot" (10 lines), a math notebook, and ten plastic covers (not eleven?) If you can find … [Read more...]
Minimizing children’s pain
August 22, 2007 by
Treppenwitz posts about the common Hebrew expression used by parents when kids have minor scrapes:"Lo kara kloom," or "It's nothing." Since his blog decided to eat up my comments, I'm responding here."Lo kara kloom" is a way of comforting a child and sending him the messsage that everything is okay. … [Read more...]
Eight things about my visit to NY
July 29, 2007 by
Mama tagged me for the eight things meme. Even though I did it already and I'm still too jet-lagged to blog properly, below is a variation.I flew through Frankfurt (a decrepit airport, similar to Ben Gurion before they rebuilt it). When my 3.5yo heard that we were flying toward Germany, she … [Read more...]
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