A Call for Kindness

I dread this time of year. The Three Weeks are upon us and I always get a tinge of trepidation as this period approaches. The Three Weeks are a period of Jewish mourning from the 17th of Tammuz (the Fast … Continue reading →

My Response to Paris

For most of my life I was not connected to my Judaism. I was proudly Jewish, but didn’t appreciate what that meant. When I found Torah, I started to delve into the depths of its meaning and wisdom. I found … Continue reading →

Stand Up!

Today another “friend” posted an anti-Semitic comment on my Facebook feed. As I did the last time this happened, I deleted the comment, unfriended and blocked this person. But I’m mad. Not over the loss of the virtual friendship. I’m … Continue reading →

United Because We Are Jews

When I started this blog, I intended to keep up with it regularly. Then life gets busy and things get in the way. But if there was ever a time to write and make my voice heard it is now. … Continue reading →

Becoming Esther

The holiday of Purim is just upon us and since I’ve returned to Torah it’s become one of my favourites.  Before becoming a ba’al teshuva, I had very little recollection of what the holiday was all about.  My only memory … Continue reading →

All or Nothing?

When I first contemplated learning Torah I had a lot of hesitation. This was partly due to my many misconceptions about Judaism and what it meant to live a Torah life.  But it was also because the task seemed so … Continue reading →

Father Knows Best

I hear it a lot: it’s so restrictive; there are too many rules; you’re giving so much up. To be honest, before I became a ba’al teshuva I had these same thoughts myself.  From the perspective of the non-observant, and … Continue reading →