This past Shabbat I had the privilege of watching my middle daughter, Emma, become a Bat Mitzvah. It was a moving and miraculous experience. Nearly four years ago our synagogue informed us that April 20, 2013 would be Emma’s bat mitzvah date and at the time it seemed like light years away – we hadn’t […]

It has been an exciting week here in our school – it is the beginning of the next cycle as our new parents arrive with contracts for our school for 2013-14. As I watched our incoming children play in the gym and then sing in our common space on Wednesday morning as part of our […]

We were eating dinner at our kitchen table, the site of many of our interesting conversations. And as Daniel was consuming his second plate of Annie’s macaroni and cheese he began to tell a story from his day. In school that morning he was drawing a picture and the kids began to laugh at his […]

This Monday we had an incredible professional development day! We had the opportunity to host nearly 55 teachers, early childhood Directors and other educators from NYC, Connecticut and Westchester. Our JCC teachers came in early to prepare their rooms as they do each morning for your children, and after a breakfast and some welcoming remarks, […]

On Monday we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday. He is, for many of us, the quintessential modern day hero. Here is a man who changed the face of our nation. He clearly did not make these changes alone – he stood on the shoulders of many before him, and he was supported by thousands […]

It has been an intense week! The outpouring of care, support, and also some sadness has been incredibly moving and meaningful to me. We have many months before we need to begin to say goodbye but I thank you for the many ways you have communicated your love – it has only further confirmed my […]

When my eldest daughter was a baby, whenever she would get inexplicably fussy we would say, “Teething! She is probably getting a new tooth.” For months her toothless smile remained and then one day we felt her sharp tooth on the tip of our finger. With the first tooth’s arrival came a well of emotions: […]

Hope you all had a good week. The school is abuzz with menorah making, storytelling and so much more. I know that the pace of this city, this JCC, and my own personal life makes me eagerly await the arrival of this shabbat. “Okay kids,” I said to my children last night over dinner, “I […]

While it may seem like we have just finished celebrating Thanksgiving, Chanukah is but a week away! Several parents and alumni have asked me to send a list of some recommended ways to celebrate Chanukah and to think about the season in some way besides for drowning our children in useless gifts. Particularly this year […]

Thanksgiving is among my favorite holidays – the simplicity of its message is clearly stated in its name. Gratitude is an element in many of our Jewish and secular celebrations but in none of them is the simple message of gratitude quite so distilled as it is for Thanksgiving. This year, having just experienced Hurricane […]