My very good friend over at Jewish Thoughts wrote a great blog post today about Orthodox Jewish converts, questioning how the Orthodox community treats them. After detailing some of the painful things that she has seen with the converts that she knows, she asks some very good questions. So what exactly should we do? I’m not … Continue reading Discouraging the Convert
It's often when everything seems to be going along just fine with everything coming together when the unexpected happens. This time, the kids and I were in our truck, waiting for Mr. Safek and Sam the dog to arrive at the Synagogue with the Shabbat RV 2.0. All our meals were carefully packed up, our … Continue reading The Simchas Torah that Stole Our Simchas
I'm about to log off, finish my cooking, and prepare for another 3 day Yom Tov, this time including the holiday of Simchas Torah. Simcha means joy and this holiday is all about the joy that Jews feel when it comes to the Torah. Other religions certainly have their holy books, but I've never seen … Continue reading Simchas Torah From My Side of the Mechitza
We opted to stay home for the 3 day Yom Tov and celebrate the beginning of Sukkos in our own Sukkah. Sukkos is a quirky holiday and one of my favorites. We built huts in our yards to remind us of our past as wanderers, wandering the desert with Hashem's protection. Men are obligated to … Continue reading An Alaskan Kind of Sukkos
A little known fact I learned this Yom Kippur, during Neileh services. Anchorage, Alaska, is, in fact, the final Orthodox Jewish community to say Neileh, sounding the shofar later than any other community in the world. As we davened, I couldn't help but feel a weighty responsibility, as if we were the last to leave … Continue reading The Last to Close the Gates of Heaven
Here in Alaska, the leaves are leaving the trees quickly, fluttering to the ground and piling up. Our brief fall is fleeing and the chill is setting in. In this week, we've been preparing for Yom Kippur. It even feels like a whole new year with the house painted a new color, one of the … Continue reading 5778
I have covered my hair for many years now, but underneath, was always a long, full head of hair. My husband asked me to keep it, even if only he saw it. He enjoyed running his fingers through it after I took off my wig or scarf and let it down at night. It was … Continue reading An Unexpected Sacrifice
I have been sick and away from my blog while I recovered, but I feel like it is such a huge blessing that I was made to slow down and rest before the High Holidays are here. I'm coming out of the fog at just the right time now to finish preparing and I was … Continue reading Crowning the King and Knowing Your “Why”
If you've been under a rock for a few years, then you might just be unaware that people are increasingly getting rid of their stuff, opting to live in tiny houses, or even RV's or completely nomadic. It's kind of a recent trend in the never-ending quest to simplify our lives. There is even a … Continue reading Minimalism, Hygge, and Chassidic Judaism?
Right now, the US is kind of a mess. Texas is still drying out and cleaning up from massive flooding. A huge wildfire is burning large swaths of forest and homes in Oregon. Over a hundred small earthquakes have hit Idaho, in an area not used to earthquakes. An enormous, category 5 hurricane is headed … Continue reading Not Punishment, but Medicine?
It's been a strange week here in Alaska. The sun has been retreating more and more. A friend's son committed suicide. The Shabbat RV continues to have electrical issues that kept us stranded at home for Shabbos. The weather has not cooperated for a planned hiking trip to climb Flattop Mountain. All this on top … Continue reading The King Is In the Field
We had a good meeting with our sponsoring Rabbi last night who reassured us that he still plans on us converting in April 2018. He has plans and is confident that they will work out. So, we have only to trust him and continue doing what we're doing. While this has all been playing out, … Continue reading What You Get With Waiting
