Heart of the Matter

Sometimes

by Bassi Gruen

It's mundane. It's magical. It's motherhood.

Gorgeous George

by Yael Zoldan M.A.

George doesn’t walk, he waltzes.

Birth Plan

by Avi Spector

Our personal variation of "Man plans, God laughs."

Standing Before God

by Diane Faber Veitzer

Having just turned 43, never married, no kids, I was having a tough time getting up the enthusiasm to pray for these same things once again

Broken

by Sara Leah Marberger

Suddenly a single parent, the shofar's long wail echoed the one in my heart.

Don't Miss Today!

by A. Goodman

God sent me this crucial test and I had to make a critical choice.

Better or Bitter?

by Slovie Jungreis-Wolff

Five-year-old Lily shows us how to get through life's challenges.

Emergency Landing

by Jodie Kamornick

The plane plummeted downwards, oxygen masks dropped, and we thought this was the end.

Playing Our Piece

by Chana Juravel

Finding a reason in life to sing.

The Shiva Call

by Rabbi Irwin Katsof

Inspiration from a house of mourning.

Yong: Brave and Beautiful

by Shulamis Landesman

The miracle finally occurred: we adopted a baby boy from Korea.

A Letter to My Father

by Slovie Jungreis-Wolff

It's been 13 years but there is still a crack in my heart.

Fathers and Memories

by Sara Debbie Gutfreund

Daughters never forget.

A Life Cut Short

by Rabbi Yaakov Salomon

My mother died when she was almost 98 years old. We thought she'd live forever.

My Mom

by Sherri Mandell

My mother blessed me with the ability to say amen to both life and death.

Living Here

by Sarah Shapiro

On a bus in Jerusalem, all eyes followed the girl who suddenly broke down and cried.

Cherishing Your Past

by Rabbi Tzvi Nightingale

Passover reminds us that not only can't you escape your past, but you have to cherish it too.

My Dayenu Ring

by Sara Yoheved Rigler

A lost diamond, a gaping black hole, and an inspiring Passover realization.

My Grandfather's Maror

by Chani Newman

Some bitter herbs cannot be eaten.

Celebrating the Seder With Abba

by Ephraim Buchwald

My father's enthusiasm for Passover was so contagious, that each member of our family approached the Seder in an emotional state approaching ecstasy.

Snow Angels

by Slovie Jungreis-Wolff

Paving a path for our children.

Alone in Lenox Hill

by Yael Zoldan M.A.

In my grandmother's room, it was as silent as death.

These Lights We Kindle

by Alan D. Busch

Appreciating miracles every day.

A Knock on the Window

by Chaya Malka Abramson

Sometimes it's the small gestures that penetrate most deeply.

Nothing's been the Same

by Bassi Gruen

Life sure has changed, my little one, ever since you've joined the family.

No One to Blame

by Yael Mermelstein

A taxi ride to somewhere unexpected.

Sukkot's Healing Hug

by Batsheva Hirschman Frankel

In these unstable and scary times, the sukkah gives us a reassuring message.

Beauty Beyond Style

by Malkie Nisenbaum

Little life and death decisions.

Beyond Apples and Honey

by Stephanie Savir

Using symbolic foods to cook up real change for Rosh Hashana.

The Key to Life

by Sarah Adler

To me, it is a miracle that anyone can conceive a child unassisted.

Stay With Me

by Yael Zoldan M.A.

Lying in the bed she had no questions. Sitting at her side I had no answers.

Clinging to Life

by Miriam Silver

This was my third pregnancy and it was going blissfully well. How things can change in an instant.

Life's Final Chapter

by Miriam Millhauser Castle

As I took care of my dying mother, a new bond was created.

Father of the Bride

by Rabbi Ephraim Shore

We were marrying off our eldest daughter. Why was I feeling so much pain?

Why I Send My Kids to Day School

by Eric Simon

"What is someone like me, a person who, for most of his life, has wavered between being staunchly Reform and staunchly secular, doing sending my kids to an Orthodox Jewish day school?"

Step-Father's Day

by Rebecca Appelson

Sometimes the best parents aren't the one you're born with.

Without a Mother

by Tzvia Ehrlich-Klein

Because of my father's devoted love, I barely realized that I was missing a mother.

Last Dance

by Rochelle Krich

I was totally unprepared for saying goodbye to my father.

The Blessing of a Rented Room

by Lisa Compart

I was 36 years old and running out of options

Roller Skates

by Chana Shofnos

Polio makes you different. And at age ten, who wants to be different?

My Mother the Judge

by Sara Debbie Gutfreund

Watching Judge Lefkowitz balance the needs of four generations and a seat on the New York State Supreme Court was impressive, especially to her daughter.