Almost nothing challenges families – functional and dysfunctional – as much as time spent together during weddings, funerals and vacations. Old wounds reopen and discontentments rise as people find themselves returning to roles – the good child or the bad apple – that no longer fit. …
Is it too early to buy Hanukkah presents? I know it’s difficult to think about the December holiday when we are in the midst of the extended fall holiday season, but I have two books that will make perfect presents – that is, if you don’t decide to keep them for yourself. For Jewish ca…
While reading the first 20 pages of “Fleishman is in Trouble” by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (Random House), I wondered why critics were making such a fuss about the book. It was one of the big novels of the summer and two friends had given it the highest rating on the Goodreads website. Was I…
One of the fascinating things about Torah study is that there is always something new to learn. Sometimes these ideas can be found by mining the writings of the sages (the ancient rabbis) and other times through reading the thoughts of contemporary spiritual leaders. Both of these can be fou…
Confession time: reading novels about young adults, especially those set in modern times, makes me grateful that my teen years are over. That’s because these novels often focus on the teens’ fears about their future. Of course, the main characters of three of these works might feel bette…
