Researchers at Harvard have figured out something about parents that we ourselves might not know or else not be willing to admit: While most of us say we highly value instilling moral concepts like kindness toward others and a sense of fairness in our children, in action and deed it appears we often put the…
A Letter to My American Son
Dear Lavrushenka, This may or may not come as a shock to you, but I am an American just like you. And at the same time – I am not! What makes me different? Russia does, son. While we’re both “from here,” I’m also “from there.” Let me explain. You’re seven and a half now…
Fighting Summer Hunger
ith the abundance of summer fruit and vegetables right around the corner, it’s hard to imagine anyone going hungry at this time of year. But as the school year wraps up for thousands of children and teenagers, the question of where they will get their next meal quickly becomes a challenge. In King County, 100,000…
“Even a Poor Man”
A few weeks ago, I was told that a small check arrived from a Polack Food Bank home delivery recipient. There was also a note of thanks and a request that the money be used to help others. Around the same time, an unemployed friend told me that she found herself more generous with financial…
The Graduation Speech I’d Give
When my son was in kindergarten, his teacher challenged a group of us parents saying, “You shouldn’t worry about what your kids will become. You should be concerned with who they will become.” I’d issue the same challenge to this year’s college graduates: Forget about your career and what you will become. Don’t worry that…
Shavuot Values for Preschoolers
Shavuot is a largely ignored and often forgotten Jewish holiday. (Except, of course, for the license it gives to eat dairy products. We’re talking serious cheesecake here.) But the holiday commemorates a very important event: the giving of the 10 Commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai. The biblical story associated with Shavuot, the Book of…
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