Clik here to view.
Seeking Forgiveness in a Facebook World
[Above photo: The author in front of her grandparents’ computer, late 1980s]There is this odd time of year when my Facebook feed is filled with friends with remarkably similar status updates: some...
View ArticleFasting for Yom Kippur
With the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur approaching, I thought this would be a good time to talk about fasting, especially what it is like to fast when your children are not old enough to do so.Judaism...
View ArticleHut-Building, Lemon-Waving & More: Jewish Holidays Month Continues with Sukkot…
[Photo: Mayim’s own funky hexagonal Sukkah that she uses for the holiday of Sukkot]It’s the time of year where Jews kind of lose their minds. There is basically a holiday every week this month, and for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Getting Closer to Death Brought Her Closer to Life
About seven years ago I was serving as a volunteer in San Rafael, CA with my synagogue’s bikkur cholim group, the group of people who visit those who are sick or elderly, when Rabbi Michael Lezak, who...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Temporary Housing for Those in Need: Approaching Sukkot
A few years ago, while helping at one of the hundreds of kitchens cooking and serving food to those in need, I met Wendy (not her real name). She was one of the 1.4 million people in Los Angeles County...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Transforming Vulnerable Communities
[Featured image: This family received relief after the devastating April and May earthquakes in the Mahadev Bhesi Village in Nepal, thanks to tin roofing which was supplied by Tevel B’Tzedek.]Jews are...
View ArticleCarrying the Weight of the Torah
My arm is sore. Really sore. Just the right one. Because it was supporting a heavy weight.And it wasn’t either of my sons’ weight: at 8 and 11, my sons are far too heavy and cumbersome to be held by...
View ArticleShutting it All Down to Reboot My System
One of the great gifts I have received from taking on Jewish observance is the gift of shutting off things in my life that distract me from what I want to experience on a particular religious...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Prayer and Shared Need
[Image via Matthew “Levee” Chavez, founder of “Subway Therapy”]In a New York City subway, people filled the white tile squares of the station’s walls with words written on Post-It notes. Billed by the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Home Is Where My Heart Is: An Adoption Story Part I
Guest writer Cami (JA /Jenni Alpert/Cameron) shares the story of her reunion with her biological fatherFor people who have relationships with their blood family, it’s a given – and a gift – that they...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Home Is Where My Heart Is- An Adoption Story- Part II
In Part Two of her adoption story, guest writer Cami (JA /Jenni Alpert/Cameron) and biological father D take turns telling their storyMeeting D Where D was livingMy biological uncle, Jimmy, led me to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Home Is Where My Heart Is: An Adoption Story- Part III
Guest writer Cami (JA /Jenni Alpert/Cameron) concludes the story of her reunion with her biological father. (If you need to catch up on the story, here is part I and part II. )Prison TimeMy biological...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Three Things No One Told Me About Grief
My father died 1 year and 7 and a half months ago. The first year was unbelievably hard but as I have written about extensively here, the rituals of grieving laid out by my religious tradition guided...
View ArticleClik here to view.
When “Home for the Holidays” Feels Uncomfortable
The holidays are supposed to be a chance to spend meaningful time with family: gathering together to enjoy each other’s company, sharing in and creating memories and stories of holidays past and hopes...
View ArticleHow Not To Do It Alone: Find Your People
Thanksgiving is here! I’m sure many of you are getting ready for the big day and I am, too. I wanted to start the day off with a post about one of the things I am most thankful for. Namely, the people...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Celebrating Human Rights Day with Action, Connection & Community
[Photo: Some of the women in the Action Kivu programs- photo by Hélène Estèves]The world feels overwhelming right now, doesn’t it? Every day, if not every hour, a new report or tweet demands our...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On the Autism Spectrum, But Finding a Home
A few weeks ago, Mayim spent a Shabbat retreat with Jewish people with disabilities and special needs, and was very moved by the experience. She called that kind of experience “critically important”...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Worried about Family Conflicts this Holiday Season?
During the holidays it is common to have many family get-togethers. However, some may experience parents and in-laws, siblings, cousins, and all other family extensions, as too much. For many people,...
View ArticleQuestions & Answers about Why Mayim Doesn’t Celebrate Christmas
It’s December. I’ve known it was almost December for about a month now, since one of my favorite radio stations here in Los Angeles stopped playing “greatest hits of the 80s 90s and today” and started...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Kwanzaa 101: Your User-Friendly Guide
[Photo: from a trip that the author (top right) took with her friends to Kumasi, Ghana, to connect with her roots and learn more about Ghanaian culture and history] Image:...
View Article