The central section of the Yom Kippur liturgy is the public confession known as the “viddui.” Originally patterned after the priestly narrative of Yom Kippur in Leviticus 16, the current iteration, with its poetic catalogue of sins, is the work of our rabbinic sages, who believed that the best way to have mastery over our…
What are important ideas to keep close to your heart and mind when working with participants of all abilities? Stability, creativity, flexibility and finding the certainty within your uncertainty. At Shutaf Inclusion Programs, we call that Structured Flexibility, that is, setting your goals and building your program’s structure while planning and allowing for variation as…
Charlie Brown makes is seem so easy. In “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”, he sings, in the closing song, Happiness, “Happiness is morning and evening, day time and night time too. For happiness is anyone and anything at all, that’s loved by you.” Nice sentiment. Warm and fuzzy. Sort of like Snoopy. Not. Happiness…
Entebbe: Leave No Man Behind July 4th marks 35 years since the Entebbe rescue. The writer, Entebbe hero, writes a special lesson to be learned from it. Maj. Gen. Almog is one of those the UK threatened to arrest as a ‘war criminal’, leading him to cancel plans to speak there. Thirty-five years ago today…
“Did you know that you clench when you breathe?” asked my eldest, barely pausing for a breath himself. I worked hard to squelch a snort of laughter. He was ensconced at a month-long theater intensive in the snowy Berkshire mountains, spending long days immersed in personal discovery and text exploration. I was back home in…
Protecting Akiva in a Pandemic When I wake up each morning, I feel a bit of dread steal over me. What day is today? I can’t remember. What should we do today? I don’t know. Should I take a quick digital hit of the news? I feel afraid to even look. Every morning (since…
When our children are small, we encourage and treasure each milestone on their path to self-awareness and growth. We use positive language, “You can do it!” and, “Awesome!” letting them know we’re excited and believe in their ability to access each new skill.
The best thing someone said to me recently? Inclusion is the antidote to division in the world. No, seriously. Think about it. The world is a nasty place, filled with hateful thoughts and hateful actions. The world is also a judgmental place with assumptions made about people by people, each and every day. The world…
Are you a Libtard or a Libertardian? A Conservatard or a Neotard? A Gaytard, Fagtard or Lestard? Or maybe just a Tard, described in the Urban Dictionary as “one so retarded, they do not deserve the ‘re’.” Squirming as you read those words? Sure you are. You’re a nice person. You don’t say the word…
Today? I want what I can’t have. I want Akiva to sleep late. Really late. So late, that I have to march into his room, check that he’s alive, and wake him up because hey, it’s 1 PM, and I’m your mother. I want Akiva to brush his teeth, handle bathroom details, and get dressed.…
