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Gone Viral – Short Story
Shmuel hurried to get dressed. It was a few days before Pesach and his house was in full holiday preparation mode. His oldest sibling, Shaindel, had actually made a sign for the front door that said,...
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A solution to homosexuality that every Orthodox Jew can agree upon
A male chastity belt used in England during the time of Queen Victoria in the 19th century. This metal device was created for “masculine self-control in support of the bourgeois ideal of domestic...
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Sharon has two mommies – Throwback Thursday
I’m one of the only people I know who has two mommies. My first mother (not necessarily in that order) is my adopted mother, A”H, who passed away in 1997. I’ve been saying Yizkor for her since that...
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Hair Club for Women
SHEITEL (n): $3000 strawberry blonde hairpiece employed by Orthodox women to preserve short matted hair for their husbands’ sole viewing. – Ortho Diction A few weeks ago a Facebook friend, known as...
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I will hurt you with my mind! – Throwback Thursday
In this 2008 post I discussed ayin horah ladies; women who claim to be able to remove the “evil eye” that could be holding you back from a happy life. For a small fee of course. I believe that such...
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The Worth of a Child
I was recounting a story to my grandmother the other day about the cultural differences between the United States and Israel regarding how children are viewed and valued. In the United States, good...
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The mikva (board) is no place for a woman
This came in the mail yesterday and once again I am left scratching my head – the same way I do when I see mailings that include the all male board of directors’ names for my daughter’s all girls high...
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From the Mailbox – How Do I Keep Taharat Hamishpacha Without Feeling Resentful?
I received this email in response to yesterday’s post about the installation of the new female-free Chicago Mikva Association board of directors. I have no answers to offer besides the usual trite...
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The evolution of a blog
I started this blog to try and cure my writer’s block. I wanted to work on writing fiction and poetry. Instead, I found myself writing about social issues that affect me and those I care about....
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When Emunah Turns Into Judgment
The word emunah is generally translated as faith. Emunah isn’t based on logic or rationality, but rather, on the spiritual belief that there is a higher power in charge of the world. People who have...
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Eating Disorders – They’re Not Just For Kids Anymore
The oven timer goes off just as the soup begins bubbling over the edges of the large pot, hissing onto the burner below. *Sara runs with her oven mitts from oven to stove to countertop, turning down...
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From the Mailbox – Underage Frum Girls and Online Relationships
The Kol B’Isha Erva “Email Hotline” strikes again. I received this comment last night in response to my post Girls Just Want To Have Fun. After reading it, I felt it deserved to be showcased as a...
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If You Don’t Look Good, We Don’t Look Good
It’s always interesting for me to get a glimpse of how other Jews personify God. For example, as a young child, I always thought of God as an angel with large and feathery wings. Oh, and He was a...
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Stepping Forward or Backward? New All-Female EMT Crew is Operational in Boro...
A few years ago I read about a group of women who were petitioning the Jewish volunteer emergency medical service, Hatzalah, to accept females into their organization. The Forward had an interview with...
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Postponing Mikva Night on Shabbos or Yom Tov
Shabbos and particularly two or three day yom tovim, sometimes bring with them a certain anxiety for married women. Will she have to use the mikva during this time when she must walk to her...
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Throwback Thursday – Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Fall…..
Below is a post I wrote in 2008 that also appeared on the Beyond BT blog. In this post I gave my interpretation of why some baal teshuvas choose to go back to their secular lives. Although the...
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The Importance of Maintaining Physical Attraction in Marriage
I received a phone call from a reader the other week regarding my post on middle aged women suffering from eating disorders. The caller was a long married gentleman with a large family. While he in no...
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A People of Many Nations
Photo of Mount Sinai from ynetnews.com I’ve been thinking about Shavuos and how Matan Torah established the Jewish people as one nation with our promise of “na’aseh v’nishma” or “we will do, and we...
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Gateway to Gehennom
My daughter has been told many times at school that talking to boys is assur. Certainly, a girl should never initiate a conversation, but even if a boy initiates a “hello” or a “good Shabbos,” the best...
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Aveilus and Depression
I’ve been pondering the concept of mandated mourning. After a parent dies, a child is required to mourn their loss for the 12 months following the death. This means refraining from participation in...
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