As the writer of this article, I am stepping into an uncomfortable zone and I feel a degree of stress, as my intention emanates from my overwhelming responsibility to assist the High School students in my care, not from a desire to upset parents. With over three decades of experience working with students and parents … Continue reading Life Can Be Uncomfortable

“The dinner table is the center for the teaching and practicing not just of table manners but of conversation, consideration, tolerance, family feeling, and just about all the other accomplishments of society.”Judith Martin People all over the world have been delighted by the surprise skit that launched the Palace Party last weekend at the Queen’s … Continue reading What we can learn from Her Majesty’s tea with Paddington Bear

As we pack away the cheesecake from Shavuot (or, in my case, leave it out so everyone can pick at the last few pieces), I can’t help but reflect on the significance of the last three days. Significant because I witnessed so many children sitting in shule around the bimah as the 10 Commandments were … Continue reading A gift we can’t afford to ignore

The disruption of the past two years has proved to be tiresome and discombobulating for both children and the adults who surround them. Even though hope looms brightly on the horizon, with many confirmed events across a jam-packed calendar, educators and health professionals are sounding the alarm bells because of the evidence they have of … Continue reading Shifting our “Post-Covid Kids” from being anxious to being happy and courageous

I was privileged to spend the last month with our Year 11 students in Israel on the Israel Study Tour (IST). Every morning, we ran two concurrent prayer services; one traditional, and another that offered a creative and interactive alternative, consisting of conversations regarding prayer, our relationship with Hashem, the land of Israel, and each … Continue reading If you could ask Hashem for one thing, what would it be?