As I write this, social media bombards me with 9/11 imagery as we mourn and memorialize what happened 25 years ago. Jews also have the High Holidays and then Oct. 7 to commemorate and mourn through Yizkor and memorials. The…
I took my twin teenagers to the pediatrician’s office for a checkup on a Friday morning. When they were born, we three had complicated health issues. We were “frequent flyers” when it came to medical appointments. Things have improved but…
The Hebrew Bible tells a story about the prophet Jeremiah that holds relevant lessons for our daily lives. When the city of Jerusalem was besieged by enemies intent on its destruction, Jeremiah bought some land in the area from his…
Every year, Jews from across the spectrum approach the Rosh Hashanah season with anticipation. Families gather, tables are set and, as the year draws to an end, I begin to contemplate where I’ve wandered throughout the year. I think about…
The High Holidays and the start of school are coming up. My twins have acquired new, bigger backpacks for Grade 10. We’ve also been serenaded daily by our resident teen baritone saxophonist. He’s practising so he can play in a…
British Columbia has been home to Indigenous peoples since time immemorial, and shaped ever since by people who came from somewhere else. For generations, people have arrived here seeking opportunity, freedom, safety and the chance for a better future. They…
A few days ago, a press release arrived in my inbox for the 2026 Redress Design Award. In capital letters, it read, “2026 finalists announced, tackling common to complex textile waste.” After I wrote the book Knit Green: 20 Projects…
(photo from levhaolam.com) Summer this year brought me an unusual experience. My twins went to stay with grandparents in Virginia and work as CITs (counselors in training) at a Jewish day camp. My husband dropped them off and then attended…
(photo by Cynthia Ramsay) When I was a kid, living near Washington, DC, my dad would hang an American flag up out in front of our house on US holidays. We’d all go outside for Memorial Day or 4th of…
Nine years ago, I was walking with my twins, then age 6, to synagogue, when we passed an older woman in her yard, using scissors to cut the grass along the boulevard. At that moment, herding Grade 1 kids along,…
