Grand Plan

This week I found myself thinking about the Shema in four completely different settings. On Sunday, I recorded this week's Connecting Jewish Grandparents podcast, exploring how the Shema is not only the cornerstone of our relationship with the Almighty, but also a blueprint for how grandparents nurture lasting relationships with their grandchildren. On Monday evening, I attended a brit milah and watched an Israeli grandfather hold his first grandchild, radiant in his new role. On Tuesday, I...

This week's Grand Plan learning is lovingly dedicated in memory of Julia Jerusalmi, a remarkable woman whose life embodied the enduring strength of family. She carried generations of history with grace, warmth, and unwavering devotion, gifting them to future generations with joy. May all who were blessed to know Julia find comfort in the extraordinary legacy of love, family, and kindness she leaves behind. Min HaShamayim tenuhamu. Starting something new usually means looking ahead, sometimes...

This week’s Torah portions conclude the book of Bamidbar. Ashkenazim mark this milestone with the words: Chazak, chazak, v'nitchazek.Be strong, be strong, and let us strengthen one another. There is something beautiful about ending a book of the Torah this way. Strength is not only about finishing the journey. It is about preparing to continue it. That feels especially fitting for Parashat Matot-Masei. At first glance, this week's double portion seems to move in many different directions. It...

I do not often make bold claims, but I genuinely believe Parashat Pinchas may be one of the most important Torah portions for grandparents. After weeks of Israel and Jewish communities around the world reading different portions, this Shabbat we are once again united around the same parsha. How fitting that the Torah portion bringing us back together is one that asks, over and over again, a single question: What will the next generation inherit? At first glance, Pinchas seems like an unlikely...

This week’s Grand Plan learning is lovingly sponsored by Rachel Wilson who shares, “As I step into this role as a grandparent, I carry many women's wisdom and example with me. Their examples are the foundation I'm building on, and I am endlessly grateful for the kinds of love they modeled. This is for them.” There is a stage in childhood that every parent and grandparent recognizes, usually with both delight and mild exhaustion: the “Why?” stage. “Why is it dark?”“Why do I have to sleep?”“Why...

I was recently watching my nephews, and as happens with kids, they started getting a little unkind to each other. Armed with my years of experience as both a mother and a teacher, I confidently stepped in. I was ready to impart wisdom, mediate the conflict, and essentially "parent" them through the moment. It went miserably. They did not want my parenting, and frankly, my interference only seemed to frustrate everyone. I stepped back, contemplating how I could try again with a different...

A few weeks ago, I found myself in a conversation where a very strong, very negative opinion was quickly taking over the room. It was like watching a wave crash through the group. Everyone was suddenly agreeing, feeding off each other's anxiety, and validating the panic. Even though I felt differently in my heart, the pressure to just nod along and not make waves was incredibly heavy. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to stand still when everyone around you is rushing in the opposite...

At the end of Beha'alotecha, Miriam and Aaron discuss their brother Moses. Perhaps they were concerned. Perhaps they were confused by some of his choices. Perhaps they thought they understood his situation. Whatever their motivation, they were talking about their brother rather than to their brother. And the immediate reaction is incredible. God suddenly calls all three siblings, Miriam, Aaron, and Moses, to the Tent of Meeting. An urgent family meeting. God's response is not simply to...

Parashat Naso contains one of the most repetitive sections in the Torah. The leader of each tribe brings the exact same donation to the Mishkan. The silver bowl.The flour and oil.The offerings. Again and again, the Torah repeats the entire list. A human editor probably would have condensed the section dramatically:“The remaining tribes brought the same gift.” But the Torah does not do that. Each offering is listed separately.Each leader is named individually. Why? Perhaps because no act of...