When Israeli couples divorce, the mother receives custody of children under age 6 by default. The father can petition the court to get custody, but it's unusual for him to get it. After a campaign by fathers' groups, the Schnitt Commission was formed to investigate the issue. They are recommending … [Read more...]
Archives for 2010
Cashier Denied Employment in Haredi Supermarket Because of Wig
December 25, 2010 by
A few days ago the haredi internet forum Behadrei Haredim reported on a Chabad woman who lost her job as a cashier in a haredi supermarket, because she wore a wig instead of a scarf or snood. As I've mentioned several times, the "hyper-tzniut" movement discourages wigs. Women are frequently … [Read more...]
Thinking of Having Another Baby?
December 22, 2010 by
Ima2Seven has a post up about deciding whether or not to have more children. I know a few women who have as many as they can, letting their fertility fade naturally as they get older. Here's what Ima has to say about being a mother of seven: I tell them that it is crazy, and fun, and joyous and … [Read more...]
Interview with My Son on Religious Accommodations in the Hesder Army Program
December 20, 2010 by
A while back on Twitter I got into a conversation about why most Haredim don't go into the army. Intermingling of the sexes was mentioned as one reason, and questions came up about the conditions of hesder students. My son E., who entered a hesder platoon last April, agreed to answer a few … [Read more...]
Kaddish and the Holocaust
December 17, 2010 by
Today is the 10th of the Hebrew month of Tevet. According to II Kings and Ezekiel, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem on this date. It marks the first stage in the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple in 586 BCE. 10 Tevet is observed as a fast from sunrise to … [Read more...]
Extreme Breastfeeding, Extreme Modesty and More
December 14, 2010 by
I've collected these links for your reading enjoyment: Almost Eden gives tips for keeping warm in the Israeli winter. Rafi reports about a wedding invitation asking women to dress in “shalim.” Leah Goodman wrote a guest post on making recipes vegetarian or kosher. The government is making … [Read more...]
With a Mother-in-Law Like This, Who Needs Enemies?
December 11, 2010 by
The letter below appeared in yesterday's edition of the alon Giluy Daat in a column called gilui lev (confession or revelation). My children tell me the letter isn’t typical for this column — most are thank-yous and the like. But if it’s at all typical of the way parents in the religious community … [Read more...]
Eight Things About Chanukah
December 9, 2010 by
Eight unrelated things about our Chanukah so far: Two of my teens went to the Bible Contest for adults, while the rest of us listened on the radio. My husband didn't like the fact that the answers assumed that King Solomon wrote all of Mishlei (Proverbs), when the verse in question (30:8) is … [Read more...]
How Teens (and Parents) Are Like a River
December 7, 2010 by
I recently came across Haim Ginott's classic, Between Parent and Teenager. Published in 1969, his examples often relate to hippie teens and "square" parents but the principles remain the same. In his chapter on criticism, Ginott explains the long-term damage parents can cause by assigning negative … [Read more...]
Whatever Floats Your Wick: Chanukah Translation Confusion
December 5, 2010 by
We use floating wicks to light our Chanukah menorahs. Made of thin cork with aluminum foil glued on one side, they come with stiff wicks that get threaded through a hole in the stopper. We always run out of wicks before stoppers. But I digress. Some stoppers are round and some are hexagonal. You put … [Read more...]
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