Should single, religious women in their 30's be encouraged to freeze their eggs, preserving their fertility for a few more years? This was the topic at a conference yesterday on the technology and ethics of single women in their 30's freezing their eggs for later use. Update: Rabbi Yuval Cherlow … [Read more...]
Breastfeeding Basics with Christina Smillie
June 14, 2011 by
Many years ago I was asked to visit a new mother having trouble breastfeeding her baby. Not having much experience, I called a colleague for advice. The instructions she gave me for the mother went something like this: Sit in a straight-backed chair, with a pillow behind your back. Rest your feet on … [Read more...]
Who "Owns" Your Kid’s Homework?
June 10, 2011 by
Some teachers think that parents are responsible for their kids' homework. Most parents think they are too. I disagree. I'm not saying that homework is unimportant, or that kids should get a pass. But once children have been in school for a while, the responsibility for homework needs to … [Read more...]
Elad Poster Outs Couple for Immodest Behavior
May 29, 2011 by
A pashkevil went up over the weekend in Elad, warning the public about a woman and man who did "grave deeds:" Elad is a religious city outside of Petach Tikva. Here's my translation: So the Public May Know With great sorrow we must publicize that according to our Holy Torah one must stay … [Read more...]
How Different Are Boys and Girls?
May 26, 2011 by
Boys are good at math. Girls are good at multi-tasking. Men talk less, and women are more empathetic. But are these differences a function of biology, or social conditioning? Do they even exist? The gap between male and female cognitive ability, as indicated by intelligence testing, has shrunk to … [Read more...]
Does Judaism Require “Submission” within Marriage?
May 19, 2011 by
"Submission" is a buzz word that I have heard around the net—not to God, but to one's husband. The idea is that to maintain a happy marriage, the wife should put her husband first and allow him to make all of the decisions. Most women who write about being submissive appear to be fundamentalist … [Read more...]
A Frum Fashion History of Denim Skirts
May 13, 2011 by
In Tablet Magazine, Dvora Meyers takes readers on a tour of her wardrobe over the years, and how in retrospect, her skirt choices paralleled her journey away from Orthodox Judaism. In this passage, Meyers describes her ambivalence about wearing pants in public for the first time: Even with all … [Read more...]
Did Shalit’s Family Go Too Far?
May 10, 2011 by
Happy Israel Independence Day! Check out this slide show over at Elder of Ziyon. We watched the Yom Haatzmaut celebration on line. Each year, twelve people are chosen to light torches that represent the twelve tribes. The theme this year was mutual aid. Three unusual things happened. The … [Read more...]
New Online Holocaust Era Archives
May 7, 2011 by
I've been away from the blog on a different project, but I wanted to share something that gave me the chills. Someone on Twitter (@yteutsch) linked to an article from NPR about a new online archive of material from the time of the Second World War. The American Joint Distribution Committee aids … [Read more...]
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