Times of Israel posts

I have had the privilege of writing the occasional blog post for the online newspaper, the Times of Israel.  I wrote these posts about marriage and child-rearing in the form of letters to my sons, who have asked me to write down some of the concepts with which they were raised -- not because I have any training or a degree, but because they (and we) like how they've turned out.  Those posts can be viewed here as well.  (If you enjoy them, please feel free to comment, which "keeps them alive" on Facebook.)

Ema's Pearl Necklace - my method for encouraging harmony and loyalty among my children  http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/emas-pearl-necklace/

Date Your Spouse! - a recommendation for keeping the romance alive in marriage http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/date-your-spouse/

Recipes and Memories - Who takes enough pictures of the kids?  Here is a way to trap the moments. http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/recipes-and-memories/

TV or Not TV -- and How We Managed It - It's not as easy as you think; but we worked out a successful compromise, I think.  http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/tv-or-not-tv-and-how-we-managed-it/

Don't insult your audience - There are better ways to motivate people than by calling them names.  http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/dont-insult-your-audience/

Tips on Child-friendly Judaism - We tried to make the holidays fun, and our kids loved them, rather than seeing them as a burden.  http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/tips-on-child-friendly-judaism/

The Dream Crushers - Give your choices a chance, and don't let other people squash your hopes and dreams.  http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-dream-crushers/

Guns and Knives: Are we creating dangerous men? - my take on this sensitive child-rearing question  http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/guns-and-knives-are-we-creating-dangerous-men/

Siblings: Slaying the Green-Eyed Dragon - how we encouraged our children to see envy as a pointless exercise  http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/siblings-slaying-the-green-eyed-dragon/

Yarden's ride, Stella's fight - encouraging my sons (and everyone) to support this battle a dear friend is waging against cancer  http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/yardens-ride-stellas-fight/

The Life-Enhancing Power of Gratitude, Part One - my song of gratitude for each of my sons, and for each moment of our lives  http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-life-enhancing-power-of-gratitude-part-one/

Life sucks. - and, on the other hand, my recognition that times are tough... and an attitude that just might get us through, nonetheless  http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/life-sucks/

Dear Son: Your wedding is really none of your business. - a tongue-in-cheek reminder to my sons that the wedding is only Day One of the real party... and that it's okay to let your future wife and mother-in-law have their way on their special day  http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/dear-son-your-wedding-is-really-none-of-your-business/

Traditions Taught Me by My Children - Being geirim (converts to Judaism), we made a lot of our traditions up as we went.  My kids kept me from forgetting 'em.  http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/traditions-taught-me-by-my-children/

A Tragic Tale: "There but for the grace of G-d..." - addressing the tragedy of accidental death of children through negligence, and the need not to judge those living with such tragic loss  http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/a-tragic-tale-there-but-for-the-grace-of-g-d/

The Life-Enhancing Power of Gratitude, Part Two - thoughts on the spiritual purification of fasting, and sincerely complimenting our children for the things they do very well http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-life-enhancing-power-of-gratitude-part-two/

The Silent Killer - a warning about the danger of silence to a marriage http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-silent-killer-2/

Unlikely Valentines - a love song to my parents http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/unlikely-valentines/

The death of marriage…or its eternal life: 10 steps to being happy with the person you married - tips to keeping it all together for the duration of the adventure http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-death-of-marriage-or-its-eternal-life-10-steps-to-being-happy-with-the-person-you-married/

Forgot it? Forget about it! - Criticism doesn't solve the problem. It destroys any possibility of problem-solving. http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/forgot-it-forget-about-it/

Whose turn is it to show love? - Is it only up to the husband to remember birthdays and anniversaries? http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/whose-turn-is-it-to-show-love/

Of  rodents and riots - What do a traumatic childhood memory and the recent race riots have in common? http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/of-rodents-and-riots/

Cyberspace has made trolls of us all - Instead of talkbacks giving us a license for rudeness, how about actual intellectual dialogue? http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/cyberspace-has-made-trolls-of-us-all/

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