I originally wrote this blog in 2015, and feel it is necessary to update and share again within the context of the violence of these last several weeks in Pittsburgh, Tallahassee, Thousand Oaks, and this week in Israel. It is … Read More
Author Archives: sfreedman
Just Show Up!
This past Shabbat we witnessed the deadliest anti-Semitic attack against our people in American history. Eleven gentle souls entered their Pittsburgh synagogue, greeted one another with Shabbat Shalom, and settled into their regular seats they have sat in for decades … Read More
Uh-Oh Halloween
I couldn’t resist writing one last blog about Halloween as Head of Hillel. While I have never taken a position about whether Jewish children should participate in this American ritual, I have written about the importance of bringing Jewish rituals … Read More
The “Eulogy Virtues”
A current parent who has a sophomore in college shared with me that she and her husband received a Hillel tribute from their college-aged son. The tribute stated: “In honor of my parents for giving me an education beyond compare, … Read More
The Challenge for Parents: Letting Our Children Be Children
Childhood should be a time of awe and wonder; an opportunity to play, explore, create and to learn in a fashion that promotes healthy living and optimism. Then why do so many children suffer from anxiety and depression, and why … Read More
Best of Both Worlds and Our Future
Maddie was a state champion in debate, Seth was an AIPAC intern, and Hannah works for Microsoft while Yoni is at Google. Laurenne recently completed her service in the IDF as a Lone Soldier, Robert was elected 9th grade class … Read More
A Man Who Dared Greatly! (And What We Can Learn from Him)
This is not the blog I expected to write the first week of school. However, the death – and life – of Senator John McCain is so significant to me that I felt compelled to write about him; not about … Read More
The Dark Side of the Internet – A True Story
This past fall I received a call from the F.B.I. That was a first. The investigator told me that the agency had recently arrested a pedophile, and confiscated his computer. On it, investigators found pictures; one was of a boy … Read More
We Have a Problem – Israel
As exquisitely expressed in the Torah, Israel has inextricably been integral to who we are and why we exist. There is a direct and clear connection between the land, God, and how we should act. This can be found in … Read More
Will Your Children Be Ready?
The tension between the realities of the future and the comfort of a reliably perceived past are palpable. Put another way, the security of “this is the way we have always done it,” versus the uneasiness of preparing for an … Read More