“Mommy, the internet said Santa is fake,” my eight-year-old child cried over the phone as I drove back from my teenager’s soccer game late last year. Apparently, a quick Google search had yielded the answer: “As adults, we know Santa Claus isn’t real, but many...
“I’m sorry. I don’t know why this is happening,” I sobbed in front of the bat mitzvah tutor as we prepared for my daughter’s ritual transition into Jewish adulthood. My teenager’s eyes widened. “Mom, stop.” But I couldn’t stop crying. As an Italian Catholic, I felt...
“Don’t believe everything you read on the internet,” I said. “There’s misinformation out there.” I typed Loch Ness Monster into her iPad search bar and flaunted the results. “See? Supporting evidence about Nessie’s existence either way.” She wiped her tears. “Is Santa...
CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE ON KVELLER “Happy Yom Kippur!” my mom shouted on speakerphone to my fiancé and his family. “Thank you,” they said. “Mom, Yom Kippur isn’t really happy,” I explained. We were staying at my future in-laws’ Long Island home, and everyone...
As the Catholic half of a Judeo-Christian interfaith couple, I learned a lot about Passover from my late mother-in-law because Passover’s themes held great significance for her. As an educator and a feminist, she taught me that anyone can find relevance in this...
Preparations for “The Eve” spanned days when I was a kid, as they had for generations. Grandpa Tony invited everyone to his Italian pre-Christmas feast. Born into a family of 12 during the Great Depression, he couldn’t afford much. But Tony Mascolo of Coney Island...
