Something that’s fascinating about memory is noticing what sticks in our minds creating a powerful imprint – even though years or decades have passed. One of these small yet magical memories that have staying power actually arose as a solution to a dilemma I faced as a young mother. Specifically, I was invited to speak … Read more
You know you’ve stepped off the fast track when the biggest decision you face is: “Beach or poolside?” I was proud of myself for scheduling four days of rest and relaxation after what felt like a five-week, action-packed marathon that culminated in my conference keynote just two days earlier. If you want something done, simply … Read more
Art has a powerful way of permeating our consciousness and impacting our worldview. I’ll always cherish the memory of the first time I stood in front of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial. This monumental, granite sculpture of the Civil Rights Movement leader is located in West Potomac Park next to the National Mall … Read more
It’s a typical 21st century occurrence when a large group of people spontaneously converge with cellphones held aloft to capture something for posterity, or at least for a new Instagram post. Such was the case when I looked up from my latest book to discover fifty people walking along the beach, all pointing their cellphones … Read more
Two days ago, I attended the funeral of Rabbi Simon Glustrom, my family’s Rabbi throughout my childhood. He was a welcome presence who presided over important lifecycle events throughout my childhood including my bat-mitzvah, the coming of age ritual ceremony for 13 year old. He also was one of three Rabbis who stood under the … Read more
Although I’ve never gone camping, I spend hours each fall season in an urban makeshift campsite nestled in the concrete courtyard behind my Manhattan apartment building. The fall festival of Sukkot follows the holidays of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, considered the holiest day of the year complete with a 26-hour … Read more
I remember precisely when I vowed to make the Big Apple my home. During a sleep-over excursion at my beloved Grandma Faye’s apartment in New York City when I was 10 years old, I laid wide awake in bed, transfixed by a cacophony of blaring horns, car radios, and sirens coming from the streets below. … Read more
For weeks, we could still smell the smoke—even though my apartment is about 100 blocks north of the World Trade Center. It started out as a momentous fall day, until it became an atrocity. It was supposed to be the first day of nursery school for our younger son Joshua. My husband and I were … Read more
It’s back-to-school season and I’m getting ever so nostalgic. Whenever I duck into the Staples store in my neighborhood, I’m swept up with positive flashbacks from my childhood back-to-school excursions. My mom was wonderfully supportive, always encouraging my love of learning. For this annual rite of passage, we’d go to the local stationery store in … Read more
In the second year of my MBA program, I put on my black jumpsuit and headed to the end-of-semester dance party to celebrate the completion of grueling exams and papers. At around midnight, I asked a handsome guy to dance, not knowing how this simple gesture would alter the trajectory of my life. Jacob was … Read more