Changing (the) TableBy Gabrielle Kaufman

When my son was born, his sister was six and a half. I had given away all the baby furniture and items, certain that I was finished with baby times. This time around, I knew that all the junk stores sell you is more about image and profit margin than about what we truly need. A few cloth diapers, a car seat and an empty drawer to put the baby in (okay, a bassinet), and I was set. In talking about the “things” with my friend, she shared with me that her family had a changing table/dresser that had been passed down through five cousins. They were ready to share it with the next baby. It sounded good to me and the price tag fit too. Two weeks before my baby Zev came into the world, we loaded up a friend’s station wagon and hauled in the well-loved piece of furniture. Each child’s name was written in the back of the dresser along with the year of his/her birth. I guess this clunky, unattractive hunk of wood was an heirloom. At any rate, it was serviceable.

Read more about Zev’s changing table

A Very Cheesy Story: Celebrating Women’s Role in Channukah

By Audrey Kentor

This time of year is rife with symbols of celebration, strength, and miracles for the Jewish people. Representations of Channukah include everything from eight nights of light in the darkest time of year to little chocolates shaped like Maccabees. But where are the images of women in our annual retelling of the Channukah story? In the traditional religious-school versions, all the major players in the story are men.

        And yet, we find an incredible symbol of women’s strength in an unlikely place: Channukah food. More about the connection between women, Channukah, and food