Author: Guest Contributor
Meet the Rosenberg Family: PJ Library’s Mishpacha of the Month!
Meet Gabriella and Evan Rosenberg, and their children, Luna, age 8, and Scarlett, age 4. Gabby and Evan both grew up in Jewish households- Gabby was born in Pikesville and moved to Cockeysville with her parents when she was in Lower School, and Evan was born and raised in Silver Spring. Both attended Jewish day […]
Meet Yael Hamburger
Born and raised in Baltimore and now calling Canton home, Yael Hamburger is all about building community through movement, meaning and connection. Whether she’s running along the waterfront, planning gatherings with The Network or balancing nursing school at Johns Hopkins, Yael brings heart, energy and openness to everything she does. Her story is a beautiful […]
Being a GRANDparent… is GRAND!
By Sheri Stern (center in photo), Special Needs Grandparent Support Group Participant On the day before our first Seder in 2014, my daughter, Michelle, and son-in-law, John, told my husband, Jeffrey, and I that we would become grandparents that November. In that moment, we became Pop-Pop and Bubbe, our self-selected names, and we have been […]
The Trip of a Lifetime: Jewish DeafBlind Adults Explore Israel for the First Time
By Yael Zelinger, Jewish DeafBlind Experience, Coordinator For many members of the Jewish DeafBlind community, traveling to Israel as a fully accessible Jewish group has been a long-held dream. For years, participants in Jewish DeafBlind Shabbatons talked about what it might mean to experience Israel in a way designed specifically for their needs. In November […]
Reset and Refresh Reflection
For Tali and George, joining Reset & Refresh opened their minds to what Judaism can be and how it can weave its way through all aspects of life and family, even when not everyone in that family identifies as Jewish. Their experience is a powerful reminder that there is no single right way to build […]
Yolka: A New Year’s Tree; A Tree of Childhood Celebration
By Valery Viner, Jewish Connection Network’s Russian Speaking Parent Connector Yolka, the New Year tree As a child, born and partly brought up in the former Soviet country of Ukraine, Yolka played a significant part in my life and in every Soviet child’s life. It represented something magical because on the eve of New Year’s […]
Meet Dante Barboy
My name is Dante Barboy, and I recently became one of the new Baltimore City Jewish Young Adults (20s & 30s) Connectors. I was originally born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and came to the Baltimore region at age 6 with my family. I attended Jewish day school in Buenos Aires, and Hebrew School once here […]
Meet Rachel Plotkin
For moms of teens who are finding a little more breathing room and a lot more curiosity about what’s next, Sip and Stitch offers a cozy place to land. Led by Rachel Plotkin, local Jewish communal professional, this gathering brings together moms of teens (age 14+) to connect over coffee or drinks while knitting and […]
From the Kotel to the Kitchen Table: Momentum Trip Reflection
Written by Michele Birenbaum, Momentum Israel Trip Cohort Member (second from the right in the photo) Luckily, it took me less time to decide to go on a Momentum Israel Trip with the Jewish Connection Network than it has taken me to decide how to start this reflection. When I think about my amazing trip, […]
December Holiday Stress? Try Challah Days
By Lisa Akchin, Multigenerational, Multifaith Family Connector for The Network. The low point in my experience as the Jewish grandmother of Catholic grandchildren was a latke dinner where my son called me out for “Marketing Hanukkah.” It can be hard to show up as a Jewish grandparent when our children and their partners choose different […]