Write from my heart…..

Once upon a time, I taught environmental education to children in Maine, worked for a United States Senator on Capitol Hill, and practiced law in mid-town Manhattan. Then, after having three children in two years  (yes, there are twins), I stopped writing briefs and started washing them instead. Soon we moved our growing family to Cincinnati, Ohio, where my days are filled with family, community service, and writing for children.

Once upon an even longer ago time, I grew up in two very different households as part of a "blended family"—before such lingo was invented. I had a collection of full, half, and step-siblings and a variety of parents to raise us. Traveling between Wisconsin and New Jersey multiple times a year brought with it a shift in family constellations, values, and roles. Sure, sometimes it was hard to navigate, but I am grateful for the common thread that connected my two worlds: love.

I didn’t grow up in an observant home, but always knew I was Jewish. As the mother of three of the only Jewish children in their schools, I created ways to bring the joys of Judaism to their classrooms—not just at Hanukkah when I happily held the title of “Latke Mama.” One thing led to another, and a year before my oldest daughter had her bat mitzvah, I belatedly celebrated my own. As a mom and as a writer, I treasure what Judaism has brought to my life. I hope Jewish children will see themselves in the stories I write and their non-Jewish peers will, too.