Features
Looking Toward the Heavens
Last night was surreal. I sat with some of my sisters, my mother, and my daughter in the darkness listening…
All The Things I Can & Cannot Remember
This Story Contains: Pregnancy Loss, Pregnancy Termination, Grief This essay was written and workshopped in The Layers Writing & Publishing…
Forever On A Blurry Road: Memories of A Past Relationship
He drove a red Jeep Cherokee Laredo. It’s a noticeable car, and for years, I noticed them everywhere. I would…
The Night I Was Redeemed
It was the night of the Exodus. There we were in our homes; waiting, terrified, and exhilarated. As per Moses’s…
Remembering My Baby
“My baby died.” I bite my lip. This isn’t the place, I remind myself. This is a stranger. This is…
Giving Myself Permission to Grieve My Mother
I clearly remember the morning in school when I announced, “my mommy passed away and she’s in shamayim.” The room…
Memory: The Present, the Elusive, the Good, and the Bad
Facebook reminds me of a photo from 7 years ago, the moment I became a grandmother. My mother reminds me…
Reckoning With Reality; Standing Up For Our Future
My sister and I were born in the wake of a historic triumph. My father, Natan Sharansky, was arrested by…
The Role of Ring Holder At The Chuppah
“How are you holding up?” – This is the recurrent text I’ve learned to expect in the days following a…
Mila’s Story: They Can Never Erase Them
In Honor of International Holocaust Day: Mila’s Story: Mila grew up in southern Poland, in a town called Chrzanow. Her…
My Story of Sexual Abuse
It’s time to tell my story of sexual abuse. I’ll be honest, I’m absolutely terrified right now. Scared out of…
Learning to Rest
I never let myself rest. At some point when I was sick with chronic illness, all I could do was…