New #Hanukkah Resource Available
A Hanukkah Miracle Hanukkah is associated with miracles, standing up in the face of opposition, and succeeding against the odds. The Maccabees, a small band of rebels, fought against the mighty Greek- Assyrian army and prevailed in the end. They returned to the Temple and lit the one day’s worth of oil, which then lasted […]
My Path to Building My Own Jewish Family
Mariela Socolovsky: My Path to Building My Own Jewish Family A Note: I’ll be starting my maternity leave at the end of this week, on November 4th. I’m currently 38 weeks’ pregnant, but started writing this essay a bit before my 20th week of pregnancy. In my 20s, the “do not get pregnant” advice translated […]
Weeding out Fertility
A recent article in Epoch Times shared many research studies that pointed a finger at the use of agricultural fertilizer (e.g RoundUp) with higher rates of infertility. Some of it is directly linked, and most of it is a very understandable, like the A=B, B=C so A=C. These ties include lower rates of testosterone, disrupted […]
Practice #SelfForgiveness this #YomKippur
Yom Kippur, Hawaii and Infertility Self-blame is often an uninvited guest at an infertility experience. It sometimes tags along with curiosity. Is this because I was on birth control pills? Sometimes it just walks in the front door. I waited too long. I didn’t take care of my body. I didn’t eat well. Other times […]
Facing Fertility Challenges in the Jewish Community
By Terry Friedkin This column originally appeared in The Jewish News of Northern California , November 12, 2019 Several months ago, I was asked to speak at an event for Hasidah, a Berkeley-based nonprofit that “raises awareness of infertility, connects people to support resources and reduces financial barriers to [fertility] treatment in the Jewish […]
How Do You Share The Story?
As part of Passover preparation – removing chametz from our lives and planning to leave the narrow places – Hasidah invited several guest bloggers to provide support for dealing with Infertility during the holiday and beyond. Aron Wolgel is an educator and infertility veteran based in Berkeley, CA. The excitement of Pesach is upon us! […]
The Fifth Child at The Seder
Guest Blogger Julie Bindeman is a reproductive psychologist, speaker and author based in Rockville, MD One of the most familiar parts of the Passover Seder is the four sons/children. These children represent the different places in which people come to the Seder: knowing and wise; selfish (or wicked); simple (or not knowing); and the fourth […]
The Human Right to Have a Child
Published by Truah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights Commentary on Rosh Hashanah Torah and Haftarah readings September 4, 2018 By Rabbi Idit Solomon Reproductive rights have been hijacked. When someone mentions the phrase “reproductive rights,” the first things that usually come to mind are either birth control or abortion. However, the ability to prevent […]
The Big Freeze
Is egg freezing a good thing? A recent article in the Forward by Amy Klein explores the personal stories of a growing number of Jewish women considering egg freezing. Egg freezing is empowering for some, a relief for others and scary for others. For cancer patients it ought to be a given option. For the […]
Headline Ransom
Ever see that headline that addresses a question that’s been nagging at you? When you are struggling with infertility, a lot of things are nagging at you. Is there something I could be doing differently to resolve this? Did I forget to ask a question? Is there a treatment or method I don’t know that […]