Sukkot, Abundance and Senseless Pursuits
The Harvest Festival of Sukkot is in the beginning of October this year. Not as widely observed as Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, Sukkot has a lot of symbolism that can resonate with the experience of infertility. The unstable outdoor booths (Sukkot) that people live in represent the fragility of the material world. The biblical […]
The Infertile Label
Not many people are comfortable with the thought: I am infertile. That can feel harsh and limiting. You are much more than any one part of your life. And to be defined by something you cannot do? Ouch! While infertility is significant, your ability to have a child is not your entire identity. You are […]
#LivingWithInfertility
If you are reading this, you survived Mother’s Day. And sure enough, now comes Father’s Day. Of course you were going to survive and you will continue to survive, but the reality of infertility is that it may feel like so much effort just to survive. There is no book “Thriving During Infertility” or “How […]
Managing Mother’s Day
This week is a special guest column by Madeline Licker Feingold, PhD Originally posted on the RSC Fertility Blog “On Mother’s Day I’m going to stay in bed with the sheets pulled over my head.” Every day is difficult for women who experience infertility, but Mother’s Day may be the most challenging of them all. […]
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! […]