Ima 2 Eight

My husband and I, and seven of our eight children live in Neve Daniel, a small(er) and fantastic settlement in Israel.

I am a Jewish, religious, passionately Zionistic American-Israeli Baal Teshuvah with an 16 18 21 year old stepson and six seven more children ten   fifteen and under. I love my family,  my work, music, cooking, Israel, and learning and teaching Torah. I also love my blog community.

I grew up in Weston, CT, #3 preppiest town in the US in the eighties, according to The Preppy Handbook.  My family was active in the Conservative movement, so I was a USY and Camp Ramah kid 110%. There was a time when I thought I was going to become a Cantor.  How I became a “frummie” is a long story. Aren’t they all?

I love music, almost any kind, if it is good. I love experiencing my kids through music, my Judaism through music, and especially some combination of all three.

I moved to Israel in 1995, straight out of college, as a Baalat Teshuva still at an early point on my journey.  I worked in politics and public relations in the non-profit world.  I am now the Owner of my own PR and Communications  firm, Moore Connected Communications.  I have also started a business, Hub Etzion, the first coworking space in Gush Etzion.

I moved to the US in 2000 with my husband and my one year old daughter so that we could be close to my stepson and help raise him as much as possible. Five months later I gave birth to twins.  Leaving Israel was heartbreaking for me. At the time, I was too distracted, sleep deprived and overwhelmed to feel it much.

We planned to return home after my stepson has graduated high school, B”H, and have done just that. My husband and I returned to Israel after 12 years of exile in New Jersey in July of 2012.

I have gained most of whatever wisdom I have the hard way through my own mistakes and trials.

This blog includes the things in my daily experience: my thoughts on Israel, historically, politically, and socially. My thoughts on Torah and the Jewish world. My thoughts on Public Relations. My thoughts on raising Jewish children to be a light unto the nations and to repair the world. My thoughts on Jewish Music education for children 0-5 years old. My thoughts on being a second wife, and a stepmom. My recommendations on children’s products that are not a waste of time and money (I believe almost all are).