Flashes of Light

Coordinated by Rachel Bachrach

It’s eight days of light, pushing away the darkness of the long, bleak winter — and the winter of our lives as well. But while the radiance may seem brief, those eight days of Chanukah rise above nature, their holy illumination guiding and inspiring through the daunting cold. And like the menorah’s glow, sometimes there’s a person who crossed our path, even for a short time, and spread light in our lives that continues to shine. Eight accounts

Taking the Leap

Barbara Bensoussan

Recently we had a Shabbos guest, a single woman of about 35. She told me she had been long-distance dating someone who lived in Europe, and she was on the fence about it. Their backgrounds were different, and if they married, she might need to move across the ocean.

“But he’s the only guy I’ve dated in years who seems normal,” she avowed. “He’s the only person I’ve met in a while where I see potential.”

When she said that, words I’d heard almost 40 years ago came back to me immediately.

“You know,” I said, “A very wise woman once told me, ‘Whatever you do, have children. You’ll never regret it, no matter how the marriage turns out.’”