Dear Pop, My mother recently passed away. My little boy was very close to her. How does one explain to a four-year-old about death? Grieving Mom Dear Grieving Mom, Here’s what I suggest you do. Be honest with your toddler and encourage questions. This is a learning experience for him which he’ll never forget. Children’s…
On November 9, 2019 Valley Beth Shalom, in Encino, California hosted a program in commemoration of the 81stAnniversary of Kristallnacht entitled “Rescuing History: Kristallnacht and ‘The Holocaust Through the Eyes of Deaf Jews’.” (Kristallnacht was two nights of violence perpetrated against the Jewish communities of Germany and Austria on November 9-10, 1938.) It was a…
In the United States, we observe Thanksgiving the last Thursday in November. It’s a cornucopia-filled holiday with traditions unique to America. It is celebrated to give thanks for the fall harvest with historical references to native Indians and Pilgrim settlers. Americans are not the only country that ritualizes a feast of thanks. Many other countries…
Dear Pop, A deaf or hard of hearing child will be mainstreaming into my class next semester. What can I expect? How do I make my lessons understandable? How can I ease her transition into my class with her peers? Signed, Nervous Dear Nervous, Teaching a deaf or hard of hearing (hoh) student is similar…
Historically, deaf people have been pretty much ignored by the hearing community. The general feeling has been, “They’re just too difficult to communicate with, so why bother?” However, throughout history, many deaf people have made a name for themselves, and in spite of their hearing impairment, they have stood out and contributed their skills for…
I was a member of Temple Judea, a reform synagogue in Tarzana, California, for twenty-five years. Even after a virus robbed me of most of my hearing and forced me out of my tenured sixth grade teaching assignment, I stayed a temple member. Though I couldn’t understand a word of the rabbi’s sermons or capable…
While schools are prepping for the 2019-2020 school year, parents need to think about the bullies that previously terrorized their children. What can we do about those annoying bullies? The first anti-bullying crusade was launched after the April 20, 1999 Columbine massacre when two seniors at Columbine High School in Colorado murdered 12 students and…
It’s that time of year again when parents of students heading to their freshman year are packing trunks and getting ready to face their first year of college. I escorted both my daughters to their chosen schools. One went to the University of California at Riverside, and five years later the younger one attended the…
Passover, the Jewish celebration of the Exodus, begins Friday evening, April 19, 2019 with the first Seder, and ends Saturday evening, April 27. This is the time when Jews throughout the world remember the years their ancestors were slaves in Egypt and escaped under the leadership of Moses. Carol Meyers, an archeologist and professor…
Savannah is a communications major at a prominent university. One day, while walking across campus, she eyes a guy she can’t resist. He is absolutely gorgeous. The communications major is taking American Sign Language (ASL) with Prof. Stockton to fulfill her language requirement. One homework assignment is to attend a Deaf event….