Releasing The Power of Transitions
Posted by Ilana R. Wieder on 9/22/2025 to
Meet a Kar-Ben Author
When people think of the Havdalah ritual, they often think of the transition between Shabbat and the rest of the week. Our Jewish tradition incorporates a beautiful ceremony that helps us make a distinction between the sacred and the mundane.
Why Visiting Rembrandt’s House Led Me to Write “Rembrandt’s Blessing”
Posted by Tami Lehman-Wilzig on 9/10/2025 to
Meet a Kar-Ben Author
My father always said: “Life is ruled by the unexpected,” and indeed everyone loves the twists and turns of happy surprises. Twenty years ago, when I first visited Rembrandt’s Amsterdam house, I had one of those unanticipated moments.
Finding Inspiration in Shabbat, Havdalah Songs, and My Puppy
Posted by Ilana R. Wieder on 7/11/2025 to
Meet a Kar-Ben Author
In
my family, Shabbat is a time to enjoy good food, to spend time with friends and
family and to allow ourselves to just be. On Shabbat afternoons, we love
playing board games, reading books, and playing with our dog, Mitzi.
The Choice to Remain Silent
Posted by Audrey Ades on 5/16/2025 to
Meet a Kar-Ben Author
The Choice to Remain Silent
Like most writers, I am also a reader. My favorite books bring
me to times gone-by and far-away places. They introduce me to people living
lives and making choices I may never experience.
The Rabbi
Hannah G. Solomon Dared to Make a Difference
Posted by Bonnie Lindauer on 5/16/2025 to
Meet a Kar-Ben Author
I didn’t know anything about Hannah G. Solomon, the founder of
the National Council of Jewish Women, until I became an active member of the
NCJW-San Francisco section.
I recall attending my first awards luncheon and listening to
Connected, Always
Posted by Pamela Ehrenberg on 3/4/2025 to
Meet a Kar-Ben Author
I grew up nostalgic for a world I never knew: my father’s
childhood in the Pimlico section of Baltimore in the mid-twentieth century,
where neighbors and cousins ran in and out of his family’s rowhouse, extended
family always, physically right
The Best Seder in the Building
Posted by Joy Preble on 1/7/2025 to
Meet a Kar-Ben Author
Although it took
me a number of drafts to realize it, I had two main goals in writing Happy
Passover, Edie Rose! One was to reflect my love of Passover, both as a
child as well as an adult. Our seders were huge events, with family and
Weaving Heritages and Finding Hope Through Difference and Change
Posted by Adam Ryan Chang & Stephanie Wildman on 11/5/2024 to
Meet a Kar-Ben Author
Change
can be scary. Moving day is right up there with death on the list of high
stress situations that we as humans encounter. In these times of political
division, Miri’s Moving Day presents a reminder that our strength as a
community comes
How a chipmunk, a squirrel and a pandemic made my lifelong dream come true
Posted by Melody Howard Ritt on 10/2/2024 to
Meet a Kar-Ben Author
For as long as I can remember, reading was my passion and
writing was my dream. “Someday, I’m going to write a book,” I would tell anyone
who would listen when I was young.
Unfortunately, my parents didn’t share my vision. “You are
not
A Story about Stories...and a Monster!
Posted by Sandy Asher on 2/16/2024 to
Meet a Kar-Ben Author
My parents and grandparents were not storytellers. By the time I was old enough to ask the right questions—about the old country, the journey to America, life in the new country—there was no one left to answer them. That left a gaping hole
