Friends are the Best Medicine
Posted by Anna Burnstein Gilette on 8/2/2021 to
When COVID-19 shut the world down, we suddenly found ourselves guinea pigs in a giant experiment of forced isolation. A second pandemic soon followed: loneliness.
We know that humans are social creatures, but being alone for too long can literally make one sick. Research has shown a correlation between loneliness and negative health outcomes. A few minutes of laughing with a friend produces “happy hormones,” like serotonin and dopamine, and boosts immunity. Scientists have also observed that people with greater social networks live longer and recover from illness faster.
What are You Afraid of?
Posted by Anna Burnstein Gilette on 8/2/2021 to
Witches, monsters, goblins and hungry wolves—children’s stories are full of dangerous and evil creatures. The world, as seen through the eyes of a child, is indeed a scary place.
A Drop in the Ocean Makes Waves: The Power of One Kind Act
Posted by Anna Burnstein Gilette on 7/1/2021 to
If we are fish in the ocean, every move we make creates ripples that reach from shore to shore. The impact of a kind act, a smile, or a heartfelt thank you can stretch for miles. Multiply that kind act by all the fish in the sea and the ripples become waves in the water. We have the power to change our world if we are intentional about the kind of energy we put out into the universe. We can change the tide.....
The Best Thing About Camp? Memories For A Lifetime
Posted by Anna Burnstein Gilette on 6/24/2021 to
Summer camp—the memory probably brings a smile to your face. You can practically still smell the bonfire and the pine trees. Summers at camp are some of the most intense experiences in a young person’s life. Camp friendships (and crushes!) come fast and strong....
The Dancing Swan Finds Her Superpower
Posted by Anna Burnstein Gilette on 6/18/2021 to
Lily Marks felt like an “ugly
duckling.” As a child, her flat feet and weak knees meant that she walked
differently from other people. Orthopedic shoes and leg braces were meant to
correct the issue, but made her stand out even more from other
Stranger and Friends
Posted by Anna Burnstein Gilette on 6/11/2021 to
Who exactly is a stranger? The word strange can mean unfamiliar or unexpected, but it can also imply weird or abnormal. Jewish text instructs us to love the stranger, remembering that once we were strangers in Egypt. We will be strangers many times over in our lives: on the first day at a new school or at a new job....
Celebrating PRIDE with Apples and Oranges
Posted by Anna Burnstein Gilette on 6/4/2021 to
The orange is known for its healing properties. In the top ten for list for vitamin C, it is one of the first foods we reach for when we have the sniffles. You can almost smell the sunshine when you cut into the juicy tropical fruit....
Dreaming at Sea
Posted by Anna Burnstein Gilette on 5/27/2021 to
Life Events
37 Days at Sea: Aboard the M.S. St. Louis, 1939 tells the story of Jewish passengers aboard the luxury ship, The M.S. St. Louis, fleeing Nazi Germany. The story, told from the perspective of twelve-year-old Ruthie Arons, is written in prose that captures the fragility of her family’s limbo, Ruthie is both a playful child and a keen observer of the shifting dynamics of the larger world around her....
People Plan, and God Laughs. We Should Laugh Too
Posted by Anna Burnstein Gilette on 5/20/2021 to
A year ago, Covid-19 turned the world upside down. We retreated into our homes and schools, stores locked their doors, and the streets were suddenly empty. Human right activist and former politician Natan Sharansky understands isolation, fear and uncertainty more profoundly than most of us....
Mount Sinai—The Little Mountain That Could
Posted by Anna Burnstein Gilette on 5/13/2021 to
Shavuot
When the Israelites reached Mount Sinai, where Moses famously received the Ten Commandments, they were at a spiritual and existential juncture....