Here and here are two articles in Jewish Home LA this week.

I’m still revising my novel, trying to find time for it, while my kids are getting excited about Purim and Pesach. I guess I’m also excited about Pesach — I already have some new books sitting in a box on top of the booksheves waiting till the house is chametz-free. Any excuse to get new books works in my house :). Now, the cleaning is a different question… It’s on my list of things to do. A long list.

Good Shabbos everyone!

Here is my latest article in the Jewish Home, about Rabbi Gordon, z”l, who passed away last week. I never met him, but it was very inspiring speaking to people about him. Why do we only learn about people’s greatness after they leave this world?

In other news, I recently finished the first draft of my first novel, and am now in the thick of revising. It’s an interesting process (do I really need this character? is this chapter suspenful enough? is this too much suspense? why does my character seem to either smile or nod in every other paragraph? and doesn’t the thesaurus have any other words for “smile?”). I’m learning a lot, not only about writing, but also about myself.

Coming up soon — two stories in Inyan and an article in the Purim issue of the Jewish Press. IY”H will keep you posted.

On another note, I’m taking a class on e-learning, and finding it fascinating. I keep thinking about how these ideas can be applied to Jewish learning.

And on yet another note, I’m learning the ropes around social media. I’ve opened an account on Twitter, so if anyone else is on it, let’s connect. And I’m growing my LinkedIn network, so if you’re there and we’re not connected yet, let’s connect there too.

Have a wonderful Shabbos!
Yehudis

Here is my latest article in Jewish Home LA. It was an inspiring evening that is hard to capture in a short article. Share in Torah is definitely an endeavor worthy of support.

Good Shabbos!

My story, The Return, is in this week’s Inyan. I’d love some feedback!

Here is my latest Jewish Home article, about an evening of inspiration we had here in Los Angeles. It’s a link, so I apologize to those subscribers who don’t have Internet.

Good Shabbos!

Here is my latest article in The Jewish Home, about Chaverim.

Also, heads up: my next story in Inyan is scheduled for January 6th.

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

I am clearly not succeeding in finding more time to post. Or more time to write, for that matter. I used to think that when my kids got older I’d be able to get more writing done. But now that I have teenagers, they keep needing to use my computer to type up their essays for school. And not only that, they actually want me to help them with those essays! And they don’t go to sleep early either.

So as I was contemplating success, or lack thereof, Hashem sent me an amazing shiur by Rav Moshe Weinberger just on that subject. You can listen to it at yutorah.org here. I found it very inspiring. Who is called “ish matzliach,” a successful person, in the Torah? Yosef Hatzaddik. But if we think about, his life was just the opposite of success — hated by his brothers, thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, unjustly imprisoned. Yet, by Hashem’s standards, he was successful.

I don’t want to give away the point of the shiur. But I’d like to wish everyone much success!

There is a lot to be said about Chanuka. Having spent over two years researching Chanuka history for a novel I’m working on, I’ve come to the conclusion that not much has changed since then. Sure, the details of everyday life are very different. In this generation, we are blessed with technological advances that allow us to buy ground flour and ground meat and to travel across the world in a day. Though that might not have helped the Makabis to prepare pure olive oil sooner — according to one opinion, they had to wait seven days in order to purify themselves before squeezing the olives. So even with all the modern technology we still need miracles. But I digress.

The battles of Chanuka are still taking place, within our minds and our hearts. Because Chanuka was much more than a military victory. It was a victory of Torah over Hellenism which took place deep inside the Jews living at that time. Once the Beis Hamikdash was rededicated many former Hellenists returned to Judaism wholeheartedly. Then again, many didn’t.

Since Chanuka, Hellenism has morphed into various philosophies and took on many disguises, but it is alive and well. As it should be — when utilized correctly, within the tents of Shem, in service of the Torah, it could enhance our avodas Hashem. But when human logic is valued above holiness and faith then it becomes an end in itself rather than a means of connection to Hashem and to the purpose of our existence. But anyway, I shouldn’t be giving away the theme of my novel ;).

Happy Chanuka!

yehudislitvak.com

Here is my latest article in the Jewish Home LA — interview with Mrs. Fasman, former principal of my girls’ school and an amazing and inspiring person.

Also, a reminder — the first installment of my Chanuka story is in this week’s Inyan.

I am trying out something new for this mailing list — hope it works. Let me know if you have any trouble reading these posts by email. And if you’re not yet on my list — please subscribe! Use the link at the top of the page.

Hi everyone,

Sorry I haven’t been around — still busy talking to my kids, and helping them with homework which is more intense than last year. Meanwhile, Inyan is printing my Chanuka story in two parts, starting November 25th. (It’s the same story that didn’t fit last year, for those of you who have seen it.)

I now have nine stories set in the times of the second Beis Hamikdash, and I’m thinking about a book. I have a couple more story ideas that could go into the book. But I’m curious to hear from my readers — what would you like to see covered in a book about the second Beis Hamikdash? Any particular time or event, or aspect of the avodah? How long would you like this book to be? Would you like me to include historical notes on what actually happened? Anything else you’d like to tell me as I work on the book?

Thank you and looking forward to hearing from you!

Yehudis

yehudislitvak.com

Here is a short article on Rabbi Paysach Krohn’s talk here in LA on the subject of Jewish unity. Good Shabbos!