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Articles by Bracha Goetz
Protecting Our Children While Preserving Their Innocence
The best way to bring up the subject of personal privacy and safety with our children is naturally, in the context of our everyday lives. For many years, the idea of teaching young children in our community about personal safety felt uncomfortable. Parents wanted to preserve their children’s innocence, maintain tznius, and shield them from concepts they seemed too young to understand.
What a Cardboard Box Can Teach a Child About Joy
Happiness is always here, right inside of us. For a long time, I thought about how children first learn happiness—not as a mood, but as a skill. Long before children can articulate what they feel, they are already learning how to think. And what they learn to notice, becomes a bigger and bigger part of their lives. One simple story I once wrote decades ago has stayed with many families for exactly that reason. A young boy is unhappy with what he has.
Talking to Our Children about Abuse
Not long ago, conversations about child safety, especially those involving personal boundaries, were largely absent from many Jewish homes and classrooms. The silence was not born of indifference, but of discomfort, uncertainty, and a deep desire to preserve childhood innocence. Parents wanted to protect their children. They just weren’t sure how to begin.
ECHOES - jewishecho
I Found It! by Bracha Goetz You know the feeling you get When you find something Extremely valuable that you had lost? Multiply that by way more than a trillion, And you’ll have a sense of How it feels To become a baal teshuvah. All that was missing Is forever found. Bracha Goetz is the Harvard-educated author of 45 Jewish children’s books and a memoir for adults about her journey to joy in Judaism. Her books can be found in Judaica stores and at www.growingimpactpublications.com.
A Hellenist Left Standing
It was the twenty-fifth of December, And when she closes her eyes she remembers, Just how it was. A Jewish girl from Queens, Had fulfilled her secret dreams, Decorating that bright, forbidden tree. A Jewish girl from Queens, Had fulfilled her secret dreams. She helped hang tinsel merrily. Her boyfriend’s family, Was friendly as could be. They had fun watching her delight. Her boyfriend’s family, Was friendly as could be. By the fireplace they sang carols that night. Then they piled into the car.
Championing Israel To Our Children
Title: What Does Israel Mean to Us? Explaining to Your Tweens Israel’s Significance and Moral Standing By: Yisroel Juskowitz What a magnificent feat! Rabbi Yisroel Juskowitz has managed to beautifully succeed in doing what seems to be almost impossible. He clearly explains Israel’s significance as well as the ongoing situation in Israel – in a way that children can understand. There is a great need for this book, for both Jewish and non-Jewish children.
Abuse
Abuse can exist anywhere. There’s no community, ethnicity or background that’s free of it. Gain a searing insight into the inner battle that rages as one man’s children prepare to celebrate his special day. His flames fully engulfed you. He consumed you. Yet here you are. Still around. Still alive. You’re functioning.
Craving for More: Starving for Spiritual Nourishment
Addictions often develop to fill the gnawing emptiness one feels inside. There’s a better way. The awareness that something was missing in my life began in adolescence. But I didn’t know what it was I was lacking. I grew up in a warm and modest family, with all of my basic physical needs being lovingly met. But yet I felt as though something was missing. As the years went on, I started searching more and more desperately, trying to find what was missing.
Tap Into Your Courageous Super Powers
There were no security guards by the synagogues, the Jewish schools, or the JCC’s when I first wrote the manuscript a few years ago for my new children’s book that was just published. The Courage Club, based on the Biblical account of the Jewish hero Daniel, whose story is adapted into this picture book as a school play performance. But when I originally wrote it, to inspire children with Daniel’s and his friends’ courage, it didn’t feel relevant to young Jewish lives today. Now it does.
Don’t Read This Article! - A Letter From Your Inner Adversary
Hey, why are you reading this? Didn’t you read the title? Please just scroll on down to the next article. Coming up is just stuff about how I try, basically all day, to get you to focus on what you’re lacking. That way you won’t enjoy what you already have! I’m really good at this. I’ve had loads of practice … I’m also expert at getting you to feel so unworthy that you can’t value what you have. Because if you feel unworthy, then whatever you’ve got must not be worth much either.
FOR MY HUSBAND, ODE TO OUR LAST SUKKAH
For My Husband, Ode to Our Last Sukkah by Bracha Goetz We didn’t realize it would be, The last sukkah of you and me. Those boards, they stretched – it wasn’t wide, Still all our children fit inside. And grandchildren, as they came too, And all the guests, thanks most to you. The decorations that you saved, All through the years, everyone raved. How our grandchildren loved to see What their parents once made at three! As each year brought us something new, The decorations grew and grew.
Life Is Too Short to Worry on Small Things: Tips to Stay Happy No Matter What
Happiness is relative. It means different things to different people. For some, happiness can be found in material things, and for others, happiness comes from their loved ones. However, you must remember this; life is not about worrying on small things; it’s about finding happiness in small-small things. So, if you want to be happy in every situation, here are some tips for finding joy no matter what. Increase your physical activity.
What is the Best Way of Adoring Living
We all genuinely have a lot to do, and many of us feel pressed for time. It does seem hard to find time for yourself. But it is this so-called lack of time that creates a state of stress. Take a moment and cherish your life. Isn’t it time to explore the art of living? Realize that you can maximize for a full life; below are the tools you need to succeed! 1. Self-care is a must Practicing self-care allows us to be there in the way we want to be for others.
Is It The Right Time For A Social Media Detox
People have heard of detoxing from sugar or drugs, but not everyone has heard of a social media detox. For many, myself included, social media was an addiction. I checked social media when I needed a break, to procrastinate, when I had a good day or a bad day, to check the news, to check on friends. I used it all the time! When I didn’t check my phone for an hour, I would start having anxiety. According to a survey by Mobile Mindset, I am not alone.
What Do I Stand For?
It was the 25th of December, and when she closes her eyes she remembers just how it was. A Jewish girl from Queens, N.Y., had fulfilled her secret dreams, decorating that bright, forbidden tree. She helped hang the tinsel merrily. Her boyfriend’s family was as friendly as could be. They grinned, watching her exuberance. Soon everyone gathered around the fireplace that night, singing carols. She knew almost every song by heart.
This is The Most Enjoyable Way to Avoid Overeating
We typically think of overcoming overeating as serious drudgery involving boring restrictions – and how long can anyone stick to a goal that way? Here’s a game-changing perspective in which overcoming overeating results from actually bringing more natural pleasures into your life. Overeating can provide temporary relief from emotional pain, anxiety, and even boredom. We keep eating because we want the fleeting and immediate pleasure that food brings to last.
Interview with Bracha Goetz, Author
Bracha Goetz is the Harvard-educated author of 38 books to help children’s souls shine. Her writing has appeared in publications such as Newsweek, McCall’s Magazine and Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies. Bracha Goetz’s first book for adults, Searching for God in the Garbage, is a new and very candid memoir about overcoming food addictions joyfully. She is also the author of the very candid new memoir for adults, Searching for God in the Garbage.
Things You Need to Know About Child Molesters
What is the profile of a child molester? An average child molester will offend 200–400 times before being caught, if ever. The vast majority of offenders do not get caught, and they have no criminal records. According to the FBI, only one out of ten cases of child sexual abuse is reported to law enforcement. Many of the statistics on these types of crimes are gleaned from incarcerated perpetrators, who have provided civil authorities with an inside view into the lives of child molesters.
Overcoming My Disordered Eating - What Was Starving Was My Soul
March 14 There was a poster up about a bagels-and-lox Sunday-morning brunch on the med school campus. So I figured, as always, I should give it one more try. It was horrible, horrible. Not one word about Judaism. I left when no one was looking. Why don’t I just give up? March 20 I took three busses to get to the Jewish Singles Party and then was totally embarrassed to even be there. And I was so desperate to leave, I had this guy who was super drunk drive me back to the dorm.
Overcoming My Disordered Eating - What Was Starving Was My Soul
March 14 There was a poster up about a bagels-and-lox Sunday-morning brunch on the med school campus. So I figured, as always, I should give it one more try. It was horrible, horrible. Not one word about Judaism. I left when no one was looking. Why don’t I just give up? March 20 I took three busses to get to the Jewish Singles Party and then was totally embarrassed to even be there. And I was so desperate to leave, I had this guy who was super drunk drive me back to the dorm.
G-d Is Protecting Us
G-d Is Protecting Us November 14, 2018 By Bracha Goetz, Baltimore This is in response to Dr. Robert O. Freedman’s assertion that it was difficult to see the words “baruch dayan ha’emet” with the names of those killed in Pittsburgh (“Letters,” Nov. 9). I don’t know if you will find this helpful, Dr. Freedman, but I found it helpful when my oldest son pointed this out to me, so I’m sharing it.
Everyone Gets It, But Us
The Shabbat Project was planned for the Shabbat before last. It was to be an extra special Shabbat. Jews from all over the world – including many non-observant Jews – would unite in observing the holy day. And that happened – but not in the way anyone had anticipated. When I heard the news of the Pittsburgh massacre after Shabbat, tears kept forming in my eyes.
The Kavanaugh Hearings: None Of Us Can Escape The Past
After listening to the Kavanaugh-Ford hearings, I was curious to learn more about excessive alcohol drinking and memory and found this article from Psychology Today, “Why You Cannot Remember What You Did While You Were Drunk.” Published back in August of 2015, it explains: Most people think that [“alcoholic blackout”] means drinking until you pass out. It doesn’t. When in alcoholic blackout, a person can walk, talk, and interact with other people.
An Open Letter to Those Who Left Birthright
Why am I drawn to keep watching the videos online of you leaving your Birthright trips to visit with Palestinians? It’s because I feel like I am watching myself, sincerely struggling to do what I felt was the right thing. Even though it was challenging to stand up and speak out, I too felt compelled to make the most open-minded and inclusive choices, hard as it may have been.
Leaving Birthright
Why am I drawn to keep watching the videos online of you leaving your Birthright trips to visit with Palestinians? It’s because I feel like I am watching myself, sincerely struggling to do what I felt was the right thing. Even though it was challenging to stand up and speak out, I too felt compelled to make the most open-minded and inclusive choices, hard as it may have been.
Hungry? Or Is That the Soul That’s Grumbling?
A food addiction is the most basic kind of addiction. It seems that even Adam and Eve had problems with food since right off the bat, they got disastrously caught up in eating inappropriately. Some food addictions can require serious intervention and expert help when they have reached a certainIf I am trying to feed my hungry soul, no amount of food will help level of severity.
The Seven Heroes of Sukkot
Oprah Winfrey always seems to know just what to ask in order to really get to know her subjects. She said one of her favorite questions was this: “If you could invite anyone from all of history for a dinner party you’re giving, who would you choose?” Jews long ago had the same idea – and offered a collective answer during the joyful holiday of Sukkot. Sukkot is a time when we leave the walls of our homes in order to sit in booths of beauty open to friends, guests and strangers.
IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE
Some parents may find that they need this picture book more than their children do. The book is a sort of checklist.
Things You Need to Know About Child Molesters
What is the profile of a child molester? An average child molester will offend 200–400 times before being caught, if ever. The vast majority of offenders do not get caught, and they have no criminal records. According to the FBI, only one out of ten cases of child sexual abuse is reported to law enforcement. Many of the statistics on these types of crimes are gleaned from incarcerated perpetrators, who have provided civil authorities with an inside view into the lives of child molesters.
I Don't Know How to Pray!?
I don't know how to pray, but I'm giving it a try. I'm not the kind of person that enjoys praying in a synagogue very much, so I'm out here, trying to strengthen my connection with my Creator, by standing in the front yard very early this morning. With the gentle sunshine warm on my face, I'm talking out loud. I feel kind of silly and awkward, but it's pleasant too, and I remind myself of all the people I see walking around with bluetooths in their ears.
Don't Read This!
Don't read this, please. Or soon you may find out too much. Don't read this - please. This page should be marked,"DO NOT TOUCH!" So you won't stop! Now you're bound to find out, Just what I don't want you to know.
Super-Hero
The super-heroes around today, Are just a bunch of fakes. So let's find out about a superman, Who was real - for goodness sakes! Could he leap from tall buildings, In just one single bound? Awww - he could take the whole building, And CRASH it to the ground! He could pick up two mountains. They felt light as a feather. Big mountains became pebbles, When he'd SMASH them together! Who was this mighty, super man? Samson was his name. Samson had super powers, And he knew from where they came.
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