Community

Celebrating Two Decades of Making Beautiful Music

by Melissa Gerr | Apr 6, 2017 | Children, Community, Community Resources, Education, ONLINE ONLY

In 1996, when Scott McGowan had dozens of students wait-listed for private in-home piano lessons, he convinced his wife, Harlene, to leave her sales job and join him in his fledgling music instruction school. They even hired another teacher the following year. “It’s...

Zirkin Throws Out First Pitch at Orioles’ Opening Day at Camden Yards

by Jeff Seidel | Apr 5, 2017 | Community

State Sen. Robert A. “Bobby” Zirkin (D-11th) was part of a special group of notables that threw out ceremonial first pitches at the Orioles’ Opening Day ceremonies on Monday. Zirkin enjoyed the same honor last year, but admitted that having done so before...

How to Avoid Trump Talk From Ruining Your Seder

by Ben Sales, JTA | Apr 5, 2017 | Community, Family, Religion, Spirituality

After Donald Trump won the presidential election last November, Sheila Katz wasn’t sure she wanted to come home for Thanksgiving. As the politically liberal member of a conservative family, she had been comfortable sparring with her relatives during the Obama...

Sports Can Bring Parents and Kids Together

by Dana Hemelt | Mar 31, 2017 | Children, Community, Parenting

“Quiz me on the positions again,” I say to my 15-year-old son, placing my phone facedown on the table corner. He’s running errands with me, something he does as infrequently as he hangs up bath towels or turns off lights. There’s no school today, and I bribe my...

Passover’s Social Justice Themes Resonate with Jews

by Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg | Mar 31, 2017 | Community, Religion, Spirituality

Pesach, which begins Monday evening, April 10, is the most observed holiday on the Jewish calendar. A staggeringly high percentage of American Jews hold or attend some version of the seder. There’s much speculation as to why this is, with theories including the robust...

Eight Tips for a Less Stressful Pesach

by JTA | Mar 31, 2017 | Community, Family, Religion, Spirituality

By Duby Litvin Passover is a wonderful, joyous holiday, but it requires a great deal of preparation and coordination. (Translation: stress.) The following eight tips aim to help you organize and prioritize so you can fully enjoy the eight-day Festival of Freedom,...