Just The Way We Are
A former college English instructor, Shoshana Rachel is editor-in-chief of the Jewish VOICE. She’s an over-sharing Zaftig Mama, Writer, Jewish Teacher, Yiddish Lover, Avid Public Breastfeeder, and Advocate for the B in LGBT. She writes about her life, her body, and the fiction roaming around in her head at Shoshuga.com. A featured writer at Listen To Your Mother Philly 2012 and a frequent guest poster on ErinMargolin.com, Shoshana Rachel also finds amusement in her Things That Make Shosh Uncomfortable board on Pinterest and her constant twitter feed.
I’m getting divorced. I just got dumped. I went from being a wife to a girlfriend in a very short period of time. Every self-help book is rolling its tear-stained eyes at me- I told you so. Rebound. Rebound. I suppose, technically, it was a rebound- but it was with someone I’ve known for twenty [...]
Just the other day, I was on my way to dinner with my ex-boyfriend. It was almost 90 degrees outside, the sun was beginning to set and the streets were filled with people. Mostly, people in their late twenties to mid-thirties. As we walked, he commented on every woman we passed. “What about her?” “She’s [...]
Last year I rediscovered a friend while trying to maintain my sanity. I was pregnant and on bed rest, which is just a fancy way of saying I was on Twitter a lot. That’s where I reconnected with hometown friend Ann Imig. A buzz surrounded her, and this buzz was much bigger than her [...]
Tonight, I was sitting on my couch minding my own business when 60 Minutes came on. The segment was on African Mercy, the largest civilian hospital ship on the sea. The ships bring medical care to mostly West Africans who “suffer from diseases unseen in America-illnesses that can make you believe in curses.” The [...]
In the past few weeks, the entertainment world revealed their horror over writer/director/actress, Lena Dunham. Why? She dared to do two horrific, unforgiveable things: 1) win an Emmy as a young newcomer 2) walked around naked as her character Hannah without the decency to be shamed by her body. We see naked women on HBO [...]
Rape is always everywhere: in America, in India, in Somalia, in Saudi Arabia, in Israel. We all know the newest news stories: a small town divided, a girl dead in Dehli– the conversation is back on the table. And in all these conversations, there seems to be something missing. Yes, we need to protect our daughters, [...]
I can already see my son at 17, a sweet soul with floppy curls and ski pants: the size of a football player with ski poles instead of shoulder pads. I can see his confidence on stage and his ease at making friends. What I can’t envision is how he’ll view his physical self [...]
I am not confused, but I am stuck I am not towering above I am writing below I am thought and light Darkness and shame I am not an ending; instead I am the start of something bigger Better Scarier I am demand, and I am devotion To everything And nothing I am bravery, and I am fear Wrapped around love Wrapped around falsehood and truth Yet, I am failure I am not yet strong But, I am still not weak I am longing [...]
For the past eleven years, I have hidden secret grief. I’m sick of silence. I sick of feeling like I have to remain silent because what I have to say goes against my liberal upbringing. So, today, I’m opening my mouth. On Mother’s Day, eleven years ago when I was a junior in college, I [...]
We all know how poor body image can sometimes lead down a dangerous path. The messages this time of year doesn’t always help: “Look Christmas Cookies! Aren’t they Yummy? Don’t eat too many!” ” I hope your new years resolution is to lose weight.” “Those latkes and jelly donuts sure won’t help your waistline… “ Sometimes these messages roll [...]
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