Judy Gruen

2 months ago | jewishjournal.com | Judy Gruen

Aryeh Lurie grew up in grinding poverty in Jerusalem. He recalls that as a child, his mother would salvage old cucumbers that were about to be tossed in the garbage by the local market, pickle them, and serve them to her family as lunch. Despite this level of impoverishment, when cooking a hot stew for Shabbat, his mother brought the first portions to neighbors even poorer than her own family. “Her first concern was to give to people who had nothing.

2 months ago | jewishjournal.com | Judy Gruen

We’ve all watched the videos and have been deeply moved by the sight of newly released Israeli hostages rushing into the arms of their mothers, fathers, wives, siblings. Our hearts and tears overflow seeing these reunions. We are profoundly grateful they are finally safe, prisoners no more. We pray they will heal physically and psychologically from their captivity in hell. On Jan.

Mar 5, 2025 | jewishjournal.com | Judy Gruen

My friend Laura invited me for a girls’ night out with our mutual friend Esther. When she told me the destination, I hesitated. It was a place of dark temptation for me, a place I hadn’t dared visit for years. “Come on,” Laura said, teasingly. “You know you want to.”“I’ll drive,” I said, and picked up my girlfriends after dinner. Esther was practically bouncing on her seat. “I’m so excited!” she said. I was too, though I feared falling off the wagon.

Mar 2, 2025 | aish.com | Judy Gruen

Today, many people struggle as never before to discover their purpose as distinct individuals. This isn’t surprising given the bombardment of information, images, and choices that our brains struggle to process. The steady encroachment of AI adds to our sense of insecurity about our unique value and usefulness. But finding our purpose is an essential life task, and in his new book, On Purpose, author Rabbi Mendel Kalmenson offers a roadmap to rise above the noise and discover it.

Feb 19, 2025 | jewishjournal.com | Judy Gruen

In today’s column I am revisiting the topic of insomnia because insomnia keeps revisiting me. I last wrote about this more than two years ago, and heard from loads of other sleep-deprived Journal readers who told me how much they related to it. Yes, misery loves company. Well, here you go again, friends. May this column serve you better than five milligrams of melatonin and a white noise machine, transporting you to the land of Zzzzs for several solid hours.