When I received the invitation last fall, I was pleased to be recognized as an American Jewish writer that made sense to invite to this prestigious conference. I had been concerned about the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora since Donald Trump had been elected, if not before, and the summit’s theme “It’s Complicated” called out to me.

The night started off on a good note We were in a beautiful setting – Zedekiah’s Cave, an underground limestone quarry under the Muslim Quarter in the Old City. I was drinking cocktails, meeting writers, and ignoring any signs of jetlag.

Then the night’s presentation started and I heard Trump’s name repeatedly which I’m not supremely used to hearing often in New York except on the news (which for me is generally CNN or MSNBC). The POTUS mentions started with Michael Oren, Former Israel Ambassador to the United States, who called upon Trump’s administration as the friendliest Israel has ever known. He pointed out that we can’t lose focus that the Trump administration wouldn’t be in the White House forever.

Oren cautioned that although President Trump heads “the friendliest administration this country has known since its founding in 1948, we can’t lose track of the fact that this administration will not be in the White House indefinitely.” When he said that, my heart skipped a beat and nearly fell out of my heart. As a Democrat, all I think about is the day we will no longer be in this position in the U.S. and that Trump will be soon led out of the White House in handcuffs.

Then a few moments later, David Friedman, U.S. Ambassador to Israel spoke about Israel’s ties with Trump. He said, “We are blessed to have a president who embraces the truth, whether with regard to Jerusalem, with regard to Iran’s malign activities or with regard to the anti-Israel bias at the United Nations.”

I was not sure, but it felt like all 159 writers in the room present cheered with joy. Friedman called us all vanguards of the truth, but I wasn’t hearing my truth on the stage and I feared the summit would abandon a liberal Jew like me. Fortunately, my friend, the comedian Avi Liberman went on soon after that and made me and everyone laugh. I put my worries behind me momentarily.

On the first day of the conference, all 160 writers stood together around a Jewish star in the shape of the number 11 to commemorate the victims of that awful tragedy, and I instantly became concerned that the photograph would be used as part of right-wing Israeli propaganda. But I had hope in this summit. I went in knowing that things in Israel are complicated but was hopeful I’d find my place in this group of traditional and new media.

Fortunately, the summit picked up a more balanced tone the next day with sessions about Anti-Semitism, about how Israel is portrayed in global media, Israeli politics, and the incitement of freedom of speech. We heard from both right and left wing journalists and politicians, the most memorable speakers for me being Anshel Pfeffer, a correspondent for the left-wing Haaretz, and Matti Friedman, an award-winning Israeli author who made headlines a few years ago in calling out Associate Press as displaying bias against the Jewish state, and Knesset members from various parts of the Israeli government talking about our role as members of the Diaspora.

Mixed into our education were treats anyone visiting Israel is lucky to experience: the Sound and Light Show at the King David Museum, lunch at the Montefiore Restaurant. On the second day of the summit we were allowed to choose a track: Start-Up Nation technology; a visit to the security barrier in the West Bank; an art and culture tour of Jerusalem; and a walking tour of the Old City, including the Temple Mount and the Jewish Quarter. I opted for a combination of two and went on the art and culture tour as well as Temple Mount. I admittedly should have gone to the security barrier but was concerned the point -of-view reflected would not be similar to mine. That was a mistake though I thoroughly enjoyed my day.

On the last day of the program, we were taken to President Reuven Rivlin’s residence. Rivlin is a member of Likud but he argues for a Greater Israel that would embrace all people and give the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza full Israeli citizenship. His words were welcoming, if nothing else, but they seemed to gloss over the complications Israel is facing. “There is so much here that we are proud of what we want you to see and what we want you to share. Not just the advances in science, technology, and innovation; not just a secure state in the face of great enemies,” he said.

He was definitely going after the new media writers in the group. “We are also proud of the values that we work hard to protect. Israel is a Jewish, democratic state where the two go together and cannot be separated,” he said. “Show people what life is like here, picture by picture, tweet by tweet, face by face.” He concluded by saying, “Like it or not, the Diaspora and Israel are all in it together with the same goals, same needs.”

And so I did tweet and Instagram. I always do when I’m in Israel. It’s a place I love and am proud to be a part of. It was clear that the Israel Government Press Office had briefed Rivlin on the amount of influence that was in the room. And who can blame him for that? Once again, a photo was taken for press purposes, and influencers were given a chance to shoot a photo to send to their followers. Somehow, I was sat right in front of the President in the photo, this time looking down at my phone deep in thought.

Then we were taken on a tour of the Knesset, which was really interesting, and we even sat in on a session where a major vote was taking place. We weren’t exactly sure Netanyahu was going to give our group the time of day after a video appearance was called off the first night, but we knew that he had graced the presence of previous Jewish Media Summits so an appearance was inevitable.

Suddenly we were all in the room with Netanyahu for what was introduced by our hosts as a 15-minute Q&A. As the minutes ticked during the session, it became increasingly obvious that the questions were not only pre-planned but only certain journalists would be called upon. None of the questions made complete sense to me. They were all easy. One could tell even the Prime Minister knew he was getting off easy. No one asked about the Palestinian conflict or about his relationship with the U.S. President. He shrugged off the issue of dealing with an anti-Semitic leader such as Jeremy Corbyn in the UK. His comfort zone was the topic of Anti-semitism, Iran, the Golan (which he said, of course, Israel will keep). When one journalist asked him about the disconnect between Israel and the Diaspora, he shrugged and moved onto the next question. He laughed a lot. He also made fun of the journalists in the room for not living in Israel.

After that, we were taken to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs where we had lunch and heard a few lectures before the summit wrapped up. Israeli Diplomat Emmanuel Nahshon told us that “the State of Israel belongs to all Jews around the world. So if you don’t like some policy of the state of Israel, fair enough. You don’t like this or that policy, that’s quite alright. And not only is it your right to express your dislike but in a way, it is also your duty because you are a shareholder.”

Okay, so the State of Israel belongs to all of us and they want me to express my truth. My truth is, as I learned at the Summit, it is more complicated than I ever realized.

However, I met truly informed and interested people at the Summit who want nothing more than the truth to be told about the State of Israel, no matter what truth that is. That, for me, was my greatest gift from the summit, and I came home with Jewish journalist friends from all over the world who I believe will continue their quest for the truth. I plan to learn from each and every one of them. Whether we are on the same side politically makes no difference – it’s about the stories that must be told. Israel is a story unfolding that is very complicated, and that is a simple and honest fact.

So, I’ll continue to write about Israel. Most likely it will be a travel or culture oriented piece, as I am working on a few stories that came out of this very trip on multiple travel sites. That is what the Israel Government Press Office hopes that I will do, I reckon, along with the other lifestyle bloggers who attended the Summit. Many of the more traditional journalists wondered why we had been invited. There were Kosher food, travel, culture, and other types of bloggers who attended the Summit. It even angered a few of them. But if Rivlin and Netanyahu understood our presence at the Summit, why couldn’t they?

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Watch the above video. Filmed by Joss Whedon in support of Planned Parenthood. UNLOCKED highlights the vital role Planned Parenthood health centers play in the lives of millions of women in communities nationwide. This video follows three different women through critical moments in their lives—and brings to the forefront what the world would look like if attempts to shut down Planned Parenthood succeed. Most likely you will relate to one.

I have a few personal stories about Planned Parenthood. I grew up understanding its significance from a very young age. For one thing, my mother didn’t shy away from telling me about the organization. I was a late bloomer and had fairly normal periods, but I always knew it was a resource that I would need it one day. More than anything, my mother taught me that my body is my own, and no one can tell me what to do. The choice is my own. I grew up in the conservative South with deep pockets of anti-abortionists. I knew they were out there.

When I was in high school, around the age of 15, I befriended a much older girl while acting in a play in the the inner city of Atlanta. One day she told me she was pregnant and that she needed my mom’s help. It was a difficult time for my mom – hard decisions had to be made, but ultimately they would find their way to Planned Parenthood. That was the first time I truly understood the power of Planned Parenthood.

Later in college, when the time came for me to think about my own reproductivity and family planning, I went downtown to Atlanta to find out about my options. I remember quite clearly going into the waiting room and seeing women of all races, ages and economic backgrounds. I felt that I had entered a safe haven for women and girls and the broader scope and importance of Planned Parenthood really came to light.

It dawned on me then, and it dawns on me now, how very important Planned Parenthood truly is. Without it, so many women and girls would be in trouble. Without it, I would not have had control of my own reproductivity, and my friend would not have been able to make the difficult choice that she made – one that allowed her to live the life she felt she was put on earth to have.

Did you know that Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading reproductive health care provider and advocate? Every year, 2.5 million women, men, and young people rely on Planned Parenthood for essential health care services, like birth control and lifesaving cancer screenings. Many of these people, particularly those in rural areas and medically underserved areas, will have nowhere else to turn to for care if Planned Parenthood health centers are forced to close their doors. Women should be able to choose their health care provider the same as politicians in Washington, DC. Despite false claims, community health centers simply cannot absorb Planned Parenthood’s patients. States like Texas and Wisconsin have suffered serious public health consequences when communities lost access to Planned Parenthood.

Why am I concerned? Because extreme politicians, led by Vice President Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, want to shut down Planned Parenthood. One of their key tactics is to push legislation misleadingly named “defunding” Planned Parenthood — a cruel ploy that would punish women and hit people with low incomes, people living in rural communities, and people of color the hardest.

I’m a cancer survivor. Imagine if I relied on Planned Parenthood for my screening and it was no longer available? How horrible would that be – my children would no longer have a mother.

Here are a few things you need to know about these attacks on Planned Parenthood patients in Congress and the devastation they would wreak on women’s health care.

Impact: If Congress shuts down Planned Parenthood

What Americans Think About Planned Parenthood

The American people overwhelmingly support Planned Parenthood and strongly oppose blocking access care at Planned Parenthood — 15 nationwide polls say so. Even 48% of Donald Trump’s supporters don’t want to see Planned Parenthood “defunded.” It’s no wonder that, in the weeks following the election, Planned Parenthood affiliates were flooded with new volunteers, and hundreds of thousands of individuals donated to Planned Parenthood to make sure access to health care is protected.

So, how do Americans feel now? They’re scared that with politicians like Mike Pence and Tom Price in power, it could mean disaster for their health care access. Case in point: Since the election, Planned Parenthood health centers have seen a surge in online appointments for birth control, with a nearly  10-fold increase in people seeking IUDs the week after the election.

The Danger of American Health Care Act (AHCA)

The so-called American Health Care Act (AHCA) is bad for women and would be disastrous for our nation as a whole. This bill would block people enrolled in Medicaid from accessing the services they rely on at Planned Parenthood health centers. If anti-abortion politicians have their way, they’ll not only “defund” Planned Parenthood but also shut down all of its health centers — leaving 2.5 million patients without a place to go for needed care.

The AHCA would also impose draconian restrictions on private insurance coverage for abortion; wrest Medicaid coverage from low-income women and their families; and impose greater costs on women’s basic reproductive health care, like maternity care and birth control. Congress should not be playing politics with women’s health.

The AHCA will coerce insurance plans to drop coverage of abortion because it will prohibit individuals from using their federal financial help to purchase a plan on or off the ACA Marketplace that covers abortion. At least 870,000 women will lose access to ACA Marketplace insurance plans that cover their full reproductive health care needs, including abortion, and millions more could lose access to abortion coverage in other plans given this provision extends outside of the Marketplace. Insurance plans, when not barred by state law, typically cover abortion. Women, no matter how much money they make or how they get health insurance — should be able to able to access the full-range of reproductive health care, including abortion and make their own decisions about pregnancy based on their own unique circumstances.

But we can fight back. Here are four ways:

• #1: Call Your Senators
  This is the most important way to take action right now. Use our easy online form to call your U.S. senators. We’ll give you a script so you can tell them to protect health care and stand with Planned Parenthood.

• #2: Tag Your Senators on Facebook
  Do you notice when somebody tags you on Facebook? Chances are,  your answer is “yes” — and that goes for your senators, too. Our simple form automatically tags your senators and gives you time to edit the post.

• #3: Tweet at Your Senators
  Every action counts  — even if it’s just a tweet. If you have Twitter, take a moment to tweet at your senators. Our easy-to-use form automatically finds your senators’ handles. It also gives you a sample tweet if you don’t want to write your own.

• #4: Tweet Your Representative What You Think of Their Vote
  Read our list of representatives who voted in favor of this dangerous bill. If you see your House member, tell them you will not forget that they stripped access to care — and will not forgive. Use this hash tag: #StandWithPP.

Want more facts? Get them here:

Overview of services provided each year: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/planned-parenthood-at-a-glance

Fact checking politicians: https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/blog/how-to-fact-check-politicians-on-planned-parenthood

4 groups that will be hurt the most by “defunding”: https://www.istandwithpp.org/defund-defined/4-groups-would-be-disproportionately-hurt

This post is made possible with support from the Mission List. All opinions are my own.

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When I was younger, I loved watching classic movies with my mom. Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Vivien Leigh, and Ingrid Bergman were just a few of some of the actresses that I looked up to. I watched movies where they played women defying odds, wearing the pants in a relationship, while leaning on each other for support. They weren’t afraid to make things happen and they showed me the value of determination and courage. They were fearless; they were feisty; they defined  the meaning of badass as well as girl power.

Flash forward to 30 something years later and now I’m the mom of a 14 year-old. If life truly imitates art, I want to show her films about women doing amazing things; films made by women, produced by women. I seek out girl power movies that feature women defying the odds, making things happen, offering  hope for the future, particularly during this dark era in which we are living.

When “Hidden Figures” was released a few months ago, I emailed a dozen mom friends and asked if they wanted to take all our girls to the cinema on a weekend afternoon. The movie had girl power written all over it and I thought of nothing better to do. After some back and forth on timing, at least half of the moms I contacted and their teenage daughters piled into the cinema, several of whom knew nothing about the movie before my prompting. I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to watch the 13-14 year-old girls watch a movie about brilliant women who worked for NASA. It taught the girls so many things – that education is important; that careers in STEM are good for women; that if one reaches for the moon, it’s attainable. When we left the theater, the conversation was brimming with positivity and confidence for all the things they were going to do in life.

So I decided to make these girl power movie parties a tradition. After all, moms see these invites as opportunities to see the kinds of movies they want to see, too. It’s kind of tricky to find dates and times that work for everyone, so I always invite a lot to get a good group of attendees. Teens are busy, so it’s impossible to get everyone to come. Our next outing is on a Saturday night so it will be interesting to see who comes (it happens to be “Wonder Woman,” mentioned below).

Here are two movies, one currently playing, one coming soon to a theater you that could be worthy options for your first girl power movie party:

EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING

Adapted from Nicola Yoon’s bestselling YA novel of the same name, “Everything, Everything” follows a teenage girl with a medical condition that requires her to stay inside her germ-free, super anti-bacterial home. The film is helmed by a woman and directed by a woman, Stella Meghie. Kids know the book, many of them love it. The story is about a multifaceted, nuanced teenage African American girl that many girls will relate to.  She has the same dreams that my daughter has but an obstacle or two to conquer, and the story elevates one’s conscience in a very powerful, meaningful way.

WONDER WOMAN

Growing up, Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman on the tube was everything. She was fierce and made everything seem possible. That was a long time ago, and the world is ready for a female superhero. That’s why I can’t wait for the new version “Wonder Woman” starring Gal Gadot to come out this Friday. This movie has girl power movie party written all over it.  It’s also the first major studio superhero film directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins. This is the kind of badass, feminist movie I crave to watch with my daughter, and I hope it lives up to our expectations.

When the movie ends, don’t make a bee line for the exit. Linger in the lobby with the other moms and girls and talk the hell out of the movie. Hear what the girls have to say, react and listen. Share your thoughts with each other. Inspire, encourage and thrive on the work of female bad asses.

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Chris Evans plays Frank, a 30-something who fixes boats for a living, raising his young niece, Mary, played skillfully by Mckenna Grace. Her mother, a mathematician, took her own life when Mary was an infant. Mary is a prodigy of her mother’s mind at age seven and starts displaying signs of being a genius, particularly at school to her first grade teacher, played one of my faves, Jenny Slate. The school takes notice of her talents, and pressures Frank to send her to private school, but he rejects the advice and opportunity. He wants her to have a regular kid’s existence, and he believes that his what her mother would have wanted. Octavia Spencer, who is always terrific, plays their landlord who showers the little girl with love. The movie revolves around a tough custody battle when Frank’s mother, played by Lindsay Duncan, decides to step in.

The story is a simple yet powerful one, and director Mark Webb navigates the waters. Some of it is predictable, some even not believable, and it can verge on the melodramatic, but the film is compelling enough to keep viewers interested. You’ll spend the movie laughing, crying and rooting for Frank and Mary. The best part is Grace, who I assume is a Hollywood newbie, given her age. Her expressions of emotion, from happy to sad to frustrated or anger, always make the mark. She also has great rapport with Evans, Slate and Spencer.

Coming off the heels of “Hidden Figures,” a film that inspired generations of girls and women everywhere, “Gifted” has a real opportunity to inspire girls who want to break barriers and create real change in the world. That is my biggest hope for this film. My own daughter, upon watching it, came away inspired, which is always my main hope when we watch a movie together. That is the gift that I got from “Gifted”.

Disclosure: I was invited as a guest of Fox Searchlight Pictures to screen “Gifted” however all opinions expressed are my own.

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Courtesy of Focus Features.

Last week I screened The Zookeeper’s Wife, a Holocaust-themed film directed by Niki Caro. The Holocaust is a very personal issue for me. My feelings have very deep roots, stemming back to my childhood and it often fuels my writing. I’ve interviewed survivors, written about my recent visits to concentration camps, talked about why my being a mother makes the connection even deeper, and why we must #NeverForget. I also gravitate towards Holocaust films and review them as often as possible.

Holocaust films are not easy to make and I’ve watched my share of them. The film does its best to stay faithful to the subject and to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. While the details of life in the ghetto and camps is not brought to life as vividly in films such as Schindler’s List and The Piano, it very quietly brings in the horrid details of what happened to life through a story focusing on the heroism and bravery of just some of the many selfless, righteous gentiles who saved Jews during the war. These are vital stories that demand to be told.

The film is based on a book with the same name by Diane Ackerman about a couple who hid Jews in the Warsaw zoo during World War II and used it as a point of passage and escape during the Nazi reign. Jessica Chastain, playing Antonina Żabińska, leads an ensemble cast in beautiful performances, bringing a tender portrayal of a time in our history that is hard to comprehend, but one that is important and remains relevant.

Caro, who directed WhaleRider and is expected to direct the new live-action version of Mulan, recreated the Żabińska’s with so much compassion. She has brought a story to the screen about a woman of bravery who helped save lives during a dangerous, turbulent time. Antonina Żabińska ran a zoo circa 1939, when the film starts, and related to her animals in ways that are so honorable, so much so that the first scene we witness her saving a baby elephant. After war breaks out in Poland, she and her husband, played by Johan Heldenbergh, started to see what was happening to the Jews and quietly joined the resistance, They saved more than 300 Jews during the course of the war, rescuing them from the Warsaw Ghetto where Jews were dying and being taken to concentration camps, by bringing them into the zoo secretly by hiding them under trash and pig food in their truck. Had they been caught, their lives would have ended, leaving their son behind. Antonina gets pregnant with another child near the end of the war. That child, Theresa Żabińska, is alive today.

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Director Niki Caro on the set of THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Anne Marie Fox / Focus Features

I was lucky to spend time with Chastain and Caro, two fierce Hollywood players  during the publicity tour for the film. My interest was heightened in their work due to my own personal experiences studying and reading about the Holocaust.

Chastain spoke very highly of her experience working on this film. She really appreciated playing a heroine who saved so many lives. “I want to celebrate women in the past who have made great sacrifices to help others,” she said. “I don’t think we acknowledge women in history as often as we should. I’m excited to be part of this story that gets to share it with a larger audience.”

To research her character, Chastain went to great depths. “When we talk about Holocaust films we rarely see the light. With people like Antonina, it’s important to celebrate that lightness.”

She started with the book. “By reading the book, you feel like you know her, because you hear her words; you read her words,” she added. “There was a quality that she had, where she would not disappear, but she would put the caring of others ahead of herself. For her, it was all about others – animals, people, or whatever it was, in terms of healing. I related to that. I was raised by a single woman. My grandmother raised her family, and my mother raised three kids. I am where I am today because of the sacrifices they made. It wasn’t hard for me to find examples of a woman who – not sacrifices herself, but in a way, gives of – gives herself to others.”

Then she took her research to Europe. “I went to Warsaw to meet with Theresa (Antonina’s daughter),” she said. “She took me to the Warsaw Zoo, and I got to ask her secrets that weren’t in the book. I also went to Auschwitz. Of course, Antonina wouldn’t have known what was happening there, but I just wanted to feel the energy of the space. In addition, I met with a lot of people who spend their lives dedicated to animals, which was helpful when approaching this film, because the thing that I learned most from everyone was not to impose your energy onto an animal; not to treat an animal as though it’s your possession, or it’s an object.”

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Jessica Chastain stars as Antonina Zabinski in director Niki Caro’s THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Anne Marie Fox / Focus Features

The film is very much a woman’s film. The two producers were women. The screenwriter was a woman. There’s a lead actress. The director is a woman. They broke records for the hiring of female crew members to make the film.

When asked about her role in bringing a Holocaust film to fruition, Caro said, “I had to think very hard about what I could bring to this genre. I recognized that it was femininity. I could take my inspiration from Antonina and be very soft and strong with this material.”

Caro also touched on the responsibility of making yet another Holocaust film, adding that it was one that she took quite seriously. “Authenticity and specificity has always been really, really important in my work,” she said. “But this represented a much bigger challenge – to honor all of those souls that died, whilst celebrating 300 that didn’t, as well as the amazing work of the Żabińska’s. I was trying to move the genre on a little bit; to make a Holocaust movie that expressed healing in some measure. I thought we were making a historical drama. It’s only now that I realize we’re making a contemporary film – sadly.”

An oppositional character was written into the film in the form of a Nazi soldier, played quite genuinely by Daniel Lutz. He and Chastain had a few very tough scenes, which were written into the film based on Antonina’s diaries. “There is evidence from his letters that he greatly admired Antonina. There was definitely something there, Caro said. “The two actors had a great relationship and a tremendous amount of trust. So we could really go there. He loved her. She just didn’t love him. When you have trust between the actors, and everybody feels safe, and confident in the material, it doesn’t need to be a traumatic experience. On the contrary, it can be amazing, and you can get amazing material out of it.”

As someone who takes the Holocaust very seriously, as someone who sees the value of bringing the history to mass audiences, so that we truly never forget what can happen under the ruling of a dictator, I am personally grateful to these two women for taking their jobs so seriously.

The Zookeeper’s Wife is an achievement that should not be underestimated. It’s a film that has compassion for the six million that died. It comes to theaters nationwide on March 31st.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend a preview of the film and to a press junket with Caro and Chastain. As always, all opinions stated are my own.

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myCharge

FitBit – This doesn’t really need much introduction as it’s so popular these days. It helps me track my heart rate, steps and encourages me to walk and climb stairs. A definite exercise motivator.

Airport Express – Apple’s Airport Express functions as a wireless base station in its own right. Just plug that Ethernet cable into the box and the box into an unoccupied outlet. It makes it easy to keep my computer charged. List price: $99.

MacBook Air – Speaking of my computer….I love my MacBook Air. It’s a razor thin masterpiece of industrial design that, in ways large and small, favors elegance over practicality. It has weathered all sorts of travel – domestic and international – and is as endurable as they come. List price: $1799.

myCharge – Whenever I’m traveling, I find my cell phone losing battery way too quickly, especially for someone tweeting, Facebook’ing, taking photos and recording information in my phone as much as I am. myCharge uses Parallel Charging Technology simultaneously charges a mobile device and the charger at the same time, minimizing total charge time, and it’s very portable and easy to use. They’re also reasonably priced, ranging from $99.00 to $129.00. This device has saved me many times over.

Whispernet – I love to read while traveling. Amazon’s built-in wireless service that delivers books on demand in seconds. Once connected, you can browse the Amazon store, purchase and download books directly via 1-click, and access Web content.

Disclosure: I was provided with a myCharge to facilitate this review but all opinions are my own.

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Well, I’ve gone quiet again. It has been two weeks since my last post. I must admit that since 11/8, my heart is in other places and I’ve become quite the activist. Between work, graduate school and my advocacy work (for refugees in particular), I am up to my ears but I am still the Culture Mom! I’m still going to shows, traveling on assignment (London, Boston, Washington, DC, and Orlando, Florida most recently – yep, Disney!), reading (currently A Man Called Ove), seeing films (most recently Moonlight and LaLa Land – twice for each and two movies I loved and like that they shared the spotlight on Sunday night and proved that compassion and kindness should rule our world). I’ve also been writing more about issues that are important to me, most recently the Holocaust. Get ready for more of that! Meanwhile, here’s where you can find me on the Internet most recently:

Trekaroo

Road School: Teaching Your Children About the Holocaust Through Travel

Luxury Travel Mom

Hotel Four Seasons Gresham Palace, Unparalleled Luxury in the Heart of Budapest

Huffington Post

Best Things to Do in Budapest with Kids

MiniTime

Best Things to Do in Budapest with Kids

Munich’s Historical Sites to Visit with Teens

The Vacation Girls

A Cruise Down the Danube with AmaWaterways

24 Hours in Bath, England – with Kids

See you soon – here, I promise!

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Today my heart is broken and I feel compelled to write about it here.

I’ve been rather quiet as of late, but for a very good reason: I’m traveling with my mother to fulfill one of her life-long dreams to see Eastern Europe. We started in Poland, moved onto the Czech Republic and are now making our way to Budapest. Her grandparents came from Poland in the early 1900s and she has always wanted to visit. I had some work on this side of the world, so she came along for the ride, quite literally, as she has been a part of my experience every step of the way. It has been great traveling together, one for the memory books, but it has also been painful. We have walked through what were once Jewish ghettos, synagogues and concentration camps (Auschwitz and Birkenau). We have seen the remnants of what was once a vibrant Jewish population all over Europe one day and wiped out the next day. We have felt ghosts in our presence and feel like witnesses to the worst crime ever committed in what was only one lifetime ago.

Naturally, I have articles to write. I am seen things I want to tell you about.` I have stayed in hotels I want to tell you about. I have also eaten in restaurants I want to tell you about.

And I will.

But not today. Instead I’m paralyzed from the head down. Today everything I believe shattered like glass. My hope for a better future for my family and myself was eliminated with the election of Donald Trump.

I have been a longtime supporter for Hillary Rodham Clinton and felt so sure and determined that she would win the race to the White House, but despite taking the popular vote, she did not take the electoral vote. It was a long and rigorous night of up and down results, with Trump taking one state after another, declaring a victory early this morning.

When I heard the news, my heart sunk and I felt incredibly defeated. I cried at breakfast in front of strangers in the hotel’s restaurant. I yelled at a cab driver who informed me he had no understanding of her as a leader. I cried on the train. My heart is pulled in 1,000 pieces.

Since I’m abroad, I instantly thought about my young children at home. Asked to cast their ballot the other day in a mock election at school, they voted for HRC and she won by a landslide. I guess that’s what happens when you live in a NY community that’s predominantly blue every year. We are surrounded by other HRC supporters for the most part. It’s also nice to think about the fact that HRC’s Westchester home is only  a half-hour from our house.

What would I tell my 13YO daughter who my heart sinks for when I realize she now won’t witness a female POTUS? Last night we spoke about the election. With the results not yet  confirmed, I refused to talk about it, still feeling a glimmer of hope that the election would turn in our favor.

Now we have confirmation that we will not be able to enjoy HRC’s optimism and goodness for the next four years; instead we get a man elected for his sexist, misogynistic, racist, very un-PC leanings. I need to call my daughter later and talk to her about the situation. She’s scared, I am sure, as we’ve talked about the dangers of a Trump Presidency often. Here’s what I plan to tell her, when I have stopped crying completely:

We will get though this. Donald Trump didn’t win. Hate and fear won. We have to combat that fear by promoting love and kindness, by living the best lives we can.

This is not forever but while he’s in power, we must accept it. If Donald Trump is our elected leader, we have to let him lead. What we don’t agree with, we will fight for. In four years, hopefully, we will elect him out.

A woman didn’t make it into the White House, but one day one will. HRC was our dream President. She was experienced and more than capable. While I can’t explain what happened to the results, I can promote girl power to ensure that we see another woman in these shoes.

It’s okay to cry. I’ve cried on and off today. This was going to be so incredible that I felt myself climbing out of my skin wanting to celebrate victory. I didn’t expect HRC to lose and it hit me very hard.

Everything will be alright. Donald Trump behaved like an ignorant bully during his campaign, but he’ll hopefully employ a few smart people to help him make decisions (we can only pray).

We are not moving. Everyone we know said they’d move to Canada during the campaign. HRC wouldn’t want us to run away and we won’t.

We will do that we can to keep life as we know it alive, much of which was HRC’s vision. Millions of women and men voted for HRC. Together, we will stay here and defend our rights and the rights of those we love. We will donate money to Planned Parenthood to keep abortion alive. We will support our gay friends and family members. We will do everything we can to keep #BlackLivesMatter alive. We will protest the lack of gun control restrictions.

Hillary Clinton offered everything I wanted for my future and that of my family. She was going to uphold everything in life I care most about. Our new President wants to knock it all down.

My daughter’s future is so bright. It seemed much brighter with HRC in it but we will keep marching towards that light. That’s all we can do.

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I am not new to Anti-Semitism. However, as a Jewish writer and avid user of social media, the recent outbreak of blatant Anti-Semitism on Twitter has taken my experience to a whole new level. Having woken up to images of swastikas and concentration camps, as well as being called vile names like “kike” and “dirty Jew” earlier this week, I fear that the recent Presidential campaign has provoked voters and has given them the view that Twitter is a forum to target their abusive and racist messaging.

I grew up in Georgia. I was always one of five Jews in my class. When I took off for the Jewish holidays as a child, I was questioned by classmates and made fun of for falling behind. In first grade, a group of children danced around the Christmas tree making fun of the fact that I did not have one. During a trip to Washington, DC in high school, I roomed with a fellow southerner who sat by my bedside reading Mein Kampf, an autobiography by Adolf Hitler, in which he outlined his political ideology and future plans for Jews. My college roommate at the University of Georgia moved out of our dorm room because she had been taught that all Jews have horns.

I later moved to NYC in my 20s where it became much easier to express my Judaism. The expression and pride in my Jewish heritage became a very big part of me, and I felt compelled to carry on this passion when I joined Twitter in 2010. In 140 characters or less, I could talk not only talk about my Judaism but my feminism and liberalism. Twitter has led to real life connections, opportunities and has become an important part of my everyday work life as a writer and marketer for nearly seven years.

To read the rest of my latest post on Medium, head here.

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Who does she take after? Okay, possibly me. Between all my streaming shows and what I watch on TV, I’m pretty busy, in addition to work and reading, of course. I can easily turn on Netflix and find a zillion old movies I want to re-watch, but here’s a short list of some of their original programming that I’m lovin’ this summer.

Orange is the New Black, Season 4 was spell-bounding. I finished it around two-three weeks ago, and I’m still thinking about it. There was a share of shocking moments from the brutal treatment of the police to Poussey’s death in the 2nd to last episode, but there was also a share of loving moments about the women expressing camaraderie and protecting each other after landing in a place seemingly more dangerous for them than the outside world. In the current climate of increased racism and the significance of #BlackLivesMatter, this show is more relevant than ever and I urge you to binge the whole thing from season 1, if you haven’t yet.

Chelsea Handler’s new talk show Chelsea is actually more interesting than I thought it would be. She’s a strong feminist with very thoughtful, strong (to say the least) opinions and I like it. I just flipped on her interview with Katherine Heigl, and as they were talking about her guest’s child, Chelsea reiterated that ” it takes a bitch to raise a bitch” and man, is she right. In her interview with Eva Longoria, they talked about the fear mongering against immigrants in America and the significance of electing a female President. The show is a departure from her E! network show “Chelsea Lately,” where she made her name before ending the talk show in August 2014, and I’m pleasantly surprised. She’s also really delving into our culture and is interviewing people just like us. Give this show a try.

I’m still knee deep in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, but there is so much I love about this show. From its smart writing to a phenomenal cast to it being set in the city I have lived in for 20 years – NYC -, this show is just good quality entertainment with an edge. The edge, of course, being that behind the happy lead character lies a past where she was abducted, and this season tells us a little bit more about that time period. Tituss Burgess—playing Kimmy’s roommate, Titus Andromedon—remains absolutely delightful and all I can say is Pinot Noir!

These are only three of my favorite Netflix shows. Don’t forget to watch Master of None, and a new film they just produced called The Fundamentals of Caring. I’ll be writing a post soon about this movie – it’s very thought-provoking and deals with a lot of issues I, myself, find myself dealing with as a middle-aged adult.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam but all opinions expressed are my own.

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