Mommash: The Oy & Joy of Family with Lori Fein

An absolutely incredible conversation with Avigail Gimpel, mother of three sons and three daughters, author of two books on raising a child with ADHD symptoms, college professor, community activist, and exercise enthusiast. Avigail shares how her early experience teaching a class full of rowdy boys led her to think deeply about root causes for ADHD behaviors, and search for diet, exercise, and beh...

While raising eight sons and daughters, Ahava Ehrenpreis overcame numerous challenges to provide her children with a rich experience including world travel, academic achievement, and deep support from family. An incredibly positive and spiritual person, and an accomplished author of numerous articles and three books, Ahava shares her experiences raising her large family, including a child with Dow...

Best-selling author, top-in-category podcaster, non-profit Director and mother of three daughters and five sons, Gila Ross relies on Jewish wisdom to guide her very modern life. Whether moving her tribe from England to Denver, searching for a family outing suitable for ages 3 to 19, or chilling out together on a Shabbat evening, Gila approaches family life as a way for children and parents to beco...

Shana Tova! In a wonderful start to the year, Rebbetzin Tova Rapoport shares her Oys and Joys in raising a family of fourteen sons and daughters, born over a twenty-six year span (and yes, there are grandchildren older than her youngest children). She shares how she kept her sanity and "raised a healthy mom," stories of family trips in their 15 passenger van, her thoughts on extracurricular activi...

In this bonus episode, Lori recounts some recent family adventures, schlepping seven people to move Daughter #3 into college (the minivan miracle -- it fit!), making a colossal mess on the eve of a trip, summer rituals that imprint for life, and how to make memorable moments of both ordinary and extraordinary, Joy and Oy events. Enjoy Labor Day weekend and your family -- there's Mommash Nothin...

Twentieth Episode!!! Thank you to all our amazing listeners who have helped us grow and grow to reach this point! Write us at Lunchbox@Mommash.com! This week Mommash: The Oy & Joy of Family features twos mom devoted not only their own amazing families, but to enriching Jewish family life worldwide through their work for Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). JFNA Board Chair Julie Platt share...

With five sons and a daughter, calm doesn't just show up on its own, so Rivka Stern shows us how to invite it into our lives based on her experience as a mother and as an occupational therapist & parent coach. Lori and Rivka discuss how to cultivate independence, letting kids work things out on their own, addressing mental health concerns, and when to call in the professionals. Plus, hoarding cand...

This week on Mommash, Brie Reich, mother of four sons and two daughters, speaks from the heart about the women who guided her -- the self-sacrifice and dedication of her own mother, who allowed Brie to follow her spiritual and intellectual path while raising her as an only child after a divorce when Brie was tiny, and the determined, insistent teacher who guided Brie after high school to a life-ch...

A mother to six and grandmother to OMG 36!!!, Bracha is also an author of 42 books and a Harvard grad. She speaks of her personal search for joy and purpose, how she found it by focusing on gratitude, the root of Judaism, and how her current work centers on spreading that joy to others. Plus, dropping out of med school, addiction and anorexia, teaching children about tough issues in life, finding...

Mommash presents..Daddash (a dash of dad)! In this episode, Lori chats with father of six, rabbi, teacher, Israel advocate, political force and devoted husband Rabbi Uri Pilichowski. He shares his top tips for a happy home and well-adjusted kids, describes his own "doggy paddling" through the river of parenthood, and praises his wife...a lot! Plus, preemptive therapy to support mental health, comm...

Hi Mommashers! Mommash is reposting this identical audio to the full episode 15 because of a technical quirk. Those who listened to the teaser on Apple did not get the extended audio when it was released, so this is the fix for those listeners. Those who listen on Spotify or other platforms should get the extended audio automatically. Hope you enjoy!

In this episode, Chana Jenny Weisberg, mother of eight, Jerusalem resident, blogger and business owner, reflects on her "next good thing" philosophy and how she stays on track to live her values day by day, even when they differ from what she thought they would be. We go deep on the internal conflicts raised by devoting your full time to parenting in a world of "what do you do"...

In this Mommash Special Father's Day Episode, Lori drags...er...invites on Marty, her husband and partner in parenting crime. Marty talks about what he brings to the partnership, what he learned from his parents and grandparents, his favorite childhood activities (hint: saws and explosives), what he appreciates about his father now that he's tried out this parent thing himself, how his mom kept he...

In this episode, STEM educator and mom to five (triplets plus two younger siblings) Hannah Shekhter talks about her own journey from a secular childhood with a single sibling to an orthodox mother of five, her husband's immigration from Russia after the fall of the USSR, and the values that guided them in building their family. We discuss the role of technology in kids' lives and how parents can k...

While wrangling with four kids, full time work, and municipal public service in Cleveland, Jessica Chavi Cohen felt her bucket could still be a little more full, so she went to law school (at night, still working) AND had a fifth kid before graduation. No big whoop. Jessica Chavi's boundless energy and positive outlook feeds her ambition to have a full family life without sacrificing professional...

LIVE unedited wisdom from Lori’s mom Deedee Fein as we sit on the steps of Widener Library waiting to see Aviva graduate from Harvard. Lots of Joy!

This week on Mommash, Lori talks with Aleph Beta COO Malka Alweis of Teaneck, NJ, mother of three sons and three daughters, all age nine and under. Malka will blow you away with the soulful transformation she underwent at the birth of her oldest child, and how she brings her revelations to the task of developing her children's spirits, speaking their love languages, creating a child-centered home,...

Argentine immigrant, activist, attorney, and adventurous mom to three daughters and twin sons, Mariela Markelis Dybner reflects on her priorities, choices, and how she turned a difficult episode into the memories of a lifetime by moving her troops to Disney for an entire month! Plus, delving into family history from Poland to Argentina via google and gravestones, forming a unique family identity,...

Incisive, opinionated, unapologetic and brutally honest writer Bethany Mandel, co-author of Stolen Youth: How Radicals Are Erasing Innocence and Indoctrinating a Generation , is both fierce and loving when it comes to her four sons and two daughters. Also very, very funny. With stories about attending rock concerts at age seven, navigating an over-sharing, doctor-avoiding mom, and needing interven...

Sarah Rindner Blum, an author, literature professor, and mother to a "steps and stairs" family of seven children in twelve years, shares her insights on why having "one more kid" is worth the investment. Join us for deep reflections on how each child offers something unique and priceless, how different roles for mom and dad make it work, Israeli vs. American cultural attitudes toward children, why...

Another Passover greeting from Lori—back to full episodes next week after the holiday! In this episode, Lori reflects on how to make memories that matter, how to increase participation in the seder (hint: throw candy!), why silly or embarrassing moments make the best memories, and why time to connect with each other is the most memorable gift you can give your family.

Lori is in Israel with family, so this week’s episode is a simple message wishing you a joyful Passover holiday!

Is eight enough? Dr. Mindy Schachter Lippe shares stories and wisdom from parenting eight very individual kids -- including twins born just one day apart, musicians, rocket scientists, artists, and the ever-changing sibling relationships that ensue. Mindy reflects on her will to have more kids against doctors' advice after a traumatic first birth, the study she kept on her nightstand, and the frie...

From her chill "California Modern" Jewish observance to her 5 am "me time" to her mantra of God, Family & Skiing, Jessica Minkoff knows her priorities and finds creative ways to keep her cool, let her SIX kids grow into their best selves, and cultivate a close clan that relishes time with one another. Plus, schlepping your crew to Israel and the AIPAC conference, finding yo...

Passionate, principled, daring, and hysterically funny mom Rachel Oppenheim shares with us stories of raising her NINE children into equally passionate individuals, while cultivating a team spirit that makes her family incredibly close -- so much so that they choose to live and work together in the family business, a burger bar named Bodega in Tel Aviv.  Rachel shared her secrets for rising above...