The Blogs: We are, after all, kin | Ruthie Hollander
In a personal essay for The Times of Israel's blog section, Ruthie Hollander reflects on family estrangement and reconciliation, drawing a parallel to the biblical story of Abram and Lot in Parashat Lech-Lecha. She describes her three-year no-contact period with her parents during the Covid-19 pandemic, and how her father-in-law, dying of pancreatic cancer, pushed her to reconcile. The essay uses the Torah portion to explore the idea of creating space without severing ties.
In a personal essay for The Times of Israel's blog section, Ruthie Hollander reflects on family estrangement and reconciliation, drawing a parallel to the biblical story of Abram and Lot in Parashat Lech-Lecha. She cites the Cornell Family Estrangement & Reconciliation Project, which found that more than 1 in 4 American adults are estranged from a family member. Hollander describes her own three-year no-contact period with her parents during the Covid-19 pandemic, and how her father-in-law, dying of pancreatic cancer, pushed her to reconcile. She eventually reached out, and now her daughters have a close relationship with their grandparents. The essay uses the Torah portion to explore the idea of creating space without severing ties.