Make Jewish Schools More Affordable
Expand Tax Breaks for Jewish Schools The fate of the tax cuts enacted during George W. Bush’s administration will be decided by the end of this year. Deep inside the tax package is a program that the Jewish community should mobilize to save. Here’s why: A day school education is the single best way to … Continue reading
The Elephant Speaks
The online version of the Harvard Kennedy School‘s student newspaper, The Citizen, has been down, so I am re-posting my article here. The Elephant Speaks There’s an elephant in the Forum, and it’s no use ignoring it. This school prizes diversity, recruiting students from many countries and many backgrounds. It prides itself on welcoming … Continue reading
A Cake-centric Celebration
In Search of the Perfect Kosher Birthday Cake Do you remember your first birthday? I don’t. My parents do have photographic evidence that I attended, and they’ve repeatedly reminisced about the great cake I had. It was chocolate and featured a marzipan mouse, in honor of my baby nickname, Melissa Mouse. In the intervening years, … Continue reading
Daring Parents to Break the Law
The Nanny Tax There are certain laws everybody breaks. Everybody jaywalks, nobody respects the speed limit, and nobody pays taxes for the children’s nanny. But would more parents follow nanny-related laws if the system were more straightforward? As a new mother, I wonder. I had spent several years as a full-time speechwriter. Last spring, I … Continue reading
melissa langsam braunstein 