"Bubbles of Joy" was written by Dasi while suffering from cancer. Whilst many people become depressed and self-pitying in this situation, Dasi continued to live life according to her motto: "With happiness and health". When people came to visit her in hospital they left feeling that they had received more benefit than they had given. There are countless stories of how Dasi helped fellow patients to overcome their sense of despair and in some cases, even their illness. Although she lost her battle with the disease, her legacy lives on through the many people she influenced to become happier and spread "bubbles of joy".

Even though פורים is over we should strive towards happiness at all times as Dasi did despite her terrible suffering.

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VOILA! A recipe for happiness.

THE ROLE OF THE MODERN JEWISH WOMAN

It is one of the most frequently asked questions about davening which has troubled many feminists for years.  Why do men thank Hashem every day in their morning brochos, “She lo osani ishah” – “For not making me a woman”.  Does this mean that men are superior?

Whilst there are probably plenty of teenage boys who would claim that this is the case, our Rabbis suggest other explanations.

Men are not being arrogant when they say this brocho, but are recognizing that they have been given a different role in life to women, and as a result they have more mitzvos to keep.  They are thanking Hashem for the opportunity to fulfill this task.

These extra mitzvos for men are those that are time-bound. A woman is exempt because her primary role is to raise the children, which requires her to be constantly available to care for their needs.

Traditionally men and women had clearly defined roles: The man as the ‘bread winner’ and the woman solely as a wife and mother.  However, today these positions are not as distinct with a significant amount of overlap.  Many more women earn a living as well as bringing up their children, taking advantage of the increased opportunities available to their generation.

So are modern Jewish women neglecting their role as a mother or enhancing it?

Some would argue that if women go out to work and employ child minders, they do not spend enough time with their children.  Consequently their children do not develop a love of Torah and mitzvos by seeing them in practice, and grow up to be less committed Jews.  However, this does not seem to be the case in practice.

Many women only work during the day when their children are at school, so the amount of time spent imbuing their children with the values of Judaism is not compromised.  Secondly, if a woman has an occupation she may feel more fulfilled and this will reflect in her attitude.  If their mother has high self-esteem the children will see her as a positive role model.  They will have more respect and be more receptive to her words and actions.

Although a woman may work most days of the week, the most important day, Shabbos, remains focused on spending time with family.

Despite the fact that some aspects of a Jewish woman’s role have changed, the foundation remains the same and every child will still see their mother welcome in the Shabbos by making a brocha over the candles, like every generation before her.  As long as this basic role remains unchanged, any other progressions can not have a negative effect and may even be beneficial.