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This week's editor's choice: Road to Damascus (Imady)

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  This week's editor's choice is  Road to Damascus , by Elaine Imady. The book is part can't-put-it-down love story, part cross-cultural insights, part parenting, and part a personal view of Syrian history. Written by the American wife of a foreign student at Columbia University who returned home to Damascus, American wife in tow, and became a beloved leading figure in the building of the financial world of Syria.  This book provides an intriguing and rare look inside modern day Syria and a cross-cultural marriage that worked when so many others have failed.  Book Description: Recommended by US Review of Books and First Runner-Up in the Eric Hoffer Awards legacy competition, Road to Damascus describes the Middle Eastern journey of an American who meets and falls in love with a Syrian when they are both attending school in New York. Giving up her country and her religion to follow her husband back to Syria, Elaine Imady has made a life that has successfully bridg...

How Judaism Differs from Christianity: Two Faiths, One Ancestral Root

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  Judaism and Christianity share the same spiritual soil — the God of Israel, the Hebrew Scriptures, the prophets, the covenantal story. But from that shared root, two distinct religious worlds grew. The differences are not small. They shape how each community understands God, revelation, salvation, and the purpose of human life. 1. The Foundational Divergence: Who Is the Messiah? The single most defining difference is the question of Jesus . Christianity proclaims Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God , the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures. Judaism maintains that the Messiah has not yet come and rejects the idea of God appearing in human form. This is not a minor disagreement — it is the theological watershed from which all other differences flow. 2. How Each Faith Understands God Both religions are fiercely monotheistic, but they articulate God differently. Judaism emphasizes the absolute oneness of God — indivisible, unchanging, not incarnate. Christianity professes a T...

Doula vs. Midwife — What’s the Difference and When to Use Each

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  When you’re planning your birth, the words doula and midwife often appear side by side—as if they’re interchangeable. They’re not. Both are vital, but they serve very different roles in the birthing experience. What a Midwife Does A midwife is a licensed medical professional trained to manage pregnancy, labor, and postpartum care. She can: Monitor your baby’s growth and heartbeat Check your cervix and progress during labor Deliver your baby Handle emergencies and complications Prescribe medications or order tests Midwives often work in hospitals, birthing centers, or home‑birth settings. Their focus is clinical safety —making sure both mother and baby are healthy. What a Doula Does A doula is a trained support person, not a medical provider. She focuses on emotional and physical comfort rather than medical care. A doula: Stays with you continuously through labor Offers massage, breathing guidance, and reassurance Helps your partner support you Explains what’s happening in pl...