Diamond Montessori Blog

Y’all. I wrote a book. Somehow. I have been a very publicly non-monogamous teacher for years now, and have also had the exceptional privilege to not be penalized for it. Many teachers are not that lucky, and many teachers (and people in general) have to keep their relationships a secret.

This little book, that I am SO PROUD OF, talks about common fears of parents about their children being taught by non-monog teachers (hint- they’re fear mongering in ways we’ve seen before) and practical advice on being a teacher who is publicly out. I am deeply grateful that my employers today are supportive of me and embrace my whole self. Not everyone has that and there are practical tips for admin in there also should you find yourself with a teacher who needs support.

This book, which took forever and a day and somehow managed to be finished amidst a new job, new training, parenting, sickness, and just the insanity of the last couple years- is available July 28th from the publisher; and on that other website from August 18th. All the links are below! Pre-orders are deeply appreciated and shares are welcome. I can’t believe I did this and it’s here, in my hands. I’m so proud to share this with all of y’all! 💛

Non-Bezos link: https://thornapplepress.ca/nonmonogamy-teaching/

Bezos link: https://amzn.to/44uJjl5

Well. What a ride the past couple of weeks have been. I don’t really want to talk about any of it. But here we are. So- what does it look like, when antisemitism has been as normalized as it has been in the last few years?

Less than a month ago, I was driving back from services on Rosh Hashanah- one of the most important days of the Jewish year. Noora and I had been in shul all morning. I was still wearing my kippah, and very large Star of David earrings. We pulled up to a red light and a young white man, couldn’t have been more than 25, casually and coolly shouted out “F**k you, Jew” through his open window to mine.

Two weeks ago, Noora was scared for me wearing the same earrings into the Starbucks on the way to Shabbat services. “But won’t people know you’re a Jew? They’ll know. Like that man.” Once the novelty of being able to recount this story, to literally everyone, and being able to say the eff word in the retelling without getting in trouble, wore off, the shock of what had happened sunk in.

I did not take off my Magens. I told her that sometimes there are people who hate Jews, and they themselves don’t always know why. I reached out to our community and rabbis and I know that this anxiety and fear about being perceived as Jewish will pass, as she is surrounded by people who love all of her and her Jewishness, and that joy in Judaism hasn’t diminished.

But what does it mean, to be a proud Jew and raising a proud Jew in this world? It is exhausting. I am exhausted. I love my Jewishness. I love Judaism. I love my fellow Jews. And I am exhausted. And heartsick. I will continue to wear my Magens. I will continue to be loudly and publicly Jewish. I will continue to teach my daughter about her culture and her people, and our resilience and beauty and strength. I will centre Jewish joy and not trauma.

But damn, I wish the rest of the world would stop making it so hard.

I love love love this book. Our synagogue is like our second home. Between regular services, religious school (that I teach at and Noora attends), board meetings, events- we are at our shul A LOT. And the kids who are there every week, the Tot Shabbat crew- they know it’s their shul. They run and play and yes sometimes have a meltdown- but as many rabbis have agreed upon over the generations- if you want a kid to feel at home in their synagogue, they’ve gotta be at home in their synagogue.

This book by the incomparable Alice McGinty is a love letter to the synagogue, to those that work and worship and find community inside, and to the idea that a shul is just like a home. It’s sweet and when I read it to Noora a couple nights ago after receiving it, she went “Hey! Our synagogue is like a home too!” and told me that the book feels like how she feels about shul and it made my entire day.

Add to that it’s just full of lovely Jewish representation and I love that this book features a shul but not any particular holiday- it’s clear the people inside are just regulars, on any regular day at shul (as synagogues often double as community gathering spaces not only on Shabbat for services but throughout the week, offering programs, support and more). This book is exactly, like Noora said, how I feel about my shul and I’m so glad it exists. Everyone should read it.

And I must know- where do your faith communities fall on the children in services debate? Tell me below!

Book sent to me by the publisher Candlewick Press and all decisions to post and review my own!

I relate to this girl on a spiritual level. 😂😍

What is an abortion, anyways?

Abortion is healthcare.

I have had multiple pregnancies and I only have one child. Do you know that if you have a miscarriage that your body won’t expel, the treatment is an abortion? I’ve had many, many miscarriages. I’ve needed that healthcare.

My pregnancy with Noora- a child I desperately wanted, a child I begged the universe for, for years- was horrendous and high risk and I was miserable basically every single day of it. I threw up every day for seven months, and the only thing that stopped it was giving birth. I could barely function, as my body kept throwing more and more awful symptoms at me. Partly due to my physical trauma and partly due to hormones, I was thrown back into a depression so overwhelming I was nearly suicidal for much of it. Pregnancy very nearly killed me. I hated it, truly hated it- and again, this was a child I begged for. This baby, my miracle pregnancy that stuck- she was wanted. I would do it again, to get her. And I still actively hated the entire experience.

Forcing someone to go through any of that is nothing short of despicable. I barely survived pregnancy and it was a choice I made. No one- not a single person with a uterus, anywhere- should have that choice taken from them.

Remember that this will disproportionately affect folks in marginalized communities. Low income women of colour will almost certainly be the hardest impacted. Q***r folks and trans folks, already discriminated against in healthcare, will be even more so.

While you remember all of this, remember that the mistresses, wives, and daughters of the wealthy will always have access to safe abortions. And get mad.

Finally, remember that you can have safe, legal abortions or you can have dangerous, illegal abortions. You can’t have no abortions. That’s not how it works.

As you can probably tell from the state of these books, they are deeply loved and enjoyed in my classroom and home. As things get scarier and scarier for uterus having bodies in the United States, and many of us wonder how the hell we got here in the first place- remember to look to the children. Raise a generation of children to know their bodies, who respect other bodies, and who understand what consent means- and maybe when they reach adulthood and take over, they’ll do better.

Teach accurate names for body parts. Teach your children they don’t need to touch anyone they don’t want to. Teach that all bodies, regardless of size, colour, or ability, should be valued and respected.

These books were all sent to me by their respective publishers- all decisions to post and review my own!