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Lia Ciner

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Jun 15, 2018, 11:53 AM

"You're beautiful." "Thank you." This interaction always struck me as strange when I was younger. Why should I say thank you for something I have no control over? I felt both proud and somehow guilty for being a pretty girl -...

May 27, 2018, 4:25 PM

Surfacing after anti-depressants

Illustrative: Close up of woman putting white round pill in mouth. (iStock)

Anti-depressants allowed me to scratch away at a very lost identity, but then they imprisoned me

Apr 9, 2018, 12:23 PM

That Time of the Month & Changed Perception

Isn't it crazy how we can feel amazing one day, and then horrible the next? Like literally nothing in reality needs to change, but if I go through an internal shift, the exact same LIFE can mean something totally different to...

Mar 29, 2018, 12:07 PM

Divorce, loss, freedom

Illustrative: Washing dishes. (iStock)

There was the trap of an unhappy marriage, the chaos of divorce, fear, sadness and, with time, laughter

Mar 6, 2018, 10:08 PM

When an Autism Diagnosis is a Huge Relief

On Yom Kippur evening, eight and a half years ago, I sat in a Bet Shemesh shul. I still feel the phantom weight of a tichel (head covering) tugging my hair. That night it was a pink glittery pashmina....

Feb 25, 2018, 3:43 PM

Purim Partying without God

Israel is bubbling with Purim preparations. All of the random-things-stores are stocked to the ceiling with hats, boas, silly glasses, and vampire teeth. Adult nurse and police officer costumes, clearly intended for fetish purposes, are available, just for a...

Jun 30, 2016, 12:09 PM

Hallel Yaffa — I’m Crying For You

Good night Love you. Tomorrow is another day I’ll kiss your cheek. Tomorrow is another day I’ll hear your voice. Tomorrow is another day We might argue We might laugh Tomorrow. You are so young So much is yet to come Tomorrow. Good night Love you. Hallel Yaffa Ariel. I never met you But I’m crying...

Jun 26, 2016, 11:53 AM

Sexual Abuse & Where the Torah Stands

As global psychological sophistication moves ever forward, the religious Jewish world is one small step behind -- carefully weighing Torah values, always desperately trying to reconcile halacha with the current ideals of Western culture. Orthodoxy is currently in the lime-light...

May 3, 2015, 12:48 PM

Why Jewish child molesters are your problem

When I’m scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed, nothing sickens me, or catches my eye more than a new sex abuse scandal in the Jewish world. There’s something so invasive, so humiliating, and so abhorrent about a religious Jew committing...

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About Me

Writer, makeup artist, and mother of three incredible boys. Follow me on Instagram @mama.lion.lia for daily shenanigans.