When I noticed the word “uplift” a few weeks ago on an instagram account, I was intrigued. Seemed positive and well….uplifting. One of my values in life – given my tendency to (sometimes!) focus on the downside of things.  I soon discovered after scrolling through the account, that Uplift is not the name of a Pollyanna-ish guru, nor is it the place cosmetic face cream, or a Botox treatment are sold. It’s  a magazine for Jewish women. I immediately subscribed, and received my first issue on Friday, just in time for Shabbos and Holiday reading!

The cover caught my eye, with its bright colorful leaves, signifying growth and positivity in my mind. I liked the  tease on the front about Aliza Marton, the artist, a friend from Los Angeles where I live. The articles are timely, on topics fitting for pre-New Years growth and inspiration. The voices of the authors are deep and real. And I loved the English dialect, noting that the writers are all from London, Manchester and other UK cities. Realize is realise and organize is organise.

Uplift was founded less than a year ago (they’re at Volume 1, number 6) by Mrs. Chani Schreibhand  in memory of her  mother, Rebbetzin Chaiky Rubin, a”h. Her father Rabbi Rubin writes a Torah column in the magazine. The entire project has been a family project since the Rebbetzin’s passing with the grandchildren being involved as well in various tasks for the magazine’s publication.

The magazine has sophisticated graphics, with bold fonts. It’s just over 100 glossy hard stock pages and is divided into the  sections of inspirational articles, food/recipe topics, book reviews, women’s health, fiction, self-care, art, and journal. The journal section has prompts for thoughtful responses lines and spaces for women to write their own thoughts into the magazine, reminding me that this is one periodical that’s going to be used during the week – not just on Shabbos, when we don’t write with pens/pencils.

One of my favorite articles was “The Missing Tile Syndrome” by Fradl Adams, which discussed the phrase coined by Dennis Prager about the people’s tendency to focus on the one thing that’s wrong in a situation, and get fixated on that one problem. How much happier would we be if we could acknowledge that life can never be perfect? This message is relevant to all ages and stages from youg adults looking for a spouse, to those who notice flaws in their friends, loved ones, and even themselves.

The magazine appeals to women of all ages; it’s a collection of columns with personal essays and columns for personal growth and resilience (in fact, one of the books reviewed was Leslie Gutman’s  Resilience!). An interesting feature of the magazine is that at the sidebar of every column is a “fun fact” about the author. I read about the various hobbies of the authors such as the one who lives in Gateshead, UK, and loves to bake edible miniatures!

A full article was dedicated to advising women who are in menopause or post-menopausal on what to expect. This was interesting to me because as a proud member of the midlife stage, I’m always looking for relevant content. In fact, over the past few years a new organization for women who are above the age of 50 was forme. JWOW! or “Jewish Women of Wisdom” was founded to address the need for Jewish women in our communities to share and connect with each other in purposeful ways. JWOW! offers zoom events and will soon be launching a new website.

Reading Uplift in a print edition was an enriching experience, and I recommend that if you’re a women looking for an uplifting (!) experience in personal growth, this is the magazine for you. It’s available online or in print.  Check out its website theupliftmagazine.com and get your print copy now.

Wishing my readers and subscribers a happy and sweet New Year!