Family lore has it that Grandpa Julius, my father’s father, was the only man in the shtetl of Skidel with a gun and that he was spirited out of town in a coffin because ”they” were after him. It’s hard to believe that this man of few words, whom I never heard raise his voice, might have had violence in this past.

Or Did Grandpa Sam, a small, quiet, white haired man with impeccable handwriting really know the Talmud so well that if you stuck a pin through a word, he would know the word on the other side of the page?

What do these family stories have to do with the High Holidays coming up? Continue reading →

Anniversaries are something to look forward to with joy, sadness, appreciation, or awe.

This past weekend we marked the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom organized by Martin Luther King, Jr. and the  SCLC, a group of ministers and related individuals, fighting for the struggle for civil rights.

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When you see this at Costco, you know that the Days of Awe, the High Holidays, will soon be upon us.

All kidding aside, we are right in the middle of the month  of Elul, the prelude to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The shofar sounds each day (except Shabbat) and we recite Psalm 27  to remind us that the holidays are near. Continue reading →

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to The Jewish Catalog,. How old are you now?

This year The Jewish Catalog: a do-it-yourself kit reached the venerable age of fifty — right smack in middle age.  When most of us reach that age, we show signs that we have arrived: some gray at our temples, a few wrinkles, maybe even a desire for a midday nap. But a fifty-year-old is hardly over the hill these days and may look forward to some of his or her best years. Continue reading →

Summer’s a good time to  break out of your reading rut.

Do you only read biographies? Try a romance. (Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Zevin)

Are you scientific minded? Immerse yourself in some historical fiction. (The Thread Collectors by Edwards) Continue reading →

New CAJE is coming to Montclair State for the 2nd time. There are no animals but there is a plethora of stimulating educational sessions from Sunday, July 15 through Wednesday, July 19.

What is New CAJE? The website calls New CAJE ”the premier professional development conference for Jewish educators. Each year 400+ educators gather for four days of learning, entertainment, prayer, and networking opportunities.” Check out the sessions on the website: www.newcaje.org Continue reading →

Some say that along with jazz the most important contribution the United States has made to the musical world is in musical theater.

With the recent  death of Sheldon Harnick at age 99, the creators (many of whom were Jews) of classic American musicals like Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story, and South Pacific are gone. But they leave a legacy of hundreds of works that have entertained generations. Almost daily one of these classic shows is being performed somewhere in the world by a school or a theater group.

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Although each of us should be proud of who we are every month of the year, June is officially PRIDE month, celebrating and supporting the LGBTQ+ population.

Jewish literature has always dealt with the issues of the day: Heather Has two Mommies (1989) by Jewish writer Leslea Newman was a breakthrough book for young children. In an updated edition, it is still a go to book for the intended audience. Continue reading →