Duties of the Heart
The concept of “being spiritual” is often assumed to be a fairly recent one, resulting, perhaps, from the enlightenment’s deconstruction of organized religion. The idea of…
Memorial Day Museum
Washington, DC, is a city of museums. Beyond the vast assortment of divisions and galleries at the Smithsonian Institute and the many political memorials, there are also smaller museums…
First On The Court
Born in 1856, in Louisville, Kentucky, Louis Dembitz Brandeis was the child of European immigrants who maintained a minimal Jewish identity. However, his maternal uncle, Lewis Dembitz,…
My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pies
Did you grow up with the planetary mnemonic “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pies”? Of course, since 2006, when Pluto was removed from the roster of planets, the mnemonic has…
A Very Serious Woman
They called her “Battling Bella,” and Bella Savitsky Abzug (1920-1998) lived up to that nickname. Born in New York City to Russian Jewish immigrants, Bella earned an undergraduate degree…
Your Very Own
Pick up a copy of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch for your own reference. There are numerous English translations.
The Tenth of Tevet
And it was in the ninth year of [King Zaddekiah’s] reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth (day) of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, came, he and all his legions, upon…
Not One, Not Two
Ever hear someone count out loud in the negatives: "Not one, not two, not three..." It may seem, strange, but in many traditional Jewish communities this is a common method for counting…
Waste Not, Want Not
Avoid wasting food by using leftovers creatively. For instance, leftover hamburger or meatloaf can be transformed into shepherds pie.
The Writing On The Wall – The Idiom with Jewish Roots
After the great financial chaos of the last year, many people wonder why none of the brilliant financial minds saw “the writing on the wall.” This interesting and unique idiom, however,…