A few Friday nights ago, we welcomed eleven guests. In other words, I was cooking for thirteen. I used to do that, not quite with one hand behind my back but with relative ease. When all the kids were home our family by itself made up three-quarters of that number. And they made a wonderful
Hours in the Kitchen Read More »
July 28, 2026 | 14 Av 5786 Dear Friend, Just a few weeks ago, we invited you to join us in launching one of the most important projects the American Alliance of Jews and Christians has undertaken. The response has exceeded our expectations. The enthusiasm from media (our guests), our Founding Sponsors, and many of
An AAJC Update on the “Should Jews Leave America?” Podcast Series Read More »
Dear Lapins, Hello, thank you for considering discussing this letter. I am a 66-year-old woman, and I work full-time as a practicing attorney. I returned to the practice of law in the last year and several months. Prior to this, I had been teaching for many years, which was a choice when my children were
I’m a Lawyer. I Hate My Job Read More »
This Musing is scheduled to go out on Thursday, July 23, 2026. This year, July 23rd falls on the calendar date of the ninth of the Hebrew month of Av. The day of the Ninth of Av occupies a unique place in the Jewish soul. There are many days on which traditionally faithful Jews do
My friend Meyer, who is the best joke teller in Texas, tells a wonderful story. Turns out that in the 1940s, a recently arrived Jewish immigrant from Poland finds himself riding a train in Texas. A lanky cowboy under his signature Stetson hat enters the carriage. Pointing a finger at the anxious Hebrew, the cowboy
What Is Your Identity? Read More »
We met several years ago at one of your speaking engagements in the south side of Chicago. I have since retired and need your opinion on my final arrangements. I have never liked the idea of the traditional burial or of cremation. But since God made us from dust, and a kosher casket is designed
I Don’t Want to be Buried Read More »
I am not going to opine on the political consequences of Senator Lindsey Graham’s death. I appreciated some of his actions and was frustrated by others, but that is irrelevant. The loss of any decent human being matters whether they are famous or not. Conservative columnist Rod Dreher reacted to a social media response of
What We Are vs. What We Choose Read More »
How did giving to my son get translated as entitlement and now demands for more? Joy B. Dear Joy, There is a famous legend that claims a dinner guest once told President Calvin Coolidge she had made a bet she could get him to say more than two words. True to his “Silent Cal” persona,
My Son is Entitled Read More »
For over a decade, Donald Trump has propelled the news cycle. In the early years, I wrote quite frequently about him as I worked through my conflicting emotions and ideas. I have written less lately. Over the course of the last few months, his handling of Iran and the Moslem nations has led many who
Muhammad Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for discovering how to eliminate poverty in undeveloped parts of the world. In his acceptance speech in Oslo he said, “In a poverty-free world, the only place you would be able to see poverty is in the poverty museums.” Muhammad, a U.S. trained Bangladeshi economist came
Been To A Poverty Museum Lately? Read More »
