kaddish in two-part harmony
A conversation between an anthropologist and a musician along with a growing virtual minyan, on themes of death and dying, grief, ritual, and the interplay between music and words.about
Tag Archives: Jewish identity
anyone who is hungry, let them come and eat
The tzaddik grew up in the Bronx, across from Yankee Stadium. That must say a lot about him, but I’m not sure what exactly. His family lived in a shvitzy little apartment, overcrowded with uncles and cousins and such. That … Continue reading
Posted in essays, Seymour Fromer z"l, tzaddik stories
Tagged collaboration, dads, Elijah, Eliyahu, Jewish identity, lamed-vavnik, Pesach, Seymour Fromer, tzaddik stories
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the very best sephardi charoset ever, hashisha candy, and the religion of labor
I mean, it’s not really chauvinistic to admit when something is without question and beyond doubt just the very best, right? This is something that can be tested empirically. Blind taste test, right? Well, actually not. There’s the nostalgia factor. … Continue reading
Posted in essays
Tagged A.D. Gordon, charoset, din ha-avodah, hashisha candy, Hillel Sandwich, Jewish identity, Pesach, Sephardi, Tree of Life
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bondage, sephardi style
I have heard this bit every single Pesach of my life when my mother has been present. And when she wasn’t, I’ve taken it upon myself to tell it myself (albeit a short short version). All my stories are the … Continue reading
Posted in essays, kaddish in two-part harmony, tzaddik stories
Tagged Jewish identity, maror, Pesach, Sephardi, tzaddik stories
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abraham, sarah, and hagar, a kaddish for patterns worth shattering
The question is do we feel sorry for Abraham, or do we say goddamn it, you knew what you were getting us into? Or is there some other way to resolve the whole bit? I’ve been thinking about this for … Continue reading
Posted in essays, kaddish in two-part harmony
Tagged Abraham, Chango, Hagar, Ishmael, Jewish identity, Middle East, parenting, Sarah, women, Yitzhak
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eulogy for my father
Quite a number of people have told me how moved they were by the words I spoke at the my father’s funeral. Some asked for copies of what I said. Still others asked to hear those words for the first … Continue reading
Posted in essays, kaddish in two-part harmony, Seymour Fromer z"l
Tagged dads, death and dying, grief, hospice, Jewish identity, Magnes Museum, Seymour Fromer
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a kaddish for the israeli flag, may it rest in peace
People say that there are a lot of reasons to open up a bible. Here’s one of them you might not have ever been asked to think about. And a reason why using the bible — especially לך לך — … Continue reading
Posted in essays, kaddish in two-part harmony
Tagged Abraham, Israel, Israeli flag, Jewish identity, Middle East, Tetragrammaton, YHVH
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the tzaddik and the vavlings
A tzaddik walks into a bar, and … I really want to start that way, only the Tzaddik didn’t pick up the vav in a bar. The tzaddik has only been in a bar once in his life and that … Continue reading
Posted in essays, tzaddik stories
Tagged Jewish identity, lamed-vavnik, Paradise, PARDES, Tetragrammaton
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glossary, as requested (with apologies)
In no particular order, maybe this will help: shikse — (aka shiksa) — term of endearment (or not) for women of the non-Jewish persuasion. the most important sub-category is, of course, the shikse-goddess. shul — synagogue, small or large, in … Continue reading