Category
past
The quantum theory of presidential politics
Future events decide what happens in the past.
Bedouin life from a child’s eye view through a camera
\”Passages Between the Past and Future: Photography by Bedouin Children of Abu Kaf, Israel,\” at the Venice Arts Gallery.
A Nod to Heroes of Past and Present
The holiday of Passover celebrates the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, but the Haggadah doesn\’t mention. Nachshon ben Aminadav. Who was this man?
Why Are We Jews?
Wherein lies the power of the Judah personality? Is this the same Judah who initiates the sale of his brother and whose conduct in the Tamar episode raises troubling questions? Equally remarkable is the haunting silence of Judah\’s siblings. Why is it Judah alone who stands tall in the face of the hostile viceroy who wants to seize Benjamin? Are they not all certain of the consequent early demise of their father Jacob?
It’s Not Your Zayde’s Klezmer Anymore
\”There was level of musical sophistication that goes with the kind of music you can play on the mandolin, and my intention was to start a new acoustic-fusion thing, with an emphasis on string and wind instruments,\” said Eric Stein, who went on to form Beyond the Pale, a klezmer-fusion band.
A Fishy Miracle
The fish was the ugliest I had ever seen. I actually recoiled as my son proudly pointed him out in the aquarium. He loves fish.
Couch Quest — Path to Past and Future
Furniture, vital in everyday life, hardly ever plays a large role in art. Henry James\’ \”The Spoils of Poynton\” comes to mind, in which the characters\’ inner lives are manifested in their dreadful fight over inherited furnishings, as do stories by Anzia Yezierska, in which the meager possessions of immigrant Jews on the Lower East Side come to symbolize both their survival and their salvation. But for the most part, as in much of our lives, tables, chairs, sofas, bureaus, cabinets and the like are taken for granted in art, imbued with little meaning.
The Haunted Divorce
Setting out onto the yellow brick road of singlehood at 40, I could already see it would be a haunted trail. Those of us, man or woman, who have been married a long time, who have birthed children together, dandled and diapered them together, those of us who thought we were building lifelong partnerships before we were betrayed or bored or desolate or dead inside, cannot help but be haunted.
Friendly Match-Ups
It was the perfect day for a wedding. As birds chirped, guests sniffled and the bride and groom exchanged vows, I sat in the back row and reflected on the wedding party, all dutifully standing at attention up front.