An article in the Wall Street Journal weekend edition of July 2-3, 2022, by Joseph Skibell titled “When the Prayers at School Aren’t Yours” triggered some memories of events that happened during my teen years. Growing up in Lubbock, Texas in the 1970s, Mr. Skibell writes: “There were only a […]
Religion
9 posts
Happy birthday, Israel! You are now 74 years young and have accomplished so much in so few years. You have always been part of my life. Remember Jewish National Fund tzedakah (charity) boxes? My pennies, nickels and dimes were collected religiously so that you could plant trees and turn a desert […]
This is reprinted from the 5 Towns Jewish Times. By Malkie Gordon Hirsch If you ever want serious insights on life, visit a shivah house. Now, not all shivah houses are equal. There are different energies in each house. A lot of the overall vibe of the house and how it’s dealing with the […]
A map of Jerusalem from 1581 shows the city at the center of the world. Although we now know that geographically this is incorrect, the city is still today the center of the Jewish world. Jerusalem is ancient and modern. Archeological digs dating thousands of years stand near modern skyscrapers. […]
To paraphrase an old TV commercial, “I am not a doctor, but I play one on TV.” The first five years of my married life could be titled, “I was not in the Army but was married to an Army Chaplain.” My husband, Captain Howard Graber, had enlisted in the […]
“Bah, humbug!” exclaims Ebenezer Scrooge, in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Move over, Ebenezer, because I’m on your side! It’s not that I have anything against Christmas. After all, my parents drove us kids down Eastern Avenue in Baltimore to see the beautiful lights on display in the neighborhood windows. […]
Brussels, Belgium: 1948-1950 My first High Holy Day memory is from Brussels, Belgium. It is Yom Kippur sometime between 1948 and 1950. I was recently told that I was Jewish, not Catholic, and am trying to adjust to my new state. During a break in the service, a friend and […]
Photos: Courtesy of the U.S. Army 1959 – 1963 My husband, Captain Howard Graber, was a Jewish Chaplain in the US Army, stationed in Frankfurt, Germany from 1959 to 1963. His duties were primarily to minister to the Jewish soldiers – enlisted men, officers and their families. However, the congregation […]
Image: Robert Couse-Baker (Wherefore different from all other holidays?) Passover is celebrated in Nissan, the first month of the Jewish calendar. It was the first holiday of the Israelites or Hebrews. They could not become a nation until they left Egypt and were free. Mordecai, Queen Esther’s uncle, conceived the […]