In the interest of truth in advertising, I need to remind my readers I am a culturally Jewish agnostic in a mixed religious marriage. And I prefer to wish everyone I meet “happy holidays,” except on December 25th when I gladly greet my Christian friends and colleagues with “Merry Christmas,” in the same vein … Read more
This weekend I attended my 50th high school reunion. An enlightening experience to say the least. Of the 70+ members of my graduating class in attendance, perhaps 10 percent were immediately recognizable. (Do they have deteriorating portraits of themselves in their attics?) Another 60 percent were the older versions of themselves you might expect–a … Read more
I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more.Howard Beal/Network (1976) You have to admit, there is more than enough to be mad about these days. Yet, from time to time, there is reason to believe the world and its inhabitants are basically good. Even when Mother Nature turns her back on us … Read more
Although they were few and far between, there were groups of German Jews who supported the rise of Adolph Hitler and the Third Reich. One such organization was the German Vanguard led by Hans-Joachim Schoeps (1909-1980), a professor of religious studies at the University of Erlangen in northern Bavaria. According to a document in the … Read more
Comparisons are NOT something individuals should make of themselves. I wish it were. I’d be telling you I am second only to Will Rogers in terms of political satire. But I’ll wait for someone else to make that observation. And, I readily admit, I’m not holding my breath waiting for that to happen. In … Read more