It was 47 years ago yesterday- that I left Ann Arbor with some 40+ inches of snow on the ground. Leaving my Mustang behind, it having been stolen twice before while I resided in greater Boston. Taking my “relatively” brand new Dodge Dart on a 1000 mile trek to Charlottesvillle, VA, departing at 9 AM.
So, today is my younger daughter’s birthday. But, for almost a decade, she was my youngest child. Until a surprise child arrived when she was almost 8 years old.
Continue reading Hope you have lots of candles. It’s someone’s birthday today!
I’ve written often about my yeshiva (which then stopped at 9th grade) and its crazy experiment.
Continue reading This is NOT how one goes big
When I moved to Virginia more than four decades ago (a very scary undertaking for a New York liberal!!!!!), I was shocked at the blatant anti-Black, anti-Jewish sentiments that pervaded the so-called liberal hamlet of Charlottesville. (Yes, when I ventured out to the surrounding areas, it got much worse!)
Continue reading From Byrd to Sanity
Having lived in Charlottesville for more than a decade (and Ann Arbor and Cambridge before that), I had become used to not donning a suit or sport jacket when going to shul (synagogue). As a matter of fact, in Charlottesville, where about 1/3 of the congregants were native Israeli’s going to UVA, many folks going to shul didn’t even wear “nice clothes”- jeans (not torn, of course) and slacks for women were de rigeur.
When I moved to Charlottesville (VA) way back in 1976, I knew I was in for a major life change. Despite the way I thought the modern world worked, Charlottesville was a remnant of the old South.
Continue reading Will lightning strike twice?
I was reading the Washington Post the other day , when it was discussing a study group that spent 22 years reviewing the Tora (the Five Books of Moses), under the direction of their rabbi, Rav Stuart Weinblatt. Which reminded me of what actions a group of us from my old synagogue accomplished.
Given the events of this past weekend in Charlottesville, I decided to break into my queue.
After all, I lived there for 13 years. And, one of my finest accomplishments there (other than the birth of my two daughters and a slew of great products) was bringing life to the 150 year old synagogue there. Jeff Poelvoorde and I spent months convincing folks to come to a traditional Saturday morning service. And, with time, a wonderful Jewish community- shared lives, families, food- developed. And, continues there still some 3 decades later.
Continue reading It continues!
The other day, a Virginia State Senator succumbed. Charles Colgan managed to become a nonagenarian, so his life was complete.
Continue reading Charles Colgan
You know those folks who buy those brain puzzlers. They all expect those games to keep their mind from falling prey to dementia or from Alzheimer’s. Despite the fact that there is no scientific evidence such an exercise works.
Continue reading Moving on up…
