Category Archives: Jewish

Steve Jobs, My Father, and Yom Kippur

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Neil

Steve Jobs, the legendary co-founder of Apple passed away this week, and the internet exploded with admirers reflecting on how his vision impacted their lives. Some talked about their first Mac, iPod, or iPhone, and how it transformed the way … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish, Life with My Parents, News and Politics | Tagged , , | 30 Comments

The Silver Rule

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Neil

I’m sure Martin Luther King Day is going to inspire many posts today, and each one will be different, and reflect the writer’s own interests, whether it be race relations, politics, or religion. Martin Luther King makes me think of … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish, News and Politics | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Rosh Hashanah 5771

Posted on September 10, 2010 by Neil

I cast my sins in the guise of bread, something so simple, so fundamental to life. Bread.   I like that. As it says in the Bible, “Within every bagel, there are too many carbs.  Within every good person there is … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish | Tagged , | 19 Comments

Unconditional Love

Posted on April 2, 2010 by Neil

Here’s a corny old Jewish joke about the unconditional love of mothers for their daughters (told with a little sarcasm): Two women who haven’t seen each other in years run into each other on the street. “How’s your daughter,” the … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish, Life in General | Tagged , , | 35 Comments

I Went to Temple in Cincinnati

Posted on September 20, 2009 by Neil

There was some discussion about Sophia coming to New York for Rosh Hashanah, but I said I wasn’t in the mood, because when she is here, it requires a big readjustment in my mind, so we ended up being separated … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish | Tagged , | 24 Comments

Family History

Posted on September 4, 2009 by Neil

My great-grandparents travelled to New York from Russia on one of those unglamorous ships overcrowded with immigrants, hoping to leave the misery of Europe behind.  My great-grandparents had two daughters, Annette and Ruth.  Annette would become my grandmother on my … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish, Life with My Parents, New York City | Tagged , | 35 Comments

The Wealthiest Man in Town

Posted on August 23, 2009 by Neil

(Mayer Kirshenblatt’s “Purim Play: The Krakow Wedding”) (translated from the Yiddish by Neil Kramer — ok, not really) The wealthiest man in town went to the village Rabbi and said, “All my life, I worked hard. I have become rich … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish, Literary | Tagged , , | 32 Comments

Matzoh Brei

Posted on April 9, 2009 by Neil

During Passover, you’re supposed to eat matzoh, symbolizing how the Israelites ran out of Egypt so quickly, they didn’t have time to leaven the bread. The best Passover meal is not during the seder, but the next morning.  Matzoh brei … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Jewish | Tagged , | 26 Comments

Aligning the Planets

Posted on February 17, 2009 by Neil

I was returning from having a cup of coffee at the McDonald’s across the street when I encountered a white-haired elderly man who lived in my apartment building.  I didn’t remember his name, but I knew him from my youth … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish, New York City | Tagged , , | 43 Comments

My Once A Year Jewish Rant

Posted on February 15, 2009 by Neil

Today, I’m going to take this time to explore some Jewish-related subjects that I’m in the mood to rant about to you, my Jewish and non-Jewish friends.  I’m not sure why it occurred to me to write this today.  Maybe … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish | Tagged , , , | 91 Comments