Having grown up in Athens–where there were ritual greetings for every occasion, including the first day of each month–and in New England, which does the change of the seasons more intensely than any other U.S. region I know, I’ve been missing Fall here in Miami Beach, which alternates between hot and rainy pretty much year…
Judaism
New Year, New You
I feel like I’ve read (or written) that coverline on a magazine a million times. But it’s true, the dawning of a new year is a milestone that makes us, or at least me, consider what I was doing this time last year, and what, if anything, has changed over the past 12 months. The…
Something Kinda Newish
When I was a young girl, say 11 or so, growing up Greek Orthodox in Worcester, Massachusetts, my friend Maxine taught me a catchy little ditty she learned in Hebrew School. It went a little something like this: Wherever you go, there’s always someone…Jewish You’re never alone when you say you’re a Jew! So…
The Eyes Have It
The other night we had some people over for dinner and a Greek friend of ours, Teddy, was mocking his mom, as one does, and said that whenever something happens to him, whether it’s good or bad, his mom says, “I knew it! I saw it in a dream!” Like, if he’s thrilled to get…
A Thousand Points of Light
So, cryogenics and anti-feminist princess rhetoric aside, Disney was right about one thing: It is a small world after all. What’s got me thinking that today is Candelaria, or Candlemas, or Hypapante, or whatever you and yours call the religious celebration on February 2nd, if you call it anything at all. Coming 39 days after…