A Soldier's Gift: An Amazing True Story

Bob Quillen

It was 2:00 a.m. when Bob Quillen's phone rang. To his surprise, it was Ray Seigal. Bob had conducted the funeral of Ray's wife, Evie, a few days earlier. Ray said, "I'm sorry to call you at this…

Prose

Road Rage

I was on my way to meet someone in a place I had never been before. The home I was going to was so new even the GPS I got a few years before couldn’t find it.

Prose

Steven Grabiner

Steven Grabiner finally made it to Israel. The savings bonds that he received at his Bar Mitzvah had come to maturity and provided the fare to Israel. After a brief stay in Tel Aviv he wound up on a…

Prose

When I was little I really loved living things in general and liked to keep them as pets. I had pet spiders, caterpillars, potato bugs, ants, and the list goes on. They were not your traditional pets…

Prose

The Mitzvah

It was one of those mornings when the multitude of chores was overwhelming. There were several things that I had to do, and one of them was folding clothes; I needed help. I asked my oldest daughter…

Prose

Satan Popped the Watermelon

It was Friday and I was busy cleaning and getting ready for Sabbath as usual. I tossed out an empty bottle of water in the kitchen after crushing it to save space in the trash bag.

Prose

Rehearsing for the Jewish High Holy Days

Some years ago I sang as the tenor lay cantor in a Reform Jewish temple. My then voice teacher was the choir director, and there were five voices which made up the lay cantors. He loved the different…

Prose

Lebanese Muslim Converts to Judaism

Born in a Shi’ite village in Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War, a war from 1975-1990 mainly involving internal and regional disputes between local Muslim and Christian populations, Ibrahim Yassin…

Prose

Trying to Fit

I have been very lucky in that there is a lot of flexibility regarding what I can wear to work.

Prose

The Workman's Circle

When I was growing up in my Jewish world I would often hear about a Jewish organization called The Workmen's Circle. I thought that I'd share a little of the history of this fine Jewish organization:

Prose

Angry with the GPS

I was not having a good day. I didn’t feel very well, and I woke up around 4:00 in the morning to get to work on time, but despite giving myself over a half hour extra to get to work I was over a…

Prose

Rabbi Arthur Lelyveld

Rabbi Arthur Lelyveld came into my life in the early 1960’s. He was then the senior rabbi at the Fairmount Temple in Beachwood, Ohio.

Prose

Getting Annoyed with God

I was working on an important task on the computer that I needed to complete and then the electricity went out.

Prose

Bubbe Brocha

One of the greatest women to have ever come into my life as I was growing up was my great grandmother, Bertha Nehampkin. She would have an influence on my life that would be far reaching. I recently…

Prose

Ben Blatt

Ben Blatt was a driver for a large company. He worked hard, delivered his packages on time, was friendly with the customers, and met all the job requirements. Yet the company refused to permit him to…

Prose