Life

Plans for Kislev?

By Dan Friedman December 16, 2008

What are your plans for Kislev 5769? People around the world are lighting the candles in a multitude of different ways, but always left to right, others have chosen to show communal solidarity on 28th and 29th Kislev by volunteering at hospitals and soup kitchens.

President Bush celebrated Kislev by flying to Iraq and dodging a pair of shoes. But Brad Cohen, author of the book “Front of the Class” — and de facto spokesman for Tourette’s Syndrome — anchored the White House Hanukkah Reception for him while he was away. Tourette’s is a serious and generally misunderstood syndrome but, in the same way as it’s okay to envy a man’s wheelchair seat at a five-hour march, it would be great to meet the leader of the free world — or her husband — and have carte blanche to say anything you wanted to her.

Dan Friedman is the former executive editor and whisky correspondent of the Forward, and is the author of a book about Tears for Fears, the ’80s emo rock band.

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