The March 27 East Village Mamele column, “Domestic Workers’ Rights: A Matter of Ethics,” misstated that the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights includes a living wage of $12 per hour. The bill does not include a living wage. It does, however, include a health care stipulation. The April 10 opinion article “Bursting the ‘Bubble,’ as…
Editor’s note: In 1944, the Forverts published Yankel Wiernik’s early and unparalleled account of the systematic murder of hundreds of thousands of Jews at Treblinka. It was described as the first eyewitness account of the gas chambers. For more context, click here to read the editor’s note that accompanies this piece. Dear Reader, For your…
FROM VITEPSK TO LINCOLN CENTER — A STELLAR JOURNEY FOR MARTIN SEGAL “Anyone who cares about the arts cares about civilization,” said Martin Segal, chairman emeritus of Lincoln Center and an honoree at the March 11 Lincoln Center Institute for the Arts in Education gala. Following an eardrum-shattering performance by Los Lobos that got the…
When my wedding photo was published in the Forward in 2002, it accompanied an article about creative Jewish rituals found online, including a blessing for children at the time of their parent’s remarriage. I remember thinking, as I looked at the photo, what’s so unusual about this? Oh, right. Most people don’t have their five…
Under layers of crumbled mortar and plaster, eroding walls and a skylight enlarged from a caved roof, the small synagogue at Eastern State Penitentiary was nearly unrecognizable in the 1990s, 20 years after the prison closed. But recent efforts to restore the synagogue, which is believed to be the first prison shul in the country,…
I used to write once in a while for JCarrot, yet over the past few months, I have returned to bystander status. Ironically, it’s because I’ve been sucked further into the world (quite happily) of food. I am enrolled at the Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC. Their Chef’s Training Program program focuses on specifically on…
One of the great things about Passover in Ukraine is that many of the dishes we normally eat are naturally kosher for Pesach. A prime example is borsht, perhaps the most well-known and beloved example of Ukrainian cuisine. Every Ukrainian woman has her own version and so I present to you my very own, one…
Ashkenazim might associate Pesach with brisket, kneidlach, or matzah brei. Thanks to the Ashkenazi side of my family (my father’s parents and my paternal grandfather) we did grow up eating matzah balls of two sorts: kneidlach, and matzah kleis made with chopped parsley. But by far the most special thing about Passover for me has…
A few weeks ago, Benny Wechsler was speaking to a United Jewish Appeal group in Westchester, N.Y., that makes sandwiches for the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty. As director of the council’s kosher food network, Wechsler thanked the group for its help and discussed the growing need for food assistance among struggling middle-class families who…
United Jewish Communities, the national association of federated Jewish charities, is facing calls from a host of federation leaders for drastic cuts in next year’s budget. A combination of tough economic times and widespread dissatisfaction with UJC has led to the calls for change. At least one proposal would strip the national organization down to…
“Did you lose your family, brother?” Rep. Keith Ellison asked as he gently touched the arm of the young Palestinian standing outside the ruins of what was his Gaza home. After hearing that the man had lost both his parents, Ellison promised, “We’ll go back and tell them what we saw.” The exchange was caught…
