HOME & FAMILY

They were closer than two sisters, these neighbors, Ruthie and Shoshie. Their names blended together, you said Ruthie and Shoshie as one. When Ruthie's sister got married, Shoshie was around. She took all the children and served them lunch so that Ruthie could rest. When Shoshie went into hospital to have a baby, Ruthie organized and cooked meals, besides looking after the children.

My Journey to Paradise
by Aaron Grossnass

In those days, especially after the first World War, even if you were well-off and settled, you knew that things could change overnight: revolutions, wars, pogroms were all in the back of one's mind, but no. Not this. Till then, golus meant a piece of hell landing on earth. This was hell itself.

Bikur Cholim
By S. G.

Rachel straightened the collar of her jacket as she walked down the corridor of the convalescent home to visit Mrs. Gertrude Halpern — or "Savta Gittel", as she was known to her friends and neighbors. Mrs. Halpern, well in her eighties, had slipped on the wet landing while trying to negotiate some stairs, instead of taking the elevator, and the result was a fall and a fractured femur.

Seeing is Believing

An Interview with Binyamin Huma
By Shira Levy

He and I would take clear contact paper and using a Braille typewriter, we copied whatever material the children were learning in school. Then we would stick the clear paper directly over the actual written books and workbooks that the other children were using so it looked exactly the same, although Binyamin was reading everything with his fingertips.

Leah's Tears
by Carol Green

I've heard my friends say that kindergarten graduation parties turn them to mush. I'm afraid, I'm not much of a public weeper. I don't even pack hankies in my purse, but this year I left the ceremony moved to tears.

Writing Exercise
by Rifca Goldberg

Alright, all you avid readers, how about giving writing a try? Here's a writing outlet that's pretty wild and crazy. Find a quiet time and place. You can either do a variety of these with separate abstractions or thematic (last example is thematic). Good luck and we look forward to reading yours soon!

Your Medical Questions Answered!
by Joseph B. Leibman, MD

Mail is coming electronically these days. Feel free to participate.

We are in the era of aggressive diabetes control. No more urine tests to see how diabetes is doing. Now many insurance plans cover the machine to check daily glucoses and a new machine is able to check these without drawing blood.

Slowing Age-Related Macular Degeneration with Vitamins
by Dr. Reuven Bruner, Ph.D.

One of the scary things about age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in older people, is that there is often little that can be done to slow down the disease.

POET'S CORNER

This came too late for Shavuos, but the message is universal (and the rhyme has an interesting and very definite pattern. Look for it).

An Open Letter

Dearest Ruth:

Don't come to witness our shame!
You were modest when reaping the grain,
If you came now, you'd do it again,
You'd show the Jews how to dress,
How to act, and appear in the streets without blame.

Don't take note of our scanty attire!
Look away, please, ignore the new line
Of the skinny or clinging design.
We're embarrassed, we'd feel great distress
If our costume would waken your ire.

Please, don't judge us for colorful hues,
What's so wrong about bright green chartreuse?
If no one will look, what's the use?
We'll thus make our mark, and no less!
We got tired of the delicate blues.

There's no reason to stare at the blouse!
One quick glance will discern with no doubt
And you won't need to `figure' it out,
The whole truth's revealed, so why guess?
(Though the blame for it falls on her spouse!)

Please don't tell us which garments to wear!
If the womanly form's too revealed
Keep your face down, your eyes tightly sealed!
We dress this way under duress
And to fall out of line we don't dare.

Don't bother to stop at the mall!
That I've been there, I truly regret.
The new fashion is `aid and abet!'
For such crimes they will never confess.
You'd come out of there shocked and appalled!

So, dear Ruth, I'm afraid we would fail
If you scanned modern wardrobes today!
Don't reveal that we aim to portray
Jewish beauty with gentile finesse,
Though we're quickly approaching the pale!

Please, tell Sarah Imeinu, to cry.
To add to Rachel's tears to atone.
Today's mothers are quick to condone
What their daughters are wont to express
As they kiss Jewish values good-bye.

Sincerely,

Bas Hador