sarah in nyc

 The title for this post is a phrase familiar to Jews who are used to praying daily.  for those who don't fall into that category עַל הַנִּסִּים וְעַל הַפֻּרְקָן וְעַל הַגְּבוּרות וְעַל הַתְּשׁוּעות וְעַל הַמִּלְחָמות שֶׁעָשיתָ לַאֲבותֵינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בִּזְּמַן הַזֶּה: for the miracles and the saving and the great brave deeds and the victories and the wars which You performed for our ancestors in those days at this time of year--( but I could argue that it can also read and now --at this historical moment as well.) We recite this introduction to a longer prayer at Chanukah and also on Purim.  On Purim of 1991 Iraq was at war with the United States. For a periods of several weeks Iraq  sent a nightly barrage of Scud missiles into Israel. Every night just in time for the 11:00 pm news in New York we watched missiles raining down on Israel with Iraq additionally promising to send missiles with poison gas. We heard from family and friends huddled in sealed rooms al...

 Sorry folks, lots of topics to be covered in this post. I hope that I can keep it all coherent. If it isn't  coherent I'm sorry. Today is my mother's 11th Yahrzeit. This is my favorite photo of my mother. I found it in her college-era wallet after she died. My mother is leaning against her dear friend Devorah  who I cropped so I could just focus on my mother's face. I don't know of another photo where my mother looks so completely at ease and joyful. I remember the camelhair coat from my earliest childhood. I am posting more photos of snow for the benefit of my relatives and friends in Israel or in other warm weather places. I love the snow on the fire escapes. Luckily the fire escapes weren't needed while the snow was deep on the metalwork.   I loved seeing how deep the snow was on the tree branches. During the worst of the storm people were walking in the middle of Broadway. By the next day that was no longer possible. I just noticed that traffic is travellin...

 Our trip to California had two purposes. The first was to visit with people that we love. We knew that we had accomplished that goal while we were still in california. The other purpose of our trip was to skip those long and draggy days of winter when it feels like winter will never end. Our second goal was accomplished as well. The bulbs in our tree pits have emerged from their winter bedding and will soon begin to bloom. Spring arrived while we were away. Yesterday, I had an appointment not too far from FIT so I went to visit their museum. The upstairs lobby was showing  a lovely exhibit  organized by students. As promised it was filled with glittery things. I especially loved this draped sarong skirt worn by Gypsy rose lee and designed by Bonnie Cashin. I never would have expected this particular combination of  client and designer.  Bonnie Cashin  is known for her simple, uncomplicated almost utilitarian (yet luxurious) garments.  Gypsy Rose Lee i...

 I'm actually typing this after the end of Shushan Purim but I thought of  what I am writing below during the minor festival itself. For those of you who don't know, Purim is celebrated on the 14th of the month of Adar, except for cities that were walled at the time of Joshua in the Bible which celebrate on the next day. Any of you who want to brush up on  Purim observances  should click on the link. Image captured from www.abebooks.com My dear friend Racheley mentioned that her son in law would be reading the Megillah on Shushan Purim this year using the melody used when chanting the Book of Lamentations. I was so moved to hear that on this Purim which is filled with so much worry and sadness. In my life Shushan Purim is usually marked by very little. It doesn't require much more than noting that it  exists. Today though, I put on a playlist of old Purim music and mused about the holiday as I worked.  I kept thinking about how unlike the rest of the holida...

This week is a challah baking week. Pesach is just over the horizon. My goal was to make enough challot to last until the week I change my house over to Passover mode.  I also figured that since I was making a yeast dough I could also make my childhood favorite, yeasted hamentashen. They were a bakery staple. Your mother might make the small hamentashen with  the smooth crust and the filling visible. This photo from thenosher.com After megilla reading at our synagogue the tables in the social hall would have stacks of big yeast hamantaschen from the bakery stacked on trays in the middle of the table.  These hamantaschen were big--the size of a sandwich or bulkie roll, sort of  triangular glazed with honey and egg yolk and a sprinkling of poppy seeds would let you know if you were getting poppy  or the dreaded prune hamantaschen. Those were the only two possibilities prune or poppy. The dough was a soft challah dough. I have missed those soft hamantaschen with a ...