Saturday, January 14, 2023
You think you know the New York subway system? https://projects.
. . .
Goy is a Hebrew word that means “nation.” In the Only Testament, called the Old Testament by some, it is used to distinguish the Israelites from other nations of the world. It might have been value-free initially, but it has taken on a derisive character in modern times. Even when and where Jews were oppressed, they generally felt a sense of relief that they were not goyim. Of course, the word is usually reserved for private conversations these days, so I was intrigued by the headline “My Mezuzah and Me: A New York Goy’s Dilemma."
A mezuzah is a cylinder or skinny rectangle holding a parchment fragment with significant Hebrew verses. The Bible commands Jews to “write the words of God on the gates and doorposts of your house.” Deuteronomy 6:9. Thus, a mezuzah is typically affixed just above eye level on outside door frames, at least, and throughout the house of the more observant. Mezuzahs were not usually removed when occupants departed and, therefore, it would not be uncommon for the next gentile moving into a previously-occupied Holy Land apartment to find a mezuzah on the front door frame, the situation for the author of this article. I liked his treatment of the subject.
Sunday, January 15, 2023
“If you’re still paying off your mortgage, renting is likely cheaper than owning in each of the nation’s 50 largest metros."
https://www.lendingtree.com/
This is an intriguing prospect as so many of us struggle with the current real estate market, akin to a bull ring without flashy outfits. What is omitted from this analysis are the tax benefits and appreciation attendant with home ownership. Yet, it may be comforting for those who see a white picket fence fading from view.
. . .
Another kind of comfort comes with finding a place to excrete when out in public. “Restrooms for customers only” is an unwelcome sign on many front doors, with or without mezuzahs. This writer addresses the problem. https://www.nytimes.
New York is notorious in denying relief of this sort to residents and visitors alike. The writer claims that it is a special problem "for anyone who’s not wealthy, white and cisgender,” an unnecessary blurring of a near-universal challenge. My own approach, as outlined on January 5, 2023, was to walk confidently into a hotel, take the elevator to its sixth floor lobby and stride into its (still gendered) men’s room. It was my demeanor that figuratively opened the doors to me, although my white skin didn’t hurt, I’ll admit.
Monday, January 16, 2023
A healthy contingent of the Boyz Club showed up at at lunch today at Chi, 492 Ninth Avenue, a new Chinese restaurant, on the site of the late, lamented Manganero’s Hero Boy. I was reminded of taking the two-day New York State Bar Examination in July 2001, in the Javits Convention Center, with thousands of other new law school graduates. Javits is on Eleventh Avenue, with its back to the Hudson River. There is nowhere close by to eat, except an occasional hot dog vendor under an umbrella. Each day, at lunch time, hundreds of kids huddled outside the building, reacting to that portion of the exam already faced and anticipating what was to come by crying, smoking, puking. I, on the other hand, walked two blocks due east to Manganero’s Hero Boy for a meatball parmesan hero and a diet Pepsi to prepare for the afternoon’s work.
Today, only camaraderie was on the line among the eight of us as we ate soup dumplings (3 orders at $8 of four pieces); crispy spicy (decidedly) shredded beef ($25); spicy cumin lamb ($26); chicken with black bean sauce ($18); pork fried rice ($16); shrimp chow fun ($18); vegetable fried rice (2 orders at $16); crispy orange chicken ($18); beef lo mein ($18). The food was good, but the portions were consistently small for their price. Overall, a disappointment, the company aside.
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Tonight’s dinner was quite a contrast from yesterday’s lunch. First, I had only Jay Stanley for company. Jay, whom I’ve known since boyhood, his, not mine, is Senior Policy Analyst with the ACLU. He lives and works in the Washington, DC area, so it was a treat to have him here. We went to Farida Central Asian Cuisine & Grill, 32 Cedar Street, in the very-quiet-after-dark financial district. Most striking was the decor, vivid colors and patterns all over the place, as opposed to the somber black and slate gray at Chi.
Farida also had a live musician, a tenor saxophonist admittedly and successfully in the mode of Stan Getz. The food was a hit, too. We shared six mini umkas, little knishes, two each spinach, chicken, steak ($15). We also traded back and forth two large salads, Tashkent Salad, slivered beef tongue, white radish, herbs, in a house dressing, topped with fried onions ($19), and Navruz Salad, romaine lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red radish, red onion, scallion, hard-boiled egg, dill, cilantro mixed with sour cream dressing, topped with feta ($18). Here, we got our money’s worth.
Right next door was Scoops & Snacks, 26 Cedar Street, a small joint primarily hanging out on the carbohydrate side of the street. I had ice cream even on this cold night, two large scoops ($8) — Bittersweet Sinphony, coffee ice cream with bittersweet fudge swirls and fudge chunks, and Piece of Cake, yellow cake ice cream with thick chocolate frosting and pound cake pieces. A winner.
Thursday, January 19, 2023
Jeffrey Heller not only talks the talk and walks the walk, he rides his bike thousands of miles to raise understanding of and funds for immigration reform. And, he’s a grandfather, too. Only in that regard am I his peer, so I was honored to have lunch with him today.
We aimed for Bistro Verde on the fifth floor of the Nordstrom department store at 225 West 57th Street, because it had outdoor dining pods on its terrace. However, the cold rain kept them closed and us indoors. It’s a pleasant space, closer to a corporate dining room than a cozy tearoom.
As tolerant as Jeffrey might be of human weakness, I felt the need to be virtuous in his presence and ordered a salad.
By the way, Nordstrom has roomy, non-gendered bathrooms on every floor. You can approach them without even displaying an air of confidence.
. . .
You might think that my fellow progressives would sit back and allow George Santos and friends to dominate the nutsiness and craziness department, but no, righteous sensitivity has to be heard from. "An office within the University of Southern California's School of
Social Work says it is removing the term 'field' from its curriculum
because it may have racist connotations related to slavery."
Will cotton garments be barred from campus next?
Friday, January 20, 2023
Joseph Berger, distinguished New York Times journalist, is about to publish "Confronting the Silence," a major biography of Elie Wiesel. On Thursday, February 2nd at 7 PM, he will discuss this work at West End Synagogue on this Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Don't miss it.
Thinking less far ahead, the Year of the Rabbit begins this Sunday.
恭禧發財
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