In his 1997 work “American Pastoral,” novelist Philip Roth depicts the tragic decline of an assimilated Jew, Seymour “Swede” Levov, and his family in a New Jersey suburb. In doing so, Roth underlines a recurring theme throughout American Jewish literature…
Campus Mensch: Leah Paz empowers herself, UCLA and Ugandan children through GlobeMed
It was a warm spring day when Leah Paz strolled through Kerckhoff Patio, searching from behind her sunglasses for a table in the shade. Her 5-foot-8-inch frame, full of her signature boisterous energy and enthusiasm, lightly traversed the open space…
The Jews go Greek
Parties, friends, ladies and chaos — these are all components of what appears to be the fraternity lifestyle, as portrayed by the film industry. With such shallow-seeming incentives, many bystanders cannot understand the reasons for joining such groups. However, the…
Culinary delights: my kosher crawl
While the notion of a food crawl generally conjures up drinks in one restaurant, hors d’oeuvres and/or appetizers in another, a main course in yet a third, and dessert at a final venue, my own crawl-like experience is not self-contained…
Kosher Korner: Frozen Fruit Salad
What better way to combat the LA heat than with a delightfully refreshing frozen treat? These delicious Popsicles are simple to make and are the perfect way to wind down and cool off after a long day in the sun.…
Obama taps Golem in North Korean nuclear situation
SEOUL — Under pressure to resolve the growing threat from North Korean nuclear missiles, the White House declared Sunday that it would seek “creative solutions to counter the serious threat to national security.” Just how creative those “solutions” may be…
Gay Boy Scout ban lifted, Jewish community helps
Cyberspace has been abuzz with the news that the Boy Scouts of America lifted their ban on gay members — but what has not been quite so advertised is the involvement of Jewish activists and community leaders in furthering this…
A free man, a rabbi, and a detective: the continuing mystery behind the murder of Rabbi Chaskel Werzberger
The mystery that began the murder of Rabbi Chaskel Werzberger continues as the man convicted of the crime was released last month after being deemed “not guilty.” In 1991, David Ranta was convicted of attempted robbery and murder of a…
Matchmaker, matchmaker
With phones literally ringing off the hook and iPhone abuzz, it is a typically hectic day for a matchmaker, or a shadchan, like Esther Levy in the Orthodox Jewish community of Midwood, New York. A typical “Jewish mother,” Esther is…
Frozen Bananas
In celebration of the beautiful summery weather and the highly-anticipated return of my favorite comedy series, here is a kosher recipe for delectable frozen bananas. With such few ingredients, this treat is easy to make and cost-effective. Frozen bananas can…