Sometimes dads screw up. I screw up all the time, as a dad, and even in my non-dad functions. One way my dad screwed up is that he changed his name from Hirschkind to Hickins. Rhymes with chickens, not quite Dickens, as American as apple pie and Doinkuss. Slim pickins indeed; no American would have … Continue reading Why I Bought Myself a Mogen David Bracelet for Father’s Day
The Silk Factory
How to Interpret Yom Hashoah
We all come to Yom Hashoah -- Holocaust Remembrance Day – by different paths. For me, it’s an ongoing education into my family’s history, which I detail in my memoir, The Silk Factory: Finding Threads of My Family’s True Holocaust Story. And this year in particular, Yom Hashoah was jolted into my consciousness by a … Continue reading How to Interpret Yom Hashoah
Vermin, Poisoned Blood, and the Jews
As asylum-seekers drown in the Rio Grande under the indifferent eyes of the Texas National Guard, and as Donald Trump celebrates his primary victory in Iowa this week, Jews especially should take heed of language such as poisoned blood and vermin used when discussing immigration. Trump has promised that if elected, he will strip citizenship … Continue reading Vermin, Poisoned Blood, and the Jews
The Silk Factory and Antisemitism
I’m grateful that, thanks to Rabbi David Wilfond, I’ll be a guest speaker at https://www.facebook.com/tstbedford Temple Shaaray Tefila in Bedford, NY, at the end of Sabbath services tomorrow. Two generations of Hirschkinds in the front yard of the Kupfer silk factory, the 140-year-old business that is and isn't family-owned. I’ll be discussing the journey that … Continue reading The Silk Factory and Antisemitism
Holocaust Talk in Ossining, NY
Like for many people, I suppose, the Holocaust was a thing that happened a long time ago, to other people, some of whom might have been members of my family. It’s not that I minimized what it was, or the importance it played in the history of the Jews, in European history, American history, and the history of Israel – but it was history.
But I Digress… And Learn How to Keep My Book Relevant
It’s well known that only a portion of our social media followers and friends ever see a given post, so it’s not too obnoxious to repost and repurpose stuff. But I’ve still had to fight my reticence for posting frequently on social media without having something new-ish to say each time. But I do like … Continue reading But I Digress… And Learn How to Keep My Book Relevant
Ineffable Greatness
Paul Mirat alongside a portrait of his grandfather, Paul Mirat. How hard do you figure it is to be great at any one thing? I mean, how hard is it to become a great painter? It would take a lifetime. How about horse breeder? Probably another lifetime. Or how about getting elected mayor of your … Continue reading Ineffable Greatness
Michael Missing 
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