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Author Archives: 34orion
This Has Been A Tough Week
This has been a tough week. I don’t need to tell you that. You’ve lived through most of it too. But let’s recap, just to be sure we’re all singing from the same Union Prayer Book. It began with the … Continue reading
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Tagged American Democracy, Antisemitism, Gun Violence, politics
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A Tale of Two Nephews
A Tale of Two Nephews I have two nephews. They are much alike. Both stand over six feet tall—handsome by any measure—with light complexions, rosy cheeks, dimples as deep as divots, and unruly mops of blond hair. They are athletic: … Continue reading
Thanksgiving Is the American Holiday—Because It Celebrates Immigrants
My father’s favorite holiday was Thanksgiving. When I was a kid, I assumed this was because the food was excellent and my father enjoyed eating more than anyone I knew. He truly savored savoring. But that wasn’t why he held … Continue reading
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Tagged american identity, family history, Immigration, personal essay, thanksgiving
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The Old Grey Lady
I went looking for the Old Grey Lady the other day. For as long as I can remember, she has been a part of my life—educating and informing me in a way few others ever did. She was known for … Continue reading
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Trump: Dementia, Felon, or Huckster? The Sanity-Saving Game for Dozy Don’s Daily Circus
I used to be a news junkie. It was a habit I inherited straight from my parents. My father would practically read the ink off the New York Times every morning—not every article, maybe, but every section. It was how … Continue reading
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Tagged American politics, civic life, commentary, culture, current events, democracy, essays, humor, media culture, modern politics, news fatigue, op-ed, opinion, political commentary, politics, satire, trump, Trump era
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We Have Forgotten: A Minor Memorandum on the 87th Anniversary of Kristallnacht.
For the better part of the last twenty years, on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, I have published my father’s “A Minor Memorandum to My Children on the Fiftieth Anniversary of Kristallnacht: November 9 and 10, 1938.” He wrote it for … Continue reading
Heritage, Fuentes, and the Cost of Looking Away
There’s a moment in every democracy when the fringe stops being the fringe. It’s not when an extremist gains followers online, or when their rhetoric briefly trends on social media. It happens when institutions that once stood as gatekeepers begin … Continue reading
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Walking Rosie
I love walking my dog, Rosie. The first walk usually happens around 8:30 in the morning. By then, I’ve already braved the long commute from my bedroom to the kitchen for coffee—my daily fuel—to my desk so I can put … Continue reading
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Blame it on Rio 
Eighty-Six Years Ago, My Father Found Home
Today marks the eighty-sixth anniversary of my father’s arrival in the United States. In our family we treated the date like a small holiday. Maybe it didn’t have the sparkle of Hanukkah, Christmas, or the cluster of December birthdays in … Continue reading →