One week, all the Jewish Journals in my neighborhood were gone.
So, I walked 40 minutes to Factor’s Famous Deli to discover some unclaimed Journals that uncovered sexual-abuse scandals in my community. I learned it did not matter how I prayed or what I wore, because I was a fabulous Jew simply for being one.
We could wear a little makeup in 12th grade because that’s when we could begin dating for marriage. He was just asked to be in a Pink music video that would have required him to lie undressed in bed with Pink.
I was riding my bike and my friend Matt pulled up next to me in his car, with Meredith in the passenger seat.
” I remember thinking, “I’m a man-child doing wheelies on a little BMX bike. ” — From Seth Menachem's "My Single Peeps," in the Jewish Journal Rashi – a medieval French rabbi – says if you want your teaching to be effective, you start with a joke.
The humor in Seth’s column opened me up to learning about arts, culture, religion, philosophy, science, history and literature — all covered in the rest of the paper.
I dared not voice my desire for a secular education. The rules forbade any dress and behavior that could be construed as seductive — even bicycling. There was a singles column called “My Single Peeps” by Seth Menachem — and the very first article I read was Seth’s hilarious, laugh-out-loud description of the single friends he wanted to set up.
Do you feel the religion has become more important as the relationship grows?
They always made sure my siblings and I had everything we needed and wanted — toys, games, our favorite treats and, since I loved art, my parents made sure I went to art class every week.
The little English they spoke had a strong fresh-off-the-boat accent, which the class clowns could impeccably impersonate.
Mostly though, I developed a more lighthearted, fun and loving relationship with the challenges of dating and marriage.
It did not have to be black and white; it could be unconventional — like Seth Menachem’s matchmaking methodology.
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