From time to time, for family reasons, Brian and I visit the charming Massachusetts town of Salem. Yes, that Salem — home of the famous witch trials in 1692-1693, during which a contagious frenzy led to accusations against 200 people of practicing witchcraft, to mass hysteria, and eventually to executions, […]
Rock of Ages: Hanukkah, Christmas, and the Actual Miracle
I lit candles tonight for the first night of Hanukkah — with my Irish Catholic husband standing nearby. He proudly mentioned the “shamash”, the guardian candle that lights all the others. “I’ve been doing research,” he said; and I took that as a gift. My aunt, J., in California, who […]