Religion

On Oct. 7, 1885 a 16-year-old German barber named Friedrich boarded a ship for New York.  Fleeing the military service then required in Germany, he became one of over a million German immigrants who flooded these shores between 1880 and 1885.  Once he had accumulated...

“There is no peace on earth,” I said, “for hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good-will to men!” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned these words in a poem written during the Civil War in 1863. The poem was later set...

The Father of our nation, George Washington, had a remarkable correspondence with the first Catholic Bishop in the United States, John Carroll. At the time Catholics were, at best, 1% of the population of the young nation and were living in only two states:...

How powerful words are! Rabbi Seymour J Cohen wrote: “Words can inspire, destroy, console us, entice us. Throughout history words promoted hatred, murder, even wars! How many politicians permanently had their careers ended by false rumors and innuendos!” Each of us have experienced the power...

Our nation is facing a new crisis.  Our young people are battling mental health issues, depression and self-harm at rates far, far higher than older generations. A study by Murmuration found that members of Gen-Z—people born between 1997-2012—are about twice as likely as older Americans...

In the San Francisco Bay Area, we seem to be in a bubble of more open-minded thinking and inclusion. There are other places, regions and states that seem to be filled with fear of the outsider and suspicion of neighbors of different ethnicity, national...

A few of you may have noticed the curious-looking structure that popped up outside my home recently. No, we did not embark on an overnight house expansion project. What you saw is our sukkah—a temporary structure that is the highlight of the weeklong holiday...

Gilroy Life goes online only for rest of year Local news publication Gilroy Life has ceased printing its paper edition until the end of this year following the September death of publisher Marty Cheek, according to Gilroy Life editor Robert Airoldi. The publication will continue...

In the San Francisco Bay Area, we seem to be in a bubble of more open-minded thinking and inclusion. There are other places, regions and states that seem to be filled with fear of the outsider and suspicion of neighbors of different ethnicity, national...

From the earliest colonial days of America, there emerged an ethic of honest labor and craftsmanship. From farmers to silversmiths and makers of furniture, household implements and tools, there was a value on both the humanity and honor of work.  Yet, by the end of...