Relatively Cool

Cousin Jake on my rooftop in Brooklyn
Meet my cousin, Jake. Jake's grandmom, Annette, and my dad are first cousins, and whatever complex level of cousinhood that puts us in, we're blood. So I was more than happy to show Jake around Brooklyn during his visit to NYC last week, when we met for the first time.

Cousin Jake—tall, slim and handsome, a cool 16 years old—lives with his parents in California. He's only a junior in high school, but when he graduates he wants to move to New York and study music full time. He's a talented bass player, and has already performed at Carnegie Hall. He also likes to shoot artistic photographs with an old manual film camera. We're obviously related.

We spent the day becoming acquainted, walking around Brooklyn, through Prospect Park, checking out the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, and ending the night with live jazz at the Tea Lounge. A perfect day with a real cool coz!

Jewish Alliance Colony, 125 Years Later

My niece Lola represents a new generation of Jewish Alliance descendants
Last week I returned home to Vineland, NJ ... and I mean HOME home, back to our farmland where my family lived when I was born, for the 125 year anniversary of the Jewish Alliance Colony. For a little background, Joel Landau of The Courier Post explains in his article, "Town honors anniversary of Jewish colony":

In 1882, 43 Jewish families fled the Soviet Union to come to South Jersey and do something they were never allowed to do before.

The refugees, from what is now Odessa, Ukraine, started the Alliance Colony, which became the first Jewish agricultural colony in the country. Now, descendants of those first families and hundreds more that came shortly afterward reflected on and honored their history at Alliance Cemetery on Gershal Avenue.

My father's side of the family were amongst the original 43, and I have many fond memories of growing up in Vineland with fellow descendants, who are like a big extended family to me.

Rabbi Murray Kohn, who performed our bar and bat mitzvahs, and officiated my sister Sandy's wedding
The songs I write for my cartoons? I have Barbara Kornbluh, my childhood piano instructor, to thank for making learning music so fun!
Celia Pretter, with her daughters Talia and Alana, was our favorite babysitter when we were little. She lived down the street where her parents raised chickens, and we would ask our parents to leave just so Celia would come to sit for us. I was just a wee lad, but you can see why she is still my favorite!

Is Dan Zanes Jewish?

I suspect he might be, as this local musician is a featured artist in the upcoming September Jewzapalooza concert at Riverside Park in Manhattan. Regardless, Dan Zanes and Friends is also the attraction that got my sister Sandy and her husband Todd to travel up to Brooklyn with my 17 month old niece, Lola!

Lola really digs the music!
It was Lola's first trip to Brooklyn, which was already a special occasion. The Celebrate Brooklyn music series just made the day even more memorable.

Picking up the babes by picking up the babe
Lola and my sister Michelle, back together
Dan Zanes shines as he signs Lola's DVD
More photos on Facebook

London Blog

I think that's Baby Spice crossing the street behind me in the West End theatre district of London
After eleven days in Canada, I returned home for just one night before repacking and heading straight back to Newark International Airport, this time for a ten day business trip in London. I'm helping my longtime friend (and occasional Simon Cowell voice impersonator) Paul Barnett with a a marketing research project for his company, Now What Research. I'm not doing any cartooning on this trip. Instead, I'm helping with the technology end with a product so cutting edge that I'm not at liberty to discuss it here ... seriously!

Fellow blogger and Now What Researcher Esther K. and I in a large tube-like underground transportation system that simply I cannot remember the name of
I'm also traveling with friends and co-bloggers Esther K., who is here with me in London, and Paul Berger, doing research in his hometown of Leeds. When I'm not doing tech support, I'm accompanying Esther on research interviews throughout the city.

My relatives across the pond, Ida and Dave Lawrence
So far the trip has been a fantastic experience, helping my old friend and his team of writers with a revolutionary marketing research project. And, as an added bonus, I got to visit my relatives, Ida and Dave Lawrence, and spent shabbat with them in their home in Snaresbrook in north-east London. Ida's mom was my bubbi's first cousin, and left Poland to live in the UK in 1914. Ida lost contact with the rest of the family until around 1994, when she finally found us in New Jersey. More on the story of our family reunion in a future post.

My mate Paul Barnett and I, out for dinner
We have three more days of work, and then I'm back in Brooklyn on June 6. And for friends of Shabot, thanks for being patient, the weekly comic strips will return when I do.

Happy Birthday, Motherland and Sister Sandy

Israel turns 59 today. My sister Sandy turns ... well, significantly younger than Israel.

Happy birthday, Israel and Sandy!

Uncle Sammy, 1946-2007

Uncle Sammy and me, 1973
I am home with my family in Vineland, NJ earlier than expected this month. My uncle, Sam Sztajnwurcel, passed away early this morning after extended illness. Sam suffered from schizophrenia, and experienced a stroke that left him bedridden and semiconscious for the last seven years of his life. I am sad to see him go, but relieved that his pain has ended.

In his final moments, my uncle uttered God's name over and over. Despite a lifetime of hearing voices, I believe Sam's last conversation was real, and his prayer was finally answered.

Thanks to all my friends who have given their support.

Peace with My Niece

Lola and her Uncle (and Unshaven) Willy
After a bout with not one, but two forms of food poisoning (both the Blastocystis hominis parasite and Campylobacter bacterium) that I contracted in Israel, coupled with other stressful matters in my personal life, I was weakend to the point of non-productivity and in need of a real break. Having lost an astonishing 12 pounds in the course of just four weeks, I packed my bags and headed home to Vineland, where I recuperated with my loving family over the long President's Day weekend.

To all the naysayers, click to zoom in, because Lola's still got blue eyes
My retreat home also happened to fall on the birthday of my niece, Lola, who turned one year old on February 17. I spent the weekend recovering, and following Lola around the house as she talked up a baby talk storm and grabbed at my Beard of Hermitage.

Lola, horrified by the realization of turning one
I had a most relaxing, theraputic stay with my family, and I didn't even mind when Lola woke up crying at 4am. In fact, I found it comforting, knowing that we can all experience stress, no matter what age.

And the remedy can be as simple as a hug.

THE END

Family

Visiting my grandparents at the Alliance Cemetery in Vineland
For the first time in a while, my entire family were together in my hometown, Vineland, NJ. That includes my parents, my sisters Sandy and Michelle, Sandy's husband Todd, and their baby LOLA, with special guest appearances by hot Jewish author P.D. Berger (not shown, because he was the Man with the Camera) and the infamous Shansta!

I was born and raised in Vineland, NJ, a town known for its poultry and farms. In fact, just down the street from my sister's place is a little family of llamas and donkeys. I know llamas can be kept for their wool, but I'm not sure what the advantage is of keeping donkeys. Maybe they're trying to crossbreed ... llonkeys?

Llamas and donkeys down the street
Thanksgiving was relaxing, and every time I visit home I wonder why I don't do it more often.

Then, by Sunday, I'm always scrambling for the earliest ride back to Brooklyn.

Sandy, The Shansta, Michelle, Lola, and the Jewish Robot
Photos by Paul Berger

Thanksgiving Tov

I'm heading home to Vineland, NJ to visit my family for Thanksgiving. Sorry no new comics this week, but I'll resume a normal schedule when I get back.

Happy Thanksgiving, enjoy your Empire Kosher turkeys!

Baby Chat

I saw my baby niece Lola yesterday, and I didn't even have to leave Brooklyn to do it. Finally, I was able to video conference online, cross-platform from Macintosh to Windows, using Skype for Mac 2.0 Beta.

What does this have to do with Jewish or robots, you may ask? Nothing, except that I suspect Lola may be a human-Cylon hybrid.

Baby's Got Blue Eyes

Eyelashes with baby attached

Blue eyes
Baby's got blue eyes
Like a deep blue sea
On a blue blue day
Blue eyes
Baby's got blue eyes
When the morning comes
I'll be far away
And I say

Lola's got Blue Eyes
I just got back from visiting my baby niece Lola! Both of Lola's parents--my sister, Sandy, and brother-in-law, Todd--have brown eyes, but both of Lola's grandfathers have blue eyes. Lola lucked out with the recessive gene.