An amazing fish story from my Yiddishe bubbe’s collection plus an escapade during prohibition

My Paternal Bubbe Bessie I had to stop what I was doing to copy this story as relayed by my mother about a live "carp" that I'd seen in bubbe's bathtub as a child. Was I dreaming? Grandma Bessie lived with my zayde in the South Bronx on Longfellow Avenue along with a fish as…

My Ukrainian Grandmother’s music: Preserving a Yiddish culture of Song

From earliest childhood, I remember my bubbe Bessie's tremulous voice as she sang Yiddish lullabies. The words, faintly heard, were upstaged by rapturous melodies. She was otherwise a fixture in a small kitchen, preparing chicken soup with luction (noodles); kneading dough for Shabbat challah; chopping fresh carp to make gefilte fish cakes, and throwing together…