Stories,photos

134 results total, viewing 41 - 50

Moe Fink, above, grinning at his son’s wedding. Top, as a young man in Harlem, New York City.

The indelible link between parent and child

“Moe” was born in London – in Whitechapel – in 1904.  His father had hiked across Europe, a “foot-goer” among a generation of migrating scouts in quest of work … more

Mike Fink | 6/3/21

The delights of a single spring bloom

In my school days, we had to learn poems by heart and then recite them by rote on the auditorium stage.  I remember Ralph Waldo Emerson’s ode to the month of May, “The … more

Mike Fink | 5/9/21

Lag B’Omer through the years

Here’s hoping that one or more of the customs of Lag B’Omer fit my past, present and planned projects. It’s a holiday known for bonfires and weddings and ... haircuts. Once upon … more

Mike Fink | 4/9/21

The stories we tell

I first set foot in Israel during its Bar Mitzvah year, and since then, I have identified with the maturity of its status. I wrote about that visit and voyage for the Rhode Island School of … more

Mike Fink | 3/4/21

A contemplation of books to get you thinking during the pandemic

Esther Safran Foer has written what she calls a “post-Holocaust memoir,” titled “I Want You to Know We’re Still Here.” I teach a book that her son Jonathan wrote … more

Mike Fink | 2/5/21

In celebration of the beauty of cousins

She was the family beauty, the winner of the prize for being the prettiest girl in her high school graduating class in Montreal. She was the only, lonely child of my mother’s eldest … more

Mike Fink | 1/7/21

Like Noah before him, my baby grandson faces a big job

Twelve has always been my lucky number. I was born on the 12th of the 12th, and I live at number 12 in the winter and in my summer cabin as well. Among the dozen tribes of Israel, I … more

Mike Fink | 12/3/20

The promise, the hope of ‘Armistice Day’

My only survival skill lay in words. I was too myopic to play ball as a boy, with a blind spot that allowed for a blow to my head before I knew what hit me. I could fight back only by being … more

Mike Fink | 11/6/20

There’s more to Columbus than meets the eye

Did you know that a pigeon is a dove and that the word “columbus” means just that in Latin, the bird that makes a cooing, melancholy melody over all the continents and builds … more

Mike Fink | 10/2/20

Many disappointments – and one bright hope

It’s time to look backward and forward. Now, I am one who doesn’t like slogans, but I came across one I did like over the summer. “Love Where You … more

Mike Fink | 9/3/20