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May 25, 2012
Mark Clayton: Is Hillary's State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite
Erika Bolstad: Temple cancels Wasserman Schultz speech
The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman: The former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with contemporary Shavous cuisine: Ruby Fruit Soup, Sweet Noodle Kugel with Cheese, Key Lime Curd, Calsone Casserole Frittata with Wild Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes and Olives, Baked Tilapia with Pepper Cheese Cream and Brown Sugar Shortbread
May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
The beauty of ‘nice’
By Andrea Simantov
A former glamour-consultant comes clean
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Even after closing my beauty-consulting firm, the phone still rings occasionally. The calls arrive mostly from people who live overseas and, planning to wed in Israel, they discover an outdated advertisement for my Bridal Day Beauty Package. Despite being happily ensconced in a new career, it still hurts to turn down a bride.
Even though I no longer perform "makeovers," old habits are hard to break, and I often find myself looking at women from the corner of my eye and "adding a scarf" or (silently) screaming, "Moisturize!!!" At the end of the day, however, none of this matters, because all the scarves, "statement" jewelry, and lip liner in the world won't improve the appearance of anyone — male or female — if they don't add "kindness" to their daily beauty regimen. Lest anyone question my credentials, I merely reveal the data based on years of lay-research.
I worked with brides.
Some of "my girls" would have been declared "homely" by universal standards, but I can assure you that the most beautiful brides to grace any home-album were the ones who, on their wedding days, asked anyone entering the bridal suite if they'd had enough to drink or noticed the new hairstyle of an attending guest. These were girls who, in appreciation for having arrived at a most important day in their lives, let both glee and gratitude pour out and radiated sunshine to everyone within a ten-mile radius.
One of these young women was a "little person" who couldn't borrow a gown from any charity-sponsored rental facility, because no one could afford the cost of cropping-down a perfectly lovely dress to accommodate her short stature; but whatever "inches" she lacked was overcompensated for with incomparable goodness. I recall that she arrived late to the hotel where I patiently waited, because she was delayed at the nursing home where she regularly volunteered. When I asked her if she could have allowed herself a morning "off" from this noble work, she stared at me in disbelief. "But I'm taking off eight days after the wedding. It wouldn't be fair." Need I tell you how beautiful this bride was? All 4'7" of her appeared a majestic 7'4".
With his first foray into novel writing, the cartoonist/satirist Jules Feiffer penned a brilliant portrait of the pathological narcissist with the 1963 masterpiece, Harry, The Rat With Women. I read it as a pretentious 13-year-old, which only meant that it would be years before I'd meet men who romanced and discarded women for personal gratification or befriend women who felt competitive with others of their gender. At the age of 13, I had yet to hear the term "catfight" in relation to women, but I was already being fed a diet of gossip and "diss" via recreational reading of Teen Beat and watching Johnny Carson laugh with the celebrities of the day. Quickly, I learned through popular culture that one-upmanship was a competitive sport, and survival belonged to the nasty, serpent-tongued fittest.
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I recently co-planned a two-day charity event for my organization, and I'll admit on these pages (only to you) that I'm still not my perky self after many months of preparation. Literally day and night my cohort and I attempted to work out every detail and foresee potential "glitches" before they occurred. There was an inordinate amount of list-making and record keeping in addition to hundreds of back-and-forth correspondences. But our end-goal was clear and, despite the stress, the joy in what we do and for whom we do it seemed downright corny. Several times a day the two of us would race throughout the building in order to "high-five," hug and wave to the special-needs children we promote in an effort to keep both the mission and goal of this particular project fresh in our minds.
Can I share the information that the two-day celebration went off almost perfectly? That the guest speakers and performers all arrived on time and embraced our overseas visitors with humor, honor, and warmth? Shall I whisper that the parents of our disabled participants wept with surprise and delight as they witnessed their children interacting with other youngsters and volunteers? May I brag a bit and mention that all of the better media outlets picked up the story and are thereby enabling us to pave a brighter tomorrow for thousands of special-needs children and their families in the land of Israel?
While I didn't have a lot of time to actually eat the catered dinner, I managed to sit down several times during the evening. Two women whom I hadn't met earlier sat to my right and seemed genuinely pleased to meet the evening's "coordinator." Their questions about who we are and what we do seemed friendly at first, but I grew uncomfortable when I saw one roll her eyes at the other as the program chairwoman began to speak. It all felt so familiar, so "high school" that I wanted to scream. The speaker is a stunning woman: wealthy, elegant, educated, and passionate about our organization. (She reminds me of both Jacqueline Onassis and Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg.)
When they finished mocking her with their eyes, one turned to me and said, "I hope you didn't pay full price for these flowers. They're second rate." I responded with a lopsided grin accompanied by silence, but inside I was both fuming and embarrassed. Had we paid too much for second-rate flowers? Am I such a frier (loser/sucker)? Woman number two asked me two or three questions about the data contained in our freshly printed 50-page brochure — which I had written from scratch — and before I finished answering, she tossed it onto a tray of refuse awaiting the busboy. And I could hardly contain my tears when woman number one snorted aloud and said, "Who hired this band? Can someone tell them to either shut up or get out?" It goes without saying that the "hiring someone" was me, and, yes, I changed tables.
The honing of a "good eye" is a laborious task, made even more difficult by blasting airwaves and ultra-large print touting the exploits of mega-brats like Paris, Nicole, and Lindsay. Bad behavior and stomping on the reputations and spirits of others in order to appear taller would seem to denote societal illnesses that are being lauded more and more frequently as desirable character traits. From personal experience I can say with near-certainty that although I spent years of my life pointing out flaws in (and along with) others, opening my eyes to the magic, quirkiness, and love in the heart of my fellow human being is the most cherished and possibly undeserved gift I've received in this lifetime.
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JewishWorldReview.com contributor Andrea Simantov is a Jerusalem-based columnist and single
mother of six. Comments by clicking here.
Where We Live
Shades of life
Life's footprints
A pear for my father
To raise a man
Ruth's gift
Baywatch Babe Baskets and Eminem's evil Israeli twin
Springing into Tu B'Shevat
Chanukah: The quintessential female holiday?
© 2009, Andrea Simantov. This column first appeared in Orange County Jewish Life
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