The Best Boy in the United States Of America: A Memoir of Blessings and Kisses
Powerful life lessons in a funny and moving portrait of family, community and spiritual discovery in America.
Hilarious and heartfelt, Ron Wolfson's inspiring memoir is filled with stories of growing up in a warm family, encountering colorful characters like the merchants of Omaha and the famous Warren Buffett, navigating adolescence and learning never to underestimate his mother.
With easygoing Midwestern humor and profound poignancy, Ron's "true stories" of family and community in the United States of America will resonate with anyone seeking to shape stronger families, create compelling communities and live their best life, a life of joy and laughter, meaning and purpose, and, yes, blessings and kisses.
"I am the best boy in the United States of America. That’s what my grandfather—my 'Zaydie’—called me from the time I was a little child in Omaha, Nebraska. I know it’s true because this is a true story. All my stories are true....
“Zaydie loved three things: his family, his business, and his adopted country—the United States of America. I never, ever heard Zaydie say 'the United States.’ It was always ‘da United States of America,’ in his thick Russian accent.... For Louie Paperny, each one of his nine grandchildren was the best boy or the best girl in the United States of America. We believed him. I believed him. And in a certain way, I’ve lived the rest of my life trying to be that best boy."
—from Chapter 1
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The Best Boy in the United States Of America: A Memoir of Blessings and Kisses
Powerful life lessons in a funny and moving portrait of family, community and spiritual discovery in America.
Hilarious and heartfelt, Ron Wolfson's inspiring memoir is filled with stories of growing up in a warm family, encountering colorful characters like the merchants of Omaha and the famous Warren Buffett, navigating adolescence and learning never to underestimate his mother.
With easygoing Midwestern humor and profound poignancy, Ron's "true stories" of family and community in the United States of America will resonate with anyone seeking to shape stronger families, create compelling communities and live their best life, a life of joy and laughter, meaning and purpose, and, yes, blessings and kisses.
"I am the best boy in the United States of America. That’s what my grandfather—my 'Zaydie’—called me from the time I was a little child in Omaha, Nebraska. I know it’s true because this is a true story. All my stories are true....
“Zaydie loved three things: his family, his business, and his adopted country—the United States of America. I never, ever heard Zaydie say 'the United States.’ It was always ‘da United States of America,’ in his thick Russian accent.... For Louie Paperny, each one of his nine grandchildren was the best boy or the best girl in the United States of America. We believed him. I believed him. And in a certain way, I’ve lived the rest of my life trying to be that best boy."
—from Chapter 1
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The Best Boy in the United States Of America: A Memoir of Blessings and Kisses
Powerful life lessons in a funny and moving portrait of family, community and spiritual discovery in America.
Hilarious and heartfelt, Ron Wolfson's inspiring memoir is filled with stories of growing up in a warm family, encountering colorful characters like the merchants of Omaha and the famous Warren Buffett, navigating adolescence and learning never to underestimate his mother.
With easygoing Midwestern humor and profound poignancy, Ron's "true stories" of family and community in the United States of America will resonate with anyone seeking to shape stronger families, create compelling communities and live their best life, a life of joy and laughter, meaning and purpose, and, yes, blessings and kisses.
"I am the best boy in the United States of America. That’s what my grandfather—my 'Zaydie’—called me from the time I was a little child in Omaha, Nebraska. I know it’s true because this is a true story. All my stories are true....
“Zaydie loved three things: his family, his business, and his adopted country—the United States of America. I never, ever heard Zaydie say 'the United States.’ It was always ‘da United States of America,’ in his thick Russian accent.... For Louie Paperny, each one of his nine grandchildren was the best boy or the best girl in the United States of America. We believed him. I believed him. And in a certain way, I’ve lived the rest of my life trying to be that best boy."
Dr. Ron Wolfson, visionary educator and inspirational speaker, is Fingerhut Professor of Education at American Jewish Universityin Los Angeles and a cofounder of Synagogue 3000. He is author of Relational Judaism: Using the Power of Relationships to Transform the Jewish Community; The Seven Questions You're Asked in Heaven: Reviewing and Renewing Your Life on Earth; Be Like God: God's To-Do List for Kids; God's To-Do List: 103 Ways to Be an Angel and Do God's Work on Earth; Hanukkah, Passover and Shabbat, all Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs Art of Jewish Living family guides to spiritual celebrations; The Spirituality of Welcoming: How to Transform Your Congregation into a Sacred Community; A Time to Mourn, a Time to Comfort: A Guide to Jewish Bereavement and Comfort and, with Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, What You Will See Inside a Synagogue (all Jewish Lights), a book for children ages 6 and up. He contributed to May God Remember: Memory and Memorializing in Judaism—Yizkor, Who by Fire, Who by Water—Un'taneh Tokef, All These Vows—Kol Nidre and We Have Sinned: Sin and Confession in Judaism—Ashamnu and Al Chet (all Jewish Lights).
1 The Best Boy in the United States of America2 The Best Boy in the United States of America ... Except in Religious School3 Bubbie's Candles4 Why Do I Do What I Do?5 Eat! Eat!6 Zaydie's Seder Surprise7 A Tale of Two Bar Mitzvahs8 Missing Shabbes9 Never Underestimate Your Mother10 Tevye11 Mom12 Dad13 The Merchants of Omaha14 Louis Market15 Mrs. B, the Furniture Queen16 My Hour with Warren Buffet17 S. K.18 Der Rosenkavalier19 A Rabbi, Maybe?20 An Educator, Maybe?21 Wrestling with God22 L. A.23 A Dress for Shabbat24 Learning Laboratory25 Recipes for Memories26 Fiddler Redux27 Why Doesn't Everyone Love Synagogues?28 A Vision for Transforming Synagogues29 Mrs. Maizie30 Life Lesson at AAA31 What Do I Do Till the Kids Say "I Do"?32 The Hope of God33 Keep Moving34 Saying Good-bye35 Mom's Legacy36 Facing Mortality—Together