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Sandra Waldman

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What are Sandy's greatest writings?

Steven Waldman
Sandy has written many wonderful things in her life. She wrote for Associated Press about the United Nations and Boston happenings. She wrote for CBS radio about problems of the world. She wrote about modern families and motherhood (in the 1950s). She wrote for 340Leader newspaper on union issues. She wrote a fantastic masters thesis about media coverage of contraceptive issues, and many important medical papers at the Population Council.

But I once asked Ma what she was proudest of and she said, The Haggadah. And I cant argue with that. Here's what I wrote about it for Beliefnet a few years back:

Passover is by far our favorite Jewish holiday — not so much because I’m pleased the Hebrews escaped Egypt (though I am) but because it is associated with the most loving, quirky family traditions and memories.
Like most traditions, they will seem banal or un-funny to those who aren’t there, but I cant help but smile when I think about…

The annual debate over whether gefilte fish is repulsive or divine (and the inevitable compromise that it all depends on how much horseradish you apply)…

The violent rush of screaming kids searching for the afikomen, and the increasingly teenaged reactions from the winner, “Pwnd!”…

My wife (who is Christian) worrying about whether her matzoh balls are Jewish enough and light enough. Her anxiety peaked the year she used a Heroset recipe from Martha Stewart, (“Fruit and Nut Spread”..).

Necktie or nice sweater?

Oldsters searching for reading glasses…

My brother’s annual suggestion that gefilte fish would gain more popular acceptance if we called it “European fish pate.”…

But most important is the Waldman Family Haggadah itself. My mom, a gifted writer, pulled this together years ago, and updates it each year. It’s an idiosyncratic collection of classic Passover stories and songs, contemporary Jewish writings (such as a passage from the Diary of Anne Frank), celebrations of family achievements, remembrances of friends and family who have passed, and a paragraph or two of hilariously inappropriate political commentary.

http://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/judaism/.../ly-haggadah.aspx
Joseph Waldman
This one's easy. Can't imagine Passover without our politically opinionated haggadahs.
Ben Waldman
I, unfortunately, have not had be chance to explore my grandmother's writings at great length. However, I can say with certainty that no single major essay, paper, or thesis that I have ever written would be legible without Grandma Sandy's beautiful, detailed, tremendously helpful, encouraging, and incredibly digestible edits, revisions, and suggestions.