By Adam Brownstein – August 3, 2025 – Tokyo, Japan The sages tell us that many ages ago there was a wondrous festival of torches that took place every year around the perimeter of the Temple in Jerusalem. Young rabbinical students and even members of the Sanhendrin were given to performing splits, cartwheels andContinue reading “The Real McCoy”
Tag Archives: Travel
Japanese Garden
By Adam Brownstein — January 21, 2025 The first time I visited Kyoto was nearly a major minor tragedy. After spending several pleasant days and nights wandering the cobblestone paths of Gion, sitting in silence at the Chōraku-ji Temple and eating sumptuous hammo fish, it was time for me to return to Tokyo. I spentContinue reading “Japanese Garden”
Westin Peace
By Adam Brownstein – July 2, 2024 In his much touted book, A Brief History of Intelligence, Max Bennet begins by asking why AI has little problem besting the finest grandmasters in chess but cannot wash a sink full of dishes. I have long ago given up trying to beat my 11-year-old son in chess,Continue reading “Westin Peace”
Ahola!
By Adam Brownstein – Tokyo, Japan – May 1, 2024 One early Spring afternoon in the crux of my university days I found myself in close quarters with two middle aged couples who were wearing smiles and nothing else. Their nudity was completely appropriate given the five of us were taking in the hot springsContinue reading “Ahola!”
Going Dutch – High Holidays alongside the canals
By Adam Brownstein Dearest Readers, I dug up this quasi-gem from the old Yiddish Hustle days. It was originally published on October 4, 2016 during my quarterly trip to Amsterdam. Enjoy! On a crisp Fall morning in suburban Amsterdam, two young men wielding assault rifles are smiling at me. I grin back sheepishly, reflecting howContinue reading “Going Dutch – High Holidays alongside the canals”
Close Encounters
By Adam Brownstein / January 22, 2024 2023 was a bumper crop year for live concerts. The Fed, in its July print, indicated that the Eras Tour would inject $6.4B into the economy (the latest trailing data indicates it was more). On a personal level, my Baby Boomer father attended Taylor Swift’s sold-out show inContinue reading “Close Encounters”
The Tokyo Yenta 