Mussar -- a tradition of religious instruction, developed in 19th-century Lithuania, that assists Jews in working toward a more ethical life -- has had a minor resurgence in recent years, both locally and nationally. Right here in the area, Rabbi Ira F. Stone of Center City's Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel has been at the forefront of reintroducing the tradition to...

When American Glamour and the Evolution of Modern Architecture was announced in last spring's Yale University Press catalog, the page was illustrated with a shot of the Kaufmann Desert House in Palm Springs. This represents one of Richard Joseph Neutra's most spectacular creations -- unquestionably an example of glamour, no matter how you defined it. But below this larger image...