Health

Cleaning House: 'Accidental Housewife' left behind Mad Ave for the maddening chores at home

By:

Rachel Levy Lesser, Jewish Exponent Feature

Julie Edelman, known to many women across the country as "The Accidental Housewife," says it's time for fellow housewives to understand that they are good enough and are doing the best they can. Her latest book, The Ultimate Accidental Housewife, is a humorous "Guide to a Clean-Enough House," and provides housewives with out-of-the-box advice, such as strategically placing a get-well...

Fighting Cancer

River Rock and Run ... and Rejoice

By:

Rachel Levy Lesser, JE Feature

At age 13, Amy Blumenfeld was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. After 11 months of chemotherapy, the symptoms returned. Her parents took her to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, where they were given two options: try more rounds of chemotherapy, or, as the doctors said, "take a gamble" and allow Amy to be the first adolescent with...

Wellness

Day-School Student Recovers From Swine Flu

By:

Aaron Passman, JE Feature

A 12-year-old student at a local Jewish day school has contracted and recovered from what may be the first case of swine flu in Philadelphia's Jewish community. Jay Leberman, headmaster of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman Jewish Day School, sent a letter to parents June 5, reporting that a male student at the Robert Saligman Middle School in Elkins Park,...

Wellness

Finding Help for Fibromyalgia

It can be a daunting task, even in these enlightened times

By:

Rita Charleston, JE Feature

As Emma (not her real name), one of my closest relatives, sat in bed preparing to spend another pain-filled day wondering what was wrong with her, she couldn't help but ask herself why so many doctors failed to diagnose her problem. "I think the thing that amazed me the most was that when I tried to explain my condition --...

Health

You're So Vain ...

You probably thinks this story's about you, you narcissist you!

By:

Lauren Kramer, JE Feature

The release of Narcissism Epidemic , by psychologists Jean Twenge and W. Keith Campbell, has caused quite a collective stir nationwide. Traits defining narcissism -- otherwise known as excessive self-love -- include vanity, materialism, overconfidence and a lack of consideration for others. According to the authors, those traits have become pervasive in American society today, contributing to the current economic...