Style & Living

It’s been a year since my Uncle Chaim passed away, and I was requested to give a d’var Torah at the s’udah in his honor this past Tuesday evening. I’m certain a lot of you may remember my dear late uncle as the founder of H Roth Adjusters. Sometimes I feel like my entire family services this neighborhood, since my wonderful first cousin Aryeh (Archie) Rabinowitz builds and repairs homes with his company AllBoro Group, and his son David takes care of your yards and flowers with Elegant Lawns & Landscaping.

In 2002, my fabulous black female partner, Crystal Emerald Green, and I broke through the glass ceiling of Hip-Hop Urban Wear and launched CHED-DA to Kmart as an exclusive collection. After being challenged by the big boys at Phat Farm, Sean John, and Rocawear, we earned our place in the top 50 brands of street-wear fashion. Although it didn’t end well with revolving CEOs at Kmart, combined with limited production capabilities, I was certainly crowned with street credibility and a lot of positive press. However, the best label I received was from my younger family members who admired my “cool factor.”

  It’s not very common to be informed on a website purchase that the graphic T-shirt you just ordered has a spiritual meaning. The elongated tank with the screen-printed bold pop design of a woman, and the word Isha moves past its fashion statement and into a power statement. Scroll down and you get the description- “What is an Isha, the Hebrew word for a Woman? How can we describe her? She is strong. Beautiful. Mysterious. Spiritual. Intelligent. Limitless. Fearless. The Bringer of Life. The foundation of every civilization in the world. An Isha is all of these qualities and more that go beyond modern words. So this one's for you, Isha. You are beyond words!” Elisheva Rishon’s brand Eli7 Designs has an assortment of “message” pieces in Hebrew and English, all accompanied by a positive statement that will insure an uplifting piece of clothing. You can even order her ‘Black, Jewish and Fabulous’ hoody.

At first, I thought this would be a comical question to ask a few friends. After all, I’ve been quarantined for way too long, plus recuperating from a surgery that was canceled three times because of COVID-19. If you are a social person like me, you know that the lack of outside entertainment such as parties, weddings, and various other events can make you stir crazy with cabin fever. Since I continuously inform my husband that Mashiach is coming any minute now, I thought I better decide what to wear for the beyond momentous occasion of a lifetime!

Although I can’t pretend that I’d always gotten along with my late father (z’l), I certainly learned some powerful life lessons from him. As a lot of people knew, my dad, Abe Roth, maintained a strong presence with an impeccable work ethic that remains unmatched to this day. Abe Roth, the master plumber and owner of “A Roth Plumbing and Heating,” was a larger than life personality and a brand unto himself. Until this day, people tell me stories about their broken hot water heaters, busted pipes, and countless bathroom renovations that he repaired, rearranged, and resurrected for them, while balancing a cigar and a wrench. All their touching stories end with the same sentiment: “Your dad was the greatest and most honest plumber. We miss him.”

With the conclusion of Shavuos comes the start of wedding season. After the prohibition of Sefirat HaOmer, the calendar is full of upcoming celebratory events. Yet, this year is a bit different and a bit strange, and that’s saying it mildly! Are the days of impeccably planned, extravagant, and monumental marriage ceremonies returning? Or are they destined to be just memories of a life we once lived?