I was born and raised in Chicago, both of my parents were Ashkenazi Jews from Hyde Park.  My father was an attorney and son of a judge, my mom was a designer and daughter of a shop owner and traveling dress salesman.  Much of who I am comes from these influences.  Two of my four grandparents were immigrants and brought with them words and customs from Lithuania and Austria.

Yiddish was a part of my home life and even more prevalent in my grandparents’ homes.  I wasn’t fluent or even close, as I suspect was true of both parents. We spoke phrases and words; It was instinctual, rich in history, and fun to do.  We enjoyed Mel Brooks throwing Yiddish into every movie and always had a copy of the Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten.

It seems that younger generations use Yiddish less frequently and perhaps, it has fallen out of fashion.  Ironically, several Yiddish words have made their way into the dictionaries. All of these thoughts and the rise in anti -Semitism made me want to make products that harken back to these memories in a simpler time.

After working decades in the sales, marketing, and management of products at retail and wholesale. Finally, I am embarking on my dream of creating products.  As I pulled ideas from the recesses of my mind, the Yiddish language became one of the first thoughts (and strangely so was the Sh!tbags).  Why not throw a little Yiddish in with some everyday, well made and designed products?

Mensch Ware isn’t just about Yiddish though.  It’s about the root of the word mensch, which means doing good, and honoring that in this business.  All the products that we sell will be attached to a charity that relates to the products.  For Sh!itbags, it’s donations to victims of sexual abuse. For the Yiddish collection, donations will be made to the Anti-Defamation League.

Please join me on this journey to fill the world with products that are fun and give back.  Be a mensch!