Monday Musing: Rich Herschenfeld

Wikipedia Says: Mensch (Yiddish: מענטש mentsh, German: Mensch, for human being) means "a person of integrity and honor"[1]. The opposite of a Mensch is an Unmensch (meaning: an utterly cruel or evil person). According to Leo Rosten, the Yiddish maven and author of The Joys of Yiddish, mensch is "someone to admire and emulate, someone of noble character. The key to being “a real mensch” is nothing less than character, rectitude, dignity, a sense of what is right, responsible, decorous"[2].

In Yiddish (from which the word has migrated into American English), mensch roughly means "a good person." A "mensch" is a particularly good person, like "a stand-up guy," a person with the qualities one would hope for in a dear friend or trusted colleague. Mentschlekhkeyt (Yiddish: מענטשלעכקייט, , German: Menschlichkeit) are the properties which make one a mensch.

During the Age of Enlightenment in Germany, the term "Humanität" in the philosophical sense of humanity, was used for "a better human being" or Humanism. The concept goes back to Cicero's Humanitas and was literally translated into the German word Menschlichkeit and further refined into "mentsh" in Yiddish language use.



Richie is most definitely worthy of a mere "Happy Birthday" today. He and his wife, who are expecting what promises to be a very beautiful baby girl come November, should have been on the red carpet in Los Angeles yesterday. Better they should be celebrating on the man's home turf which includes Prohibition -- some people's home away from home -- which he and partner Ian Duke are very adept at running in addition to hiring some of the best -- and very talented wait staff on the Upper West Side.