THE DEFINITIVE RAP: From Fist Fights in Public School to 4 hours everyday travel to a Queens Yeshiva, Meet Author Dr. Marc Straus

Today’s show is a little different than our previous shows. Instead of politics, we have a very special guest, Dr. Marc Straus to talk about his book, One-Legged Mongoose: Secrets, Legacies, and Coming of Age in 1950’s New York. And just in time for Chanukah.

When you first start reading this book,  it reads something like ‘The Goldberg’s’ meet ‘The Wonder Years’
Television shows, as the book starts off with Marc recalling about his chain-smoking mother who drives down the Belt Parkway like a speed demon, then, without slowing down, up the ramp off the Van Wyck Expressway, with total disregard that Marc is going to vomit all over himself if she doesn’t pull over quickly. While the book has its funny moments, there are many important lessons that discuss with Dr. Straus today.

From getting into fist fights in public school in West Hempstead, Long Island – and always winning – not many Jews can say that, to
transferring to a Yeshiva Day school in Queens – traveling alone on the train with his younger brother, for 4 hours every day. Marc’s story is very unique in that he endured physical abuse at home, and never telling anyone, to helping his immigrant father on Sundays at his textile businesses, survived polio, recovered after being hit by a car – ALL BEFORE THE AGE OF 12- to always looking out for his younger brother and other defenseless victims of childhood bullying.