Category Archives: Biographies

Blogcast #1: Harry Houdini’s Dad Fired for Not Speaking English?

Posted on February 20, 2019 by Houdini

By Tom Interval Last June I wrote an article asserting that Harry Houdini’s father, Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weiss, was not fired by his congregation simply because he couldn’t speak English. I’ve decided to make that blog the first in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Bernard C. Meyer, Bess, Biographies, Books, Cecilia, Family, Gladys, Herman, kenneth silverman, Leopold, Letters, Life Phases, Mayer, Nathan, Parents, Podcasts, Siblings, Theodore (Hardeen), William, Youth, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rabbi Weiss’s Farewell Sermon

Posted on June 29, 2018 by Houdini

By Tom Interval Listen to/watch this blog entry in video format → When Rev. Dr. Mayer Samuel Weiss arrived in the United States in 1876, doubt likely plagued his mind. At 47, he wasn’t a young man anymore, but he … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Bernard C. Meyer, Bess, Biographies, Birth, Books, Cecilia, Collections, Digital, Family, Gladys, Herman, Homes, kenneth silverman, Leopold, Literature, Mayer, Nathan, Parents, Siblings, Theodore (Hardeen), William | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Happy 142nd, Harry

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Houdini

By Tom Interval Newborn Erik Weisz (Americanized Ehrich Weiss), who would later generate fame, fortune, and folklore as Harry Houdini, escaped his mother’s womb in Budapest on this day in 1874. For those who don’t know much about the man, calling … Continue reading →

Posted in Anniversaries, Biographies, Birth, Books, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Nearly Dying for a Living”

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Houdini

By Tom Interval History’s Houdini two-part miniseries, which aired in the United States on Sept. 1 and 2, introduces a younger generation to one of the most enduring Houdini myths of all time: the legendary escapologist and illusionist almost drowning under an … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Books, Hearst's, Literature, Movies, Myths, Periodicals, Portrayals, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment