Do young Amish men drive motor vehicles? For most non-Amish adolescents, acquiring a license at age 16 or thereabouts–usually followed by a beater of a car–is an assumed rite of passage. For Amish youth–many of whom enjoy freedoms similar to that of non-Amish during their “running around” years–the choice is not so obvious. While it’s safe to say the majority do not, more than a few…
This story at pennlive.com is a couple of weeks old, but since we’ve covered the Amish and exercise before, it’s worth circling back to. Leroy Stoltzfus is a 22-year-old Amish man who did something remarkable–ran a marathon in an impressive 3 hours and 5 minutes–dressed in full Amish garb. I am an amateur runner, and this sounds completely miserable to me. Running long distances is hard…
Most Amish speak a dialect known as Pennsylvania German or Pennsylvania Dutch as their primary language. It’s generally not used as a written tongue, though that doesn’t mean it’s not written, in one form or another, from time to time. And so today we have a list of terms for you to guess (or if you know PA Dutch already, this should be pretty easy). Ohio…
News came last week of another financial scandal involving Amish investors as victims. According to the federal lawsuit, Earl D. Miller began recruiting investors in 2008 to join a number of investment vehicles, despite having no experience in fund management. The Goshen, Indiana resident is accused of “misrepresentations that Miller raised at least $3.9 million from at least 70 investors, but repeatedly lied to prospective investors.” According…
As you might know, top Amish scholar Donald Kraybill is retiring (here is a short interview we did with him when the news was announced). If you’ve been interested in the Amish for any length of time, odds are you have read one of Don’s many books on the Amish and other Anabaptist peoples, or appreciated his other work in the area of Amish studies, such as in…
Since 2012 there has been a small community of Amish people in eastern Idaho, not far from the town of Salmon (Lemhi County). This video report takes us to an Amish-owned market owned by the Paul Miller family. Locals seem pleased to have the Amish in town: The bulk of the above video is on the Miller family’s Country Market and the produce, cheese, and…
In our previous installment of An Amish Girl’s Adventures, Rebecca Miller of Holmes County, Ohio shared her family’s vacation to Niagara Falls. Rebecca is back with the story of a trip with friends to Mackinac Island in northern Michigan. As you’ll learn below, something about Mackinac Island made Rebecca and her friends feel right at home. Mackinac Island Tour – Sept. 26-29, 2007 Wednesday We started…
I hope you enjoy the following story from Serving The Amish author Jim Cates, about an unlikely meeting, and the healing it brought one young Amish woman. The Power of Love “Love is a smoke, and is made with the fume of sighs.” Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1 The popularity of Amish romance novels remind us a) a good love story is…
Have you ever tried to “live like the Amish?” There have been quite a few books and articles written on the subject. It’s easy to see why. In a hectic, disjointed world, many of us crave things we see in Amish society. Things like strong community, life oriented around nature, and less dependence on technology, to name a few. Of course, you can’t truly live like the Amish….unless you…
Snyder County in central Pennsylvania is home to a small population of Amish residents. Reader Jerry recently paid a visit to the county and captured some scenes showing the fall colors and more. In honor of the season, here are some of Jerry’s photos from his visit taken in mid-October. And here’s a little background from Jerry on what you’ll see below: When most people think…