Outsiders often express an interest in joining the Amish. The Amish traditionally do not seek out converts. In one example related by John Hostetler in Amish Society, a particularly zealous outsider–though never actually formally joining an Amish congregation–did much to stir up Amish circles in the 1950s. As Hostetler writes: When outsiders join, or attempt to join, the Amish church, issues may arise that polarize…
Photo man and in-the-field auction expert Rick Harrison shares his latest batch of pictures from the New Wilmington Amish auction, which took place June 6th. This was the 20th annual benefit auction and turnout was sizable. Rick estimated over 125 buggies on the lot. Auctions are popular among Amish. Lancaster County holds a medical benefit auction each year to support the work of Holmes Morton…
Pastry samples at a Flavor retail store Donald Kraybill shares some photos and comments from a recent lecture trip to Japan. Professor Kraybill recently spent a week at universities in Tokyo and Gifu and at the Shibunkaku Art Museum in Kyoto, speaking on the Amish. The Amish are quite well-known in Japan, with perhaps more books on the Amish having been translated into Japanese than…
Texas seems an odd spot to find Amish. Besides the current community in Bee County, there have been at least four other attempts to settle the Lone Star State. In his meticulously researched The Amish in America: Settlements that Failed, 1840-1960, David Luthy describes a short-lived settlement that came about in the state’s southernmost county. Amish fields today brim with corn, alfalfa and hay. One…
A recent re-read of a piece by Steven Nolt in Mennonite Quarterly Review–‘Who are the Real Amish? Rethinking Diversity and Identity among a Separate People’— made me recall a common dilemma when discussing our Plain neighbors. ‘The Amish’ is a moniker that tries to do more than it really can, which is blanket a group of people having quite diverse practices. Saying “‘the Amish’ this”…
Rick weighs in with an action shot of an intense game of cornerball, aka ‘eck balle’, from an auction this past weekend at Georgetown in Lancaster County. This apparently wasn’t the only sport being played; Rick mentions a few games of football and volleyball going on as well. He comments: ‘I am imagining the football huddle going “Fisher, go deep” and 3 guys answering “Which…
Okay, we’re going to roll this one out on a trial basis. But who knows, could be interesting. I frequently get Amish-related questions in my email inbox. I do my best to answer but sometimes come up short. So: if you have an Amish-related question you’d like answered, and would prefer a response from an actual Amish person rather than hearing me yap on about…
‘Hershberger’ is an Amish family name particularly common in Midwestern communities. It is also found in other spelling variations, such as ‘Herschberger’ and occasionally ‘Harshberger’. The following is a short history of the name from Family Life: “This is a Swiss name and may have originally meant, “one who lives on Deer Mountain”. The Hershberger family first came into Anabaptist circles in the canton of…
Elam quit shaving today. Amos’ brother was married last autumn during the traditional wedding season in Lancaster. After spending much of the previous few months visiting relatives along with his new bride, today was finally the day to hang his hat under his own roof. Moving into one’s own home around here means that you start growing a beard. So it would actually be more…
Popped open a copy of USA Today in between flights yesterday, and what should I find but another full-page ad for the ‘Amish miracle heater’. I was hoping to avoid the heater issue as it’s been covered enough elsewhere, but looks like there is a lot of fresh reporting just out. Good Amish heater analysis at consumeraffairs.com as well as a Philly Fox News report…