Why are Amish opting out of the COVID-19 vaccine? This Cedar Rapids Gazette article about Iowa Amish and the COVID vaccine is one of the better that I’ve seen. We get a deeper look at the Kalona Amish community, in some ways one of the more progressive settlements. Author Brooklyn Draisey speaks with several Amish leaders, including several current bishops, as well as a former…
It’s been a while since we had an Amish singing clip. I think it’s a nice time to post this one. This is described as an “Amish Hymn-Sing at the Historic Nicholas Stoltzfus Homestead”. It’s a good time because the homestead just celebrated its 250th anniversary this past week, with a gathering and benefit auction. Former Stoltzfus Homestead caretaker Nic Stoltzfus with current caretaker &…
Somerset County, Pennsylvania is home to one of the most intriguing of Amish settlements. It’s small and not especially well-known, but it has an important history as a “seed settlement” for other large and significant Amish communities (including Holmes County and Arthur, Illinois). It also has the unusual distinction of being one of the few Amish groups which use meetinghouses for worship. The vast majority…
I notice that people are wondering lately if the Amish are going to vaccinate for COVID-19. A recent study showed that 75% of Amish in one large community would reject the COVID vaccine. So you see why it is a concern for the people paid to worry about these things. Image: David Arment Here’s one report from CBS21 on how that is playing out in…
Anna Schrock continues with part two on her time as part of the Lancaster County New Order Amish. If you missed part 1, you can find that here. Beautiful Farms & Simple(?) Living As you drive through the Lancaster County countryside, you may notice that most of the farms and homesteads are very neat looking. Yards are neatly manicured, and the landscaping is breathtaking. It…
Anna Schrock has an unusual backstory for a person who grew up Amish. Her family was a part of the New Order Amish movement in Lancaster County. The New Order Amish are primarily associated with Ohio, and particularly Holmes County (though today there are communities in quite a few other states). As the Ohio New Orders emerged in the 1960s, there was another New Order…
In her latest column “Being Amish during a pandemic“, Amish Cook Gloria Yoder addresses the contention that “many Amish” are not wearing masks: I gaze out the window of our little office, wondering what tidbits to share with you all. My mind turns to the letters and notes I received from those of you who kindly alerted me that, sadly, many Amish seem to be…
Writing in to the Finger Lakes Times in early December, a reader made the following claim as part of a review of communism and socialism through history: The only form of communism today that is the same from several hundred years ago is the Amish. Yes, they practice a true form of communism right here in the USA! Last week a reader named Ivan Martin…
In our interview with Nic Stoltzfus on German Lutherans To Pennsylvania Amish: The Stoltzfus Family Story, we also learned about the contribution of Nic’s father Elam, who provided many of the beautiful photos in the book. Today, Elam shares part 1 of 4 in a series he wrote on the Ausbund. This was originally published in Plain Values, a Holmes County-based magazine geared towards Amish…
In some Amish communities, such as Lancaster County, the traditional wedding season is the autumn months following harvest, spanning from late October, through November, and into December. In other communities (and for that matter, in Lancaster County as well), that tradition has given way to weddings happening at other times of the year, such as May or June. But with the traditional wedding season arriving,…