The Jewish stomach: 3,000 years of indigestion, anxiety – and finally Tums
The story of the chalky reflux treatment invented in 1928 by the gentile pharmacist James Harvey Howe Sr – and which I carry in my tallit bag – is, like many unexamined aspects of American…
Assessment
A personal essay traces the history of Tums, the antacid invented in 1928 by a non-Jewish pharmacist, and connects it to the long Jewish relationship with digestive distress. The writer carries Tums in their tallit bag, framing the chalky remedy as an overlooked symbol of interfaith cooperation in everyday American life. The piece invites reflection on how mundane products can quietly bridge cultural divides.