Munich massacre blogburst UPDATE: Several folks sent in late entries to the blogburst. Check the end of the Index of the Munich Massacre Blogburst to find links to the new articles (and an explanation, if you are here for the first time).
Shana tova, everybody. May we all be inscribed for a year of joy, accomplishment, love, health, victory over the forces that threaten to conflagrate the world, and peace. Oseh shalom bi-m'romav, hu ya'aseh shalom aleinu v'al kol yisrael, v'al kol yoshvay tayvel, v'imru: amen.
Kesher Talk
Friday, September 06, 2002
A prayer to welcome 5763:
Le Shana Tova to all.
I will head home soon, pick up my freshly pressed suit and my fiancee and I will attend our first high holiday services at Olom Tikvah. See y'all in the new year.
(Prayer via WarNow and Rabbi Laura Geller)
UPDATE: I originally had the date wrong. It is correct now.
On Rosh Hashana it is written and on Yom Kippur it is sealed:
How many shall pass on, how many shall come to be
Who shall live and who shall die
Who shall see ripe age and who shall not
Who shall perish by fire and who by water
Who by sword and who by beast
Who by hunger and who by thirst
Who by earthquake and who by plague
Who by strangling and who by stoning
Who shall be secure and who shall be driven
Who shall be tranquil and who shall be troubled
Who shall be poor and who shall be rich
Who shall be humbled and who exalted…
Le Shana Tova to all.
I will head home soon, pick up my freshly pressed suit and my fiancee and I will attend our first high holiday services at Olom Tikvah. See y'all in the new year.
(Prayer via WarNow and Rabbi Laura Geller)
UPDATE: I originally had the date wrong. It is correct now.
Preferred breads for Tashlich: On Rosh Hashanah, there is a ceremony called Taslich. Jews traditionally go to the ocean or a stream or river to pray and throw bread crumbs into the water. Symbolically, the fish devour their sins.
Occasionally, people ask what kind of bread crumbs should be thrown. The following suggestions for breads which may be most appropriate for specific sins and misbehaviors come from an anonymous e-mail:
Occasionally, people ask what kind of bread crumbs should be thrown. The following suggestions for breads which may be most appropriate for specific sins and misbehaviors come from an anonymous e-mail:
For ordinary sins.....................White Bread
For erotic sins.........................French Bread
For particularly dark sins..........Pumpernickel
For complex sins.....................Multigrain
For twisted sins.......................Pretzels
For tasteless sins....................Rice Cakes
For sins of indecision...............Waffles
For sins committed in haste.....Matzoth
For sins of chutzpah................Fresh Bread
For substance abuse...............Stoned Wheat
For use of heavy drugs.............Poppy Seed
For petty larceny.....................Stollen
For committing auto theft.........Caraway
For timidity/cowardice..............Milk Toast
For ill-temperedness................Sourdough
For silliness, eccentricity.........Nut Bread
For not giving full value.............Shortbread
For jingoism, chauvinism..........Yankee Doodles
For excessive irony..................Rye Bread
For unnecessary chances........Hero Bread
For war-mongering...................Kaiser Rolls
For dressing immodestly..........Tarts
For causing injury to others......Tortes
For lechery and promiscuity.....Hot Buns
For promiscuity with gentiles....Hot Cross Buns
For racist attitudes..................Crackers
For sophisticated racism..........Ritz Crackers
For being holier than thou.........Bagels
For abrasiveness.....................Grits
For dropping in without notice...Popovers
For overeating.........................Stuffing
For impetuosity.......................Quick Bread
For indecent photography.........Cheesecake
For raising your voice too often..Challah
For pride and egotism...............Puff Pastry
For sycophancy, ass-kissing.....Brownies
For being overly smothering.......Angel Food Cake
For laziness.............................Any long loaf
For trashing the environment......Dumplings
For telling bad jokes/puns........Corn Bread
Can't make it to services this Rosh Hashanna? Listen to them online! My sources tell me that Temple Emmanuel in New York City will be broadcasting some of their High Holiday services over the radio - and the Internet.
For several years while I was taking care of my aged mother, I couldn't get out and leave her so I listened on the radio. They then announced that they were planning to expand their reach by going on the internet, too. There may be many people who are caring for elderly parents or relatives or who are bedridden or confined to home for some reason who could benefit from knowing that this is available to them. Thanks. --Button
Help me pay tribute to Napster: I'm in the process of researching a story on the demise of Napster and wanted to know if anyone out there used Napster to download any Jewish music, especially old stuff. This could mean Cantorial, old Israeli folk songs like Yehoram Gaon, modern Israeli rock, Carlebach-type music, or any other type of Jewish music that doesn't involve Adam Sandler. If you or someone you know used Napster in that way and is now unable to find that sort of thing on the replacement file-sharing networks, please send me an e-mail. The address is in the drop-down menu to your left.
Thursday, September 05, 2002
The following article is part of the blogburst commemorating the Munich Olympics Massacre. The Index of the Munich Massacre Blogburst has links to all the other articles.
Yasir, our partner for peace.
The uber-mastermind is Mohammed Daoud Oudeh, a.k.a. Abu Daoud, but maybe el-Hindi was also involved.
If I were James Taranto, at this point I would remind you that Arafat won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1994.
Yasir, our partner for peace.
June 19, 1997 - According to Israeli media reports, Amin el-Hindi, who is currently the head of the Yasir Arafat's General Intelligence Service, masterminded the Munich massacre. At one point during the Israel-PLO negotiations in 1993, the Israeli negotiating team refused to take part in the talks until Hindi was dropped from the PLO delegation, because of his role in the Munich massacre." (New York Times, October 14, 1993) Hindi has been in the news again recently, because of reports that he is involved in the PLO's policy of murdering Arabs who are suspected of selling land to Jews.
The uber-mastermind is Mohammed Daoud Oudeh, a.k.a. Abu Daoud, but maybe el-Hindi was also involved.
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, the official newspaper of Yasir Arafat's Palestinian Authority, on January 24, 2000 urged Arab regimes to boycott the Summer 2000 Olympic Games in Australia, because there was proposed a moment of silence at the start of the games in memory of the 11 Israeli athletes murdered by Arafat's PLO terrorists at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
If I were James Taranto, at this point I would remind you that Arafat won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1994.
Yup, same old blogburst. Index of the Munich Massacre Blogburst here.
In some ways, the world was much more hostile to Israel in the 70s than now. This article from 1976 describes a world where "international games are a precise barometer of international relations" (aggravated by the Soviet alliance with the Arab bloc that produced the "Zionism is Racism" resolution and later condemnations of Israel for rescuing its citizens from Entebbe):
At least in sports, Israel is treated with more normalcy than 25 years ago, although the International Olympic Committee has declined to attend any memorial for the slain athletes.
The Sports Illustrated article is worth reading in its entirety for its profiles of other athletes affected by Munich and poignant bits like this:
UPDATE: "To mark the 30th anniversary of the tragedy at the Games of the XX Olympiad in 1972, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Dr Jacques Rogge, will tomorrow (6 September 2002) lead an IOC delegation to a ceremony of commemoration in Munich."
Good for you, buddy. Better late than never. I guess.
In some ways, the world was much more hostile to Israel in the 70s than now. This article from 1976 describes a world where "international games are a precise barometer of international relations" (aggravated by the Soviet alliance with the Arab bloc that produced the "Zionism is Racism" resolution and later condemnations of Israel for rescuing its citizens from Entebbe):
In 1973 at the World University Games in Moscow, [Yuval Wischnitzer, an Israeli long-distance runner] was booed by 100,000 Russian fans. Since then the situation for an Israeli runner has worsened. He is not invited to France. Eastern Europe blacklists him totally. The Third World countries discouraged his application and last year in Stockholm he was able to run in the Dagens Nieter Games only by appearing under the colors of a Swedish club with no mention being made of his Israeli nationality. . . . At those same World University Games in Moscow in 1973 in which Wischnitzer was booed, Red Army soldiers destroyed Israeli flags in the stands during basketball games. In the 1974 Asian Games in Teheran, Esther Roth, Israel's premier runner, won a gold medal. The Chinese silver and bronze medal winners refused to shake her hand. In 1975 India refused the Israeli team a visa, thus preventing it from playing in the world table tennis championship in Calcutta. . . . Wischnitzer's body is not political but his world is. . . .
Wischnitzer says that after the Arab-sponsored U.N. resolution condemning Zionism as a form of racism he thought the next step was for Israel to be kicked out of the Olympics. He feels in any event that if the Olympics of 1976 happened to have been located in a Third World country Israel certainly wouldn't have been allowed to participate. "We're lucky the Olympics are in Montreal," he says.
At least in sports, Israel is treated with more normalcy than 25 years ago, although the International Olympic Committee has declined to attend any memorial for the slain athletes.
The Sports Illustrated article is worth reading in its entirety for its profiles of other athletes affected by Munich and poignant bits like this:
A physiologist in Israel discovered that until the age of 17 Israeli boys have among the best physiques in the world and are the kind of prime population from which great athletes come. But after 17 everything goes. The boys wear off their genius in the army. By the age of 21, it is too late for a young man to recover his promise.
UPDATE: "To mark the 30th anniversary of the tragedy at the Games of the XX Olympiad in 1972, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Dr Jacques Rogge, will tomorrow (6 September 2002) lead an IOC delegation to a ceremony of commemoration in Munich."
Good for you, buddy. Better late than never. I guess.
The following article is part of a blogburst - a simultaneous and cross-linked posting of many blogs on the same theme. This blogburst commemorates the Munich Olympics Massacre which began in the dawn hour of September 5th, 1972. Go to the The Index of the Munich Massacre Blogburst to find links to all the other articles.
"They murdered the Olympic dream." Some quotations from some of the individuals involved:
"I don't see how the Germans could have made any mistakes that they didn't make. Over the years Munich has served as a model of what not to do in every conceivable way."
-- Michael Hershman, senior executive at a security consulting firm that has participated in five Olympics.
". . . . the village had been a refuge, admittedly imperfect, from a larger, seedier world in which individuals and governments refused to adhere to any humane code. For two weeks every four years we direct our kind of fanaticism into the essentially absurd activities of running and swimming and being beautiful on a balance beam. Yet even in the rage of competition we keep from hurting each other, and thereby demonstrate the meaning of civilization. I shook and cried as that illusion, the strongest of my life, was shattered."
-- Kenny Moore, American athlete at Munich in 1972
". . . . they didn't only murder 11 athletes and 11 Israelis but they murdered the Olympic dream, a dream that, as much as I know, my father really believed in."
-- Anouk Spitzer, who never knew her father, murdered Israeli athlete Andre Spitzer
"The tragedy of Munich was a direct onslaught on the Olympic values of internationalism, inclusiveness and respect for diversity. Nothing could have been more inconsistent with these principles than the terrible crimes committed in Munich."
-- New South Wales Chief Justice Jim Spigelman, upon unveiling a memorial to the slain athletes in Sydney, at the time of the 2000 Summer Games (an event which IOC officials declined to attend)
"Walled off in their dream world, appallingly unaware of the realities of life and death, the aging playground directors who conduct this quadrennial muscle dance ruled that a little blood must not be permitted to interrupt play."
-- New York Times sports columnist Red Smith
"I'm proud of what I did at Munich because it helped the Palestinian cause enormously. Before Munich, the world had no idea about our struggle, but on that day, the name of Palestine was repeated all around the world."
-- last remaining Munich terrorist Jamal Al-Gashay
". . . . the reason it became a defining moment . . . the Munich Massacre spread fear and intimidation to a global audience because through the medium of television the perpetrators got their message across to a global audience. The Germans could not effectively react to that, and in the deaths that followed, which included the Israeli athletes, we understood that we had a long way to go to deal with what was then a very new threat."
-- Steven Sloan, political science professor at the University of Oklahoma and co-author of The Historical Dictionary of Terrorism
"No shit."
-- Ankie Spitzer, widow of murdered athlete Andre Spitzer, after German officials told her they couldn't guarantee her safety if she came to Munich after the massacre.
"They murdered the Olympic dream." Some quotations from some of the individuals involved:
"I don't see how the Germans could have made any mistakes that they didn't make. Over the years Munich has served as a model of what not to do in every conceivable way."
-- Michael Hershman, senior executive at a security consulting firm that has participated in five Olympics.
". . . . the village had been a refuge, admittedly imperfect, from a larger, seedier world in which individuals and governments refused to adhere to any humane code. For two weeks every four years we direct our kind of fanaticism into the essentially absurd activities of running and swimming and being beautiful on a balance beam. Yet even in the rage of competition we keep from hurting each other, and thereby demonstrate the meaning of civilization. I shook and cried as that illusion, the strongest of my life, was shattered."
-- Kenny Moore, American athlete at Munich in 1972
". . . . they didn't only murder 11 athletes and 11 Israelis but they murdered the Olympic dream, a dream that, as much as I know, my father really believed in."
-- Anouk Spitzer, who never knew her father, murdered Israeli athlete Andre Spitzer
"The tragedy of Munich was a direct onslaught on the Olympic values of internationalism, inclusiveness and respect for diversity. Nothing could have been more inconsistent with these principles than the terrible crimes committed in Munich."
-- New South Wales Chief Justice Jim Spigelman, upon unveiling a memorial to the slain athletes in Sydney, at the time of the 2000 Summer Games (an event which IOC officials declined to attend)
"Walled off in their dream world, appallingly unaware of the realities of life and death, the aging playground directors who conduct this quadrennial muscle dance ruled that a little blood must not be permitted to interrupt play."
-- New York Times sports columnist Red Smith
"I'm proud of what I did at Munich because it helped the Palestinian cause enormously. Before Munich, the world had no idea about our struggle, but on that day, the name of Palestine was repeated all around the world."
-- last remaining Munich terrorist Jamal Al-Gashay
". . . . the reason it became a defining moment . . . the Munich Massacre spread fear and intimidation to a global audience because through the medium of television the perpetrators got their message across to a global audience. The Germans could not effectively react to that, and in the deaths that followed, which included the Israeli athletes, we understood that we had a long way to go to deal with what was then a very new threat."
-- Steven Sloan, political science professor at the University of Oklahoma and co-author of The Historical Dictionary of Terrorism
"No shit."
-- Ankie Spitzer, widow of murdered athlete Andre Spitzer, after German officials told her they couldn't guarantee her safety if she came to Munich after the massacre.
Welcome to a blogburst - a simultaneous and cross-linked posting
of many blogs on the same theme. This blogburst commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Munich Olympics Massacre.
At 5:00 AM, September 5th, 1972, a seminal event in the development of modern terrorism took place.
Eight Palestinian terrorists invaded the site of the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. They killed and took hostage eleven Israeli athletes competing in the Games, demanding the release of over 200 imprisoned Arabs and 2 German terrorists. Over the next few tension-filled days, all the hostages and some of the terrorists were killed, and the remaining terrorists escaped, mostly due to incompetence and perfidy of the German government. The Olympic Committee made a controversial decision to continue the Games, and has never participated in any memorial for the slai
n athletes. Eventually almost all of the remaining terrorists were hunted down and killed by Israeli agents, directed by then Prime Minister Golda Meir.
The Index of the Munich Olympic Massacre Blogburst will link you to many articles about this horrifying event of 30 years ago and its implications for the fight against terrorism today. Keep checking this site throughout September 5th, 2002, as essays get posted on each blog and they are added to this Index.
We have two scoops:
SharkBlog translates into English some recent German articles about the massacre, including part of a Reuters German article from last week. He also reviews One Day in September, the 2000 award-winning documentary on the event which is narrated by Michael Douglas.
Imshin translates into English a recent Israeli documentary about the massacre, full of new behind-the-scenes information about the negotiations, bungled rescue attempts, and German cover-up of same. I must quote this bit of interview with Dr. Georg Wolf, deputy chief of the Munich police, who blames Israel for refusing to give in to the terrorists:
Euroweenies, then and now. The documentary also notes that only 8 years after Munich, "in the 1980 Moscow Olympics opening ceremony, Arafat could clearly be seen sitting in the VIP box right next to Brezhniev." (More on Arafat's connection to the massacre.)
Winds of Change begins a 2-part article on "Terror, Inc" - tracing the financing of terror groups by countries and individuals.
InContext also follows the money trail, mentions France's release of Muhammad Daoud Audeh—alias Abu Daoud—the reputed mastermind behind the massacre, and has bios of all the murdered Israeli athletes.
Facts of Israel leads off with a strong criticism of a recent NPR broadcast on the subject, then links to the excellent special report on the massacre from Sports Illustrated (which together with the report from Time Magazine are the most thorough treatments of the massacre on the web.)
DodgeBlog and DailyPundit note that reactions to Palestinian terrorism haven't changed much in 30 years.
Israpundit, a new group blog which focuses on Israel-related events, has several posts (scroll down to see all of them), including pictures of the murdered athletes and links to the vague responses of the International Olympic Committee.
Some personal reactions: OceanGuy recounts how the massacre affected him: on television as it unfolded, on a 1983 visit to Munich, and watching One Day in September. Letter From Gotham recalls how the massacre revived her Jewish identity. PhotoDude recalls the massacre from the viewpoint of a 14 year old child. Amish Tech Support abandons his usual humor to vent some spleen.
Grasshoppa gives us an ESPN interview with Israeli and American Jewish athletes on their vulnerability to terrorism, and points out that "Munich was the only the beginning of Arab targeting of Jewish civilians abroad."
BloggerRabbit tells us about the origins of the group that carried out the massacre, Black September.
Vegetative State has several posts. The first is about the Israeli hunt for and assassination of the terrorists associated with the Munich massacre, with links to in-depth treatments on the subject. The second wonders whether Israeli participation in the Olympics is worth it. (Why wouldn't participation in international sporting events be worthwhile? Read my post on how Israel has been treated in the international sports arena for the past 30 years - how long would you put up with that shit?
I added some memorable quotes with links to the news sites they came from, meanwhile Meryl is pulling memorable quotes from our contributors above.
UPDATE: Best of the Web Today, Little Green Footballs, and InstaPundit have all linked to the blogburst. Welcome to Kesher Talk, everybody, and thank Howard Fienberg for setting it up, maintaining it, and hosting several guest editors. When you've read through the Munich blogburst, feel free to go wandering through the archives - you might be interested in some of our other articles.
UPDATE (September 6th, Erev Rosh Hashanah): Several people sent in late entries to the blogburst.
HighClearing remembers seeing the live TV coverage as a 12 year old boy, and listening to the later justifications in disbelief.
WarNow and i330.org also post personal reminisences. JimSpot links to the Sports Illustrated interview with Abu Daoud. Greatest Jeneration reviews the documentary One Day in September. My gracious host, Howard Feinberg, sends me a link to this remembrance in the National Post by George Jonas, author of Vengeance. And Daimnation points out how the Arab nations participating in the Munich Olympics complained when the organizers lowered flags to half-mast after the massacre (so in a stunning bit of cravenness the organizers raised them again), and links that to an event in Bahrain just a few months ago.
Follow-up posts on the 2002 Munich Massacre blogburst:
Here
Here
Here
of many blogs on the same theme. This blogburst commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Munich Olympics Massacre.
To mark the release of Steven Spielberg's film Munich, Kesher Talk will be updating and expanding these links at our new site. Bookmark the Munich Massacre and check back for updates throughout December 2005.
At 5:00 AM, September 5th, 1972, a seminal event in the development of modern terrorism took place.
Eight Palestinian terrorists invaded the site of the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. They killed and took hostage eleven Israeli athletes competing in the Games, demanding the release of over 200 imprisoned Arabs and 2 German terrorists. Over the next few tension-filled days, all the hostages and some of the terrorists were killed, and the remaining terrorists escaped, mostly due to incompetence and perfidy of the German government. The Olympic Committee made a controversial decision to continue the Games, and has never participated in any memorial for the slai
n athletes. Eventually almost all of the remaining terrorists were hunted down and killed by Israeli agents, directed by then Prime Minister Golda Meir.
The Index of the Munich Olympic Massacre Blogburst will link you to many articles about this horrifying event of 30 years ago and its implications for the fight against terrorism today. Keep checking this site throughout September 5th, 2002, as essays get posted on each blog and they are added to this Index.
We have two scoops:
SharkBlog translates into English some recent German articles about the massacre, including part of a Reuters German article from last week. He also reviews One Day in September, the 2000 award-winning documentary on the event which is narrated by Michael Douglas.
Imshin translates into English a recent Israeli documentary about the massacre, full of new behind-the-scenes information about the negotiations, bungled rescue attempts, and German cover-up of same. I must quote this bit of interview with Dr. Georg Wolf, deputy chief of the Munich police, who blames Israel for refusing to give in to the terrorists:
“Those responsible were those conducting the wars between Israel and Palestine, the Palestinians, I mean the Arabs.”
The interviewer is then heard saying: “As a host you are responsible for your guests.”
Wolf: “Yes, but as a host I expect my guests not to start a war in my home.”
Interviewer: “The Israelis did not start the war.”
Wolf: “That does not matter.”
Euroweenies, then and now. The documentary also notes that only 8 years after Munich, "in the 1980 Moscow Olympics opening ceremony, Arafat could clearly be seen sitting in the VIP box right next to Brezhniev." (More on Arafat's connection to the massacre.)
Winds of Change begins a 2-part article on "Terror, Inc" - tracing the financing of terror groups by countries and individuals.
InContext also follows the money trail, mentions France's release of Muhammad Daoud Audeh—alias Abu Daoud—the reputed mastermind behind the massacre, and has bios of all the murdered Israeli athletes.
Facts of Israel leads off with a strong criticism of a recent NPR broadcast on the subject, then links to the excellent special report on the massacre from Sports Illustrated (which together with the report from Time Magazine are the most thorough treatments of the massacre on the web.)
DodgeBlog and DailyPundit note that reactions to Palestinian terrorism haven't changed much in 30 years.
Israpundit, a new group blog which focuses on Israel-related events, has several posts (scroll down to see all of them), including pictures of the murdered athletes and links to the vague responses of the International Olympic Committee.
Some personal reactions: OceanGuy recounts how the massacre affected him: on television as it unfolded, on a 1983 visit to Munich, and watching One Day in September. Letter From Gotham recalls how the massacre revived her Jewish identity. PhotoDude recalls the massacre from the viewpoint of a 14 year old child. Amish Tech Support abandons his usual humor to vent some spleen.
Grasshoppa gives us an ESPN interview with Israeli and American Jewish athletes on their vulnerability to terrorism, and points out that "Munich was the only the beginning of Arab targeting of Jewish civilians abroad."
BloggerRabbit tells us about the origins of the group that carried out the massacre, Black September.
Vegetative State has several posts. The first is about the Israeli hunt for and assassination of the terrorists associated with the Munich massacre, with links to in-depth treatments on the subject. The second wonders whether Israeli participation in the Olympics is worth it. (Why wouldn't participation in international sporting events be worthwhile? Read my post on how Israel has been treated in the international sports arena for the past 30 years - how long would you put up with that shit?
I added some memorable quotes with links to the news sites they came from, meanwhile Meryl is pulling memorable quotes from our contributors above.
UPDATE: Best of the Web Today, Little Green Footballs, and InstaPundit have all linked to the blogburst. Welcome to Kesher Talk, everybody, and thank Howard Fienberg for setting it up, maintaining it, and hosting several guest editors. When you've read through the Munich blogburst, feel free to go wandering through the archives - you might be interested in some of our other articles.
UPDATE (September 6th, Erev Rosh Hashanah): Several people sent in late entries to the blogburst.
HighClearing remembers seeing the live TV coverage as a 12 year old boy, and listening to the later justifications in disbelief.
I think I'm far from the only American that Munich made a lasting impression on, and to the Palestinian's detriment. Later there was Entebbe and Khartoum and Leon Klinghoffer to reinforce the impression, but it was the sheer squalid cruelty of Munich that set the tone.
WarNow and i330.org also post personal reminisences. JimSpot links to the Sports Illustrated interview with Abu Daoud. Greatest Jeneration reviews the documentary One Day in September. My gracious host, Howard Feinberg, sends me a link to this remembrance in the National Post by George Jonas, author of Vengeance. And Daimnation points out how the Arab nations participating in the Munich Olympics complained when the organizers lowered flags to half-mast after the massacre (so in a stunning bit of cravenness the organizers raised them again), and links that to an event in Bahrain just a few months ago.
Follow-up posts on the 2002 Munich Massacre blogburst:
Here
Here
Here
Wednesday, September 04, 2002
Take My Blog -- Please! Howard's joke of several weeks ago reminds me of a well-known concise guide to Jewish holidays: "They tried to kill us, we survived, let's eat."
Is there something about the approaching High Holy Days that brings out the hoary Jewish humor? I cannot remember when the seating questionnaire joke first showed up in my email in-box, but it wasn't too long after trilobites ruled the earth.
Another joke from the trilobite era . . . On Yom Kippur, the rabbi goes up to the bima, faces the ark, and sobs, "Oh God, I am nothing in your sight, nothing but dust, nothing, etc." A little later the cantor comes up to the bima and also cries out, "My Lord, I am nothing without you, an insignificant speck, a nothing, etc." (Actually, this is a part of the cantor's role in the liturgy). Later the shamas (the shul janitor) comes up to the bima and also prostrates himself, crying out, "Oh Lord, I am nothing without you, nothing! etc." The rabbi nudges the cantor and whispers, "Look who thinks he's a nothing."
Bada-bump.
Moving right along, folks . . . if you think that's bad, wait till Purim. I may post my parody of Jewish Renewal leaders talking about the spiritual implications of shoveling snow (which was itself a take-off on this piece, but mine is better, especially if you know the personalities involved).
Is there something about the approaching High Holy Days that brings out the hoary Jewish humor? I cannot remember when the seating questionnaire joke first showed up in my email in-box, but it wasn't too long after trilobites ruled the earth.
Another joke from the trilobite era . . . On Yom Kippur, the rabbi goes up to the bima, faces the ark, and sobs, "Oh God, I am nothing in your sight, nothing but dust, nothing, etc." A little later the cantor comes up to the bima and also cries out, "My Lord, I am nothing without you, an insignificant speck, a nothing, etc." (Actually, this is a part of the cantor's role in the liturgy). Later the shamas (the shul janitor) comes up to the bima and also prostrates himself, crying out, "Oh Lord, I am nothing without you, nothing! etc." The rabbi nudges the cantor and whispers, "Look who thinks he's a nothing."
Bada-bump.
Moving right along, folks . . . if you think that's bad, wait till Purim. I may post my parody of Jewish Renewal leaders talking about the spiritual implications of shoveling snow (which was itself a take-off on this piece, but mine is better, especially if you know the personalities involved).
SYNAGOGUE SEATING REQUEST FORM:
[an oldie but a goodie...]
During the last holiday season, many individuals expressed concern over the seating arrangements in the synagogue. In order for us to place you in a seat which will best suit you, we ask you to complete the following questionnaire and return it to the synagogue office as soon as possible.
1. I would prefer to sit in the... (Check one:)
___ Talking section
___ No talking section
2. If talking, which category do you prefer? (Indicate order of interest:)
___ Stock market
___ Sports
___ Medicine
___ Congregants' secret medical tragedies
___ General gossip
___ Specific gossip (choose:)
___ The rabbi
___ The rabbi's wife
___ The cantor
___ The cantor's voice
___ The cantor's wife
___ The cantor's wife's voice
___ The gabbai
___ The gabbai's wife
___ The gabbai's "secretary"
___ Fashion news
___ What others are wearing
___ Why they look awful
___ Your neighbors
___ Your relatives
___ Your neighbors' relatives
___ President Clinton
___ President Clinton and Monica
___ Sex (Preference: ______________________ )
___ Who's cheating on/having an affair with whom
___ Other: _______________________________
3. Which of the following would you like to be near for free professional advice?
___ Doctor
___ Dentist
___ Nutritionist
___ Psychiatrist
___ Child psychiatrist
___ Mother in law
___ Podiatrist
___ Chiropractor
___ Stockbroker
___ Accountant
___ Lawyer
___ Criminal
___ Civil
___ Real estate agent
___ Architect
___ Plumber
___ Buyer (Specify store_______________________ )
___ Sexologist
___ Golf pro [tentative; we're still trying to find a Jewish one]
___ Other: ____________________________
4. I want a seat located (Indicate order of priority:)
___ On the aisle
___ Near the exit
___ Near the window
___ In Aruba
___ Near the bathroom
___ Near my in-laws
___ As far away from my in-laws as possible
___ As far away from my ex-in-laws as possible
___ Near the pulpit
___ Near the Kiddush table
___ Near single men
___ Near available women
___ Near anyone who's available-I'm not particular
___ Where no one on the bimah can see/hear me talking during services
___ Where no one will notice me sleeping during services
___ Where I can sleep during the rabbi's sermon [additional charge]
5. (Orthodox only.) I would like a seat where:
___ I can see my spouse over the mechitza
___ I cannot see my spouse over the mechitza
___ I can see my friend's spouse over the mechitza
___ My spouse cannot see me looking at my friend's spouse over the mechitza
6. Please do not place me anywhere near the following people:
(Limit of six; if you require more space, you may wish to consider joining another congregation.)
_________________________
__________________________
_________________________
__________________________
_________________________
__________________________
Your name: _________________________________
Building fund pledge: ____________________
[an oldie but a goodie...]
During the last holiday season, many individuals expressed concern over the seating arrangements in the synagogue. In order for us to place you in a seat which will best suit you, we ask you to complete the following questionnaire and return it to the synagogue office as soon as possible.
1. I would prefer to sit in the... (Check one:)
___ Talking section
___ No talking section
2. If talking, which category do you prefer? (Indicate order of interest:)
___ Stock market
___ Sports
___ Medicine
___ Congregants' secret medical tragedies
___ General gossip
___ Specific gossip (choose:)
___ The rabbi
___ The rabbi's wife
___ The cantor
___ The cantor's voice
___ The cantor's wife
___ The cantor's wife's voice
___ The gabbai
___ The gabbai's wife
___ The gabbai's "secretary"
___ Fashion news
___ What others are wearing
___ Why they look awful
___ Your neighbors
___ Your relatives
___ Your neighbors' relatives
___ President Clinton
___ President Clinton and Monica
___ Sex (Preference: ______________________ )
___ Who's cheating on/having an affair with whom
___ Other: _______________________________
3. Which of the following would you like to be near for free professional advice?
___ Doctor
___ Dentist
___ Nutritionist
___ Psychiatrist
___ Child psychiatrist
___ Mother in law
___ Podiatrist
___ Chiropractor
___ Stockbroker
___ Accountant
___ Lawyer
___ Criminal
___ Civil
___ Real estate agent
___ Architect
___ Plumber
___ Buyer (Specify store_______________________ )
___ Sexologist
___ Golf pro [tentative; we're still trying to find a Jewish one]
___ Other: ____________________________
4. I want a seat located (Indicate order of priority:)
___ On the aisle
___ Near the exit
___ Near the window
___ In Aruba
___ Near the bathroom
___ Near my in-laws
___ As far away from my in-laws as possible
___ As far away from my ex-in-laws as possible
___ Near the pulpit
___ Near the Kiddush table
___ Near single men
___ Near available women
___ Near anyone who's available-I'm not particular
___ Where no one on the bimah can see/hear me talking during services
___ Where no one will notice me sleeping during services
___ Where I can sleep during the rabbi's sermon [additional charge]
5. (Orthodox only.) I would like a seat where:
___ I can see my spouse over the mechitza
___ I cannot see my spouse over the mechitza
___ I can see my friend's spouse over the mechitza
___ My spouse cannot see me looking at my friend's spouse over the mechitza
6. Please do not place me anywhere near the following people:
(Limit of six; if you require more space, you may wish to consider joining another congregation.)
_________________________
__________________________
_________________________
__________________________
_________________________
__________________________
Your name: _________________________________
Building fund pledge: ____________________
FBI wakes up and admits it might have just smelled some coffee: The AP reported yesterday that the FBI is "investigating the July 4 double killing at Los Angeles International Airport as possible terrorism even though there's no evidence linking the alleged shooter to any terrorist group, a spokesman said Tuesday." Justice Department officials "have said all along that terrorism was among several possible motives for the attack at an Israeli airline counter, and investigators were looking for evidence the shooter, Hesham Mohamed Hadayet, had terror group connections. But until now the FBI had not publicly characterized the probe as a terrorism investigation." The Israeli government "has called the event a terror attack since it occurred, and Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., and other members of Congress had complained about the FBI's reluctance to characterize it that way." Matt McLaughlin, spokesman for the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said, "The shooting is being classified as a terrorism investigation. If there is the slightest chance it could be terrorism, you open it up as a terrorism investigation. It's the only prudent course of action."
Tuesday, September 03, 2002
The Ur-Blog is back.
Most of the stories the blogosphere covered last week, but BotW will hit its stride again soon.
Most days we write this column from home. The usual exception is Tuesday, on which we try to make it into the office for a weekly editorial meeting. Sept. 4, 2001--a year ago tomorrow--was the last time we filed a column from The Wall Street Journal's headquarters at the World Financial Center in downtown Manhattan.
The following Tuesday we ended up having to work at home.
Today we are back at the WFC. Our new office in our old building looks down on a 16-acre pit several stories deep. During our first stint in this place--from May 1996 to September 2001--we would occasionally look over at the World Trade Center and try to imagine what it was like when a bomb went off there in February 1993. Now we look at the enormous hole in the ground and try to remember what it was like a year ago, when two homely yet majestic buildings still stood on the site.
Then, to put things in perspective, we look at a map of the Muslim world and imagine what it will be like when the dictators are gone and the countries they now rule have joined the civilized world. If this strikes you as fancifully optimistic, look at a map of Germany, Italy, Japan or even Russia and remember what those countries used to be like.
Most of the stories the blogosphere covered last week, but BotW will hit its stride again soon.
You might be an Idiotarian if . . . Read both the post and the comments. Thank you, Meryl, for wading in and injecting some sanity into this, which encouraged other, uh, sanitarians to come out of the woodwork. (A sanitarian is a subclass of anti-idiotarian who shows up in blog comment sections where particularly boisterous anti-idiotarians hang out (lgf and DailyPundit come to mind), injecting little doses of sanity whenever they get too worked up.) I could sign onto just about everything in E. Nough's original post - after reading many of his comments over the last few months it's clear he is also a sanitarian.
UPDATE: I've been informed that "sanitarian" has a prosaic meaning not entirely at odds with my description, but not dead on either. Oh well, back to the drawing board. This is a real and important role in the blogcommentosphere - I've seen it on several occasions turn a Neanderthal mob repeating inane Rush-like drivel into a passionate discussion where real information can be exchanged. We need a word for it. Bloggers should be trained to perform this role, sort of like UN peacekeeping forces (that work).
UPDATE: I've been informed that "sanitarian" has a prosaic meaning not entirely at odds with my description, but not dead on either. Oh well, back to the drawing board. This is a real and important role in the blogcommentosphere - I've seen it on several occasions turn a Neanderthal mob repeating inane Rush-like drivel into a passionate discussion where real information can be exchanged. We need a word for it. Bloggers should be trained to perform this role, sort of like UN peacekeeping forces (that work).
Muslims against "testosterone Islam". Norwegian Blogger has some links for us on moderate Islam. It is good to remind the more rabid anti-idiotarians that there are moderate Muslims who aren't interested in taking over the world or subjecting everyone and themselves to stringent sharia, who want to challenge the predominance of the radical Saudi influence on world Islam, want equality for women and acceptance of gay Muslims. In the Jewish world they would be Reform or Conservative (although that analogy isn't quite apt, since even the most ultra-Orthodox Jews don't want to force halacha on the rest of the world - that just isn't part of Jewish theology).
BeliefNet covered this right after 9-11, linking to a list of statements from Muslim leaders condemning the attacks and Six Key Tenets of Islamic Reform (which doesn't seem to be an official document from any particular organization, so may just be a compilation of the views of individual moderates).
Some Christians need to hear that story too. It would be ironic if moderate Muslims create an Islam that truly respects other faiths while right-wing Christians drive their religion back into the Middle Ages.
Other moderate Muslims who were in the news after 9-11 include M. A. Muqtedar Khan, whose column "A Memo to American Muslims" was widely reprinted and Shaykh Abdul Palazzi of the Italian Muslim Association, who makes a Qur'anic case for Israel's existence. There was a brief spate of news stories about moderate Muslims. Salman Rushdie weighed in. Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, who can be annoying as a sanctimonious lefty, wrote frankly about conflicts within liberal British Islam. And any survey of moderate Islam has to include the American Muslim Feminist Cowgirl, whom I first heard on NPR back when I still listened to NPR:
Our own MuslimPundit makes an appearance every once in a while, but moderate Muslims seem to be keeping their heads down lately. Or are the news media simply no longer interested in them? Have they all gone Wahabist, or are the Wahabists picking them off one by one? Are they trying to influence American Islam behind the scenes? Anybody know?
Incidentally, I notice on this site a quote from Qur'an 5:32:
BeliefNet covered this right after 9-11, linking to a list of statements from Muslim leaders condemning the attacks and Six Key Tenets of Islamic Reform (which doesn't seem to be an official document from any particular organization, so may just be a compilation of the views of individual moderates).
. . . . Safi says he is frustrated by Muslims' lack of "active wrestling" with the faith. "On one hand, you have reformers who want to throw out the entire thing, and on the other hand, you have people who feel completely bound by it because one jurist said one particular thing in the 14th century," Safi said. Mostly, average Muslims are exposed to what Safi calls "testosterone Islam"--run by men, many of them engineers and physicians, who are drawn to spare Wahhabi theology. . . .
Sheila Musaji is typical of the ranks of frustrated moderates. She says she has grown angry in the last decade as new immigrants, often fundamentalists, take over local mosques. "The immigrants may have a narrower outlook. A lot of time gets wasted on what kind of hijab (head covering) someone is wearing," she says. A few years ago, she said, she made copies of an article by an important Muslim scholar explaining why interfaith dialogue is Islamically correct. When she tried to pass them out at the mosque, a leader there said the writer was wrong—and simply threw the papers away. . . .
It wouldn't be the first time American immigrants have taken the religion of their ancestors and put a distinctly American stamp on it. When Catholics came to the United States in 150 years ago, they had the freedom to start their own organizations and build their own churches. Eventually, they began questioning the Vatican's hierarchical power and conservative moral stance--a struggle that continues to this day. When Jews immigrated to America, they, too, experimented with theology and social organization. They built Jewish Community Centers and all manner of synagogues for different kinds of Jews. American Jews invented Bat Mitzvah ceremonies for girls and Reconstructionist theology. . . .
"Muslims in general cannot live with people of another religion in a state of what I call 'coolness,'" Esack says. That is because, he says, right now they have only two models for understanding their place in the world. The first is that of the oppressed--as Muslims were in their early days in Mecca. The second is that of rulers--the way Muslims eventually lived in Medina. Esack says, however, that embedded in the Qur'an is a story about a group of Muslims who lived in Abyssinia, a Christian kingdom. There they lived peacefully--neither trying to convert Christians, nor being proselytized by Christians. "That’s the way for Muslims to go," says Esack.
Some Christians need to hear that story too. It would be ironic if moderate Muslims create an Islam that truly respects other faiths while right-wing Christians drive their religion back into the Middle Ages.
Other moderate Muslims who were in the news after 9-11 include M. A. Muqtedar Khan, whose column "A Memo to American Muslims" was widely reprinted and Shaykh Abdul Palazzi of the Italian Muslim Association, who makes a Qur'anic case for Israel's existence. There was a brief spate of news stories about moderate Muslims. Salman Rushdie weighed in. Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, who can be annoying as a sanctimonious lefty, wrote frankly about conflicts within liberal British Islam. And any survey of moderate Islam has to include the American Muslim Feminist Cowgirl, whom I first heard on NPR back when I still listened to NPR:
Colored by the ivy-clad feminism she absorbed at Groton and Wellesley and the brash individualism she gleaned during her childhood in small-town Colorado, Hasan’s portrait of Muslim America will surprise non-Muslim readers and may make some Muslim readers balk; for example, she doesn’t believe in hijab (the veil) or segregation in prayer. Hers is definitely a liberal Islam--an Islam imbued with a feminist, freedom-seeking consciousness determined to integrate the allure of secular American pop culture with the rigor and demands of the ancient Abrahamic faith.
Our own MuslimPundit makes an appearance every once in a while, but moderate Muslims seem to be keeping their heads down lately. Or are the news media simply no longer interested in them? Have they all gone Wahabist, or are the Wahabists picking them off one by one? Are they trying to influence American Islam behind the scenes? Anybody know?
Incidentally, I notice on this site a quote from Qur'an 5:32:
If one takes a life, it is as if one has taken the life of all humanity, If one saves a single life, it is as if he has saved the life of all humanityI know this saying from the Talmud (Sanhedrin 8:1), which predates Islam by several centuries. Religion has always been open source, whether or not certain fundamentalists want to admit it.
Hangover days: Kudos to Judith for blogging like a madwoman over the long weekend. I might have chipped in yesterday, but I was nursing a slight hangover.
Speaking of which, all hail Kesher Talk rarely-contributing editor Jon Distler, who organized my bachelor party Sunday night. We did not make it to paintball, but our activities following three abysmal rounds of pool were, um, educational.
Speaking of which, all hail Kesher Talk rarely-contributing editor Jon Distler, who organized my bachelor party Sunday night. We did not make it to paintball, but our activities following three abysmal rounds of pool were, um, educational.
Were there Jews in Hitler's army? If you've seen the amazing true film "Europa, Europa," you'd know the answer is yes. But Bryan Mark Rigg recently authored a book about the mixed-breed or half-Jews in the Nazi war machine: Hitler's Jewish Soldiers: The Untold Story of Nazi Racial Laws and Men of Jewish Descent in the German Military. The Chronicle of Higher Education (May 3) called it
The Chronicle, beyond reviewing the book, takes a look at how Rigg came to right it (doing research in Germany, he discovered that his mother was of Jewish ancestry) and the struggles he faced in researching it. It also peers deeper into what it meant to be a partial Jew in Nazi Germany.
Beware, it is not a short read...
a glimpse into how the several thousand men of partial Jewish origin who served in Hitler's army saw themselves -- how they felt about their Germanness, their Jewishness, the war, the Holocaust, and their own participation therein. Mr. Rigg estimates that there were upwards of 100,000 such "Mischlinge" -- German for mixed-blood or half-breed -- as they were known in Nazi parlance, and possibly as many as 150,000, a calculation that some of his critics regard as wildly overblown.
The Chronicle, beyond reviewing the book, takes a look at how Rigg came to right it (doing research in Germany, he discovered that his mother was of Jewish ancestry) and the struggles he faced in researching it. It also peers deeper into what it meant to be a partial Jew in Nazi Germany.
Beware, it is not a short read...
Monday, September 02, 2002
New "Watch" blog. Horowitzwatch joins the growing list of blogs that breathe down the necks of other blogs, ready to pounce on the slightest mistake. This one seems out for constructive criticism rather than blood; one of the authors admits:
I have found FrontPage uneven - a few of the contributors, including Mr. Horowitz, frequently make salient points about a number of things that need to have points made about them, but the site is riddled with crackpots and off-the-wall rhetoric. Being watched won't hurt them.
I don't believe Horowitz is a racist, unless you care to use the expanded CRS definition of racism. I also find no small proportion of his work to be thoughtful and well-done (as well as congenial to my political prejudices, so you may take my opinion with a copious helping of salt).
I have found FrontPage uneven - a few of the contributors, including Mr. Horowitz, frequently make salient points about a number of things that need to have points made about them, but the site is riddled with crackpots and off-the-wall rhetoric. Being watched won't hurt them.
How to get young men to crash airplanes into ships. Instructions for WWII Japanese kamikaze pilots, published in English for the first time, are clearly influnced by the bushido code. They end with this:
Remember when diving into the enemy to shout at the top of your lungs: "Hissatsu!" ("Sink without fail!") At that moment, all the cherry blossoms at Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo will smile brightly at you.
Can you say . . . self-destructive? The contrast between Israeli optimism, generosity, willingness to collaborate, competence in the modern world, and the Palestinian narcissism and obsession with victimhood is no starker than at the U.N. World Summit for Sustainable Development. Many bloggers have noted the hypocritically wasteful lifestyle of the delegates and the Palestinian attempts to turn every environmental issue into a drama about themselves. But it's also good to be reminded that behind the political grandstanding which provides grist for rightwing news columnist mills, there are real environmental problems that can only be solved by regional cooperation.
Here is a report on Israeli projects, presented at the Summit, on solar heating, anti-desertification, irrigation, water purification, and other problems of the region. Jordan and Israel are working together on a number of these; the Palestinians are throwing yet another hissy fit.
I have said this before in blog comment sections: Jordan is the only Arab state which sincerely cooperates with Israel and has a stake in doing so, because it is trying to Westernize and because it has also has an interest in subduing Palestinian terrorism, which threatened to destabilize its government 30 years ago. So no, even though Jordan has a majority of Palestinians, deporting thousands of rageful terrorist-influenced people to Jordan isn't in the cards (not to mention the atrocities that would inevitably be part of the process of rounding up and forcibly moving them - it ain't worth it).
UPDATE: I'm kinda new at this blog stuff. It took me a while to realize that I could go back to an old post and change it. So I took out the factual error I made (which you can find out about in the comments, if you're really interested).
UPDATE: Excellent comments on the Summit in TNR.
Here is a report on Israeli projects, presented at the Summit, on solar heating, anti-desertification, irrigation, water purification, and other problems of the region. Jordan and Israel are working together on a number of these; the Palestinians are throwing yet another hissy fit.
An "infinite number" of joint projects could be carried out with the Palestinian Authority that would benefit both sides. . . . Hanegbi said he had asked a senior U.N. official at the summit to try to arrange a meeting in Johannesburg with Hanegbi´s Palestinian Authority counterpart to renew a dialogue on environmental issues. So far, he said, he had had no success. . . .
"Israel cooperates with its Arab neighbors in several regional development programs and we look forward to deepening the regional cooperation process, but unfortunately the situation with the P.A. has been less encouraging because terrorism causes serious obstacles to the promotion of sustainable development," Yedid said. He also called on the Palestinians to return to the "path of dialogue." The Palestinian responded by saying that Israel´s dialogue is the "dialogue of destruction."
I have said this before in blog comment sections: Jordan is the only Arab state which sincerely cooperates with Israel and has a stake in doing so, because it is trying to Westernize and because it has also has an interest in subduing Palestinian terrorism, which threatened to destabilize its government 30 years ago. So no, even though Jordan has a majority of Palestinians, deporting thousands of rageful terrorist-influenced people to Jordan isn't in the cards (not to mention the atrocities that would inevitably be part of the process of rounding up and forcibly moving them - it ain't worth it).
UPDATE: I'm kinda new at this blog stuff. It took me a while to realize that I could go back to an old post and change it. So I took out the factual error I made (which you can find out about in the comments, if you're really interested).
UPDATE: Excellent comments on the Summit in TNR.
The left had hoped to use the summit as a forum for denouncing growth, resource use, and market economics. But inconveniently, this position was popular only among well-to-do trust-fund leftists of the First World. It turns out that almost all nations in the developing world now desire growth, resource use, and market economics. The only significant exceptions are Cuba and North Korea--two people's paradises, huh? . . . .Amen.
. . . the European Commission, plus several European Union member governments, gave several million dollars in travel grant funds to various left-wing NGOs to send people to Johannesburg. Officially this was for diversity and democracy, but the real motive was to ensure that there would be angry people denouncing the United States in the streets while the summit took place. Just think how many lives might have been saved if the millions used to fly a European street demonstration all the way to the tip of Africa had, instead, simply been given to the poor of Africa.
The BBC maintains its sterling reputation for accuracy. Not. Tal G has the scoop.
Update on Rabbi Sacks. As Tal G predicted, Britain's chief rabbi now claims he was misquoted by the Guardian. Since it's unlikely he is that naive about the Guardian, he must be trying to back off from his previous statements.
Sunday, September 01, 2002
Why style matters. Most people want to go where the fun is, and where their friends are, and they adapt their politics to suit, not the other way around. Although this article (Via Dean Esmay) is dead on about adult rightwing and leftwing styles, it's the reverse on campus. The leftists have all the hip bands, funky piercings, and sexy chicks, and that's why pro-Israel policies can't get any traction. I must admit I admire anti-globo street theater and anarchist organizational style. It's creative and experimental. I just disagree with many of the conclusions they come to. Meanwhile all these earnest establishment Jewish organizations send cleancut spokespeople out in nice suits to deliver rational lectures at podiums.
May I say aaarrrgggghhh?
May I say aaarrrgggghhh?
Quote of the week from Combustible Boy:
They used to say that every bloating piece of software will undergo feature creep until it eventually includes the ability to handle e-mail; recent events have me wondering if every fervently held anti-mainstream ideology will eventually include contempt for Jews.
Therapy: Nora is down on psychiatry. I agree with everything she says, but it sounds like she never got to work with a competent therapist, most of whom are not psychiatrists. The word on the street is: Psychiatrists get less actual training in doing therapy than practitioners who take other routes to that profession (PhD, MSW, etc.) because they are concentrating on their MD. So they know all about mind-bending drugs but not as much about interacting with clients. Having said that, a good therapist - not only a competent one but the right one for you - is, like a good GYN or plumber or hairstylist, hard to find.
How to be a principled conservative. Nora Vincent shows us
What she said.
. . . . the clear and all-important difference between firing a professor, in this case Sami-Al-Arian of the University of South Florida, for his unpopular views--a clear violation of his right to free expression and the basic principles of academic freedom--and firing a professor for engaging in criminal activity. Most important in the distinction is the fact that the latter charge requires proof, and the burden of that proof rests where it should, on the accusers. It’s called due process. The former charge, meanwhile, is legally unsupportable, and has gained credence only by slanderous word of mouth and hysterical hyperbolization leveled against a man with unpopular views on fundamentalist Islam and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict among other things. . . . I suspect that Harvey Silverglate et al, like me, find this professor's views rather disgusting. But, of course, that is beside the point. If our sharp criticism of campus so-called "liberals" who seek to fire or otherwise intimidate and oust professors whose political viewpoints they dislike is to have any validity at all, we must remain neutral in our opinions and take action solely on principle.
What she said.
Court Jew? Ribbety has some thoughts on Rabbi Jonathan Sack's recent critique of Israeli policy, basically accusing Sacks of being a court Jew. Here in the States, we don't have such things as Chief Rabbis appointed by the government, so his very position works against his credibility in my eyes. And I have heard enough anecdotes about the stultifying nature of being Jewish in Britain that I am inclined to believe Ribbety's analysis of his remarks.
Jewish Encyclopedia online. Yes! Way cool. The whole thing. Online.
My first thought - having been thoroughly assimilated by the bor-uh, blog - is: what a great resource for those handy links that you just like to use as footnotes to explain a Jewish word or concept. Judaism 101 is great but doesn't have everything. Well, this doesn't either, yet. I did not get any returns for "selichot," "slichot," "slicha" using their search engine, but when I tried "days of awe" I got this. It'll be wonderful when they get the bugs out.
This website contains the complete contents of the 12-volume Jewish Encyclopedia, which was originally published between 1901-1906. The Jewish Encyclopedia, which recently became part of the public domain, contains over 15,000 articles and illustrations. This online version contains the unedited contents of the original encyclopedia. Since the original work was completed almost 100 years ago, it does not cover a significant portion of modern Jewish History (e.g., the creation of Israel, the Holocaust, etc.). However, it does contain an incredible amount of information that is remarkably relevant today. We are considering inviting the Internet community to help us update the encyclopedia -- if you are interested in volunteering (as a writer, editor, etc.) please join our Mailing List.
My first thought - having been thoroughly assimilated by the bor-uh, blog - is: what a great resource for those handy links that you just like to use as footnotes to explain a Jewish word or concept. Judaism 101 is great but doesn't have everything. Well, this doesn't either, yet. I did not get any returns for "selichot," "slichot," "slicha" using their search engine, but when I tried "days of awe" I got this. It'll be wonderful when they get the bugs out.
Shul blues. Meryl didn't like her Slichot services last night. If they hadn't let me sing Avinu Malkeinu I would be grumpy too. In fact I was grumpy myself because the shul I went to did the 13 attributes of God part to a tune I didn't know, and that's one of my favorite moments. I was planning to go there for High Holy Days but now I don't know. I feel like calling up every Conservative shul in Manhattan and saying, "I'm interested in your services but first tell me what tunes you use for. . ." and then I would go down my checklist. At least we all chanted all the prayers (which is one reason I've been going to that shul - it's fiercely participatory and usually the nusach is familiar.) Poor Meryl.
No, I am not an old stick in the mud. I have participated in not only services of every denomination, but countless experimental feminist New Agey Jewish services, (some of which I created ritual for) and that's after I gave up Wicca (where I also created and led services) and returned to the path of my ancestors. I am still very supportive of all that, but it's not what I want right now. I'm in a new town, I have to deal with unexpected family mishegas, and I want the melodies I grew up with. Music - traditional nusach, not folksinging rabbis with guitars - is turning out to be crucial to my liturgical life. I have been gravitating to congregations which sing more prayers together out loud (and a capella) than those which don't.
Living in Manhattan affords me the opportunity to go shul-hopping, and after my mildly unsatisfying Conservative selichot service I headed uptown to a late-night Hassidic one. Few melodies I recognized but lots of energetic davening and niggunim, till 3:30 AM. Everyone davened the 13 attributes of God individually which was very unsatisfying. The melody I know for that is heavy with portent and awe - when a whole room full of people chant it together it's spine-tingling.
I'm homesick. I love the variety of Jewish life here but I'd like to find at least one place that's a clone of my shul back home, just for those rainy days when I want comfort and continuity.
No, I am not an old stick in the mud. I have participated in not only services of every denomination, but countless experimental feminist New Agey Jewish services, (some of which I created ritual for) and that's after I gave up Wicca (where I also created and led services) and returned to the path of my ancestors. I am still very supportive of all that, but it's not what I want right now. I'm in a new town, I have to deal with unexpected family mishegas, and I want the melodies I grew up with. Music - traditional nusach, not folksinging rabbis with guitars - is turning out to be crucial to my liturgical life. I have been gravitating to congregations which sing more prayers together out loud (and a capella) than those which don't.
Living in Manhattan affords me the opportunity to go shul-hopping, and after my mildly unsatisfying Conservative selichot service I headed uptown to a late-night Hassidic one. Few melodies I recognized but lots of energetic davening and niggunim, till 3:30 AM. Everyone davened the 13 attributes of God individually which was very unsatisfying. The melody I know for that is heavy with portent and awe - when a whole room full of people chant it together it's spine-tingling.
I'm homesick. I love the variety of Jewish life here but I'd like to find at least one place that's a clone of my shul back home, just for those rainy days when I want comfort and continuity.