by Danya · Monday, October 31st, 2005
I love technology. Now you don’t even need to get off your kiester to do some learning; the Virtual Beit Midrash at Yeshivat Har Etzion begins its new semester next week. I don’t know a lot about these folks, but a friend has studied with them for years and is very enthusiastic about the program. The first year is free, and after that I think you’re encouraged (but not even required) to donate $18. They’ve got classes in parshanut, Talmud, halakha, hassidut, philosophy and the like.
Curriculum for 5766 is here, and subscription info is here.
For folks who want something structured like a graduate-level class, (and/or something for which I think you can get credit), JTS also has a distance learning program, info here.
by David Kelsey · Monday, October 31st, 2005
Suspected of Marrying Children Barely Old Enough to Bleed
The whole shomer negiah thing is hard for anyone, and certainly teenagers are hardly the exception. But at least in Yavne’el, Israel, the kids have some options!
Haaretz reports,
“Rabbi Shlomo Eliezer Schick, the spiritual leader of the Bratslav Hassidic movement in Yavne’el, near Lake Kinneret, is suspected of officiating the marriages of some 20 underage couples, mostly ages 12 to 16. Tiberias police began investigating the case some two and a half years ago, following complaints from the secular residents of the community.
Police detained Schick for questioning at the Ben Gurion International Airport upon his arrival from New York.”
Full story.
by Shred · Monday, October 31st, 2005
Jonathan Adam Ross is a Jew from Memphis, Tennessee. An actor, poet, and founding company member of Storahtelling: Jewish Ritual Theatre Revived, Ross has taken his unique perspective on Jewish life south of the Mason-Dixon line and crafted it into a fascinating and touching one-man show, Walking in Memphis: The Life of a Southern Jew. The show, which has already enjoyed successful runs in Toronto, Boston, and that hotbed of all Jewish culture, Leeds, England, will make its way to New York next month.
Ross’ website describes the show as such:
Walking in Memphis… is a unique journey of passage, and it is made all the more so by the characters Jonathan inhabits. He begins with his family of course, a logical place to start. But soon branches out into Elizabeth, his family’s housekeeper, Clarence, his barber, Jim Grigg, their Southern Baptist next-door neighbor, and many others. He even spends some time during the show at Jewish summer camp. And by the end of the show, the audience feels like its been sitting in a living room having a conversation with a dozen or so people even though they were in a theater, listening to just one person, and not speaking themselves at all. Jonathan touches on the lives and deaths of many people during the course of the show, and ends the show with a touching, and quite humorous, remembrance of his mother; ending the show in a fitting way, as all Jewish services do – with Adon Olam.
Previews for Walking in Memphis begin Tuesday, November 22nd. Opening night is Sunday, November 27th, and performances have been scheduled Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm, through January 15th at The Dorothy Strelsin Theatre at The Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex (312 West 36th Street, NYC). For tickets ($25) call 212-868-4444 or www.smarttix.com
by Benyamin · Monday, October 31st, 2005
- In case you missed it (after all, it was on Friday night), Tom Brokaw reported on the staggering growth of Evangelical Christians in America. Some transcripts and video are here. The show’s highlight? A Jewish family complaining that their children are being discriminated against at the Air Force Academy.
- A bunch of Hispanics in the Southwest are suddenly finding out that they’re Jewish (one was actually a reverend) and are even take Kohen DNA tests to find out if they’re members of the priestly tribe.
- Jehovah’s Roofing Service. All jokes apply.
- Don’t soldiers use condoms?
- Down. Set. Jesus.
- A Texas pastor was electrocuted and died during a baptism service. Darn Water.
by The Town Crier · Sunday, October 30th, 2005
Shaul Youdkevitch, head of The Kabbalah Center in Israel has been arrested on charges that he swindeled a female cancer patient out of tens of thousands of dollars claiming the donations would cure her cancer. Upon her death, the husband filed a complaint against the center. Youdkevitch also suggested the consumption of Kabbalah “holy water” would improve her condition as well. In other news, the head of United Christian Ministries have offered the widower an expensive pat on the head.
by shamirpower · Sunday, October 30th, 2005
Visit JCRC of NYC to sign up.
by John Brown · Sunday, October 30th, 2005
“This is an important book. … In these shameful days, when black turns white, when the most brutal leader Israeli militarism has produced is hailed as a man of peace and when standing for justice is silenced as anti-Semitism, this book is a breath of fresh air. The many voices in this book, each different, but all taking basic human values as their point of departure, reminds us that being a Jew today can mean adhering to higher principles than those dictated by the Israeli generals.”
–Tanya Reinhart, Professor Emeritus, Tel Aviv University, Author of Israel/Palestine: How to End the War of 1948
Book Party & Forum:
The Brecht Forum - New York City
451 West Street (that’s the West Side Highway) between Bank & Bethune Streets
Friday, November 4th, 7:30 pm
Seth Farber, Ora Wise & Others TBA
Contributors to this new book are among the leading American Jewish critics of Zionism and of Israel’s policies towards the Palestinians: Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein, Marc Ellis, Adam Shapiro, Phyllis Bennis, Rabbi Weiss of Neturei Karta and others. It is edited and includes a commentary by Dr Seth Farber, a psychologist and member of Jews Against the Occupation. In 2002 in the wake of the Israeli massacre in Jenin, Farber decided to make public his opposition as a Jew to Israel’s occupation, and the subjugation of Palestinians to its reign of state-terrorism. At the time Farber realized that the only introduction for non-specialists to a Jewish critique of Israeli policies was Michael Lerner’s Healing Israel/Palestine. Farber felt Lerner’s Zionism led to serious flaws in his analysis. Thus Farber began puitting together the current book which serves as an introduction to the non-Zionist and anti-Zionist critique of Israel that had been elaborated over the last 15 years (and longer) by leading American Jewish scholars, theologians and activists. Farber’s own commentary argues that Zionism is a betrayal of the ideals of prophetic Judaism.
Suggested donation: $6/$10/$15
by Mobius · Friday, October 28th, 2005
On the weekend of November 12, 2005 the United Jewish Communities – Federations of North America, an organization representing 156 Jewish federations and 400 independent Jewish communities will meet for their Annual General Assembly (GA) at the Metro Convention Centre. We see this as a vital opportunity to amplify progressive Jewish voices for peace and justice so that they can be heard within the Jewish world.
On Sunday, November 13, 2005, a coalition of interested groups and individuals will host 3D: Diversity, Democracy and Dissent in the Jewish Community Teach-in at Metro Hall (just down the street from the Metro Convention Centre) that will feature a variety of activities, including: lectures, arts performances, continuous film screenings, expert panellists, a book display and more.
This teach-in is brought to you by the organizers of the “Jewish Voices for Peace and Justice Conference”. In June 2003, a coalition of Jewish groups and individuals organized this conference to bring together those opposed to Israel’s continuing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and its abrogation of Palestinian human rights. Once again we feel the need raise our collective voices. This time, we hope to focus not only on the Occupation, but also on a wide range of issues facing the Jewish community.
Click here to register online.
by sarah · Friday, October 28th, 2005
Jill Slater posts an intriguing description of Amichai Lau-Lavie’s “Rain Rave” up in the Berkshires last weekend, held to mark the time on the Jewish calendar when we add the phrase “you cause the wind to blow and the rain to fall” to our davvening, and to bring to life the ancient tradition of simchat beit hashoeivah:
At the Rain Rave, I was assigned the role of a priestess who danced for the masses in the “Temple.” Later in the evening, down on one knee in the dark, I held a large, empty plastic punchbowl, surrounded by strings of electric lights and purple fabric. The woman next to me slowly poured water from her bowl into mine. As I surveyed the room, I was somehow transported to the real Temple, where a giant candelabra could be seen for miles around and where, supposedly, the people reached a spiritual and worldly equilibrium. On a practical level, the ritual worked: Within minutes of extracting the water from the lake, it was pouring, complete with thunder and lightning. And as for the chaos and order, my tent provided just the balance, impressing me with its water-resistant seams.
Those of you who reveled in celebrating or making fun of the Burning Man posts last month, take special note. Full story.
by Mobius · Friday, October 28th, 2005
From 50shekel.com:
Dear friends,
The 50shekel.com website has been shut down. Hope you enjoyed the unmixed versions of the songs while they were up. Thanks to everyone who did their best to support and help out. This was never a small venture and it’s not like I ever had major label $upport. I did the best I could with what I had but I guess ya know, oh well. At least I was a witness for some time and I’m glad you guys got a chance to enjoy the music. You will not be forgotten nor will your efforts go unnoticed by God. To the kids, I didn’t want to leave you with nothing, so I’m leaving a list of some really cool God glorifying music artists for you to check out.
Your Hebrew Homie,
50 Shekel
á’’ä he finally took the hint!
by lchayim · Friday, October 28th, 2005
Why did G-d create only one person first instead of both Adam and Eve or even a whole bunch of people? Or if you don’t buy the whole story as history, why does the Torah tell it to us as if G-d created one person first? What’s the moral of the story? And why do I feel the need to ask a string of questions in a row? The Gemara gives two reasons.
First, so that we recognize the importance of each individual. Whoever kills someone is as if he killed the entire human race and whoever saves someone is as if he saved the entire human race. Each person is just as human as Adam and if he had died then there would be no more people.
Second, so that we realize that the whole world was created for one person. Each of us is just as important as Adam so we should see ourselves as worthy of the world. Don’t be shy and underestimate your selfworth. You’re important. Yes, even a filthy slob like you.
by Benyamin · Friday, October 28th, 2005
by Mobius · Friday, October 28th, 2005
For all of you folks in NYC who prefer your Jewish to be cultural, then you should definitely check out Mo Pitkin’s House of Satisfaction.
Started by Phil and Jesse Hartman, the downtown joint serves a fusion of Jewish and Latin food, in an ode to the original flavor of the LES. The restaurant itself is named after a distant cousin of the Hartmans around whom they have created a hysterical mythology. Some info about Mo from the menu:
Soon, he was on the run again, this time not stopping ‘til he got to Havana, where he tracked down his former nurse, Sadie, and became a competitive Samba dancer during the Latino dance craze in the ‘50’s. It was through his bi-weekly pinochle game with Hyman Roth (and Castro’s half-brother Mendel Hernandez), the Mo and Sadie we able to escape in ’59 and, on the run again, finally make it to the Lower East Side.
In all honestly, I’ve only been to the place three times (one of those times being the greatest break fast I’ve ever had in my life) and all I wanna do is go back. Given the gorgeous design of the place, I feel like I finally know what it would have been like to have been in the Catskills back in the day. The place looks great, the food is delicious if you’re not afraid to “take a walk on the treyf side” to paraphrase Mr. Lou Reed. Otherwise, the latkes and the borscht (yes, borscht) salad are more than worth it. Not only that, but everyone involved in the place is tremendously friendly and they make ya feel right at home. And there are some great shows in the lounge upstairs.
So not exactly a d’var Torah here, I do want to ask you readers a question. I read a letter in response to a profile of the place in The Jewish Week not too long ago, lamenting the fact that the restaurant isn’t certified Kosher, and how this keeps away many potential customers. So I keep wondering: Is it possible for a restaurant in NYC to draw in Kosher crowd, if you will, and appeal to the larger public? I mean, Dougie’s doesn’t exactly pull it off, do they?
by Bradford · Thursday, October 27th, 2005
The private little war between Alan Dershowitz and Norman Finkelstein has been covered here in the past, and I’ve just finished reading (and briefly reviewing) Finkelstein’s latest book, in which he takes Dershowitz apart.
I’m not averse to the argument Finkelstein makes, and I applaud his willingness to state it so frankly and take the time to support it with factual references. Dershowitz’s attempt to keep the book from being published is both crass and considerably hypocritical.
The problem I have with Finkelstein’s approach, and I raise this in my review, is the need to resort to hyperbolic pejoratives. I don’t agree with everything that comes out of the mouths of conservative Jewish voices, or of many pro-Israel groups that choose to gloss over the harsher side of the Israeli reality. But having worked alongside and across the table with many of them, from the high profile down to the grassroots, it’s hard for me to accept that they are willfully and consciously attempting to defraud the public or abandon what they truly believe to be an upright moral position.
People can be wrong without being sinister. Finkelstein, nevertheless, wastes little time into resorting to lambasting his opponents as lacking “ordinary moral values.” The right-wing spends too much time making liberal into a dirty word. We needn’t get in the muck with them, especially within the tribe. The more polarized we make ourselves, the worse we’ll be on issues far beyond Israel.
by John Brown · Wednesday, October 26th, 2005
Reuters reports:
“Russia will do everything necessary to stop attempts to introduce sanctions against Syria,” spokesman Mikhail Kalmynin told Interfax news agency and other Russian media on the sidelines of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s trip to Israel.
Meanwhile, Russian Interfax news agency reports:
Russia is ready to continue its political dialogue with Iran and expand cooperation in all areas, Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said at a Wednesday meeting with Iranian First Vice President Parviz Dadwoodi in Moscow.
Full story.
by John Brown · Wednesday, October 26th, 2005
Ynet News reports that the international Middle East envoy, James Wolfensohn, has accused Israel of behaving as if it has not withdrawn from the Gaza Strip, by blocking its borders and failing to fulfil commitments to allow the movement of Palestinians and goods.
by sarah · Wednesday, October 26th, 2005
San Franciscans were treated to a special Dolores Park, sukkah-side screening of Ushpizin this past Sunday at Spook’ot, and those of you in New York and LA can take the opportunity to check out this Israeli film in local theaters. I can’t recommend it enough…as an awfully sweet film with a fascinating look at Breslover Jews in Jerusalem, and a funny, respectful glimpse at tensions in modern-day Israel between secular and religious Jews. The story behind the film is as fascinating as the screenplay, as today’s New York Times reports:
[W]hen Shuli Rand, one of Gidi Dar’s longtime collaborators, had a religious awakening, the director saw an opportunity to bridge a gap. And while Mr. Rand had given up acting, it turned out that he had an idea for a screenplay, about a couple who end up with unwanted guests for the Sukkot holiday.
There was a problem finding an actress. Hasidim are not permitted to look directly at women who are not their wives, and certainly not allowed to engage them with their eyes. Who would play the wife? Mr. Dar turned to Mr. Rand’s wife, Michal Bat Sheva Rand, also a newcomer to Hasidism. She had no acting experience.
“She freaked out, she refused,” Mr. Dar recalled. “But later I told her, ‘If you don’t do it, Shuli can’t do it.’” So she agreed.
The supporting characters in the Hasidic community were all former actors who had become religious. Only the actors who played the two career criminals, Shaul Mizrahi and Ilan Ganani, were professionals.
The film has been a hit in Israel, where it won Mr. Rand the country’s top acting award, and has so far garnered strong reviews in this country.
Mr. Rand initially worried that it might be too religious, too uncritical. But Mr. Dar disagreed; he wanted to go deep, and not to judge. “I said, ‘No. We can go as far as we want,’” Mr. Dar recalled. “‘Your perspective is the perspective of a believer. You believe in the world of God, in prayers being answered by miracles. The world I’m looking at follows the mind of a believer.’”
Full story here.
Film screening times and theaters here.
by Lilit · Wednesday, October 26th, 2005
Sunday morning I woke up to find that people were spray-painting the wall next to my house. The weird thing wasn’t that someone was putting up new graffiti, it was that the people had a permit. They told me it was for a music video for “some reggae artist whose name we can’t pronounce.” I gave a PA directions to the closest grocery store. A few hours later, a couple of buses showed up, one of which contained a portable sukkah.
The story? A Matisyahu video was being shot in front of my humble house on Hope Street in Williamsburg, a not-so-lovely block located next to the BQE. I told Matis, who had his wife and baby in tow, that I was a fan. Later I got this picture of the mural, complete with song lyrics, that they didn’t bother to paint over. Remind me to bring this up the next time one of my Manhattan snob friends (that means you, Jake Marmer) gives me shit about living in Brooklyn.
