Uncategorized

Open Thread: Welcome To The Shtetl

I’m really pleased to see so many people finally crawling out of the woodwork and throwing their two cents in to the pot here. This is yet another open thread, but if you’d like, please take this as an opportunity to introduce yourselves so we can get to know each other a little better and perhaps strengthen our growing community…

17 thoughts on “Open Thread: Welcome To The Shtetl

  1. OK boys, I’ll start. I’m EMTZAlex, the Kid Yid from the Mid (Midwest physically, Mideast spiritually). I grew up in a suburb of Kansas City, and spent 13 glorious years in a community Jewish day school. I’m now going to a four-year college in the Boston area. I’m a liberal in most areas, though when it comes to my Judaism I’m fiercely American Conservative (I like to think of myself as a radical centrist). I’m a peacenik who still cries when I see Rabin at that Peace Now rally (and comfortable enough with my manhood to admit it). But just because I’m a teary eyed liberal doesn’t mean I can’t think for myself. If you cross me, you will go down.

  2. Talk about a soapbox…
    I am Solomyr, 23, and I live in Seattle. I was raised Reform, but am well on my way to going ‘dox. Center-left in my politics, I can’t stand the uber-left that think anything the US or Israel does is evil, but I would not shed a tear if the entire Bush administration fought some meaningful personal wars with pretzels. Though, I might get a little, umm, choked up. I’ve got an engineering degree and I work at the pre-school for the local JCC. Go figure.
    I’m helping organize a free trip to Israel this June. Check out http://www.birthrightisrael.org, or feel free to contact me with questions. And yes, I said Free. (Rich Jews got to do something with their money)

  3. Talk about a soapbox…
    I am Solomyr, 23, and I live in Seattle. I was raised Reform, but am well on my way to going ‘dox. Center-left in my politics, I can’t stand the uber-left that think anything the US or Israel does is evil, but I would not shed a tear if the entire Bush administration fought some meaningful personal wars with pretzels. Though, I might get a little, umm, choked up. I’ve got an engineering degree and I work at the pre-school for the local JCC. Go figure.
    I’m helping organize a free trip to Israel this June. Check out http://www.birthrightisrael.org, or feel free to contact me with questions. And yes, I said Free. (Rich Jews got to do something with their money)

  4. More greetings from The Flyover. Home of Saul Bellow, Steve Goodman, Studs Terkel….
    I find no home on the political right, but I have become increasingly frustrated by the hypocrisies of the progressive left, particularly the mileage it gets out of the Zionist boogeyman scare. As a Jew I line up firmly secular, but appreciate that we must find ways to ease the tension between the honorable rabbinic traditions and the cultural and political center in a democratic Israel. We desperately need to do a better job of learning and transmitting our history and intellectual and rabbinic traditions.
    Whether I agree or disagree with you on particulars over the course of time, its great to see you out here in the cyberspace, Mo. We live in interesting times (as in the fabled Chinese curse).

  5. It’s good to see this forum coming to greater, more populated life.
    I’m a 30-something American male who’s spent considerable time on both the far-right and (now) far-left of Israeli politics, both here in America’s ideaological front and elsewhere. I was, for quite sometime, one of those bad-bad nitted kippa yesha council types. But, then i spent too much time in East Jerusalem (i went to HU), talked too many on the otherside, and then started to see things differently — very slowly.
    Many American Jews study/travel in Israel, but never venture far from the Jewish-safe enclaves of their respective programs. Even when i was ardently RightWing, i wanted to see what the “otherside” was like. My first walk in EastJerusalem also coincided with my first Arab hair cut. Who knew they trimmed eyebrows with a string ? (for a moment i thought it was merely my final necklace)
    There are certainly palestini who hate (hate) Jews of all stripes. But, there is (still) a strong desire for dialog for those forced to live outside the Greenline.
    Once we both realise that both populations ain’t goin’ no where, and once we realise Israel/Palestine stands in a very powerful geopolitical/economic position, things will change. But, first, we have to see beyond our emotions.
    Emotions will kill us all.
    Reason will save a remnant of both.
    .rob adams

  6. New topic… This morning, I read a report that a company is putting together a movie about miracles which have occurred because of the movie “The Passion.” Yes, you read that right. Amongst the miracles that they list as candidates is:
    “a Jew who now accepts Jesus as Messiah”
    according to MSNBC.com.
    Now, I suppose, we may begin to understand that antisemitism was never the biggest threat from this movie.

  7. I randomnly spotted this site months ago, and love to check it out everyday, for a laugh, for news, for mobius searchin the web and finding the most random, interesting links in the whole jewish world.. I am Evan, checkin in from work here in NYC ..my beliefs are that I am Jew, whether or not I am ultra this, right that, to the left of that person, is not what I am about. This site is just my speed, its all over the place, has multiple personalities and is just about the level of Jewish info I need on a daily basis.
    Did anyone out there see that the UN Human Rights Commission passed a “resolution” condeming Israel for killing Yassin….guess the US better watch out and not kill Osama…or else the UN might not like us anymore …ooooh scary. Whats the point really of the UN?
    And without JDub records, I would have never heard about Matisyahu…slinging crazy reggae beats and lyrics straight outta Brooklyn (the very jewish side of Brooklyn)

  8. I have been a faithful reader for about a year now. I don’t remember how I found this blog (maybe a link from another site?), but I truly enjoy hanging out here. This site is just up my alley – always bringing a fresh voice and a different angle to mainstream Jewish news and views. It’s a touch schizophrenic, which is what I find appealing. And here’s an opportunity to thank all of the behind-the-scenes people who bring this site to life. Excellent job, dudes!
    So now a little about this reader – I am an Orthodox Jew living in Brooklyn, (where Mel Gibson’s father says all the European Jews moved to during the Holocaust in order to make lots of money and rule the world). Like Reality wrote just above me, I prefer not to be pigeon-holed into any category. I have opinions that range the spectrum from liberal to conservative, from left to right, and although I may not always agree with Jewschool’s point of view, I am happy to belong to this web community. Continue your outstanding job in keeping us amused, entertained, informed and smiling!

  9. I found this site when there was an article on it about my friend Mike’s klezmer band (Khevre — go see it if you get the chance). I’ve been a pretty regular reader since then. I’m a 20-year old student at the University of Virginia. Raised in the Conservative movement, and went through a phase of hardcore atheism (actually anti-religionism) when I read Bakunin in middle school. I still think anarchism is the best political conception, but I’ve come back to religious Judaism, possibly because of all the postmodern, anti-Enlightenment stuff I’ve been reading here at school. I write for zeek sometimes, you should check out that site as well. In conclusion, Jewschool is sweet.

  10. Hey … I live in Montreal; am back in university, then Concordia, now McGill (my second time ’round. The transition can be, well, jarring.)

  11. nah..i am origionally from rhode island. went to the providence hebrew day school from 2nd to 7th grade..so everything i know about judaism is basically from there. went to college in syracuse. then i got a job in arizona. been here for about 5 years. getting ready to move again. not sure where.
    i guess i would say i am outdoorsy. skiing is my number one hobby. also like to mountain bike, hike, and play soccer(i am not very good, but its fun)
    umm..what else..i am 26, almost 27.
    software engineer at a company that for now we will call shitco.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.