HEY JEWS

did we discuss this?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/23/us/rabbis-find-talk-of-israel-and-gaza-a-sure-way-to-draw-congregants-wrath.html

they kind of bury the lede... the article tries to be even-handed, discussing how rabbis are worried of both criticizing and defending israel in fear of alienating parts of their congregations. but then 3/4 into the article they say that a study showed that rabbis are much more fearful of criticizing israel than defending it. honestly this is one of the major reasons i'm pretty alienated from organized judaism. although my old congregation is mentioned at the end, as the one whose soon-to-step-down rabbi is actually a supporter of BDS (!).

btw the article suggests that the (modern?) orthodox account for about 10% of american jewry. i wonder what % are haredi/ultrareligious. i imagine it's a growing number.

xpost

i like that quote about yiddish

not to mention ongoing interest in preservation of the cultural work and ephemera that the Yiddish heyday in the US and in Europe produced, the importance to secular scholarship of studying literature in the original rather than in translation, translation projects, etc. Might as well lament the decline in Aramaic speakers in the Jewish community.

kol nidre is happening the same day as my birthday this year.

not to mention ongoing interest in preservation of the cultural work and ephemera that the Yiddish heyday in the US and in Europe produced, the importance to secular scholarship of studying literature in the original rather than in translation, translation projects, etc. Might as well lament the decline in Aramaic speakers in the Jewish community.

― Spirit of Match Game '76 (silby), Monday, September 22, 2014 3:41 PM (31 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

there's a brand-new archive of yiddish music and culture at the university where i study. it's pretty neat; they sponsor a klez-camp every summer. i haven't yet made an appointment to go listen to some of their 78s.

re: Israel, let's be real, the most liberal of Reconstructionist shuls, whose rabbis happily conduct gay interfaith marriages, are still gonna have congregants divided on Israel right now. That a pro-Israel stance among Jews is seen as "right wing" by leftist commentators is sort of garbage.

re: Yiddish, the National Yiddish Book Center was on my college campus! It was really cool, and you can buy any of the books they have out and take them home with you. It was an incredible project. Much nicer building than any of the actual school buildings too, what with that Jewish philanthropy strike force.

honestly this is one of the major reasons i'm pretty alienated from organized judaism. although my old congregation is mentioned at the end, as the one whose soon-to-step-down rabbi is actually a supporter of BDS (!).

i kinda wonder if this dynamic is the issue though? are ppl who are more likely to resonate w/ issues like BDS also ppl who feel alienated from the jewish community in the first place? tho judaism as a theology+philosophy has a lot of space for outsiders to the community (both culturally - spinoza types - and even within the religion there are traditions of hermits and theological anarchists like the kotzker rav), the jewish community isn't separable from tribalism really.

are ppl who are more likely to resonate w/ issues like BDS also ppl who feel alienated from the jewish community in the first place?

I don't think this is so.

well, maybe more likely, but I think you'll find tribally-engaged Jews floating around campus BDS groups as often as not.

ok, maybe not. that's just my impression reading jews who are active in BDS. i guess jewish voices for peace would be an exception - as a jewish community organization forming exclusively around the issue.

i think it's always going to be controversial suggesting boycotting coreligionists for political (as opposed to theological) rifts. that'll never be mainstream jewish community.

are ppl who are more likely to resonate w/ issues like BDS also ppl who feel alienated from the jewish community in the first place

I would say yes probably to some limited extent

tho judaism as a theology+philosophy has a lot of space for outsiders to the community (both culturally - spinoza types - and even within the religion there are traditions of hermits and theological anarchists like the kotzker rav)

this is one of the best things about the tribe imo

yes for sure, and i've benefited tremendously from it. i think there's actually been a breakthrough in a some traditional jewish communities around recognizing this. i think it's why i can participate in an orthodox community without fully committing to a 100% orthodox lifestyle, and i'm accepted in the community and invited for meals and my kids go to the school, etc. i see this in chabad and in modern/open orthodoxy and in traditional/conservative too. actually the conservative synagogue near my house is the supplier for free-range kosher chicken, as well as hosting the hazon sustainable food convention this year, which is being orthodox catered. there's a lot of commingling among millennial jews i find in this community from a kinda broad spectrum of practices.

like for sure the historically traditional model of halachic performance was that everyone lived in the same community and you did what you did and some ppl were probably very stringent and some ppl weren't -- i think the worldwide jewish community kinda lose the thread on this post-WW2 (maybe for good reasons) but it seems to be making a comeback.

That a pro-Israel stance among Jews is seen as "right wing" by leftist commentators is sort of garbage.

i have a hard time parsing this comment. surely many of those jews who are critical of israel's recent attacks in gaza and their policy of expanding settlements are very pro-israel in a more meaningful, existential sense?

Well, yes.

so what is your point?

and which part of the article are you referencing?

I'm not sure what I was reacting to with my comment, just built up ambiguous anguish.

This is one of those extra-long Yom Kippur+shabbat years, huh.

I mean the service is extra long. I assume the year is the usual number of days, although iirc that kinda varies with the Hebrew calendar?

it's a 3-day yom tov aka two day yom tov + shabbos for the third day.

so many lolz
http://www.shabbosapp.com

Seattle's Reconstructionist chavurah doesn't ticket their HHD services so I might actually go to Kol Nidre on Friday.

http://finkorswim.com/2014/10/01/the-shabbos-app-yes-it-is-real/ < this is crazy and worth reading. if any of the language or references in it are confusing ask me but it's, imo, a game changer (probably over time tho - but ppl in my frum world on fb are already asking how long it'll be before mainstream orthodox opinion is that electricity is okay on shabbat).

Many know about the psak of the Chazon Ish who prohibited electricity based on the melacha (Biblically forbidden creative activity) of boneh (building) because activating an electric device involves completing a circuit which is a form of building. Many people also know that this is not considered an accurate description of electricity or boneh by Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach.

hard for me to take this stuff seriously/worry about it for precisely these kinds of reasons

altho yeah that app is nuts for seeming to be expressly designed to violate shomer shabbos

I did lol at this tho:

When I asked the Shabbos App developer what Shabbat would look like if everyone would be using their smartphones, his answer reflected this sensibility. He said “Shabbat will look the way Hashem wants it to look!”

Interesting post and interesting site thx. I really need to hit you up more for jewish reading recs.

Xp to mordy sorry

I think there's quite a lot in orthodox practice that revolves around the tension btw the spirit and the letter of law and what constitutes breaking vs navigating it. I find a lot of it silly roost times but I'm also fascinated by what motivates people to live that life, especially intelligent people who I doubt fear a literal angry God punishing them for disobedience.

fwiw, I attended my first Yom Kippur service in years through an unaffiliated org that provides free services, and I even fasted (all the way until 4:30pm at which point we were at PS1 and my wife insisted on M.Wells Dinette -- could not pass up, sorry G_d).

The night before, although I did not attend a service, I did read through some of a rabbinical assembly mahzor and listen to the Richard Tucker recording of Kol Nidrei. I think it's probably my favorite piece of Jewish music, and although I feel weird listening to it outside its purpose, it is available on Spotify.

We went to the family yom kippur service on friday. It was nice, lots of singing.

I decided I mostly like Yom Kippur and I'm just going to shrug at the parts I don't like (the "who by fire" stuff etc.)

Yeah it was a relief that they go pretty light on the guilt stuff for the kids

Shlomo Sand doesn't want to be a jew anymore: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/10/shlomo-sand-i-wish-to-cease-considering-myself-a-jew

thoughts?

why doesn't he just stop being an Israeli

considering his vile slandering of Jewish ppl I doubt he will be missed

generally confused by the piece myself

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/32/64/27/7030263/5/920x680.jpg

Let's not forget Christian zionism was just as committed as Jewish. Isreal is the last stand and forefront of European colonialism.

totally, well said

are you jewish RT?

Lots of Jews have "assimilated" over the centuries and given up identification with Jewish culture and religion, so that in itself is not particularly interesting. Sand seems like he's just crying out that reality is too much pain for him, and while I can sometimes relate to the sentiment I don't think his essay is very coherent.

ok but guys the photo

related: http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.621899

if it isn't clear what's going on, that's one of the Women of the Wall trying to hug an ultra-orthodox protestor

women of the wall ftw

http://www.shalomlife.com/news/26753/volunteer-finds-rare-jewish-war-heroes-comic-published-in-1944/

awesome and scanned
http://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=27391
http://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=21569
http://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=39239

I've been wanting to read something about capes comics and crypto-Judaism, anyone know an academic/crossover book about this or should I just get around to reading Kavalier and Clay?