Monday, October 19, 2009
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Boredom set in and I created one of these 25 things about me thingies that are going around Facebook. So anyway, I tag Mr./Mrs. Rationally Pious to tell us 25 things about him/her.
1. I like traveling, a lot. I’d rather wander around some city in Europe with no money than be stuck somewhere, like Philly, with money to blow. Then again, I’d rather have money to blow in some European city.
2. I like skiing, a lot. But I’m a lazy skier – I like riding groomers over powder and clean slopes over moguls. Moguls take too much life out of my out of shape body. But skiing is awesome.
3. Studying law and arguing about things is surreal, but every time I have to do research and writing I doubt whether I really want to be a lawyer.
4. I’m a social wreck. I hate activities where I have to talk to people cause I never have anything to say.
5. When I was in high school, I was a roller hockey addict. Used to play daily with some hardcore Russians. They taught me how to curse.
6. My first cigarette was when I was 16, in a new school, and I caved into that peer pressure that they warn you about during afternoon television. Ironically, today I think the guy I smoked with then is a total loser (but not because he smokes).
7. My life is one big identity crisis. I ask myself everyday what I want out of life and never have any workable answers.
8. I’ve lived in Australia and Israel for extended periods of time. I self-taught myself Hebrew and used to speak pretty well, but that’s all gone to hell.
9. I’m not sure if I’m socially conservative or liberal. I grew up in a conservative world and see value in a lot of it, but I also think society should be run in a way that maximizes everyone’s happiness.
10. For almost nine years I haven’t had a place to call home. I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, but when my parents got divorced and moved away, I didn’t move with them. Since then I’ve boarded in people’s homes, lived in countless dorms, crashed with my sister until she got sick of me, lived in a dingy room in a Brooklyn basement, until finally getting my own place in Philly, which I can barely afford.
11. I sleep dressed, under 3 blankets and without the heat on some nights, so that I can save on my electric bill (and save the planet).
12. Before moving to Philly, I was warned by a Philly native that I would be shooting myself in the proverbial foot by moving to West Philadelphia and commuting to Temple. I didn’t listen, and he was right.
13. The only cheese I really don’t like is brie. The white stuff is nasty.
14. I had two dogs growing up which I loved, but from the experience I learned never to let my kids get a dog.
15. I spent way too long studying for the LSAT before bombing on the actual exam. My dreams of top-10 were shattered. Devastated, I took it again. By that time I completely forgot how to do logic games, but managed a respectable score.
16. I’m afraid of spending three years in law school and coming out with no job.
17. When I lived in Israel, I was very involved with staging sit-ins on the highways to protest Israel’s disengagement from Gaza. Looking back four years later, I’m happy that Israel is out of that hole, but aggravated with the all-too-predictable results.
18. I’ve had two crushes in my life – the kind where you know you’ll spend the rest of your life with that person – neither of which went anywhere.
19. I have a love/hate relationship with Judaism.
20. ‘V for Vendetta’ was the cleverest movie ever.
21. I suck at doing things right, never quite finishing. Mediocrity is my middle name. Maybe I should’ve been one of those ridilin children. It could’ve changed my life.
22. I once slept in the airport in Vienna because I overpaid for dinner. Another time I slept in an airport and nearly ended up making my permanent home in Switzerland because I couldn’t afford the cross-country train to my connecting flight in Geneva. Instead of being responsible and asking my mom for the five dollars I was short on, I decided to rough it.
23. I had a commission-based job once that would’ve paid me $100k per year, but I got laid off after three weeks because the company realized I was being too productive.
24. To this day I still have bad dreams about when we moved from Pittsburgh and sold our house.
25. I am about to return to studying the joys of the U.S. income tax system … I hope you write your 25 things!
1. I like traveling, a lot. I’d rather wander around some city in Europe with no money than be stuck somewhere, like Philly, with money to blow. Then again, I’d rather have money to blow in some European city.
2. I like skiing, a lot. But I’m a lazy skier – I like riding groomers over powder and clean slopes over moguls. Moguls take too much life out of my out of shape body. But skiing is awesome.
3. Studying law and arguing about things is surreal, but every time I have to do research and writing I doubt whether I really want to be a lawyer.
4. I’m a social wreck. I hate activities where I have to talk to people cause I never have anything to say.
5. When I was in high school, I was a roller hockey addict. Used to play daily with some hardcore Russians. They taught me how to curse.
6. My first cigarette was when I was 16, in a new school, and I caved into that peer pressure that they warn you about during afternoon television. Ironically, today I think the guy I smoked with then is a total loser (but not because he smokes).
7. My life is one big identity crisis. I ask myself everyday what I want out of life and never have any workable answers.
8. I’ve lived in Australia and Israel for extended periods of time. I self-taught myself Hebrew and used to speak pretty well, but that’s all gone to hell.
9. I’m not sure if I’m socially conservative or liberal. I grew up in a conservative world and see value in a lot of it, but I also think society should be run in a way that maximizes everyone’s happiness.
10. For almost nine years I haven’t had a place to call home. I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, but when my parents got divorced and moved away, I didn’t move with them. Since then I’ve boarded in people’s homes, lived in countless dorms, crashed with my sister until she got sick of me, lived in a dingy room in a Brooklyn basement, until finally getting my own place in Philly, which I can barely afford.
11. I sleep dressed, under 3 blankets and without the heat on some nights, so that I can save on my electric bill (and save the planet).
12. Before moving to Philly, I was warned by a Philly native that I would be shooting myself in the proverbial foot by moving to West Philadelphia and commuting to Temple. I didn’t listen, and he was right.
13. The only cheese I really don’t like is brie. The white stuff is nasty.
14. I had two dogs growing up which I loved, but from the experience I learned never to let my kids get a dog.
15. I spent way too long studying for the LSAT before bombing on the actual exam. My dreams of top-10 were shattered. Devastated, I took it again. By that time I completely forgot how to do logic games, but managed a respectable score.
16. I’m afraid of spending three years in law school and coming out with no job.
17. When I lived in Israel, I was very involved with staging sit-ins on the highways to protest Israel’s disengagement from Gaza. Looking back four years later, I’m happy that Israel is out of that hole, but aggravated with the all-too-predictable results.
18. I’ve had two crushes in my life – the kind where you know you’ll spend the rest of your life with that person – neither of which went anywhere.
19. I have a love/hate relationship with Judaism.
20. ‘V for Vendetta’ was the cleverest movie ever.
21. I suck at doing things right, never quite finishing. Mediocrity is my middle name. Maybe I should’ve been one of those ridilin children. It could’ve changed my life.
22. I once slept in the airport in Vienna because I overpaid for dinner. Another time I slept in an airport and nearly ended up making my permanent home in Switzerland because I couldn’t afford the cross-country train to my connecting flight in Geneva. Instead of being responsible and asking my mom for the five dollars I was short on, I decided to rough it.
23. I had a commission-based job once that would’ve paid me $100k per year, but I got laid off after three weeks because the company realized I was being too productive.
24. To this day I still have bad dreams about when we moved from Pittsburgh and sold our house.
25. I am about to return to studying the joys of the U.S. income tax system … I hope you write your 25 things!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
A latenight lesson in constitutional interpretation
To help me sleep better last night, I decided to read the Hamas Covenant to learn a little more about that battered party running Gaza. Here's some of the stuff I found:
1. Says the Prophet Mohamed: Kill Jews (Article 7)!
2. Attempts to diplomatically make peace should be resisted with violence, which is the only solution (Article 13).
3. Women should raise children to be warriors (Article 18).
4. Jews are behind every war and revolution ever fought - even those that resulted in the deaths of millions of Jews (i.e., WWII, Communist Revolution)(Article 22).
5. Huge international volunteer organizations, like the Rotary Club and the Lions Club, are "secret societies" and, apparently, evil (Article 22).
6. Jews are behind the United Nations - one of Israel's biggest antagonists (Article 22).
7. Jews are behind EVERY war anywhere in the world (Article 22).
8. Jews are responsible for drug trafficking (Article 28).
9. The 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion' are true (Article 32).
10. Every Arab country should send fighters to the liberation of the Zionist entity (Article 33).
But you don't take my word for it ... read the Hamas Covenant for yourself!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Media Spin
The media has already re-written the history of Barak Hussein Obama's presidency. In an effort to shift the negative impression of the American public to the conservative Chief Justice, John G. Roberts, Jr., for an inaugural oath slip-up. If you were watching, it was Obama's over-anxiousness which threw the chief justice off. If you missed it, here it is, to watch it over and over, and decide whose fault it was.
This is just the beginning of a maelstrom of the media's apologies for the president's shortcomings, inaction and failures to deliver. I like the guy, but the notion that "Obama can do no wrong" is so backwards, particularly when he himself continuously insists that he should not be beyond reprieve.
This is just the beginning of a maelstrom of the media's apologies for the president's shortcomings, inaction and failures to deliver. I like the guy, but the notion that "Obama can do no wrong" is so backwards, particularly when he himself continuously insists that he should not be beyond reprieve.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Bring it back!
Bring back the old TRS where the conversation wasn't trite and it wasn't all about blond girls. Where are the Eliezers, the personalities (yes, in retrospect, them too), the SZB's, and the occasional visits by others on the Chabad.org payroll (oh, and Mottel)? When can we once again discuss those things which matter in our lives and in our communities -- our beliefs, hopes and aspirations -- rather than the meaningless banter that has transformed TRS into the place where I visit only out of obligation and nostalgia?
TRS was never about exclusion. I, too, was once a newcomer there. TRS was founded on the principle that all are welcome to build the TRS community, giving free access to those that were suited to take part.
That melting pot has overflowed. While it still boils, the members who were at the bottom of the pot have spilled off the top. Countless degradations have left TRS with nothing of its original, real glory. The vestige of previous times can be found in the occasional grammatical correction. But that is not TRS and this is not what I bargained for.
Casting blame is futile. Rejection is more attractive. How much longer shall I visit a site that wants all that it once was?
TRS was never about exclusion. I, too, was once a newcomer there. TRS was founded on the principle that all are welcome to build the TRS community, giving free access to those that were suited to take part.
That melting pot has overflowed. While it still boils, the members who were at the bottom of the pot have spilled off the top. Countless degradations have left TRS with nothing of its original, real glory. The vestige of previous times can be found in the occasional grammatical correction. But that is not TRS and this is not what I bargained for.
Casting blame is futile. Rejection is more attractive. How much longer shall I visit a site that wants all that it once was?
Monday, January 12, 2009
Was reading the U.S. Constitution and had an idea ...
Or, here's another idea for proportionality:
Let the Israeli government issue letters of marque and reprisal to any family that suffered loss at the hands of Palestinian terrorists, and provide them with low cost weaponry to fire at the persons, families and assets of terrorists.
Let the Israeli government issue letters of marque and reprisal to any family that suffered loss at the hands of Palestinian terrorists, and provide them with low cost weaponry to fire at the persons, families and assets of terrorists.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Proportionality paradigm
Here are my ideas for proportionality:
* Let Israel indiscriminately fire a single missile towards Palestinian population centers for every incoming missile.
* Or Israel should draw a lottery and murder one random Palestinian for every Israeli killed.
* Or maybe Israel should flagrantly violate international law and use an amount of force proportionate to Israel's overall military capability to inflict maximum civilian carnage.
* Let Israel indiscriminately fire a single missile towards Palestinian population centers for every incoming missile.
* Or Israel should draw a lottery and murder one random Palestinian for every Israeli killed.
* Or maybe Israel should flagrantly violate international law and use an amount of force proportionate to Israel's overall military capability to inflict maximum civilian carnage.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
As told to me at a wedding last night
The most important reasons to stay frum:
1. Because even though Judaism has problems, every one else has harder problems.
2. Because non-frum people are fake and don't really respect you for who you are.
3. Because being frum is the only way to live a life consistent with beliefs (the guy who said this was a little more eloquent about it).
4. Because everyone gets a little introspective around Yom Kippur.
5. Because if you're not frum you can't marry a virgin.
1. Because even though Judaism has problems, every one else has harder problems.
2. Because non-frum people are fake and don't really respect you for who you are.
3. Because being frum is the only way to live a life consistent with beliefs (the guy who said this was a little more eloquent about it).
4. Because everyone gets a little introspective around Yom Kippur.
5. Because if you're not frum you can't marry a virgin.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Thought of the night
CH.info
Is it just me, or is there something tremendously wrong with this article and some of the responses? Someone even suggested that kids should be forced to walk around with name tags that direct well-meaning informers to identify them and contact their Hanholas ... From what started out as a perennial communal issue (parents, take charge of your teenagers behavior) came rants about systematically controlling and regulating the influx of guests in the Shchuna.
Being habitually guilty of the same crimes, I'm not one to condemn unplanned and irresponsible travel. I will concede though that a little foresight is important when one's arrival and arrangements will clearly have obstacles. If you don't know anyone and will be one of 1000's scrambling to find somewhere to bed down, it might be important to think through what you're doing. Also, it's clearly good manners to be gracious and try not to be burdensome on your host.
However, as much as you don't like it -- and this I tell from more personal experience -- once kids travel to the other side of the world, particularly if they're a little older, it's impossible to proscribe their movements. They will do what they want to do and that's life. You can't force them, as some commenters suggested, to get written permission to arrive or expect them to abide by a list of onerous rules that someone produced that's not to the adventurous kid's liking. If you really don't want these kids coming by, stop giving stupid regulative suggestions and utilize the biggest disincentive for the kids arriving -- don't host them.
All I'm saying is that these people are all insane ...
Is it just me, or is there something tremendously wrong with this article and some of the responses? Someone even suggested that kids should be forced to walk around with name tags that direct well-meaning informers to identify them and contact their Hanholas ... From what started out as a perennial communal issue (parents, take charge of your teenagers behavior) came rants about systematically controlling and regulating the influx of guests in the Shchuna.
Being habitually guilty of the same crimes, I'm not one to condemn unplanned and irresponsible travel. I will concede though that a little foresight is important when one's arrival and arrangements will clearly have obstacles. If you don't know anyone and will be one of 1000's scrambling to find somewhere to bed down, it might be important to think through what you're doing. Also, it's clearly good manners to be gracious and try not to be burdensome on your host.
However, as much as you don't like it -- and this I tell from more personal experience -- once kids travel to the other side of the world, particularly if they're a little older, it's impossible to proscribe their movements. They will do what they want to do and that's life. You can't force them, as some commenters suggested, to get written permission to arrive or expect them to abide by a list of onerous rules that someone produced that's not to the adventurous kid's liking. If you really don't want these kids coming by, stop giving stupid regulative suggestions and utilize the biggest disincentive for the kids arriving -- don't host them.
All I'm saying is that these people are all insane ...
Friday, August 29, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
School's in
I guess it would be appropriate at this juncture to talk about my law school experience. More of a need really.
You see, in three hours I have to go pretend I know a whole lot about forming corporations, the decisions shareholders make, why someone might want an LLC instead of a company, what are partners liable for, what tax rules apply, etc., etc., etc. Basically, I haven't a clue, and I feel like pushing off re-reading the book, which didn't make sense the first time I read it, to right before the class, so that I'll at least have some short-term recognition of the details. Meanwhile, to kill time …
I can't say that I'm culture-shocked being here. It's may not be my regular surroundings, but I've been so cultured by everything from movies and TV to Facebook, that I'm really not taken aback by anything. Lots of folks here with very different lifestyles than my own, but it doesn't bug or agitate me -- it just means that we're a little different.
I've always been a little socially weird, but that's really showing now. I haven't made any effort to make friends, usually just brief hello's. People are definitely a little afraid to talk to me, but that's understandable. To avoid further detailed explanation, I tell people that for my undergrad I went to "Yeshiva." Usually no more questions are asked, but occasionally people mention some friend that they know who went to YU or some other detail about the school, and I feel compelled to explain what exactly a Yeshiva is, and what my experiences were. One guy got the full run-down, including my Australia and rabbinical experiences, and needless to say, he thought it was pretty cool. Much better than the typical others over here. The only person who wasn't so impressed was a Frum girl in law school who is now working on her third degree.
Living in a Jewish community of students is helpful. Everyone I meet seems happy to have me there. Although most of them are in an Ivy League school, taking graduate courses in medicine, law, engineering, bio-sciences and dentistry (lots of dental students) I guess they still appreciate that this lone Chabadnik is trying a brave and different path ... I haven't yet had time to meet everybody because I've been very busy, but it seems like a good crowd.
Back to law school itself (sorry that there's no flow here, just throwing things together) …
I'm definitely not in Harvard here. . . I came to school thinking the notion that law school would be an impossible, elusive endeavor, as it’s reputed to be. I wasn’t expecting practical classes; I was expecting to wander in theoretical realms all day long. I was nervous and anxious, afraid that I may not be capable of doing well.
The first couple of days were bad for me. I got a group research assignment which I thought I was incapable of doing. I imagined everyone else “getting it” and I simply didn’t know where to begin. I thought I had missed something, but what was worse was that in the morning I’d have to meet with my study group and have nothing to offer. Couple that with a headache and the fact that I still don’t have internet in my apartment to assist my ill-prepared research, I was sure that my choice to come to law school was a mistake. I thought that I was going insane already (not un-typical for law students) and that I should seek help with the school’s mental health services. I needed someone to counsel me through it. I tried reading some of the other cases assigned for the next day, and I just couldn’t plow through the 19th century English that the judges think makes them sound smarter than the plebians that will one day read their opinions. Nothing helped. . . I gulped down some Nyquil and decided to sleep off the aggravation. The next morning I went to school an hour and a half early, and I threw together a passable answer to the assignment from some Google searches, which showed my effort to my research group and apparently it was satisfactory.
My problem, I think, is that in the absence of knowing exactly what to expect, I’ve placed too high a bar on what I must do. Overdoing things can be a good thing, but for me, it’s more overwhelming than anything. I wasn’t going nuts; I was just shooting too high, thinking I was supposed to do more than I had to. As it turned out with that problem, we learned in class the next day exactly how to do the research and that I needn’t have worried about it at all that night.
It happened again … I assumed, for valid reasons I suppose, that my first Criminal Law assignment wanted me to read the first chapter of our casebooks. BN.com messed up my order, and the only book I didn’t get yet was the Crim Law book. So, I went to the library three times, only to find an older edition of the book, and attempted to read chapter 1, which was 98 long pages. I read and read, but I could only get up to page 35. I thought it must be normal in law school to read 100 pages at a time, so I didn’t question the assignment. Later I found out that we had been assigned online (remember, I don’t have internet access at home) to read no more than 10 pages of two particular cases (which weren’t in my 35 read pages).
The assumption that I must always do more has gotten me in trouble a few more times already. In once instance though, my lack of looking up online has caused me to read less than I needed too. I guess the lesson that I need to take from all of this is that it’s vital to comply with all directions (which obviously means to consult, thoroughly, with all direction). More is good, but not essential. Do what you’re doing and do it well.
What else … ?
One thing that is assuring is that most people don’t get a lot of what’s going on either. The good thing about the school I’m in – as opposed to how it’s reputed to be in some of the more prominent schools – is that everything is explained, and is practical for the most part. What’s important here is that everything is understood by all, not to weed out the best minds …
But it does piss you off when some guy seems to already know what he’s talking about …
More later, gotta get back to Business Basics …
You see, in three hours I have to go pretend I know a whole lot about forming corporations, the decisions shareholders make, why someone might want an LLC instead of a company, what are partners liable for, what tax rules apply, etc., etc., etc. Basically, I haven't a clue, and I feel like pushing off re-reading the book, which didn't make sense the first time I read it, to right before the class, so that I'll at least have some short-term recognition of the details. Meanwhile, to kill time …
I can't say that I'm culture-shocked being here. It's may not be my regular surroundings, but I've been so cultured by everything from movies and TV to Facebook, that I'm really not taken aback by anything. Lots of folks here with very different lifestyles than my own, but it doesn't bug or agitate me -- it just means that we're a little different.
I've always been a little socially weird, but that's really showing now. I haven't made any effort to make friends, usually just brief hello's. People are definitely a little afraid to talk to me, but that's understandable. To avoid further detailed explanation, I tell people that for my undergrad I went to "Yeshiva." Usually no more questions are asked, but occasionally people mention some friend that they know who went to YU or some other detail about the school, and I feel compelled to explain what exactly a Yeshiva is, and what my experiences were. One guy got the full run-down, including my Australia and rabbinical experiences, and needless to say, he thought it was pretty cool. Much better than the typical others over here. The only person who wasn't so impressed was a Frum girl in law school who is now working on her third degree.
Living in a Jewish community of students is helpful. Everyone I meet seems happy to have me there. Although most of them are in an Ivy League school, taking graduate courses in medicine, law, engineering, bio-sciences and dentistry (lots of dental students) I guess they still appreciate that this lone Chabadnik is trying a brave and different path ... I haven't yet had time to meet everybody because I've been very busy, but it seems like a good crowd.
Back to law school itself (sorry that there's no flow here, just throwing things together) …
I'm definitely not in Harvard here. . . I came to school thinking the notion that law school would be an impossible, elusive endeavor, as it’s reputed to be. I wasn’t expecting practical classes; I was expecting to wander in theoretical realms all day long. I was nervous and anxious, afraid that I may not be capable of doing well.
The first couple of days were bad for me. I got a group research assignment which I thought I was incapable of doing. I imagined everyone else “getting it” and I simply didn’t know where to begin. I thought I had missed something, but what was worse was that in the morning I’d have to meet with my study group and have nothing to offer. Couple that with a headache and the fact that I still don’t have internet in my apartment to assist my ill-prepared research, I was sure that my choice to come to law school was a mistake. I thought that I was going insane already (not un-typical for law students) and that I should seek help with the school’s mental health services. I needed someone to counsel me through it. I tried reading some of the other cases assigned for the next day, and I just couldn’t plow through the 19th century English that the judges think makes them sound smarter than the plebians that will one day read their opinions. Nothing helped. . . I gulped down some Nyquil and decided to sleep off the aggravation. The next morning I went to school an hour and a half early, and I threw together a passable answer to the assignment from some Google searches, which showed my effort to my research group and apparently it was satisfactory.
My problem, I think, is that in the absence of knowing exactly what to expect, I’ve placed too high a bar on what I must do. Overdoing things can be a good thing, but for me, it’s more overwhelming than anything. I wasn’t going nuts; I was just shooting too high, thinking I was supposed to do more than I had to. As it turned out with that problem, we learned in class the next day exactly how to do the research and that I needn’t have worried about it at all that night.
It happened again … I assumed, for valid reasons I suppose, that my first Criminal Law assignment wanted me to read the first chapter of our casebooks. BN.com messed up my order, and the only book I didn’t get yet was the Crim Law book. So, I went to the library three times, only to find an older edition of the book, and attempted to read chapter 1, which was 98 long pages. I read and read, but I could only get up to page 35. I thought it must be normal in law school to read 100 pages at a time, so I didn’t question the assignment. Later I found out that we had been assigned online (remember, I don’t have internet access at home) to read no more than 10 pages of two particular cases (which weren’t in my 35 read pages).
The assumption that I must always do more has gotten me in trouble a few more times already. In once instance though, my lack of looking up online has caused me to read less than I needed too. I guess the lesson that I need to take from all of this is that it’s vital to comply with all directions (which obviously means to consult, thoroughly, with all direction). More is good, but not essential. Do what you’re doing and do it well.
What else … ?
One thing that is assuring is that most people don’t get a lot of what’s going on either. The good thing about the school I’m in – as opposed to how it’s reputed to be in some of the more prominent schools – is that everything is explained, and is practical for the most part. What’s important here is that everything is understood by all, not to weed out the best minds …
But it does piss you off when some guy seems to already know what he’s talking about …
More later, gotta get back to Business Basics …
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Annoyed by Israelis (Americans, don't think you're innocent either)
Responding to the recent litany of accusations, rumors, insults and grudges expressed against hassidic reggae-star Matisyahu, a colleague of mine wrote a letter to a news site and CC'ed a copy to me. The following was my reply (his letter I'll leave for the editors of that site):
Dear Tomim,
I think that the problem is more widespread in Lubavitch, and in particular amongst Israelis, and this is only a specific manifestation of it.
I just ate at someone's house this past Shabbos who was featured in a COL article last week. Not having seen the article, I asked him jokingly if someone trashed him on the site. It seems almost standard that you can expect someone on Shturem or COL to find something wrong with whatever it is you're doing. Sure enough, he answered, there were a few naysayers.
Apparently no longer under the supervision of the Crown Heights B"D, his shop should now be condemned because they're going against the Rabbonim, blah blah blah.
The problem with 21st century Lubavitch is that everything is that you're either for us or against us. If you're not directly supporting or in agreement with everything we do, you're fighting us, the Rebbe, Torah and G-d. If what you're doing - playing softball for example - doesn't directly fit in line with what it means to be a Chossid, you should shave off your beard and eat treif.
There are so many examples and permutations of this attitude, but I find it especially strong by Israelis.
I used to find the comments on these web sites unsettling, but, from the sheer amount of times I see the same things over again, it's become entertainment for me to so what stupid thing someone will shoot out next.
Usually I'm not let down.
As far as Matisyahu goes, I think he's making the smart choice, but perhaps my reasoning is a little different than his. Even if I believed so strongly in the Torah and Lubavitch, receiving such abuse (even being the celebrity that he is) from the very people that are supposed to embody the moral principles that I am striving for, would be enough of a reason for me to doubt and question my decision.
What impresses me about Matisyahu and why I "agree" with what he's doing is because by doing this he's able to say to all the rude Lubos out there that he's better than them; that despite their abuse and hypocrisy, he still stands for what he believes in in Judaism. He doesn't have to take off his beard and eat treif just because of a few idiots online or in Beit Menachem shul in Kfar Chabad.
Even not regarding himself as Lubavitch anymore, he is also still strongly influenced by Lubavitch.
I'm not a big advocate for the guy. I didn't really like his music when I first heard it, although I admit that it kind of grew on me over a few years. At the beginning I was questioning how good this is for Lubavitch, and I never changed my opinion, even while he mainstreamed more and more.
But what happened to him, the way he's been treated, has been a total injustice!
Hachosem B'Dimah :_(
Nemo
Dear Tomim,
I think that the problem is more widespread in Lubavitch, and in particular amongst Israelis, and this is only a specific manifestation of it.
I just ate at someone's house this past Shabbos who was featured in a COL article last week. Not having seen the article, I asked him jokingly if someone trashed him on the site. It seems almost standard that you can expect someone on Shturem or COL to find something wrong with whatever it is you're doing. Sure enough, he answered, there were a few naysayers.
Apparently no longer under the supervision of the Crown Heights B"D, his shop should now be condemned because they're going against the Rabbonim, blah blah blah.
The problem with 21st century Lubavitch is that everything is that you're either for us or against us. If you're not directly supporting or in agreement with everything we do, you're fighting us, the Rebbe, Torah and G-d. If what you're doing - playing softball for example - doesn't directly fit in line with what it means to be a Chossid, you should shave off your beard and eat treif.
There are so many examples and permutations of this attitude, but I find it especially strong by Israelis.
I used to find the comments on these web sites unsettling, but, from the sheer amount of times I see the same things over again, it's become entertainment for me to so what stupid thing someone will shoot out next.
Usually I'm not let down.
As far as Matisyahu goes, I think he's making the smart choice, but perhaps my reasoning is a little different than his. Even if I believed so strongly in the Torah and Lubavitch, receiving such abuse (even being the celebrity that he is) from the very people that are supposed to embody the moral principles that I am striving for, would be enough of a reason for me to doubt and question my decision.
What impresses me about Matisyahu and why I "agree" with what he's doing is because by doing this he's able to say to all the rude Lubos out there that he's better than them; that despite their abuse and hypocrisy, he still stands for what he believes in in Judaism. He doesn't have to take off his beard and eat treif just because of a few idiots online or in Beit Menachem shul in Kfar Chabad.
Even not regarding himself as Lubavitch anymore, he is also still strongly influenced by Lubavitch.
I'm not a big advocate for the guy. I didn't really like his music when I first heard it, although I admit that it kind of grew on me over a few years. At the beginning I was questioning how good this is for Lubavitch, and I never changed my opinion, even while he mainstreamed more and more.
But what happened to him, the way he's been treated, has been a total injustice!
Hachosem B'Dimah :_(
Nemo
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Timeless Meeting Heralds Shift in Blogging World
Flanked by the most chic fraus in today’s Lubavitch, a meeting of the ages took place this morning at the Bunch O’ Bagels café in Brooklyn. Though the women may not have come for this millennial get-together in the pantheon of Lubavitch modern uber-doxy, there was a palpable air about what was transpiring.
The two visitors stole the looks of the cafe's clientele not because of their dashing good looks, but because of their identities. From the energy in the small dining area it was apparent that everyone recognized that these visitors were The Real Shliach and Nemo.
The two bloggers – renowned for their cunning, wit and perspective in tackling the hardest issues facing society and humanity today – had each met individual bloggers before. They had corresponded with each other extensively, collaborating on many difficulties and developing a keen friendship.
For the first time though, they met in person to cement their relationship and devise new strategies.
Despite being in the open restaurant-setting, the substance of the meeting was kept in a hush. In a joint press conference following their talk, both bloggers declined to comment on their discussion.
“Rather than divulging what we’ve resolved today, we much prefer that you continue reading our blogs,” Nemo announced to a lured crowd.
Asked whether rumors of his stepping down from blogging because of transitions in his personal life were true, he was shocked that anyone would question his commitment to blogging.
“Once a blogger: always a blogger!”
The Real Shliach agreed, supporting his colleague who has been going through some troubled blogging times lately. “This is our life; without blogging, we are but nothing. Nemo will come around again – I believe in him.”
The meeting, initially meant to be held in the central Lubavitch synagogue and international headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement at 770 Eastern Parkway, was offset by initial complications.
“We had been planning the conference for months,” said TRS, finishing a black pepper garnished smoked salmon bagel, “but because of the swamped schedule that bloggers have to adhere to, coordinating our important meeting seemed like an unreachable goal.”
Scheduling concerns weren’t the only obstacles impeding on the great meeting, explained Nemo.
“Every day I have fluke meetings all around Crown Heights, but because of the gravity of this particular meeting, the venue and conditions had to be perfect. Unless properly scheduled, a meeting at the Lubavitch synagogue is just too iffy”
“We resolved that a matutinal, estaminet summit would be serviceable for both of us,” he added eloquently.
Friday, August 08, 2008
No bloggers were harmed in the writing of this article.
An article from Chabad.org.
By Nemo
Aug 8, 2008
The stories of hundreds of rabbinical students currently traveling the world are pouring in, and while the participants of the Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbinical Summer Visitation Program are in locations as diverse as Guam and Russia, they all have one thing in common: their love of the Jewish people, wherever they may be found.
Their first-hand accounts can be viewed on RovingRabbis.com and a blog hosted by the popular Jewish Web site, Chabad.org.
For communities without full-time rabbis, synagogues or Jewish community centers, such as North and South Dakota, the Balkans and Guam, the visitors – whose trips are coordinated by Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of Chabad-Lubavitch – deliver much-needed inspiration to local Jewish residents, and transient Jewish professionals and tourists. In other communities, the rabbinical students’ presence provides added staffing for summer camps, nursing home programs and one-on-one learning opportunities for neighbors.
In the majority of cases – as has been a trademark of the visitation program since its founding 65 years ago at the behest of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory – the young rabbis’ traipse from small town to small town, knocking on doors and visiting offices all in the search for Jewish life where it’s hard to find. They proffer the opportunity to do a mitzvah, such as hanging a mezuzah on a person’s door or donning tefillin, or just to schmooze with fellow Jews.
In Bahia, Brazil, Moshe Loebenstein is going up and down the coastal region in the search for Jewish residents and tourists. So far, he and his partner have talked with elderly Holocaust survivors and offered encouragement to an Israeli expatriate living in the capital city of Salvador.
Over on America’s West Coast, Chaim Litvin says that he’s bringing a sense of belonging to the Jewish people he encounters in Riverside, Calif.
“I realize how fortunate I have been, and I strive to bring as much as much as I can to the people to fill their void,” he explains.
Cities in Italy, Cyprus, Southeast Asia and Peru all have teams of students to greet the droves of tourists arriving during peak travel season. There’s even a team on hand to assist the full-time Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries in Beijing reach out to the Jewish athletes and fans in town for the summer Olympics.
Reporting from the Caribbean island of S. Lucia, Laima Barber notes that for many people they meet, he and his teammate first religious Jew they’ve meet.
“We get lots of curious people asking what brought us down,” he says. “It’s impossible not to feel like we’re the tourist attraction and people came here to see us!”
Other stories on the Roving Rabbis Web site tell of a group of students stormed in for the night who meet a Jewish motel clerk in Arizona, and a man who upon seeing two young rabbis traveling to China decides to don tefillin with them and proudly wear a skullcap for the remainder of the flight.
“We can always tell that there’s something greater at work here,” says Chanan Maister, a regular contributor to the blog who is currently in Litchfield, Conn. “A friend in Huntsville, Ala., called me asking for some advice about finding Jewish people. A while later we met someone in Connecticut who mentioned that he has a brother with no Jewish connection living in Huntsville.”
“These itinerant young men are the ‘Jewish Peace Corps,’ going where they’re needed most,” says Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, vice chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch. “They travel about in different regions scouting for Jewish people with a contact list and a few leads. By summer’s end, they will have touched many more people.”
To help the travelers with their goal, the Roving Rabbis site has a feature where users can click on a world map and send an e-mail to the rabbinical students at that location, says site editor Rabbi Menachem Posner. “We put the readers in touch with the rabbis if they know of someone who would appreciate a visit.”
The rabbis also utilize every means available to get word out of their arrival, including the local media.
In Guam, David Loksen and Shmulie Hecht caught the attention of ‘The Big Show,’ a local radio talk show. Travis Coffman, the show’s host, had the pair come to the studio, where Loksen explained what brought them to the tiny Pacific island and sang a Yiddish melody before fielding questions from callers.
But finding Jews isn’t always as easy as announcing your arrival, reports Maister. In previously uncharted country, a little creativity is needed for finding the most disconnected Jews.
“There’ll be those days when we pull out the white pages and start cold-calling all the Goldsteins, Bergs and Fines,” he reveals. “There’s a lot of hang-ups, but sometimes your call comes at just the right time, and people invite you to drop by.
“Those meetings are the most gratifying,” he adds. “You’ve given someone a brand new relationship with Judaism.”
By Nemo
Aug 8, 2008
The stories of hundreds of rabbinical students currently traveling the world are pouring in, and while the participants of the Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbinical Summer Visitation Program are in locations as diverse as Guam and Russia, they all have one thing in common: their love of the Jewish people, wherever they may be found.
Their first-hand accounts can be viewed on RovingRabbis.com and a blog hosted by the popular Jewish Web site, Chabad.org.
For communities without full-time rabbis, synagogues or Jewish community centers, such as North and South Dakota, the Balkans and Guam, the visitors – whose trips are coordinated by Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of Chabad-Lubavitch – deliver much-needed inspiration to local Jewish residents, and transient Jewish professionals and tourists. In other communities, the rabbinical students’ presence provides added staffing for summer camps, nursing home programs and one-on-one learning opportunities for neighbors.
In the majority of cases – as has been a trademark of the visitation program since its founding 65 years ago at the behest of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory – the young rabbis’ traipse from small town to small town, knocking on doors and visiting offices all in the search for Jewish life where it’s hard to find. They proffer the opportunity to do a mitzvah, such as hanging a mezuzah on a person’s door or donning tefillin, or just to schmooze with fellow Jews.
In Bahia, Brazil, Moshe Loebenstein is going up and down the coastal region in the search for Jewish residents and tourists. So far, he and his partner have talked with elderly Holocaust survivors and offered encouragement to an Israeli expatriate living in the capital city of Salvador.
Over on America’s West Coast, Chaim Litvin says that he’s bringing a sense of belonging to the Jewish people he encounters in Riverside, Calif.
“I realize how fortunate I have been, and I strive to bring as much as much as I can to the people to fill their void,” he explains.
Cities in Italy, Cyprus, Southeast Asia and Peru all have teams of students to greet the droves of tourists arriving during peak travel season. There’s even a team on hand to assist the full-time Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries in Beijing reach out to the Jewish athletes and fans in town for the summer Olympics.
Reporting from the Caribbean island of S. Lucia, Laima Barber notes that for many people they meet, he and his teammate first religious Jew they’ve meet.
“We get lots of curious people asking what brought us down,” he says. “It’s impossible not to feel like we’re the tourist attraction and people came here to see us!”
Other stories on the Roving Rabbis Web site tell of a group of students stormed in for the night who meet a Jewish motel clerk in Arizona, and a man who upon seeing two young rabbis traveling to China decides to don tefillin with them and proudly wear a skullcap for the remainder of the flight.
“We can always tell that there’s something greater at work here,” says Chanan Maister, a regular contributor to the blog who is currently in Litchfield, Conn. “A friend in Huntsville, Ala., called me asking for some advice about finding Jewish people. A while later we met someone in Connecticut who mentioned that he has a brother with no Jewish connection living in Huntsville.”
“These itinerant young men are the ‘Jewish Peace Corps,’ going where they’re needed most,” says Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, vice chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch. “They travel about in different regions scouting for Jewish people with a contact list and a few leads. By summer’s end, they will have touched many more people.”
To help the travelers with their goal, the Roving Rabbis site has a feature where users can click on a world map and send an e-mail to the rabbinical students at that location, says site editor Rabbi Menachem Posner. “We put the readers in touch with the rabbis if they know of someone who would appreciate a visit.”
The rabbis also utilize every means available to get word out of their arrival, including the local media.
In Guam, David Loksen and Shmulie Hecht caught the attention of ‘The Big Show,’ a local radio talk show. Travis Coffman, the show’s host, had the pair come to the studio, where Loksen explained what brought them to the tiny Pacific island and sang a Yiddish melody before fielding questions from callers.
But finding Jews isn’t always as easy as announcing your arrival, reports Maister. In previously uncharted country, a little creativity is needed for finding the most disconnected Jews.
“There’ll be those days when we pull out the white pages and start cold-calling all the Goldsteins, Bergs and Fines,” he reveals. “There’s a lot of hang-ups, but sometimes your call comes at just the right time, and people invite you to drop by.
“Those meetings are the most gratifying,” he adds. “You’ve given someone a brand new relationship with Judaism.”
Monday, August 04, 2008
Not that anyone seems to care about my ethical queries, but ...
TRS, I noticed a comment of yours on another blog (VIN) and it renewed my interest an old ethical question that I had.
Does "fighting" about financial matters make someone a bad person? They don't fight because they're cantankerous, they're arguing because there is a serious disagreement with a lot to lose.
In an ideal world there would be no disputes; or disputes would be easily settled; or at least every dispute would have a clearly defined winner and loser. But that's not usually the case. Because everyone naturally works toward their own success, there will be unevadable scuffles arising in some economic dealings.
The parties could try to reach a settlement, threaten economic sanctions, or employ the various legal avenues available to arbitrate their dispute. Are they bad people though, for fighting over their issues and for doing what they see as right - what benefits them?
While we might deem someone who overlooks their personal wealth to avoid confrontation as an individual of the highest rectitude, is the another person's fighting to keep their own money, or even to prosper, truly damnable?
Does "fighting" about financial matters make someone a bad person? They don't fight because they're cantankerous, they're arguing because there is a serious disagreement with a lot to lose.
In an ideal world there would be no disputes; or disputes would be easily settled; or at least every dispute would have a clearly defined winner and loser. But that's not usually the case. Because everyone naturally works toward their own success, there will be unevadable scuffles arising in some economic dealings.
The parties could try to reach a settlement, threaten economic sanctions, or employ the various legal avenues available to arbitrate their dispute. Are they bad people though, for fighting over their issues and for doing what they see as right - what benefits them?
While we might deem someone who overlooks their personal wealth to avoid confrontation as an individual of the highest rectitude, is the another person's fighting to keep their own money, or even to prosper, truly damnable?
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Friday, August 01, 2008
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