Jews With Edge's topics - tribe.net

Giraffe is kosher, rabbis rule in Israel

Alan — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 05:16:40 GMT

A chance encounter in Israel between vets and a giraffe has led to a rabbinical ruling that the African animal is kosher.

Giraffe meat and milk has been ruled acceptable for observant Jews according to a report in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, vets were asked to treat an adult, female giraffe at Israel's largest zoo, the Safari Park in Ramat Gan.

The team, led by Professor Zohar Amar, took a routine sample of milk and found that it clotted in the way required by Jewish law for kosher certification.

They submitted more milk for verification by the rabbinical authorities and the paper reported that a ruling was made that giraffe meat and milk are acceptable for observant Jews.

The giraffe belongs to the family of grazing animals that have cloven hooves and chew the cud, thereby making them consistent with kosher rules, but the milk test was the final confirmation.

"Indeed, the giraffe is kosher for eating," Rabbi Shlomo Mahfoud, who accompanied the researchers in their work, said.

"The giraffe has all the signs of a ritually pure animal, and the milk that forms curds strengthened that."

But Dr Yigal Horowitz, the zoo's chief vet, said this did not mean there would suddenly be a surge in demand of giraffe food products in Israel.

"This does not mean that tomorrow we are going to drink giraffe milk or eat soup made from giraffe necks," he said.

"After all, this is an animal in danger of extinction.

posted in Jews With Edge - 9 replies

Shanda

AjmWolfe — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:57:29 GMT

Has anyone read Neal Karlen's book, Shanda: The Making and Breaking of a Self-Loathing Jew?

I'm halfway through it - finding it deeply personal and moving - and would love to hear other people's opinions on it.

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

Is The End Of The World Coming On June 12th?

Alan — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:53:23 GMT

A screengrab of Yisrael Hawkins' website, with their end of the world predictions front and center.An elusive group just outside of Abilene, Texas is claiming the end of the world is coming in less than a week.

The House of Yahweh recently gave ABC reporter Brian Ross access to their west Texas compound. Yahweh leader Yisrayl Hawkins says a nuclear holocaust will come June 12th and only members of his group will be saved.

All group members change their last names to Hawkins and live in the compound.

Local authorities claim the group is dangerous and practices polygamy. Shane Dee, the local district attorney, says there's no way to describe the group except as a religious cult. Yisrael Hawkins disagrees. "I don't control their mind in a witch-like fashion that the world is speaking of, to where I have some sort of power over them. I merely teach the laws to them."

Hawkins has predicted a doomsday twice before. He's also accused of having two dozen wives, and is facing bigamy charges.

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8443405&nav=menu117_2

posted in Jews With Edge - 7 replies

Does food ever make you angry?

Max — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:32:35 GMT

Someone left a bagel with the 'orphan' food, i.e. free for the taking.

Where did anyone get the idea that if you bake something similar to Wonder Bread in the shape of a donut and give it a shiny crust it's OK to call it a bagel? It's just wrong! If I had tried to dunk it in coffee, I had the impression it would dissolve. After toasting, it wouldn't even take a schmiel of cream cheese without crumbling. If we had a Ministry of Food Truth in this country, the makers of that insult would have had to label it something like "Pillow Soft Enriched White Bread Donuts".

In a time of natural disasters, war and economic decline, I don't need THIS TOO!

posted in Jews With Edge - 2 replies

Jewish Like Me

Alan — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:01:47 GMT

The author reflects on her lifelong role—above and below the Mason-Dixon Line—of being the only Jew in the room, and how an unexpected declaration by her daughter helped her reconstitute her identity.

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/05/jewish200805

posted in Jews With Edge - 4 replies

Minyanville?

Max — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:43:46 GMT

http://www.tdameritrade.com/apex.html

In the pictures section of the tribe, I've posted the image that TDAmeritrade uses as its link^ to Minyanville.
I don't get it. Do they get together and pray that they've made good investment decisions?

posted in Jews With Edge - 3 replies

Israel to jail online brothel owners in actual prisons

Alan — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 05:16:28 GMT

http://valleywag.com/5012742/israel-to-jail-online-brothel-owners-in-actual-prisons

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

Stripping tourist admitted to mental health unit

Alan — Tue, 27 May 2008 02:52:54 GMT

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4561683a11.html

An Israeli tourist who gave workmen an eye-full when she stripped naked in the far north town of Kerikeri has been admitted to a mental health unit after attracting police attention again.

Last week wolf-whistles from workmen prompted the 31-year-old tourist to strip before withdrawing money from an ATM machine.

The woman told police she was leaving the country but was arrested on Friday night after allegedly stubbing out a cigarette on the face of a bar worker in Coromandel, the New Zealand Herald reported.

The woman appeared in the Hamilton District Court on Saturday charged with assault with intent to injure.

She was remanded to Waikato Hospital's mental health unit.

posted in Jews With Edge - 7 replies

Cancer testing offered to Jewish women

Alan — Tue, 27 May 2008 04:24:12 GMT

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Science/2008/05/24/cancer_testing_offered_to_jewish_women/2625/

TORONTO, May 24 (UPI) -- Canadian experts say they are offering a free test to Jewish women to determine if they have a strong chance of getting ovarian and breast cancers.

Women's College Research Institute experts in Toronto said the test helps identify three mutated breast cancer genes frequently found in Ashkenazi Jewish people, the Toronto Globe and Mail reported Saturday.

One of every 44 Ashkenazi Jewish people has the genetic mutation, said Steven Narod of the of Toronto's Women's College Research Institute.

It is reported the test was made available Thursday in Ontario to adult Jewish women who do not have a record of breast or ovarian cancers in their families.

Adult Jewish females who have yet to be tested and whose relatives have had breast or ovarian cancers can also take the test, the Globe and Mail said.

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

Woman strips in anger at wolf whistles

Alan — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:44:53 GMT

A woman who felt harassed when road workers whistled at her stripped naked in response, police said.

Workmen in the small northern farming town of Kerikeri, New Zealand, were repairing the main street when the young woman, an Israeli tourist, took offence at their attention.

She calmly stripped bare to use an ATM - bringing an abrupt halt to both the whistles and the road work - then put her clothes back on and walked away.

Sgt. Peter Masters said the woman told police she didn't take kindly to the men's wolf-whistles.

"She said she had thought '... I'll show them what I've got,' " as the men whistled at her, he said.

"She gave the explanation that she had been ... pestered by New Zealand men. She's not an unattractive-looking lady," he said.

Police treated the incident "as a one-off."

"She was taken back to the police station and spoken to and told that was inappropriate (behaviour) in New Zealand," he added.

The woman was due to leave New Zealand later today.

posted in Jews With Edge - 4 replies

Renault Will Bring EVs to America — By Way of Israel

Alan — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:41:35 GMT

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/05/renault-will-br.html

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

Not even the French can ban access to Max Mosley's Nazi-inspired sex video

Alan — Thu, 01 May 2008 05:36:13 GMT

Max Mosley, head of Formula One motor racing, son of Nazi sympathizers, and now the unwitting star of a "sadomasochistic sex orgy" tape.

http://valleywag.com/385765/not-even-the-french-can-ban-access-to-max-mosleys-nazi+inspired-sex-video

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

Goyim with whom Jews have historically had fairly good relations

Max — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 08:12:21 GMT

Ian's suggestion of a new thread on this subject so here it is.
The subject phrase immediately reminded me of Noel Cowards song "The Stately Homes of England":
Our homes command extensive views
And with assistance from the Jews
We've been able to dispose of
Rows and rows and rows of
Gainsboroughs and Lawrences
And those print of Aunt Florence's
Some of which were rather rude...

(Not Googled for accuracy but that's close if not verbatim)

So, the English upper crust, mostly goyim, mostly Protestant.

posted in Jews With Edge - 14 replies

taxi service/pick-up from air-port with fluent English speaking driver

georgeiswell — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 06:45:27 GMT

Please use my Taxi services for a smooth arrivals to IS-REAL, to all destinations
including Holly places , Christianity, and Tell aviv fun events.
"your will becomes my will" and "All destinations lead to the inner deep self "
GEORGE , israel

posted in Jews With Edge - 1 reply

My Yearly Seder...

cinemagirl — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:09:30 GMT

I'm doing my yearly friend-seder this year. Mostly for nyc burningman folks who don't go 'home.'

This year I'm including legumes and couscous. I usually stick to the ashkenazi rules but this year I'm thinking...ya know...I dont get it. It doesnt make sense to me..and a giant chunk of jews do this too.

Here's my meu:
So this year, we'll have gefilte fish, chopped liver (wth gribbinez), matzoh ball soup and the seder plate with two kinds of charoset as the first round.

And second course we'll do a spicy lamb and chickpea tagine, a fish tagine with olives, roasted beets and carrots, couscous with dried apricots and pine nuts, marinated eggplant salad and a green salad.

Dessert...I'm letting people bring unleavned treats. But does anyone have passover dessert ideas?

I love seder!

posted in Jews With Edge - 10 replies

amateur jew

Alan — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:59:33 GMT

http://www.andys-collection.com/catalogue.php?w=Model_094

posted in Jews With Edge - 4 replies

Bagel fuls

Alan — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:52:21 GMT

http://consumerist.com/377084/kraft-stole-idea-for-bagefuls-from-bagelers

posted in Jews With Edge - 2 replies

A haggadah showing

Alan — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:01:37 GMT

http://www.library.yale.edu/judaica/exhibits/haggadah/

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

Bro mitzvah

Alan — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:40:32 GMT

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/03/31/m4c_collards_0330.html

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

Spelt matzah

thebrillianthen — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 20:46:05 GMT

I can eat spelt but not wheat. Here's where I order my spelt matzah from, they also have not-kosher-for-Passover matzah which is quite good:

http://www.gezuntheit.net/Products2_matzah.html

They also have spelt challah and other goodies I miss:

http://www.gezuntheit.net/Products7_Spelt.html

If you know someone who can eat spelt but not wheat, let them know!

Also, I heard spelt is the more traditional grain for matzah, and IMO, it tastes better.

posted in Jews With Edge - 4 replies

do we have annual holidays that we get a new outfit?

liabear1 — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 05:58:35 GMT

Goys get a new outfit for Easter and Christmas. The only time I remember getting a new dress for an occasion was for my Bat Mitzvah. You?

posted in Jews With Edge - 4 replies

Purim, Who's doing what?

liabear1 — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:54:49 GMT

I don't usually celebrate Purim because I always forget about it untill it's too late. Does anyone have plans? what's up my chosen peoples?

posted in Jews With Edge - 5 replies

It's almost Purim...

feiruz_al-bnefsagia — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:53:12 GMT

So here's a funny to get ya' in the mood!

;)
Feiruz

=========

The Purim Hagaddah

Beis Maxwell Edition

Featuring the commentary of the Moshav Leitzim

Edited by HaRav E. Sommer, Shlit"ah

I. Introduction

The custom of the Purim feast is widespread among the Jews. But the original custom, as instituted by Mordechai, not only
involved a festive meal, but an entire ceremony as well. The Purim Seder, as it is known, is similar in nature to one
most Jews know from Passover. Until about 100 yeas ago, the Purim Seder was observed by Jews the world over. But then the
custom died out, leaving the Seudah as its only remnant. Recently, however, this lost custom has experienced a revival.
Fortunately, all the laws, customs, songs and prayers of Purim Seder can still be found in the Purim Hagaddah, which had been
lost, but just recently came to light.

II. The Seder Plate

The Seder plate contains the five foods most often used in Mishloach Manot. Their arrangement on the plate is as follows.
(image of plate with: Gummy Worms / Jelly Fish, Loose Pretzels,Egozi Bar, Orange, small box of raisins)

Another custom for the arrangement of the Seder plate is as follows:
image of plate with: same as above plus Dipsy Doodles)

Some Rabbis permit the substitution of a Kit Kat for the Egozi bar. The orange can be replaced by an apple or a kiwi b'sha'at ha'dchak.

III. Whiskey

At various points throughout the Seder, a total of ten shots of whiskey are consumed, representing the ten chapters of the Book of
Esther. Ideally, one should use a fine single malt. However, one may also be yotzei the mitzvah using a blended whiskey.
Some Rabbis also permit Jack Daniels. For those who cannot afford whiskey, lenient opinions exist permitting the use of various
cheaper alcoholic beverages, from airplane whiskey to anti-freeze.

In such cases a rabbi should be consulted.

IV. Hamantashen

The mitzvah of eating hamantashen requires that hamantashen be placed on the table. Since, in the story of Purim, the Jews were
saved by a women, we use two hamantashen representing the two women who lived in the palace that are mentioned in the book of Esther, Vashti and Esther. The Beis Ha'Kisei requires a third hamantashen, representing Hagai, the eunuch.

The hamantashen should be filled with prune or poppy filling. In Eretz Yisrael, where prune filling is not readily available,
choclate spread may be substituted.

Differing opinions exist as to the required size of the hamantachen. All agree they must be the size of Haman's ear, but halachik sources
differ as to what size Haman's ears were. The Shulchan Aruch holds that Haman's ear was the same size as our ears today, and hence,
each of the three sides of the triangular hamantashen must be 2 inches long. The Mishnah Berurah holds that Haman had especially
large ears, and sets the length of each side of the hamantashen at 3 inches. The Chazon Ish holds that back in the third century
B.C.E., peoples' ears actually reached all the way down to the floor, citing as proof the popular kids song "Do Your Ears Hang Low."
Thus, he holds that the hamantashen must be 6 feet long per side.

V. The Seder

To begin the seder, the first shot of whiskey is drunk.

At this point, the hamantashen are uncovered, and all the participants recite the following prayer together:

This is the triangular bread, which our forefathers ate in the land of Persia. Whoever comes to our door with mishloach manot, we will
pass along the food that the person just before him brought to us. Whoever comes to our door with mishloach manot, we will pretend
that we aren't surprised, and had planned on giving to him all along. This year we had to use one of our floating holidays;
next year may we be given the day off. This year we are home; next year may we be invited out.

At this point, the top hamantashen is broken down the middle. The bigger half is hidden somewhere in house; hopefully, it will be
found by Passover.

The second shot of whiskey is now drunk.

The Torah speaks of four sons: the smart son, the wicked son, the simple son and the son who knows not how to ask.

The smart son - what does he say?: "This whole thing about dressing up in costume - didn't we steal that from Halloween?"
The wicked son - what does he say?: "I'm starving! Can we skip all this junk and just get to the meal already?!"
The simple son - what does he say?: "Can I have your raisins?"
As for the son who knows not how to ask: Enjoy it while it lasts! You'll have plenty of time later on in of your life to field his
smart-aleck questions.

At the point in the Seder, the names of Haman's ten sons are recited. To pretend that we take no joy even in the destruction of our enemies, as each name is read, it is customary to dip one's little finger into the middle of the hamantashen, take out a small bit of filling,
and wipe the filling on ones neck, symbolizing that fact that the sons were hanged.

1. Parshendatah
2. Dalphon
3. Aspatah
4. Poratah
5. Adaliah
6. Aridatah
7. Parmashtah
8. Arisai
9. Aridai
10. Vaizatah

Rabbi Judah made up acronyms to remember the names:

PD"A
PA"A
PAA"V

What exactly is so clever about that? Nobody knows.

The third and fourth shots of whiskey are now drunk.

Rabbi Akiva says: The Megillah speaks of the hanging of Haman's ten
sons not once, but twice - once, when listing all the people killed
by the Jews during the war, and the second time, when Esther asks
the King to have them hanged. From this we see that Haman really
had twenty sons.

Rabbi Tarphon says: The first time it mentions the hanging of Haman's sons, it lists the ten names; the second time it lists them as one
unit, for a total of eleven listings. If each listing represents ten sons, it can be inferred that Haman had 110 sons.

Rabbi Meir says: When the Megillah lists the names of Haman's sons, it precedes each name by the word 'and'. If each 'and' and each
name each represent ten sons, it can be inferred that Haman had 200 sons, plus the ten mentioned again later on, for a total of
210 sons. Which explains why he was actually relieved when the King decided to have him hanged.

The fifth shot of whiskey is now drunk.
What Would Have Been the Point?
If Vashti had been banished, but Esther had never become Queen
What Would Have Been the Point?
If Esther had become Queen but had not learned of Haman's plot
What Would Have Been the Point?
If Esther had learned of Haman's plot, but had not been granted an audience with the King
What Would Have Been the Point?
If Esther had been granted an audience with the King, but the King had not had trouble sleeping
What Would Have Been the Point?
If the King had had trouble sleeping, but had not read about Mordechai
What Would Have Been the Point?
If the King had read about Mordechai, but had not asked Haman to lead him around on a horse
What Would Have Been the Point?
If the King had asked Haman to lead Mordechai around on a horse, but had not gone to Esther's party
What Would Have Been the Point?
If the King had gone to Esther's party, but had not had Haman hanged
What Would Have Been the Point?
If the King had had Haman hanged, but had not made the Jews victorious over their enemies
What Would Have Been the Point?
But the Holy One, Blessed be He:
Had Vashti banished
Had Esther become Queen
Had Esther learn of Haman's plot
Had Esther granted an audience with the King
Had the King have trouble sleeping
Had him read about Mordechai
Had him ask Haman to lead Mordechai around on a horse
Had the King go to Esther's party
Had Haman hanged
And made the Jews victorious over their enemies
Which was, after all, the whole point

The sixth shot of whiskey is now drunk.

The hamantashen are now eaten. Take the whole hamantashen, plus the broken half, in one hand and recite the blessing:

Blessed art thou, our G-d, who hath commanded us on the mitzvah of eating hamantashen

The hamantashen should now be stuffed down ones throat within the allotted time of 22 seconds.

We now take the orange from the Seder plate, a bit of hamantashen filling, and some tequila and say:

In commemoration of the temple of Hillel. Thus would Hillel do: He would suck on the orange, lick some hamantashen filling off
the back of his fist, and take a shot of tequila, in order to fulfill what is written: "'Sof ma'a'seh b'machshavah techilla' -
do not read 'techilla', but rather 'tequila'."

Now, with everyone on the verge of starvation, yet sickened from eating all those hamantashen, we finally arrive at the main meal.

By the time the meal is over, one has probably lost count of how many shots of whiskey have been drunk. One should now drink the
remaining shots of whiskey freely.

The traditional hymn "One hundred bottles of beer on the wall" is now sung.

This hymn dates back to Babylon during the Amoraic period, where is was composed by a group of rabbis who stayed a bit too late in the
bait midrash one night.

One hundred bottles of beer on the wall
One hundred bottles of beer
Take one down, pass it around
Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
Ninety-nine bottles of beer
Take one down, pass it around
Ninety-eight bottles of beer on the wall

(Continue until no more bottles of beer remain on the wall)

Now, to fulfill the mitzvah of "ad d'lo yadah," we sing the following song:

Who knows Haman?
I know Haman!
Haman was the one who adopted Esther.
...Or was that Mordechai?

Having now come to the end of the Seder, the song "One Little Paper" is sung.

This song was written by Rabbi Shmuel of Chelm, in the late 18th century. The commentators tell us that the paper symbolizes the Jews, known as "The People of the Book", the scissors symbolize Haman, who was a barber by profession, and the rock symbolizes G-d, who is known by the nickname "Tzur Yisrael" (The Rock of Israel).

One little paper, one little paper
That Father bought for two zloti
One little paper, one little paper
And then came the scissors and cut the paper
That Father bought for two zloti
One little paper, one little paper

And then came the rock and jammed the scissors
That cut the paper
That Father bought for two zloti
One little paper, one little paper

And then came the paper and covered up the rock
That jammed the scissors, that cut the paper
That Father bought for two zloti
One little paper, one little paper

And then came the scissors and cut the paper
That covered the rock, that jammed the scissors
That cut the paper
That Father bought for two zloti
One little paper, one little paper

And then came the rock and jammed the scissors
That cut the paper, that covered the rock
That jammed the scissors, that cut the paper
That Father bought for two zloti
One little paper, one little paper

And then came the paper and covered up the rock
That jammed the scissors, that cut the paper
That covered the rock, that jammed the scissors
That cut the paper
That Father bought for two zloti
One little paper, one little paper

And then came the scissors and cut the paper
That covered the rock, that jammed the scissors
That cut the paper, that covered the rock
That jammed the scissors, that cut the paper
That Father bought for two zloti
One little paper, one little paper

(Continue forever, or until the Messiah comes and reveals the ending)

Some now have the custom to read The Book of Esther throughout the night. Others have the custom to sit back and do shots of Jagermeister.

Still others have the custom to read the Book of Esther while doing shots of Jagermeister.

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It's PURIM -- Carnivale in San Francisco, Thursday 3/20

paladin-sf — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 04:03:40 GMT

Thursday, March 20 ... Come to North Beach, wear a costume, have drinks and hear a rabbi chant Hebrew -- What more could you want on a school night??

Purim is the Jewish carnival holiday -- The background story and all the details are at www.chabadsf.org -- with a little more info on the Events tab here -- but here's the deal:

Mojito's Cafe in North Beach, 1337 Grant Ave, doors open 7:30, live music, DJs, Megilla readings, maybe a little snack (so you shouldn't go hungry!), plus crazy Jewish festivity ... $10.

Oy! You're too important to check it out ?!?!?

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Rabbi Mo Gaydau interviews Jewish porn queen Joanna Angel

Alan — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:19:00 GMT

http://www.israelenews.com/view.asp?ID=1322

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

Shomer Negiah Panties

Alan — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 17:01:30 GMT

http://mayatalk.wordpress.com/2007/02/13/shomer-negiah-panties/

posted in Jews With Edge - 2 replies

New Queer Jew Zine (x-posted)

Milo — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:50:06 GMT

Peulah Shaveh Chaiyim, or Peulah Zine

The title is Hebrew for "Action = Life." It's a gathering of stories from radical queer Jews. If you want a copy, please send $3.50 + 2 stamps to:

Peulah Zine
2935 N. Fratney St.
Milwaukee, WI 53212
USA

xoMilo

posted in Jews With Edge - 1 reply

cool ketubah

Cari — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:56:21 GMT

me and my bashert are getting hitched in a few months, as we would love to find a local artist that does ketubot. we're both on the artsy side of the fence, but will need it to conform to orthodox standards (at least in the aramaic). any suggestions? thanks!

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DVD Review: "Assraelis"

Alan — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 05:36:13 GMT

http://fleshbot.com/sex/dvd/dvd-review-assraelis-237486.php

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Jewish Group Protests Condom Campaign

Alan — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 05:14:27 GMT

http://www.nysun.com/article/71602

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

Sex Festival in Tel Aviv

Alan — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:35:38 GMT

http://www.sextival.co.il/

posted in Jews With Edge - 2 replies

I need your most hard-core Hava Negilah

Aviva — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 03:58:46 GMT

Looks like my punk cancan troupe is willing to perform at a Purim shindig. Hava Negila is a great song for cancan, but I hope to find an interesting version. Anyone have or know of one? Doesn't have to be punk.

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Breaking with Bread & Puppet

ianthal — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:11:14 GMT

As I mentioned on a previous thread. I recently parted ways with a certain well known theatre director over issues of Antisemitism in general and "soft-core" Holocaust denial in particular. So, if you're curious, this is my contribution to this year's observance of Yom Ha Shoah:

http://ianthal.blogspot.com/2007/04/breaking-with-bread-and-puppet.html

posted in Jews With Edge - 4 replies

Kosher sales sizzle as shoppers put faith in foods' safety

Alan — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 07:31:08 GMT

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/content/business/epaper/2008/02/09/m1a_KOSHER_0209.html

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

Holocaust-themed Rio Carnival float causes strain

Alan — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:19:41 GMT

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A Carnival float with a pile of model dead bodies commemorating the Holocaust is causing unease before the lavish parades in Rio de Janeiro this weekend.

The Viradouro samba organization, or school, plans to feature the grim display when it marches in the Sambadrome parade strip on Sunday, despite objections from a local Jewish group.

"Really, it makes no sense addressing this theme with drums and dancing girls," said Sergio Niskier, president of the Israelite Federation in Rio de Janeiro state, referring to the slaughter of Jews by Nazi Germany in World War Two.

"There are still survivors of that horror who have the marks of that tragedy on their skin," he said.

Rio's Carnival is famed for the parades by samba schools with glitzy floats and costumes and street parties where costumed revelers drink and dance all night.

The elaborately decorated floats are a key part of each samba school's presentation, along with thousands of dancers and drummers led by near naked Carnival queens.

Viradouro insisted its Holocaust float is not meant to offend anyone.

"The float is extremely respectful, it's a warning, it's something shocking that we don't want to happen ever again," said Paulo Barros, Viradouro's artistic director.

Viradouro's parade theme is "Shockers" and it includes floats depicting the shock of birth, the shock of horror and the shock of cold.

Barrossaid the Holocaust float would be the only one without dancers on top.

"If we had people dancing on top of dead bodies that would indeed be disrespectful," he told Reuters.

Traditionally, the use of religious references causes last-minute problems for samba schools. In the past, the Roman Catholic Church has barred floats with figures of Christ and the Virgin Mary and samba schools had to cover or modify them.

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN2955554720080129?feedType=RSS&6=7&feedName=worldNews&sp=true&rpc=92

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Study finds U.S. Jews distance selves from Israel

celestial — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:06:47 GMT

Discuss

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************
Study finds U.S. Jews distance selves from Israel

By Michael Conlon, Religion WriterThu Sep 6, 1:12 AM ET REUTERS

Young U.S. non-Orthodox Jews are becoming increasingly lukewarm if not alienated in their support for Israel in a trend that is not likely to be reversed, according to a study released on Thursday.

Blending into U.S. society, including marriage to non-Jews and a tendency to look on Judaism more in religious terms than ethnic ones, is part of what's happening, the study found.

"For our parent's generation, the question that mattered was, how do we regard Israel? For Generation Y (born after 1976) the question is indeed, why should we regard Israel?" said Roger Bennett, a vice president of The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, which sponsored the study.

"Until people recognize that a healthy and animated dialogue about Israel is the first step to a meaningful connection, the 'Israel debate' that takes place in America is liable to become moot well before Israel celebrates its 100th birthday," he added.

U.S. support backed by a vocal and politically powerful Jewish lobby has been a key feature of the Jewish state's success since its founding in 1948, an event that is widely backed by U.S. Jews and non-Jews.

But the study found that "feelings of attachment may well be changing as warmth gives way to indifference, and indifference gives way even to downright alienation."

The study found only 48 percent of U.S. Jews under age 35 believe that Israel's destruction would be a personal tragedy for them, compared to 77 percent of those 65 and older.

In addition, only 54 percent of those under the age of 35 are "comfortable with the idea of a Jewish State" as opposed to 81 percent of those 65 and older.

It did find higher levels of support among U.S. Jews, regardless of age, who had visited Israel.

VARIOUS AFFILIATIONS

There are perhaps 6 million Jews in the United States, only about a third of them affiliated with a congregation. Of those who do attend a synagogue, perhaps 40 percent are classified as liberal Reform, 32 percent middle-ground Conservative and 8 percent Orthodox, according to surveys.

The findings were based on a representative sample of 1,704 non-Orthodox Jews in 2006 and 2007 contacted in writing. Its error margin was plus or minus three percentage points. The authors said they excluded Orthodox Jews because they tend to be overwhelmingly supportive of Israel.

In general U.S. Jews "have increasingly adopted the American idea of what it means to be Jewish -- primarily a religious identity," Steven Cohen of Hebrew Union College, co-author of the study, said in an interview.

"The decline in attachment is widespread. It doesn't depend on how you measure it," Cohen added, with the disengagement no different among political liberals or conservatives.

Cohen also said inter-marriage with other faiths had a strong impact with "younger Jews being much more likely to be married to non-Jews."

The trend is part of a long-term historic slide not likely to be reversed since "people do not seem to significantly grow in their attachment to Israel as they age," the study said.

Steven Bayme, director of contemporary Jewish life for the American Jewish Committee, a major pro-Israel lobbying group, said "assimilation is the biggest problem" with declining support among U.S. Jews, but he said it is not new.

"People growing up where there always has been an Israel" are more detached, he said.

But the study breaks new ground, he added, in finding that politics do not underpin declining support -- that it is not as many assume a response to Israel's handling of the peace process or problems with religious pluralism in the country.

Bayme also said that even though Orthodox Jews were not included in the study, the segment represents "strong signs of Jewish renewal" -- children involved in the Hebrew faith in numbers far disproportionate to those of non-Orthodox families and who in the future will help counter the effects of assimilation outside their ranks, he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070906/us_nm/israel_support_dc&printer=1;_ylt=ArGlsmYRl9kTUhaarnHXgnkXIr0F

posted in Jews With Edge - 3 replies

Lists of celebrity Jews ..

marcko — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:24:39 GMT

Sigmund Freud
Wilhelm Reich
Alfred Adler
Abraham Maslow
Otto Rank
Erich Fromm
Anna Freud
Viktor Frankl
Erik Erickson
Noam Chomsky
Ludwig Wittgenstein
Jacques Derrida
Edmund Husserl
Maimonides
Karl Marx
Woody Allen
Adam Sandler
Winona Ryder
Alicia Silverstone
Natalie Portman
Sarah Jessica Parker
Seth Green
Robert Downey Junior
Albert Einstein
Carl Sagan
Niels Bohr
George Soros
Calvin Klein
Ralph Lauren
Levi Strauss
Steven Spielberg
Stanley Kubrick
Mel Brooks
Roman Polanski
Ben Stiller
Aaron Spelling
Oliver Stone

WOOW .. a long lists

posted in Jews With Edge - 49 replies

Jewish Haiku

Max — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:02:45 GMT

Seven-foot Jews in

the NBA slam-dunking--

my alarm clock rings.

**********************************************

If you're as easily amused as I, you'll love this site:

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/culture/Humor/HumorBank/HaikusJews.htm

posted in Jews With Edge - 10 replies

circumcision

jerushah — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 18:10:29 GMT

I am 36 weeks pregnant with my second child, and I know that if I have a boy I will not be circumcising him. I have heard that there are more and more rabbis who are performing a non-violent "bris" and I was wondering if anyone has been to, or experienced one of these personally. When my daughter was born we had a lovely naming ceremony for her, and I would like my son (if it is a boy) to have a gentle welcome into the community as well.

posted in Jews With Edge - 20 replies

Are snowflakes only for goyum?

liabear1 — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 07:51:25 GMT

When you see snowflakes on wrapping paper, cards, etc. do you think"Christmas"? Why do I feel weird about buying snowflake motifs? How did the gentiles get the patent for snowflakes?

posted in Jews With Edge - 11 replies

What's the best part of being a Jew on Christmas?

chadland — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 03:52:43 GMT

What do you think? The traif?

posted in Jews With Edge - 6 replies

Circle K

Max — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 08:14:25 GMT

***If you don't live in an area with Circle-K Markets, they're convenience stores like 7-Eleven. Their trademark is a big "K" inside a circle, as if it were the name of a ranch.***

LiaBear's question about snowflakes caused me to recollect how I once thought about one out of every three people one encounters every day is Jewish.

The first time I saw a Circle-K market was in Yuma, Arizona. When I saw the sign, I did not think "Circle K" but rather "Kosher". I thought maybe it was a meat market. I was very surprised that a town like Yuma would have a large enough Jewish community to support such a store, then I speculated that you don't have to be Jewish to shop there. It just seemed so different, out on some patch of asphalt surrounded by desert sand.

I was glad that I learned what it actually was before I asked about it. My friends sister asked her mom if she could have fifty cents to go to the Circle-K for whatever their version is of a Slurpee.

Am I the only one?

posted in Jews With Edge - 3 replies

Jesus‏

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 09:01:34 GMT

JESUS CHRIST+JESU KRISTE+YESHUA HAMASHIACH+JESUS CHRISTUS+JESU KRISTU+ISOUS HRISTOS

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophesy and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. REVELATION 1:3

And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." REVELATION 11:3

He who testifies to these things says, " Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. REVELATION 22:20-21

+++

Everyone, has the responsibility to find the truth for themselves. What is stated below, must be researched and verified, so that every individual can then decide to accept, or discard it as myth. The only truth is God the Father, the Son our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Read the Bible, pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and our Lord Jesus Christ will not abandon you, but will place the truth in your heart.

+++

We must not try to copy the world, but be different to it, as the example set by our Teacher, our Lord Jesus Christ. Being the same as the world, sharing its base values, being part of the fashion trends, is all part of Satan's system (Sex changes that are taking place ever more frequently and therefore not knowing anymore who is a man or a woman). The Pope of Rome is one of Satan's instruments (the Papists have immense power and wealth, our Lord Jesus Christ was humble and owned nothing). Talmudists/Zionists want to rebuild Solomon's Temple and proclaim their own false king of the world (there is only one King of the Jews and Orthodox Christians and that is our Lord Jesus Christ). Their power base is the U.S.A (Superpower of the world). They contol many governments, banks, newspapers, television stations (the media in general), etc. We must not forget the very elusive and cunning Masonic Lodges which form part of Satan's means to spread anti-Christian and heretic information. Television and video has been one of the most powerful tools of Satan, which has ruined the ethics which sustained our youth and the family unit. With pornography in all its forms, men have been misled and subsequently their women, a whole generation of our youth and their families have been devoured by Satan. We have forgotten about God, the Bible and prayer and have allowed ourselves to go down the road to hell and have fallen into Satan's trap (in other words we are slaves to flesh and our desires). Hedonism is the aim of humanity.

The group that is attempting to rule the world, consists of three member countries, U.S.A, Europe and Japan (3 presidents). Their central control, consists of 32 members (of the 29, 8 are Americans; 9 from Japan; 12 from the European Union (contolled from Belgium/Luxembourg). Head of the 3 member group is Rockefeller (his head quaters is in Rhodes, Greece; his specific influence is in the U.S.A and E.U). Whoever does not obey the orders of this group are murdered. Death is the penalty for disobedience. Another Satanic "club" is called, Bildeberg. They can destroy any government and put a new one together again. They can make a country vanish and create a new one too. 200 members, which include intelligence agencies (CIA; BIA; BND (Ger.); SIB (Ital.); SPELA (Fra.)). There are members who are involved with NATO and hold important positions in the US administration, etc. They hold an extremely harsh stance against the East, especially with Russia because of its Christian Orthodox heritage. They exterminate/demolish any opposition.

An enemy going back thousands of years is head quatered in China (the Himalayas/Tibet). The Seljuks come from that region, who are the ancestors of the Turks, who attacked and oppressed Christian Orthodoxy in Asia Minor and Greece. The Turks/Jews have tried many times to wipe out the Greeks and Christian Orthodoxy. They call the Greeks and Christian Orthodoxy, the people of the "Blue Trigramaton" (which is refering to the Holy Light that emenates from our Lord Jesus Christ's tomb). The roots of martial arts is that region spoken of above. Martial arts are Satanic and anti-Christian and yet has our youth spellbound under the innocent guise of sport/fitness. In the Himalayas there is a glass pyramid (Sambala), it has many entrances. This is where the White Brotherhood is based. It's aim is to destroy all the world's religions except its own. It has more power than the U.S.A. It has more resources at its disposal than all the governments in the world. It has infiltrated and controls many governments and religions (Roman Catholics, Protestants and Judaism). The First and Second World Wars were masterminded by them. They are going to start the Third World War too. The White Brotherhood works with the Bildeberg club and all the others. They are assisted by the Zionists. They created Hitler and introduced the Swastika (broken cross, that is what it means). Hirohito of Japan was responsible for a massive bloodbath, but he was not punished like the others, after the Second World War because he was a member of the world ruling 3 member group mentioned above. Grey Wolves (Turkish Muslims), are connected to the White Brotherhood. Only Grey Wolves members may rule Turkey. They must always mantain a harsh stance against Greece/Christian Orthodoxy (Turgut Ozal, was exterminated for his softer stance).

The White Brotherhood want to destroy the followers of Jesus Christ. They call His followers, bipods or two-legged ones. Their methods are many: thirst, hunger on a worldwide scale. All plants and forests must be destroyed. Wars, so as to ensure maximum slaughter. They refer to humanity as a chicken breeding farm. They destroy humanity with drugs; they have contaminated our drinking water (it has been doctored with medication); our food is also contaminated and our clothes too from the fancy washing powders that we use (that is why everyone is getting ill and they don't know why). Thirst on a worldwide scale, for eg.. Euphrates to be dried up because of Turkey, which will lead to a confrontation with Iran/Syria. Hunger, for eg., Russia was the world's wheat provider, even the U.S.A relied on her. The White Brotherhood ensured that Russia would starve. In Moscow young women give themselves for a plate of food. Homosexuality, the U.S.A being its banner. One can go on and on, but there will be no end then. It is devestating. But do not despair, if you are a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ because He has defeated Satan and the world.

(This is a summarized version and a translation of a tape recording in Greek, from a Greek Orthodox perspective ofcourse, given to me by a Monk at Calvary/Golgotha in Jerusalem, Christmas, 2001. I cannot divulge any names, nor my own because this is a very dangerous subject. You will have to verify the truthfullness of the matter yourself. Please excuse my errors of spelling or other. May God forgive me if I am wrong about any of this, but I do it with honest intentions. God bless you. From a humble follower of our Lord Jesus Christ.)

+++

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." JOHN 16:33

+++

"LORD JESUS CHRIST, HAVE MERCY ON ME."

posted in Jews With Edge - 13 replies

A Jew with a Sharp Edge.

RXR — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:10:58 GMT

This was forwarded to me by my cousin. I'd be interested to know if any of you have any more info about this subject.....

Subject: Famous Sephardic Jew. Amazing Information!

This recent article about the most famous Jewish Pirate, Jean Lafitte, was written by a former professor from TEMPLE UNIVERSITY , PROF. BERNARD GLICK. Many of the pirates of the Caribbean were Sephardic Jews who turned to piracy to get revenge on the Spanish Catholics who expelled them from Spain in 1492, murdered their families & stole their property. Six of Barbarossa's chief officers were Jewish!!
This article sheds light on one of the most famous Jewish Pirates-

JEAN LAFITTE. THE JEWISH PIRATE -- by Prof. Edward Bernard Glick

One of the things I do since I retired from Philadelphia 's Temple University in 1991 is lecture on cruise ships. My signature talk is the 50-century-old history of piracy, whose practitioners I call the Seafaring Gangsters of the World. A few weeks before my first gig, I sent a draft
of the talk to my history-buff sister, Phyllis. She liked it, but she was very unhappy that I had not mentioned Jean Lafitte. I told her I didn't include him because, except for two famous bisexual female pirates, Mary Read and Anne Bonny, I intended to deal with the economics, the sociology and the politics of piracy. She said I simply had to talk about Lafitte because he was unique. He was a Sephardic Jew, as was his first wife, who was born in the Danish Virgin Islands . In his prime, Lafitte ran not just one pirate sloop but a whole fleet of them simultaneously. He even bought a blacksmith shop in New Orleans, which he used as a front for fencing pirate loot. And he was one of the few buccaneers who didn't die in battle, in prison or on the gallows.

Though I didn't lecture about Lafitte at first, a circumstance of serendipity has made me do so ever since. I was flying to Norfolk, Virginia. The man in the seat next to me wore a skullcap, and he began chatting with me in Gallic-accented English. Though born in France, the friendly passenger now lives in Switzerland. We quickly established that we were both Jewish and that both of us had taught in Israel . Then we had the following conversation:
"What are you doing on this plane ?" I asked.
"I'm a mathematician. I work for an American company and I'm flying to Norfolk today because it has the US Navy's largest naval base and my company is trying to get a Navy contract. Now, what are you doing on this plane?"
"My wife and I are picking up a cruise ship in Norfolk "
"Taking a vacation?"
"Not entirely. I'll be giving lectures on the ship, as many in fact as there are full days at sea."
"What do you lecture about?"
"Cruise lines frown on controversial topics. I have talked about Israel once or twice. But I usually talk about Latin America, which is
my second specialty, or the Panama Canal, or Mexico's Isthmus of Tehuantepec, or Prince Henry the Navigator, or Portuguese explorations
after Prince Henry, or Alfred Thayer Mahan's belief in the supremacy of sea power, or the political economy of the 21st century, or the voyages of Captain Cook to the South Pacific. But I always begin a cruise with a lecture on pirates. The kids love it, and the old folks like it, too."
"Are you are going talk about Jean Lafitte?"
"No," and I repeated what my sister had told me.
He pulled out his wallet and handed me a business card. It had "Melvyn J. Lafitte written on it. Then he said, "I could tell you that as we were chatting I printed this card on a nano-sized printing press hidden in my pocket. And of course, you wouldn't believe me. But the truth is that I am a direct descendant of Jean Lafitte. Your sister, Phyllis, is absolutely right. Our family, originally named Lefitto, lived in the Iberian Peninsula for centuries. When Ferdinand and Isabella reconquered Spain and expelled the Muslims and the Jews in 1492, most of the Jews fled to North Africa . Others went to the Balkans or to Greece and Turkey . But some Sephardi Jews, my ancestors among them, crossed the Pyrenees and settled in France, where Jean was born in about 1780. He moved to French Santo Domingo during the Napoleonic period. However, a slave rebellion forced him to flee to New Orleans. Eventually, he became a pirate, but he always called himself a privateer because that label has a more legal ring to it.

"In 1814, the British sought his aid in their pending attack on New Orleans," he continued. "However, he passed their plans to the Americans and helped General Andrew Jackson beat them in 1815. A grateful Jackson, not yet president, saw to it that Lafitte and his family became American citizens. And by the way, did you know that there is a town of Jean Lafitte , as well as a Jean Lafitte National Historical Park in Southwestern Louisiana ?"

I was flabbergasted, not so much by the saga of Jean Lafitte as retold by a proud descendant, but by the fact that the two of us had met so coincidentally in the skies over Georgia. Melvyn Lafitte lives in Geneva and I live in Portland , Oregon . These cities are 5,377 miles apart. Unlike him, I am mathematically challenged, so I don't know what the statistical probability is that a descendant of the Franco-Jewish-American pirate Jean Lafitte would board an airplane and sit next to me, as I was agonizing over whether to mention his famous ancestor in my forthcoming talk.

posted in Jews With Edge - 4 replies

TRUTH IS FREE; so is my RETREAT Vermont

Bald Mountain Retreat, — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 20:29:35 GMT

I'm looking to network with folks, to extend an invitation to visit Bald Mountain Retreat, VT (www.baldmountainretreat.com) as my guest. Like-minded people who appreciate rustic accommodations are welcome to come up at no charge. (Those who require a private room can inquire about those accommodations as well.) www.kabbalahhealing.com
Basically, I'm offering people the opportunity to come stay with a retired naturopathic doctor in a truly amazing natural setting, secluded, idyllic, peaceful...
If you might want to lead a retreat, please contact me.
You are welcome.
Shalom,
Dr David

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

Open Source Judaism anyone?

halraschid — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 04:44:56 GMT

http://www.jewbuntu.org/

What is Jewbuntu?

Jewbuntu is a variant of a variant of the Ubuntu Operating system designed specifically for Jews. Like the editions put out by the goyish communities, such as Ubuntu CE and ME, Jewbuntu takes the best that Ubuntu has to offer, and adds special open-source software and packages that appeal to a Jewish Audience.
Features and Benefits

* Jewbuntu is Free!
* Jewbuntu contains the Torah in its original Hebrew form, as well as the entire liturgy for the entire year!
* All religious text are denominationally aware - for example, if you are Conservative or Reform it will remove the portions of the Torah not acknowledged by your denomination, and utilize the proper liturgy.
* In addition to the Security tools in standard versions of Linux, Jewbuntu comes with Insecurity tools that were specially designed to encourage users to keep their system up to date. Instead of displaying a simple 'New Updates are Available message', it prompts you with - ' Go ahead, don't patch me, it's not as if I'm important enough to be hacked, and even if I am, what's the worse that can happen - so you lose a few pictures of the Grandchildren that you haven't sent you Mom yet, she'll live.'
* Did we mention, it's F-R-E-E!
* Jewbuntu can also be configured to automatically update your computer, and then notify you that it updated itself - because G-d only knows that if it had to wait for you, it would never get done.
* Jewbuntu also comes with the Mamaloshen Open Mailer program (MOM) for short. This program not only manages your e-mail and calendar, but also analyzes the events on your calendar and provides you with custom, helpful, and timely reminders (Heaven forbid you should listen). At random intervals during the day MOM will review your e-mails and calendar and offer advice tidbits. Here are some samples: "You have a date with Allison this evening - where is this going? Hey, why is it marked as an overnight event?"; "Funny, I browsed your whole schedule and noticed you didn't have a single entry for 'Call Mom' so I took the liberty of adding it as a recurring event - hourly."
* The system comes complete with RSS feeds of Classic Yiddish Insults, MP3 Hebrew Word Pronunciation Guides, and excuses for not calling your Mother.
* Once, again, there is no cost for Jewbuntu!
* Jewbuntu also has the Instant Advocacy script - this script searches the net for public opinon polls about Israel, and automatically votes once every five minutes based on your political preferences.
* It's FREE so what are you waiting for? Download it already!

Variants:

Jewbuntu has several variants including:

* JAP Edition - has a special payment service that automatically charges Daddy's credit card
* Mixed-Marriage Edition - Combines the best of Ubuntu CE and Jewbuntu. Also includes 'Jewish tips for Goyim' MOTD; The only caveat is that you can't install the Orthodox Denomination
* Goojubuntu - Are you a Googler? Want the best of Jewbuntu, but also the best of the Goobuntu distro? Goojubuntu combines both in one easy to download package. BONUS - includes a special translating tool - GooGooGaJew - which changes all long U sounds into the Google-Kitschy oo - i.e. Kugel and Bubbaleh become Koogle and Boobaleh respectively.

posted in Jews With Edge - 2 replies

Jews must marry

L-DIDDY — Mon, 26 Apr 2004 22:10:29 GMT

Does anyone feel intense pressure to marry jewish, from family members or friends and others... I find it difficult to limit myself... I love who I love and there isn't much I can do about that. If I find a Jewish woman, Awsome if not AWSome as well.

posted in Jews With Edge - 49 replies

Bay Area High Holy Days

aquarianminyan — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 18:43:36 GMT

If you missed Rosh Hashanah services but need somewhere to go for Yom Kippur, Aquarian Minyan Jewish Renewal opens its doors.

We offer spiritually focused services combining traditional elements with innovative ones, great music, dancing, and serious spiritual work.

Our slogan is: Renewing the Old, Making Holy the New.

Our theme this year is: Practicing love; building holy community.

We have a wonderful Rabbi, Diane Elliot, who was a dancer before becoming a rabbi.

We are child friendly, family friendly, gay friendly, and have great children's services.

Shana Tova!

Full time students and Buddhist monks, free.

You can register at the door. Sliding scale.

Check out our web site, www.aquarianminyan.org or call 510-843-3131.

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

L'shanah tovah everyone!

liabear1 — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 04:48:56 GMT

Just got back from mom's. Ugg, I'm full!

posted in Jews With Edge - 3 replies

LA- high holidays. what Shul? wanna join me?

Bonsai — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 10:44:23 GMT

so i havent been to temple since i've moved to the west coast. i'd think in a city this saturated with jews that i would have sunk my teeth into a richly cultured community, yet nothing as of yet. that's mostly my own fault though, as i've been making many poor efforts and excuses

regardless, i'm looking for suggestions for a shul to attend possibly on the west side that's got a good rabbi and/or community. would be willing to drive somewhere else if its worth the exploration. i know my synagogue in NC required that you buy a ticket for a seat. is that the case here, and if so- i guess i'm looking for a temple that won't require me to have a ticket.

i look forward to spending some time and meeting some of the extended jew-fam wherever you may be!

>my pref: conservative

P.S.: random slightly related question> do jews for jesus do rosh hashanah?

posted in Jews With Edge - 1 reply

Make Alyjah! SF High Holy Days with Ayn Sof :)

JahLove — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 05:27:03 GMT

Come Celebrate your sparkling soul with Ayn Sof Kabbalah Community! Circle with Rabbi Alyjah, Akhi on the Veena, and other musical guests, for a spiritual re-birthing and re-awakening to who and what we really are, as we journey through the 4 Kabbalist Worlds of Existence to Vision our Spiritual Quest for the new spiritual year of 5768. If you could renew your spirit and transform your world in the coming year, what would you do, what would you heal, and how would you feel? If you had the power to change one thing in the world for the better, what would it be? How do you become At-One, how can All of Us become At-One? 10 Days of Light give us time to reflect, to rejuvenate and to radiate....

Bright Blessings and hopes that you will join us from 8pm-10pm on September 12th and September 21st of 2007 to celebrate the High Holy Days with Ayn Sof Kabbalah Community at OneTaste Urban Retreat Center, 1074 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. ALSO join us for TASHLIKH SPIRITUAL PURIFICATION BY THE SEA at OCEAN BEACH at 2pm on 9-13-07 below the Cliff House. Meet at Ocea Beach sign and then onto the beach below Cliff House. All adult, spiritual seekers are welcome! Come enjoy Meditation, Reflection, Chant, Music and friendly sharing of mystical wisdom. Whatever support you are able to offer will be appreciated. No one is turned away for lack of funds. At each ritual gathering, a $10-18 sliding scale Light Offering is suggested: 10 and 18 are mystical numbers honoring the sacred energies of Light and Life. You are welcomed to these High Holy Day rituals of Ayn Sof Kabbalah Community with Light and Blessing. To receive further High Holy Day information, please visit www.aynsof.org and subscribe to Ayn Sof Kabbalah Community.

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

Make Aliyah!

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 04:39:06 GMT

Top 10 Reasons Jews DON'T Make Aliyah
by Tamar Yonah

I've heard it all. Excuses, excuses, excuses. But in fact, it is your, "I'll make aliyah only under MY conditions... not G-d's." - THAT is what it comes down to. Every Jew without exception should be yearning to come home.

Today I went to cover the Nefesh B'nefesh flight that came into Israel's Ben Gurion Airport this morning. It was carrying 210 new immigrants from the US and Canada. They broke through their fears and material desires to take their place in history and join the millions of Jews already here in our homeland. They have chosen to BUILD the land and nation of Israel, not stay behind in the dying Exile.

Watch this 17 second video below. Sorry about the quality, it was taken with my cell phone.

Almost 100 of the 210 new immigrants on the flight today were singles. I also came when I was single, but I didn't have the Nefesh B'nefesh fan fare, and my aliyah was a lot more difficult. I'm not complaining though. Our ancestors had it a lot harder than any of us Jews today. Swamps, malaria, British rule, Turkish-Ottoman rule, food rationing, third world standard of living.... I can go down memory lane with you if you like, listing all the hardships we have had to suffer in the past, but that's not what I want to write on this blog entry.

Today, hundreds of Jews attained their goal of coming home, and planting themselves in the Holy Land of Israel. I don't say they made a dream come true, because in order to dream, one has to be asleep. I am talking about people who were determined to make aliyah a conscious goal. They yearned for Israel, and they came. What our brothers and sisters did today was realize the aspirations of our ancestors for the last two thousand years. They have left the Exile and are now going to start a dynasty of their family right here in our homeland. Their grandchildren will say, "I'm an Israeli today because my grandfather (fill in your name) and my grandmother (fill in your name) left the 'Old Country' and came to Israel. You will be remembered for generations for changing the destiny of your family line. Your future seed will now be Israeli because of the goal you set for yourself. And it is not always easy to make aliyah. Though it is luxurious to live in this Land and have virtually all your neighbors be Jewish, with the country celebrating Jewish holidays and every Friday before the Sabbath the air takes on a different feeling, you are coming as someone from a different culture, one that is NOT Jewish. Here, you will learn what it really means to be a Jew.

I often hear a lot of excuses from our brothers and sisters in the Western Exile how they don't want to come to Israel because of X, Y, or Z.

Here are just a few of the examples I have been given by Jews who make excuses why they can't or won't make aliyah...

1) The government is not to their liking.
2) They won't come until there is peace.
3) They don't believe they are obligated to live here until the Moshiach comes (I think that Tzvi Fishman has proven that wrong with the Torah sources given on his blog.)
4) They won't come unless they know they have a job in their field waiting for them.
5) Their kids are too old
6) Their kids are too young
7) They're waiting until they retire
8) They're waiting until they are dead and need to be buried
9) Their furniture won't fit in these small apts. - Honest to goodness, this was an excuse. One American woman looked at my parent's dining room when they were here touring Jerusalem on a pilot trip and the woman said, "I can't make aliyah, I see that my dining room table would never fit into an Israeli apt. that I can afford".
10) I have old sick parents or I am divorced and I can't take my kids with me.

Of the above 10 reasons why most Jews don't make aliyah today.... only number ten has any merit at all. I personally sympathize with divorcees that want to be in their children's lives, and cannot do so if they are forced to leave them in the Old Country. I also understand how someone who feels they cannot come because they are caring for their elderly parent who cannot be moved or travel such a long distance. However, even these two excuses can be argued.

The fact is, that most of our Jewish brothers and sisters who don't want to make aliyah is because they are prisoners.
They are prisoners of their fear and prisoners of the golden cages they have bult for themselves. They are attached to their materialistic life styles and cannot escape. They THINK that they are free, but they are slaves. Slaves to the American dream, wealth, success, materialism, and their THINGS. Nice house, nice car(s), nice shopping. They are living in affluence and they can't extricate themselves.

We KNOW this to be true. I will prove this to you right now.

When one doesn't make aliyah for idealistic reasons, it is for one of two other reasons...
1) Anti-Semitism,
2) Their host country's economic situation is very bad, and it is better in Israel.

When we look and see why we had aliyah from the Soviet Union back in the 1970's, it was because they were living under an anti-Semitic and Communist regime. A Jew could not practice Judaism there under the anti-Semitic USSR, they couldn't get jobs they deserved because they were Jewish, and so they applied to emigrate and come to Israel (or the USA).
They are prisoners in their golden cages.

Today, Jews from France are making aliyah. Many other French Jews are buying homes here in Israel in preparation for a near-future aliyah. They are leaving France to escape their unsympathetic French government in denial about anti-Semitism, and the rising anti-semitic attacks on Jews from France's immigrant Moslem population. It has convinced Jews that they have no future in France anymore.

In the early 90's, we had a massive aliyah from Russia after the Soviet Union broke up. This time it was because the Russian economy was so bad. Israel offered a much better lifestyle and standard of living, and so they made aliyah. (And what a blessing that was for us here in Israel. It is always a blessing for us here in Israel when Jews make aliyah.)

Later, we had a large aliyah from Argentina. The Economy in Argentina suffered a crisis of enormous proportions, and thousands of Jews from that country chose to come on aliyah.

The largest Jewish population in the Exile is in the USA, but they don't want to come for the ten reasons listed above. They are too comfortable. Most Jews in the USA are pretty much removed from Torah. They are Jews who belong to a Conservative or Reform synagogue and do not know their own mother tongue - Hebrew. Most have never learned Torah and many want to shrug off the 'burden' of being a Jew. I want to address the religious Jews who should know better, and should want better.

Jews are weighted down like a heavy bird in the golden cages of the Exile.

We KNOW that G-d gave us this land as our homeland.
We KNOW that the future of the Jewish People is going to be here, in Israel, and not in New York, Monsey, Los Angeles, or London.
We KNOW that we cannot do all the mitzvoth (commandments) unless we are living in Israel.
We KNOW that we were punished in the desert because of the spies who rejected the land of Israel.
We KNOW that G-d wants us to live here and that even today, He is gathering us from the four corners of the earth in line with what our prophets predicted.

And, we KNOW that if anti-Semitism rose to a level that was uncomfortable and too dangerous for Jews in the USA, they would leave America.
And we KNOW that if the economy in America would crash, or that things would be very bad, that these same Jews who are crying out the above 'ten excuses not to make aliyah', would all be converging on the aliyah offices in America and trying to get here.
If you are not yearning for Israel, there is something FUNDAMENTALLY wrong with your Judaism.
If you are not yearning for Israel, there is something FUNDAMENTALLY wrong with your Judaism.

So, to my Jewish brothers and sisters in the West who are belly-aching about this reason or that why they can't or won't or don't HAVE to come on aliyah and return home, --some tough love here for yuh.... if things got bad there where you are, you WOULD come. Because the minute that Israel would offer you better than what you have now, you'd be scratching your heads and saying to your spouses, "maybe we should move to Israel. I hear they have it easier over there." Jews would be flocking to Israel from the West like all the other mass emigrations and aliyahs in history. America will be no different.

No, you won't have the perfect government. You will have to come here and build the nation with us and vote in a better government.

No, you may not come to a country that has 'peace', but America is under threat of massive mega-terror as well. Better to be in a country where almost all the Jews have a gun, know how to use it, and can defend themselves.

No, you will most likely not have a guaranteed job waiting for you, calling your name. You will have to come and interview for jobs just like our own families do here in Israel.

No, your kids aren't too young or too old. This is our home. We are your family. Your kids will adjust. They'll make friends, pick up the language and you'll be asking THEM to help you with your Hebrew.

Don't wait until retirement or until you are dead. You needn't die for Israel. LIVE (here) FOR ISRAEL.

Let go of the weight that keeps you in the Exile. Get out of your slavery to comfort and materialism. Open your golden cages that you have imprisoned yourselves in and come home.
If you consider yourself a Torah believing Jew, then you should AT LEAST be YEARNING to come to Israel. Maybe you feel you can't because of your fear, or your family obligations for elderly parents or lack of custody for your kids, but a Jew should at LEAST be YEARNING to make aliyah and move to Israel. You should at least be saying, "I'd LOVE to come to Israel, but alas, I cannot, I have to care for my sick, elderly mother who can't be moved". ...And if you are not yearning for Israel, if you are not dreaming of the day when you can come home, and instead are very happy in the cage you live in, there is something FUNDAMENTALLY wrong with your Judaism.

posted in Jews With Edge - 14 replies

BAY AREA HIGH HOLY DAYS

aquarianminyan — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 22:29:29 GMT

Wondering where to go for the High Holy Days in the Bay Area?

Come to The Aquarian Minyan, one of the oldest Jewish Renewal organizations in the world, at St. John's Church, 2727 College Avenue, Berkeley.

We offer spiritually focused services combining traditional elements with innovative ones, great music, dancing, and serious spiritual work.

Our slogan is: Renewing the Old, Making Holy the New.

Our theme this year is: Practicing love; building holy community.

We have a wonderful Rabbi, Diane Elliot, who was a dancer before becoming a rabbi.

We are child friendly, family friendly, gay friendly, and have great children's services.

Full time students and Buddhist monks, free.

You can register at the door. Sliding scale.

Check out our web site, www.aquarianminyan.org or call 510-843-3131.

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

$$$

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 02:23:23 GMT

Food for Thought. by Steven Shamrak

Israel would not need "a dramatic increase in USA aid" if the US and Russia stopped making money by supplying Muslim countries with weapons. So called aid is just a balancing act, to keep the business going. Please, stop doing Jews a 'favour'!

posted in Jews With Edge - 11 replies

What Really Happened..........

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:58:04 GMT

I got this video link from my Mother yesterday..........very interesting stuff

http://www.terrorismawareness.org/what-really-happened/

posted in Jews With Edge - 32 replies

Tribe Zion Pride

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 21:14:43 GMT

Brand new Tribe.
An open forum to discuss and share about the miracle of the Jewish people returning home.

http://tribes.tribe.net/zionpride

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

Jews that Burn - (LLUMINATING THE WORLD)

shamanessence — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 06:15:27 GMT

Friday Night - the gift of Lighting Shabbat Candles...

So I never thought I would do this...but Raizel form Chabad House in Holllywood has ''gifted' jewish Burners who want the opportunity to lights shabbos candles befor sunset on friday nights on the PLAYA.
I will be at MOONBEAM CAMP, address; around 3'O'clock and the street begging with 'i' (can't remember the name dammit .)..it will be listed.

Come early and pick up the 'Friday Light' kits. I will be on the Playa as of the 19th, working the fascist gate, so find me if you will.

Queen Yummy, Mariamne

posted in Jews With Edge - 2 replies

edgey jews on the playa

cinemagirl — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:58:31 GMT

Hey folks.
I'm running the NYC Container again this year and I"ll be located about 7:15 and D. Look for two 53 foot containers with a bunch of east coasters! come by and say hello if you want...

Where will the rest of you be?

posted in Jews With Edge - 4 replies

LA Concert

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 03:03:01 GMT

Please bring 100 of your closest friends and join us for an amazing concert featuring
Rabbi Shlomo Katz
Motzei Shabbat, August 4, 2007 @ 9:45pm
at Congregation Mogen David
9717 West Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
$15/ticket, $10/student ticket

If you do not live in the area, please pass this on to your friends who do

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

freestyle in Judea

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 22:37:31 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFkw1ka8ObM

posted in Jews With Edge - 1 reply

Seeking Rabbi for wedding blessing on Playa

Gothalot — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:46:12 GMT

Im looking for a Rabbi to bless my wedding on playa. Anyone?

posted in Jews With Edge - 18 replies

scary stuff

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 10:27:52 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzQFyhFNUtE

posted in Jews With Edge - 7 replies

Hamas is using anti semitic cartoons to target Russian audience

Giyus — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:06:04 GMT

Assuming anti Semitism is alive and well among Russian crowds, Hamas is distributing anti Semitic cartoons to get their message out.

Check out the full report from the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center in Israel.

http://ws.collactive.com/points/point?id=BKyJOcyj40yw

This is a Giyus.org campaign, giving a voice to Israel online - to learn more and support Israel go to http://www.giyus.org

posted in Jews With Edge - 1 reply

Iran's Holocaust Denial Conference

ianthal — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 18:19:09 GMT

As covered by the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/12/world/middleeast/13holocaustcnd.html?hp&ex=1165986000&en=73fc9e41f63d6f33&ei=5094&partner=homepage

As covered by Haaretz:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/799683.html

Interesting that Haaretz notes some facts that I have yet to see in American press coverage: 1.) The presence of Ultra-Orthodox Jews attending in support; and, 2.) Attacks on the conference from the Iranian opposition (both academic and political.)

BBC seems to downplay both the Iranian opposition and the Ultra-Orthodox rabbis:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6167695.stm

posted in Jews With Edge - 13 replies

HaRav Amnon

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 06:06:13 GMT

mms://il12.cast-tv.com/list_vod_shofar/Languages/english/28e.wmv

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

Dov Shurin

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 05:31:37 GMT

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1349811510528637948

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

UK Academic boycott of Israel

ianthal — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:15:30 GMT

The New Statesman, is running a poll on their website regarding support of the UK boycott of Israeli universities.

You can have your voice heard at http://www.newstatesman.com/

Currently, support for the boycott is down to 33%.

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

Where are my Seattle Jews!

blackbeard — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 21:24:24 GMT

I'm back in town after a long hiatus, and I'm looking for the chutzpah I left behind in New Jersey. Where are my roughneck Seattle edgy Jews!

posted in Jews With Edge - 5 replies

Where or where is my Nice Jewish Boy?

cinemagirl — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 22:09:27 GMT

sigh...
seriously.

I was having a perfectly nice relationship with a nonJew and finally...(as eventually) it came out that he refers to me as The Jew to his family. And says I'm his Jewish friend.

And that's that.

I truly believe that Jewish men just have a very specific type of female in mind and I dont fit it. But BOY do I wish I could find a nice Jewish man.

Rant done!
xoxo
cin

posted in Jews With Edge - 9 replies

diary of a 14-year-old Jewish girl, dubbed the "Polish Anne Frank," unveiled

liabear1 — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 04:22:35 GMT

did you folks read this?
It's pretty "heavy" so skip it if you're easily upset. One of the things I notice about this and Anne Frank's diary is that these young girls were such good writers. Now, our 14 year olds now write, "cu l8r"

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/05/world/main2885768.shtml?source=RSSattr=World_2885768

"The diary of a 14-year-old Jewish girl, dubbed the "Polish Anne Frank," unveiled by Israel's Holocaust museum more than 60 years after the teenager wrote it, vividly describes the world crumbling around her as she came of age in a Jewish ghetto.

"The rope around us is getting tighter and tighter," Rutka Laskier wrote in 1943 shortly before she was deported to Auschwitz, her words read aloud Monday at the Yad Vashem museum in Jerusalem. "I'm turning into an animal waiting to die.""......

posted in Jews With Edge - 1 reply

Be strong be proud

celestial — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 21:37:41 GMT

G_d bless the Jewish people for ever and ever

via my b/f:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=274-Nn058_U

posted in Jews With Edge - 4 replies

This is just wrong

celestial — Wed, 02 May 2007 02:12:13 GMT

http://www.jewishbazaar.com/BAZAAR/DogCatToys.HTM

posted in Jews With Edge - 6 replies

US Government funded Al Hurra network promoting Anti-Israel, Holocaust Denial agenda?

ianthal — Wed, 02 May 2007 11:12:50 GMT

It's hard to tell from the articles (the Wall Street Journal piece is in the "opinions" section) how alarmed we should be. It's not clear if the questionable stories are part of an overall editorial policy or if the objectionable coverage was confined to a couple of isolated stories on that network. Nonetheless, it's something to be investigated.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010011

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/122309

posted in Jews With Edge - 0 replies

Young, Jewish, And Left

Milo — Tue, 01 May 2007 00:32:59 GMT

Has anyone seen this?

a friend caught it in Madison last week, and it looks awesome

http://www.youngjewishandleft.org

posted in Jews With Edge - 1 reply

Holocaust Avoidance in UK Classrooms

ianthal — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 11:57:31 GMT

The story is that an unknown number of schools in the UK had dropped mention of the Holocaust in the classroom for fear of teaching something that greatly conflicted with what Muslim students were being taught at home or in the mosque. Thankfully, as the story broke, there was enough outcry throughout British society to put the Holocaust back into the cirriculum.

As far as I can tell from the stories I have read, this appears to have only happened in a small minority of UK schools-- but no numbers are given.

Other "controversial" topics dropped from the history cirriculum include the British involvement in the African slave trade and the Crusades. Of course, these events are not "controversial" as no serious historian doubts that these events occured.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article1600686.ece

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1173879237570&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Chilling is the end of this ynet article which notes that 28% of 19-29 year olds in Britain have no idea that the Holocaust happened:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3384299,00.html

There's a link in that ynet article to the previous report on that poll.

posted in Jews With Edge - 5 replies