Even if Hillary's story was true....
"If getting shot at by sniper fire qualifies you to be president, then there are thousands of guys in the military right now who are way more qualified than Hillary Clinton to be our next president."
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Hitchens speaks truth to potential power....
But is it "inflammatory" to say that AIDS and drugs are wrecking the black community because the white power structure wishes it? No. Nor is it "controversial." It is wicked and stupid and false to say such a thing. And it not unimportantly negates everything that Obama says he stands for by way of advocating dignity and responsibility over the sick cults of paranoia and victimhood.
But is it "inflammatory" to say that AIDS and drugs are wrecking the black community because the white power structure wishes it? No. Nor is it "controversial." It is wicked and stupid and false to say such a thing. And it not unimportantly negates everything that Obama says he stands for by way of advocating dignity and responsibility over the sick cults of paranoia and victimhood.
At Protein Wisdom, Obama's advisors get some helpful hints.
Retired Air Force General Scott...Gration’s big idea is eliminating nuclear weapons globally — a position that would be considered monumentally reckless but for its near-impossible utopianism. Obama has said only that “he would seek a world without nukes but would never disarm unilaterally.” Mars has no nukes, so Obama can cross that one off the to-do list.
Retired Air Force General Scott...Gration’s big idea is eliminating nuclear weapons globally — a position that would be considered monumentally reckless but for its near-impossible utopianism. Obama has said only that “he would seek a world without nukes but would never disarm unilaterally.” Mars has no nukes, so Obama can cross that one off the to-do list.
Monday, March 24, 2008
The cast of Battlestar Galactica appeared on David Letterman to read the "Top 10 Reasons to Watch the 4th Season of Battlestar Galactica". Guess which number Number 6 read?
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Old photos show flaws in steel of I-35W bridge
Did these flaws cause the collapse? Beats me - I'm no engineer. However, that article prompted me to click on to a fascinating retrospective called "13 Seconds in August" regarding the collapse of the same bridge. A long post-collapse photo is provided with a number next to each vehicle which fell with the bridge. By clicking on each car or truck, you can see a biography of the vehicle's occupants where it is known, and in some cases, video interviews with the survivors.
Did these flaws cause the collapse? Beats me - I'm no engineer. However, that article prompted me to click on to a fascinating retrospective called "13 Seconds in August" regarding the collapse of the same bridge. A long post-collapse photo is provided with a number next to each vehicle which fell with the bridge. By clicking on each car or truck, you can see a biography of the vehicle's occupants where it is known, and in some cases, video interviews with the survivors.
This post on normblog got me to thinking (as most of his posts do).
If the people of Iraq (or many American Democrats for that matter) don't believe that Iraq has been liberated, does that mean that they actually haven't been?
Certainly, the Iraqi people have suffered horrors of war which would not have occurred had it not been for the American invasion. But do we say that blacks weren't freed from slavery despite another hundred plus years of segregation, humiliation, lynchings and myriad other horrors? Do we say that G-d did not release the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, despite the fact that countless millions have been murdered and tortured over the millennia?
Iraq was indeed liberated by the United States. However, some have confused liberation with the end of suffering. Freedom is not a guarantee; it is a series of doors behind which opportunity, and potentially tragedy, knock.
On my nightstand now - The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: My Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World.
Friday, March 21, 2008
The other problem I have with Roger Cohen's Op-Ed is his ignoring of the violence that took place in South Africa (justified or not) under the banner of the African National Congress, and South African history in general.
Cohen writes, "When I was a teenager, my relatives advised me to enjoy the swimming pools of Johannesburg because “next year they will be red with blood.” But the inevitable bloodbath never came. Mandela walked out of prison and sought reconciliation, not revenge."
According to his biography, Cohen's teenage years were roughly from 1969-1973. Now, Mandela did walk out of prison in 1990, but what happened in the 20 years prior to that? Was there no violence? I'm sure the victims of the Soweto massacre wouldn't say so. Or victims of the Church Street Bombing. Or the thousands of others who suffered in tit-for-tat attacks and sabotage that occurred during those years.
Maybe it wasn't as bloody as the American Civil War, but to suggest that blood wasn't spilled in the struggle against apartheid is ridiculous.
By the way, here's a report about Nelson Mandela's ANC per the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
While it was A.N.C. policy that the loss of civilian life should be ''avoided,'' there were instances where members of its security forces perpetrated gross violations of human rights in that the distinction between military and civilian targets was blurred in certain armed actions, such as the 1983 Church Street bombing of the South African Air Force headquarters. . . .
In the course of the armed struggle, the A.N.C., through its security forces, undertook military operations which, though intended for military or security force targets, sometimes went awry for a variety of reasons, including poor intelligence and reconnaissance. The consequences in these cases, such as the Magoo's Bar and Durban Esplanade bombings, were gross violations of human rights in respect of the injuries to and loss of lives of civilians.
Individuals who defected to the state and became informers and/or members who became state witnesses in political trials . . . were often labeled by the A.N.C. as collaborators and regarded as legitimate targets to be killed. The commission does not condone the legitimization of such individuals as military targets and finds that the extrajudicial killings of such individuals constituted gross violations of human rights.
Maybe I'm missing something as Cohen's family is South African and he has been there on numerous occasions, while I myself have never even been there, but I think not.
Cohen writes, "When I was a teenager, my relatives advised me to enjoy the swimming pools of Johannesburg because “next year they will be red with blood.” But the inevitable bloodbath never came. Mandela walked out of prison and sought reconciliation, not revenge."
According to his biography, Cohen's teenage years were roughly from 1969-1973. Now, Mandela did walk out of prison in 1990, but what happened in the 20 years prior to that? Was there no violence? I'm sure the victims of the Soweto massacre wouldn't say so. Or victims of the Church Street Bombing. Or the thousands of others who suffered in tit-for-tat attacks and sabotage that occurred during those years.
Maybe it wasn't as bloody as the American Civil War, but to suggest that blood wasn't spilled in the struggle against apartheid is ridiculous.
By the way, here's a report about Nelson Mandela's ANC per the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
While it was A.N.C. policy that the loss of civilian life should be ''avoided,'' there were instances where members of its security forces perpetrated gross violations of human rights in that the distinction between military and civilian targets was blurred in certain armed actions, such as the 1983 Church Street bombing of the South African Air Force headquarters. . . .
In the course of the armed struggle, the A.N.C., through its security forces, undertook military operations which, though intended for military or security force targets, sometimes went awry for a variety of reasons, including poor intelligence and reconnaissance. The consequences in these cases, such as the Magoo's Bar and Durban Esplanade bombings, were gross violations of human rights in respect of the injuries to and loss of lives of civilians.
Individuals who defected to the state and became informers and/or members who became state witnesses in political trials . . . were often labeled by the A.N.C. as collaborators and regarded as legitimate targets to be killed. The commission does not condone the legitimization of such individuals as military targets and finds that the extrajudicial killings of such individuals constituted gross violations of human rights.
Maybe I'm missing something as Cohen's family is South African and he has been there on numerous occasions, while I myself have never even been there, but I think not.
Right now, the most popular article on the NY Times website is Roger Cohen's Op-Ed peace on race relations, "Beyond America's Original Sin". As with Obama's speech the other day, during a first read-through, it gave me a warm fuzzy feeling inside as we are told that all we have to do is drop our irrational fears, talk to each other, and then everything will be all right.
However, two things bothered me. The first was the suggestion that somehow President Bush's "us-against-them formulas" are somehow responsible for maintaining a culture of racial discrimination. Here Mr. Cohen is confusing policy differences with racism. President Bush has spoke very clearly on numerous occasions about how wrong it is to demonize Muslims for 9/11 and how wrong racism is in general. If the press fails to concentrate on it, or feels that he is being false about his feelings, that's another story.
I quote below from the President's speech honoring African American History Month, given on February 12, 2008.
It is important for all our citizens to know the history of the African American struggle for equality. We must remember that the slave trade brought many Africans to America in chains, not by choice. We must remember how slaves claimed their God-given right to freedom. And we must remember how freed slaves and their descendants helped rededicate America to the ideals of its founding.
Our nation has come a long way toward building a more perfect union.
A more perfect union!?! Wasn't that the title and theme of Barack Obama's speech? Plagiairist!
The fact is, the President is not afraid to look stupid if he's trying to show his appreciation for other cultures....
By the way, if you have read this and didn't bother clicking through to the President's full speech, you're missing how he welcomes the Reverend Al Sharpton to an event, refers to Sharpton's daughter as his wife, and then performs a nice reovery.
Part two of why I disagree with Roger Cohen's op-ed piece in my next post.
However, two things bothered me. The first was the suggestion that somehow President Bush's "us-against-them formulas" are somehow responsible for maintaining a culture of racial discrimination. Here Mr. Cohen is confusing policy differences with racism. President Bush has spoke very clearly on numerous occasions about how wrong it is to demonize Muslims for 9/11 and how wrong racism is in general. If the press fails to concentrate on it, or feels that he is being false about his feelings, that's another story.
I quote below from the President's speech honoring African American History Month, given on February 12, 2008.
It is important for all our citizens to know the history of the African American struggle for equality. We must remember that the slave trade brought many Africans to America in chains, not by choice. We must remember how slaves claimed their God-given right to freedom. And we must remember how freed slaves and their descendants helped rededicate America to the ideals of its founding.
Our nation has come a long way toward building a more perfect union.
A more perfect union!?! Wasn't that the title and theme of Barack Obama's speech? Plagiairist!
The fact is, the President is not afraid to look stupid if he's trying to show his appreciation for other cultures....
By the way, if you have read this and didn't bother clicking through to the President's full speech, you're missing how he welcomes the Reverend Al Sharpton to an event, refers to Sharpton's daughter as his wife, and then performs a nice reovery.
Part two of why I disagree with Roger Cohen's op-ed piece in my next post.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
When I first read through Mitt Romney's religion speech today, even I cringed when I read "freedom requires religion". If I were a Democrat, I would be using this cringe factor to rail against the evils of conservative Jesus-lovers so that I could feel warm and fuzzy in my liberal righteousness. However, given that I am Republican, I realize that I must try to rationalize Romney's statement and explain what he meant to those who choose not to actually think the issue through, if not just to confirm their own deeply held beliefs.
Not too long ago, I came across a comment or essay regarding the phrase "all Men are created Equal" and how belief in God was necessary for the founding fathers to have written and agreed to that phrase. (I wish I could remember where I saw it). The basic argument was that stripped of all of the moral teachings that we have been brought up with, it's pretty obvious that on almost any scale - physical, mental, spiritual - not one human is truly "equal" to any other human. That certainly would have been true in the time of slavery to the outside observer. The only reason we are able to base our society on "all Men are created Equal" is because our underlying equality rests solely on the belief that we are all made in G-d's image. That is the lowest common denominator of our "equalness". And without the belief that we are all equal based on G-d's creation, any one person could claim superiority and dominance over any other person for just about any reason imaginable, which is how the erosion of freedom begins.
I realize that in times past, Kings and religious leaders alike used their power and claim to divine authority to enslave people. But that was then and this is now. Perhaps that is why Romney tacked on the second part of the phrase "and religion requires freedom". Without freedom (and along with it, education) you would sink back to those heinous "religious" realms of olden times.
------------------------------------------
There are some headlines that just cry out for attention. Kangaroo Farts Could Ease Global Warming.
My question isn't whether the sign below is somehow inappropriate (see here for more)...I'm just wondering if the price per pound was marked up like kosher meats!
Not too long ago, I came across a comment or essay regarding the phrase "all Men are created Equal" and how belief in God was necessary for the founding fathers to have written and agreed to that phrase. (I wish I could remember where I saw it). The basic argument was that stripped of all of the moral teachings that we have been brought up with, it's pretty obvious that on almost any scale - physical, mental, spiritual - not one human is truly "equal" to any other human. That certainly would have been true in the time of slavery to the outside observer. The only reason we are able to base our society on "all Men are created Equal" is because our underlying equality rests solely on the belief that we are all made in G-d's image. That is the lowest common denominator of our "equalness". And without the belief that we are all equal based on G-d's creation, any one person could claim superiority and dominance over any other person for just about any reason imaginable, which is how the erosion of freedom begins.
I realize that in times past, Kings and religious leaders alike used their power and claim to divine authority to enslave people. But that was then and this is now. Perhaps that is why Romney tacked on the second part of the phrase "and religion requires freedom". Without freedom (and along with it, education) you would sink back to those heinous "religious" realms of olden times.
------------------------------------------
There are some headlines that just cry out for attention. Kangaroo Farts Could Ease Global Warming.
My question isn't whether the sign below is somehow inappropriate (see here for more)...I'm just wondering if the price per pound was marked up like kosher meats!
A small plane crashed into an Augusta, Georgia synagogue yesterday, killing the pilot.
Superman has his kryptonite - Kiefer Sutherland has alcohol. 48 days in the slammer for Jack Bauer.
----------------------------------------
They say that George Bush was lying when he claimed to be a "uniter, not a divider". I disagree - Americans both on the left and the right now believe that America is going to hell in a handbasket.
From the Left, Thomas Friedman - "...9/11 has made America afraid and therefore stupid.....America’s bridges, roads, airports and Internet bandwidth have fallen behind other industrial powers, including China...it is highly unlikely that America will arrest its decline."
From the Right, Pat Buchanan - "America is coming apart at the seams..Bush (has) led us to the precipice of strategic disaster abroad and savage division at home...one of every six U.S. manufacturing jobs vanished under Bush. The Third World invasion through Mexico is a graver threat to U.S. survival than anything happening in Afghanistan or Iraq....IS OUR DAY OF RECKONING JUST AHEAD?
----------------------------------------
Israeli archaeologists find 2,000-year-old mansion linked to historic queen.
You still have a few days left to get that child in your life a special gift for Hanukkah. Here's oytoys.com to help.
Superman has his kryptonite - Kiefer Sutherland has alcohol. 48 days in the slammer for Jack Bauer.
----------------------------------------
They say that George Bush was lying when he claimed to be a "uniter, not a divider". I disagree - Americans both on the left and the right now believe that America is going to hell in a handbasket.
From the Left, Thomas Friedman - "...9/11 has made America afraid and therefore stupid.....America’s bridges, roads, airports and Internet bandwidth have fallen behind other industrial powers, including China...it is highly unlikely that America will arrest its decline."
From the Right, Pat Buchanan - "America is coming apart at the seams..Bush (has) led us to the precipice of strategic disaster abroad and savage division at home...one of every six U.S. manufacturing jobs vanished under Bush. The Third World invasion through Mexico is a graver threat to U.S. survival than anything happening in Afghanistan or Iraq....IS OUR DAY OF RECKONING JUST AHEAD?
----------------------------------------
Israeli archaeologists find 2,000-year-old mansion linked to historic queen.
You still have a few days left to get that child in your life a special gift for Hanukkah. Here's oytoys.com to help.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
The employment situation is looking bad....
"U.S. companies announced layoffs jumped 15.9 percent last month as the economy grappled with a worsening housing slump and credit crisis, outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas reported on Wednesday....
The unemployment situation is looking good....
Private payrolls grew by 189,000 jobs in November, far more than analysts had expected, according to Automated Data Processing, an independent company.
These reports don't necessarily contradict each other really, after all, you could have an increase in new hires which outstrips an increase in new layoffs. I guess it's like they say - if you have a job things are great, if your neighbor loses his job it's a recession, and if you lose your job, it's a depression.
Then again, getting let go is not always such a bad thing...
.
"U.S. companies announced layoffs jumped 15.9 percent last month as the economy grappled with a worsening housing slump and credit crisis, outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas reported on Wednesday....
The unemployment situation is looking good....
Private payrolls grew by 189,000 jobs in November, far more than analysts had expected, according to Automated Data Processing, an independent company.
These reports don't necessarily contradict each other really, after all, you could have an increase in new hires which outstrips an increase in new layoffs. I guess it's like they say - if you have a job things are great, if your neighbor loses his job it's a recession, and if you lose your job, it's a depression.
Then again, getting let go is not always such a bad thing...
.
Apparently, the Venezuelan police think that Jews have a habit of hiding guns and explosives in their community centers. They broke down the main gate and raided La Hebraica this past Sunday on the eve of Hugo Chavez' referendum on constitutional changes.
“..The descendants of those who crucified Christ... have taken ownership of the riches of the world, a minority has taken ownership of the gold of the world, the silver, the minerals, water, the good lands, petrol, well, the riches, and they have concentrated the riches in a small number of hands.” - Hugo Chavez, December 24, 2005
President Bush's annual Hanukkah message is here. The White House 2007 Holiday page actually has some pretty interesting videos of the various celebrations and decorations in and around the President's home this time of year.
If you forget what day of Hanukkah it is, there's an on-line menorah here.
I watched the movie "Waitress" last night. To me it was a great movie for the first 30-45 minutes or so and then the joke got kind of tired. 7 out of 10. You may recall that one of the supporting actresses, Adrienne Shelly, was murdered in New York in October 2006.
Ashley Tisdale gets a nose job. Hey - this would be important to you to if you had a 7-year old daughter. Deviated septum, my ass!
“..The descendants of those who crucified Christ... have taken ownership of the riches of the world, a minority has taken ownership of the gold of the world, the silver, the minerals, water, the good lands, petrol, well, the riches, and they have concentrated the riches in a small number of hands.” - Hugo Chavez, December 24, 2005
President Bush's annual Hanukkah message is here. The White House 2007 Holiday page actually has some pretty interesting videos of the various celebrations and decorations in and around the President's home this time of year.
If you forget what day of Hanukkah it is, there's an on-line menorah here.
I watched the movie "Waitress" last night. To me it was a great movie for the first 30-45 minutes or so and then the joke got kind of tired. 7 out of 10. You may recall that one of the supporting actresses, Adrienne Shelly, was murdered in New York in October 2006.
Ashley Tisdale gets a nose job. Hey - this would be important to you to if you had a 7-year old daughter. Deviated septum, my ass!
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Crime in Dallas is so bad....that a film crew from a local news team parked in a south Dallas neighborhood to do a story about a victim of an armed robbery...and had their van broken into.
Lost - box of depleted uranium somewhere in the Fort Worth area. Not to worry. A man found it on a roadway and took it to his house. "The man's wife saw news reports this morning about the device and call 911". Add a check to the "female" column for which is the smarter sex. Jeez. Maybe my wife won't complain the next time I track a little mud into the kitchen. I'm wondering which part of "Caution - Radioactive Material" the husband didn't understand.
Usually, I find latkes very hard to make - they keep falling apart or I make a huge mess with the frying. Last night I followed this recipe in the December issue of Gourmet magazine and they came out excellent as far as shape and texture. Could have used a little more salt and pepper though.
My 7 year old daughter asked me for either a Webkinz pet or a laptop computer for Hannukah. Guess which one I got for her?
Better luck next year, kid.
Someone please explain something to me. If the new NIE suggesting that Iran had stopped it's nuclear weapons program in 2003 is proof that a previous NIE from 2005 was wrong - what makes this one so definitively correct? One would think this would throw doubt on the subject, but instead, the latest report is being taken as gospel. Is it just because it bolsters the pacifist cause? NIE's are either based on good intelligence or they're not. Are Democrats now ready to admit that the Bush administration has bolstered our intelligence capabilites which was one of their main claims that Bush had not done post 9/11? What a bunch of political bullsh*t this is.
Lost - box of depleted uranium somewhere in the Fort Worth area. Not to worry. A man found it on a roadway and took it to his house. "The man's wife saw news reports this morning about the device and call 911". Add a check to the "female" column for which is the smarter sex. Jeez. Maybe my wife won't complain the next time I track a little mud into the kitchen. I'm wondering which part of "Caution - Radioactive Material" the husband didn't understand.
Usually, I find latkes very hard to make - they keep falling apart or I make a huge mess with the frying. Last night I followed this recipe in the December issue of Gourmet magazine and they came out excellent as far as shape and texture. Could have used a little more salt and pepper though.
My 7 year old daughter asked me for either a Webkinz pet or a laptop computer for Hannukah. Guess which one I got for her?
Better luck next year, kid.
Someone please explain something to me. If the new NIE suggesting that Iran had stopped it's nuclear weapons program in 2003 is proof that a previous NIE from 2005 was wrong - what makes this one so definitively correct? One would think this would throw doubt on the subject, but instead, the latest report is being taken as gospel. Is it just because it bolsters the pacifist cause? NIE's are either based on good intelligence or they're not. Are Democrats now ready to admit that the Bush administration has bolstered our intelligence capabilites which was one of their main claims that Bush had not done post 9/11? What a bunch of political bullsh*t this is.
Monday, December 03, 2007
NPR has it's annual Hanukkah Lights: Stories of the Season up for 2007. I don't think they're downloadable for some reason, but I'm going to try to listen to one each night before bed time.
From Dec 4-12, XM Radio is providing free trial access so that you can herar it's Radio Hanukkah - XM 108.
Funniest "Christmas" story ever. Lemony Snicket's The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming
Don Imus is back on the air at WABC. I listened to about a half an hour of his show and it was just as boring as it it ever was. I think WABC really f*cked up with this one. I really enjoyed the occasional Curtis & Kuby in the morning to get my NY fix.
In a rare venture out to an actual movie theater, we saw Disney's "Enchnated" with the girls. I would highly recommend it - actually for adults more than children since it's really a send-up of classic Disney movies and smaller kids may not be in on the joke. The best part was when we came to the typical "prince kisses the sleeping princess" scene towards the end of the movie. The theater is silent, anticipating the big moment we've waited an hour and a half for - will she wake up, or won't she? - when my 4 year old lets out the biggest, loudest yawn I've ever heard. Everyone started cracking up. Thank G-d it was a Disney movie or they would have chased us out with pitchforks!
From Dec 4-12, XM Radio is providing free trial access so that you can herar it's Radio Hanukkah - XM 108.
Funniest "Christmas" story ever. Lemony Snicket's The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming
Don Imus is back on the air at WABC. I listened to about a half an hour of his show and it was just as boring as it it ever was. I think WABC really f*cked up with this one. I really enjoyed the occasional Curtis & Kuby in the morning to get my NY fix.
In a rare venture out to an actual movie theater, we saw Disney's "Enchnated" with the girls. I would highly recommend it - actually for adults more than children since it's really a send-up of classic Disney movies and smaller kids may not be in on the joke. The best part was when we came to the typical "prince kisses the sleeping princess" scene towards the end of the movie. The theater is silent, anticipating the big moment we've waited an hour and a half for - will she wake up, or won't she? - when my 4 year old lets out the biggest, loudest yawn I've ever heard. Everyone started cracking up. Thank G-d it was a Disney movie or they would have chased us out with pitchforks!
Friday, November 30, 2007
The other day, I came across this post from a convert to Judaism who co-authors a group blog with others who have converted and/or are trying to ramp up their religious observance. He writes about his frustration with finding the right branch of Judaism that will fully accept him as a convert, allow him the best expression of his Judaism, and also provide a sense of comfort and community. His words were so heartfelt and describe so closely what I feel myself that I was compelled to post a comment.
My comments are posted below.
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Avi,
I came across your post via a Jewish blogpost aggregator and I felt like I was reading my own life story, but with one small difference - I was born Jewish.
Although my parents were always Conservative in practice, we belonged to a modern orthodox synagogue in New York in the ’60s and 70’s until I was about 12. Like many Jews at the time, my parents chose comfort and a nicer neighborhood over religiosity, moved to the suburbs and joined a Conservative shul. It was a little hard making the adjustment “down” at first, but as a kid I just got used to it after awhile. Besides, we had always really been living “observant Conservative” - keeping kosher at home but not outside, going to services and even weekday evening minyanim much of the time, but not all of the time, etc.
About 10 years ago, I finally met the woman of my dreams. She is the daughter of a convert of the Conservative movement. As such neither she nor my daughters are considered Jewish by the Orthodox. So now, I find that the movement I grew up in and actually respect a great deal for their level of education and observance is off limits to me. Not only that, but even on the rare occasion where I have come to attend an orthodox service, I feel out of place and out of touch - I sometimes can’t believe how much of the full ritual and prayer I’ve forgotten. (I do enjoy the occasional Chabad learning series, but it’s really just for me personally).
Anyhow, now that my family and I am firmly planted in the Conservative movement in a large Texas city, I often get frustrated by the lack of involvement and interest in the halacha, outside of the usual 10% of the congregation that does particpate regularly. When I do go to Shabbat services, I often find that I’m one of a few dozen people fully comfortable with the Hebrew and the singing in a crowd of 100-150. I know that if I turn to the next guy (or gal) and say, “Hey what do you think of this particular passage in this week’s parsha?”, I’d just get a shrug from most people.
I am in no way perfect, shomer Shabbos, completely kosher, etc. but I want to strive towards that goal and there is very little guidance or support for increasing one’s observance in the Conservative community. More importantly there is zero community pressure. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if I was actually a little embarrassed to meet someone during dinner on a Friday night at the local babrbecue joint or Chinese restaurant.
I send my kids to a Conservative Day School where I do believe they are receving an excellent Jewish education. But don’t even get me started on the lack of seriousness on the part of the majority of parents who allow the kids to leave their Judaism behind in the classroom as mommy picks them up with a cup from McDonalds in their hand (seriously).
And the point of all this is…..
What I am slowly discovering is that the more I think about Judaism in general and take a look around, the more I realize that each individual Jew maintains their own level of education and observance and that it’s almost impossible to find a congregation that will meet one’s spiritual needs perfectly.
I don’t get upset anymore at the Orthodox who don’t accept my family, I don’t get upset with the Conservative shuls (even my own) that try to push the boundaries of ritual and are making constant changes to their rituals to “stay fresh” and I don’t get upset with Reform Jews because I guess I’m just happy that they care at all. All I know is that I will do the best I can and I believe that Hashem will accept me wherever and however I turn to Him as long as I strive to learn the mitzvot, do as many mitzvot as I feel comfortable with, and treat all my fellow Jews with respect. And, with any luck, someone less observant than even myself (not to mention my children) will see how much joy I take in my Judaism and will perhaps think of getting more involved, or want to learn a little bit more. That’s really what it’s all about to me.
Now it’s my turn to apologize for the rant, but your post really struck a chord in me that I’ve been hard pressed to express or explain.
Bets of luck to you and yours.
My comments are posted below.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avi,
I came across your post via a Jewish blogpost aggregator and I felt like I was reading my own life story, but with one small difference - I was born Jewish.
Although my parents were always Conservative in practice, we belonged to a modern orthodox synagogue in New York in the ’60s and 70’s until I was about 12. Like many Jews at the time, my parents chose comfort and a nicer neighborhood over religiosity, moved to the suburbs and joined a Conservative shul. It was a little hard making the adjustment “down” at first, but as a kid I just got used to it after awhile. Besides, we had always really been living “observant Conservative” - keeping kosher at home but not outside, going to services and even weekday evening minyanim much of the time, but not all of the time, etc.
About 10 years ago, I finally met the woman of my dreams. She is the daughter of a convert of the Conservative movement. As such neither she nor my daughters are considered Jewish by the Orthodox. So now, I find that the movement I grew up in and actually respect a great deal for their level of education and observance is off limits to me. Not only that, but even on the rare occasion where I have come to attend an orthodox service, I feel out of place and out of touch - I sometimes can’t believe how much of the full ritual and prayer I’ve forgotten. (I do enjoy the occasional Chabad learning series, but it’s really just for me personally).
Anyhow, now that my family and I am firmly planted in the Conservative movement in a large Texas city, I often get frustrated by the lack of involvement and interest in the halacha, outside of the usual 10% of the congregation that does particpate regularly. When I do go to Shabbat services, I often find that I’m one of a few dozen people fully comfortable with the Hebrew and the singing in a crowd of 100-150. I know that if I turn to the next guy (or gal) and say, “Hey what do you think of this particular passage in this week’s parsha?”, I’d just get a shrug from most people.
I am in no way perfect, shomer Shabbos, completely kosher, etc. but I want to strive towards that goal and there is very little guidance or support for increasing one’s observance in the Conservative community. More importantly there is zero community pressure. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if I was actually a little embarrassed to meet someone during dinner on a Friday night at the local babrbecue joint or Chinese restaurant.
I send my kids to a Conservative Day School where I do believe they are receving an excellent Jewish education. But don’t even get me started on the lack of seriousness on the part of the majority of parents who allow the kids to leave their Judaism behind in the classroom as mommy picks them up with a cup from McDonalds in their hand (seriously).
And the point of all this is…..
What I am slowly discovering is that the more I think about Judaism in general and take a look around, the more I realize that each individual Jew maintains their own level of education and observance and that it’s almost impossible to find a congregation that will meet one’s spiritual needs perfectly.
I don’t get upset anymore at the Orthodox who don’t accept my family, I don’t get upset with the Conservative shuls (even my own) that try to push the boundaries of ritual and are making constant changes to their rituals to “stay fresh” and I don’t get upset with Reform Jews because I guess I’m just happy that they care at all. All I know is that I will do the best I can and I believe that Hashem will accept me wherever and however I turn to Him as long as I strive to learn the mitzvot, do as many mitzvot as I feel comfortable with, and treat all my fellow Jews with respect. And, with any luck, someone less observant than even myself (not to mention my children) will see how much joy I take in my Judaism and will perhaps think of getting more involved, or want to learn a little bit more. That’s really what it’s all about to me.
Now it’s my turn to apologize for the rant, but your post really struck a chord in me that I’ve been hard pressed to express or explain.
Bets of luck to you and yours.
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Jewish inventions I wish I could give for Hanukkah
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