tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96910652012-02-16T03:53:57.709-05:00JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.comBlogger731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-73314591920498882632011-12-07T06:45:00.000-05:002011-12-07T06:45:58.685-05:00

A week ago, the governor of Rhode Island declared the 17-foot spruce in the State House rotunda to be a "holiday tree," not a Christmas tree. Governor Chafee is not Jewish, Jehovah's Witness, or any other religion that doesn't celebrate Christmas. He's Episcopalian. But for some reason, he seems to think that it is more inclusive to call it a holiday tree than to call it what it clearly is: a

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-58425924833486408022011-09-10T21:11:00.001-04:002011-09-11T08:07:27.412-04:00

Like many others, I've been thinking a lot about 9/11 as the tenth anniversary approaches. It was a strange time in my life. The Jewish High Holidays were approaching -- Rosh Hashanah fell on September 18th that year. The software company I worked for was developing a new product and had most of the staff (including me) working from home. I thought I'd share my experiences from that time, much of

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-75323883966674380572011-04-01T10:39:00.000-04:002011-04-01T10:39:38.558-04:00

Last year, I offered a number of kosher-for-Passover vegetarian recipes.  Those posts went over very well, so I'll be providing a few new ones this year! This recipe is based on one I got from Cabot Cheese, which makes an excellent kosher-for-Passover run of sharp cheddar cheese. Most of the ingredients were already vegetarian and kosher for Passover, with one key exception: Rice. "Risotto" is a

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-37812101141633699072010-12-10T15:20:00.001-05:002010-12-10T15:28:00.364-05:00

Now that Chanukkah is over, it occurs to me that Chanukkah isn't a very inclusive holiday.  All those strange Hebrew and Yiddish names for things: menorahs, dreidels, gelt, latkes... that sort of terminology excludes gentiles.  From now on, I will be more inclusive!  No more menorahs; from now on, they will be called Holiday Candlesticks.  Dreidels will be called Holiday Tops.  Gelt will be

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-53987776394582799312010-08-20T10:24:00.000-04:002010-08-20T10:24:28.700-04:00

First they came for the Gypsies, and I said nothing, because I wasn't a Gypsy... Has Europe learned nothing? France Deports Gypsies: Courting the Xenophobes?

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-79956008932854999662010-06-08T06:25:00.002-04:002010-06-08T06:36:42.906-04:00

For those who have been living under a rock for the last 24 hours: Helen Thomas, long-time White House correspondent, has retired in the wake of controversy over her statements about Israel.  When a rabbi interviewed her at a White House event celebrating American Jewish Heritage Month, Thomas said to tell Israel "to get the hell out of Palestine" and they should "go home" to "Poland.  Germany. 

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-39685915921740914682010-04-09T12:04:00.001-04:002010-04-09T12:07:17.813-04:00

This Sunday (April 11, 2010) is Yom Ha-Shoah, a holiday created by the State of Israel to remember the losses the Jewish people suffered during the Holocaust (known in Hebrew as Shoah).  There is an international Holocaust Remembrance Day created by the United Nations that is observed on January 27, the day that the Allied forces liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp, a day of Allied triumph

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-89717940959936903062010-04-01T22:18:00.002-04:002010-04-01T22:22:29.717-04:00

Yes, this is the secret final recipe I promised last Friday.  I was trying to think of recipes like matzah lasagna, where I could substitute sheets of matzah for a grain product that provides structure.  I thought of spanakopita, the traditional Greek dish made with layers of pastry-like phyllo dough holding together layers of spinach and feta cheese.  I love spanakopita, but I've never had much

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-54839117452134821052010-03-24T20:00:00.083-04:002010-03-25T07:05:39.700-04:00

This is more or less a recipe I got in a brochure that the milk marketing board was handing out at a baseball game.  I made it once before with the adjustments I suggest here, and it was very tasty.  It stays in the refrigerator well enough for a week or so, but definitely doesn't freeze and reheat well.  I've cut the original recipe in half, because the original recipe makes 12 servings. 

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-85580156353157725602010-03-22T14:26:00.000-04:002010-03-22T14:26:23.825-04:00

I've found some more kosher-for-Passover marked dairy products in the grocery store.  All of the basic dairy ingredients in my vegetarian recipes are now in stores with reliable kosher for Passover certification, if that matters to you. Dannon Yogurt, both lowfat and nonfat varieties, are on the shelves in 1 quart tubs with Kosher for Passover certification marked on the top of the tub.I

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-8966390887955764162010-03-19T06:25:00.003-04:002010-04-01T19:38:43.975-04:00

I found a recipe for Mediterranean Zucchini that looked good, but it didn't have a protein source.  I found a recipe for Mediterranean Quinoa that I thought needed a vegetable.  The recipes were quite similar, so I put them together and got Mediterranean Zucchini and Quinoa! I have one more main course idea, but I haven't had a chance to try it yet.  I plan to make it on Wednesday night during

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-31567162263459213972010-03-18T06:05:00.003-04:002010-03-18T06:19:48.231-04:00

I've said in several of the recipe posts that national brands of some dairy products are usually available in kosher-for-Passover form.  Well, I was at the grocery store last night, and I spotted Breakstone's cottage cheese and salted and unsalted butter marked for Passover.  I assume this is available nationwide, not just in major Jewish population centers like New York and Philadelphia.  I took

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-23639057305309845302010-03-16T14:14:00.006-04:002010-03-16T14:22:38.509-04:00

This is based on another of my favorites from the Moosewood Cookbook.  In fact, I've made it often enough over the last 15 years that my book tends to fall open to that page!  When I tell people (non-vegetarians) what's in it, they frequently turn up their nose, but when I reheat it in the microwave at work, people tell me how good it smells (then they ask what's in it and turn up their nose --

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-86447998818508430962010-03-14T18:26:00.002-04:002010-03-14T21:44:44.748-04:00

I've said for many years in my Pesach (Passover) Cooking Tips that matzah meal is an effective substitute for bread crumbs as a breading for things like eggplant parmesan.  Here is a very simple recipe for eggplant parmesan that uses only ingredients that are usually available for Passover. The primary recipe is not vegan (includes cheese), gebrochts and not gluten-free (uses matzah meal), but I

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-43069492368146059222010-03-11T19:24:00.058-05:002010-03-14T21:44:22.279-04:00

Quinoa is one of the best, most complete vegetarian sources of protein available.  It looks like a grain, but it's really a seed related to beets and spinach.  It has a mild nutty flavor and an interesting crunch. As I reported on my website, many widely-respected kosher certification organizations have indicated that quinoa (whole seeds, not processed) can be kosher for Passover.  See, e.g.,

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-11868000703413116622010-03-09T18:00:00.181-05:002010-03-14T22:38:03.526-04:00

This recipe is based on the Ricotta Gnocchi recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook, with ingredients adjusted to meet Passover requirements.  The switch from white flour to potato starch, necessary for Passover or gluten-free cooking, makes this recipe more like traditional gnocchi, which is made with potatoes.  It is not vegan (contains eggs and dairy) but is non-gebrochts and gluten-free (does not

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-88053321043490976632010-03-07T14:31:00.011-05:002010-03-09T06:25:35.000-05:00

I've been mostly vegetarian for many years now.  When I first started cooking for myself full-time, I was in law school in Athens, Georgia, more than an hour's drive away from the nearest source of kosher meat.  I would drive down there once a month, freeze some meat, cook it for Shabbat and maybe one or two other times a week, but I got out of the habit of eating meat and came to enjoy pareve

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-32978231383625008952010-01-22T05:13:00.007-05:002010-02-07T18:26:23.903-05:00

Five years ago, a colleague of mine told me a story of being frightened on a train when she saw a man strap some boxes to himself and begin swaying back and forth. She reported it to the conductor, who reassured her that it was just "a Jewish prayer thing." The man was praying while wearing tefillin, a standard part of weekday morning prayers. See: http://www.jewfaq.org/signs.htm#Tefillin.

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-87687445390490911382009-04-26T20:53:00.003-04:002010-02-07T18:27:59.730-05:00

I know it's a bit after the fact, and it won't really be relevant again for another 28 years, but this recently came up in a newsletter I received, and I simply had to say something about it. The Blessing of the Sun (Birkat Hachamah) is a blessing recited once every 28 years, commemorating the work of Creation, and specifically the creation of the sun. It was observed this year, 5769, on the

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-66370025532338873472009-04-13T20:45:00.005-04:002010-02-07T18:30:06.135-05:00

Yes, this is a true story, but it's a funny true story. When I was in college, our Hillel had a Passover meal plan. A freshman on the Hillel board (let's just call her "B"), was very eager to cook for Passover dinner: she was going to use this as an excuse to learn her mother's secret matzah ball recipe. Her mother made the best matzah balls ever, and she was determined to learn how she made

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-5287989144691527872009-04-02T10:49:00.007-04:002010-02-07T18:33:41.356-05:00

A news story I read today reminded me of a little fun I had on a message board about 20 years ago. I used to participate in an echomail network called ILink (sort of an old-fashioned, pre-Internet newsgroup). One of the groups on ILink was a general religion board, and one day, the conversation turned to the subject of "Jews for Jesus," (J4J) a Christian evangelical group that claims that Jesus

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-2977345285361248342009-03-26T16:56:00.004-04:002010-02-07T18:34:45.771-05:00

This is the story of Reuben Kushner, the Jewish Robinson Crusoe. He was stranded on an uncharted island for ten years before he was finally rescued. When his rescuers arrived, they were amazed at what they found. Kushner had built himself only a small, humble home in the trees, but next to it was a magnificent building. "That is my synagogue," Kushner explained. He proceeded to give them

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-44313287413802195392009-03-19T10:01:00.007-04:002010-02-07T18:37:09.081-05:00

A Jewish man was in Tokyo on Shabbat, and wanted to go to a synagogue for services. He doubted that there would be a synagogue in Tokyo, but much to his surprise, the hotel concierge directed him to a synagogue not far from the hotel. The man entered the synagogue and was surprised to see that everyone there was classically Japanese in appearance: the rabbi, the cantor and all of the

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-78624205919645962282008-12-26T06:00:00.007-05:002010-02-07T19:31:16.093-05:00

On the morning of December 26, a Catholic boy, a Protestant boy and a Jewish boy were talking about what their families did for Christmas. The Catholic boy said, "It was wonderful. We all went down to my grandfather's church, and we said mass, and we gathered around the altar and sang Silent Night." The Protestant boy said, "It was wonderful. We all went down to my grandfather's house, and we

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-68066089388627777152008-12-15T10:28:00.009-05:002010-02-07T19:35:11.005-05:00

Judaism is made up of different movements, different branches that approach Jewish law and history differently. Here is my favorite joke illustrating the differences between the movements. I like this one because I think hits all three movements equally and fairly, whereas some other jokes of this nature seem to hit one movement more than the other. * * * * * According to American Lung

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-90231333621286333522008-11-24T13:39:00.004-05:002008-11-24T14:05:12.502-05:00

Chanukkah is less than a month away -- the Hebrew month of Kislev starts this Friday -- so of course, it's time to start making my practice and experimental batches of latkes! A basic recipe for latkes can be found on my website here. I have also made a video on YouTube that illustrates some of the finer points, like how to tell when latkes are ready to flip. (I'm not entirely satisfied with the

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-57853883568456928182008-11-17T12:00:00.001-05:002008-11-17T12:31:36.976-05:00

As I said in the Election Humor post, I'm shifting the direction of this blog to tell Jewish jokes that shed some light on Jewish culture, religion or history. I've found in the few years that I've had this blog that I haven't written much because I can't bring myself to write about a topic without researching it properly and providing references, and I just didn't have the time to do all that.

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-46313115298011272962008-11-10T07:00:00.000-05:002008-11-10T06:51:11.104-05:00

On Sunday morning, a local news broadcast teased a story by saying that the courts were addressing a conflict between religion and the medical profession. I assumed that the story was the kind we usually see: religious parents refusing treatment of their children because of religious convictions, such as Jehovah's Witnesses refusing blood transfusions or Christian Scientists refusing medical

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-6825128236068975892008-11-04T05:19:00.013-05:002008-11-04T05:57:52.214-05:00

I've been planning for a while now to redirect this blog into posts of Jewish humor that shed light on Jewish religion, history and culture. With election day upon us, I thought this was a good time to start. I promise, this joke includes no one currently running for office, or even anyone in office today.George H. W. Bush (the elder) and Dan Quayle were in a plane with a priest and a rabbi. They

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-37327878096773024522008-07-15T08:00:00.004-04:002008-07-25T16:13:28.049-04:00

The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey's Summary of Key Findings begins with the assertion that "most Americans have a non-dogmatic approach to faith." The USA Today article about this survey seemed to interpret this as saying that Americans take a "one from column A, one from column B" approach to religion, where Oprah Winfrey is as much a source of spiritual guidance as any religious leader. But

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1727677389636989612008-06-25T17:00:00.008-04:002008-07-25T16:16:45.850-04:00

According to USA Today, the recent the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life's U.S. Religious Landscape Survey indicates that most Americans have abanded traditional doctrine in favor of vague, fuzzy, "pick one from column A and one from column B" spirituality. However, as I looked through the detailed results of the survey, I found that the notion of "traditional doctrine" in the survey is very

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-55598092209701141872008-04-23T13:52:00.008-04:002008-07-25T16:17:30.493-04:00

At synagogue recently, someone commented that gentiles must get some very strange ideas about Passover when they look at the Passover aisle in the grocery stores. In the average grocery store, you will see three-foot-long packages of matzah, jars gefilte fish and borscht, and shelf after shelf of cookies, cake mixes and candies... and very little else. Do Jews really eat that stuff and nothing

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-69413301564289747882008-01-24T14:16:00.001-05:002008-07-25T16:18:39.591-04:00

Kosher: It's hip, it's hot, it's happenin'.According to an article in this week's U.S. News & World Report, "New Taste for Kosher Foods," "kosher" is now the most popular claim on new food products, more popular than "organic," "all natural" or "no additives or preservatives." According to the article, sales of kosher foods have risen 15 percent a year for the past decade, and only 20 percent of

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-40958168296958106192007-12-11T05:28:00.001-05:002008-11-12T21:59:18.232-05:00

As I was driving home on Friday afternoon, I heard on the radio a Chanukkah song I had not heard before: "How Do You Spell Channukkahh" by The LeeVees. It was a catchy tune, and at first it was refreshing to hear something other than the perennial Adam Sandler songs.But as the song went on, I was increasingly bothered by the fact that the song had nothing to say about the holiday other than the

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-65211454580222331392007-12-07T11:13:00.001-05:002008-07-25T16:20:11.945-04:00

If you follow the weird news as I do, then you have probably already heard the story about the New York grocery store that was selling hams marked "Delicious for Chanukah." The news articles all point out that ham and other pork products are forbidden under Jewish dietary laws, making this shelf tag ironic at best.But every news article I've seen has missed the most peculiar aspect of this

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-66378040785842245212007-10-12T14:33:00.001-04:002008-07-25T16:21:15.823-04:00

A certain right-wing pundit recently stated in an interview that she thought Jews needed to be "perfected." The same woman has said in the past that we should send people over to the Middle East to forcibly convert the Muslims to Christianity, which would make them more peaceful (apparently she missed the history class about the Crusades).Suffice it to say that I don't think her remarks are even

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-63760576990042371702007-09-26T05:47:00.001-04:002008-07-25T16:22:46.227-04:00

Mobile phone service provider T-Mobile plans to put a 130-foot tower in Shalom Memorial Park, the Jewish section of non-sectarian Forest Hills Cemetery near Northeast Philadelphia. They will, of course, disguise it to look like a fake tree, but I gather that these fake trees aren't very convincing. T-Mobile is currently trying to use cemeteries for tower locations in several cities, probably

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-32998427954633272542007-06-27T06:02:00.000-04:002007-06-27T06:29:53.952-04:00

When conservative Christian groups agree with gay rights groups, when arch-conservatives in the vein of Ann Coulter line up with the ACLU ... can moshiach be far behind?For those who haven't heard: Earlier this week, the United States Supreme Court rendered its controversial decision in Morse v. Frederick, in which a high school student was suspended for displaying a banner that said "Bong Hits 4

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-27237029646446731712007-04-27T15:00:00.000-04:002007-04-27T15:16:49.432-04:00

Last night was "Dining Out for Life" in Philadelphia and many other metropolitan areas. Participating restaurants donate a portion of their proceeds for the nights to local charities that provide quality-of-life services to people with AIDS. (And yes, there are kosher restaurants that participate). I make an effort to "Dine Out" every year, and it always reminds me of Steve, a person I knew in

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1149866504623511692007-04-15T07:28:00.001-04:002007-04-15T08:40:50.907-04:00

Today is Yom ha-Shoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, on the Jewish calendar, a day to remember the tragic loss of 6,000,000 Jewish lives, the brutal pruning of one-third of the branches on our collective family tree.Over the years, I've seen many exhibits about the Holocaust, showing the camps, the packed trains, the luggage left behind, the walkways made from tombstones taken from Jewish cemeteries,

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-15958424440225851892007-03-29T06:00:00.000-04:002007-03-29T05:46:00.905-04:00

With Pesach (Passover) coming up next week, I thought I would pass along this amusing true story about a seder I attended in college.My Hillel (Jewish student organization) used to hold a seder every year. Usually our advisor, Herb, came to the seder with his family, but one year Herb did not come. In the absence of adult supervision, the college students drank (ahem) more than the halakhically

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-76269370079459432822007-02-27T05:30:00.000-05:002007-02-27T09:39:40.861-05:00

I was looking for some information about James Cameron's "Jesus tomb" film (more on that in a later post) when the above headline caught my eye.For those who haven't heard about it: there was a high school basketball game in Virginia between a Catholic school and another school, which was marred by an "antisemitic chant" and "antisemitic graffiti." The "antisemitic" chant was, "We love Jesus,"

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1170760464014334252007-02-06T05:17:00.000-05:002007-02-06T06:14:24.103-05:00

The problem with getting most of your news from Comedy Central is that I was very late to pick up on this news story...Frank D. Hargrove Sr., a delegate to the Virginia legislature, made headlines last month when he expressed his opposition to a resolution expressing regret for slavery. He commented, "Are we going to force the Jews to apologize for killing Christ?"Let's stop and think about that

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1170326187227182542007-02-01T05:26:00.000-05:002007-02-01T05:44:58.343-05:00

At my office, our Human Resources director loves small children and jumps on any excuse to bring children into the office. I tease her that her policies are "speciesist." We celebrate "Bring Your Daughter or Son to Work Day," but we don't have "Bring Your Cat or Dog to Work Day." We have a Halloween costume parade for human children 5-15, but I wasn't allowed to bring in my 6-year-old tuxedo,

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1168903713465923462007-01-15T18:19:00.000-05:002007-02-01T05:49:07.930-05:00

On this Martin Luther King day, I thought I might share a few words from MLK.From his I Have A Dream speech:"Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring — when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children — black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1167995298414668352007-01-05T05:42:00.000-05:002007-01-05T06:18:06.206-05:00

I applaud Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison for asserting his constitutional right to take his oath of office on the scripture he holds most dear: the Quran.Our founding fathers, though all Christians, were a very diverse group of Christians. Many of their sects were persecuted in Europe for their non-standard beliefs, but they held those beliefs so strongly that they or their ancestors were

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1167391159034458792006-12-29T06:11:00.000-05:002006-12-29T11:15:52.260-05:00

Being Jewishly-observant often gives me a rather odd view of the news. For example, when I first heard about Fry-O-Diesel, a Philadelphia-based company that is trying to perfect the process of converting waste grease to clean-burning fuel, my first thought was, "is this 'kosher'?" After all, this Philly-based company would surely be making their fuel from the greasy Philly favorite, the

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1166960879258721172006-12-24T06:40:00.000-05:002006-12-24T06:47:59.270-05:00

I was contacted recently by a reporter from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review for an article about the "secularization" of Christmas. We hear this a lot at this time of year: that Christmas has become a secular holiday because its most popular observances -- decorations, presents, etc. -- are not inherently religious. But this notion, that secular observances make a holiday secular, is completely

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1166471206511768942006-12-18T14:05:00.000-05:002006-12-18T14:46:46.596-05:00

In December 1984, I was a junior in college and an officer of our campus Hillel (a Jewish student organization). The people who ran the College Center came to us with a question: they were getting ready to put up the Christmas tree in the College Center, and wanted to know if they should put up the Chanukkah menorah with it. In the past, they had always put both up at the same time. But in

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1165921696142629722006-12-12T06:04:00.000-05:002006-12-12T06:11:34.003-05:00

The holiday situation at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has been resolved. Christians can now sleep soundly, knowing that their Christmas trees are safe and back on display at Sea-Tac airport. Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky assured Port officials that he would not file a lawsuit to force them to allow a menorah display. The rabbi said, as he has many times since this began, that it was never his

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1165837297845935722006-12-11T06:19:00.000-05:002006-12-11T06:41:37.856-05:00

At this time of year, we frequently hear about a supposed "War on Christmas," the odd idea that it is somehow offensive to wish people a "Happy Holiday" or "Seasons Greetings" instead of "Merry Christmas." But I'd like to talk to you about the War on Chanukkah, about an airport that was so strongly opposed to displaying a menorah in the midst of their plethora of Christmas decorations that they

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1157627621665533042006-09-07T06:42:00.000-04:002006-09-07T07:13:41.723-04:00

A year ago, I posted an amusing story about a colleague of mine who, because of post-9/11 anxieties, was suspicious of an Orthodox Jewish man praying on a train (see Sometimes a Box Is Just a Box). The conductor knew what the man was doing and explained to my colleague that he was just praying. Trauma over.Unfortunately, the attendants on Air Canada planes aren't so well informed, nor so

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1153912694993715832006-07-26T06:37:00.000-04:002006-07-26T07:18:15.033-04:00

I told myself that I wasn't going to talk about the situation in Israel and Lebanon, but I can't ignore the interesting comments by Syria's ambassador to the United States, Imad Moustapha. He has said more or less the same thing on several news shows, but none of the interviewers have followed up with the questions that come to my mind. You can see an example in a transcript of his recent

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1143718946168329082006-03-30T06:30:00.000-05:002006-03-30T06:42:26.183-05:00

Purim, which occurred two weeks ago, is one of my favorite Jewish holidays. It's a lot of fun. I look forward to the process of making hamentaschen (Purim cookies) all year, and my co-workers look forward to the process of eating them! But the most interesting part of Purim for me is the hidden way that the Divine is presented in the story of Purim. In the Passover story, we see a very

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1138882775089511192006-02-02T06:41:00.000-05:002006-02-03T15:04:38.596-05:00

Recently, Pat Robertson took some heat for saying that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was Divine punishment for dividing the land of Israel. (He has since backpedaled from this statement, because hey, business is business). Muslims have also suggested that the stroke was a sign of Divine wrath: Allah's punishment for all the things Sharon has done for the past 50 years or so.

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1135210258523172792005-12-21T17:41:00.000-05:002005-12-21T19:10:58.543-05:00

The Middle District of Pennsylvania has rendered its opinion in the Intelligent Design case, Kitzmiller v. Dover School District. For those who have been living under a rock this year: the case challenged the constitutionality of a local school board's decision requiring science teachers to read a brief statement about the theory of "Intelligent Design" (or "ID" for short) before teaching

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1128362243419655492005-10-03T13:50:00.000-04:002005-10-03T13:58:22.256-04:00

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, starts at sunset tonight!Wishing all of my readers a happy and "sweet" new year in 5766!

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1126457937412456012005-09-11T13:00:00.000-04:002005-09-11T13:39:55.676-04:00

Please note: I am not a rabbi and am not certified in any way to make decisions about Jewish law. This article is intended solely as food for thought. It is based on what I was taught, supported by my review of the relevant passages in the Talmud.Thou shalt not murder...Thou shalt not steal...Thou shalt not covet...In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, as the social order in New Orleans crumbled,

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1124923598709969872005-08-24T19:00:00.000-04:002005-08-24T18:46:38.726-04:00

Israeli archaeologist Eilat Mazar has uncovered the foundation walls of an ancient and significant public building just outside the walls of the Old City in Jerusalem. She believes that she has found King David's palace, the palace that the Bible describes as being built by King Hiram of Tyre about 1,000 years Before the Christian Era (BCE). This remarkable find was announced earlier this

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1124736786546719142005-08-22T15:00:00.000-04:002005-08-22T14:53:06.576-04:00

A colleague of mine recently told me the story of a couple identified on a restaurant check as "Jew couple." Apparently, some restaurants routinely use descriptions of patrons, rather than table numbers, to identify which table goes with a check. My colleague reported that she has received restaurant checks identifying her as "blond girl" or even "pretty girl." What is so wrong, she wondered,

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1122656651822301552005-07-29T13:01:00.000-04:002005-07-29T13:15:36.490-04:00

My friend has just informed me that the Kapoor family, discussed in my last post, has been released from detention! The next hurdle, of course, is the possibility of deportation, but at least they have been reunited with their family.See an article from an English language Indian newspaper:http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/jul/29nri.htm

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1121859528196514042005-07-25T10:00:00.000-04:002005-07-25T10:03:14.730-04:00

A colleague of mine told me a harrowing tale of her experience on public transit. She boarded a train and saw a man standing in the back, moving in strange ways. She thought he might be a suicide bomber: he had little boxes apparently taped to his body. Being the responsible citizen that she is, she promptly reported it to the conductor. The conductor laughed. He said, "I thought the same thing

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1119955934789591132005-06-28T07:00:00.000-04:002005-06-28T06:52:14.796-04:00

Yesterday, the Supreme Court rendered its decisions in the two cases related to Ten Commandments displays. In McCreary County, Kentucky v. ACLU of Kentucky, the Court held that the display of large, readily visible framed copies of the Ten Commandments in county courthouses violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution, and this violation was not remedied when the counties, after

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1115315083268829772005-05-05T17:05:00.000-04:002005-05-05T13:51:23.090-04:00

Today is Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for May 5th), and not only that, but it's May 5, 2005: 05/05/05, Cinco de Mayo de Cinco, a great excuse for a party, for Mexican food and Mexican beer.Most Americans don't have a clue what Cinco de Mayo is, aside from the fact that it's Mexican and is an good excuse to get plastered. Most people who have any idea about the holiday think it is Mexican Independence

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1114619546115650602005-04-27T12:30:00.000-04:002005-04-27T12:34:57.303-04:00

I always think of this story at this time of year. I heard the story from my roommate, who was a good friend of the David in this story, and she heard the story from David. She assured me that this was a true story, but even if it isn't true, it should be.I went to a college in Pennsylvania where about 20% of the students were Jewish. The dining hall made a special effort for the Jewish

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1114202690128217932005-04-22T14:33:00.000-04:002005-04-22T16:48:39.883-04:00

Just a quick heads-up for those still shopping for Passover: Beware the Passover aisle! Some supermarkets are very diligent about keeping their Passover aisle stocked only with Kosher-for-Passover items, but others are very sloppy about it. In my neck of the woods, Pathmark has always been very diligent, and a new Genuardis seems to be very good, but the Acme near me has always been appalling.

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1111436008610279332005-03-21T15:00:00.000-05:002005-03-21T15:31:12.683-05:00

The United States Supreme Court recently heard arguments about the posting of the Ten Commandments on government property. I've watched cases like this come and go for a number of years, and I think overall the courts have done a good job of assessing the situations presented: a two-and-a-half ton monument to the Ten Commandments placed as the centerpiece of a courthouse rotunda, with the

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1108045070935445052005-02-10T09:00:00.000-05:002005-02-10T09:23:52.206-05:00

Last night while watching TV, I saw a rather odd commercial, with lots of trendy people text-messaging "innw," which stands for "If Not Now When." The commercial never said what product it was shlogging, but there was a follow-up commercial a minute later to inform me that the "if not now when" slogan was for Doritos, in which a large crowd engages in an act of urban destruction. Oy, a

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1105984580417131822005-01-17T13:00:00.000-05:002005-01-17T12:57:56.296-05:00

On a lighter note... Richard Conn Henry, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University, has proposed a revision to the Gregorian calendar used by most of the Western world for the last 400 years. Under his proposed calendar, which he calls the C&T calendar, the length of the year would be adjusted so that every day falls on the same day of the week every year. A sort of "leap

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1105556554187814322005-01-12T18:00:00.000-05:002005-01-12T16:45:34.633-05:00

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. Philadelphia is in the national spotlight this week for arresting fundamentalist Christians who were counter-protesting at a gay pride event. It is hard to be certain of the facts at this time, because the rhetoric on all sides drowns out any attempt at rationality. The Outfest organizers complain of

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1104442262169132812004-12-30T20:00:00.000-05:002004-12-30T16:33:53.520-05:00

Google has set up a very nice page with links to information about the tsunami and links to sites where you can donate to help the victims of the tsunami. See: http://www.google.com/tsunami_relief.html I had hoped to post an item for the blog earlier this week, but the news about the tsunami made any other subject seem frivolous. Trying to find a Jewish angle related to the tsunami also seemed

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1103501170738559382004-12-19T21:00:00.000-05:002004-12-19T19:06:10.736-05:00

Earlier this year, the Committee to Save Merry Christmas was formed. Their goal: to restore the rightful place of the phrase "Merry Christmas" in store advertising and signage, a place that they think has been usurped by generic phrases like "Happy Holidays" and "Season's Greetings." In pursuit of this goal, they call for a boycott of Federated Department Stores (owner of chains such as Macy's,

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9691065.post-1103477057786167432004-12-15T13:00:00.000-05:002007-12-09T20:27:03.095-05:00

Last March, I heard a DJ talking about March Madness, the annual insanity surrounding a college basketball tournament. She wasn't interested in it, but everyone in her office was obsessed with it. They had an office pool, a constant barrage of emails and parties to watch every game on TV. The DJ didn't want to be a part of it, but her co-workers pressured her to get involved. They tried to get

JewFAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15378202433423358690noreply@blogger.com22