A Happy & Healthy New Year to all my friends and family

May 2004 bring health, happiness, and peace to everyone.

Afgani: Saale Nao Mubbarak - Afrikaans: Gelukkige nuwe jaar - Albanian: Gezuar Vitin e Ri - Arabic: Antum salimoun - Bengali: Shuvo Nabo Barsho - Bulgarian: Chestita Nova Godina - Chinese: Chu Shen Tan - Corsican : Pace e Salute - Croatian: Sretna Nova godina! - Cymraeg (Welsh): Blwyddyn Newydd Dda - Czechoslovakian: Scastny Novy Rok - Danish: Godt Nytår - Dutch: Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! - English: Happy New Year - Eskimo: Kiortame pivdluaritlo - Estonians: Head uut aastat! - Finnish: Onnellista Uutta Vuotta - French: Bonne Année - Gaelic: Bliadhna mhath ur - German: Prosit Neujahr - Greek: Kenourios Chronos - Hawaiian: Hauoli Makahiki Hou - Hebrew: L'Shannah Tovah - Hindi: Nahi varsh ka shub kamna - Hungarian: Boldog £j vet k¡v nok! - Indonesian: Selamat Tahun Baru - Iraqi: Sanah Jadidah - Irish: Bliain nua fe mhaise dhuit - Italian: Felice anno nuovo - Nepal: Nawa Barsha ko Shuvakamana - Norwegian: Godt Nyttår - Papua New Guinea: Nupela yia i go long yu - Polish: Szczesliwego Nowego Roku - Portuguese: Feliz Ano Novo - Romanian: An Nou Fericit - Russian: S Novim Godom - Serbo-Croatian: Sretna nova godina - Singhalese: Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa - Slovak: A stastlivy Novy Rok - Somali: Iyo Sanad Cusub Oo Fiican! - Spanish: Feliz Ano Nuevo - Swahili Heri Za Mwaka Mpyå - Swedish: Gott nytt år! - Sudanese: Warsa Enggal - Tamil: Eniya Puthandu Nalvazhthukkal - Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai - Turkish: Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun - Ukrainian: Shchastlyvoho Novoho Roku - Vietnamese: Chuc Mung Tan Nien

Beware of Suspicious Reference Books

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, few items have gained as much notoriety or aroused as much suspicion as box cutters. And other previously mundane objects, from crop dusters to the little knives attached to nail clippers, have drawn the concerns of those trying to keep the U.S. safe and inured a wary public to a new way of looking at things. But the latest warning sent to police nationwide by the FBI is nonetheless bound to raise some eyebrows. The Feds issued a Christmas Eve bulletin to about 18,000 law enforcement organizations telling them to be on the lookout for ... almanacs, the catch-all reference books most often consulted for weather trends and the trivia of daily life.

The FBI said members of al Qaeda may use almanacs "to assist with target selection and pre-operational planning." It urged officers to watch during searches, traffic stops and other investigations for anyone carrying almanacs, especially if the books are annotated in suspicious ways, according to the Associated Press, which obtained a copy of the bulletin. The FBI noted that use of almanacs or maps may be innocent, but that when combined with suspicious behavior, a person with an almanac "may point to possible terrorist planning."

Really officer, it's not an almanac... it's just a book on how to make bombs!

"Torah From Terror" in USA Today

I just learned about this write up in the USA Today about the Torah From Terror website.

Say What?!

We Hate Spam, Congress Says (Except When It's Sent by Us)

"Even as Congress was unanimously approving a law aimed at reducing the flow of junk e-mail, members were sending out hundreds of thousands of unsolicited messages to constituents."

-Since Jon Stewart is on vacation, allow me to rub my eyes and say "huuuuuuuh?!?!?"

Kosher? Don't Leave Home without This Card!

From the Forward

Card-Carrying Members of the Tribe Enjoy 'Kosher Advantage' By MAX GROSS

Do you know Teddy Kahn? Probably not.

That's why he carries the Kosher Advantage card. Kahn never leaves home without it. The Kosher Advantage card occupies its own special place in Kahn's wallet, and it is always with him when he eats out.

Now two months old, the Kosher Advantage card works a bit like a kosher incarnation of a Diners Club card. Individuals pay an annual membership fee of $24.95, and then receive a discount of roughly 10% at a growing number — now around 50 — of kosher restaurants, butchers and Judaica shops in New York and New Jersey, as well as a smattering of restaurants in Washington, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

"It seemed to me a no-brainer once I found out about it," said Kahn, an undergraduate at Columbia University who keeps kosher. "If people keep kosher and they're working, or families go out to dinner, over the course of 25 meals... you'll get your money back. That was my rationale."

The card — a small, white plastic rectangle with the words "Kosher Advantage" emblazoned across the front in blue — is the brainchild of Michael Frankel, who graduated last spring with a degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

"I keep kosher, so it was already in my mindset," Frankel said. Frankel began thinking about the idea of a kosher discount card over the summer. "There are programs for other [dining discounts] like Diners Club; there aren't such things for kosher places."

So, why not start his own?

In August, Frankel, who is toying with the idea of hiring a staff, began drawing up business plans and contacting establishments as well as schools and synagogues to help promote Kosher Advantage. "Some are very open to the idea.... [They] think it's great," Frankel said.

Key among Frankel's plans was getting places outside New York agree to participate. "The New York person traveling in Washington has a place to get lunch," Frankel said. Currently, all of the card's holders are New Yorkers, but Frankel hopes to change that. Frankel said that the card has gotten off to a good start.

"People are coming in and showing the card," said Murray Weltz, who runs Park East Kosher Butcher on Second Avenue. "Not as many as I [initially] thought, but people are starting to" use the card.

But Frankel's aspiration is not just to save people money or help out restaurant owners. His driving goal is to encourage members to be better Jews. "There's a whole group of people who eat [nonkosher] dairy out," Frankel said. "This will be the incentive to keep kosher. They'll go to place X over place Y."

The Kosher Advantage card: It's everywhere Jews want to be.

Jon Stewart on Newsweek

Jewsweek called it back in July when they put Jon Stewart on their list of the hottest people and things in Judaism. And I've known for years now that Jon Stewart is the funniest talking head on late night TV.

So, now the rest of the world has caught up and Newsweek has him gracing their end-of-the-year double issue cover. When I went to a taping of the Daily Show a few years ago, our group was welcomed by Jon during his opening bit (warming up the audience) with the worlds "Fellow Yidden in the House... Shalom Aleikhem!"

The Stories The Daily Show Broke in 2003
The Stories The Daily Show Missed in 2003

Congrats Jon on finally getting your due. Look out Leno and Letterman!

What time is it?

The Digital Clock of the Future (or is it of the Past?)

Great Movie

Just viewed "Adaptation" with Nick Cage and Meryl Streep. It is one of the most creative films I've seen. I'm not a fan of Nicolas Cage, but his acting is very solid in this. It is brilliantly done. At Amazon.com, you can read the entire first chapter of the book The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession (by Susan Orlean), the book on which this film is based.

Who Reads Which Newspaper?

1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.

2. The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.

3. The New York Times is read by people who think they should run the country, and who are very good at crosswords.

4. USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the country but don't really understand the Washington Post. They do, however, like their statistics shown in pie charts.

5. The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn't mind running the country, if they could spare
the time, and if they didn't have to leave LA to do it.

6. The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run the country and did a far superior job of it, thank you very much.

7. The New York Daily News is read by people who aren't too sure who's running the country, and don't really care as long as they can get a seat on the train.

8. The New York Post is read by people who don't care who's running the country, as long as they do something really scandalous, preferably while intoxicated.

9. The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren't sure there is a country... or that anyone is running it; but whoever it is, they oppose all that they stand for. There are occasional exceptions if the leaders are handicapped minority feminist atheist dwarfs, who also happen to be illegal aliens from ANY country or galaxy as long as they are Democrats.

10. The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another country but need the baseball scores.

11. The National Enquirer is read by people who think Elvis is running the country.

Welcome to NY Isiah Thomas!

Zeke is coming to the Big Apple to head up the front office of the Knicks. I'm pretty sure that he's held on to his Lone Pine Road (Bloomfield Hills) home while living in Toronto (Raptors owner and VP of Basketball Ops) and in Indiana (Pacers Head Coach). I wonder if he'll sell it now. The last time I saw Isiah was at Metro (Detroit) Airport a few years back when he was having a hard time getting through security (and that was pre-9/11).

Good luck in New York Isiah. You've finally made it to a "Big Market Franchise." I can't wait for the first deal you make with Joey D in Detroit.

Golda's Balcony

We saw Golda's Balcony last night. Tovah Feldshuh stars as Golda Meir in this one-woman play. She also does the voices of all the other people including Dayan, Kissinger, her parents, etc. It was phenomenal!

Most memorable line is when Kissinger says "First I am an American. Second I am the Secretary of State. And last, I am a Jew." Golda replies: "Good, in Israel we read from right to left!" This show certainly made me want to get on the next El Al flight to Israel. It's a must see!!!

Happy Hanukkah to all my Friends and Family

I hope everyone's Hanukkah is bright and joyous.
May this holiday season be a source of health, happiness, love, & prosperity to all of us!

Much Love, Jason

Did Madonna Get S'mikha Before Me??

Shmuley lets the Material Girl have it here. However, the most memorable line from the article has to do with Jacko. Shmuley writes, "It is no secret that I spent two years in close friendship with Michael Jackson which I now regard as one of the great mistakes of my life... But my embarrassment comes from my insecurity in believing that I needed a celebrity pairing in order to be an effective exponent of Judaism, and that the Jewish faith needed a celebrity spokesman in order to garner mainstream credibility."

What kind of Jewish leader would ever get the idea of using a "celebrity pairing to be an effective exponent of Judaism"? -->

One View of the State of the Conservative Movement

Sociologist Marvin Schick takes out a paid ad in each week's New York Jewish Week to publish his personal views. A few weeks ago, he wrote his assessment of the Conservative Movement. If you are interested in reading his views, click here to go to the essay.

Senior Sermon

This Shabbat I delivered my Senior Sermon at The Jewish Theological Seminary. In the final year of Rabbinical School, each senior rabbinical student is given the opportunity to teach the Seminary community. This is considered to be one of the major milestones on the journey toward rabbinic ordination. On either a Friday evening or Saturday morning, the student presents a sermon based on that week's Torah portion in the Women’s League Seminary Synagogue.

My sermon on Parshat Vayishlach entitled "Ya'akov Is Left Alone: Wrestling From Darkness to Hope" can be accessed here.

I hope that others will be inspired by my personal message and my Torah.

The Torah of Groundhog Day

I guess I never realized that Bill Murray's 1993 movie "Groundhog Day" is such a religious resource. Today's New York Times ran an article claiming that rabbis, priests, and Buddhist leaders all use the film in their sermons and classes.

What is Jew's Ear Fungus

Actually, I'm not sure I want to know... I saw this Asian product on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and looked into it. Roxy Instant Jew's Ear Fungus is manufactured by Roxy Country in China. Ingredients include Jew's Ear Fungus, Salt, and Potassium Sorbate. The website announces: "Introducing the new Instant Jew's Ear Fungus made with the finest natural Jew's Ear Fungus served with traditional ready mixed seasoning package."

I still have no idea what Jew's Ear Fungus is supposed to be, but I'm sure it's a delicacy somewhere in the world!

Comedy Central has some new shtick!

I just saw Adam Goldberg last night on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He was plugging his new show "The Hebrew Hammer" on Comedy Central. Andy Dick, Mario Van Peebles, Peter Coyote, and Nora Dunn are also in this show. It will air on Comedy Central on Monday, December 8 at 9:00 PM. and then be released theatrically in New York, Los Angeles and other cities beginning December 19th, to coincide with Hanukkah.

Comedy Central is calling "The Hebrew Hammer" a "Jewxploitation" picture in the vein of "Shaft." Goldberg, who announced that he is only "half-Jewish" on the Daily Show, plays the title role as a handsome Orthodox stud and man of action who is called upon to save Hanukkah. When Santa Claus' evil son Damian (Andy Dick) is pushed over the edge by his father's liberal policies, he murders the Christian patriarch and, stepping into the role, launches a nefarious worldwide campaign to eradicate the Jewish Holiday. The Hammer joins forces with Esther (Judy Greer), the gorgeous daughter of the all-powerful Jewish Justice League (Peter Coyote) to topple Damian and save Hanukkah for future generations. Mario Van Peebles co-stars as the Hammer's brother-in-arms and head of the Kwanzaa Liberation Front, while Nora Dunn plays the Hammer's mother. Mario's father, Melvin Van Peebles, makes a cameo appearance in the film as an homage to his role in creating the blaxploitation genre in the early 70's.

Oy Vey!!!

Is Bush a Mentsch?

Is George W. Bush a mentsch?

From the Dallas Morning News

Thanksgiving Pilgrimage: Mensch in cowboy boots merits praise
A Fox News correspondent in Iraq said that when he told soldiers the commander in chief had been in Iraq for a Thanksgiving visit hours earlier, all the troops could say was, "Wow!" We know how they feel.

President Bush's secret pilgrimage to the front took the entire world by surprise, even members of his own staff. He sneaked out of the White House in the dead of night, leaving in an unmarked car, and slipping onto Air Force One through the back door. Mr. Bush flew 13 hours to Iraq, landing under cover of darkness, with all the lights of the plane out, to make it less of a target for terrorist missiles.

That is, frankly, incredible. As the nation saw, Mr. Bush received an uproarious welcome from 600 shocked and awed soldiers. The troops cheered so forcefully they nearly brought the most powerful man in the world to tears. "I was just looking for a warm meal somewhere," the president drawled. "Thanks for inviting me to dinner." He went on to serve the Thanksgiving meal to Americans under arms far, far from home. This was a spectacular move by the president, whose visit was a tremendous morale booster for our troops, and sent a powerful message to the world that the United States is committed to finishing the job we started in Iraq.

Mr. Bush's critics will inevitably complain that his surprise visit was a stunt designed to counteract poll numbers showing falling confidence in the way his administration is handling the Iraqi occupation. Granted, Mr. Bush will probably get a political boost out of this lightning trip, but those who reduce his gallant and courageous gesture to mere politics only diminish themselves. Any commander in chief, Republican or Democrat, who took this kind of risk to show solidarity with our soldiers on Thanksgiving would deserve unreserved praise and admiration.

There is a Yiddish expression to describe a man who acts this way: mensch. Leo Rosten defined it as "someone of substance, someone to emulate, someone of noble character." George W. Bush of Texas showed yesterday what a mensch looks like in cowboy boots.

Men and Judaism

I facilitated a "Torah on Tap" session tonight for Agudath Israel. Over 20 guys came out to discuss men's roles in the synagogue today. "Where Have All the Men Gone" was the topic and we discussed how the feminist movement and egalitarianism, while positive, have contributed to men turning away from synagogue activities.

The evening was sponsored by the Sloppy Joe group, which was an interesting side note. The Sloppy Joe group, a men's poker and dinner club, began a number of years ago when a women's Rosh Chodesh group started at the synagogue. A photographer was there to take pictures for an upcoming article on Torah on Tap (Jewish) and Theology on Tap (Christian) to be published in New Jersey Monthly Magazine.

Update

The Torah From Terror website got some nice press in the New Jersey Jewish News. The site has been visited by over 2,000 people in the first month.

I delivered a sermon yesterday at Congregation Agudath Israel on the importance of learning Hebrew. It was well received and will hopefully encourage more congregants to learn Hebrew.

Welcome

Welcome to my new Blog. I haven't yet decided what I will use this forum for, but we'll see. It will likely have some of my writings, as well as some news articles that I find of interest.

Thanks for visiting and enjoy!

Bivracha (With Blessing),

Jason
10/28/03