A couple weeks ago, my wife and I attended a Purim party. I had no idea what to wear. In past years I was able to figure out what to wear based on the theme. Black tie? Got it covered. Western attire? No problem (jeans, flannel and cowboy hat). 70's Disco attire? That's easy (and fun!).
This year, however, the invitation said "Gem Tones." Say what? I was clueless and my wife wasn't much help on this one. I started calling other guys to find out what they were going to wear. One friend was more clueless than the next. Were jeans too casual? Did I need a sport coat? Did my outfit have to be certain colors. I don't think I've ever looked in my closet and thought, "Gee, some of my clothes bear a striking resemblance to the tones of gems!" I would have been less stressed had the invitation instructed us to dress like a favorite Disney character (well, there's always next year!).
It's usually easy for men to decide what to wear to parties. Weddings are either a black tuxedo or a dark suit. "Casual" can be jeans or slacks and a button-down shirt. I'm really not complaining because I know it's much more challenging for women.
In this week's Torah portion, Tzav, the details about the clothing of the priests continues. Even God's instructions concerning the sacrificial burnt offering have a great deal to do with the special vestments of the high priest, Aaron, and the other priests. "The priest shall dress in linen raiment, with linen breeches next to his body." After the priest has taken up the ashes of the burnt offering he has to do a costume change. Even the priests' clothes get anointed with oil and some of the blood from the sacrifice.
The late biblical scholar Nahum Sarna writes about the details of the priestly clothing: "Just as sacred space must be differentiated from profane space, so the occupants of the sacred office must be distinguishable from the laity. Hence, special attire, the insignia of office, is ordained for Aaron, the archetypal High Priest, and for his sons, the priests of lower rank."
The reason for such minutiae when it comes the clothing of these holy men is l'chavod ultifaret (for dignity, honor, and splendor). The medieval commentator Sforno explains the use of these two Hebrew words. The vestments, he writes, "were for the dignity of God and to lend splendor to the office of the priest so that he would be revered by the people." I think that the vestments were as much for the dignity of the priests, of the wearer that is, as they were for God’s dignity.
This teaches us that what we wear says a great deal about us. All of these details about the priestly clothing reminds me of the famous dress code that was in effect for many years at IBM. Men had to dress in a dark colored suit, could only wear a white dress shirt, and could select a necktie of any conventional color; so long as it was solid – no patterns. For women, it was mostly the same – A dark, solid colored skirt and a white blouse. IBM believed that the way its workforce dressed portrayed the specific image that they wanted associated with their company. Apparently, they held the belief that it’s “the clothing that makes the man."
And this belief was just as true in the 1990s, as companies like IBM shifted from strict, conservative dress codes to less-formal attire. Casual dress in the workplace became the new trend and "Dress down Fridays" became a popular section in most clothing stores. Companies like IBM believe that the way one dresses helps contribute to the way one works, behaves, and acts toward others. It also contributes to the way others view the wearer. When we get dressed in the morning, don’t we think about what type of image we want to portray for that day? Don’t we pick out our clothes for the day based on more than just the weather?
What we wear is representative of who we are, and indeed, where we come from. It speaks volumes about what we stand for and our own level of self-dignity. Styles do change. And society’s attitudes toward standards of proper attire do too. I might never fully comprehend how to dress in a "gem tones" attire, but I understand that our clothing is important.
Let us dress for success. Let us dress for style. And most important, let us dress l’chavod ultif’aret – for dignity, honor, and splendor.
Shabbat Shalom!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Omri Casspi May Return to Maccabi Tel Aviv
There have been several former NBA players who have gone on to play for Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club. However, I can't think of any players to do so while in the middle of an NBA contract. Sacramento Kings player Omri Casspi has announced that he may return to his former team in Israel should the NBA impose a player lockout next season.
Casspi's the first Israeli to play in the NBA (New Jersey Nets player Jordan Farmar has an Israeli step-father, Yehuda Kolani from Tel Aviv). JTA reports that Casspi told Israel's Army Radio Thursday that he would consider rejoining Maccabi Tel Aviv if the league and the players' union do not come to a new compromise by June 30, the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Casspi would be allowed to play abroad in the event of a lockout. While Casspi's playing time with the Kings has been limited lately, he did make news earlier this month with his "Sheket B'vakasha" slam dunk.
Casspi's the first Israeli to play in the NBA (New Jersey Nets player Jordan Farmar has an Israeli step-father, Yehuda Kolani from Tel Aviv). JTA reports that Casspi told Israel's Army Radio Thursday that he would consider rejoining Maccabi Tel Aviv if the league and the players' union do not come to a new compromise by June 30, the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Casspi would be allowed to play abroad in the event of a lockout. While Casspi's playing time with the Kings has been limited lately, he did make news earlier this month with his "Sheket B'vakasha" slam dunk.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Conservative Jewish College Students Get Short Shrift
At some point in 1996, I sat down to begin writing a draft of my application essays for rabbinical school at the Jewish Theological Seminary. One of the questions asked what the focus of my future rabbinate would be and it didn't take long to formulate an answer that included paying more attention to Jewish college students.
As an active student in the university's Jewish community at the time, I recognized that college students don't often get the attention they should from their synagogues or temples back home. During high school, a lot of congregational funds and professional support are directed to youth groups. Staff members forge lasting relationships with Jewish teens, scholarships are awarded for retreat and convention attendance, leadership skills are taught, Israel trips are available that last much longer than ten days.
When these teens leave home for college, however, it is largely believed that the Hillel on campus will take care of them. Aside from an annual visit from the congregational rabbi, there is often little connection from the synagogue. Hillel can be a one-size-fits-all solution for many Jewish college students and that is where the individual movement's college outreach programs come in to play.
During my second year of college, I helped re-constitute a Koach chapter on my campus. Koach is the Conservative Movement's college outreach program. It was an important lifeline for Jewish students (many of whom were already active with Hillel) who affiliated with the Conservative branch of Judaism. My connection with Koach continued when I was in rabbinical school, teaching at a Koach kallah (retreat) and serving as a visiting Koach Scholar on college campuses.
Today, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism votes on its new strategic plan. I haven't written about the state of United Synagogue in the past year, but I have been watching closely. Rather than criticize the organization, I've been interested to see how it redefines itself amidst a massive decline in affiliated synagogues. Like many Conservative rabbis and Conservative Jewish leaders across North America, I have long wondered how affiliated synagogues justify the hefty annual dues price tag to United Synagogue without getting much in return. The reality has long been that Conservative synagogues remain affiliated and pay dues so they will be able to participate in the placement process when they need to hire a new rabbi or cantor, and so their teens will be able to be members of United Synagogue Youth (USY), the movement's international youth group. Without enough support or resources to justify paying dues during the recession years, a large percentage of Conservative congregations disaffiliated. If congregations needed to hire new clergy during that time, they negotiated a settlement deal to re-affiliate and then promptly stopped their dues payments once the new rabbi or cantor was in place.
Over the past few years, organized dissent has arisen from within the ranks of the Conservative Movement. One of the coalitions of critics, Hayom (rabbis and synagogue presidents), has joined forces with United Synagogue to construct a reinvention strategy through a new strategic plan. When a draft of this new strategic plan, crafted with the expert consulting of Dr. Jack Ukeles and sociologist Steven M. Cohen and under the co-chairmanship of Professor Jacob Finkelstein and Rabbi Ed Feinstein, was posted on the USCJ website the criticism began.
The most vocal complaint about United Synagogue's new plan was its reduction in funding and attention to its college outreach program. In response, a grassroots group (Mahar Coalition) of Conservative Jewish college students and alumni of Koach was formed. United Synagogue quickly revised its strategic plan, but without any monetary figures being changed in the revision that will be voted on today.
Here's what the original plan said (based on the draft that has since been taken off of the USCJ website):
The language above makes the jump from high school graduates to post-college young adults and seems to believe that Hillels will handle the Jewish outreach to college students. The Mahar Coalition has stated the obvious: they too want to engage in education and Torah learning through a lifeline to the Conservative Movement while on the college campus.
The edited plan was amended to read:
The Mahar Coalition's response to the revision was fairly positive, but there was no decision by United Synagogue to shave less funding from Koach. Hopefully, the conversation will continue and individuals or foundations will step up to support the important outreach from United Synagogue to Conservative college students.
United Synagogue's reputation is at stake here and there has been a tradition of having little transparency in their decision making over the decades. If the Conservative Movement is to dig out of its current predicament and truly reinvent itself, it cannot short shrift Conservative Jewish college students -- a highly impressionable demographic. They will only give member congregations more reason to question if affiliation is really worth the money.
As an active student in the university's Jewish community at the time, I recognized that college students don't often get the attention they should from their synagogues or temples back home. During high school, a lot of congregational funds and professional support are directed to youth groups. Staff members forge lasting relationships with Jewish teens, scholarships are awarded for retreat and convention attendance, leadership skills are taught, Israel trips are available that last much longer than ten days.
When these teens leave home for college, however, it is largely believed that the Hillel on campus will take care of them. Aside from an annual visit from the congregational rabbi, there is often little connection from the synagogue. Hillel can be a one-size-fits-all solution for many Jewish college students and that is where the individual movement's college outreach programs come in to play.
During my second year of college, I helped re-constitute a Koach chapter on my campus. Koach is the Conservative Movement's college outreach program. It was an important lifeline for Jewish students (many of whom were already active with Hillel) who affiliated with the Conservative branch of Judaism. My connection with Koach continued when I was in rabbinical school, teaching at a Koach kallah (retreat) and serving as a visiting Koach Scholar on college campuses.
Today, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism votes on its new strategic plan. I haven't written about the state of United Synagogue in the past year, but I have been watching closely. Rather than criticize the organization, I've been interested to see how it redefines itself amidst a massive decline in affiliated synagogues. Like many Conservative rabbis and Conservative Jewish leaders across North America, I have long wondered how affiliated synagogues justify the hefty annual dues price tag to United Synagogue without getting much in return. The reality has long been that Conservative synagogues remain affiliated and pay dues so they will be able to participate in the placement process when they need to hire a new rabbi or cantor, and so their teens will be able to be members of United Synagogue Youth (USY), the movement's international youth group. Without enough support or resources to justify paying dues during the recession years, a large percentage of Conservative congregations disaffiliated. If congregations needed to hire new clergy during that time, they negotiated a settlement deal to re-affiliate and then promptly stopped their dues payments once the new rabbi or cantor was in place.
Over the past few years, organized dissent has arisen from within the ranks of the Conservative Movement. One of the coalitions of critics, Hayom (rabbis and synagogue presidents), has joined forces with United Synagogue to construct a reinvention strategy through a new strategic plan. When a draft of this new strategic plan, crafted with the expert consulting of Dr. Jack Ukeles and sociologist Steven M. Cohen and under the co-chairmanship of Professor Jacob Finkelstein and Rabbi Ed Feinstein, was posted on the USCJ website the criticism began.
The most vocal complaint about United Synagogue's new plan was its reduction in funding and attention to its college outreach program. In response, a grassroots group (Mahar Coalition) of Conservative Jewish college students and alumni of Koach was formed. United Synagogue quickly revised its strategic plan, but without any monetary figures being changed in the revision that will be voted on today.
Here's what the original plan said (based on the draft that has since been taken off of the USCJ website):
Recommendation 4.5 "USCJ should shift its priority in connecting young Jewish adults from the college campus to the post-college generation, recognizing that the North American Jewish community has made a much more substantial investment in Jewish life on the college campus than it has in the young adult post-college generation." 4.6 "At the same time, USCJ needs to maintain a bridge between high school graduates and post-college young adults. USCJ should make a limited, focused investment in the college-age cohort by creating leadership development opportunities for the outstanding graduates of Ramah, USY, and Nativ, many of whom are studying at List College." 5.1 "The current campus environment is heavily serviced by Hillel and numerous other well-funded and professionally staffed efforts. The only way a relatively modest expenditure by USCJ can make a significant impact on campus is by highly focused interventions. While the USCJ cannot abandon Conservative Jewish college students, it needs a more effective vehicle than the current Koach program."
The language above makes the jump from high school graduates to post-college young adults and seems to believe that Hillels will handle the Jewish outreach to college students. The Mahar Coalition has stated the obvious: they too want to engage in education and Torah learning through a lifeline to the Conservative Movement while on the college campus.
The edited plan was amended to read:
Recommendation 4.5 "It is recognized that a continuing presence on campus for Conservative Judaism is vital to maintain the bridge between our high school students and the young adult post-college generation. It is not clear who should fund this effort and what the effort should look like. Since USCJ has been funding and administering the effort through Koach, in the short term USCJ should continue to do so in a highly focused and cost-efficient way. Simultaneously, USCJ should engage with college student leaders, and leaders of Conservative Judaism, to determine how best to work in partnership to ensure that the USCJ presence on the college campus not only remains but grows."
The Mahar Coalition's response to the revision was fairly positive, but there was no decision by United Synagogue to shave less funding from Koach. Hopefully, the conversation will continue and individuals or foundations will step up to support the important outreach from United Synagogue to Conservative college students.
United Synagogue's reputation is at stake here and there has been a tradition of having little transparency in their decision making over the decades. If the Conservative Movement is to dig out of its current predicament and truly reinvent itself, it cannot short shrift Conservative Jewish college students -- a highly impressionable demographic. They will only give member congregations more reason to question if affiliation is really worth the money.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Isla Fisher Wants to Be a Rabbi
Music Rooms reports that the actress Isla Fisher ("Wedding Crashers"), the wife of comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, joked that after converting to Judaism she now wants to become a rabbi.
Perhaps before becoming a rabbi, Fisher should watch this video, made by YouTube user CFIDSgurl using xtranormal.
Isla became engaged to the comedian in 2004, and studied for three years before completing her conversion in early 2007. The 35-year-old star took on the Hebrew name Ayala, the Hebrew word for Doe. Isla has joked she is so enamoured with the religion that she’s thinking of becoming a rabbi.
“You study, then have a test. In fact, I’m thinking of becoming a mohel. [Pause] If you knew what a mohel was, you’d laugh. It’s a rabbi who circumcises boys,” she told the April edition of Elle.
Perhaps before becoming a rabbi, Fisher should watch this video, made by YouTube user CFIDSgurl using xtranormal.
Clarifying Natalie Portman's Hadassah Gift That Never Was
I pride myself on always trying to provide factual information on this blog. However, it has come to my attention that six years ago, in March 2005, I reposted a news report that the Jewish/Israeli actress Natalie Portman made a $50 million gift to Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. I didn't provide any of my own commentary on the post, but simply reposted a news report that had been published on several other websites, based on Israel's Arutz7. A Google search still retrieves many of the original news reports of Portman's supposed gift from 2005. Here is what the Arutz7 website report about Portman's donation looked like back in 2005:
The operative word in the Arutz7 article above is "including," insinuating that a total of $50 million was received including a "large donation" by Natalie Portman. That was misinterpreted when it was reposted on the NataliePortman.org blog (clip below):
Now, Natalie Portman has won an Oscar and is starring in several big box office films. She is also making headlines for standing up to Dior's John Galliano and speaking out against his anti-Semitic slurs. Hadassah issued a statement last week praising the actress for her courageous stand. And then, I'm sure some Google searches by Hadassah staff and members turned up the various blog posts from 2005 about the $5 million gift that turns out to be a misunderstanding.
So, six years went by and no one seemed to question this erroneous donation? I did a little research and it turns out that a woman named Phyllis commented on a blog in April 2005, stating "she [Portman] didn't donate $50 million personally-they received donations of $50 million and her donation was included in that re-read the article: 'Jerusalem's Hadassah hospital received a $50 million donation last week including a large donation from one of the people born there -- famed Jewish actress Natalie Portman."
Early this week, I began receiving emails from Hadassah staff members inquiring about this supposed donation. And then I received this message from Hadassah:
I'll conclude this post by reminding everyone that the new Sarah Wetsman Davidson Tower at Hadassah Hospital, named for the mother of the late Jewish philanthropist Bill Davidson of Detroit, is still in need of funds and I encourage everyone to contribute to this important cause.
The operative word in the Arutz7 article above is "including," insinuating that a total of $50 million was received including a "large donation" by Natalie Portman. That was misinterpreted when it was reposted on the NataliePortman.org blog (clip below):
Now, Natalie Portman has won an Oscar and is starring in several big box office films. She is also making headlines for standing up to Dior's John Galliano and speaking out against his anti-Semitic slurs. Hadassah issued a statement last week praising the actress for her courageous stand. And then, I'm sure some Google searches by Hadassah staff and members turned up the various blog posts from 2005 about the $5 million gift that turns out to be a misunderstanding.
Early this week, I began receiving emails from Hadassah staff members inquiring about this supposed donation. And then I received this message from Hadassah:
"This 'story' was originally misreported exactly six years ago this month when Hadassah announced it had raised $50 million in just two short years from quite a variety of sources for a new center for emergency medicine. Natalie Portman appeared at the event but did not contribute to the center. For some unknown reason, last week, people began to re-circulate the very old, very wrong version of the story claiming that Portman had made a $50 million donation. Hadassah would be grateful if you would post a correction to this post. This was obviously no fault of yours. But these things quickly take on a life of their own. Thanks very much."So, I am hereby retracting the misinformation that was published on this blog in March 2005. Natalie Portman has been a strong supporter of Hadassah Hospital and I'm sure she will continue to be, however, she never made a $50 million donation to the expanded emergency trauma unit.
I'll conclude this post by reminding everyone that the new Sarah Wetsman Davidson Tower at Hadassah Hospital, named for the mother of the late Jewish philanthropist Bill Davidson of Detroit, is still in need of funds and I encourage everyone to contribute to this important cause.
Why Atheists Love Religion Websites
I published my first blog post on the Huffington Post website back in October. What immediately amazed me was the large number of comments posted about my piece. In the first couple of days there were close to 500 responses to what I had written. And then I began to skim these "talkbacks" to find that the vast majority were written by individuals who were angry about any form of organized religion and believed that God was as make-believe as Mickey Mouse. I was surprised to see so many self-affirmed atheists not only lurking on the religion section of the Huffington Post, but also being its most vocal contributors. It should be noted that my blog post had little to do with God and was devoted to post-denominationalism in Judaism. Most of the comments were from lapsed Christians who now felt religion was a joke and seemed angry that it was still in existence (in any form).
I planned to write about this phenomenon, but never got around to it. So, I was glad when my colleague Rabbi David Wolpe, of Los Angeles, posted his feelings about it on the Huffington Post yesterday ("Why Are Atheists So Angry?"). In a much more eloquent way than I could, Rabbi Wolpe put into words his take on why there are so many atheists participating in the online conversation on websites devoted to religion -- and why their comments are so tinged with angst. When I first read his post yesterday there were no comments, however, when I checked back today there are now close to 900 responses -- certainly with a good number of them from the atheist community.
Rabbi Wolpe writes:
To summarize, Rabbi Wolpe offers four four reasons why he believes atheists are so angry. First, Atheists genuinely resent the evil that religion has caused in the world. Second, they are convinced that religion is a fairy tale that impedes science/progress/rational thought. Third, "there is an arrogant unwillingness to engage with religion's serious thinkers." And, finally, he argues that "there is sometimes in the atheist a want of wonder. In a world in which so much is still not understood, in which multiple universes are possible, in which we have not pierced the mystery of consciousness, to discount the supernatural is to lack the openness to mystery that should be a human hallmark. There is so much we do not know. Religious people too should acknowledge this truth."
Perhaps websites like the Huffington Post and Beliefnet should offer a section devoted solely to atheism so that the atheists would no longer dominate the airwaves in the religion section with with their angst. Or perhaps, these individuals will continue to weigh in on the discussions surrounding religion, but will do so in a more civil manner that will actually move the conversation forward in a productive way. I know deep down that these individuals are still seeking. They are still interested in the conversation and have their fleeting moments of belief; otherwise I don't think they'd spend the time engaged in the debate.
Rabbi Wolpe writes:
How harmless is it to post an article about why people should read the bible on a site devoted to religion? I did on this very page, and it evoked more than 2,000 responses, most of them angry. I had previously written a similarly gentle article about how God should be taught to children that evoked more than 1,000 responses, almost all negative and many downright nasty.
It is curious that a religion site draws responses mostly from atheists, and that the atheists are very unhappy. They are unhappy with the bible ("foolish fairy tales" is one of the more generous descriptions), unhappy with the idea of God (the "imaginary dictator" whose task in human history, apparently, is to ensure that oppression and evil triumph) and very unhappy with anyone (read: me) who presumes to offer religious advice to the religious. Only the untutored assume that religious people predominate on websites (Huffington Post Religion page, On Faith in the Washington Post, Beliefnet.com) devoted to religion.
In the past when I have debated noted atheists -- Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and others -- the audience was heavily weighted toward my opponents. That makes sense. Each of these men -- like Dawkins, Dennett and others -- brings with them a large following. But why seek out a religious site solely to insult religion?
To summarize, Rabbi Wolpe offers four four reasons why he believes atheists are so angry. First, Atheists genuinely resent the evil that religion has caused in the world. Second, they are convinced that religion is a fairy tale that impedes science/progress/rational thought. Third, "there is an arrogant unwillingness to engage with religion's serious thinkers." And, finally, he argues that "there is sometimes in the atheist a want of wonder. In a world in which so much is still not understood, in which multiple universes are possible, in which we have not pierced the mystery of consciousness, to discount the supernatural is to lack the openness to mystery that should be a human hallmark. There is so much we do not know. Religious people too should acknowledge this truth."
Perhaps websites like the Huffington Post and Beliefnet should offer a section devoted solely to atheism so that the atheists would no longer dominate the airwaves in the religion section with with their angst. Or perhaps, these individuals will continue to weigh in on the discussions surrounding religion, but will do so in a more civil manner that will actually move the conversation forward in a productive way. I know deep down that these individuals are still seeking. They are still interested in the conversation and have their fleeting moments of belief; otherwise I don't think they'd spend the time engaged in the debate.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Omri Casspi Says Sheket B'vakasha
Urban Dictionary defines "Boomshakalaka" as "An onomatopoeic 'in your face.' Originally the sound of a slam-dunk in basketball -- the "boom" being the dunk, and the "shakalaka" being the rattling of the backboard."
In the early years of ESPN, it was common to hear an ESPN personality throw out an energetic "boomshakalaka" when showing the highlight footage of a monster dunk. Today, announcers will often exclaim variations of "Goodnight!" "Sit Down!" or "Shut Up!" when one basketball player posterizes another with a ferocious slam dunk.
Ever since Israeli basketball sensation Omri Casspi of the Sacramento Kings entered the NBA, I've been hoping to hear an announcer exclaim something Jewish or Hebrew when he slam dunks. Last week, Casspi's alley-oop slam dunk on the fast break from teammate Marcus Thronton elicited a "Sheket B'vakasha!!" from the announcer -- Hebrew for "Quiet Please!" but with more of a "Sit Down and Shut Up" quality to it. The play was #9 in ESPN's countdown of the day's top ten highlights.
In the early years of ESPN, it was common to hear an ESPN personality throw out an energetic "boomshakalaka" when showing the highlight footage of a monster dunk. Today, announcers will often exclaim variations of "Goodnight!" "Sit Down!" or "Shut Up!" when one basketball player posterizes another with a ferocious slam dunk.
Ever since Israeli basketball sensation Omri Casspi of the Sacramento Kings entered the NBA, I've been hoping to hear an announcer exclaim something Jewish or Hebrew when he slam dunks. Last week, Casspi's alley-oop slam dunk on the fast break from teammate Marcus Thronton elicited a "Sheket B'vakasha!!" from the announcer -- Hebrew for "Quiet Please!" but with more of a "Sit Down and Shut Up" quality to it. The play was #9 in ESPN's countdown of the day's top ten highlights.
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Raise Your Glass - The Maccabeats Purim Song
This year is a leap year on the Jewish calendar so there is a second month of Adar. The fun and silly holiday of Purim occurs this month and that means the levity has begun. Two funny videos for Purim are already attracting quite a bit of attention on YouTube.
The Yeshiva University a capella group The Maccabeats have followed their smash hit for Hanukkah with a Purim version of Pink's "Raise Your Glass." It might not go viral like "Candlelight" did (4.725 million views and counting), but it's fun nevertheless.
Yael Buechler, a very creative senior student in the rabbinical school at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, created a video parody of Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie starring the Seminary's Chancellor Arnie Eisen ("Ernie") and Professor Burt Visotzsky ("Bert"). Yael told me that students have joked about Burt as "Bert" and Arnie as "Ernie" for a number of years (probably for as long as Eisen has been chancellor). Since Buechler's recent video creations have become very popular within the JTS community, she explained that the Chancellor and Rabbi Visotzky were eager to be in this latest hit. She wrote the script based on a Bert and Ernie scene and substituted the Purim pastry hamantaschen for pizza. As you can see, Eisen and Visotzky did some ad libbing as well. Even though I took a few courses with Prof. Visotzky, I was not aware of his dead-on Bert impersonation. It's great to see these academics be such good sports for the sake of some Purim fun.
Jacob Richman has posted 68 Purim videos on his website. Check it out.
More Purim fun to come!
The Yeshiva University a capella group The Maccabeats have followed their smash hit for Hanukkah with a Purim version of Pink's "Raise Your Glass." It might not go viral like "Candlelight" did (4.725 million views and counting), but it's fun nevertheless.
Yael Buechler, a very creative senior student in the rabbinical school at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, created a video parody of Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie starring the Seminary's Chancellor Arnie Eisen ("Ernie") and Professor Burt Visotzsky ("Bert"). Yael told me that students have joked about Burt as "Bert" and Arnie as "Ernie" for a number of years (probably for as long as Eisen has been chancellor). Since Buechler's recent video creations have become very popular within the JTS community, she explained that the Chancellor and Rabbi Visotzky were eager to be in this latest hit. She wrote the script based on a Bert and Ernie scene and substituted the Purim pastry hamantaschen for pizza. As you can see, Eisen and Visotzky did some ad libbing as well. Even though I took a few courses with Prof. Visotzky, I was not aware of his dead-on Bert impersonation. It's great to see these academics be such good sports for the sake of some Purim fun.
Monday, March 07, 2011
Esther's in Vegas - Tweeting Jewish Conferences
Cross-posted to the "Jewish Techs" blog at The Jewish Week
That's right, Esther's in Vegas. No, not THAT Esther? We'll shift our focus to Queen Esther in less than two weeks. For now, the focus is on another Esther.
Connected Jewish leaders know that Esther Kustanowitz, the writer and social media consultant, is in Las Vegas because her Twitter and Facebook feeds pinpoint her location there. She's at Tribefest, the Jewish Federations of North America's "meet up" on the Vegas Strip for young Jews to "connect, explore & celebrate the richness of Jewish music, food, arts & culture." But don't worry, you don't have to actually be in Vegas to participate in TribeFest. In fact, you don't have to ever leave the comfort of your own home anymore to get to Jewish conventions, conferences, retreats, or organized excuses to gamble, party and network in Sin City.
With the popularity of social networking, you can feel like you're actually at the Jewish conference without having to book a flight, get a hotel room, and register for the "HELLO My Name Is" nametag in plastic on a lanyard. In fact, it's not only the speakers and breakout sessions that can be followed on Twitter with a special hashtag (#), but also the pre-glows, private parties, networking lunches, and meetings over scotch at the hotel bar.
And if you were wondering if any participants had a difficult time traveling to the conference, you can follow that on Twitter too. EstherK (her Twitter handle) starred in a Twitter remake of "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" when she tried to get across the pond to Limmud late last year. She updated her 3,000-plus Twitter followers with every frustrating travel delay she endured. And when she actually got to #limmud at the University of Warick in the UK, she let us know who else was there, which sessions she was attending, and what she was doing later that night.
Twitter hashtags have kept the non-attendees feeling connected at just about every recent Jewish conference and convention, from the Reform Biennial to AIPAC and J-Street to the current JCPA Plenum. Last year's General Assembly in New Orleans might have set the record for the most tweets at a Jewish conference with thousands of Twitterers left wondering what the #NOLAGA hashtag was all about and why it was trending.
In New Orleans at the GA, JFNA hired Kustanowitz to produce an innovation and social media enthusiasts' event - NOLAISM (NOLA Innovation and Social Media) Schmooze-Up, where live tweeting happened simultaneously to the actual in-person schmoozing. She didn't attend the 2009 GA in person, but wrote about attending the conference "virtually" thanks to Twitter in a blog post titled "The GA As Seen Through Twitter."
William Daroff, Vice President for Public Policy and the Director of the Washington office of The Jewish Federations of North America, is the reigning Twitter king of the organized Jewish community. With his list of 6,000 followers and growing, Daroff has amassed his own network on Twitter. His travel and speaking schedule is public information because he not only shares it with the people of Cyberspace but also frequently posts photos via Twitpic of his whereabouts. It's not unusual to read Daroff's tweets that he posted while moderating a panel discussion in front of a thousand people. One need not be at the hotel bar with Daroff at a conference to be able to network with him over a cocktail -- just read his tweets to be part of the conversation.
At the 2010 GA, Kustanowitz used the #NOLAGA Twitter feed to monitor sessions that conflicted with the ones she was attending and "to assess in real-time how the sessions I was in were resonating with the other Twitterers, and to eavesdrop on what people were talking about." She added that the "amazing part was seeing that there was a host of Twitter users who viewed themselves as on-the-scene reporters, sending instant reports not just of the larger events (for instance, Prime Minister Netanyahu speaking) but of the crowd's responses, the behavior of members of the Israeli press, any dissent or enthusiasm that they, as members of the audience, could see more effectively than those on the stage and at the podium."
The Twitterers who are live and in-person at the actual event can even meet their "virtual" friends for the first time. Conference attendees will use Twitter updates to let other participants know where they are in the hotel or convention center for a real-life meet up.
I'm following much of the TribeFest action right now and will likely do the same when I sit out the Rabbinical Assembly convention (curiously also taking place in Vegas) later this month. While I'll miss reconnecting with friends and colleagues in real-life, I can follow the convention on the monitor in the comfort of my office without having to get on a plane and say goodnight to my kids over a phone. If I want to ask one of the speakers a question, I can just tweet it and let a participant ask it live.
Twitter is certainly affecting the way we participate in conferences and I'm sure that attendance at large-scale conventions has decreased over the past year. So, rather than getting in on the early bird registration for that next convention, save the money and the hassle of travel and just find out what the hashtag will be. Sometimes it's easier to be a follower than an attendee.
That's right, Esther's in Vegas. No, not THAT Esther? We'll shift our focus to Queen Esther in less than two weeks. For now, the focus is on another Esther.
Connected Jewish leaders know that Esther Kustanowitz, the writer and social media consultant, is in Las Vegas because her Twitter and Facebook feeds pinpoint her location there. She's at Tribefest, the Jewish Federations of North America's "meet up" on the Vegas Strip for young Jews to "connect, explore & celebrate the richness of Jewish music, food, arts & culture." But don't worry, you don't have to actually be in Vegas to participate in TribeFest. In fact, you don't have to ever leave the comfort of your own home anymore to get to Jewish conventions, conferences, retreats, or organized excuses to gamble, party and network in Sin City.
With the popularity of social networking, you can feel like you're actually at the Jewish conference without having to book a flight, get a hotel room, and register for the "HELLO My Name Is" nametag in plastic on a lanyard. In fact, it's not only the speakers and breakout sessions that can be followed on Twitter with a special hashtag (#), but also the pre-glows, private parties, networking lunches, and meetings over scotch at the hotel bar.
And if you were wondering if any participants had a difficult time traveling to the conference, you can follow that on Twitter too. EstherK (her Twitter handle) starred in a Twitter remake of "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" when she tried to get across the pond to Limmud late last year. She updated her 3,000-plus Twitter followers with every frustrating travel delay she endured. And when she actually got to #limmud at the University of Warick in the UK, she let us know who else was there, which sessions she was attending, and what she was doing later that night.
Twitter hashtags have kept the non-attendees feeling connected at just about every recent Jewish conference and convention, from the Reform Biennial to AIPAC and J-Street to the current JCPA Plenum. Last year's General Assembly in New Orleans might have set the record for the most tweets at a Jewish conference with thousands of Twitterers left wondering what the #NOLAGA hashtag was all about and why it was trending.
In New Orleans at the GA, JFNA hired Kustanowitz to produce an innovation and social media enthusiasts' event - NOLAISM (NOLA Innovation and Social Media) Schmooze-Up, where live tweeting happened simultaneously to the actual in-person schmoozing. She didn't attend the 2009 GA in person, but wrote about attending the conference "virtually" thanks to Twitter in a blog post titled "The GA As Seen Through Twitter."
William Daroff, Vice President for Public Policy and the Director of the Washington office of The Jewish Federations of North America, is the reigning Twitter king of the organized Jewish community. With his list of 6,000 followers and growing, Daroff has amassed his own network on Twitter. His travel and speaking schedule is public information because he not only shares it with the people of Cyberspace but also frequently posts photos via Twitpic of his whereabouts. It's not unusual to read Daroff's tweets that he posted while moderating a panel discussion in front of a thousand people. One need not be at the hotel bar with Daroff at a conference to be able to network with him over a cocktail -- just read his tweets to be part of the conversation.
At the 2010 GA, Kustanowitz used the #NOLAGA Twitter feed to monitor sessions that conflicted with the ones she was attending and "to assess in real-time how the sessions I was in were resonating with the other Twitterers, and to eavesdrop on what people were talking about." She added that the "amazing part was seeing that there was a host of Twitter users who viewed themselves as on-the-scene reporters, sending instant reports not just of the larger events (for instance, Prime Minister Netanyahu speaking) but of the crowd's responses, the behavior of members of the Israeli press, any dissent or enthusiasm that they, as members of the audience, could see more effectively than those on the stage and at the podium."
The Twitterers who are live and in-person at the actual event can even meet their "virtual" friends for the first time. Conference attendees will use Twitter updates to let other participants know where they are in the hotel or convention center for a real-life meet up.
I'm following much of the TribeFest action right now and will likely do the same when I sit out the Rabbinical Assembly convention (curiously also taking place in Vegas) later this month. While I'll miss reconnecting with friends and colleagues in real-life, I can follow the convention on the monitor in the comfort of my office without having to get on a plane and say goodnight to my kids over a phone. If I want to ask one of the speakers a question, I can just tweet it and let a participant ask it live.
Twitter is certainly affecting the way we participate in conferences and I'm sure that attendance at large-scale conventions has decreased over the past year. So, rather than getting in on the early bird registration for that next convention, save the money and the hassle of travel and just find out what the hashtag will be. Sometimes it's easier to be a follower than an attendee.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
On Jewish Identity
I was one of three Jewish educators asked to respond to a statement about Jewish identity for this month's issue of Sh'ma: A Journal of Jewish Responsibility. The statement was co-written by Patrick Aleph and Michael Sabani, the co-founders of Punk Torah. After I responded to their statement in writing, Patrick and Michael interviewed me via Skype. Their statement, my response and the video interview are below:
My response:
Jewish identity is a tricky subject. We have no consensus on how to define it, what it should feel like, or to what extent it should be particularistic. I find that Judaism has much wisdom to offer, both to adherents of the faith and to the rest of the world. I’m often, therefore, baffled by our numbers — that we account for such a small fraction of the population.
Should we worry more about monotheism, as Michael Sabani and Patrick Aleph suggest? Should we worry less about the cultural components of our peoplehood? These are decisions that each individual “member of the tribe” must make. Some Jews will be enthralled with bagels and lox on Sunday mornings, federation meetings, Seinfeld reruns, and B’nai Brith softball. Other Jews will recharge their spiritual batteries in traditional synagogue life. Some will look to Jewish summer camp as their source of Jewishness, and for other people it will be the connection to the State of Israel. We are a club, but we’re not sure who is included and who decides our boundaries. It is good for us to stand out as tribally different, but we should also count our blessings that we are included in the larger fabric as well.
"If I try to be like him, who will be like me?" (Yiddish Proverb)
No study has ever been done to discover the root cause of why people stop identifying with Judaism. If we worry less about Judaism as a culture and more about monotheism, we might find that — suddenly — people have something more to believe in. Jewish identity is more than matzah ball soup and Young Professionals mixers.
God, Israel (the people), and the Torah are essential for Jewish identity. Without God, we sit on a stool with only two legs. Theists need to summon up the courage to put God first in Jewish life in spite of the urge to keep our heads down so we don’t look crazy.
We often place a lot of importance on not standing out, especially in a “tribal” sense. It gives us a sense of being a part of something larger than ourselves. The flip side is that if we all try to be like someone else, we lose who we really are.
Judaism is a path (halakhah) that allows us to walk together, even if we walk at our own pace. When we try to be like another, we are giving up our God-given individuality.
—Patrick Aleph and Michael Sabani
My response:
Jewish identity is a tricky subject. We have no consensus on how to define it, what it should feel like, or to what extent it should be particularistic. I find that Judaism has much wisdom to offer, both to adherents of the faith and to the rest of the world. I’m often, therefore, baffled by our numbers — that we account for such a small fraction of the population.
Should we worry more about monotheism, as Michael Sabani and Patrick Aleph suggest? Should we worry less about the cultural components of our peoplehood? These are decisions that each individual “member of the tribe” must make. Some Jews will be enthralled with bagels and lox on Sunday mornings, federation meetings, Seinfeld reruns, and B’nai Brith softball. Other Jews will recharge their spiritual batteries in traditional synagogue life. Some will look to Jewish summer camp as their source of Jewishness, and for other people it will be the connection to the State of Israel. We are a club, but we’re not sure who is included and who decides our boundaries. It is good for us to stand out as tribally different, but we should also count our blessings that we are included in the larger fabric as well.
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