Time Undone

Tweet Poetry Collection

2009-05-21T17:56:00.000-06:00

Click the title to see the full collection of Tweet Poetry.

Cheney in the news

2009-05-21T17:52:00.001-06:00

The guy had his chance to run things, and look where we are for his guidance. The media needs to stop tracking every response Cheney gives to Obama. For once, Bush is the example Cheney--and the media--ought to follow. Silence is golden.

Tweet Poetry: 3

2009-04-07T20:50:00.002-06:00

they are showing love to u

God bless you
you are much braver than I
I don't know. I am confused. Help
I love the smell of a bonfire.

I am very bored
All She Wants To Do Is Dance
ohh its gonna be hilarious
Your knees and legs will thank you for it :)

Twitter Poetry: 2

2009-04-04T18:31:00.004-06:00

hating my job

Poor listening = Poor time management.
Shut up about it, though. I don't want to be arrested.
takin' it back to "the music for love"
love it or hate it is now playing

how can I get faster
anything I do to advance good is better than nothing.
i could use a new car...
we shall see come 2013!

Landed safe. Miss NY already.
Tucson still sucks.
Never fails to make me weep
my cats laugh
one of your dogs is a sloth
It would be a great planet if it wasn't for the fucking people.

Tweet Poetry: 1

2009-03-18T18:27:00.004-06:00

*The following is an idea I'm sure I'm stealing from others: I'm going to start composing poetry taken entirely from posts on Twitter Here's the first one:

An empty kind of happy.

I can't believe in my eyes
Covering Up Reality, One Pothole at a Time
How can I say this...I can't find the words?

You can ask your followers
is it Global Evolution? A crisis or fate?
no, I haven’t.

Poetic Thoughts on the Days of Awe

2008-10-07T13:36:00.002-06:00

The gates of Heaven
have thrown themselves open:
the angelic choir sings on cue--
a piercing, perfect cacophony--
as the ONE prepares to peruse
life's ledger.

WE recall the year's deeds:
fights, long nights amongst the stars--
falling in Love--
assembling Meaning from Chaos
through Tradition?

Now, WE empty our chambers:
daily chores and mundane distractions
divert us away from True paths.

As we open the gateways of our hearts,
we flood the world
with forgiveness:
the echo of the angel's song.

This Song Makes Me Think

2008-09-19T21:33:00.001-06:00

Title: Green and Grey
Artist: Nickel Creek

I'm in a room full of people all hanging on one person's breath
We would all vote him most likely to be loved to death
I hope he still wants it, but it might remind him of when
He aimed for the bullseye and hit it nine times out of ten

That one time his hand slipped and I saw the dart sail away
I don't know where it landed, but I'm guessing between green and grey
Well, I thought nothing of it but it still haunts him like a ghost
With all eyes upon him except two that matter the most

He says: "Green is the colour that everyone sees all around me
Grey is the colour I see around her,
She's just a blur
The more the crowd cheers, the less I can hear,
And they don't really care what I play
It might be for her but for now it's between green and grey."

We paid and we cheered, now we're gone and to us, that feels right
But for him, every one of those evenings turns into the night
With another hotel room where he lays awake to pretend,
That he's doin' fine with his notebook and guest bed for friends.

He says: "Green is the colour that everyone sees all around me
Grey is the colour I see around her
She's just a blur
Night after night while I hear what I write
Fills the room and my head starts to sway.
Might be for her but for now it's between green and grey."

"I want you to love me," he whispers, unable to speak
And he wonders aloud why feelings so strong make the body so weak
Then he awoke, now he's scared to death somebody heard,
If it was you and you know her, please don't say a word.

Lyric of the Week

2008-08-21T18:48:00.001-06:00

I grew up thinkin' I had it made
Gonna make it on my own
But life can take the strongest man
And make him feel so alone.
Now sometimes I feel a cold wind
Blowin' through my achin' bones
I think back to what my daddy said,
He said, "Boy in the darkness before the dawn."

The Concept of "Need"

2008-07-29T14:00:00.000-06:00

This musing begins with a personal story:

My cousin at HUC introduced me (via e-mail) to Rabbi Mitch Chefitz. He is currently engaged in an interactive book project via Blogger called Expanding Soul. I have been reading this book as he posts and have been engaging with the material. He and I have been corresponding about his criteria of creation and how they relate to our Creator.

For this post, I'm going to focus on Rabbi Chefitz's fifth premise:

5. The creator does not create other than to satisfy a need of the creator.

This postulate initially strikes me as false for a few reasons:

If creation is always selfish, then what about tradesmen who make their living creating for others? It would seem that the creator, in this case, satisfies a need of the customer.
Denying a whole category of selfless acts seems to limit the amount of good people can do.
Art is meant to be displayed and shared. People create art for a host of reasons, and "audience response" is one of those reasons. There's a whole field of literary criticism on the topic.
Applied to the ultimate Creator, this idea becomes even more problematic. How can G-d, an omni-perfect and self-existent being, "need" to create the world? Is G-d's existence dependent on mankind?

The last question leads me to begin thinking about a concept at the heart of the matter: the idea of need. There are many different ways to understand need:

We have physical needs for our survival. These needs are satisfied by things like water, food, clothing, and shelter.
We have psychological needs for the well-being of our minds. These are often the needs protected by free political institutions (which tend to call them "rights" rather than "needs"): freedom of thought, speech, religion, etc. When these are not respected, people lose a slice of their humanity and tend to do inhuman deeds themselves.
We have emotional needs for the well-being of our hearts. We need love and acceptance to complete our lives; to put it paradoxically, we need to be needed.

To what "need" are we referring when we talk about the relationship between creator and creation? If it is the first kind, the idea of "creating for another" crashes into the idea of commerce. Though, for a craftsman, the creation itself is for someone else, his livelihood depends upon the sale of his goods. In this way, he "needs" his creations. Can this be the case with G-d? Could G-d not have been G-d had G-d not created the world and/or humanity?

Psychological needs: do people need to create? Is the knowledge of mortality reason for us to leave things (real, material things) behind? We have a need to create freely. One of the amazing innovations of the internet is that ability to create and share across the world. It is no wonder that millions of people have taken to the keyboard and attempted to share themselves. Don't get me wrong; I'm a cynical about blogging (including my own), but I see that it represents a social need. Since an ultimate Creator would not be limited by human understanding and psychology, I do not think "The Creation" can be classified as this type.

Then there's the toughest one: emotional needs. What emotional need is fulfilled by one who creates? Those of us who consume and rely on creators know that we need them. I don't know how to make chairs and tables; if I want those things, I need someone to create them. Thus, there is some bond of dependence between the creator and the consumer. In this sense, we then need to ask: does G-d need to be needed? Would G-d exist were humans not around to worship G-d? Some of these questions are getting really complicated, now.

Of course, from such a place in my life and using such a medium, I could never begin to answer these life-altering questions. This is just my first attempt at wrestling with the ideas of creation and need.

Obama in Iraq

2008-07-21T14:00:00.000-06:00

Ignoring the obvious bias in the LA Times Blog (why do legitimate news sources need blogs anyway?), I hope this visit bodes well for the Obama campaign. It's no secret that Mr. Obama is articulate and well-versed when it comes to foreign policy. Given that both of those sources are horrifically biased, I also include in the background for this piece an article from the Economist.

One question about Obama's "World Tour" ought to be bothering American voters: Why did he visit Iraq at this vital time in his campaign?

I will admit unabashedly that I am an Obama fan. I don't necessarily buy into all of his rhetoric (as he's proven himself to be a wily politician), but I do think that he is the better candidate for the presidency. Remember: he is just that--a candidate--so why is he already making diplomatic visits on behalf of the United States?

Many will say that he needs to "look" presidential; he's running against an old white guy. Nobody but an old white guy has ever been President of the United States, so Obama needs to make his actions reflect the job he wants.

However, I feel the reason for his visit runs deeper. His visit seems to reflect the changing needs of POTUS. Though Obama's obvious goal is to win support in this country, he is doing so by reaching out to other countries. Getting Iraq's PM on board with his plan for Iraq is no small feat; our belief that Iraq can be a democratic light in the darkness of the dictatorial Middle East can only be strengthened when the United States actually listens to the wishes of Iraqis.

All in all, Obama has made a bold political move. By attracting international publicity and support, he stands to gain mightily in this country. It's almost as if the campaign for the American presidency has extended across international borders. Our position in the world is a serious concern; we know that the opinions of other countries manifest themselves in international relations. A candidate that can begin to repair burned bridges during the campaign certainly ought to be able to make strides during his presidency.

We can hope that these actions don't simply reflect the empty promises of another slimy politician.

We Live in a Terrible World

2008-07-18T13:30:00.000-06:00

The recent prisoner exchange between Israel and Hezbollah ought to make Zionists cringe. Don't get me wrong; I'm all for peaceful, diplomatic solutions to the terrible conflict in that region. Unfortunately, the fallout of the deal seems negative.

Not that Israel shouldn't look good. She really had to "suck it up" in terms of pride to agree to such an exchange. The released prisoners, who "deserved" the fate of their victims, were given a hero's welcome in Lebanon. In exchange, Israel is allowed to bury the bodies of its own soldiers in its own land--soldiers who were kidnapped from the Israeli side of the border and murdered by terrorists.

It's disappointing to see Israel resort to appeasement. Allowing murderers to become heroes, especially now that Hezbollah has legitimacy in Lebanon, damages Israel's cause and strengthens her enemies.

Tonight, a whole nation mourns the unjust loss of two soldiers.

Shabbat Shalom.

Love in Evolutionary Terms

2008-07-17T14:00:00.000-06:00

I'm a Planet Earth junkie. The series was absolutely incredible, and it gave us a unique look at the world in which we live. It reminds us that, despite our superior powers of reason, we are but one of many species co-existing on spaceship Earth.

I have been re-watching a number of these programs lately, and a single moment in the one entitled Mountains set off an idea in my head. The video of the giant panda mother protecting and nursing her cub is the perfect picture of love; she is the perfect nurse to her young.

Maybe I'm personifying animals too much, but I just had this sense that "love," a word invented by humans to discuss (what we believe to be distinctly) a human trait, was a motivator for this bear. It's common knowledge that if you run into a cute little bear cub in the mountains, you're going to have to deal with its protective mother. Maybe love is an evolutionary trait that ensures a certain species' survival.

Maybe I've become to much of a hippie for my own good.

Our Obligations to Others

2008-07-14T23:11:00.000-06:00

On my road trip a couple of weeks ago, I began reading through Forty Years of Wondering: The High Holy Day Sermons of Rabbi Raymond A. Zwerin. Rabbi Zwerin is the founding rabbi of Temple Sinai, a reform synagogue in Denver, and the one to which my family has belonged for years.

Of the early sermons I read this weekend, one struck a particular chord: on Yom Kippur morning, 1971, he delivered a sermon about the plight of the Jews living under Soviet rule. He outlined their history, their predicament, and (most notably) a list of actions the average Jew in Denver could take to improve the situation. Part of his closing lines ring through the years and echo in today's world:

Let our generation not be forced to look back on these days and say: 'Al chayt she-hatanu lefanecha sheh lo asanu klum--For the sin which we have sinned by standing by the blood of our brethren.'

In the face of our world's injustices--human trafficking, political murder in Zimbabwe, the genocide in Sudan--we must learn the same lesson. Whether your cause is Israel or Palestine, Asia or Africa, poverty or war, it would be unfortunate to look back and say, "Oops! We didn't do enough." I take that back; "unfortunate" is the wrong word. I think "devastating" would be more appropriate. The terrible events that occur daily in our world require the attention of those who have the ability to heal the world.

This week, we have reasons to despair and reasons to hope. Mugabe's terrible crimes in Zimbabwe are rewarded; he still maintains power in the ravaged "democratic" wasteland that he has created. Those most able to put political pressure on his regime--the leaders of the surrounding African states--lack the will to do so. The world has denounced his crimes but has failed to back any real action aimed at honest remedies.

Our world is not devoid of hope, even in the face of such tragedies. At the end of last week, it looked as if the International Criminal Court would move to indict Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir for the crime of genocide. Never before has the ICC attempted such a charge, and if successful, this action could set a positive precedent. G-d willing, we may live to see the day when crimes against humanity become unthinkable and impossible to implement.

The United States, for all of its claims of activism on the issue (which should not be downplayed), is too wary of its sovereignty to back the ICC in its efforts to end today's number one humanitarian crisis. This ought to change.

We know that events that happen halfway across the world can eventually affect us. As the world "flattens", we have come to an increasing awareness of the brotherhood of man (as cheesy as that sounds). For the first time, let us hope that individual self-interest can be outweighed by a concern for our brothers and sisters in Africa, and may we let this hope guide our actions in the near future.

Shabbos Musings: The Environment

2008-07-04T18:00:00.000-06:00

If nothing else, I was honest: this blog is nothing if not sporadic. I've experienced a lot of personal growth in the last year, and I've lately begun writing again. Who knows when I'll post these, though.

I'm also ashamed to admit that I've become a smug hippie about the environment. I sort and (try to) recycle my garbage when I can. I save plastic and glass containers and use them as water bottles. I'm careful about lights and appliances.

So, I took the Ecological Footprint Quiz for a class assignment. My results were staggeringly, painfully high. Not only do I use far more resources than I need, but I use enough to require 4.2 Earths if everyone were to live my lifestyle. This is unfortunate, and is an area in which I have an obligation to improve. Where does this obligation come from? Can it be derived from Jewish teachings?

Last year, I helped organize a panel of local rabbis to discuss the second paragraph of the Sh'ma. On the panel were two rabbis from the local Renewal community, the director of the campus Chabad, and Reb Zalman. Their discussion centered around finding a way to accept the vengeful promises G-d makes. The commandments regarding the land and treatment of animals are extremely specific; they literally guide the way in which Jews ought to interact with the world. G-d, in this paragraph, vows to withhold the rain if these mitzvot are not followed. Many modern Jews have cut this paragraph out of the liturgy, claiming that the image of a vengeful G-d does not help the modern man achieve spiritual wholeness.

However, the idea that one ought to pay attention to his relationship with the Earth is an extremely spiritual idea. People often throw around the phrase: "you reap what you sow." This can be literally and figuratively true. Fisheries that fail to practice sustainable fish farming will soon deplete the oceans badly enough to eliminate their own livelihoods. Farmers that work the land only to maximize profit find their mineral resources depleted and their land eroded. When we fail to pay attention to the key patterns of our consumption, we do real harm to the world.

This pattern can also be seen in terms of distribution of resources. I know that I over-consume. I have too much stuff, I drive too frequently, and I waste too much food and energy. What this pattern really means, though, is that I'm using more than my share of the world. Hillel said: "Do unto others as you would have done unto thyself. This is the whole law; all else is explanation." The consumption patterns of our world and their effects on the developing world (poverty, exploitation, lack of access to services, etc.) violates this key Jewish principle of inter-personal relationships.

I do find something deeply spiritual in learning how to relate to the Earth in a sustainable fashion. The whole world works on principles of natural cycles, and our waste-producing, polluting, resource-draining habits contradict everything we know about how the rest of the natural world operates. This Shabbat, think about the idea of "rest" in terms of Mother Earth. She must take the time regenerate, too.

Shabbat Shalom.

Judaism in the Fast Lane

2007-09-24T18:48:00.000-06:00

Saturday was Yom Kippur, the holiest of holy days for Jewish people. The holiday falls on the tenth of the Hebrew month of Tishrei and is the last of the "Days of Awe". It is the Day of Atonement and carries with it the requirement of a full-day fast. The whole purpose of the day is just what the name suggests: Yom Kippur is a day to atone for the sins of the past year and start the new year on fresh terms.

This year, the fast was hard. I've fasted every year since my Bar Mitzvah, but this year I felt extremely weak and lethargic.

Many denounce such acts of self-flagellation as outdated and overzealous. The truly repentant will spend their day in prayer and reflection regardless of the existence of a midday meal. Making amends with people is important, too. The liturgy agrees. We say that for sins against G-d, the Day of Atonement repents, but for sins against another, the Day of Atonement does not repent.

Yom Kippur is also about more than just being sorry. Saying the requisite prayers, making amends with people, and fasting are only part of the picture. It's important that the sinner repent for his sins, but he must strive to change his ways as well. Yom Kippur is a holiday that reminds us to be better people.

However, given all of those reasons, I still fast. There are spiritual benefits to fasting on the Day of Atonement that do not deal with the self-infliction of pain. For one, the ritual requires the believer to step out of his daily routine. Alone, this is enough of a reason to fast; it is a constant reminder that Yom Kippur is a holy day. Two, fasting removes the social and distracting elements of food. When people gather for meals, they lose spiritual focus. Yom Kippur is a personal day of repentance and a day for personal development. Three, hunger and thirst are tools for repentance. When we are hungry, we feel empty inside. On Yom Kippur, we want to hunger for G-d and thirst for atonement. We should fill our emptiness with spirituality and self-improvement, and our hunger allows us to do so. Thirst makes us physically weak. Weakness is a reminder that there is something greater than mankind. Traditional Jews call that concept G-d, and we remind ourselves that there are certain aspects of the universe (life and death, for instance) that humanity does not control.

Ultimately, fasting is good for the soul on Yom Kippur.

Update: Lessons from Israel

2007-08-15T11:53:00.000-06:00

I have written in previous posts about my professional experience with antisemitism.

After another slew of comments last Monday, I left the job and wrote letters to the applicable people.

Results and a full play-by-play of events to come once the whole series is over.

Why Today Is A Good Day

2007-08-13T13:13:00.004-06:00

I guess it's always a good day when someone in the Bush administration resigns, but today's announcement is especially sweet.

Public Response to Recent Comment

2007-08-03T14:51:00.001-06:00

My last post received a comment from a fellow blogger. The comment is reproduced here in it's entirety. My response follows.

As a ultra-right wing republican, I think going after OBL anywhere he is is
good. If he is hiding in with the Pakies then send in the Marines with all the
fire power of the Navy and Air force behind them. OSB should be killed for 911.
So Obama may have slipped with his tongue but it is the correct approach. Kill
the snake and it goes away.

A few disclaimers before I begin:

1) I am not an ultra-right wing Republican, if the original post did not make that clear. My response is not an unbiased reporting of the facts; rather, it is the opinion of a fairly liberal young person.
2) I do not believe OBL (or Osama bin Ladin, for those of you who have missed the boat so far) is a good man. I'm Jewish and a Zionist; needless to say, I don't make it my business to defend terrorists.

However, the approach that this comment mentions is entirely the wrong one. To relentlessly pursue one person without regards to international relations or the drain on our troops is poor policy.

For one, we've been in Afghanistan for a number of years now and have been unable to pull out bin Laden. He's not an easy man to find, and it's not going to be quick to find him. More importantly, up until now, the government of Pakistan has been (relatively) cooperative with the United States.

Part of President Musharraf's policy has been the crackdown on Islamic extremism and terrorism. He's certainly not an ideal leader, but he's politically beneficial given our mire in the Middle East. Musharraf is willing to help us and has a vested interest in doing so. Invading his country and destabilizing his power is more dangerous than waiting for him to act. As we've seen in Iran, extremism in the government is bad; the collapse of the current Pakistani regime due to an American invasion would have extremely serious consequences to the United States and would, in all likelihood, increase al-Qaeda's power.

Remember, if we "kill the snake," it doesn't matter. Osama bin Laden's death does not put an end to terrorism or al-Qaeda. In fact, making bin Laden a martyr will likely rally the terrorists together and provoke attacks against our country and soldiers in the area (much as Saddam Hussein's death did).

This very shortsighted view of foreign policy is exactly why we're caught up in the mess we are. We must protect our people against terrorism, but we must do so intelligently and responsibly.

Obama on Pakistan

2007-08-03T13:13:00.001-06:00

Barak Obama, one of the leading Democratic presidential candidates, has erred. Accused of being too soft on terrorism, Obama (who has always opposed the war) publicly considered taking action against Pakistan. His move presents a glaring contradiction, a frightening prospect, and intriguing political strategy.

Obama has twisted his platform in an interesting way. He blasts the Bush administration's War on Terror and the current policy on Iraq. The essential claim is that the current policy's failure to ensure security has created more terrorism: we have not only fostered a strongly anti-American sentiment (and given terrorists more fuel to recruit), but we have also created safe havens for the terrorists to exist. Regardless of whether or not the war was right in the first place, the situation has deteriorated to a point where the war is untenable. Politically and militarily, the war cannot continue as it is. Obama agrees with these ideas and often speaks on them; however, in trying to combat the "soft on terror" attacks he receives for being anti-war, he's proposed another one.

With the Bush administration admitting that al-Qaeda is as strong as it was in September of 2001, we know the War on Terror is failing. Now, we've got a presidential candidate (a Democrat, no less) who wants to expand an already costly and ineffective war. He ironically denounces the "color-coded politics of fear" of the current administration but then invokes the same fear tactics to justify his own plans: "There are terrorists holed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000 Americans. They are plotting to strike again"(1).

A campaign that receives much of its popularity from the anti-war stance (incredibly important among Democrats right now) should hardly be mentioning new wars. Undoubtedly, the Obama campaign has an answer to all of the attacks his speech has caused. Even if the counter-arguments are legitimate, however, Obama has misstepped. Though he might not truly be proposing a war in Pakistan if he wins the election, the media have characterized his campaign that way. In a country where people vote based on appearances and surface details, a media craze like this can severely damage Obama and his quest for the presidency.

There's the chance that Obama's campaign will grasp some of the "middle ground" in the election. In fact, his comments are likely to please the hard-line Republican voters. Will this work?

Well, only time can tell. In a country that's always elected white, male, Christian presidents, Obama is already at a disadvantage, particularly among Republicans. This could help ease that. However, this campaign season has been unique in its focus on issues; the serious problems plaguing our country right now--the war, health care, environmental protection--need to be addressed, and the voters are demanding answers from politicians. The predominant issue for the election so far has been the war, and whoever can best pacify the people with an answer will have a significant advantage in 2008. During the midterm elections, Joe Lieberman was cast aside by the Democratic party primarily due to his position on the war. Though he still went on to win the election, Lieberman faced the consequences of this country's change of heart about Iraq.

Obama might not be so lucky. He still has to win the primary, and he just made a grand fauxpas. His previously popular stance on the war is now being called into question, which the staunchly anti-war left is not going to tolerate. It's safe to say that Obama may face a drop in his polling numbers among Democrats.

More than that, even, is that his comments geared toward Pakistan have angered a nation with which we're already having a difficult time. "Top Pakistan officials said Obama's comment was irresponsible and likely made for political reasons"(2). The international fallout of such a comment is yet to be seen, but presidential candidates have an understandably difficult time winning votes when they're busy battling international incidents.

The fallout of Obama's comments will soon be clear. Maybe his fear tactics will work better than the current administration and he'll garner some of those coveted "undecided" votes. He just has to hope that he hasn't angered his main supporters too much.

(1)http://www.barackobama.com/2007/08/01/the_war_we_need_to_win.php

(2) http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-08-03-pakistan-obama_N.htm?POE=click-refer

Short-Lived

2007-08-03T08:30:00.038-06:00

Unfortunately, the new blog venture with 451 Press was short-lived. There are no hard feelings; the disagreement was only about the payment plan. It's always about money, I guess.

What does this mean for Time Undone? Ideally, it means significantly more frequent updates. It also means an expansion of content; previously, I was writing about politics and the media five or more times each week on the other site. Up until now, you've been spared my constant political rants.

In the process of working for 451 Press, I became more familiar with a new blogging tool: WordPress. The continued existence of Time Undone speaks to my personal opinion of WordPress compared with Blogger.

Enough said.

Religious Languages

2007-07-28T18:49:00.000-06:00

Recently, I read an appeal to the Catholic Church. The writer wanted Mass said in Latin. Her argument, essentially, is that services that she didn't understand allowed her the comfort of ritual and gave her an hour of meditation. Ironically, the traditional service gave her some one-on-one time with G-d. Additionally, she disagrees with some of the Church's doctrine, and therefore has a problem listening to sermons and services that she comprehends; she was blissful in her previous ignorance.

As a university student studying Judaism (among other things), an article pleading for deliberate ignorance did not sit well with me. I've never believed that one should support an organization that one disagrees with. I wouldn't even give money and support to a candidate I didn't want in office, so I certainly wouldn't support a spiritual lifestyle with which I have serious qualms. Why would someone deliberately support something with which she does not agree? More importantly, once educated, why would she ask to be kept ignorant?

Unfortunately, questions like this are not rhetorical.

The dilemma of original text versus modern translation is not one that plagues the Catholic Church alone. The diminishing power of overarching religious institutions combined with the global dispersion of religions understandably causes a shift toward translations in local languages. For many, the original is not enough.

Judaism, particularly in the United States, is split on this issue. Some believe that services ought to be conducted in Hebrew. Period. Others believe that Hebrew is an important part of services, but translations and explanations need to go along with the original text. Not everybody learns to speak Hebrew fluently, and religion ought to be more than empty chant. Still others argue that Hebrew is archaic and outdated. Instead, services ought to be conducted in the native language of the participants so that meaning is not swallowed by tradition and ritual.

When I was growing up, I thought there was some sort of magic in Hebrew. I thought that G-d would not listen to my prayers if they were in English, out of order, mispronounced, or sung to the wrong melody. I thought that the only time I had a direct connection to G-d was during the silent prayer/meditation after the amidah. For my bar mitzvah, I learned how to read Hebrew, but I didn't learn how to understand very much of it. I can still read pretty well, but I can't comprehend but a few words, phrases, and prayers. However, I still think it's important to pray in Hebrew.

It's not because I want to be kept deliberately ignorant. The organization of religion can be corrupting; there are many tenets of Orthodoxy with which I do not agree. The most practiced religions of today have roots thousands of years ago. It is no surprise that many traditions do not translate into the modern world. Indeed, some that translate do so badly.

On the issue of language, though, there can be benefits. Judaism believes very strongly in education. We are not Jewish by birth alone; we are Jews by choice. To choose wisely, we must be educated. Part of this education must be cultural, and this includes the learning of a language. When we learn a new language, we expand our minds to another culture and way of life. Many argue (correctly) that language reflects the values of a culture. Additionally, Hebrew is one of very few ancient languages still spoken today. For a Jew, learning the language of our homeland can be highly useful.

There are other legitimate benefits of ritual, as well. There may not be actual magic (as in Harry Potter, abracadabra magic) in Hebrew words, but there is something deeply spiritual about chanting an ancient text in its original language. I now know that I don't need to speak to G-d exclusively in Hebrew; if He's omniscient, He speaks English. However, when I speak Hebrew, I'm connected to my childhood and my ancestors. There's some magic in that.

People are illiterate!

2007-07-20T09:30:00.000-06:00

The advertisement on the right is not built into my blog; it is a screenshot from Cyanide and Happiness.

I'm just wondering if anybody actually reads things before they post them online, or if it's possible people are really this illiterate.

Here are the problems I found:

1) The first sentence reads "Funny Tess 9.99 and up." Unless the girl in the picture is a comedian, for sale, and named Tess, then I have no idea what this means. They forgot all of the dollar signs, too, so if it's a British company, those shirts are really expensive. Oh, and the sentence ends in a preposition.

2) The capitalization was done by a toddler. With no hands. While sleeping. There's no other explanation.

3) "With deals like this you can't loose." I'm so glad I can't loose if I go to that website; apparently they assume I can't read, too.

I thought writing advertisements required at least an elementary school diploma. I was mistaken.

Lessons from Israel

2007-07-19T18:53:00.000-06:00

It would be very easy for me to copy my travelogue into this blog and regurgitate all of the details of my recent (June 10-June 25) trip to Israel. However, I've never been one for easy writing projects. Instead, my experience in Israel needs to be woven into the larger context of the story of my life.

Therefore, my story about Israel actually begins at the beginning of the summer. The sensitivity of the issue forbids me from disclosing details about my current employment, but it's safe for me to say that I work a blue-collar job. The people I work with, therefore, are not always the most accepting, tolerant people. Racial slurs fall like rain where I work. Almost immediately, too, I gave notice that I would be taking two-ish weeks of vacation so that I could travel to Israel. Nobody really said anything about it, I was granted the time off, and we went on our merry, racist ways.

You can probably already see where this is going, but since this is an explanatory piece, I'll give the gory details anyway. The week before I left, some people at work began asking about my trip. I wasn't surprised by any of the questions; they asked why I was going, who I was going with, if I was afraid of being blown up, etc.

Then someone crossed the line. The question: "What kind of school would send you over there with the Jews?" Taken aback, I let my coworkers continue their anti-Semitic tirade for quite some time. It's easy when one of my "friends" says something like that; it's more difficult when those spewing hate also happen to employ me. Apparently, it didn't occur to them that I might be Jewish. Needless to say, I was happy to get away for a couple of weeks.

In Israel, I learned more than I ever thought I could in two weeks. From history to modern-day politics to religion, I gained a wealth of knowledge and understanding about Israel that I never expected. A mere 15-day trip completely changed my world view concerning Judaism. One morning, we had a lecture from an expert in Israeli politics. He was originally British, had lived in the United States, and made alyiah (that is, moved to Israel permanently) about a decade ago. When he told us that only in Israel had he ever felt truly free, I was surprised. He had moved from two countries with great political and religious freedom, but he felt he had more liberty in a religious country in the Middle East.

I understood.

When I came back, I looked for another job. However, with six weeks left of summer (including one more mini vacation), the outlook was not promising. I am still employed with the same company, and I work with the same people.

This is not a post of dignity or redemption; it is a post of failure. The Talmud tells us: "who can protest and does not is an accomplice in the act." As of now, I have been unable (or unwilling) to protest. I know I am doing the wrong thing, but my other options are relatively limited. Will I say something either by letter or in person when I leave? Maybe. It depends on if I can actually make a difference; some people can't be taught new tricks, anyway.

I suppose I ought to try.

First They Came For The Jews

2007-07-19T09:18:00.001-06:00

"First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me."

More on this to come.

New Blog!

2007-07-11T18:20:00.000-06:00

Yes, it does seem like I'm always getting new blogs. However, the new one is a little bit different. I'm blogging for 451 Press, which gives me free professional hosting for my blog, promotes the site, and generates advertising revenue. I get to write about the media. Check out my new gig at http://www.mediacritiques.com.