In London now. Awesome post to come!
Anyone else in London want to hook up? Now's your chance
1 year ago
Monday, May 25, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Picture of the Week 77: Coney Island Edition
The other day I want to Coney Island . . .
A spur of a moment type thing, I didn't have a chance to bring my camera along.
As such, please enjoy these photos as taken on my Palm Treo.
Click on the link . . .
Under the tracks
By the boardwalk
The tide
Sand, Bench and Man
Wishing everyone a good Shabbos!
Technorati Tags: Coney Island, Beach, Sea, Photography, New York, Picture of the Week, Cell Phone
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Weekly Riddle 4
A Video for E - the source of . . . (ask your rabbi if you can listen to this during sefira)
I am older than man, but as young as you.
I am talented, but like not what I do.
I'm wise in knowledge, but known a fool.
Few live not in my rule
Who am I?
2 Points for anyone who can tell me what the Chabad version of this song (No E allowed!)
13 points for anyone who can answer the riddle!
Technorati Tags: Polyushko Pole, Video, Russian, Niggunim, Riddle
I am older than man, but as young as you.
I am talented, but like not what I do.
I'm wise in knowledge, but known a fool.
Few live not in my rule
Who am I?
2 Points for anyone who can tell me what the Chabad version of this song (No E allowed!)
13 points for anyone who can answer the riddle!
Technorati Tags: Polyushko Pole, Video, Russian, Niggunim, Riddle
Six of the Ten Commandments to Improve Lubavitch
I've been running a very off schedule lately - unable to sleep during normal hours, I've been lying down to sleep between 4:00 and 7:00 am, and getting up sometime around 11:00 - as e. would say in the Basement Blogger meme that is all the rage, 'A seder it is not.'
As such I tend to eat during off hours Breakfast = Several cups of coffee shortly after waking, Brunch = toast with cheese around 3 or 4 pm, Dinner = Pasta or hot dogs around 9:00 . . . and Supper = a Hamburger at Empire Grill around 1 am . . . Yah. It's messed up.
Anyhow, a group of Israeli Bochurim learning in Kvetuza waited ahead of me in line. One of them ordered a Burrito (one need only imagine how he mangled the word) . . . only to ask his friends what the Hecht it was he'd ordered. Of course my dear Chumus eating brethren had no clue.
As a born Angelino, I know all to well what a burrito is.
I explained the concept of beans, meat, rice and what in a tortilla (I called it a Mexican laffa made of corn) to him.
And with what did he repay my kindness to him with? He cracked jokes with his friends by imitating my American "Reish".
As such I feel the time has come to show the world my 10 commandments to better Lubavitch!
(Image Source: Tabloid Yellow Judaism)
- Ban all use of Hebrew as a Lingua-Franca amongst Lubavitchers outside of Israel: This one is quit simple. I speak English, it's my mother tongue. But during my stay in Yeshivah i learned how to read and speak in Hebrew and Yiddish (not to mention a healthy smattering of Russian) . . . it's something all American bochurim do to one degree or another. The Frenchies do it, as do the Italians, Souther Americans and Russians. Every Lubavitcher learns at least one language to some degree besides his household dialect. Not the Lubavitcher Israelis. Too many of them speak only Hebrew - not because it's a holy tongue. Not because they're Zionists and feel it ought to be done. Not even because they have a love for the language. They do it because in their arrogance and ignorance they feel that they are the center of the world and must be catered too. It annoys the gówno out of me.
- Chassidisher Bochurim shouldn't buy the iPod Classic: Let's be honest here. The iPod was a revolutionary device - Apple in its marketing genius perfected (though it did not create) the MP3 player. Today, while personal preference is always valid - some people like the iPod Nano or iPod Touch, others go for the Zune, the newer Sony Walkman series and Creative Zens are also quite good . . . Kulei Alma Modiim that the iPod Classic is antiquated. As such - when Chassidishe Bochurim buy an iPod Classic for Sichos and Farbrengens (an amazing use for the technology) they're buying an inferior product out of ignorance because no one out there will tell them to get something better. That's lame. It also leads into problem number 3.
- Dorky Earphones: Walking around listen to Chassidus is an amazing thing. Doing it with the massive white ear buds of the iPod, or some other junky pair - and leaving the cord to hang out from ones coat pocket as it snakes up to ones ears . . . all in the (semi)social or public venues of walking down the street or while standing inline . . . is a douche thing to do. It looks lame . . .
- No Kvutza in 770: This is a simple one. The Rebbe didn't want them in 770. They could be amazing chayus'dike bochurim . . . The Rebbe sent them to Chovevei Torah until they moved on their own accord some time after 27 Adar. This should really be part of problem number one . . . but I wanted the post to have at least 5 of the ten commandments.
- Undeserving People wearing a Kasket: The kasket was worn by Russian Chassidim for dorei doros - the Rebbe wore one before his chasuna. Today for various reasons most Lubavitchers don't wear one. That's fine. Adaraba! Locals, Shluchim and long time residents (people who learned in Yeshivos etc) in Eastern Europe wear the kasket as mark of pride and badge of honor. Not Israeli bochurim. When they do it, they think they're chassidish . . . as R' Mendel and such wore a kastet. Feh! Wear it because you admit you're a простых солдат - and know what it means.
- Get rid of exploitationist sites: Sites such as COL and CH.info aren't about news in Lubavitch . . . That's what Shmais does (rather slowly). They're about people exposing themselves to the world for pleasure of some and the financial gain of others. They're smut. They fail to accurately report the news - instead they pontificate on stupid things (The Head Shliach to Yehupitz put on a blue tie), push their opinion in the form of News, or put poorly written or over verbose and bombastic English posts.
No.
But they'll make Crown Heights a far more enjoyable place to walk around in.
As you, my dear reader, may have so astutely noticed Commandments 7-10 are missing. Please suggest your own to add to this list . . . or make an entirely new one!
Technorati Tags: Chabad, Rants, Humor, Israelis, Life, Hats, MP3s, COL, 770
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
A Lubavitcher Pesach in a Lubavitcher Town (End of Uman)
After over a month of delays, I've now managed to finish my final post in the Lubavitcher Pesach in Uman Series.
Click on the link to read on!
A Ukrainian sitting near our flat on 31 Lenina st.
The first day of Chol Hamoed we went off to Dnepropetrovsk (the sitting where the Lubavitcher Rebbe grew up) for the Kinus Torah - Torah gathering - held in the synagogue by various Shluchim from across Ukraine.
So of we went from Cherkasy to Dnepr . . . something around a five hour drive. 
By the bank of the Dnepr River with the other Pesach bochurim 
Halfway through the trip, we came to Kremenchuk a Ukrainian town famed for it's Cigarette factories and fame in Chassidic lore as the home to many great Jews - and several songs composed in the town.
We stopped in the shliach's house, said l'chaim, sang the Kremenchuger Berel'ach, and continued on the way . . . 
We managed to snap a shot by the city gate as well . . . the local who took the picture of us did such a lopsided job that no cropping would help . . . So I used this one instead
The shul in Dnepr
With the Rabbi's son.
Father and child
While I was at the kinus I met fellow blogger and Twitterer Itzhak Shier.
Unfortunately as it was shortly before Ma'ariv, we didn't have a chance to speak in any great depth.
The apartment the Rebbe lived in - I believe it's now an orphanage run by Chabad.
The Rebbe's father's shul - now a Yeshivah
Dnepr is fairly modern by Ukrainian standards . . . but to see the face of Denis, a boy from Uman adopted by the shliach, one would think he'd seen some lost ruins uncovered from the mists of time . . . or an interstellar cruiser. In short he was awed by the buildings . . .
. . .
On the return flight - once more packed with bochurim - we found, much to our pleasure, that we had the same flight crew as the way in.
When it became clear before we took off that the meals weren't Kosher for Passover (not as if any of the bochurim would have eaten the matzah balls in the first place) they held up the flight to bring on fruit for us.
In addition to the 40 plus bochurim, there was (l'havdil) a class of Ukrainian missionaries off to some conference in NY, and a Mennonite family connecting to Cleveland.
Soon several of the bochurim, were involved in a philosophical conversation with the Mennonite man and the two Catholic stewardesses . . . One stewardess enjoyed showing off her knowledge of Judaism from her study under the Jesuits in school, the other couldn't figure out how we could believe in G-d, but not the New Testament ("So let me get this straight - you believe in the Bible, but only part of it?" "You believe in G-d but not Yoizel? But you do go to Sunday Church right?" "But you believe in Yoizel right?"). The Mennonite, for his part backed up the Chassidic tradition of marring in the early Twenties (as did he) to the scoffing stewardesses.
Of note, I've often told people that the word Amish comes from a word in Pennsylvania Dutch related to the word Heimish in Yiddish . . . I was apparently incorrect, as Amish refers to the followers of Jakob Ammann.
It was a most interesting return flight.
Technorati Tags: Ukraine, Dnepropetrovsk, Chabad, The Rebbe, Airplanes, Mennonites, Photography, Travel, Pesach
Friday, May 15, 2009
Picture of the Week - Green Cheeses Me
I saw this in here in my dear Crown Heights . . . If it was in Parkslope where the herds Priuses (Priii?) graze. But here in Crown Heights, where Jew and Caribbean drive SUVs and Vans alike . . . Who goes for green?
Organic Dry Cleaning? There's no such thing!
Technorati Tags: Picture of the Week, Crown Heights, Green, Stupidity
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Reactionary Jewish Music
Life of Rubin featured a series of clips from upcoming CDs for Lag B'Omer.
and I was struck by something . . . It would seem they were marketing Jewish Music based purely on the reactionary nature of certain elements of the Jewish status-quo.
I've touched upon what makes Music "Jewish" is an incredibly subjective thing.
On one hand chazanus plays off of Opera. Chassidic drawing upon, if not directly taking, local slavic tunes.
It's interesting to note that in the nascent days of the Chassidic movement, one of the issues the Misnagdim brought against them were the changes they made in the singing of traditional liturgical prayers.
In the snippets of the CD itself besides a few traditional 'Polish' sounding ditties, I hear heavy influences of Carlebach and bits of MBD . . . .
I do understand, that our use of these 'sources' is one that must be used with thought, and done by someone with a connection to holier things . . .
But there's something off with how one tries to market it.
Music is something that grows, it develops and changes.
Anything less then that is lame.
One of the new albums featured was Yesod Hachasidus Regesh II - sporting the tag
It's not modern. It's not Different. (It's not even groundbreaking)
It's not modern. It's not Different. (It's not even groundbreaking)
and I was struck by something . . . It would seem they were marketing Jewish Music based purely on the reactionary nature of certain elements of the Jewish status-quo.
I've touched upon what makes Music "Jewish" is an incredibly subjective thing.
On one hand chazanus plays off of Opera. Chassidic drawing upon, if not directly taking, local slavic tunes.
It's interesting to note that in the nascent days of the Chassidic movement, one of the issues the Misnagdim brought against them were the changes they made in the singing of traditional liturgical prayers.
In the snippets of the CD itself besides a few traditional 'Polish' sounding ditties, I hear heavy influences of Carlebach and bits of MBD . . . .
I do understand, that our use of these 'sources' is one that must be used with thought, and done by someone with a connection to holier things . . .
But there's something off with how one tries to market it.
Music is something that grows, it develops and changes.
Anything less then that is lame.
On a different note, while enjoying some real music yesterday, I realized how sentimental music can be. When I hear certain songs, I'm immediately drawn back to the time, mood and place I heard them first . . . or the most.
Tracht Gut by 8th Day is a direct trip to the teenage angst of Mesivta
Gelt by Lipa reminds me of hanging out in the Zal dormitories of Mmontreal
Time of your song reminds me of the hope of Adar last year in Crown Heights.
Time of your song reminds me of the hope of Adar last year in Crown Heights.
Cat Eye Glasses from the 8th Day reminds me of walking down Eastern Parkway in Sivan of last year - Not to mention Fool on the Hill
Technorati Tags: Judaism, Music, Links, Thoughts, Lag B'omer, Memories
Weekly Riddle 3
I'm not sure how clear this one is . . . so I'll make it worth 20 points.
Technorati Tags: Riddle
For the worker by night
and the lazy by day.
At youth I am avoided,
but accepted with age.
The last time I come,
I am never done.
Technorati Tags: Riddle
Monday, May 11, 2009
On Milk and Meat
Note 5-11-09 11:30 pm: The shitah of the Pri Chadash has been clarified from when the post was initially published 7:36 pm
Before we get started check out the latest Haveil Havalim over at Random Thoughts (wish Jack a happy bday over there while you're at it . . .
----
T
he twittersphere had an interesting back and forth yesterday about the required length of time one must wait between eating milk after meat.
Hadassah Sabo even set up a poll of what people did over at her blog.
As such, I thought it would be fitting to take a second look at some of the sources behind the discussion and try to clarify thing.
Before venturing into the thick of things, it's important to make a few things clear.
This post is hardly a proper treatise on the subject - not only is it most likely missing some of the major opinions in the mater, it's likely that I could have erred in my understanding of the topic it . . . be it through ignorance or lack of understanding. As such, besides the general rule that one should base their halachic decisions, after that of their Rabbi, one should not draw any halachic opinion from this post.
That being said . . .
The Torah commands us at three junctures (Exodus 34:26 Exodus 23:19 Deuteronomy 14:21)
----
T
he twittersphere had an interesting back and forth yesterday about the required length of time one must wait between eating milk after meat.Hadassah Sabo even set up a poll of what people did over at her blog.
As such, I thought it would be fitting to take a second look at some of the sources behind the discussion and try to clarify thing.
Before venturing into the thick of things, it's important to make a few things clear.
This post is hardly a proper treatise on the subject - not only is it most likely missing some of the major opinions in the mater, it's likely that I could have erred in my understanding of the topic it . . . be it through ignorance or lack of understanding. As such, besides the general rule that one should base their halachic decisions, after that of their Rabbi, one should not draw any halachic opinion from this post.
That being said . . .
The Torah commands us at three junctures (Exodus 34:26 Exodus 23:19 Deuteronomy 14:21)
"לא-תבשל גדי, בחלב אמו" - Not to cook a g'di in its mothers milk. Rashi explains that g'di is any spawn of a kosher livestock.
From the repetition of the verses, the Sages of the Talmud deduce
That there is a prohibition against
The Talmud in tractate Chullin discusses the prohibition of eating milk after meat - Rashi explains it is due to the fat of the meat that remains in the mouth after eating. The Rambam explains that it's due to the presence of meat stuck between the teeth, and as such it takes six hours to be considered digested.
We ultimately take on both opinions - and thus must make sure to wait the required period of time for the taste to disipate and must remove the bits of meat obviously left in the mouth. Thus even after waiting the reuqired period of time, one must wash out his mouth if bits of meat are found and removed from the teeth.
The Lechem Mishnah learns that six hours the Rambam posits one most wait derives from the statement of Mar Ukva that one most wait the length between two meals - thus since the period of time between the breakfast and supper of a Torah scholar was six hours, it takes six hours for the meat to be properly digested.
This opinion is taken as law by Rabbi Yosef Karo in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 89:1, and thus binding to all Jews of Sephardic decent.
The Rema, the principal Ashkenazi authority on Halacha, notes that certain opinions posit that one can say the grace after meals (and thus finish the meal), wash and clean his mouth and then be able to eat milk. He therefore notes the prevalent custom (minhag haposhet) is a comprimise of sorts that requires an hour between meat and milk (The Vilner Gaon claims the source of the hour is from a statement of the Zohar - and our custom of waiting an hour between milk then meat is indeed based on it - though there are those that take issue from such an understanding of the Zohar).
-The Ashkenazi community of Holland follows this ruling, and indeed only waits an hour. It should be noted that if one does not stem from those that have such a custom, it is not permissable to wait only an hour. [In general, one should be careful not to pick and choose one's customs, but rather to follow one tradition]
From the repetition of the verses, the Sages of the Talmud deduce
That there is a prohibition against
- Cooking a mixture of milk and meat
- Eating a cooked mixture of milk and meat.
- Deriving any benefit therein from such a mixture.
The Talmud in tractate Chullin discusses the prohibition of eating milk after meat - Rashi explains it is due to the fat of the meat that remains in the mouth after eating. The Rambam explains that it's due to the presence of meat stuck between the teeth, and as such it takes six hours to be considered digested.
We ultimately take on both opinions - and thus must make sure to wait the required period of time for the taste to disipate and must remove the bits of meat obviously left in the mouth. Thus even after waiting the reuqired period of time, one must wash out his mouth if bits of meat are found and removed from the teeth.
The Lechem Mishnah learns that six hours the Rambam posits one most wait derives from the statement of Mar Ukva that one most wait the length between two meals - thus since the period of time between the breakfast and supper of a Torah scholar was six hours, it takes six hours for the meat to be properly digested.
This opinion is taken as law by Rabbi Yosef Karo in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 89:1, and thus binding to all Jews of Sephardic decent.
The Rema, the principal Ashkenazi authority on Halacha, notes that certain opinions posit that one can say the grace after meals (and thus finish the meal), wash and clean his mouth and then be able to eat milk. He therefore notes the prevalent custom (minhag haposhet) is a comprimise of sorts that requires an hour between meat and milk (The Vilner Gaon claims the source of the hour is from a statement of the Zohar - and our custom of waiting an hour between milk then meat is indeed based on it - though there are those that take issue from such an understanding of the Zohar).
-The Ashkenazi community of Holland follows this ruling, and indeed only waits an hour. It should be noted that if one does not stem from those that have such a custom, it is not permissable to wait only an hour. [In general, one should be careful not to pick and choose one's customs, but rather to follow one tradition]
The Rema, however continues that there those that are careful to wait six hours between milk and meat - and it is proper to do so [as well].
The Two major commentaries on the Shulchan Aruch, the Taz and the Shach, also way in on the matter, stating that one who is "modest" and has "the spirit of the Torah" [Shach], should wait six hours - especially in light of the fact that many weighty opinions forbid waiting under six hours - and that while one can't protest the average person who waits only an hour, it is proper to rebuke one who is learned in Torah who does not wait six hours [Taz].
-This then is considered the consensus by much of Eastern European Jewry.
The Pri Chadash mentions a third idea. While most rabbis opine that the six hours one needs to wait are six standard, 60 minute hours - as opposed to Halachic hours (Sha'os Zmanios - calculated by dividing the hours of sunlight on a given day into 12 equal parts) - the Pri Chadash suggests that one must indeed wait Sha'os Zmanios. Seeing then, that during the Winter months when daylight is shorter, and thus the Sha'os Zmanios as well, then that time suffices for the fat of the meat to dissipate and digest. Six Sha'os Zmanios at that time would come out as three standard hours - and thus suffice year round. This opinion became the prevalent custom of German Jewry.
----
I am sure that there is much left to discuss in the matter, and that there are other sources out there that I have overlooked. For example, I found it somewhat surprising that so many Ashkenazim wait three hours today, when it would seem to be minority opinion relegated in practice to only a specific community . . . If anyone out there has anything to add, please let me know in the comments section.
The Two major commentaries on the Shulchan Aruch, the Taz and the Shach, also way in on the matter, stating that one who is "modest" and has "the spirit of the Torah" [Shach], should wait six hours - especially in light of the fact that many weighty opinions forbid waiting under six hours - and that while one can't protest the average person who waits only an hour, it is proper to rebuke one who is learned in Torah who does not wait six hours [Taz].
-This then is considered the consensus by much of Eastern European Jewry.
The Pri Chadash mentions a third idea. While most rabbis opine that the six hours one needs to wait are six standard, 60 minute hours - as opposed to Halachic hours (Sha'os Zmanios - calculated by dividing the hours of sunlight on a given day into 12 equal parts) - the Pri Chadash suggests that one must indeed wait Sha'os Zmanios. Seeing then, that during the Winter months when daylight is shorter, and thus the Sha'os Zmanios as well, then that time suffices for the fat of the meat to dissipate and digest. Six Sha'os Zmanios at that time would come out as three standard hours - and thus suffice year round. This opinion became the prevalent custom of German Jewry.
----
I am sure that there is much left to discuss in the matter, and that there are other sources out there that I have overlooked. For example, I found it somewhat surprising that so many Ashkenazim wait three hours today, when it would seem to be minority opinion relegated in practice to only a specific community . . . If anyone out there has anything to add, please let me know in the comments section.
Photo: R' Yosef Karo's grave taken in Tzfat, Israel Winter 5768
Technorati Tags: Torah, Jewish Law, Kosher, Essays, Blogging, Links, Judaism, Photography
Technorati Tags: Torah, Jewish Law, Kosher, Essays, Blogging, Links, Judaism, Photography
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Why I'm Proud to be a Jew
[Part of this post some how got lost while publishing it - I've put a summary of the lost work back in - in Italics. . . so this shlould make more sense now! ]
I'm not writing this post to spawn racist remarks - or in general to say any negative things about anyone group of people or the other.Earlier in the week I went to the nearby laundromat, Jane Laundromat. Ariving a minute after 9:30 the time for the last load, I was denied entry.
'Nu,' I figured, I always keep a few extra clothes for those laundry days.
This evening I braved the rain and returned to the laundromat, making sure to arive at 9:22 - before the last load and well before the 11:00 closing time.
To my dissmay I found the laundromat door locked, with a few West Indian ladies inside starting a washload.
The one nearest the door, a middle-aged lady, looked at me as she put her clothes into the machine to start a wash, and smirked.
"Laundromat is closed. -It's after 9:30" She told me.
Pointing to my watch, I showed her that it was still well before the last load time.
S
"Go away she told me." As she poured bleach onto her whites.
Waving at the lady who worked there, I asked her to let me in. She walked away from the glass door so as to escape my view.
Standing in the rain, my clothes in need of cleaning . . . how could they act like this?
The lady doing her wash - at that point inserting quarters so as to start the machine - ignored me.
I began to knock continuously on the door until she finally turned around to give me a dirty look.
"Please let me in!" I asked her again. "I need to do laundry - I need to clean my clothes just like you."
"Look!" she said, pointing to the clock on the wall. "It's after 9:30."
"Of course it's after 9:30 now! I've been standing outside the door for the past five minutes trying to get in!"
"It's too late! You don't have enough time to wash your clothes before they close."
"But you're just starting your load" I cried. "And a girl down there hasn't even finished loading her clothes in yet!"
The ladies inside continued to ignore me - besides the middle aged on standing directly in front of the door, he continued to glare at me as if I was some sort of stray dog that had soiled her evening attire.
Rain began to soak through my casket and drip on my face.
Despite my requests to come in - my plea to let me have one of the basic human needs that we all share, clean clothes, fulfilled . . . my threat to never come back again (which I don't plan on), and to tell my friends not to come back either (one of the reasons I'm writing this), they didn't listen.
Turning to leave, I saw a youngerman, one of the guys who learns in the Kolel here in Crown Heights, come towards me.
"Do you need to do laundry?" He asked. "We noticed you from the window . . . you can come to my place and wash your clothes."
He pointed to the window of the apartment building across the street. The figure of his wife silhouetted in the yellow light of the window spilling out into the gray street on a nasty day.
He let me do laundry in his house . . . I'm sure I've seen his face around before . . . But we've never spoken.
Technorati Tags: Life, New York, Laundry, Rain, Jews, Venice, Italy, Photography
"Go away she told me." As she poured bleach onto her whites.
Waving at the lady who worked there, I asked her to let me in. She walked away from the glass door so as to escape my view.
Standing in the rain, my clothes in need of cleaning . . . how could they act like this?
The lady doing her wash - at that point inserting quarters so as to start the machine - ignored me.
I began to knock continuously on the door until she finally turned around to give me a dirty look.
"Please let me in!" I asked her again. "I need to do laundry - I need to clean my clothes just like you."
"Look!" she said, pointing to the clock on the wall. "It's after 9:30."
"Of course it's after 9:30 now! I've been standing outside the door for the past five minutes trying to get in!"
"It's too late! You don't have enough time to wash your clothes before they close."
"But you're just starting your load" I cried. "And a girl down there hasn't even finished loading her clothes in yet!"
The ladies inside continued to ignore me - besides the middle aged on standing directly in front of the door, he continued to glare at me as if I was some sort of stray dog that had soiled her evening attire.
Rain began to soak through my casket and drip on my face.
Despite my requests to come in - my plea to let me have one of the basic human needs that we all share, clean clothes, fulfilled . . . my threat to never come back again (which I don't plan on), and to tell my friends not to come back either (one of the reasons I'm writing this), they didn't listen.
Turning to leave, I saw a youngerman, one of the guys who learns in the Kolel here in Crown Heights, come towards me.
"Do you need to do laundry?" He asked. "We noticed you from the window . . . you can come to my place and wash your clothes."
He pointed to the window of the apartment building across the street. The figure of his wife silhouetted in the yellow light of the window spilling out into the gray street on a nasty day.
He let me do laundry in his house . . . I'm sure I've seen his face around before . . . But we've never spoken.
Technorati Tags: Life, New York, Laundry, Rain, Jews, Venice, Italy, Photography
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Weekly Riddle 2
This one is worth 10 points!
A quest of love ends with me,
yet I'm made eternally.
yet I'm made eternally.
Drop me and my name I say
'twixt her fingers I do lay.
What am I?
'twixt her fingers I do lay.
What am I?
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
And Behold -On the Third day the World Heard Mottel
My photos finally made it up on CNN's iReport segment [agav - when will we be done with the i Generation and move on to something new? i before a word has become old like E]
Skip to the 3 minute mark
I knew they were interviewing me, but they never told me they were recording it!
Technorati Tags: The Netherlands, Photography, CNN, Video, Pirsum
Monday, May 04, 2009
Gruven Reuven on the JTA Fail Whale
Gruven Reuven comments on The JTA Fail Whale
As Mottel said, "Yasher Koach" to the folks who made the list. It was really awesome to see a lot of my friends get well deserved shout outs!! I do however blush that Mottel wrote this blog post, just as I blushed at the number of public tweets and private DM telling me that I "should have made the list". Thanks everyone... I guess I need to weigh in my 2 Zuzim
Hope this doesn't come off sounding like sour grapes because it's not... I've been interviewed and or written up by the BBC, Jerusalem Post, NPR, Forward & New York Times for the informal Kiruv work I do on the Internet. (I also lead Torah Study Groups on Secondlife) So me not not making the list from JTANews really isn't a big deal.
For me, It's not about lists. Matter fact I feel uncomfortable about the "love" I get on #FollowFridays. Admittedly, I don't list folks back. Not because I do not appreciate my friends on Twitter, but more so because I don't want to offend folks by leaving them off. I also don't want to sit down and select folks like that. I share the love by re-tweeting posts that strike my fancy.
I tweet about Torah, because I had my eyes opened to Torah 9 years ago when I became a BT. I love nothing more then to turn fellow Jews on to this most amazing multi faceted gem we have. I do not tweet to see how many followers I can get or what lists I can make. I tweet because I love to share Torah. I tweet because I like to show folks you can be Very Frum and still be plugged into the world around you. I like to tweet to show the world being Frum doesn't mean separating yourself from society, It's about connecting with fellow Jews from ALL walks of Judaism to talk words of Torah.
From my point of view this list was obviously nothing more then an effort to get much needed eyeballs on the the JTA website. The real question is NOT why isn't gruven_reuven or Elipongo on the list, but why isn't the likes of LeahJones, Matisyahu Or Lenny Kravtiz on the list. (I didn't even know Lenny was on twitter :-) JTANews specifically called these folks out for being too popular.
Time Magazine just released a similar list of the 100 most influential people in the World. Of course Obama made the list. Would it make any sense to exclude him from this list because he's the president of the United States, and naturally would be influential? Of course not! That wouldn't make any sense at all.
So WHY exclude big name Jewish Twitter users? My theory is that these folks really wouldn't care about making this list and wouldn't blog or tweet about it. What JTANews wants is folks to re-tweet and blog about being on their list, thus getting eyeballs on their site.
Again as noted, I also find it in "bad taste" that the JTA advertisers that have a presence on twitter made their list.
So really, I wouldn't sweat this list. To me (at first glance) this list shows that JTA does not have a reputation for journalistic integrity, nor is its analysis really insightful. TO BE FAIR, this was the only article I've ever read on JTA, so I can't generalize the organization based on one article based on questionable analysis. Heck, even Jimmy Rollins strikes out sometimes.
Technorati Tags: JTA, Twitter, Comments, Judaism
As Mottel said, "Yasher Koach" to the folks who made the list. It was really awesome to see a lot of my friends get well deserved shout outs!! I do however blush that Mottel wrote this blog post, just as I blushed at the number of public tweets and private DM telling me that I "should have made the list". Thanks everyone... I guess I need to weigh in my 2 Zuzim
Hope this doesn't come off sounding like sour grapes because it's not... I've been interviewed and or written up by the BBC, Jerusalem Post, NPR, Forward & New York Times for the informal Kiruv work I do on the Internet. (I also lead Torah Study Groups on Secondlife) So me not not making the list from JTANews really isn't a big deal.
For me, It's not about lists. Matter fact I feel uncomfortable about the "love" I get on #FollowFridays. Admittedly, I don't list folks back. Not because I do not appreciate my friends on Twitter, but more so because I don't want to offend folks by leaving them off. I also don't want to sit down and select folks like that. I share the love by re-tweeting posts that strike my fancy.
I tweet about Torah, because I had my eyes opened to Torah 9 years ago when I became a BT. I love nothing more then to turn fellow Jews on to this most amazing multi faceted gem we have. I do not tweet to see how many followers I can get or what lists I can make. I tweet because I love to share Torah. I tweet because I like to show folks you can be Very Frum and still be plugged into the world around you. I like to tweet to show the world being Frum doesn't mean separating yourself from society, It's about connecting with fellow Jews from ALL walks of Judaism to talk words of Torah.
From my point of view this list was obviously nothing more then an effort to get much needed eyeballs on the the JTA website. The real question is NOT why isn't gruven_reuven or Elipongo on the list, but why isn't the likes of LeahJones, Matisyahu Or Lenny Kravtiz on the list. (I didn't even know Lenny was on twitter :-) JTANews specifically called these folks out for being too popular.
Time Magazine just released a similar list of the 100 most influential people in the World. Of course Obama made the list. Would it make any sense to exclude him from this list because he's the president of the United States, and naturally would be influential? Of course not! That wouldn't make any sense at all.
So WHY exclude big name Jewish Twitter users? My theory is that these folks really wouldn't care about making this list and wouldn't blog or tweet about it. What JTANews wants is folks to re-tweet and blog about being on their list, thus getting eyeballs on their site.
Again as noted, I also find it in "bad taste" that the JTA advertisers that have a presence on twitter made their list.
So really, I wouldn't sweat this list. To me (at first glance) this list shows that JTA does not have a reputation for journalistic integrity, nor is its analysis really insightful. TO BE FAIR, this was the only article I've ever read on JTA, so I can't generalize the organization based on one article based on questionable analysis. Heck, even Jimmy Rollins strikes out sometimes.
Technorati Tags: JTA, Twitter, Comments, Judaism
JTA's Fail Whale of a Twitter List
The jTwitterati were all abuzz Friday about JTA's list 100 Most Influential Jewish Twitterers.
In the Erev Shabbos rush, I didn't have time to mull over the list in it's entirety . . .
The introduction to the list, which purports to be the first to use "multi-faceted" criteria in the attempt to rank the top members of the Tribe on the micro-blogging network, seems rather uneasy about the very service it wishes to rank. After mentioning Nielsen Online's rather dubious report- a statistic that by means of its very method of rating shows how little Old School Media know about Twitter. For the statistic claims that 60% of those who sign up, fail to return to the Twitter site. Not accounting for the fact that only 27% of those who use Twitter access the service through the site . . . the rest using Tweetdeck, text and other applications that use the API (for a full analysis of Nielsen's statement, see Marketing Pilgrim) -
"that 60% of the Twitterati do not revisit the site one month after signing up for the service."
The author brings further 'proof' to Twitter's contested status with series of satirical videos on Twitter (which for all I can tell are equally likely to be good natured jabs made Twitter users as themselves!).
After laying out their 'system' for judging the top jTwitterati - a combination of number of followers, and the "influence" and "clout" rankings from Twitalyzer which for the life of me I don't fully understand - they enumerate their list.
And there, any semblance of credibility ends.
Before we delve further, let me state very clearly that I do not wish to take away the honor bestowed upon those who received it. I have no beef with many of those mentioned - some of them, such as @Kvetchingeditor, @Jewishtweets and @ylove are friends - and I am sure many of the others are mentioned are worthy as well.
I do, however, find the JTA's list to be so self-righteous list that it laughs in the face of any true scientific study or earnest attempt at compiling a who's who of the jTwitterati.
The list itself seems to be entirely half hazard in it's composition:
While regulars such as Gruven Reuven, who has 581 followers, a 1.7 influence and 3.0% Clout on Twitalyzer (whatever that means, it's higher then the 1.5 influence and 1.8% clout with 260 followers of number 25 on JTA's list), and Elipongo (who has a whopping 2,248 followers), where left to fend for themselves - even those who were listed, laughed at the top 100's integrity, saying:
"Proof that "top xyz" lists have no grounding in reality. sorry to disappoint my new followers w/my non-influential tweets.http://ow.ly/4Hga"When it comes to their top 25 Jewish Organizations the ludicrous picking and choosing continues . . .
Mideastyouth.com, an organization that JTA itself describes as "Neither Jewish nor Israeli in character" is on a list purporting to be of Influential Jewish Organizations.
While SixthandI (#24) and NJDC (#10) are on the list, Askmoses, an account with more followers then either of them (albeit with a clout less by .1% then that of SixthandI) is left off.
One friend of mine pointed out the suspicious lack of Lubavitchers on the list (as well as the apparent presence of all of JTA's advertisers).
There is one exception to the Chabad void - the presence of @chabadorgnews.
Before we continue, in terms of full disclosure I must admit that I am involved with, but do not express the opinion of, the @Lubavitch Twitter.
@Lubavitch was started over a month before @chabadorgnews (Which in the short existence of the service is not as trivial a period of time as it sounds). After the tragic attacks in Mumbai, an event that can serve as a tentative epoch in twitter's meteoric rise to fame, The New York Times mentioned its use.
While Chabadorgnew's 'influence' is tied at .3 like @Lubavitch, the clout of @Lubavitch is greater (with a 'Generosity' - something for whatever reason not accounted for in JTA's list- of 23.5% to Chabadorgnew's 0). Until the list, @Lubavitch's list of followers was greater as well.
In short, for all that I can tell, JTA's list is not worth much more then any other random grouping of new people to follow on an average #followfriday - a cute way to branch out to others, but bearing little objective significance.
Perhaps all of this is only a side effect of an aging media entity struggling to adapt to the rigors of Web 2.0 'social' media and beyond . . . While JTA does make valiant efforts to remain relevant and competitive in an era that has several times over passed the eponymous Telegraph of its title,
only a month ago JTA struck out at social media saying, in a fund-raising email,
Without a strong JTA, the storytelling will be left to bloggers, twitterers, and non-professionals. Is this the best way for our future Jewish stories to be told and recorded?True, efforts were made to back-peddle and apologize for the swipe, but at the very least it is clear that JTA is an organization that is not fully aware of the workings of New Media. Let's hope that future lists are made of stronger stuff.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Mottel on CNN
Catch my photos on CNN! On a show called “i-Report for CNN” which airs on CNN International! Once the show has aired, it will be streamed online as well. The air times are listed below! Thanks so much for sharing your amazing pictures! Thanks again for sharing your great images of the Netherlands! SUNDAY 2P EASTERN (6P GMT) MONDAY 9A EASTERN (1P GMT) MONDAY 1:30P EASTERN (5:30P GMT) They’ll also stream this show at the following website:
Picture of the Week 75
People speaking in a courtyard in Cherkasy, Ukraine.
Good Shabbos Y'all
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