Shana Tova!

Jews in Space and Other Fun Stuff

One of my favorite Web sites in my "Jew-niverise" is My Jewish learning http://www.myjewishlearning.com/ they have always had wonderful emails and learning opportunities. Recently they have started something called Jewniverise. It is an email of fun, funny or interesting factoids. I have found it immensely interesting. below is the one I found in my inbox this morning.




September 7, 2010
Rabbis in Space

Jack Dann is a brilliant science fiction writer. He's also Jewish--though in much of his writing, that’s merely a fun background fact. But Dann's classic short story "Jumping the Road," originally published in 1992, is a wonderful exception to the rule
--a story about aliens, Jews, and Jews who are aliens.

In the far future, humans discover a planet named Ulim (similar to the Hebrew word for "world") with a small population of native Jews. These alien Jews have a parallel history to Earth's Chosen People--they have the same Torah, the same rituals, the same Hebrew language, and even wear the same kind of tallit (prayer shawl) as their cousins across the galaxy. But the Ulim Jews are only three feet tall, with scaly alligator skin.

A Hasidic Master on Earth sends the fun, grumpy Isaac ibn Chabib to Ulim to investigate. Soon, he unearths a much larger (and stranger) story than simply two parallel Jewish histories. We won't give away the whole plot, but let's just say that it involves plum brandy, time-traveling talmudic rabbis, and a whole lot more.

My Personal Selichot

Our synagogue was having a very lovely program on Saturday night. First our Rabbi joined forces with the local Modern Orthodox Shull to do an educational round table, then we would walk to our synagogue at 11:00 pm for our Selichot service.....

I am sure it was great......but I wouldn't know...I fell asleep! Yup missed the entire thing sleeping on my couch!

I felt terrible about this, but what could I do! The following day my husband and I had plans to spend some time at the beach. So I decided to have my own personal Selichot moment.

I took the copy of the new conservative Mahzor to the beach and read it. Ok I feel some what like a study nerd!...but the new edition is wonderful!

Rabbi Dan

The below post came via my Facebook link to New York City's 92nd Street Y in Tribecca, the newer location for the famous NYC Jewish institution. It is a magnificent place, and if you are in the neighborhood check out their cafe it is yummy and Kosher.

Yet the reason for this post is I guess is why the Orthodox keep men and women separate at most all times..... CHECK OUT THE RABBI!

Ok, I will be 50 years old in March, and more than likely have shirts older than this guy...but it struck me he isn't hard to look at.I don't mean to be objectifying him. I am sure he is extremely learned and has a wonderful spirit. But I must say I have not met many Rabbis that look like that!

Shabbat Shalom Y'all!




Friday, September 03, 2010

Google CEO Has 92YTribeca Rabbi Dan Thinking
Dan Ain, 92YTribeca’s new Rabbi-in-Residence, is thinking about the High Holidays. Specifically, his thoughts have turned to the new technological world we live, with astonishing access to information:



Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, was recently quoted in The Wall Street Journal, commenting on a society where “...everything is available, knowable and recorded by everyone all the time.” He predicts that every young person one day will be entitled automatically to change his or her name on reaching adulthood in order to disown youthful hijinks stored on their friends’ social media sites. Has technology really taken us to the point that we all need to change our names because of some careless photo posted years ago? Have we become that unforgiving?

If the web means the “end of forgetting” as outlined by a recent New York Times Magazine cover story, then we truly have all begun to see our lives through a technological lens.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur provide us with the opportunity to get back to using our own eyes, our own senses, so that we can reconnect with the person we want to be, as opposed to what our technology needs us to be. Maybe then we can remember how to forgive each other and forgive ourselves, without having to resort to changing our names.

Celebrate the High Holidays with Rabbi Dan when he leads Rosh Hashanah services on September 8th and 9th, and Yom Kippur services on September 17th and 18th.

Elul Time

As I have done in the past 2 years, I am taking the month of Elul as a time to try and deepen some connections, understanding and knowledge about my chosen faith. It is also the time of year when I make some extra time for play...Well it is truly more than play...I use the month to make my own New Year cards.
As I make each one I try to be mindful of the reason for the cards. I use the making of them almost like a meditation.

The only thing that gets complicated for me, is who to send the cards to. Now that I am a board member the list could be very long!...yet I want to try and keep my intent and spirit the same.

Wish me luck!...I have a lot more cards to make!

love's Delima

My conversion, My marriage, My kosher kitchen, My choices. All have been full of deep contemplation. I can say with a clear mind and heart that I have chosen for myself this new life. But there is someone who has not made any of those choices and yet now, even more acutely than ever before, has to live with them.

My daughter, who had been living in an apartment with her long time boyfriend, has come to live with my husband and I, with the boyfriend in tow. College is completed and employment with enough pay to continue living in New York City has been difficult to secure, so here they are!

I love my daughter, but this is hard. She has accepted my husband of two and a half years. She supports my career changes. (I now work for myself as apposed to my previous management job at a large psychiatric hospital) but the "Jewish Stuff", her words, has been much more difficult. She tells me that she sees that I am happy but then says "I just don't see the purpose of this kosher stuff." I explain it is what I do and that it is important to me. But this is the moment that keeps on giving.

The kitchen is the epicenter or in other words, ground zero of this new challenge. My kosher kitchen has been a difficult thing for me to conquer! It has been a work in progress with my determination to climb the ladder of observance. Each step of the ladder involves so much learning, practice and patients with myself and others.

But now the invasion has occurred. I did an initial overview and this was accepted. "Ok these dishes, this cabinet these bowls etc...dairy" and so on. But trying to explain that dairy is more than just a bowl of cereal with milk is much harder.

The separation problem is much bigger. I was in another room and I heard my daughter and the boyfriend talking...I think I hear "cheese burger"...but the moment passes and they decide on something else. I make a mental note talk to them about mixing meat and dairy....

I love my daughter and want her to be comfortable in this her new home even if it is temporary situation. This is a struggle for all of us and I know this will be one of the most difficult challenges I have faced since my choice to convert.

Lets look At What Is Wroking!

Stories about cooperation for the greater good. Brought to you by Israel21c.


go to the below link for a story of how we can find common ground.
Throwing out the garbage together environment

this story is moving and shows good stuff!