Jewneric: A New Platform for the Jewish Voice Archives: Philosophy
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27 February 2008
Illegal Questions to Ask: America vs. Israel
I live between two distinct cultures. One part of me lives in America. I consume American culture by the boatload, I try to keep abreast of the politics, economics, news, and mass media. In ideology I empathize most closely with an open democracy, in which religion does not have a part (while it has a [...]
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26 February 2008
Esther vs. Kermit: Is it Easy Being Green?
It’s not Easy Being Green
(Lyrics : Joe Raposo)
(sung by Kermit)
It’s not that easy bein’ green;
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves.
When I think it could be nicer being red, or
yellow or gold-
or something much more colorful like that.
It’s not easy being green
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things
And [...]
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22 February 2008
God Bless Atheists, or, How to Find Faith in Colorful Moving Pictures
Many television shows seem to have a heavy religious component. Nowhere is this more evident than in the recent slew of science fiction that has invaded the airwaves over the past few years. If you pull reality television and unscripted television off the list (translate: game shows with bugs and game shows with bald men, [...]
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18 February 2008
The 71 Sided Die
One idea that is thrown around in Jewish thought is that there are seventy different approaches to learning. “Shivim Panim Latorah” (Bemidbar Rabba 13:15). The phrase in its entirety is, “There are 70 faces to Torah; turn it over and turn it over for everything is found in it.”
This claim [...]
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13 February 2008
What a Wonderful World It Could Be, or, My Way or the Highway
For several years, I have been involved in a radio show, going back to my days as YU radio station manager, called Dead Air. We discuss politics, religion, satire, movies, current events, and whatever else strikes our fancy. Despite our advancing age, the members of the Dead Air crew have consistently discussed and often predicted [...]
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9 February 2008
Wig Store Banned: This is the stuff Horror movies are made from…
I was doing some “Jewish website web-surfing” and came across an article on Yeshiva World about a sheitle (wig) store being banned for putting up pictures of women. Lets clarify: Pictures of women from the neck up, wearing sheitles. This happened in Brooklyn across from the Yeshivas Chaim Berlin.I can’t believe our world has come [...]
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8 February 2008
Deep Thinking: Where is G-D?
Do you ever wonder why we need a Synagogue or a Temple to serve G-d? I mean, He’s everywhere, why focus our service of Him on a building?
Sometimes I find myself cleaning my desk, and after a while I realize that I’m just trying to bring order to my life. It stands to reason that [...]
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7 February 2008
Threat on Scientology
Scientology, or “the study of truth” (according to the Scientology website) is “the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, others, and all of life. The Scientology religion comprises a body of knowledge extending from certain fundamental truths.” The main goal is true spiritual release and freedom. In short, [...]
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7 February 2008
The Wisdom of the Ancient World Gets Some Good Press!
An article in Slate Magazine from April 10, 1998, by Steven E. Landsburg, discusses the way in which modern economic theory backs up the rabbis of the Babylonian Talmud. How I stumbled across this article about a week ago I really don’t remember, but I’ve been thinking about it constantly ever since.
I just think [...]
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1 February 2008
Sing-a-long with Bob Dylan and other Reform Prayer Services
A couple of weeks ago, my elderly parents (both in their upper eighties) went to their Reform temple (they do not call it a synagogue) for Friday evening services. My parents are devoted and involved members of the Reform movement. My dad was President of the temple and my mother served on numerous committees, including [...]
