Presence

R. Heinemann Stands By "Sabbath Mode" Ovens

The Yeshiva World recently posted letters from prominent Israeli and American rabbis against the use of "Sabbath Mode" ovens. The letters made reference to an individual opinion that they believed to be erroneous. That opinion, although not explicitly attributed to him, was that of R. Moshe Heinemann of Baltimore's Star-K.

Today, the Star-K sent out an email stating that R. Heinemann stands by his ruling:

June 5, 2008

Regarding Star-K certified Sabbath Mode ovens

Rav Heinemann, shlita, stands by his Psak that it is permissible to raise and lower temperatures on Yom Tov on ovens equipped with that particular Sabbath Mode feature. Please see Star-K website at http://www.star-k.org/consumer.htm , or call our office for details about your particular model. Star-K will, in the next few days, post an audio presentation from Rav Heinemann explaining his views.

For those who wish to refrain from placing their ovens in Sabbath Mode and still use their oven on Yom Tov, please be aware of the possible serious "Michshol" on many models. Opening the oven door will immediately shut off the heating elements, an act clearly forbidden on Yom Tov. Thus, even if you don't raise or lower the temperature, it is still important to keep the oven in Sabbath Mode.

Star-K Certification

Below is R. Heinemann's original teshuva on Sabbath Mode ovens, which can also be found on the Star-K's website, along with additional information regarding Sabbath Mode appliances:

Oorah Says "No" to Women

A message from the folks at Oorah:

I tried emailing yeswomen@oorah.org, but it bounced. I think there should be a third option: womeninburkas@oorah.org.

[Hat tip: AS]

A Kosher McDonald's?

Menachem Lubinsky, editor of Kosher Today, wrote an essay in the latest Kosher Today email entitled "Why a Kosher McDonald's in the U.S. May Not be a Good Idea!"

With the number of glatt kosher Subway branches continuing to grow, there is a growing feeling by some in the kosher food industry that McDonald's may not be far behind. I have heard from reliable sources that to date, the mega fast food chain has resisted overtures by entrepreneurs to franchise a kosher McDonald's. The only glatt kosher McDonald's exists in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Many leading rabbis have voiced concern over the prospect of having both kosher and non-kosher branches of McDonald's. They are already concerned about the possible confusion of kosher and non-kosher stores for such brands as Crispy Crème, Baskin-Robbins, and Dunkin Donuts. Several rabbis have written me about stores that sell both kosher and non kosher products. One rabbi cited an ice cream store where only two of 9 toppings are kosher.

In discussing the potential for McDonald's in the glatt kosher market, I received an earful from many different sources. Here is some of what I heard: It is apparent that the big name brands may not exactly appreciate the nuances of the glatt kosher market beyond the kashrus. One example is that customers generally are not enamored by limited menus with specific numbers to identify the menu. They prefer extensive menus where they can mix and match what they wish to eat. To obtain a proper hechsher, the stores would have to be closed on Shabbat and open on Motzoei Shabbos and make accommodations for Jewish holidays as well. Finally, there already are good stores in most of the Jewish neighborhoods and there may not be enough business to go around.

A few of the points are highly debatable and after having a Big Mac in Buenos Aires, I am part of the cheering squad hoping that there would be a glatt kosher McDonald's in the U.S. one day. But keeping in mind what I heard from kosher and rabbinic sources, I am not so sure anymore.

Hanukkah for the Little People

Came across this today on Amazon: Fisher Price Little People Hanukkah Set.

If you're not Jewish, don't feel left out; you can always pick up the Little People: A Christmas Story:

The Abstinence Song, or Why Chrisitanity is a Religion, and Judaism is a Culture

I've had this in my "to-blog" queue for a while, and figured that this week would be an appropriate time to let it out. I give you: The Abstinence Song.

I'm forwarding this on to the folks at the OU (v'hamvin yavin).

This video comes from a site called GodTube, which is basically YouTube for Christians; it's full of videos all focused on Christianity, with titles like "The Reality of Hell" and "Little Girl and Psalm 23."

On a whim, I typed in JewTube.com, where the top videos are Borat and Lewis Black. Oy vey!

Geek Pride

Patton Oswalt, in an interview in the latest Wired Magazine:

Wired: There's a great line on your new album, Werewolves: "My geekiness is getting in the way of my nerdiness." What's the distinction?

Oswalt: A lot of nerds aren't aware they're nerds. A geek has thrown his hands up to the universe and gone, "I speak Klingon — who am I fooling? You win! I'm just gonna openly like what I like." Geeks tend to be a little happier with themselves.

The Imaginary Jew and the Unimagined Jew

Michael Chabon's new novel The Yiddish Policemen's Union, which takes place in a fictionalized present in which the State of Israel never was, the Jews instead living in a giant ghetto in Alaska, has sparked some interesting commentary regarding the contemporary Jewish experience. In an article in The Nation entitled The Imaginary Jew, William Deresiewicz writes:

But over the past three decades, the dense particularity of American Jewish life has, outside the Orthodox community, largely disappeared. No one speaks Yiddish anymore, or even English that sounds like Yiddish. There may be suburbs with a lot of Jews, but there are no Jewish suburbs as there were once Jewish neighborhoods. With Jews as senators and governors and Ivy League presidents, the wounding, binding sense of exclusion has melted away. Communal institutions remain strong, traditions are still cherished, but American Jewish experience is now, by and large, simply American experience. Jewish mothers don't say "Ess, ess" anymore; they say, "Do you want me to call Sophia's mom to make a playdate?"

While there are young Jewish writers aplenty, no important voice has emerged to speak about contemporary Jewish life. Jonathan Lethem's The Fortress of Solitude, perhaps the finest recent novel by a young Jewish writer, is not about being Jewish at all; it's about the quintessentially American subject of race. But there have always been Jewish writers who have chosen to speak about things other than being Jewish (most notably, in the Bellow-Roth generation, Norman Mailer and J.D. Salinger). What's really telling about the current state of Jewish fiction is that even those prominent young writers who do speak about Jewish experience don't speak about contemporary experience.

It's true; "Jewish" fiction is either about the past (mostly the Holocaust), or the early struggles of Jews in America. There is hardly anything in the contemporary Jewish experience, outside the Orthodox world, that can be called uniquely Jewish.

On the flip side, there remains little to no work within the Jewish community that attempts to understand and reflect on the contemporary Orthodox Jewish experience in America (there likely is some such stuff in Israel, but I'm not familiar with it). There's a lot to be said on this, both on the fact that this kind of literature is not seen as valuable by the community leaders, and the fact that it's not really sought after by the general public.

The Positive Value of the Internet in Orthodox Jewish Society

I wanted to post my thoughts on R. Gottlieb's drasha, but I wanted to do it as a separate post, so there would be no confusion as to what I am saying and what R. Gottlieb said. There will be much news that will be coming out over the coming weeks, and I will have to decide if, what and how I want to comment on it. In the mean time, I wanted to offer a concise thought on how and why these changes came about.

My main thought about this is that it shows the positive value of the Internet in contemporary Orthodox society. I firmly believe that the reason this issue is finally being dealt with in a forthright manner by the rabbinate is that they have no choice but to do so. The way information is controlled and disseminated to and within the community has fundamentally changed. This is due in large part to the web in general, and blogs in particular. That is not to say that everything done on the web is done appropriately or in the best possible fashion, but the very existence of the medium, and the fact that information can be published and circulated freely and quickly, has made past approaches to this problem no longer viable. That is not to say that past approaches were correct, either; the existence of the web has enabled a more accurate understanding of the magnitude of the problem to become apparent to those who erred with good intentions and now have the ability to make changes.

Let me make it clear that I do not mean this to be critical of the rabbinate; on the contrary, the fact that they are addressing the issue, rather than not, is responsible and commendable. I do think, however, it is important to recognize the crucial role that the "grass roots" had in bringing about this change.

As a general rule, in any social ecosystem, those in positions of authority by definition maintain the status quo; change must come from the people, and it is the responsibility of those with authority to be sensitive to the needs of the people and judge how to best respond. There is a famous interchange between two poskim that beautifully illustrates this point. The Terumat HaDeshen would often invent theoretical cases to server as the basis for responsum. The Magen Avraham frowned on this practice, arguing that a posek receives special divine guidance when weighing an issue of halachic jurisprudence from an actual real, live person. I don't think it's homiletics to explain this as meaning that halachic decisions are more meaningful when considered in the context of those that practice them, and that the posek must first and foremost respond to the individual.

At any rate, those of us who believe that blogs in particular, and the web in general, have a positive role to play in the Jewish community can count this as a point in our favor.

For more thoughts check out Kefirot's post on the subject.

Cheers and Jeers: Hirhurim

Jeers: In Musings on the Proper Way to Learn Chumash:

The same goes for learning Chumash. If your question and answer are what a rishon would ask and answer, then you're doing great. If not, well, maybe you're doing something wrong. You shouldn't be going out on any limbs that way.

I'm not sure why the Rishonim are all of a sudden the gold standard when it comes to biblical exegesis. Certainly a lot went on before them, as well as after them, that is worthy of aspiring towards. Whatsmore, the Rishonim were by and large working from a medieval view of the world, and looking at the Torah through a medieval lens. This often influenced their understanding of a specific passage or entire narrative. With information we now have available, interpretations of narratives can now be made that were unavailable to the Rishonim. A good example is the idea of the wife-sister.

Cheers: In Abandoned by the Rabbis?:

When I read a book like this, I feel profoundly sad. It makes me think that the rabbis have abandoned us. There was once a time when rabbis recognized that people struggle to feed and clothe their families. They considered working to be a devar mitzvah and struggled to find leniencies to allow people to earn a living. And what do we get? Don't shake hands.* Don't make small talk. Don't compliment a woman. Etc. etc. Unrealistic advice does not help us get through our challenges. It just leaves us abandoned, trying to figure it out on our own. No wonder there are many people who fail these challenges.

Amen. Read the whole post. I have worked with a few people in the past who thought they were being "frum" by acting completely inappropriately in social situations in the workplace. The worst part of it is that these folks always had a smug sense of self-satisfaction about it; they knew they were looking odd in the eyes of their non-Jewish and non-Orthodox co-workers, and reveled in their supposedly higher level of conduct. I've had non-Jewish co-workers ask me wha tthe deal is with these people, why they act in such an odd manner, and I have very little to tell them.

An anecdote: I worked as a contractor for a brief period of time at one of the local government enclaves where the Orthodox Jewish population is quite significant; where the frum folks walk around with hats on and tzitzis out (or snoods in some cases), don't shave during the three weeks, have minyanim three times a day and a daf yomi shiur. Which is all very nice, don't get me wrong. But when, on my first day, I shook the hand of my new female supervisor, she exclaimed, "Oh, you're not allowed to do that!" I have no problem with someone making a decision on how to comport themselves in the workplace, but please take responsibility for your choices as your own, so that others don't have to apologize for their legitimate behavior.

770

Via Nextbook, a photography exhibit in San Francisco entitled 770:

This building, often referred to as "770," has been replicated worldwide with varying degrees of precision, as Chabad centers or for other purposes. Currently there are twelve 770's, including the original, in the United States, Canada, Israel, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, and Australia, and more are under construction in Cleveland, U.S.A and Santiago, Chile.

The Original, Brooklyn, NY

Milan, Italy

K'far Chabad, near Tel Aviv

More pictures at the 770 exhibit site (scroll to the right).

Finding the Happy Medium

Jewboy writes:

I think that the stigma the frum community puts on drinking can have its negative effects. While teens should be discouraged from drinking, I believe that they should also be educated that alcohol is not inherently evil but a pleasure that must be controlled. As evidenced by my actions, I think alcohol can be enjoyed by the right person at the right time, and in the right amount. The problem with much of the Orthodox slamming of drinking is that it teaches kids that all drinking is bad, and therefore if they do drink they think of themselves as bums.

I agree 100%. As I commented over on Jewboy's post, it's similar to the argument over gun control. Anyone who grew up around guns knows that you learn from a very young age the protocols of using firearms. Along the way you learn to respect the gun, and internalize how to use it properly and responsibly. The same goes for drinking, and ideally Purim should be a time when kids see adults drinking for pleasure in a responsible fashion and learn to respect and appreciate both the positive and negative sides of imbibing alcohol. It could be, however, that we as a community and society are too far past the point where this possible.

A related point which Jewboy makes is the increasing amounts of stigmatization in the Orthodox community. Taking a potentially benign act and making it a black and white issue changes the act's societal significance, making the act an outlet for rebellious behavior, or reinforces a negative self-image. This is occurring in all sorts of areas in the Orthodox community, from things like television and movies, to modes of dress, to educational curriculums; the examples are very many and very common. What results is kids who think they aren't up to par because they don't do something insignificant, like dress a certain way. From there, they progress into violations of halacha, or even worse, into self-destructive behavior such as drug or alcohol abuse. As Jewboy says, the focus should be on creating a happy medium and teaching our kids how to approach life responsibly.

By the way, Jewboy wins my award for best Purim costume. Very nice!

Baltimore Jewish Times on Sexual Abuse in the Frum Community

From the February 23, 2007 edition of the Baltimore Jewish Times, an article entitled Today, Steve Is 25:

Steve is from an Orthodox family of eight children. He is no longer observant. Still, he remains close to his parents and siblings. He was a student at a Baltimore-area yeshiva and then a yeshiva high school in the Midwest.

But along the way, everything went so very wrong.

This article is notable as it is the first time the Baltimore Jewish community, perhaps even the entire Baltimore media establishment, has made reference to the Juravel case.

There's a lot to say here. My brief thoughts: There should be no arrogance with being frum. The frum community needs to internalize the fact that, as individuals, each of us are no better, holier or righteous than any other person, be they frum or not, Jew or Gentile. At the same time, it is important to believe that, as a community, if the dictates of our religion are taken seriously, there is a real potential for true goodness and greatness.

I think the article was well done. It confronts a very controversial topic without shying away from the truth but at the same time maintaining a very high level of respect. Kudos to Phil Jacobs.

Documentary on the Resurgence of Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century

Last night (edit: Monday night), PBS aired a documentary entitled "Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence." It was quite an interesting show; despite my familiarity with most of the major incidents, such as various prime ministers making public anti-semitic statements, the overall affect of their presentation in documentary form was quite disconcerting and shocking. The NY Times has a review of the program.

Many of the clips shown during the documentary were from MEMRI.org and MEMRITV.org. Search MEMRITV.org for al shatat, the name of a documentary in which a dying Baron Rothchild discusses the Jewish conspiracy to take over the world, and Hasidim kidnap and slaughter a Christian child in order to obtain blood for their matzah. Or read this transcript from an Iranian TV special on The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Or, for giggles, read this transcript of an Iranian TV show that claims Tom and Jerry (yes, the cat and mouse) was created to bolster sympathy for Jews:

The Jews were degraded and termed "dirty mice." Tom and Jerry was made in order to change the Europeans' perception of mice. One of terms used was "dirty mice"...Tom and Jerry was made in order to display the exact opposite image. If you happen to watch this cartoon tomorrow, bear in mind the points I have just raised, and watch it from this perspective. The mouse is very clever and smart. Everything he does is so cute. He kicks the poor cat's ass. Yet this cruelty does not make you despise the mouse. He looks so nice, and he is so clever... This is exactly why some say it was meant to erase this image of mice from the minds of European children, and to show that the mouse is not dirty and has these traits.

It's amazing, unbelievable and terrifying.

MEMRITV is an amazing site; in my opinion, they should be uploading their videos to YouTube to increase public awareness.

In case you missed it, the documentary will be airing again tonight (Thursday night/Friday morning) at 2AM (if you have a TiVO...) on WETA 26 (in Baltimore) and on Sunday on WHUT 19 at 11PM.

Operatic Tendencies

Nabucco (apparently Italian for Nebchadnezzar) is playing at the Baltimore Opera. I saw an ad for it somewhere online and found the teaser dialogue intriguing enough to click through:

“I am God.” --Nabucco
“I don’t think so.” --God
“Zzzzzzaaaaaaapppp!” --Lightning Bolt

Then I looked at the ticket prices, and was a little less intrigued. Culture's nice and all, but it also comes on DVD.

TransCanada

A Life in Transition is the blog of a member of the Toronto Orthodox community who is in the process of transitioning gender from male to female. What I find interesting is how this person has involved not only his close friends, but the entire community, in the process, by starting a blog (which, until recently, had comments). I'm told that this person is also very open in discussing the issue with friends.

Along the way, I read about an interesting teshuva from the Tzitz Eliezer (discussed in an RJJ journal article from Fall 99 by R. Alfred Cohen entitled Tumtum and Androgynous, who says that ones gender is defined by ones genitalia (but in the context of where ones gender was ambiguous or unknown to begin with). My understanding is that almost all other poskim disagree with his position.

When it comes to Reality TV...

...Jews should, perhaps, stick to their strengths, like business.

Dancing...not so much.

(via Canonist)

Baltimore Orthodox Times

From the Baltimore Jewish Times:

Seeking to better serve its diverse readership, the Baltimore Jewish Times this week announced the founding of a new publication, the Baltimore Orthodox Times. The free weekly will begin publishing on Friday, May 5.

I suppose it was inevitable, but I find it sad. Sure, Baltimore has a thriving Orthodox community, of which I would guess less than 30% actually read the Jewish Times, so there's certainly an untapped market there. But it saddens me that, as a community, we can no longer share a single publication. Are the communities really that far apart in terms of common goals, values and ideals? Unfortunately, it seems so. The signs have been there for quite some time; the reality of it, however, is disheartening.

An article in The City Paper goes into more deatils about the Jewish Times' parent company, Alter Communications, and their plans for the Baltimore Orthodox Times:

The forthcoming Orthodox Jewish Times will likewise avoid "hard-hitting and investigative" content, Buerger says, though neither will it be a pure "cheerleader" for the 20,000-strong religious Jewish community concentrated in the Pikesville and Upper Park Heights neighborhoods. Any unpleasant news about the insular Orthodox world will still be covered by the Jewish Times, he promises.

Right, hopefully they will cover the good stuff as well. I'm afeared that the Jewish Times will inevitably take a more voyeuristic approach to covering the Orthodox community.

Been Caught Learning

Perry Farrell, former member for Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros, has rediscovered his Jewish roots with the help of Chabad's San Francisco sh'liach, R. Yosef Langer. It's an interesting article, although the author seems a bit confused as to the proper usage of the phrase 'Messianic Judaism,' using it to refer to Lubavitch, which, while possibly correct, isn't the colloquial usage. I also find it interesting that, according to the article, R. Langer spends so much of his time with Farrell; it's reminiscent of Kabbalah's courtship of Madonna. Either way, I find stories like this interesting, not because I care if some former rock-star find religion, but for their explanations as to what aspects of religion led them back to their roots.

Farrell recently joined Matisyahu in San Francisco for Purimpalooza, a concert on Purim night, preceeded by a Megillah reading.

R. Langer calls Farrell by his Hebrew name, Peretz Farrell (reminds me of Rueven ben Peretz Farfel, for all you Frednecks out there).