Click here to watch in High Definition (HD)

This is one of those “you’ve gotta see it to believe it” speeches. In front of roughly 50 philanthropists, Jewish professionals and members of the media, Michael Steinhardt spoke in deeply critical terms about the rest of Jewish leadership.

This video is a Web bonus feature for this week’s newscast (if you’d rather watch it on TV, it’s also running in full after the credits of the full broadcast version of this week’s newscast on The Jewish Channel).

Click here to watch in High Definition (HD)

Fail.

Yet more evidence that CNN is rather behind the curve…when you basically open up with a paragraph like this, one has to wonder if you are a real news organization or, more like, um, Jewlicious. Let’s see what light investigative reporting has shed:

A blogger writes about how one of Judaism’s holiest days ended, for her, in a strip club, while elsewhere a guy strolls into a tattoo parlor requesting a Star of David. Two women exchange wedding vows in a Jewish ceremony, and hipsters toss back bottles of HE’BREW, The Chosen Beer. A full-time software developer prepares to lead a group in Jewish prayer, as a PhD candidate in Jewish thought pens a letter criticizing Israel’s policies.

I’m shocked and amazed. If you want to find out about a magazine called ‘Heeb‘ that sometimes puts provocative pictures and messages on their cover, go check out CNN on New Jews.

How else to explain his recent interview with Anna Baltzer and Mustafa Barghouti? Clearly Stewart wanted in on the whole peace, love and understanding thing going on over at the J Street conference, so he invited the very telegenic Anna Baltzer, author of the book Witness in Palestine: journal of a Jewish American woman in the occupied territories and the granddaughter of Holocaust refugees. Which of course gives her a greater insight into the truth. But I digress. Mustafa Barghouti was a candidate for the Presidency of the Palestine Authority in 2005, finishing second to Mahmoud Abbas, with 19.8% of the vote. Barghouti was also Minister of Information in the short-lived Palestinian unity government of March-June 2007 where his greatest accomplishment was effectively killing off Farfour the Mouse, ahead of legal action by the Disney Corporation. He is currently the General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, a political party that seeks to further political reform, eliminate corruption while supporting peace with Israel based on two states with a Palestinian state in all territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, a capital in Arab East Jerusalem and rights for refugees.

What’s noteworthy is that Baltzer is more anti-Israel than Barghouti, who does not come off as anti-Israel at all. While voicing strong support for non-violent resistance and the BDS movement, she could not, after being repeatedly asked by Stewart, say that she supported the right of the State of Israel to exist. Barghouti on the other hand, had no problem stating his recognition of this right, although his relatively moderate views haven’t helped him much with the electorate and while he is respected, he’s basically nobody. In fact, so is Baltzer. Her book is 3 years old and she makes a living because certain audiences can’t get enough of Jews with Holocaust survivor parents or grandparents talking about what a shitty country Israel is. Baltzer, who is a graduate of Columbia University and a Fulbright Scholar, is basically a “hot babe” version of failed academic Norman Finkelstein. Much, much easier on the eyes, but just as one sided, intellectually dishonest, fundamentally flawed and kind of demented. Barghouti seems like a very nice, sincere man but like Baltzer, he exists on the fringes, with little or no support amongst his constituents.

So why invite these two to The Daily Show? Because of the J Street zeitgeist and because it might lead to a partnership that could result in “a hilarious buddy cop movie.” Sigh. The extended segments from the Daily Show can be viewed after the bump. That means click on the “more” link dummy.

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The talented Nehemia Gershuni who usually focuses on military subjects in his photos captured this image. More of his stuff can be seen on Flickr.

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BW Ruth’s beautiful eye captured this images of the Jordan River in the Upper Galilee.

Shabbat shalom!

We just were supersized.

Our new shabbat tent at Phish Fest! Check it out! In the Lamb on Broadway site next to camping headquarters! Corner of Carpet Crawlers and Gabriel Eno streets.

Thank you camping staff!

After we had to move – fire Marshall orders- they felt bad and gave us this. I joked that this is what happened to our ancestors in Europe. But in Anatevka try didnt get such nice digs.

So sweet and so kind. Shabbat Shalom Y’all from the desert.

Lawrence Halprin, the renowned landscape architect died this week at the age of 93. Born in New York City, he worked on a pre-State kibbutz for three years as a teenager, and then returned to the USA to earn an ivy degree in plant sciences and study landscape architecture. After serving in the US Navy in WWII, he went on to become one of the most influential landscape and environmental designers.

There are few books that I remember from college, but I fondly recall Halprin’s 1972 book on CITIES, which told the story of how Roman cities were planned as army camps, medieval walled cities were designed for the defense against external invaders, and Baroque cities were laid out to control internal invaders and rebellious mobs (star shaped avenues from a central apex). But to paraphrase Halprin’s words, in the 1970’s, planners should design cities to make possible a rich and biologically satisfying life for people through the use of open spaces, streets, plazas, parks, gardens, walls, enclosures, pavings, elevations, water, water, more water, trees, lighting, clouds, clocks, garage tops, and ballards. He was very keen on the use of visible and audible movements and motions of water, and how to deisgn for the movement of people.

Many of his ideas were put to use in Israel, such as the a 1.5-mile walkway overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem. In America, his greatest achievments were the FDR Memorial, Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco; dazzling fountains in Portland, Oregon; a park that sits on top of a highway in Seattle; and Sea Ranch, a development of homes in Sonoma County, CA, that conform to the contours of the hills.

I will have to reread that book one of these days.

The first time Christopher Campbell converted to Judaism, he changed his name to Yisrael and got circumcised. He became a Reform Jew.

The second time he converted to Judaism, he became a Conservative Jew. He got circumcised again.

The next and final time he converted to Judaism, he became an Orthodox Jew. And yes, he got circumcised again.

At that point, says Yisrael, “Circumcision is not a religious covenant. It’s a fetish.”

And that is the story at the heart of “Circumcise Me,” a new autobiographical off-Broadway show about the question of who defines identity: you, your community or a tradition existing since the first circumcision of record, that of Avraham Avinu, the Patriarch Abraham, the father of all converts.

“Circumcize Me” debuts Sunday, November 1st at Manhattan’s Bleecker Street Theatre at 45 Bleecker Street through January 3rd. The show is an outgrowth of Yisrael’s stand-up comedy performance and DVD of the same name. In his days as Christopher, he trained as an actor at Circle in the Square. His new show is both a return to the stage and an integration of his ever-evolving identity.

As the show’s site explains, Yisrael, the artist formerly known as Christopher, is just your average Irish, Italian, Catholic kid from Philly, comic actor, sober alcoholic, recovering drug addict, husband, father, Reform, Conservative, unorthodox Orthodox Jew. He stars in the one-man show, “Circumcise Me,” which he wrote. The show is a spiritual journey stretching across “four decades, two continents, and three circumcisions. It’s that rare collision of comedy and theater that will have women howling with laughter, men squirming in their seats, and everyone standing up to cheer. Poignant, provocative, and powerfully witty, ‘Circumcise Me’ is the true – and truly unforgettable – story of a man who was born to be funny. The Jewish part came later.”

Read more about Yisrael and other one-person shows in today’s issue of Backstage.

Good to the last drop!

The Forward’s Bintel Blog recently reported:

Whether this is fungus for an instant Jew or instant ear fungus for the whole tribe, it’s comforting to know that the People’s Republic of China has every little thing covered.

Ha ha. But I decided to pull a froylein and show up those amateurs at the Forward. Did you in fact know that Jew’s Ear aka Judas’s ear fungus aka Auricularia auricula-judae aka jelly ear fungus derives it’s name from the belief that Judas, after betraying Christ, hung himself on an Elder Tree. Jew’s Ear Fungus can be found growing on dead Elder trees. Also it looks like a messed up ear. One additional note – during the Middle Ages all fungi were called Jew’s Meat. In any case, it’s used most often in Asian cooking – not just Chinese, but also Japanese and Vietnamese.

Here’s more information and a great recipe for Hot and Sour Soup using this yummy fungus.

Please do not be alarmed when instructed to “Put the Jews Ears in a small bowl.”

With special guests Girls In Trouble

Our little buddy Eli Valley is performing with JDub Records’ Sway Machinery in a show that will (somehow) combine Sway Machinery’s punk-and-blues-infused cantorial music and Valley’s abrasive, fiercely secular, diasporist cartoons (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I seriously have no idea how this is going to go down, but I am certain it will be something worth experiencing. Sway Machinery is this crazy all-star collective featuring guitarist Jeremiah Lockwood of Balkan Beat Box, Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s on drums, Stuart Bogie and Jordan McLean of the Antibalas horn section on tenor saxophone and trumpet respectively, and touring member of the Arcade Fire Colin Stetson on bass saxophone. Bad ass right? Check out the video of Sway Machinery in action:

…and if you go, do me a favor. Just one little favor. Would you please for fuck’s sake dance??

Also on the bill is yet another JDub Records act, Girls in Trouble. Fronted by violinist Alicia Jo Rabins, all I can say is be prepared to be impressed.

Anyhow, the show is taking place at Joe’s Pub, located at 425 Lafayette in New York (duh) and you can order tickets online by clicking here. All that bad assedness is only $15 – so don’t be a cheap bastard. Go and give Eli Valley a big fat kiss from me and all the Zionists. The show is presented by The Forward and the Foundation for Jewish Culture.

Vanity Fair car columnist Brett Berk made it to LA, and we followed up on the original story, of my car dilemma. Read the first article, if you haven’t, in order for this one to make even more sense. I ended up riding in the Acura, a Cadillac, and the new Buick Lacrosse. The Lacrosse is the best GM car I ever drove. Read below for more:

What Should a Rabbi Drive II: Test Ride Edition
by Brett Berk

You should remember my high school friend Rabbi Yonah Bookstein from this recent piece where you, my delicious readers, voted him in the direction of some new wheels. Your top picks, in case you’ve forgotten, were a Cadillac and an Acura. Since I was in L.A the other week, where Mr. Seymour Torah resides, I contacted the folks from these brands, did a Hebe-gathering drive-by, and hit the test-ride circuit with the Rebbe for a little U.S. vs Japan playoff.

Our first stop was a kosher restaurant in what Yonah refers to as the ’Chood—the Jewy West Side neighborhood where he lives. Since it was Sukkot, a holiday meant to “celebrate” our peoples’ four decades of wandering in the desert, we ate out in the sun inside a flimsy hut. Joining us for lunch was John Kiewicz, Acura’s p.r. mensch, and he brought his full-on Aleph-game: an RL for us to drive, a corporate card to buy our meal, and a Letterman-style Rabbi-Ride Top 10 list, including gems like “the RL’s active noise cancellation will allow the Rabbi to better hear advice from his back-seat-sitting mother-in-law”. Yonah was plotzing before we even got behind the wheel.

The J Street conference reminded me of two recent Torah readings. The first was Bereshit, in which the world is created (and then there was a helluva lot of work required afterwards). And the next is Lech Lecha, as mentioned by Rabbi Andy Bachman, a J Street plenary respondent, in which Abram leaves his comfort zone (Aipac?) for the new land (J Street?).

The conference, for me and for most participants, was a grand success. But now the real work has to begin for them and their effectiveness needs to be evaluated. But let me add this. On the last day of the conference, hundreds of conferees went to Capitol Hill and met with 210 Senatorial and Congressional offices. One hundred of these meetings were with the actual elected representative and not just a staffer. That is quite impressive for such a new group.

What I witnessed the most at the J Street conference were various levels of glee and passion, but also anguish and ambiguity.

Glee and passion was felt by conferees upon meeting like-minded others, and anguish was felt by some over whether their desires and dreams can be effectively communicated, channeled and brought to policy-making reality by this lobby group. While some saw it as a leftist community, others realized that it must be an effective lobby group with a defined agenda.

While the conference’s leaders kept reiterating their goals to support peace, security, and a regionally integrated, two-state, American (ie: Obama) -led (and not just facilitated) solution, time after time, in panels, there were attendees who were unsure what such a solution would entail and how they could effectively advocate in their local communities. Sure, there were those who passionately expressed how they could not say they are pro-Israel or even pro-American, since they are universal beings, but my feeling is that they in the minority and on the fringes and were not the core of the group’s supporters.

I believe many came to the conference and expected to find a group that was more leftist than they found. There were so many opinions on so many issues, that some were slightly disappointed by the group, but the core was happy to find that J Street‘s leaders are steering the group so that it can be realistic and effective.

A wrap up video from the conference can be seen at this youTube link

Over the two main days of the conference, there were panels on the West Bank settlements, Israeli Knesset politics, American Jewish community dynamics, using art and film to change attitudes, internal peace activism inside of Israel, Iran, college campuses, and more. But three highlights from the conference which can give you a flavor of the proceedings are:

(1) A panel that included Shlomo Ben Ami, a former Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs; Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein, the Jordanian Kingdom’s Ambassador to the US; and Peruvian diplomat and the UN’s former Chief Middle East Envoy, Alvaro de Soto, discussed why the Israel-Palestine conflict must be seen within the larger need for a comprehensive solution for all states in the region. Solving any single piece is futile, was the main theme of the panel. The session was so full that it had to be repeated. Conferees were sitting, and standing, but none, I think, were “lying.” And no, I learned, just cuz you are a progressive, does not mean that you give up your seat to the elderly.

Ambassador Al-Hussein, whose child attends the same school as the child of the J Street Director, remarked that Madrid and Oslo were like an awakening under the “El dopa” medication, which then lapsed into the currently catatonic period. Ben-Ami, who stated that a third Intifada is not inconceivable, since it could delay any peace making processes, stressed that bi-lateral peace negotiations will fail and will not reach a settlement for 1,000 years; and that only an international alliance led by the US and with the moderate Arab countries as members can put forward the bridging and binding proposals for regional peace and cooperation. Both Israeli and Palestinian political processes are dysfunctional, he said, and that no Israeli Prime Minister will pay the ultimate political price for an interim solution when it is the same price that will need to be paid for a final solution (final meaning the ultimate peace solution, not the WW2 final solution)

(2) On Monday, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, the president of the American Reform movement’s Union for Reform Judaism, had an open conversation with Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Street‘s Executive Director. Rabbi Yoffie was an outspoken critic of J Street, and called it “morally deficient and appallingly naïve” in its attitude on Gaza earlier this year.

Yoffie, who leads the synagogue movement to which most American Jews are affiliated, who felt that J Street is out of step with mainstream Jewish opinions, also said that most American Jewish leaders “have their heads in the sand” in their understanding of the harm done by the West Bank settlements on the health of Israel. Yoffie also criticized the Goldstone report and was miffed that when Goldstone spoke with a group of American rabbis, he called his report flawed, but in general audiences, Goldstone would not criticize his UN report. “Richard Goldstone should be ashamed of himself,” Yoffie said, “the report is fatally flawed. Goldstone’s charges are an outrage. It is not thoughtful. It is a political report to be used as a sledgehammer against Israel… It has made the work of peace difficult”

Yoffie set out to give his definition of what it is to be pro-Israel. According to him, to be pro-Israel is to support the idea of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with a Jewish majority where all those who reside there have equal rights. He felt that one must recognize Israel as the core of Jewish life, battle Israel’s enemies, never express contempt for Israel, but also be ready to speak the truth to Israel’s elected leaders. He added, that he gets irked that those groups that call for a Greater Israel and the expulsion of non-Jews from Israel are more welcome at some community tables than those who call for a two state solution.

The reality for Yoffie is that churches and community groups in America are turning against Israel, so the time is now to find solutions.

(3) Jonathan Chait, a Senior Editor of The New Republic, and critic of J Street, discussed what it means to be Pro-Israel with Matt Yglesias, a blogger for the Center for American Progress. Chait believes that to be pro Israel is to see Israel as the more sympathetic, but not blameless, player, and to believe that the US should not be even-handed, but be Israel’s ally. He called on J Street to distance itself from or exclude some of its supporters who in the past would not be considered pro Israel. JJ Goldberg, the moderator, said that perhaps one should say, “I love Israel and I am speaking out of my profound concerns for Israel when I say… [and then insert their statement here.]” Goldberg felt that the Jewish community needs boundaries for itself and can’t accept all ideas and still be effective policy lobbyists.

Finally, in a session on Jewish community dynamics, Rabbi Peter Knobel said that rabbis who initially supported civil rights in the American south were shunned by their congregants, and those who supported Breira in the 1970s were vilified. These ideas, however, are now accepted as mainstream He feels that J Street is similar. Perhaps he is right, but as I left DC on a Megabus and headed back to NYC, I thought of the New Israel Fund. After decades of existence, it has assets of about $32 million. This compares to the mainstream assets of the various United Israel Appeals that are valued in the hundreds of millions. J Street has a place at the table and will open up the debate in local Jewish communities and in some Congressional offices, but I do not yet see it as mobilizing the moderate Jewish middle or becoming the mainstream pro-Israel voice.

And here Muffti is giving it the attention it doesn’t deserve. But he really likes the line about the ‘moral obligations of a celebrity’. Does anyone of our readers know which passage of the talmud concerns those? From CNN.

Jon Gosselin’s actions haven’t been too kosher lately.
But now, given relationship dramas and bad press, the father in “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ is looking to a higher authority.
In a statement released to CNN, Gosselin said he is receiving “regular study sessions and counseling” with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, well known as a spiritual adviser to Michael Jackson.

Boteach, the author of the book “The Michael Jackson Tapes” and host of TLC’s “Shalom in the Home” series, has linked up with the beleaguered “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ for an upcoming seminar titled “Fame: Blessing or Curse?” to be held at a synagogue in New York City.
Gosselin said in his statement that he is “troubled to learn that the media has accepted as true the scurrilous rumor that I would appear in a reality television program with Nadya Suleman” and goes on to say that such reports are “utterly false.”

“I do however accept that some of my previous actions have in some way lent credence to such outrageous stories,” Gosselin said. “I am well aware that my behavior over the past few months has not always reflected my personal and religious values. I further accept that I have allowed myself to become somewhat severed from my own moral anchor and be carried away by the challenges of fame.”

For that reason, the father of possibly the most famous set of twins and sextuplets said he has sought the spiritual guidance of Boteach, who is himself no stranger to the camera.

Boteach bills himself as “one of the world’s leading relationship experts and spiritual authorities.”

According to his author bio in “The Michael Jackson Tapes,” Newsweek referred to him as “the most famous rabbi in America.” Among his achievements: a National Fatherhood Award.

Gosselin could certainly use the help.

Since his high profile breakup with his wife in August, the reality star has been slammed for reports of his involvement with other women and extravagant spending sprees.

Earlier this month TLC announced he would be cut from the show and that plans were under way for a “Kate Plus 8″ series. That show was put on hold after Jon refused to allow his children to be filmed. The network has since filed suit against him for breach of contract.
He and his estranged wife also headed to court after she accused him of looting their joint account of more than $200,000. A Pennsylvania judged ordered him to return $180,000.

Most recently, Gosselin’s girlfriend, Hailey Glassman, accused him of being “emotionally abusive” and throwing “mantrums” because of his frustrations.

Gosselin said in the statement that he regrets having “betrayed the moral principles that have always guided me” and said he is committed to making things right with Kate and his children.

He turned to Boteach, he said, because the rabbi has counseled others in similar circumstances. Gosselin said Boteach has made clear to him the “moral obligations inherent in celebrity.”

“It is my sincere desire to use the fame I have so unexpectedly acquired to highlight mature, responsible behavior as well as the joys of fatherhood and family,” he said. “I ask the public to please understand the challenges I face in living under constant public scrutiny, even as I am aware that I have at times courted that scrutiny.”

Months ago, I e-mailed a friend (let’s call him Earl) about who-remembers-what. Earl is also a writer, and in addition, works in photography, film, and music. He is waiting for his Big Break, which actually looks to be fast arriving. Earl is secular, Jewish, American, just a shade older than I am, and currently lives in a large arts-producing city with his significant other, a talented and funny writer / model / actress we’ll call Joy. I haven’t seen him in about 8 years but we correspond digitally.

Apparently, he’s been chewing over part of the contents of that e-mail for a long time. Here’s what I got from Earl last week (posted here with his permission):

“…I have one question about a statement you wrote:
Anyway – suburbia is no picnic either sometimes, ditto organized religion, and I am not a tremendous fan of either one. Why do you stay in Orthodox Judaism then? Do you not yearn to be free? To not be bound by laws and restrictions that at the end of the day you cannot wholly prove actually come from God, and more likely come from man? Don’t you want to just eat a cheeseburger with your hair down in public, a nice pair of hot, tight jeans and a cute, sexy shirt on and do what you want, when you want with no feelings of having to be doing things at a pre-ordained time because that’s that the rules say? Maybe feel the thrill of catching the eyes of other men who think, “Man, she’s hot”? etc., etc.
If you’re not a tremendous fan of either, why do you stay in them? You could still be a wife, a mom and a Jewish woman and not be bound by those things. I mean what would happen if you said to your husband: “This Friday night I want to get a babysitter and take you into Tel Aviv to go dancing and have a few drinks and then stay in hotel room and [suggested recreational activity removed]“? Would David say, “F— yeah. Let’s do it” or is there no way that would happen?
I am curious. I don’t want to imagine a life bound in that way. I am too much a free spirit as is [Joy]. It’s why we work so well together.
- ‘Earl’ “

Well. Earl. Where do I begin?

Thank you for your vote of confidence in my ability to look hot in tight jeans?

…And for volunteering to explain to our 15.5-year-old son why our potential drunken partying is so much more responsible and acceptable than the potential same activity of his peers?

Although: Why on earth do David and I need to go to a club and a hotel on Shabbat when we have a bedroom, a booze cabinet, a large music collection, and another 6 days of the week?

How about: I wouldn’t eat a cheeseburger if it was made by the OU and blessed by Rav Ovadia because my arteries are my friends… and there are those tight jeans to slide into…?

…However, I think all these things are somewhat beside the point.

As Rachel Menken once said to Don Draper: You didn’t think this through.

Earl, you (understandably) misunderstood: I sometimes dislike suburbia because it can be boring, conformist, and nosy, and Orthodoxy because (like most organized religion) I feel it has become stagnant and irresponsible, on the verge of losing the creative spirit that has kept it alive until now. (And going into detail here would involve a MUCH longer post, but I am happy to expand upon request.) But my lack of fandom is NOT because Orthodoxy / suburbia are both restrictive. Not because I don’t want to feel bound by anything or anyone.

My objections have to do with the contemporary wisdom of some of the rules in those structures and their method of adjudication, or their lack of compassion, but I have no doubt that some rules are in fact necessary for a functional, productive life. I have no doubt that requiring hard things of people is overall a good policy, because people tend to step up then, when they are being required of.

Surely, you have some rules for yourself, Earl, or you couldn’t have accomplished all that you have. I do not “yearn to be free”; I am, thankfully, in a relationship and in a community that allows me to be, within reason, free. I yearn to be lazy, sometimes, or asleep, or surprised by fabulousness, my own or that of others. But what’s missing for me isn’t freedom. When something is missing, that thing is novelty, or maybe, lightning-speed forward movement. But I digress.

Being part of a family and / or a community and / or a belief system (religious or otherwise) has its disadvantages, to be sure. You hit the main one: You are no longer simply your own agent. There are meetings, happenings, causes, responsibilities, loyalties, and rules. You need to bake for people at “pre-ordained times,” like after childbirth or during shiva. You need to be with people when all you want to do is be alone. You need to smile when you hate humanity; but you don’t really. Just today. Forget religion for a moment. What person anywhere wants to get out of their sweatpants on a Tuesday night and attend a fundraiser? (And Holy Crap, am I raising my hand to volunteer for the XYZ committee? Really? Again?)

Throwing God and / or His earthly agents into the mix adds an extra few levels of commitment and an extra unplugged day of the week (which, by the way, I couldn’t and wouldn’t live without – think: a no e-mail or phone Sabbatical! Divine.), but it is along the same continuum: There is Something Larger Than Yourself that you belong to and that you must answer to. That Something Larger in many cases is a tiny cross-section of the world’s people and cultures. There’s your paradox.

It seems that you view my lifestyle as a battle of the Him (God / Law) or the Them (Society / Rules) vs. the I (My Needs and Wants.) But I view it more as a choice of We (family, community, spirituality) over Me Me Me.

The perks: You are never alone; there are people looking out for you; you are part of something; you are consistently loved and asked to keep yourself open, consistently giving love; you are responsible for enriching your community; you must be disciplined and hold yourself to real, firm standards because there are eyes and ears (Divine and otherwise) everywhere. The downside: Same.

We all know there is no having it all. Stability by nature demands putting some freedoms in check. It’s a tradeoff of the collective versus the individual, pro and con alike. So back to your question: Do I feel buried and repressed? Missing out on life? No. Bored and restless? Resentful? Sameness? Sometimes. Overwhelmed by the responsibilities I’ve chosen to carry? Often. Are tight jeans and a treif burger, a hot bar and a hotter dance party, the ability to do anything I want when I want, the answers I seek to what occasionally ails me about this life?

Not by a mile. You with your big connections Earl, I’ll tell you what to do if you want to help me with my Suburbadox Malaise: Get me a meeting with Matthew Weiner. Whatever they serve for lunch, whatever I wear there, whether the hot guard checks me out when I walk in the door or not…I’ll feel much, much better about everything if I get to work on a high quality, life-changing project with a deep, brilliant writer, to the benefit of millions of culture consumers. That would be a novelty and a huge leap forward all at once.

You and Joy can take the hotel in Tel Aviv. David and I left most of the mini-bar. Help yourselves.

Washington DC has a grid of numbers and lettered streets overlayed with diagonal avenues named for U.S. states. There are smaller streets in alphabetic order which ascend in sequence by their numbers of syllables, as well. K Street is known for Gucci wearing lobbyists, and U Street for artists. But one lettered street is missing. The is no “J Street,” since the city planner was a foe of politician John “Jay.”

Eighteen months ago, a J STREET came to DC, a new Jewish lobbying group that defines itself as pro Israel and pro peace. The group’s name is playing off the notion of lobbying, (J)ewish, and what it feels has been a lack of organized progressive peace lobbying in DC. But just as L’Efant hated John Jay and omitted a “J Street”, this group has quickly garnered attention and enemiesl it is seen by some as a thorn in the foot of the OJC (Organized Jewish Community), dangerous by others, and a tempest in a tiny teapot that will be ignored by a few others. Its actual or potential influence has not yet been assessed. I was lucky enough to attend their first, inaugural conference this week, and below are some of my impressions.

The conference hosted nearly 100 speakers primarily from North America and Israel, including several current and former MK’s, U.S. members of Congress, a former Israeli FM, a former head of the Shin Bet, former Ambassador Martin Indyk, and current U.S. National Security Advisor Jim Jones. The conference was planned for 1,000 attendees, had 1,200 on the first night, and 1,500 by the first morning. This was quite amazing for a group that reports 7,000 contributors and 110,000 online supporters (Perhaps they count facebook friends as well). Most impressive were the over 200 students from dozens of campuses in attendance. Many of them are on the front lines of Israel and peace advocacy programs, more so than in other environments. It is one of the few truly grassroots Jewish movements I have witnessed.

The attendees were a very wide ranging mosaic of progressive North American Jews with various degrees and definitions of what pro-Israel and pro-Peace is, but such is the nature of inaugural conferences and progressives, where the angels that are in the details and they get hammered in or out.

I knew I was in for something different when there were no bagels on the first day’s continental breakfast. Just croissants and muffins. What kind of Jewish event was this? Thankfully on day two, there were bagels and even a toaster. Is this a sign of how groups evolve?

Over 20 other organizations collaborated in the events, including Americans for Peace Now, Rabbis for Human Rights, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom (which had over 200 members at the conference, I hadn‘t even heard of them), the New Israel Fund, Meretz USA, and Ameinu. The sessions were webcast live and can be found on J Street’s website and twittered under the hash tag of #JSTCONF09. C-Span broadcast a selected panel as well.

The conference opened with a plenary (a fancy word for “full“) session on Israel and American Jewry in the new century. It was led by Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Street’s Executive Director, and Daniel Sokatch, the new CEO of the New Israel Fund. They know that they are treading on rough terrain in the Jewish community. They are seen as an alternative voice to AIPAC, the powerful Israel focus lobby, and the local Jewish federations that tow the “party line” on Israel (the party line being that of the officially elected Israeli PM at the time).

Many see J Street as giving U.S. law and policy makers an opening to vote against the current desires of the Israeli government and still be seen as “pro-Israel.” They say that J Street will hurt AIPAC’s ability to enforce “Party” unity. Time will tell, but one panelist told an audience how he knew political consultants who would tell candidates to return any contributions from J Street so as not to negatively taint themselves.

Ben-Ami began the first evening by reading from congratulatory letters from Peres and Livni. He then listed of his pro Israel bona fides, as did many of the speakers over the three days. Although many said that it was unnecessary to have to list their pro-Israel credentials, they still did it. And why not? To be effective, one must be realistic; and if it lends to one’s credibility to list ones experiences, so be it.

Perhaps Ben-Ami has “challenge” in his DNA? His late father, a leader of the Irgun, was the one who purchased the Altalena ship as a direct challenge to Ben-Gurion. Jeremy Ben-Ami laid out the foundations of J Street and its goal to advocate for a two state solution and a regional integrated peace plan. There were a lot of self congratulatory moments, but no more than at any other conference that seeks to reinforce its policies and values, and I don’t want you to think that it went a far as a farce, as when in “South Park,” Kyle’s father was smugly enamored by his own choices and smells.

Others took the stage or floor to essentially lay out their passions that there should be no officially sanctioned way to be “pro Israel,” to assert that the right-wing does not have a monopoly on Israel advocacy and policies, and to report that many young American Jews, even in light of Birthright Israel are disaffected, unaffiliated, and not interested in the prevailing attitude of “Support Israel: Whether Right or Wrong.” They reported that they are shunned in their local Jewish communities if they say Palestinians have rights to a independent peaceful state, and that their friends are more likely to advocate for Darfur, global warming, and healthcare reform, than for Israel.

Sokatch added, J Street is progressive, pro Israel, pro peace, and pro social justice…, and then quipped “we need a shorter tag line.” He added that J Street is “not the fringe, but the mainstream,” and of deep significance. Whether this is wishful thinking inside of a bubble or reality is yet to be seen.

One of the best reality checks that was mentioned at the conference was the fact on the ground that the old urban pro Israel political voting alliances that existed in post WWII America are shifting, and the window is short to have support for a two state solution in the Middle East. Within a few years, most countries will just attempt to impose a one state, “one person-one vote” solution, and the Jewish majority in Israel will be dissolved if enacted. Ben-Ami, who sees J Street as not a new voice in the Jewish community, but an ancient (prophetic) voice, closed the first evening’s session by reiterating the group’s belief that the US should not just be a facilitator for the principal negotiating parties, but take a leadership role .

And there was evening, and morning… and then the next day… (continued above)

Israel Government Press Office Director, calls show “fantastic.”

Jerusalem–On Monday night, October 26, the high school girls of the Sderot Media Center Community Treatment Theater performed the dramatic production of Children of Qassam Avenue, in Jerusalem‘s Center Stage Theater at Merkaz HaMagshimim Hadassah. It was the girls’ first performance outside of Sderot, the Western Negev city targeted by thousands of Gaza rockets since 2001.

“The girls’ ability to weave humor within their personal stories, and then deliver the painful punch lines was amazing. No government official could tell the story of Sderot the way these actresses did tonight,” stated Danny Seaman, the Director of the Israel Government Press Office to Sderot Media Center.

“What was even more amazing was to see how the youth of Sderot have been able to cope during these difficult times. Today, it is our responsibility as a democratic state to ensure that these girls have normal futures.” Seaman continued, “I had no idea what to expect tonight, and it ended up being a fantastic performance.”

Sderot Media Center 2009 Community Treatment Theater on YouTube!

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The Jerusalem Post reported that the student section of the J Street U national conference voted to remove the words “pro-Israel” from their self-description while keeping the words “pro-peace.” In the original article, the Jerusalem Post sources stated that the words “pro-Israel” might turn off students who might otherwise be interested in J Street.

Today the Jerusalem Post reports:

…Student board president Sophia Manuel putting out a statement Wednesday that, “The national board of J Street U neither discussed nor voted on any action to remove the term ‘pro-Israel’ from our platform, policy or the way we describe ourselves at J Street U’s national conference.”

The J Post then explains that in actuality this was already presented and decided upon previously but was only disseminated to attendees at this conference. It seems the broader J Street movement does use “pro-Israel” in their motto, and only J Street U, the student section, has eliminated it from their motto.

All well and good and not so surprising. However, what was surprising was another board member’s assertions to the J Post in explaining the reasoning of the J Street student activists:

Another member of the student board, Yonatan Schechter, said Sunday the students “decided that we would use the ‘pro-peace’ terminology [because] it was more conducive to discussion. With our generation, it seems that if you use ‘pro-Israel,’ people really want to say ‘anti-Palestine.’”

I am positive that nobody at J Street U will mind if I put my response to this in a form that students understand well.

F.

Jewish and Muslim MCs, beat boxers and spoken word artists are coming together on one stage Wednesday, November 11th at SOBs in New York City for the Hip Hop Sulha.  Sponsored in part by Jewlicious – thanks ck! -  artists from Shemspeed and the Tug of War Tour include Israeli and Iranian rap duo Most Hated, DeScribe, spoken word artist Tahani Salah, beat boxer J. Stone, Dash Speaks, TJ Di Hitmaker, NSR, and a special DJ set by Electro Morocco.

Hip Hop Sulha

Nov 11th at SOBs

204 Varick Street

Doors open 8pm

$10 in advance, $12 at the door

Buy tickets here because they’re going fast!

Today, members of the extremist Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church ended their two-day tour of hate in New Jersey.  WBC (the God hates Fags & Jews people) added a new slogan to their platform just for their visit to the East Coast – “God Hates New Joisee, U Heard?”.  Seriously?  These crazies have spent the last two days spewing their hatred of everything liberal and/or Jewish in the Garden State. Yesterday, they picketed the ADL, JCCs, Federation etc and today they were in front of New Brunswick High School and Rutgers Hillel, among other sites.  To Rutgers Hillel’s credit, they didn’t take the news of the impending picket line lying down. They organized a counter protest, Rutgers United Against Hate  to show WBC that you don’t mess with New Jersey.  Counter protest attendees were asked to wear scarlet, the school’s color, to show solidarity. In response, a WBC spokesperson said: “We’ll also be putting on our red. You know what, I happen to have a nice red sweatshirt that says “Jews Killed Jesus.”  You can always expect classy style from Middle America. 

So mazel tov to Rutgers Hillel and the greater Rutgers community for their successful, peaceful counter-protest.  More than 1200 people stood out in the rain today to show up the 6 person contingent from Westboro Baptist Church. It seems that the extremists were expecting Dirty Jersey;violent outbursts like from Teresa of Real Housewives fame, aggressive behavior like from Tony Soprano, maybe.  But Rutgers delivered their response with singing, readings and cheering for peace and love. RU Rah Rah indeed.

Let’s face it, there’s just too much to read out there. Our local paper for one, the NY Times for another, The Atlantic, New Yorker, Slate and for those of us who enjoy reading about business, the Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, Fortune, as well as more general offerings such as Wired, Fast Company and some photography magazines. As far as Jewish reading goes, I’ve bitterly given up my Jerusalem Report subscription because they kept asking for $80/year, but there’s still the Jerusalem Post, Ha’aretz, Yediot, The Forward, JTA, some blogs out there and now there’s a new publication online, Tablet Magazine.

I have to say that despite some tough competition, Tablet is holding its own and then some. Their articles tend to possess unusual depth, a high quality of writing, a broad and rich slate of subject matter and leisurely length that permits the authors to explore topics at length.

Take for example Seth Lipsky’s recent article about Marek Edelman, a leader of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. Well, okay, it’s not exactly about Marek Edelman, it’s about the Bund. Mmm, well maybe it’s not exactly about the Bund either, but the loyalty that movement engendered. It’s also about the trajectory of significant movements that have touched the Jewish world profoundly in the past century. Then again, it’s also a lament for the passing of a man who maintained his values steadfastly throughout a challenging life that could and should have thrown his ideology into question on many occasions. And of course, it’s about Israel today and the problems it faces.

Here’s the first paragraph:

A wonderful novel could be written about the year 1897. That’s the year of the first issue of the newspaper known as the Jewish Daily Forward, which became a tribune of the idea that Jews could become Americans. It’s also the year in which Theodor Herzl convened at Basel the First Zionist Congress, which stood for the idea that the Jews could find redemption in the Land of Israel. It was also the year in which, at a secret meeting at Vilna, there was founded the General Association of Jewish Workers, known as the Bund, which reckoned Jews needn’t go anywhere but could find their future in Socialism.

Here’s the concluding paragraph:

What a concluding chapter that would make to the novel 1897—an aging Revisionist defense minister of Israel, weeping, if figuratively and from a distance, over the Bundist-bier of Marek Edelman. Let us ask what would prompt a hero like Arens to make this kind of bow to a hero at the other end of the ideological spectrum. We have come through a period marked by a vanishing Bund and an American Jewry in a crisis of intermarriage and assimilation. So it is a haunting question. No doubt Arens knows that we are in a time as dangerous for the Zionist enterprise—and so for all Jews—as any in history. We are in a period in which, if we are not careful, the dream of Herzl and the millions whose lives Zionism saved and inspired could be dealt a fate as cruel as that which was dealt to the socialists and to the Bund. It’s a moment when the example of a man like Marek Edelman towers over the generations.

Beautiful. Informative. Deep. Interesting.

I say that because I would normally probably glance over an article such as this and skip it. I read this one and decided it was time to pay homage to Alana Newhouse and the crew she’s put together.

Tablet is built on the foundation of Nextbook, a website and publisher that attempted to bring a focus to interesting Jewish books and writings. I don’t believe Nextbook ever got a large readership primarily because while well written, it was a cerebral approach to Jewish publishing and probably not on many readers’ wavelengths.

Not being from New York, I’m not quite sure of who is funding Tablet (and since I’m not a reporter, I’m not picking up the phone to ask somebody at that publication), but it appears to be getting its funding through Nextbook. According to the JTA, Nextbook is a non-profit which used to receive about $4.5 million a year from Keren Keshet Foundation and now receives about $3 million a year, most of which seems to go toward maintaining Tablet. Tablet has an impressive stable of writers and editors apparently on full time salary and it shows in the product they put out.

Having said that, I found this statement by Tablet’s editor, Alana Newhouse, a bit odd:

“There shouldn’t be the impression that we sunk a big load of money into this.”

$3 million a year may not be much money for a New York publication, but it seems to be a fair chunk of money by other standards. At Jewlicious, for example, I believe our budget, thanks to the small amount of advertising we get, is a couple to a few thousand dollars a year which ck uses to keep the site running, buy some cigarettes and maybe pay rent once or twice a year. The rest of us are paid nothing but somehow content gets published. Granted, it’s not edited (thank god, since I get to blather on and on), we sometimes post idiotic articles and I cannot compare ck’s or Grandmuffti’s writing to Seth Lipsky’s, but we’re probably running about $3 million bucks a year behind Tablet/Nextbook in our budgeting. This means that Muffti can’t even afford to use a program with a spell-checker, much less compete with Leon Wieseltier ( ).

Leon Wieseltier? Seth Lipsky? Jeffrey Goldberg? Victor Navasky? Daphne Merkin? Or lesser known, capable writers such as Jordan Hirsch (he’s an intern!) who wrote this fascinating article about Michael Oren and Dore Gold’s common links to a group of young committed Jews at Columbia in the early 1970s. Alright, I get the the $3 million. It appears to be money well spent and Tablet is putting out an excellent publication. Congratulations to Tablet and its leaders on entering an extremely competitive marketplace with a quality product that gives the other publications a run for their money.

I love Taglit and Birthright Israel. May they double and triple in size and contributions, and may they go from strength to strength. So you can imagine my glee at the most recent results reported this week on a longitudinal study conducted on a sample of the earliest participants of the program. It was a study to measure the impact of the program five to eight years out. You can read the full report here.

After ten years, the program that provides a free ten day trip to Israel to Jewish youth, has sent over 225,000 from 50 countries to Israel. According to the most recent research conducted by the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis, participants have a greater sense of belonging to the Jewish people and an increased interest in building Jewish families than those who did not participate in the trip.

Michael Steinhardt and his partners figuratively peed in their pants at these results. Steinhardt stood up during the meeting to implore federations and philanthropists to provide greater support to the only program that seems to be working among Jewish youth.

“In ten short years, Taglit-Birthright Israel has inspired a generation of young Jews to reconnect with Israel and the Jewish community,” said Gidi Mark (no relation to me hehe), CEO of Taglit-Birthright Israel.

What were some of the key findings from the study, which surveyed Taglit participants and non participants?

73% of trip participants felt that the trip was “somewhat” or “very much” a life changing experience for them (no comparative data on how a trip to Disney or Paris rates on the same question); trip participants were 23% more likely than non-participants to report feeling “very much” connected to Israel; and participants were 24% more likely than non-participants to “strongly agree” with the statement, “I have a strong sense of connection to the Jewish people.”

And now for the lead, which I am burying.

Those who participated in Taglit Birthright Israel, who are now married, and who do not define themselves as Orthodox were 57% more likely to have married a Jewish spouse than the non-Orthodox non-participants (Virtually all married respondents who were raised Orthodox were married to Jews, so they were excluded from this statistic.) (Note: if you read the study closer, you will note that a “Jewish spouse” in the study is a spouse who is Jewish at the time of the survey, they may have been raised in another religious tradition; but the results are still significant)

72% of trip participants who are now married, chose a currently Jewish spouse. Only 46% of trip non participants had a currently Jewish spouse. Spouses of Taglit alumni are three and a half times more likely to be Jewish now. Of those Taglit alumni who had a non Jewish spouse, about half, or 52% stated that raising their children as Jewish was “very important.”

And now for my issues with the study… the study compares trip PARTICIPANTS to NON-PARTICIPANTS. Participants are those that applied and were accepted to the program. Were they already committed to Jewish activities and active in campus programs and more likely to therefore be accepted to the program? Will this bias the results? Trip Non Participants are not those Jewish youth who are Jewish and did not apply to the program. No, they are those who applied to the program and were rejected or did not take the trip. The study does not explain why they were rejected. Perhaps they were not fully committed or active in their Jewish communities already? Non participants are also harder to track down several years after the first years of the program. This seems to muddy the results for me.

Can the differences be attribited to Taglit? The researchers say yes. Taglit says yes. I am presently unconviced. But, it doesn’t hurt, so let’s keep growing and funding it.

Some of the other timbits that I enjoyed from the study were:

Taglit alumni under the age of 30 were LESS likely to be
married than nonparticipants at the time of the survey. Uh oh, talk about continuity. Does trip participation hurt one’s marriage chances? 47% of NON participants were now married compared to just 25% of trip participants (Maybe participants met Israelis, dated them, and could not get them to commit?)

87% of participants felt at least somewhat connected to Israel, compared to 82% of non participants (not a big difference between the two groups for me)

Of the participants who never celebrated Hanukkah, a seder, or other Jewish ritual during high school, 30% felt “very much” connected to Israel after their trip. This compares to 10% of trip non participants. Therefore Taglit participants are three times as likely to be “very much” connected to Israel as non participants. (how large this pool was, I do not know)

42% of Taglit alumni read Ha’aretz, the Jerusalem Post, or other Israel based media during the conflict in Gaza in 2009. This compared to 31% for non participants. Although this is a 35% difference, I still think it is a surprisingly high value even for non participants.

Attention federations… 39% of NON participants felt “very much” connected to the Jewish community where they currently live. This compares to 37% for Participants. (Headline: Taglit hurts connecton to local Jewish communities?) But on the other hand, wake up and smell the matza. Only a third of these youth feel a connection to their local community. What does this mean for the future of local Jewish institutions

Attention rabbis… NON participants and Participants were equal in their feeling of connection to Jewish customs and traditions (for both groups, 54% of respondents felt “very connected” to customs). 50% of participants are currently members of a Jewish prayer group, compared to 42% of non participants.

Brought to you by Leadel.net

Leadel Live – Yuli Edelstein from Leadel on Vimeo.

Are diaspora Jews at the risk of being lost? Is the emergence of alternative perspectives to Israel/diaspora relations going to be a problem or a challenge? Find out when Yuli Edelstien, Minister of Diaspora Affairs is interviewed live by Leadel.net. The interview will begin at 7:30 pm Israel time (1:30 pm EST and 10:30 am PST). Check it out!

NOTE: The broadcast is now over but you can watch the video above if you are interested in Israel/Diaspora relations and the interesting man at the helm of that process.

Our pal over at the LA Times, Jerry Hirsch has a great gastronomic delight to share – I thought it was pretty Jewlicious.

Game night in the Hirsch household involves a dinner with some sort of exotic meat – at least what we consider exotic – and a wine to match. This is a periodic event when we can get our kids in town and is really a catchphrase for anything beyond beef, lamb and chicken. Earlier meals were bison and duck. We are still looking for what I call the kosher Holy Grail — a kosher goose. Stew

So, when my wife, Jennifer, spotted certified kosher elk at the Doheny Kosher Meat Market on Pico Boulevard the other day, she couldn’t resist.

The challenge, of course, was how do you cook elk and what wine do you serve with it?….

Elk, it turns out, is not the easiest to cook with. The butcher suggested we start with a stew, because “elk makes bison look fatty.” It’s also not in our modest collection of kosher cookbooks. We asked Mr. Google and used a variation of a recipe found at www.elk4u.com.
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I wish the newly-wed couple mazal and bracha. And while I was not asked to perform the wedding (the venerable Rabbi Haskel Lookstein had that honor) I figured that I would pen a small speech that could have been said under the giant chuppah:

Ivanka and Jared we are proud to be with you today as you join together as husband and wife. The chuppah that we stand under today is open on all sides. Some say that this reminds a couple that their home should be open to guests as the home of the first Jewish couple, Abraham and Sarah. It’s a beautiful custom that I hope you will follow.

Today, an open chuppah also reminds us that we live in a society that is transparent, open source, one click away from Twitter or Facebook.

With the world’s media focused on the life you choose to live, you are in a perfect position to bring renewal and meaning to the Jewish community. You can celebrate Jewish holidays and values while inspiring the world. Make a Chanukah party benefiting orphans, create a Tu B’Shvat Seder with a local organic farm, build shelters for the homeless before Sukkot. Create a Yom Hatzmaut event that let’s us feel what a miracle it is to have a Jewish state.

Ivanka and Jared – your love and devotion to each other will be infused with holiness and blessing, and you and your childrens’ lives imbued with meaning and fulfillment, by weaving Judaism into the fabric of your new life. May you be blessed to build a faithful Jewish home that inspires the Jewish people and the world.

As a child, Soupy was one of my favs. I didn’t even know that he was Jewish, or was raised in West Virginia (like my wife’s family). The man was a genius.The Detroit Free Press writes:

Soupy Sales, the rubber-faced comedian who made an art form out of taking a pie in the face and delighted a generation of Detroiters with his loopy TV show on Channel 7 in the 1950s, died Thursday night in New York….

“He was the first person from Detroit television whose first name had instant recognition from coast to coast,” said former Channel 7 anchorman Bill Bonds. “If you said ‘Soupy’ in New York, they knew who it was. If you said ‘Soupy’ in Los Angeles, everybody knew who it was. I’d worked in both markets, and the first thing anybody said when I mentioned I was from Detroit was ‘Soupy.’ 

Born Milton Supman in Franklinton, N.C., and raised in West Virginia, Sales was best known to Detroiters as the goofy yet cerebral host of “Lunch with Soupy,” a half-hour show that featured Sales hamming it up in a variety of sometimes surreal situations.

The show, which began airing in Detroit in 1953, featured a cast of unforgettable characters: an incorrigible dog by the name of White Fang, “the meanest dog in all Deeeetroit,” who communicated via a series of guttural noises; Black Tooth, an overly affectionate dog whom Sales would constantly tell “don’t kiss”; Hippy the Hippo, and Willy the Worm.

Of course, there were the pies. Sales once estimated that he took 9,000 pies in the face during the course of his career. [ I read 20,000 is more like it. - Ed.]

But the most famous of Sales’ bits was “lunch.” A typical menu might include a hot dog as the main course. Before Sales would take a bite, viewers would hear the sound of squealing pigs. Or, viewers might hear the sound of mooing cows as Sales sipped milk.

The lunchtime show was also known for its unpredictability. Sales would leave the set, camera in tow, and harass other Channel 7 hosts…..

Sales created a multitude of characters for his evening show: Charles Vichyssoise, a slippery French crooner who was forever sparring with unruly patrons at the Club Chi Chi; Wyatt Burp, and Ernest Hemingbone, who argued with his literary rivals.

Sales later admitted that the pace of doing a noon show and a 11 p.m. live comedy program — one hour of live television, five days a week — contributed to the breakup of his marriage, played havoc with his family life and left him exhausted.