It's been an amazing week for me, although it's been capped off with the flu. First there was the jDeal.com launch party at which I found out I was the winner of the position as the jDeal.com amabassador and some nice winnings. Then, yesterday, I got an email from SXSW Interactive letting me know that my panel was chosen as a Core Conversation, making it basically the same thing that it was last year, but with a different type of focus. So yes, I'll be going to SXSW 2011, and the illustrious @susqhb will be my co-panelist to discuss "Jewish Synergy: Social Media and the New Community." It's one big happy Social Media week for me. The bummer? I got a flu shot on Monday and it's given me the flu. Yes, it can happen. This is why I haven't gotten the flu shot in probably six years. Growl. (November through May are pretty much a lost cause for me -- it's one sickness after another.)
So, because I'm not functioning at 100 percent, I'll let the folks at G-dcast do the Tu B'Shvat goodness for me. I really love this video because I studied Honi the Circle Maker while studying at the University of Connecticut. The Rabbis appropriated Honi, who was a magic worker of his time, and called him "rabbi" in the midrash. In my studies, we discussed why the rabbis did this, and our discussions were quite interesting. I hope you enjoy this little video! Also, check out my brief blog post from last year, which is one post for I'm particularly proud.
Well. The truth is often a hard pill to swallow, and this has been one of the hardest. Nay, most frustrating. Nay, most infuriating. This bl...
On Jews
He has made a marvellous fight in this world, in all the ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished.
The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?