A Wordle a Day ...

I like the way this Wordle turned out, mostly because it looks to read "well make Jewish" and "know Torah" I think that's both appropriate and amusing. If you haven't done a Wordle, well, get to it already!

Let's Talk Torah: Who Wrote It?

I don't know how it happened -- I blame the 1.5-hour, corporate-style commute -- but I've become one of those people that mechanically purchases a coffee product every morning, without fail. No matter how hard I try to avoid the purchase, it happens. I haven't gotten to the point where I go to the same coffee shop or have the same barista or where the patrons happen to be the same day in and day out at the same hour every day, but it's still sort of frightening. I'll make my way to campus, avoiding Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts, and still manage to get to campus and hit the Starbucks down here, or -- even after making it to my office, going back out -- to the Divinity School.

Yes, the Divinity School here at the U of Chicago is right next door, and yes there is a coffee shop in their basement. They even sell T-Shirts that says something along the lines of G-d drinks our coffee, or somethign similar. The boon to going to the Div School coffee shop is that I get to stop in the lobby and peruse the various texts that faculty in the School have published recently. So the other day, and once again today, I noticed a new book -- "Rewriting the Torah" -- and of course the title piqued my interest. I found a preview of it on Google Books, and it seems like an interesting read. Here's what the Amazon description says:

Jeffrey Stackert explores literary correspondences among the pentateuchal legal corpora and especially the relationships between similar laws in Deuteronomy and the Holiness Legislation (Lev 17-26). Through an analysis of the pentateuchal laws on asylum, seventh-year release, manumission, and tithes, he argues that the Holiness Legislation depends upon both the Covenant Collection and Deuteronomy. The author also elucidates the compositional logic of the Holiness legislators, showing that these authors employ a method of literary revision in which they reconceptualize source material according to their own ideological biases. In the end, the Holiness Legislation proves to be a "super law" that collects and distills the Priestly and non-Priestly laws that precede it. By accommodating, reformulating, and incorporating various viewpoints from these sources, the Holiness authors create a work that is intended to supersede them all.

Now, when I took Hebrew Bible many moons ago in my undergraduate education, I grew quickly fascinated with the idea of various authors composing Torah. The idea initially seemed logical, then outlandish, then made sense as we studied the literary themes and stylings of the different books and even various parashot within Torah. However, after that class, I sort of put my notes/exams/thoughts into a notebook and filed them away and haven't really thought much about it since then. In fact, I don't even know what traditional Judaism's thoughts on the idea of various authors composing the written Torah are -- is it accepted or denied, that is, among the religious community (I know the academic community is pretty much in agreeance about the concept of various authors, known as the documentary hypothesis. 

It is my understanding (and this will also work itself into my BIG POST ON THEOLOGY) that within Orthodox Judaism (note: the term Orthodox was really coined only in the early 19th century),  the belief is that Torah was given at Sinai (both oral and written?) to Moses, and that it was then transmitted throughout the generations until it was written down. The oral tradition was meant to never really be written since, well, it's the oral tradition. My blank comes with the "written" portion of the revelation, being Torah: is it believed that G-d actually gave Moses the Torah? Or that Moses composed the Torah during the revelation and that it was passed down? Or is it believed that both traditions were passed along and composed later, so the idea of multiple authors would be acceptible, if not absolutely logical under the circumstances?

So, nu? Tell me what you know. I'll probably pick up this book at some point -- likely after I move and have a shiny new UConn library card. As a writer/poet/amateur blogger, the way a person combines words into complete thoughts is fascinating and watching how different authors are and how their personal styles manage to reveal themselves even in anonymous instances absolutely excites me. So this is going to be an ongoing conversation, and I hope to glean some useful information from you -- my readers!

Be well, friends!

Redesign!

Yes, folks, there's a redesign. I guess if you're reading this in a feeder, you probably can't see it, but give the page a go and let me know what you think. The white underlay behind the header is meant to be there, and yes, it's running into the couch on purpose.

I've heard that the design, for some reason, doesn't pan out so well with Safari, but it should work with Firefox on PC and Mac, and it works fine on my PC with IE as well. But please let me know. If it gets to the point where this design is just too darn buggy to deal with, I'll make it easier on you -- the reader -- and take a step back to the simple blogger design. I was just trying to make things more cozy and inviting, and I think that the beautiful couch up there in my favorite color does the trick, don't you?

So come in to the blog, have a seat, get some tea ... and the first person who can peg what that picture hanging on my blog wall up there is of and/or by ... I'll be sending you my gently used copy of Celebrating the Jewish Year: Fall Holidays! As time goes on, I'll be changing that picture and giving books away, so look out!

Good luck, and let me know what you think!

I'll show YOU kosher!

Realization: I'm not very good at explaining to questioners why I don't mix meat/milk. What's a quick, one-sentence explanation that doesn't edge on "because the Torah says so" ...? I go into a big explanation of a variety of things, and well, I seek brevity.

(Note: At the present, my policy is no goat in goat's milk, no beef in cow's milk, etc. "Thou shall not cook a kid in its mother's milk" to me means just that.)

The next few weeks, then UConn.

So it is, that in a mere two weeks, I will be leaving Chicago for a week-long trip prior to my arriving in Storrs, Connecticut, where I will be attending school to acquire a master's degree in Judaic studies. It's a two year program, and whether I end up in a PhD program in New York or Israel or elsewhere or if I end up meeting my beshert and starting a family or if I end up doing school temporarily in Israel or converting Orthodox or working at some Jewish organization, well ... those things are yet to be seen/decided/figured out. I could, of course, get hit by a bus tomorrow -- who knows!

When I leave Chicago, I'm making the (semi-) brief trek to Lincoln, Nebraska, where I spent my adolescence and undergraduate years. I'll be spending time with my little brother, who is 16, meeting his new (and first) girlfriend. I'll be going to the restaurants that I so miss, eating the food that I remember as distinctly Nebraskan, visiting the locales (the CoHo) where I would sometimes spend eight hours a day studying biblical Hebrew. I'll be in Lincoln for about four days, hopefully seeing old friends and having drinks and doing that "last hurrah" kind of thing before I scoot off to Connecticut, where I plan to make some lifestyle changes. Of course, I say that I plan, but we all know how planning goes -- most of the time it doesn't. I hesitate to make any grandiose statements, and at this point making those statements without my big WHAT IS MY THEOLOGY post would probably result in some criticism and furthering opinions about my sincerity. So, let's just say, my time in Nebraska is meant to be a full, all-out time of enjoyment and good times.

I'll then make the 22-hour drive from Lincoln to Storrs over a few days. I'm still not sure how I'm splitting the trip up, or whether I'll be stopping at all. I know driving 22 hours is pretty brutal, and it's difficult because I'll be driving through several states were friends -- some whom I haven't seen in years or met at all -- reside. In a perfect world, I'd loop through Indiana and Ohio and Pennsylvania, making stops to see e-friends and college friends alike. Then again, the price of gas and the thought of turning my car in after the deadline make my wallet weep. So chances are, it'll be a straight-shot.

I am hoping, though, that when I am in Connecticut, that I will be able to make at least once-a-month treks into New York city for Shabbos with (at present) e-friends. I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be on Shabbat, especially with my ever-evolving Underconstructionist existence. Plus, if I'm going to meet a nice Jewish boy, the chances are good that I'll be able to pick one up in NYC, nu? From what I can tell, there's a mighty (or perhaps just visible) Jewish presence on the U of C campus. There's a Hillel (with their own website!) and Chabad, and it appears that they have cross-denomination services on Shabbat (this intrigues me immensely -- egalitarian? which prayer book? women leading services?). West Hartford, a half-hour jaunt from Storrs, has a mighty Jewish presence, including an active eruv. They even have a weekly Jewish newspaper: the Jewish Ledger. It seems, though, that it might be easier for me to go to NYC than to get to Hartford. Shocking, eh? My plan is to stay on campus for Shabbos, see how services are, and perhaps develop my own Shabbat habits. But it's hard to write about what I want to happen, thinking about what will happen. I guess in about a month, I should have already experienced my first Shabbat, as well as having experienced the opening Jewish BBQ festivities, and hopefully I'll have some idea of what the Jewish presence on campus is like.

And I know what some reader is thinking: Who cares? Well, I care. My undergraduate school had about 90 Jews enrolled (or was it 60?), and of those, there were about 15-20 who were actually "actively Jewish," as in, showed up for Hillel events and took the Jewish studies courses and what have you. I'd be happy with even 100 Jewish students who show their faces every now and again. I mean, in a state with 6,000 Jews, most of whom live in Omaha, it was tough cookies as far as making a Jewish connection or finding a mate went. So I'm excited at the prospect of a more prevalent, populous community. And the thought of even being near NYC, an American Jewish mecca, well, really gets my gears going.

Community, folks, is a BIG part of Judaism, being Jewish, living Jewishly. At least, it is for me!

Ruby Tuesday

I love web-wide photo projects, and here's another one of which I'm going to attemp to participate: Ruby Tuesday. It's exactly what you'd think it is, so here's my first shot. It was taken in the fall of 2006 in Washington D.C. As it turns out, red doesn't appear in abundance in that many of my photos, so I'll be on the look out henceforth!

Once again, a hat tip to Ilana-Davita for bringing this project to my attention!

Small Miracles?

I'm not one to get my wisdom from cartoon TV shows on Prime Time, but something interesting was said last night on a repeat of American Dad (a show which I loathe, but without internet at home, I needed background noise). The episode was about the Dad being frustrated with a friend of his who had everything in common with him, except that this friend was an athiest. The Dad goes to all lengths to try and drive his friend to believe in G-d, eventually driving him to suicide, which fails. The friend ends up in the hospital and the Dad prays to G-d that if the friend should live, he'll accept him no matter what he believes. Just then, the friend wakes up and tells how G-d kicked him down to Hell where he sold his soul to Satan to return to earth.

Somewhere, I forget precisely where, in the episode, someone tells the Dad that G-d doesn't work like a vending machine. You don't put in a couple prayers and get something immediate in return.

This, as I've mentioned before, is my philosophy on small "miracles" and chances of random luck: avoiding getting a speeding ticket, a squirrel getting out of the street before you hit it, getting the right numbers in the lottery, running into the right person at the right time. These things, to me, are the wrong kinds of things we pray for and thus attribute immediately to G-d when they happen to work out. It's like reading your horoscope and mysteriously you find some way to make it fit into the way your day or week is going.

Maybe it's because of my "Christian" background, where if you wanted something you simply said a prayer and hoped for the best. I'd pray for a new toy or for so-and-so to ask me out or to get an A on a test I'd already taken, like somehow G-d could magically change the grade just because of my prayer.

As I've blogged about before, prayer isn't meant when we're asking for things. Prayer is meant for bigger things -- strength, healing, understanding, etc. G-d isn't a vending machine, and we can't plug quarters in and expect or even hope for a bag o' chips.

Prayer cannot bring water to parched fields, or mend a broken bridge, or rebuild a ruined city; but prayer can water an arid soul, mend a broken heart, and rebuild a weakened will. -- Gates of Prayer (Siddur)

Haveil Havalim -- Check it Out!

The glorificous Frume Sarah is hosting this week's Haveil Havalim, and it is now up and live on her blog. What is HH? It's a carnival of Jewish blogs, that's what it is. There is some extra info about this snazzy little blog carnival up below and here.

Founded by Soccer Dad, Haveil Havalim is a carnival of Jewish blogs — a weekly collection of Jewish & Israeli blog highlights, tidbits and points of interest collected from blogs all around the world. It’s hosted by different bloggers each week and coordinated by Jack. The term ‘Haveil Havalim,’ which means “Vanity of Vanities,” is from Qoheleth, (Ecclesiastes) which was written by King Solomon. King Solomon built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and later on got all bogged down in materialism and other ‘excesses’ and realized that it was nothing but ‘hevel,’ or in English, ‘vanity.’

By any other name ...

All this time, I've been at a loss for words when filling out surveys and answering questions about how I affiliate in the Big Bad World of Judaism. I often say I'm floating, still figuring it out, exploring my options, feeling for ground. I've found a new affiliation, one that describes who I am and what I'm doing and hopefully no one can argue with it or tell me that my theology or practices don't line up with it. What is this brilliant word, this all-encompassing textual representation of Chaviva bat Avraham v'Sarah?

Underconstructionist. 

I discovered this outstanding piece of lexi-canon while writing a "Happy Birthday" message on a friend's Facebook wall just moments ago. I saw it and thought, WOW! Why hadn't I thought of that before? So I Googled the term and found this brilliant piece written by Rabbi Baruch HaLevi, a self-proclaimed Underconstructionist (with Conservative training) at a shul in Massachussettes. The word "underconstructionist" appears 222 times in the Google search, and mostly on blogs of creative Jewish bloggers like Dixie Yid. But, as it turns out, when you click through the search results, most of the entries are "repeats" and really there's only a little more than a dozen results. The affiliation seems to be a popular choice on JewishCafe.com, which appears to be yet another one of those fancy newfangled online Jewish dating sites. 

It seems to me, though, that being Underconstructionist is what most Jews (who attempt to quell their stubborn stuck-in-the-mud ways) really, truly are. It isn't so much frowning on denominationalism, but rather is the best way of saying "Listen, work in progress, so I keep sort of kosher and go to Orthodox shul but am not necessarily shomer Shabbos, get off my back! I'm workin' on it!" And this, well, is basically where I am and what I'm doing.

Inspired by some comments over on my Why People Become Orthodox post on Jewsbychoice.org by Avi, I've got a big ole blog post on my theology in the works. It's going to take a while to compose, so please be patient and understand if it doesn't show up for a month or more! Essentially, I haven't really ever gone into great lenghts about my theology, and I think a lot of people might see me as an Academic Jew, someone who relates to the history, methodologies of study, and does nothing but read read read and doesn't so much have a theological stand and thus, well, my adventure into the world of Orthodoxy might confuse and bewilder some. Believe me, my blog post my shock and appall some, but it needs to be written. So stay tuned.

And until then? This Underconstructionist Jew bids you all a good Shabbos (yes, blogging on the Sabbath over here) and a restful weekend.

Wordle!

Because everyone is doing it. It worries me that vengeance and kill are so big ...

So you want to be a Jew?

Okay, I want to start a dialogue. This dialogue is going to be based on a Metafilter post, and by clicking on this link, you can read all the comments and responses. What I want to know, is your take on it. Essentially, the user is asking whether -- as a secular atheist -- he/she can convert to Judaism. The user says " I feel absolutely ripped off that I was not born a Jew, and I want to be one." The religious aspect does not appeal at all to this person, and it seems a lot of the commenters believe it is and can be a valid conversion into the culture. Now, my initial response is "That's like wanting to convert to become Chinese or Indian or Aboriginal or Eskimo." Like waking up one day and deciding you're African-American or something, simply because you're fond of the culture, language quips and lifestyle. I do have one friend, a self-proclaimed athiest who did convert to Judaism not too long ago, and I try to avoid the topic in conversation as it seems like a contradiction (he dons tefillin and goes to shul).

As a convert myselef, I have to tred carefully because I have no right or need to say anyone shouldn't convert for whatever reasons ... but it seems to me that if all that interests you is the culture, you really haven't spent much time analyzing the possibilities, the process, or Judaism in general.

So take a gander at the link, and let's talk, shall we?

The Every-now-and-again Hodgepodge Post

For some reason, my dermatologist is fascinated with kabbalah (that is, he's fascinated with all the hoopla), so during my procedure today I explained what (little) I know about it to him. When I was there last week, he asked questions about why I was Jewish, if you recall, which I blogged about here. I just thought it was interesting, and if anything, it kept my mind off of the bit that was going on on my back. Two weeks of gauzing and healing and hopefully I'll be done dealing with this blasted problem. It's funny because I asked him whether genetics play a role in skin cancer, and he said that a lot of the time they do, but a lot of the time it's also time spent in the sun. The thing is ... I don't know if you all have looked at me lately, but I'm the last person you see sun bathing. I learned to love my pasty-white skin early on and I actually avoid the sun most of the time. How peculiar then, eh?

At any rate, I thought I'd share a few tidbits of information I found lately relating to the world o' Judaism in some capacity or another. So here you go, all the stuff that's fit to print.

+ Starring presently as Squeak in Oprah's The Color Purple is someone you might not suspect to be a Jew! It's Stephanie St. James, who is the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor. St. James, whose father is a Guyenese-born Israeli, identifies herself as neither African or American, but identifies very strongly with her Jewish roots and intends on raising her eventual children in a Jewish home. You can read her story here.

+ I know I blogged about the only kosher culinary school before, but I can't seem to find a link. The school, Jerusalem Culinary Institute located in Israel, was sort of a difficult venture for Jews in the Diaspora. Though many successful Jewish and kosher cooks come out of other programs, many have wanted and sought out a school that focuses on kosher cooking. Well, guess what!? Recently opened in Flatbush in New York is the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts. The intensive program is six weeks and costs a mere $4,500. There's a story by JTA here.

+ A new documentary focuses on the gap between Israeli and Diaspora Jews, questioning when and how it happened. The film follows American Jews of all walks as they visit Israel. I guess the film came out earlier this year, but it's the first I'm hearing about it unless I completely missed something. The film is called Eyes Wide Open and you can visit the website here.

+ Over on Jewsbychoice.org, Shimshonit has blogged about an upcoming book by Professor Jonathan Sarna of Brandeis. Yes, had I chosen Brandeis over UConn, I could probably have experienced greatness. But, well, those hefty student loans just didn't appeal to me. At any rate, his new book sounds pretty fascinating. The book, A Time to Every Purpose: Letters to a Young Jew, explores not so much the why to be Jewish, but the how. From what I can gather, it's an essential introduction/reintroduction to Judaism.




That's all for now, readers. Come back tomorrow when hopefully I have something worthwhile to say about my impending move to Connecticut where I will have to settle into a college-style Jewish community, how it will relate/compare to my undergraduate experience, and what it means for shul-going ... and how often I might trek myself down to NYC for some Jew-time on the weekends (Peter Pan buses, hooray!).

All Kind Winter Item

Ice Cream for Sale
Originally uploaded by kvetchingeditor

Summer, summer, summertime.

Oh, Moses ...

I sat down this afternoon to read this week's parashah, Mattot, which turns the focus of Torah to settling in the land. My biggest beef with this very short parashah is that, after G-d instructs Moses to have the people to take down the Midianites for the episode at Peor.

G-d tells the men to "wreak the Lord's vengeance on Midian" in Numbers 31. So the hefty soldiers go out, killing all of the men, and they round up the booty, women and children and head back to camp. Back at camp, Moses gets all up and arms and demands that they kill all the women who have taken in the delights of carnal pleasures, as well as all of the male children. So the mighty men kill all that Moses has instructed, wait the cleansing period, and then head back into camp.

So what's my beef? Firstly, this is a minor example of a "holy war" so far as we understand the term -- a war raged by religious partisans in order to propogate or defend their faith. That in and of itself is a gigantic issue, as in whether adding religion to a war invalidates or clouds the judgments of participants (think: crusades). But my big beef is about Moses' reaction to the returning soldiers and their booty. Moses is clearly upset with the soldiers for not having killed the women and the children, as in his mind "wreak the Lord's vengeance on Midian" meant to kill everyone, to spare no one. But in the minds of the mass of the soldiers, obviously that statement and in turn the Lord's vengeance applied only to men.

Thus, where is the great divide? Where is the confusion? How is it that all of these Israelites thought that G-d's vengeance meant to kill all the men and Moses's conception of this vengeance meant to kill all the women, too? A question can be raised, is the resulting order to kill all of the women and male children G-d's vengeance or is it Moses'? And on that note, what if even one of these women didn't partake in seducing the Israelites? Are their deaths still valid?

At any rate, just some questions for this week's parshah. Think on it, tell me what you think!

When You're All Alone.

I realized recently -- sometime last month -- that I have my father's laughter. That is, when I laugh, I mean really laugh, I sound like my dad. It's this boisterous chuckle that I always thought was distinct to my father. It's always been comforting, the thought of his laugh and the smile that accompanies it. I can picture instances of him talking with his co-workers near endcaps for light bulbs and building gadgets while he worked at Payless, the lumber store, when he was a manager and before it went under; the CEOs walked away with millions. And he was always laughing, because he was happy. And now, I hear that laughter when I get rolling, and at first when I noticed it, it made me exceeding uncomfortable. This being because I'd noticed earlier this year, while looking at a photo taken at a friend's birthday party, that in that split instance of the photo, I looked exactly like my mother.

Where we come from, our genes, out family trees, those who preceded us in both spirit and blood, matters so much. What they are and have, we are and have, and thus we give to our children.

I had a bit of an emotional breakdown last night. I don't write about this stuff very often, mostly because this blog is my baby and I want it to be as positive, if not healthy, as possible. But I had this small, mostly painless procedure last week to get rid of some moles and I got a call last night that one of them is questionable and I have to go back in for a more invasive procedure. Okay, it's not that invasive -- it's a cut about as long as my finger with some stitches, but I'm the girl who has never had stitches, never spent time in the hospital, never broken any bones, nothing. I am, for the most part, a picture of health. Well, unless you count the eczema (mom), my bad knees (who knows), asthma and allergies (dad), and some other non-life-threatening but absolutely consistently irritating and painful things that I deal with. But last night, while attempting to put a band-aid on this spot on my back -- in no man's land, right in the middle -- I got frustrated. Six band-aids in, and no luck, I finally slapped one on and said screw it. I walked out to my bed, and I sat down, and I felt defeated. It was then that I realized a friend had called (voicemail) to check up on me to see how I was doing, and I just broke down. I spent the next hour in and out of sobs. It took me back to being at the doctor's office and his dismay at me not having anyone around to help me bandage. That old enemy, the voice of "you are so very alone" crept back in and beat me down. I was alone.

I've been thinking a lot lately about sickness, death and dying. I found out today that one of my high school teachers (who, in truth I never took classes from but someone I knew and who my friends had classes with) died after a long bout with Leukemia. In high school, I had a half-dozen friends lose their mothers to cancer of some sort, and this year an ex lost her mother to cancer as well. I knew a kid in high school who had testicular cancer and survived. I know someone with fibromyalgia. I know a lot of people, who have family and friends who deal with a lot of horrible things. But in truth, I've never been touched by these things, at least, not in that painful, life-long struggle to cope with a sick, dying relative or close friend. I'm one of the lucky ones, I guess, is what I'm saying.

I can't complain about some stupid "questionable" moles or the eczema that has kept me from wearing shorts of any variety, not to mention swimsuits, since my freshman year of high school and that makes me feel perpetually in pain, if not disgusted at myself. I can't get in a tissy about my knees that sound like squishing crumpled potato chip bags when I walk up the stairs. I can't complain about the cough that won't go away or how half the time I can't sleep and the other half I sleep like a baby but that there's no median. Or maybe, rather than can't, I should say shouldn't. I shouldn't complain, because I don't really have the right. Because in truth, I don't have it that bad.

Every day I worry that the breast cancer, that caused my grandmother much pain but didn't kill her, will fall to me. Or that I'll discover I, like my father and uncle and others, have diabetes; it killed two of my great aunts. Maybe, I'll discover that I have lung cancer, despite having never smoked; it killed my grandmother when my dad was just a child. Then there is the heart disease that killed my grandfather when my father was 10 and resulted in my own fathering having to have a bypass several years ago. I try so hard to not dwell on these things. And it's why I've turned into my mother when it comes to doctors -- avoid, avoid, avoid. What you don't know can't hurt you, right?

But then I have these moments where I'm doing something as small as bandaging a wound -- a wound created because a doctor was worried about the possibilities (no one in my family has ever danced with skin cancer). And now, I have to go back because there is a small possibility. I should be grateful, right? I wish I could be. I just keep wondering -- if something were to happen to me, who would be there to take care of me?

Rabbis Explain Why People Become Orthodox

Note: I had originally posted a blog here, which was crossposted on Jewsbychoice.org. However, in an effort to keep content original on JBC, as well as my personal blog, I encourage you to head over to the JBC blog in order to read the post. I apologize for the confusion this might cause.



Thanks!
Chavi


There has been an interesting series posted on the Hirhurim Musings blog about Why People Become Orthodox, and I thought it would be useful to share here simply because the perspectives of many Conservative rabbis are shared. Essentially a question was posed to a number of rabbis across the spectrum of Judaism, and as far as I can tell it's an ongoing series. To read the blog post, please visit this link.

Yes, really, how angry are we?

Listening to yesterday's Unger Report on NPR's Day to Day podcast, I shook my head in agreeance. I mean, how bad do we REALLY have it when we can stand in line for days for an iPhone or fight for tickets to a blockbuster. What kind of image does that send to the rest of the world as we sit here whining about how the economy is a bust and how gas is expensive. I mean, really? Anyway, listen to the Unger Report. He hits the nail on the head, most assuredly.


       

Chavi Goes Shopping, online, Again!

I am presently on the hunt for a t-shirt. I'm not exactly sure what kind of t-shirt, really. I mean, I'm looking for a t-shirt that says "Hey, I'm Jewish" or "Look at me, I have Hebrew on my shirt" or something of that variety. I used to have this amazing Threadless.com shirt with the face of a Hasid and all sorts of Hebrew words or characters or something around it. I loved that shirt, but it was this cream color and it just didn't mesh with my skin, and it was too big, so I got rid of it long ago. I happen to own one T-Shirt with a beautiful dove filled with a medley of pictures/words related to Israel, but I'm looking for something more ... well ... not trendy, per se, but something that's a little more hip to me.

So I found Israel Vintage Icons on T, which has an array of really awesome tees, and the way that the designs are presented are very classy. The Army Girl tee is very neat; it's described as "Based on the 'Army Girl' photo from the Nico and Trudy Schwartz-Hiller collection: 'Recruiting the daughters of Israel to the British Army'." Then there's the Israeli Pictograms shirt, which could come in handy if I ever make it to Israel. I think my favorite, perhaps for its simplicity, is the Star of David tee, which you see on that guy right there. The t-shirts are running $19 a pop, with $6 shipping to the U.S. of A. If you're in Israel, it's a mere $4. Why? Well, this company is based in Israel. D'oh for me!

I also stumbled upon perhaps my favorite t-shirt find. Yes, it's Jews for Cheeses! I'm really seconds away from procuring this tee, simply because, well, I haven't had a run-in with the Jews for Jesus yet, but I have to think that G-d would will it to be on the day that I would be wearing this marvelous t-shirt. Don't you think? Plus, this screen cap shows that one of my favorite TV shows (Pushing Daisies) even saw the hilarious necessity in owning such a shirt!

At this point I'll say that I'm avoiding the typical "Nice Jewish Girl" and "Challah Back" and "Nu Jew" and all of those tees. Why? They're obnoxious and silly, that's why. I want something classy. And maybe "Jews for Cheeses" isn't classy, but come on ... it's hilarious. And those "Let's get Chai" shirts? Gag me with a spoon!

Then, of course, while browsing around I found ModernTribe.com, which has ... well ... not so much with the shirts, but an ark-load of other beautiful things. Including (another) necklace I want. It's the "Letters of Creation" necklace. Oy! So beautiful ... and a Gelt Money Clip? I wish I knew someone who actually used a money clip, becuase I'd drop a dime for this in a second! There are oodles of other things on the Modern Tribe site that, well, if I were rich and not heading to graduate school, I'd most definitely procure.

But back to T-shirts. Chavi needs a t-shirt. There's the typical Hebrew Coca-Cola shirt, but it seems like that's the obligatory tee to have if you're a Jew looking for a shirt, right? Rotem Gear has some nice tees, but none that are really calling to me. And although I would *never* buy it, I thought the "I Choose You, PikaJew" shirt was hilarious. In fact, I'm sending the link to my little brother (a former Pokemon obsessee). Of course, I could get a shirt personalized with my name so everyone who sees it knows who I am -- if they read Hebrew, that is!

And by some stroke of luck, I've found Store of David. I have fallen in love with the Milk and Meat tee, and if I can get over the price, I might just pick it up. And who can resist the I Control the Media tee? I'm often told that, having been a copy editor and being Jewish, well, that I play nicely into that, and I can't deny it! It was then that I stumbled upon the Jewish Food Pyramid tee, and I'm really dismayed because I can't seem to find a larger image of it ... but it simply looks hilariously wonderful. If only it came in something other than powder blue! Then again, there is this let there be light tee, which is on sale. 

But the holy grail of T-shirts has to be this: Chicago. Yes, it's a shirt that SAYS Chicago in Hebrew and has the el map. Yes, yes I think I will have to buy this shirt. After contacting customer service, they assure me that it comes in an array of colors with either black or white text. Here's hoping?

Okay, so I'm no closer to finding a T-shirt than I was when I started this adventure hours ago (I am at work, after all, while composing this). I do have some good options, though. And I know some of you might be asking yourselves, "Chavi! Nu? You're nearly 25. Can't you get serious and lose the t-shirt shtick? Act like an adult already!" But in truth, I've spent the past two years wearing "business" clothes to work and being all dressy bessy. A girl needs a T-shirt, darn't, and not just on the weekends. Soon, I will return to school and with school comes laziness, waking up late, throwing on a tee and going to class. So if you have a favorite tee out of all of these, let me know and perhaps I'll pick it up before I go broke!

Shalom, and happy shopping :)

G-d: He is she is he.

Wow. Firstly, I have to thank Cesar for bringing this article to my attention ... but talk about an interesting and fascinating breakthrough in biblical scholarship. The entire article, "Rabbi unveils a secret of G-d" (hyphen inserted by me) can be found by clicking here. I will have to write more about this later (since I am at work) but I have to get this out into the big bad world of the interwebs and my blog-o-community becuase I think this is a brilliant undertaking academically.

The tradition-bound Western image of a he-man, masculine God may already be thousands of years out of date, says a Westchester rabbi who believes he has unlocked the secret to God's name and androgynous nature.

Rabbi Mark Sameth contends in a soon-to-be-published article that the four-letter Hebrew name for God - held by Jewish tradition to be unpronounceable since the year 70 - should actually be read in reverse. When the four letters are flipped, he says, the new name makes the sounds of the Hebrew words for "he" and "she."

And here is a video with the rabbi discussing his thoughts on this. Brilliant!

Project Black, Chavi Style, Take III.

Rust.
Originally uploaded by kvetchingeditor

Here is more of the Project Black, this one is a picture I took Friday while waiting in the humidity at the Madison stop on the Green/Brown/Orange/Pink line in the Loop. Pigeons are such hideous, yet such beautiful, simple creatures. Rats with wings, but when they tilt their heads just so ... Don't forget to check out/join Project Black over at this blog.

Shalom!