I'm an Academic, You're an Academic ...

Someday, when I write a book, I promise I won't put in snide remarks that reveal my sentiments about great individuals long dead (now, I'm not saying I think St. Augustine was great, but you get my drift). In a text I'm reading for my Bible course, when discussing the Adam/Eve/Eden sin issue, the book's author says ...

The influential Christian theologian, St. Augustine, who was not very good at Greek, read the Latin translation of Romans 5:12 to mean that the sin of Adam was a prototype -- it caused others to sin. Augustine's interpretation gave rise to the doctrine known as "original sin," the view that sin is inherited by all subsequent humans after Adam and Eve. In Paul's original Greek, it seems pretty clear that Paul understood Adam's sin to be an archetype. Death spread to all people because all people sinned. In other words, sin is humanity's first and most persistent copycat crime.

Now, I think the point would have been perfectly valid to leave out the snarky remark. Alternatively, I do enjoy the author's take on the idea of minimalism in explaining the historicity of the Tanakh. Minimalists in biblical scholarship essentially say that the books of Tanakh were edited so late that they can't possibly contain any valid historical information about earlier periods. They tend to reject or explain away any archeological evidence that might happen to prove a historical theory, and the author tells us that the "best evaluation of minimalism as a whole was probably supplied by a British archaeologist who entitled his review of a rather fanciful book on another subject, 'Not a Bad Theory, If Facts Don't Matter.' "

Oh academics and their opinions. It makes me wonder, though, if I really will be able to distance my opinions from the work. I guess that's how we test ourselves in academia? I suppose I should get one of these buttons, though, don't you think?

While I figure out an answer to my questions, check out this week's Haveil Havalim over on Jack's blog! Stay tuned for blog posts on politics, the upcoming holidays, books I'm trying to read, and more. I gotta maintain substance, gall darn't.

Will Beg for Shabbos!

Let's say, just by chance, that my birthday is September 30. Let's also say that the weekend prior to my birthday (which also happens to be Rosh Hashanah), I want to go to New York (because someone I know is coming in to town, but also ... ). I want to have a traditional shabbos. I want to be shomer shabbos to an absolute devotion. I want to go to shul and dine with a community and wake up and go back to shul and rest and read. I want to see how the good, observant, other New York half lives. Anyone got room for a Kosher Cornhusker in their Shabbos universe? I'm a maven with a transliterated Artscroll siddur :)

At any rate, my weekend was outstanding. The Conservative shul that Evan and I went to on Friday night was nice, albeit fairly small, but the rabbi had some interesting and significant things to say. The service was good and we capped the night with some Mexican food. We left Saturday morning for New York for the 1 p.m. Yankees game (second to last at the stadium!), and luckily the Yanks won. The sun was beating down, but the crowd was fun and the company was good. That evening we went to the Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village for some comedy and before that we ate upstairs at the Olive Tree Cafe (owned by a nice Jewish woman), where I had some yummy falafel. After the comedy show (in which I got made fun of for being a Judaic studies student by a Jewish comedian), we met up with Evan's cousin and her friend for a drink and then headed back around 11 for Connecticut. And me? Well, I had gotten sort of ill -- what with the dehydration from the game and the liquor. Tea didn't help, but a lot of sleep did. So today, although I'm not feeling 100 percent, I feel about 75 percent better than I did last night. But overall, a good weekend.

I was reminded of how much I love New York -- it's little shops and grocery markets with fruit and flowers outside for all to see. People dressed to dazzle tromping around dirty streets trying to hail a cab. It's such a beautiful mess, New York is, but I still love it.

So I want to go back. Help a girl out?

The Kosher-Vegetarian-Academic Post!

I had written an entire post about going vegetarian this week and visiting the kosher dining hall (finally), but Blogger sucks and just lost my post, which, might I add, was beautifully written. So I'll just say a couple things and maybe elaborate next week: there's a nifty sink for ritual hand-washing, which I think is awesome; the food is good; they give you paper/plastic everything for assured kosher-ness!; one meal is meat, the other is dairy, so as a veggie, this doesn't bode well for me eating there every week; it takes about 15 minutes on a bus to get from here to there, which stinks. I also managed to go to the gym this past week after a random urge to do so. I'm calling my move to vegetarianism (plus a bit o' fish), which started randomly on Monday, as well as my gym excursion spontaneous healthful living.

In other, unrelated, news, I'm going to New York this weekend with Evan for a Yankees game (on Shabbat, argh). We are, however, going to a (conservative) shul in West Hartford tonight, so that has me all sorts of stoked. And now, to tie up the week and before bidding everyone a Shabbat Shalom, I give you some of the juicy goodness that I've been working on over the past week. Prepare for academic drooling (I sent my thoughts to the prof last night, so ... we'll see) behind this link. Yes, it's stuff I've been writing/working on. So enjoy it. I tried to post it here but Blogger is being a total pain in my tuches today.

So be well, and Shabbat shalom!

Because You Are Just Dying to Know ...

So you want to convert, eh?

In an attempt to answer some reader questions regarding conversion, I will simply type up a (hopefully) brief little post here, so as to not go through great lengths to edit my video blog since time is of the essence these days.

"Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God" (Ruth 1:16)

You'll note that Ruth didn't bother asking Naomi where to find a good shul or rabbi, nor did she pop in with any questions about the difficulties of finding a congregation out in the middle of nowhere, right? So where to begin? 

When I decided to start going to synagogue, I had already made the decision to convert. I knew all the details of the conversion process and had read most of the popularized conversion books (after all, I'd been studying on my own for about a year). So really, I was jumping way ahead of myself and needed to find a shul. In my town there were two synagogues -- one Reform, the other Conservative. About an hour away there was a much larger city with various congregations ranging from Chabad to Reform. At the time, though, I hadn't considered going to the larger city because, well, I was carless and in college and it just wasn't something that struck me. Also at that time I was comfortably settled in the Reform movement with my hashkafah (sort of like Jewish philosophy/beliefs). A (Jewish) friend of a friend was also interested in checking out a local shul to see what the buzz was (considering the community was so small), so we agreed to go one Friday night. She picked me up, we were off, and we were welcomed heartily by the community. We started going regularly, and after awhile we decided to check out the Conservative shul to see whether we were leaning that way. Unfortunately, that congregation didn't welcome us as heartily, as the base was a lot older and didn't seem interested in talking to, let alone welcoming, us.

So, at the time -- as I said -- my hashkafah was good with the Reform movement and so I continued to go there. The rabbi at that point was a woman who, to be honest, didn't seem so interested in getting started with a conversion candidate (she was sort of on the outs, as her family had moved to a city about three hours away and she was trying to get out, too), but we met at a coffee shop, she gave me a booklist to check out and we called it a day. Shortly after she left a new rabbi was hired and he was incredibly enthusiastic about the congregation and my conversion -- I would be his first convert! He started up an Intro to Judaism course (which was mostly a refresher for me at that point), and very quickly we set a date for my conversion because, after talking to me and hearing about my studies and journey, he seemed confident I was prepared. But most importantly, it was I who was prepared. In April 2006, then, I met with the beth din, went to the mikvah, had my naming and conversion ceremony, and the rest is history. This all, of course, was through the Reform movement.

Now, I wasn't turned away three times or any of that. It's more likely that in the Orthodox movement this will happen, and it's also more likely that you'll really need to search for a rabbi who fits into your stream of thought and who welcomes you and your conversion in his community. As I consider reconverting through the Orthodox movement, I'll admit, there is a lot more thought that will go into the process -- who my rabbi is, how long I'll need to prepare, what congregation/community to attach myself to, etc. When I started dabbling in the path to conversion in ... oy ... was it 2003? (though formally much later) ... I didn't really do much searching because I was pretty comfortable in where I was, but it was very situationally comfortable.

What do I mean? Well, I was in college (undergraduate) and there was not a possibility for me to move (at least, at that time, it hadn't even crossed my mind). Had I wanted to convert Orthodox (though, to be honest, in the community I was in I had a LOT of misconceptions about Orthodox Jews and the Orthodox community in general), I would have been put in an interesting position. I would have had to make my way to the closest city with an Orthodox community, but even then, it would have been difficult to make the trips. And once again -- it all depends on your hashkafah. For some people who do want to convert Orthodox, though, it just isn't feasible to get to a community where you can attend services regularly, find kosher foods, not to mention visit the mikvah and take part in other community activities. So what an Orthodox rabbi will tell you is -- you must move to a community. It's a lifestyle, it's a community, it's not just a religious doctrine. But for people with families or who are committed to a location, this just isn't possible. So then they will tell you that we must bend to the Torah -- the Torah will not bend to us. And in a way, they are right. So what do you do?

Well, my advice is this: If you live in the sticks or in a community where there isn't a shul, find the nearest one, no matter the denomination, and begin to learn. Explain to the rabbi that you are interested in converting, though you're not sure whether the shul's hashkafah lines up with your's, but that you want to begin or explore your options. Attend Intro to Judaism and Hebrew classes (or find a tutor or use online resources). Learn, learn, learn and learn some more, and when you feel yourself coming to a place where you are confident in converting, talk to your rabbi. Explain to them where you are at, which movement you feel most comfortable halakicly in, ask the rabbi if they can connect you with other rabbis in other movements. When you travel, go to different shuls -- Orthodox, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Reform. You have to have that exposure in order to make an informed decision about a movement as a whole. But your Jewish soul will lead you in the appropriate direction, and no matter how you feel spiritually or where you connect denominationally, you can observe how ever much or little that you want in your personal life. Don't forget, though, that community is important! And also, use the internet. This big, bad wide interweb is your KEY to really discovering where you fit Jewishly -- but don't trust just one website or one source, because you truly never know what you'll get. Ask questions, ask a LOT of questions, and do your homework.

Remember: Judaism is sort of a package deal -- communally, personally, religiously, and how you live -- you can't learn, study, and convert in a vacuum. It's as simple as "where there is a will, there is a way." And your Jewish soul will not let you sleep until it is sated!

So check out this website: My Jewish Learning on Choosing a Synagogue. I really, really wish I had had this all those years ago. It offers some great advice, especially about the differences simply between synagogues within the same movement. For example, I prefer a shul without a chazzan, or cantor, because I find that the congregants do an amazing job with a melody (I think this sentiment comes from attending a modern Orthodox shul for those many months!).  Likewise, you can tell a lot about a synagogue from what kind of programs it has -- women's groups, social action, outreach, etc. But perhaps most importantly is making sure that YOU and the RABBI fit. You want to convert through someone you trust, someone who takes you as seriously as you take them, and who can answer your questions and inquiries without any troubles. Plus, it is important to develop a good, working relationship with a rabbi at any rate because questions will always come up -- about Yom Kippur or kashrut or something else -- and you will need someone authoritative and consistent (we call this person a rav) in your life to help you answer such queries!

But, that's my reader's digest bit on finding a synagogue/rabbi and how to do so if you're in a community that maybe lacks such things. Now, I have a lot of connections and know a lot of people, not to mention I am presently inventorying all of the shuls in the U.S. for a Jewish databank, so if you need some information or want to be introduced to a rabbi, let me know and I'll do what I can to help you out. I might not know everyone, but an intermediary can help get the ball rolling!

I might have created more questions than answers, so let me know what you you have to say. I attempted to be brief, but I want to reiterate that the Jewish conversion process is not meant to be quick -- it is meant to allow the convert time to evaluate and reevaluate their Jewish soul, to consider where they fit and when they are truly, truly ready to take on the plight of the Jewish people. There is no need to rush -- some people spend years, dozens of years at times, on the path, waiting to hit that point or find the right rabbi or congregation. Don't rush it just because you want to get there -- it just isn't worth skirting the major issues for a quickie conversion. Plus, a good rabbi won't let you get by like that either :)

If you click here, I have compiled a list of websites with information that might be useful to you -- just now, actually, so this list will continue to grow in coming days/weeks. Enjoy and Shalom!

Computer Crash = Ruby Tuesday!

I had a video blog post -- a show-and-tell style vlog, paired with details about how I chose my rabbi/shul and how YOU, too, can make it happen -- COMPLETELY EDITED ... and then my computer went kaput and the edited video with it. And to be honest, I haven't the energy right now to re-edit. So for now? You get a Ruby Tuesday photo.

Yes, I know, it's me. Kohelet is screaming "vanity of vanities" and biblical scholars are rolling their eyes at the common understanding of vanity. But in reality, this is me (in RED!) plugging Israeli Wine Direct, where at the helm is my good friend Richard. He was kind enough to send me this t-shirt, which I shall wear with pride, and he even featured me on his blog. So go buy some wine already!

Let's Talk Books!

As if we ever talk about anything at else around here anymore? Books are my joy, my life, my livelihood! As evidenced in my bookworm/bibliophile post of recent. I'd wanted to do this in a vlog, but I'm just not in the mood, and I'm in desperate need of a haircut. So for now, this is how we'll roll.

I've been meaning to write about Rabbi Marc D. Angel's new novel, "The Search Committee," for about three weeks now. The rabbi was kind enough to send me a copy of whose words I devoured quickly and with delight. To be honest, the book is an incredibly quick read. I do find it interesting, though, that his name appears on the book as "Marc Angel" and not "Rabbi ..." But maybe I'm just nitpicking! So first, some background on the rabbi.

Rabbi Angel is the rabbi emeritus of Congregation Shearith Israel of New York City (a Sephardi congregation), and is the founder of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals -- a group which I highly recommend you look into. They put out oodles of interesting papers and responsa about issues facing Orthodox Judaism, not to mention the greater Jewish community. Rabbi Angel is the author and editor of more than two dozen books, and this is his first work of fiction! How exciting for him and for us, eh?

So where to begin? The story revolves around a series of testimonials issued to the search committee at a prominent Yeshiveh. The most recent rosh yeshiva has died, and his replacement is to be made by this search committee. There are two rabbis in the running -- one the son of the former head of the school who is essentially staunchly similar to his father and maintaining the present order, and the other a younger rabbi who comes across as very modern in his Orthodoxy. We hear from each rabbi, their wives, students, philanthropists who give to the school, yet interestingly -- we NEVER hear from the committee itself. What a juxtaposition for the book to be titled as such and yet the committee never graces our presence.

Many of the characters are entirely believable, their testimonies sounding as though they were truly coming from the mouths of real individuals. Other characters, including (in my opinion) the deceased rosh yeshiva's son, seem almost unreal in their outrageousness. I do appreciate that the characters -- both those believable and perhaps not so much -- are deeply encamped in their Jewishness. As characters are giving their backgrounds and how they arrived at the present situation, we get long, meandering stories with often unnecessary details -- I can picture the traditional rabbi and his wife at the meeting, as if standing at the pulpit, carrying on and on with over-emphasizing hand gestures and a deep accent. The book is written very much so that we can sympathize with one party over the other, I think, and it is quite obvious that there is a message here about the old versus the new, tradition as it evolves, and the world of the yeshiveh and Orthodoxy in general -- as it accepts outsiders, new ideas and approaches, and makes decisions about the future of how it schools its children.

But to be honest, the book's outcome absolutely surprised me, and I think that for those who take the chance to pick the book, you also will be surprised. The book seems to lean one way -- it is cut and dry that there are two definite sides of Orthodoxy here -- but the outcome chosen by the search committee left me feeling perplexed and almost uncomfortable. But perhaps that is Rabbi Angel's intention, and if so, then I applaud him for a well-composed book that questions what we know and what we think we know.

I think anyone and everyone should pick up this book. I imagine Rabbi Angel has unique experiences that allow him to assist us in delving into the world of the yeshiva and the schisms between more traditional Orthodoxy and more modern Orthodoxy. It is, as I said, an incredibly quick read. So nu? Pick it up already!

(And while you're at it, check out his book on conversion, which although it is about Orthodox Judaism, is a good primer for the background on conversion in Jewish history through Torah, Talmud, the rabbis, etc.!)

A Little Ditty.

I went to the library yesterday to get a bit of studying done and what did I end up doing? Checking out FOUR books. Only one of which was relevant to anything I am academically working on at the moment -- The Song of Songs by Ariel Bloch and Chana Bloch, which is an interesting presentation of commentary on the text as well as other notes and interesting tidbits about the poem. The other three? Martin Buber's "Way of Man," Jordan Jay Hillman's "The Torah and Its G-d," and "The limits of Orthodox Theology" by Marc Shapiro. The latter is a reappraisal of Maimonides' Thirteen Principles, and it looked like an intriguing read. The Buber book is incredibly short and features the teachings of Hasidism, while the Hillman book appears to be a humanist inquiry into the five books of Moses. If anyone has read any of these and has some words/musings, please comment!

Will I read them all? Who knows. I'm still trying to wrestle through Sarna's "Exodus," while needing to develope a working bibliography for two different papers of which I have yet to pick topics (name changing -- Sarah/Abraham/Jacob; maybe the idea of repentance in scripture; maybe the idea of whether Rachel was stealing the idols to worship them? who knows). Stay tuned, of course. Oh man, I still haven't blogged about "The Search Committee" and it's a week later. Where did the week go?!

At any rate, until I come up with a clear plan of attack for my many books and develop a vlog about what to do when you're a million miles away from a rabbi or perhaps only have a rabbi in a movement with which you don't necessarily want to be affiliated ... be sure to check out this week's Haveil Havalim over on Shiloh Musings.

A good Shabbos to you!

Just wanted to send a quick Shabbat Shalom out into the ether of the internet before the sun disappears (though, since it's cold, rainy and cloudy here I can't see the sun). I'm going to be using my FridayLights.org goods at home tonight and hopefully make it through my (untransliterated) pocket-size Artscroll Siddur. Yes, Shabbos at home. Why? The weather is miserable, that's why! So be well, be safe, be happy, be holy.

The view from the library of the Northwest, from Storrs, CT. (Not today, of course, but last week sometime.)

Names, always with the naming!

I finally did it. Yes, I Googled those words: "how to change my name."

Why? It involves a call I got today from central mail services here on campus about a package that had been rerouted to the main mailroom because the name on the box was "Chaviva Edwards" and not the name listed by the university as my "actual" name. Now, I know it's no big thing. I explained the situation (to which she kept saying things about my "nickname"), and she said that she's not sure how things will go in the future, but that it will probably keep happening. So I'm thinking, what? You want I should change my name right now? The girls in the local (grad housing) mailroom know that I'm Chaviva and they give me my mail accordingly. It's the boxes that go via DHL or FedEx or UPS that go to the main Complex Office and then end up getting shipped to the main mailroom across campus. Listen, the last name is the same, the address is the same, what's the big beef!? What a schlep for my poor merchandise!

So I came across the website with information for name changing in Nebraska. I'm technically still a legal resident of Nebraska -- my driver's license is from there, my voter registration is there, my parents still live there (and I guess that sort of attaches you for life). It's a whopping $79.00 to do so. But for the ease of things, that's chump change. My intention has been to wait until I get hitched (if I get hitched?) to do the change-a-roo. I'm looking at keeping "Amanda" in my name, but making it a dual component of my middle name. Thus, you'll be looking at a Chaviva Amanda Jo Edwards. Or something like that. Chaviva A.Jo Edwards. Chaviva JoManda Edwards. If only everyone knew that Chaviva and Amanda mean the same thing -- beloved!

Who knows, right? But I'm not going to do this right now. I have to be present for court and, well, I'm in school and not in the mood to be flying to Nebraska for such things. But my debacle with central mail services might drive me to it if this happens too often. The upside of the whole (neverending) name thing is that the department head *finally* is calling me Chavi now! I was worried after the big departmental shindig on Monday where I was being introduced as "Amanda." How confusing for everyone!

In other news, I got my delicious Orange Blossom Honey (cRc approved) and decorated Shofar Cookie from Zelda's Sweet Shoppe in Illinois. I swear, if anyone ever wants to send me something nice and pretty? Please send it from Zelda's. Their goods are amazing. Not to mention that I ordered this a week ago and it shipped Monday and arrived today. That, is awesome. This honey will fully prepare me for a sweet new year, and I can guarantee that this cookie won't last the weekend!

In yet even more "other news," I have to share this incredibly stellar little thing I picked up from FridayLights.org -- a campaign encouraging one million Jewish women to experience a weekly moment of inner peace through the ancient practice of lighting Shabbat candles. It was a mere $3 for shipping and handling, and I got this neat little tin that comes with four tea lights, a box of matches, a little poster with the blessing (not to mention other wisdom-ful gleanings), as well as a little necklace with the FridayLights hand dangling from it. I wear it wrapped around my wrist as a bracelet -- a constant reminder that I'm working toward Shabbat! Anyhow, I encourage everyone to send away for this little tin of Shabbos goodness!

It's My Therapy

Having just zipped through all the updated blogs on my Google Reader -- and commenting on quite a few of them -- I am at last finished with just about all of my web activities for the night. I really need to respond to about five emails of pressing importance, if only for the fact that I hate having emails sitting in my inbox for more than a day without a response. But then there's that whole "homework" thing that is quite necessary to attend to, and did I mention it's nearly 11 p.m.?

This week has been rough, and for a while there it was taking a pretty intense emotional toll on me. It started Monday with a class, then another class, then some work, then a seminar, then a Chabad thing and then a departmental thing and my night finally ended around three in the morning after a phonecall with California. I attest most of the anxiety/stress/frustration with my seminar class, which is testing my bounds as a student -- oh, and it's only the third week of classes.

The class is a lot of philosophy -- post-modern thought -- on the Bible, the book of Kohelet and the Song of Songs and G-d knows what else because I seem to get lost a lot. I had a long conversation at the departmental event with a fellow graduate student (someone who is much older, much wiser, and studied at a Yeshiveh in Israel for two years) about my issues with the class, since he seems to be at one with the flow, and he figured out my problem: I am a linear learner, the professor? He's nonlinear, if that's the best word. I find these concrete themes and ideas and I grasp onto them for dear life, only to be cast away after a few moments of chatter on what was once a concrete theme and has since turned into a metaphysical idea somehow relating to Buddhism or near-death experiences. Luckily, this classmate/colleague perhaps can help me float some of the airy education down to a linear level worth writing home about. I want to understand, and I don't want to feel like a complete moron (which is how I've felt for the past two weeks in this class). Did I also mention that I seem to somehow have garnered the status of peon as far as languages go? My Hebrew isn't outstanding, but it isn't bad. I can d'var Torah my way out of a paper bag if necessary, and I don't like being belittled about my level of knowledge. That, though, isn't worth kvetching about.

I feel, at times, like the entire world of students (graduate, I guess) took some class or inherited some special quality of knowledge that gave them the mastery of various languages and the wherewithal to be masters of their crafts. And then there's me, and someone left the light turned off and didn't bother to tell me how to find the switch and the room is large -- we're talking stadium-sized. I'm a smart person. I'm a brilliant, gifted, driven woman who is going to make her place in the world of Judaic studies, even if it kills me. It's just these downs that really smack me around.

And since then, well, I can't say I've done a whole lot of reading or homework or studying. The oomph has been deflated. But today, a ray of light shone through during a three-hour marathon session of Hebrew, in which my class (which has grown pretty close already) was nearly bouncing off the walls at the end. It was a good feeling, the feeling of learning and retaining. Like little seeds of knowledge were really blossoming inside my noggin.

So this is my therapy: blogging. I come here, I feel important and powerful. People scoff at me when I mention that I've spent the past two years doing academic (not to mention personal) work via my blog -- a blog? they say? But this blog is where I found my voice and where I discovered that I didn't just have to dream about pursuing Judaic studies, and where I didn't just have to think about the possibilities. I discovered my academic self in this realm. This is a place where my words touch people, where my knowledge on topics of Jewish studies and living Jewishly resonate and echo across the J-blogosphere. This is the place where I go to remind myself why I'm doing this whole graduate school thing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh, and as an aside and sort of unrelated note: I have reapplied to Birthright via the "Stand With Us" trip at the advice of a friend over at Jewlicious. After looking over the application, I think I have a case. It seems that students at Yeshiveh or Seminary are disqualified, but perhaps not those at secular institutions. So, cross your fingers and hope that it works out. Especially after, well, everything from earlier this year. And if it doesn't work out? Feh. I'll wait and go on one of the trips through the university. But I'm eager to see people in Israel who I know only by name. If only for a second near a falafel stand or something.

Jew Tunes!

I'm sure everyone on the planet knows who Matisyahu is by now. The man gave a voice to Hasidic rap/hip-hop/reggae and since then the tiny little niche area of the music world has blown up. You don't have to wander very far to bump into someone who knows, has heard, or who maybe is Y-Love. Heck, the ever-talented Y-Love and I are chums on Twitter and I follow his blog, and it's fun watching him globe-hop doing what he loves.

But there is a whole crop of these talents out there, including one who I saw just this evening at a UConn Chabad event -- Nosson Zand, formerly known as NIZ, a Ba'al Teshuvah who is taking on the Kosher Hip Hop biz by storm. This guy, really, seriously, is pretty outstanding. Even Matisyahu has given him some love. So check out the ever-so-brief clip below from the performance tonight.

NossonZand
by kvetchingeditor

Now, I'll admit that after discovering Matisyahu many years ago I didn't really break beyond that barrier of the Kosher hip hop scene. Y Love changed that, but even since then I've been stagnate. But I recently discovered ShemSpeed.com, run by Erez Safer. The site has a boatload of music, merchandise, some free downloads, AND -- best of all -- a radio that you can click open and it streams tunes till your soul is contented with the vibes of hip hop and urban tunes as well as klezmer and Sephardi mixes. There are a bajillion ShemSpeed picks of various artists, including Y-Love, but my favorite simply for name has to be Kosha Dillz -- with a name like that, how can you not want to explore the music?

Oh, and this definitely isn't as an after-thought, but if hip-hop isn't your thing, try Stereo Sinai -- "the Good Book like you've never heard it before" -- on for size. Alan and Miriam are absolutely amazing and are some of the kindest people I've met. "Dance" is a beautiful song, so give it a listen!

The thing is, folks, this is positive, Torah-loving, G-d loving, Israel-loving music that sounds beautiful, is performed magnificently, and darn't, it's just good. These people have some amazing talent and the music simply flows like milk and honey -- it's smooth going down! So take a listen, explore around, and show your love to our super talented Hasidic Jewish/Hip-Hop styling brethren!

Chavi on the Ger

I promised a video blog, but this isn't exactly on what I was shooting for. This video is about what a convert is and why a convert is not obligated to tell the world they are a convert. So watch it! And I apologize for both the length and the occasional hopping of the video -- I got a call midway through recording that got me all jumbled and confused :) But please, enjoy and let me know what you think! I promise they'll be shorter in the future!

A brief-style roundup.

This is what we call "a random post."

• I managed to swing a 100 percent on my first quiz on the Hebrew Aleph-Bet, which I was all sorts of anxious about because I thought I completely nose-dived on the oral portion (professor reads, we write). Slap me silly and call me visual. But I managed to do a brilliant job and I feel better about the future of my Hebrew ventures. Phew! Though, while sitting in the library attempting to take on Chapter 4 in the Hebrew from Scratch text (yes, it's Shabbos and, well, no one is perfect), I felt like I was reading hieroglyphics. So, needless to say, I'm going to devote much of my evening and tomorrow to Hebrew study. 
• It's raining here, though not the torrential downpour and hurricane-style winds they were promising. I'm quite disappointed. 
• I'm poised to record a video blog tonight -- after I close out the library at 10 p.m. -- for those out there in the might-convert or curious-about-conversion audience about the whole issue over what to tell people once you convert. The reason I want to do a video on this is someone was recently asking me what I thought about the situation in relation to their significant other (a convert) wanting to tell her running buddy that she was converting and that if she didn't tell her it might be like lying or something. Anyhow, I shall video blog it. 
• Tomorrow: Blogging on Rabbi Marc D. Angel's "The Search Committee," FINALLY. And I might couple it with a brief bit about another book I've been reading and have (nearly) finished that I think might be worthwhile for the greater audience to read (listen, it talks about the popular legends/myths of the Near East and how they most likely helped shape what we now know as Genesis). 

For now? That's all. Coming to you LIVE from Storrs, Connecticut, where I haven't yet built the ark because the meager rain hasn't deemed it necessary. But don't worry, the animals are poised to hop on board.

Shavua tov!

Why not? Just because.

Listen, I'm not saying it's *good,* but it is kind of amusing ... and this is just a reminder that Rosh Hashanah IS NOT that far away. So, you know, buy something nice from Zelda's before the super special early bird sale is over on Sept. 10, mmk? Of course, as a poor graduate student, I'll take handouts :)



A nod to Frumhouse for posting this little vid, btw.

Bookworms (and Bibliophiles) Unite!

Books. We all have them (or at least we should) and most of us have way too many of them. Academics in particular tend to collect them -- even ones they have and may never read. I've moved around a lot in the past 2.5 years and this has resulted in a lot of book purging. Luckily, I've kept a massive list that's off to the right there of all books I've owned or once owned and for the most part what I've read. Of course, this list compilation started just last year, so anything I owned before that and sold or donated or passed along is unfortunately not there. My policy is that, the books I chuck or donate I can just buy again. Books, you see, are going nowhere.And, might I add, as an Academic, I intend to hoard them.

So no matter what way you paint it, books are our lifeblood. The great books -- the Torah (or Bible), War and Peace, Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (note: there's no THE in the actual title), The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter? -- are known, if only by title, to just about everyone. And we know books by the way they feel and smell and the cover(s) that adorn them. We don't know books by their .pdf incarnation via the Sony Readers or Kindles (though, you know, I really want one). We crave the hard copy, the beautiful, physical page-turning experience that is the book.

I currently have three Tanakhs and two chumashes. It was pointed out that all of the books I brought to school with me are Judaica (and they are, except for one Vonnegut), and most of the books I have back home are Judaica, with the exception of Salinger, Diamant, Vonnegut, Joyce, and others. In the past two weeks at school, I have recalled one book from a different campus, in addition to checking out three other books -- one required and the other two simply books I picked up while perusing the stacks (one on Shabbos stories and the other by an author who broke down the Documentary Hypothesis and essentially recomposed Torah). You see, I can't leave the library without picking up a new book. Even if I never get to it, books -- I must be surrounded by books.

I recently finished Chaim Potok's "Davita's Harp," while also spending plenty of time reading "Cool Jew," while also starting and finishing (and needing to review) "The Search Committee" by Rabbi Marc D. Angel, in addition to (yes, this is the last one), starting and almost finishing Nahum Sarna's book on "Genesis" (the Torah book, not the band).

You see, I am a bookworm in anticipation of becoming a bibliophile.

So I take with great comfort the calming words I recently wrote to a friend who is applying to graduate school for a library sciences degree about the future of books (no, they're not going anywhere). I also was excited to hear that my good friend Jon finally decided to start a blog on what he calls "Fringe-Lit," the books that you wouldn't hear about outside of a college classroom or a university or small press. His blog, Up the Broken Trail, is now live and in his first post he explains how it is that he discoveres new, interesting authors that might not otherwise break the big Borders wall of awesome (read: Stephen King, ugh) books. By the way, I have to add that Jon, a brilliant writer and an amazing person and friend, has already written his own book (it's on Nebraska football, if you're interested), which I think is pretty impressive.

And then there's another blog that I have to pass along as a lover of books, and that's the Jew Wishes blog. Jew Wishes is "an avid first edition book collector," who reads anywhere between three and five books a week, along with newspapers and periodicals. Essentially, Jew Wishes is well read and provides readers with a rundown of the books getting the read-through. The most recent post by Jew Wishes is about the book "The Talmud and the Internet" by Jonathan Rosen -- a book I've been meaning to pick up for some time now.

I'm sure there are loads of other book-friendly blogs out there, but these are the two on my radar that I think YOU should most definitely check out. As for me, I still have a book review of "The Search Committee," which just came out officially on September 1, and that will likely come Saturday, so stay tuned. Until then?

Well, you see, I'm finishing up the book on "Genesis," starting Sarna's other book "Exploring Exodus," and I've already started reading the book that sort of resorts out the Torah, and the Shabbos stories book will probably be a reference more than a read. What else? Well, there's also all that other class reading ... I have about four books on Qohelet that I need to pore over, not to mention regular Torah study and ...

Books. They're what's for dinner. And breakfast, lunch, long walks to the dining hall, bus rides, plane rides, short bathroom visits ...

Note: There is a difference between a bookworm and a bibliophile! As your editor in residence, I want to clarify the difference. A bookworm is a lover of books for their content and loves reading in general. A bibliophile, on the other hand, is more of a lover of books who strives to collect books and appreciates them  for their format and purpose. I'm a little bit of both, but since my collection isn't so fast (what with all the movie and such), I'm more of just a bookworm for now. 

I'll Trade You An A+ for This Book?

I just realized that tomorrow, at 10 a.m., I will get back the first quiz I have taken in more than two years. It was my Hebrew aleph-bet quiz, and it jarred me. Why? I'm not sure. I've always been a really confident test taker (well, at least with essay-style tests and simple things like this), but for some reason when the professor started reading off letters for us to write in the blanks, the letters jumbled themselves in my head. I had to ask for letters to be repeated. I felt completely out of sync with the page. Now, I'm wondering, what will the tests in my other classes be like? At any rate, I'm nervous about the results. My first homework came back looking good, and aside from needing to define a few of my letters more correctly, I think I'll do okay. But thinking and doing are two different things.

So on a happier note, I have a new post up over at The Chosen Blog, the blogging wing of PopJudaica.com, on Lisa Alcalay Klug's brand-new book "Cool Jew," which I HIGHLY recommend everyone go buy. I mean, at least pick it up for someone for Chanukah. It's seriously the most resourceful book I've ever seen on hip/kitschy/pop culture Jewish stylings. Add to that the fact that's hella informative and even comes with a letter of approval (you have to read it to believe it!) in the front, and, well, you can't go wrong. Also, Lisa is headiang out on a book tour, and I'm thinking about trying to make it to her November 20th New York JCC book launch appearance, so keep an eye out.

Oh, and I also thought it was rad that the Modesto Bee blog gave me a nod for my blog post on the New York Times article re: kosher goods for Shabbos as a tip off for their own post. Wahoo! I may not be in the journalism business anymore, but I'm not that far away!

Qohelet (a note to self)

Qohelet (Ecclesiastes) is an observatory lament of the absurdity of this life, promoting a resignation -- albeit not negatively -- to having no control over one's own existence or destiny and an enjoyment of the pleasures of life (which G-d and G-d alone is responsible for having provided) while steadfastly upholding and fulfilling the commandments of G-d. 

(Note: all work is futile, as G-d either will or will not provide, but enjoying that which G-d does provide is necessary and it seems all there is. Also, man's destiny is not in his own hands, but in those of G-d, whether man is wicked or foolish or full of wisdom, so dwelling is perhaps a folly, but rather we should live as simply as possible.)

It seems like a very Jewish thing to me -- live in the here and now, not to dwell on an afterlife which is essentially nameless and directionless (thinks of a girl in class today asking about the eternal soul/everlasting life; think: Christian concept). But the essential call to fulfill the commandments because that's all there is to do and G-d has already decided the fate of man, no matter his persuasion, seems a little ... frustrating.

Anyone who has done research/work/study whether religiously or academically on Qohelet, please feel free to let me know if you agree or disagree. But from just a few readings of the work, as well as a bit of reading by Michael V. Fox on his analysis of various theories, this is what I've gathered is the gist of Qohelet (contrary to popular theories that it is a gloom-and-doom expose on the tragedy of life and the welcoming of death).

Kashering Everything!

There was a great article in The New York Times yesterday about technology and advancements in making life easier in the Orthodox community when it comes to Shabbos. The Zomet Institution and Kosher Innovations have both managed to create a host of interesting ways to apply technology on the Sabbath, including a lamp that you don't have to turn off but merely has a twisting shade to cover up the light and an observant alarm clock. Interesting and news to me is that Whirlpool and Viking have put Sabbath mode settings on most of their ovens, refrigerators, and even wine cellars. I thought those were special-order kinds of things!

But it's things like this that I just don't get:

Zomet created the metal detectors used to screen worshippers at the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site, in a manner that uses electricity in a way not prohibited on the Sabbath. It also developed pens that use ink that disappears after a few days, based on a rabbinic interpretation that only forbids permanent writing, and Sabbath phones, which are dialed in an indirect manner with special buttons and a microprocessor.

I mean, how can you use electricity "in a way not prohibited on the Sabbath" ...? Can someone explain that one to me? I'm terribly curious! I think the Sabbath phones are useful, as the article says that the Israeli army uses them for soldiers, which makes sense. Said Rabbi Herschel Schachter about such innovations: “if you make the burden slightly lighter, it’s O.K. The Torah doesn’t want to make life impossible.” At any rate, an interesting article to check out if you ask me.

Oh! And those of you who were wondering how my date went ... it went quite well. Here are some pictures for your viewing enjoyment. I think I'm hooked on letterboxing, though, because it's so nifty. I just need to figure out what I want my stamp of choice to be that represents me. Oh what to choose ...

She's going Letterboxing with a Boy.

So in about an hour or so I'm supposed to head off with JDater E to go Letterboxing. What is Letterboxing you ask? Well, I'm so glad you asked! From Wikipedia:

Letterboxing is an outdoor hobby that combines elements of orienteering, art and puzzle solving. Letterboxers hide small, weatherproof boxes in publicly-accessible places (like parks) and distribute clues to finding the box in printed catalogs, on one of several web sites, or by word of mouth. Individual letterboxes usually contain a logbook and a rubber stamp. Finders make an imprint of the letterbox's stamp on their personal logbook, and leave an impression of their personal stamp on the letterbox's logbook — as proof of having found the box. Many letterboxers keep careful track of their "find count."

It's something new to me, and as someone who hasn't spent a whole lot of time in the great outdoors, it should be an interesting experience I think. 

I was thinking, though, a friend recently visited the rebbe's ohel and davened for a shidduch soon. Now, I know technically shidduch is the process of matchmaking in Orthodox circles, but since I'm not *technically* Orthodox nor am I really able to be match-made considering my route of conversion back in 2006, I think that at any rate, it could be just as feasible to consider that a shidduch be merely a match. About a week after this friend had davened JDater E showed up.

I'm not getting my hopes up. I'm just saying. G-d has worked in more mysterious ways, you know.

Anyhow, there will be oodles of pictures to provide, I'm sure, as I will have camera in tow. Until then, those in the U.S.A enjoy Labor Day and to everyone else -- get back to work!