Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with jewish

Name me!

n'muakolo — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:59:28 -0800

I am converting to Judaism and need to pick my Hebrew name. Any ideas? Kind of fun, huh?

My Rabbi suggested to choose a name that represents a trait I aspire to, or a name I just like the sound of, or a name that begins with the first letter of my name. The traits I've come up with that I seek to emboy more are "courage," "joy," "strength." I have a few options for joy, but "courage" and "strength" I can only find boys' names (and I'm a girl). I like names like Yael and Haviva and Chaya but those names are out because family members have them.

I'd like this name to be pretty and somehow feel like 'me.' This is harder than naming a baby, since I already exist and know what "I" feel like. I don't really want a well-known biblical name like Sarah or Rebecca or a name that sounds harsh/ugly. I don't want a name that is defined by the person's relationship with God (i.e. Gavriella - God is my strength) although I love the way some of those names sound.

Never retreat?

plowhand — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:43:08 -0800

Should I go to a religious weekend retreat w/my wife and kids even though I am very, very lukewarm towards the the idea of attending a religious weekend retreat? Not sure if there's a right answer here, but I would welcome some opinions and a fresh perspective.

Background: My wife and I have an awesome marriage -- married 16 years, two kids, love each other dearly, everything is great.

I was raised in a reform/conservative Jewish home, and a fairly observant one for this flavor of Judaism. I identify culturally as Jewish, but spiritually I am much more of an agnostic. My folks went crazy with the "let's discover our Jewish roots" stuff while I was an adolescent, and even though I’m in my 40’s, it's still something of a sore subject with me. That’s my baggage.

My wife, on the other hand, is half-Jewish by birth, and underwent a Jewish affirmation ceremony before we were married. Her parents are both mathematicians, and she was “raised” as an athiest. Her interest in her Jewish roots was sparked before we met, and has continued to grow over the course of our marriage. She is currently learning Hebrew and studying for an adult b'nei mitzvah (essentially, an adult bat mitzvah). We try to accommodate each other’s needs w/r/t Jewish observance -- I am fine with a lot of the home-based observances, but I get almost nothing out of attending services at the synagogue. For example, yesterday’s Yom Kippur services left almost no impression on me, though I fasted and made an effort to think through the holiday.

Generally, we acknowledge that we are on different planes when it comes to Judaism, but I try not to obstruct her needs for observance, and she tries not to compel me to do things I am uncomfortable doing. We are usually able to compromise and find a middle ground.

On to my question: Our synagogue is having a family retreat weekend in the near future, focusing on both the ritual and spiritual elements of shabbat, and I am really conflicted about going. I know my presence would mean a lot to my wife (who is very keen on going), and it seems antithetical to the spirit of the retreat to send her with the kids while I stay home. At the same time, I have a considerable amount of negative baggage about this very sort of experience, having participated in several of these when I was an adolescent -- my folks got sucked into the Chabad realm for a time, and I was dragged along to a lot of stuff I do not look back on fondly. At one point, doubting my commitment, my folks even sent me away for a month to a “Jewish boot camp”, something they now agree was very heavy handed, and for which they have apologized. Consequently, I view these “retreats” with great cynicism and disdain.

So...do I go with my wife and family to this weekend retreat, even though the very thought of it makes my skin crawl, and I am sure it will bring back a lot of memories of things I’d just as soon forget? I am very comfortable with my current spiritual state, and I am not looking for any changes in that regard. However, my presence would mean a lot to my wife, and I can’t in good conscience send my family without joining them. Furthermore, if I go, I have to go willingly, and with a positive mental outlook. The obvious half-meaure of “they go, I stay home” is not an option for me. I need to balance my wife’s needs against my own, and while I usually have no problem accommodating her needs, this is a very challenging decision for me.

BTW, my wife isn't demanding that we go, but at the same time, she is very eager to go, and would very much regret not going.

Any thoughts or insights from the hivemind?

I Can Has High Holy Day Podcast?

airguitar2 — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:33:15 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur podcast? I'm hoping to prepare for the high holidays this year by listening to some good podcasts. I'm looking for podcasts about getting ready for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, about the spiritual background of the holidays, or general meditations that might help make the holidays more meaningful for me this year.

Any recommendations for good podcasts?

No more cholent for Shabbes, please

flibbertigibbet — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:57:00 -0800

I hate cholent, and most chamin recipes are just slightly-improved versions of cholent. Given that cooking must begin Friday afternoon, and the food has to be under constant heat until until noon-time Saturday, could you recommend any replacements for Shabbes cholent? The only requirements are:

1. That it can be kept on constant heat for at least 15 hours without burning
2. It is served hot, without needed to be reheated
3. it isn't a stew-y gunk, like cholent
4. It's at least potentially kosher (no mixing of meat products and byproducts with dairy products, no pork/shellfish, etc).

I like light, dairy meals, if possible. Cholent is thick, heavy, and meaty, and just makes me feel queasy and slow.

And no, I cannot ask my Jewish friends, as they all cook cholent and only cholent for this purpose.

Should I miss Rosh Hashanah for a friend's wedding?

safran — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:23:23 -0800

My first year as a Jew--Should I attend an old college friend's wedding--on Rosh Hashanah? Next month, after an intensive process of approximately three years, I will be completing my conversion to Judaism. The following month, my old friend and college roommate just so happens to be getting married on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year.

She's one of my favorite people in the world, and her fiance is a fantastic guy--I truly want to celebrate with them, but I can't help but feel conflicted about missing one of the holiest, not to mention symbolically transformational, days of the Jewish calendar, especially it being my first year as a Jew.

The wedding is out-of-town. Even if I found a synagogue that would welcome me as a non-member, I don't think it would be logistically feasible to make both the wedding and services.

What should I do?

How to deal with 'innocent' stereotyping from a coworker?

evadery — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:11:47 -0800

How do you deal with ethnic stereotyping from a colleague in the form of innocent questions? I am jewish, and at my job I work with a somewhat religious christian coworker. I am younger (29), she is older (early 40s?), and I am her boss. In all respects we get along very well. She feels very comfortable around me, and we are constantly joking with one another.

However, as our relationship has progressed, she has starting asking me many questions about my religion (an outsider would call me a reform jew, I call myself an athiest who enjoys the familial traditions that come with judiasm; otherwise I say I am "jewish with an emphasis on the 'ish'"). Some are innocent such as Why do Christians do X and Jews do Y (ie: kosher, holidays, etc). But often they veer into odd stereotypical questions (ie: "Is it true that all jews are rich? Alot of people I know say it's true"; "Why do Jews dislike Christians", etc.) I firmly believe that she is asking me in some sort of cross-cultural exchange thing, out of genuine curiosity and a desire to increase her own knowledge, and with absolutely NO malice, ill will, or desire to convert me or anything crazy like that.

I don't want to dissuade her from coming to me and asking me questions, but I want to try and lightly (not heavy-handedly) dissuade her from some of these more stereotypical thoughts. Other than talking to her gently about them, is there anything else I should/could be doing? Or, if talking to her is the way to go, is there any manner in which I should be talking, or anything which I should be saying?

Otherwise, is it totally dangerous to even HAVE these discussions in a work context? If so, how do I politely extricate myself. This course of action is NOT my preferred method, but I'd be willing to listen to arguments as to why it should be.

Note: I have no desire to speak to a supervisor or HR person, get her disciplined, or anything like that. I also don't mind if she asks me these questions, and it doesn't make me uncomfortable (well, maybe a touch, but not nearly enough to ask her to stop). I just want to try to be kind and educate (or if educating is a poor goal in this context, then insert your own suggestion here) while maintaining a cozy work environment. This may not be possible, however...

Thanks!

yiddish for beginners

Jason and Laszlo — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:47:51 -0800

I'm noticing a pattern in some of my favorite books: Jewish-American immigrants tell their story by writing a novel (novel within a novel). The History of Love, Everything is Illuminated, Kavalier and Clay (narrators write comic book, not novel). What should be next on my reading list?

Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah ... Oy veh! Why am I here at camp for so long?

scblackman — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:35:43 -0800

So why is it that we Jews send our children to sleep-away camp for so long (4 weeks - 8 weeks)? My wife, who is not Jewish, was always amazed at the fact that my summer camp experiences were always 8 weeks away from home. For me, it was perfectly normal. Of course, so was having camp counselors who sang songs about how much they missed eating bacon. Tonight she came home, and after telling me about a colleague of hers from work who is sending his kids away to a (Jewish) summer camp for a month, she asked me, "Why exactly do Jews send their kids away to summer camp for so long? Is it a tradition? How long has it been going on for?"

Frankly, I had no good answer. All of my peers, when I was growing up, went away for the summer, as did I. My wife, on the other hand, knows only of day-camps and occasionally a one-week sleep-away type thing (organized, I'm sure, by their church).

As you can tell, from this question being posted on Shabbot (with me typing, and not my wife), I'm hardly what you'd call orthodox. As such, I simply may have missed the explanation along the way. Any ideas? Is her observation, in fact, accurate? Is sending kids away for 4 or 6 or 8 weeks during the summer primarily a Jewish thing?

Seeking recomendation for immigration attorney in Los Angeles for Italian citizenship by descent case

Asparagirl — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:58:02 -0800

Please recommend an attorney -- preferably one in the Los Angeles area -- for an unusual Italian citizenship by descent case. Looking for one with knowledge of complicated 20th Century treaties regarding the former Ottoman Empire, modern Turkey, Italy, and Greece, and experience dealing with a lack of some typical primary citizenship evidence. Short version:
Know a good immigration/citizenship attorney, or someone with experience with the Italian consulate system, preferably in Los Angeles? If so, please drop a note.

Long version:
My mother-in-law "Jane" was born in California in 1949. Her family are Sephardic Jews who lived for hundreds of years on the island of Rhodes, which is just off the coast of Turkey in the Aegean Sea. Rhodes was formerly part of the Ottoman Empire. Much of the population was Greek and following the break-up of the Empire, the island was "supposed to" go to Greece. However, it was illegally seized by Italy in 1912 and, seeing as possession is 9/10 of the law, was formally made a part of Italy under the Treaty of Lausanne in July 1923. This treaty gave Italian citizenship to the people of Rhodes, and according to knowledgeable sources I've talked to in the Rhodes genealogy community, this new citizenship also applied to people born on the island even if they weren't actually living there at the time of the treaty signing.

Jane's maternal grandfather Ray was born on Rhodes in either 1895 or 1896 (reports vary), and immigrated to the US in 1913. Jane's maternal grandmother Amelia was born either on Rhodes or in Milas, Turkey (reports vary) in 1904 and immigrated to the US in 1916. They got married in Los Angeles in August 1923 and had their first child, Jane's mother Esther, in Los Angeles in late 1924.

Ray filed his Declaration of Intention for US naturalization and citizenship in 1916. He and his family believed he became a US citizen shortly thereafter. However, he apparently didn't actually file his final papers for citizenship until the 1950's and did not become a full US citizen until 1955. (Copies of all the papers have been obtained from the Department of Homeland Security under an FOIA request.) This raises questions about his citizenship status in the 1916-1955 period, and whether that citizenship can be passed down to his children and/or grandchildren.

Specifically, Italian citizenship is one of the rare European nationalities that can pass down by descent. It used to be that only men could pass it down, but after 1948, women can also pass it down to children who were born after 1948.

As mentioned, Ray was born 1895/1896. Assuming that he became an Italian citizen in July 1923, then Amelia also unknowingly became an Italian citizen upon marrying him a month later in August 1923 -- although she probably assumed that she was becoming an American citizen upon her marriage, under the Cable Act of 1922. Their daughter Esther was born in the US in 1924, at a time when both her parents apparently had Italian citizenship, thus making her a dual citizen. As she likely never knew this, she never formally renounced her Italian citizenship. Esther married Ralph in 1944, also from Rhodes and also an Italian citizen, who had come to the US in 1937, fleeing Mussolini. Ralph became a US citizen in 1945. Their daughter "Jane" was born 1949 -- and so could have inherited Italian citizenship from Esther under the post-1948 law allowing female lines to carry citizenship.

"Jane" would like to claim her Italian citizenship by descent, if in fact she is entitled to it (as we believe she may be). However, we're going to need a good immigration lawyer for this case, preferably in the Los Angeles area, because of several complicating factors:

- Applying for Italian citizenship by descent usually includes getting copies of your Italian ancestors' birth certificates, as proof. However, there are no known birth certificates for people born on Rhodes under the Ottoman rule -- the Empire was kind of lax about record-keeping by that point. Furthermore, it is unclear (but unlikely) that any formal documents, such as passports, were issued to the people of Rhodes when they became Italian citizens en masse in 1923. Therefore we have little primary evidence for Ray and/or Amelia's Italian citizenship.

- There are probably only two surviving modern censuses of Rhodes under Italian rule, one from the 1920's and one from the late 1930's. They contain minimal information on the population outside of names and birthdates (or in some cases estimated birth years). Ray had already left the island by that point and while he may have had family members show up in the census records, he himself would not. So, more lack of primary evidence of citizenship.

- Around 1943/1944, the Italian anti-Semitic governor of Rhodes illegally stripped all the local Jews of their Italian citizenship, above and beyond the impositions already placed on them by Italian Racial Laws. This meant that some then supposedly reverted to Turkish citizenship again...or not? It was unclear at the time. In any case, the Jews of Rhodes were shipped to Auschwitz in 1944 and nearly all murdered there. So there is very little previous "case law" before the Italian consulates on the subject of Italian citizenship for Rhodes descendants, as only a few people chose to apply for it in the intervening years.

- In 1948, Rhodes was formally transferred from Italy to Greece, and the people of Rhodes were now given Greek citizenship. However, unlike the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, this only applied to people who were actually living on the island at this time...probably. This is a sticky wicket that needs research by a good attorney.

- Finally, copies of all US-based evidence -- birth certificates, US citizen papers, etc. -- have already been collected, but apostilles are still needed.

So, names of immigration/citizenship attorneys, people involved with the Italian consulate system, and suggestions on how to proceed are welcomed. Thanks, MeFi!

Jewish bookstores in NYC

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:47:34 -0800

How should I handle this? (Father-in-law wants me to take him to Jewish bookstores in NYC without my wife, I have to work, I have never met him, and I know nothing about Judaism.) My father-in-law sent this to my wife:

Could my son in law meet me in the morning and show/take me how to get to the Jewish section that has the Jewish bookstores? Probably Brooklyn. I would like to purchase some books if possible.

She has the day off and I don't.

Is this a male bonding thing? Where are the Jewish bookstores in NYC? Or the more cohesive "Jewish" neighborhoods? He's very scholarly.

Any Jewish stuff near Astor Place so I could drop him off on my way to work or something? Or is my wife going to have to do it? She's not Jewish either.

Anonymous because I don't want him to find my posting history here.

email: this.is.going.to.be.awkward@gmail.com

Help me remember this Jewish saying

brenton — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:19:29 -0800

I vaguely remember a Jewish quip about the questions God asks a Rabbi at the end of his life. It is something like 1. Did you follow my commandments? (yes, all of them) 2. Did you study my Word well? (yes, every day) 3. Did you dance enough? Or something to that effect. Has anyone heard of this or know how it really goes?

Do you have any suggestions for Jewish wedding catering on a Saturday in Los Angeles?

rybreadmed — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:29:56 -0800

Jewish wedding catering in Los Angeles on a Saturday. Is this possible? I'm getting married in January 2010 to a Chinese girl. I'm Jewish. For the wedding ceremony, we're going to do a Chinese tea ceremony. We're going to have a semi-traditional Chinese wedding reception at a Chinese restaurant in Monterey Park. It's planned for a Saturday.

I wanted to get some Jewish food catered, as well. I picture my grandparents, cousins, and some of my aunts and uncles struggling with chopsticks and them wondering what's going on in the shark fin soup. I thought it'd be really cool to provide them (and any of the Chinese guests, of course) with the option of eating some Jewish food. Kosher would be great, but therein lies the problem.

Do you know of any places that cater kosher food on a Saturday (Shabbas!) in or around Los Angeles? It doesn't have to be kosher, but perhaps Jewish and/or Israeli food would fit the bill. It does have to be tasty. All I've been able to come up with so far is catering from one of the delis (like Canters or Jerry's Famous), but they mostly seem to specialize in party platters--cold cuts, smoked fish, bagels. I would like something more than that for our wedding--you know, something more wedding-like. And I'm looking at providing this food for about 30 to 50 guests.

The caterer doesn't have to be Jewish. The food doesn't have to be kosher or prepared in a kosher kitchen, either, though that would be a plus. They don't even have to serve the food. They can drop it off at the Chinese restaurant. If it's REALLY good, I wouldn't mind having someone pick it up. The most important thing is that the food HAS to be good. I'd rather spend more on amazing non-kosher food than mediocre kosher food, too. Make sense?

Can you help make our wedding the most memorable Jewish Chinese wedding ever?

How do I get over my family?

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:35:49 -0800

How do I stop resenting my brother's wife, stop mentally competing with her for the love and approval of my parents, and stop worrying about falling to the margins of my family? This is long. As a preface, I've been in therapy a long time, and I know that my issues are based on childhood reflexes, but I'm having a hard time with this particular issue. I know I can't control other people's actions, just my own; I just want to figure out how to adjust my thinking and behavior.

Facts: I'm a 35-year-old male and I have a 30-year-old brother. My family all lives in the same metro area.

I have never had a secure relationship with my parents. I was a very smart kid, a nerd, different, and secretly gay. My dad used to verbally berate me from childhood into young adulthood -- he told me at various times that I was manipulative, or a momma's boy, or a snob, or incompetent, or immature. I had a lot of complicated emotional issues growing up, but my dad was emotionally tone-deaf and this was apparently the only way he knew how to deal with me. Also, he hit or shoved me at least a couple of times when I was a little kid. I don't know if this is normal; I know some parents spank their children, but this was more like lashing out in anger at me instead of planned discipline. It was very aggressive and intimidating behavior for a kid to experience, and I was terrified of him. I do have a few good childhood memories of him, but the bad ones predominate. Our relationship has mostly improved, but to this day he can still reduce me to a puddle of self-loathing with a particular comment or tone of voice. And he recently told my mom that he thinks I don't care about him because I never call. Hello? He's intimidating and doesn't know how to have a conversation.

So as a kid, I turned to my mom instead. I loved her, adored her. She was incredibly nurturing and giving. I liked being nurtured, and I was probably a little too clingy -- I don't know if this was a reaction to the way my dad treated me or if it was just in my DNA. All I know is, my dad criticized me for it -- I remember once or twice he accused me of "hanging on my mommy's apron strings." But I tried even my mom's patience sometimes. And despite the fact that I was a smart student, when I got to high school and stopped being number one academically, both parents would accuse me of self-sabotage. They also made me skip a grade in middle school, which totally screwed up my social life. My mom and I have long since made up, and we communicate well. While she wasn't a perfect mom, she's a terrific one.

But I eventually came to feel like my parents and my brother are the normal ones, that they're the ones who know how the world works and how to deal with people and situations day to day, while I'm the family fuckup.

So, my sister-in-law. My brother -- who is much more "normal" than me -- got married a few years ago, and his wife fits our family like a glove. We're a family of affluent northeastern Jews; she has the same background. Although her parents live several hours away, her parents and my parents have become good friends ever since my brother and his wife became serious. I realize this is unusual for the parents of married couples. I seem to see them 2-3 times a year, even though they're not even my own inlaws.

My sister-in-law is the daughter my mom never had, and the two of them have bonded incredibly well. She's similar to my mom in many ways -- I guess sometimes sons really do marry their mothers. My mom and my sister-in-law both like to entertain, throw small parties, be social, give gifts, go the extra mile for people, and so forth.

As for me, again, I'm gay, and I have a partner, who (obviously) is a man. My parents used to have an issue with my being gay, but they got over it, and then I met my partner, and they consider him to be part of the family. We've been together for 5+ years. Unlike my sister-in-law, he's not Jewish, and he was raised in the south, in a more modest socioeconomic background, so his parents are very different from my own. His parents and my parents have met each other once, and although it was perfectly lovely, they have little in common.

My partner is more of an introvert, and I have introvert tendencies. Neither of us likes to spend money; we rarely cook; we're not very good at keeping house or even putting stuff up on the walls of our apartment. Neither of us particularly likes to entertain. We live a very plain lifestyle, although sometimes I wish we didn't. Our apartment is very small and isn't really suitable for a dinner party. And my partner just doesn't put the same premium on family relationships that my sister-in-law does.

Although she's a lovely person, has been nothing but wonderful to me, and means well, I find myself resenting her alot, because I feel like she's taken over the family. I don't really like to see my parents all that often, but she thinks it's important for the family to get together regularly, as do my parents, so we get together. She's very take-charge and very giving. I know my parents have always resented me for not pulling my weight, for taking them for granted, for not taking responsibility for arranging family events, etc., and now my sister-in-law's example makes me look even worse. I really notice the new dynamic when it comes to major Jewish holidays, because since my sister-in-law is Jewish, all of this comes naturally to her, while my partner isn't, and therefore he doesn't seem to care that much about the holidays.

I already feel like an appendage to my family. This will only get worse. My brother and sister-in-law are interested in having children; we aren't. So someday soon they'll have kids, and the kids will rightly become the center of attention, and I'll begin to see myself as the ungrateful son who couldn't even provide grandchildren like my brother did.

Sometimes I wonder if I just need to get away from my family. My family's in the New York area, and I don't necessarily want to leave NYC and uproot my life just to get away from psychological stuff that would follow me anyway.

So how do I get over this shit? How important should family be in my life? Why do I feel like I owe them something? How can I live my life on my terms? How can I resolve all this without moving to a different city?

Recipe for truly succulent, traditional Jewish brisket?

roxie110 — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:01:41 -0800

How do you make truly tender, succulent Jewish-style brisket? I've had a craving for brisket-like-my-grandmother-used-to-make for about a year now. I finally got the meat and my mother's recipe and cooked it today. The taste is great and the thin end of the meat turned out close to what I was hoping for; the thick end is cooked through but not moist and falling apart like brisket in my world should be, and when I stick a fork in it gives a lot of resistance. I don't know if I over- or undercooked it. I should mention that my "dutch oven" (really a stockpot) was too narrow so I used a Calphalon deep covered 13" nonstick skillet instead--maybe a big mistake? I am such a brisket novice.

Below is a quick recap of how I cooked it. I've looked up a ton of recipes but each one is slightly different, and life's too short to try every one. My question is this: who has a foolproof (mostly) recipe for truly tender, traditional Jewish brisket!? And just as important, how do you know how long to cook it and when it's done? (Can you overcook a brisket, as long as there's still liquid in the pan?)

Recipe I used for half a first-cut brisket, about 3 pounds, fat trimmed:
Preheat oven to 350. Place thickly sliced onions, carrots, and a couple chopped garlic cloves in bottom of Dutch oven. Rub ketchup, ground pepper, paprika, and one envelope onion soup mix on all surfaces of brisket. Add liquid to 3/4 inches deep (I used 1.5 cans low-sodium beef broth; most of liquid was absorbed by the end of cooking). Place chunks of potato around meat. Cover tightly and roast for 2.5 hours. Baste two or three times during cooking. Remove from heat, cool meat, and slice across the grain.

Help! And thank you!

How can I employ someone to create a tribute site for a vanished community when I'm not really sure what I want?

Joe in Australia — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:33:44 -0800

The archivist of an exterminated Jewish community has asked me to make a tribute website (the modern equivalent of a Yizkor Book. I want to be evocative and moving and a useful reference for other people tracing their genealogy. The problem is that I have no idea how to create a modern website; or write the sort of material I want; or make it pretty. What sort of help should I look for, and where can I find it, and how much will it cost me?

why am I a stinge?

beccyjoe — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:38:17 -0800

why is it that Jewish people are very often wealthy? I am from a half-Jewish (father not mother) family that is fairly upper middle class. My friend and I were talking today and we realised that all the Jewish people we know, all our Jewish friends all come from wealthy or upper middle class families. I know it's a stereotype, but we rarely, if ever, see Jewish poverty, or even lower middle class.

I wondered if it is "old money", but another Jewish friend said most families lost their money in the holocaust. Since coming to "the new world" (Canada, America, Australia) they have made their money.

The funny thing is, I am "very good" with money, as are all my siblings. we are all good at saving etc. We were brought up to be like this I guess, but I know other people who were brought up to be stingy and have rebelled against it as adults. Sometimes it feels like it's "in my blood"!

I'm an Aussie living in Toronto with lots of Jewish friends here. I wonder if anyone has any theories.

Where is God?

andoatnp — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 06:55:52 -0800

Other than Rambam's "Mishnah Torah: Sefer Madah," what other famous book or work begins with the Tetragrammaton? In "hilchot yesode hatorah," the first four words of the chapter begin with the letters yud hay vav hay. Our teacher said there is some other famous book/chapter/text that uses words with the same four letters? Anyone know what it is? Thanks!

Find me music from the European Day of Jewish Culture in Florence

complience — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:53:32 -0800

Find me music from the European Day of Jewish Culture in Florence I was recently on holiday in Florence Italy and I heard some amazing Jewish music being played in the street by a marching band out side 'The Duomo'

I think it was part of the European day of Jewish culture celebrations and I wondering if the hive can find me a copy of the music I heard.

Looking at the Jewish culture website the band might have been part of the section below

http://www.ucei.it/giornatadellacultura/programma/default.asp

Sinagoga
Museo Ebraico di Firenze
Via L.C. Farini, 6

Jewish life in London?

bluekrauss — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 04:27:03 -0800

What parts of London have the biggest Jewish communities? I guess what I'm looking for is a sort of Jewish London primer. I'm interested in knowing what areas of London have a large Jewish population, how religious (Modern Orthodox or Hasidic, e.g.) those communities are, and what is the general quality of life in those communities (affluence, crime, etc.).

I've heard of Hendon, Golders Green, Wembley, and Stamford Hill but don't know much about them or any other community. Any and all info appreciated.

What is the best, most flexible way to organize recordings of Jewish liturgy?

likedoomsday — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:06:41 -0800

How can my synagogue organize a large and developing library of liturgical recordings? I'm interested in (inexpensive or free) specialized software or in suggestions on how to use more commonplace software for this purpose. SynagogueFilter: My shul is working on digitizing thousands of audio tapes' worth of cantorial recordings of the Torah, Haftarah, prayers, and other readings. We are also re-recording many of these. How can we best organize them?
My initial thought was to use a folder structure like this (we use the triennial system): Category > Book > Parsha > Triennial part > Aliyah (where, for example, we might have Torah > Devarim > V'zot Habracha > Triennial year 3 > Third aliyah). However, it occurs to me that it might be useful to navigate in other ways, such as by filtering down to a particular year of the triennial cycle earlier in the process, or by viewing all of the Devarim recordings at once.

Is there any good way to do this? Is there software that's intended for something like this? Is there a creative way to use iTunes or some similar software for this? Or should we pick a folder structure and live with its limitations?

Thanks!

Where can I get the Islamic equivalent of Jewish Literacy?

parkbench — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:45:37 -0800

Where can I get the Islamic equivalent of Jewish Literacy? I've been working my way through some literature on Abrahamic religions and I've found Jewish Literacy indispensable. Now I'm wondering if I can find a similar sort of thing about Islam--quick deconstruction of notable events in the Qur'an and breakdown of important historical figures/movements.

Any suggestions?

How does a kippah stay on?

paperclip — Tue, 13 May 2008 07:53:02 -0800

JewishFilter: how do Jewish people wear a kippah (aka yarmulke) without it falling off every ten seconds? We're just talking about this at work, Google fails us, and we can't figure it out, it seems like it would fall off whenever you moved.

If he had given us this instead of the bread of our affliction--deyanu!

sourwookie — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:37:27 -0800

I've been tasked with making the charoset for my family's seder this year. But I'm tired of the same-old-same-old. Got any recipes you love? While we all do dig it, traditionally we've always done the apples-walnuts-honey-cinnamon-wine variety.

I've found plenty of recipes online--too many. Anyone got one they've used, eaten, and loved?

New recipe? Surprise twist? Unexpected add-in? I'm all ears!

Passover Food in PDX

hopeless romantique — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:50:41 -0800

Stores that carry Passover food in Portland, OR? I don't celebrate the holiday anymore, but every time Passover rolls around I start craving the holiday treats. Macaroons, soup nuts, honey cake. All of that. Unfortunately, the main grocery stores (Safeway, Fred Meyers) don't have much of a selection, if at all. There must be a place in the metro area where I can satisfy my Passover cravings, right? I imagine there are places in the West Hills, but my knowledge of that area is extremely limited. Please help!

(Bonus points if I can easily get there via tri-met)

Who is this French Guitar Player/Artist?

watercarrier — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 06:52:17 -0800

Guitar player from France. With Jewish roots. Plays fusion and his name is.......? There's this ~awesome~ guitar player whose cassette I once proudly owned, whose name I totally forgot other than Benasoulin maybe...something... His music is reminiscent of Pat Metheny but with more of a Mediterranean/Far Eastern vibe to it. I remember I once looked him up on the net and it said he hailed from France, was self-taught and he had Jewish roots. Other than this -

Does anyone know who this talented guy is? Thanks in advance for any leads. (I tried every kind of google equation - no deal)