May you all have a gutten Shabbos and a gutten yom tov. May there be happiness and joy in abundance, and may you make wonderful memories for you and your family.
And for Yechezkel ben Yitzchok a"h, may his neshomah have an aliyah, and may he continue to be for us a guide in following the path of mentschlichkite and ehrlichkite.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
In the "Under" World
NOTE: Any reader who gets squeamish at the mention of undergarments or body parts might want to skip this posting.
Has Klal totally and completely lost its mind?! It is hardly a secret (and I've commented on this phenomenon before) that members of the press are not all that objective. Let a scandal erupt, and, short of its actually being a church-based scandal, we will have no idea about the religious affiliation of those involved. Except, of course, if Jews, particularly religious Jews, are part of the scandal. Given that this approach by the press is common knowledge, it behooves us, as members of Klal, to watch our behavior. And of course, let's not forget that we are told to behave ourselves in our own code of laws.
I was standing in line at the supermarket yesterday, and a headline caught my eye on the NY Post. It was a long wait in line so I opened the paper to read the story. There went my day. In a nutshell, a woman was fired from a company that is a purveyor of woman's lingerie and undergarments. Why was she fired? According to the article (and to comments printed in other news outlets), and as seen in the accompanying photos, she was quite buxom, looked "hot," dressed in figure-presenting clothing, and was a distraction, therefore, to the other workers. Her supervisor, a woman, wanted her to, among other things, tape down her busom so it would be less pronounced.
Why am I reporting this? Sigh. The opening lines of the article state that the company the woman worked for is owned by orthodox Jews. That information is repeated more than once in the article. There are also a number of orthodox Jews who work for this company, both men and women. What is also mentioned in the article are descriptions of some of the merchandise that this company sells, and that this merchandise is displayed on mannequins in the workplace. To be blunt, some of the products the company sells are what I would call just plain "prost" or in poor taste.
Then there is this excerpt from the Post article: "A male worker, who refused to give his name, said of Odes’ choice of clothes, 'It’s not appropriate. The women here, they dress nicely but covered up. Most are Orthodox. There are a lot of married men here, and it’s not OK to have a woman dress like that.' When it was pointed out to the man that there is lingerie displayed throughout the workplace, he said, 'It’s what we sell, but it’s not the work environment.'”
There is a rather earthy Yiddish saying that answers this last statement: "Ahz muh handelt mit tinuv, shmekt min fun drek." Translated this means that if you deal business-wise with excrement you are going to smell like manure. The company sells undergarments which are sensual, bawdy, obscene, lust-inducing, raunchy, smutty and suggestive, but that's not part of the work environment?! These garments are on display where the people are working, but that is not part of the work environment?!
The woman who was fired has filed a suit for an EEOC violation This is not just going to be a few moments of talk and then no one will remember it.
There has been a lot of talk about how some men of Klal are not working for a living, but are sitting and learning instead. Given the nature of the business described in the article, perhaps we had better redefine what we mean by working when we tell our men to go out and get a job or start a business. Is this the type of business that men of Klal should be involved in? Is this what we want to the world to see us as?
Frankly, this whole thing disgusts me. Unfortunately, for some in Klal, this is just business as usual. Anything to make a buck. And I couldn't help but wonder if the owners of this business, and those who work there, are also the ones who tsk-tsk when a frum girl walks by wearing a piece of clothing that is not black or doesn't follow exactly the "rules" for what is tsniusdik. So much a case of do as I say, not as I do.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/am_two_big_to_fail_fired_gal_9kvJEdrnS4R7tQMtHKYr6M#ixzz1vce7CzQK
Has Klal totally and completely lost its mind?! It is hardly a secret (and I've commented on this phenomenon before) that members of the press are not all that objective. Let a scandal erupt, and, short of its actually being a church-based scandal, we will have no idea about the religious affiliation of those involved. Except, of course, if Jews, particularly religious Jews, are part of the scandal. Given that this approach by the press is common knowledge, it behooves us, as members of Klal, to watch our behavior. And of course, let's not forget that we are told to behave ourselves in our own code of laws.
I was standing in line at the supermarket yesterday, and a headline caught my eye on the NY Post. It was a long wait in line so I opened the paper to read the story. There went my day. In a nutshell, a woman was fired from a company that is a purveyor of woman's lingerie and undergarments. Why was she fired? According to the article (and to comments printed in other news outlets), and as seen in the accompanying photos, she was quite buxom, looked "hot," dressed in figure-presenting clothing, and was a distraction, therefore, to the other workers. Her supervisor, a woman, wanted her to, among other things, tape down her busom so it would be less pronounced.
Why am I reporting this? Sigh. The opening lines of the article state that the company the woman worked for is owned by orthodox Jews. That information is repeated more than once in the article. There are also a number of orthodox Jews who work for this company, both men and women. What is also mentioned in the article are descriptions of some of the merchandise that this company sells, and that this merchandise is displayed on mannequins in the workplace. To be blunt, some of the products the company sells are what I would call just plain "prost" or in poor taste.
Then there is this excerpt from the Post article: "A male worker, who refused to give his name, said of Odes’ choice of clothes, 'It’s not appropriate. The women here, they dress nicely but covered up. Most are Orthodox. There are a lot of married men here, and it’s not OK to have a woman dress like that.' When it was pointed out to the man that there is lingerie displayed throughout the workplace, he said, 'It’s what we sell, but it’s not the work environment.'”
There is a rather earthy Yiddish saying that answers this last statement: "Ahz muh handelt mit tinuv, shmekt min fun drek." Translated this means that if you deal business-wise with excrement you are going to smell like manure. The company sells undergarments which are sensual, bawdy, obscene, lust-inducing, raunchy, smutty and suggestive, but that's not part of the work environment?! These garments are on display where the people are working, but that is not part of the work environment?!
The woman who was fired has filed a suit for an EEOC violation This is not just going to be a few moments of talk and then no one will remember it.
There has been a lot of talk about how some men of Klal are not working for a living, but are sitting and learning instead. Given the nature of the business described in the article, perhaps we had better redefine what we mean by working when we tell our men to go out and get a job or start a business. Is this the type of business that men of Klal should be involved in? Is this what we want to the world to see us as?
Frankly, this whole thing disgusts me. Unfortunately, for some in Klal, this is just business as usual. Anything to make a buck. And I couldn't help but wonder if the owners of this business, and those who work there, are also the ones who tsk-tsk when a frum girl walks by wearing a piece of clothing that is not black or doesn't follow exactly the "rules" for what is tsniusdik. So much a case of do as I say, not as I do.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/am_two_big_to_fail_fired_gal_9kvJEdrnS4R7tQMtHKYr6M#ixzz1vce7CzQK
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Rain, Rain Don't Go Away
My students, both past and present, seem convinced that I have either supernatural powers or that I've made some special arrangement with God, referring directly to the fact that if I have to be in school, it is going to rain. This is not limited to the students in my present college either. Students in the other colleges I have taught at believed the same thing, although they also added in snow and thunder and lightening to the mix.
You know how a joke may be funny the first few times that you hear it, but starts to get really old and not funny around the 458,925th time that you hear it?
I've tried to get this particular joke to go away, but it keeps showing up. Desperate for a way to get rid of it, I spent a bit of time this morning developing a "quiz" that the next class that brings up rain and me in the same sentence will get. Only about 57 questions asking students to list and discuss the benefits of rain for NY. They will need to give acceptable sources for their answers, and at least 10 of the answers must come from Tanach. And when they ask, yes I will count the quiz.
Sure, rain can get messy and it may not be a lot of fun to take a shower with your clothes on as you try to get to wherever you need to go. But that rain we've been having has done wonders for the levels in our reservoirs, so if you can take a nice long hot shower without being under water restrictions, thank the rain. And the sidewalks in NY are nice and clean for a change, again thanks to the rain. And the birds are thrilled with their bonanza of plump and juicy worms, thanks to the rain. And no one has to worry that their lawn is turning brown or that their plants and trees look scrawny, all thanks to the rain. And this rain just could turn out to be a bit of a money saver as well. If the NY and NJ farms get plenty of rain then their crops will grow well and be plentiful, and just maybe prices will be lower this summer.
So no, I'm not causing it to rain this week or any week for that matter. But we should all be thankful that we are getting the rain instead of the alternatives. Is there anyone who really, truly prefers shoveling snow and getting frost bitten to getting a little wet?
And we might also keep in mind that there are plenty of places on earth that are suffering from lack of rain and which would welcome our rain with open joy and pleasure.
You know how a joke may be funny the first few times that you hear it, but starts to get really old and not funny around the 458,925th time that you hear it?
I've tried to get this particular joke to go away, but it keeps showing up. Desperate for a way to get rid of it, I spent a bit of time this morning developing a "quiz" that the next class that brings up rain and me in the same sentence will get. Only about 57 questions asking students to list and discuss the benefits of rain for NY. They will need to give acceptable sources for their answers, and at least 10 of the answers must come from Tanach. And when they ask, yes I will count the quiz.
Sure, rain can get messy and it may not be a lot of fun to take a shower with your clothes on as you try to get to wherever you need to go. But that rain we've been having has done wonders for the levels in our reservoirs, so if you can take a nice long hot shower without being under water restrictions, thank the rain. And the sidewalks in NY are nice and clean for a change, again thanks to the rain. And the birds are thrilled with their bonanza of plump and juicy worms, thanks to the rain. And no one has to worry that their lawn is turning brown or that their plants and trees look scrawny, all thanks to the rain. And this rain just could turn out to be a bit of a money saver as well. If the NY and NJ farms get plenty of rain then their crops will grow well and be plentiful, and just maybe prices will be lower this summer.
So no, I'm not causing it to rain this week or any week for that matter. But we should all be thankful that we are getting the rain instead of the alternatives. Is there anyone who really, truly prefers shoveling snow and getting frost bitten to getting a little wet?
And we might also keep in mind that there are plenty of places on earth that are suffering from lack of rain and which would welcome our rain with open joy and pleasure.
Monday, May 21, 2012
The Irony of It All
The Asifa that was held yesterday is really a study in irony. It is being reported that 50,000 people attended the asifa, both in person and remotely. Purveyors from here and from Israel were present to sell their wares--kosher phones and Internet filters. Those who spoke made it clear that such filters and phones HAD to be used if you are using a cellphone or the Internet and that attendees and listeners had better buy them.
So what is the irony? Had the Internet not existed, the Asifa would not have been possible. Short of certain parades many years ago, the Asifa is being touted as the largest gathering ever of Jews in one place in the NY area. Did they gather together to address any of the truly pressing issues that Klal faces, issues like yeshiva tuition and the fact that Klal is beggaring itself through its insistence that young men not work but sit and learn forever instead? Nope, they gathered because a "truly evil" force is in our midst. They would much rather have banned Internet usage altogether--and there are many rabbonim who do just that--but they used that old axiom "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
Ironic that those who could not attend in person could do so through their cellphones and through the Internet. And let's not forget the money made yesterday. Those purveyors had a captive audience, and they bought and bought and bought. I'm not sure how much mind expanding was done yesterday, but some people's pockets were stretched wide as the money poured into them.
If the Internet did not exist, what issue of importance would have possibly brought together this many people? The answer is no issue would have brought them together like this. It would seem that no other issue could get so many rabbonim and their followers to come together in one place and in seeming unity, rabbonim and followers who otherwise "don't play nicely together" and would rather chew nails than have anything to do with each other. And yes, that is ironic.
So what is the irony? Had the Internet not existed, the Asifa would not have been possible. Short of certain parades many years ago, the Asifa is being touted as the largest gathering ever of Jews in one place in the NY area. Did they gather together to address any of the truly pressing issues that Klal faces, issues like yeshiva tuition and the fact that Klal is beggaring itself through its insistence that young men not work but sit and learn forever instead? Nope, they gathered because a "truly evil" force is in our midst. They would much rather have banned Internet usage altogether--and there are many rabbonim who do just that--but they used that old axiom "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
Ironic that those who could not attend in person could do so through their cellphones and through the Internet. And let's not forget the money made yesterday. Those purveyors had a captive audience, and they bought and bought and bought. I'm not sure how much mind expanding was done yesterday, but some people's pockets were stretched wide as the money poured into them.
If the Internet did not exist, what issue of importance would have possibly brought together this many people? The answer is no issue would have brought them together like this. It would seem that no other issue could get so many rabbonim and their followers to come together in one place and in seeming unity, rabbonim and followers who otherwise "don't play nicely together" and would rather chew nails than have anything to do with each other. And yes, that is ironic.
What's in a Name
What to name the baby has caused more problems in more families than a whole lot of other things. People spend what seems like a gazillion hours in trying to find just the perfect name for a child. But it's not first names that fascinate me--it's last names.
Although today surnames/family names/last names--take your pick--are pretty much the rule around the world, it didn't always used to be this way. Different countries and cultures adopted the idea of a surname at different times. Generally the surnames were given to show that someone was the child of a particular father, to show a region that person came from, to show what occupation that person had, to show a personal characteristic of that person, to show a religious or cultural affiliation, or to show some quirk about the person. In addition, some last names don't have direct affiliation with a person but were seemingly chosen because someone liked what was associated with that name.
I've been active in many organizations and have taught for many years, so I've come across a lot of names that are carried by those of us in Klal. Some of those surnames are common not only to the Jews, names like Stern, meaning star, and some are common only to the Jews, like Cohen/Kahan/Kohn/Katz, meaning of the Kohanim. And some truly catch the imagination as I wonder what could have been the story behind the original surname.
Take the name Morgenbesser for instance. Translated this name would be tomorrow is better or tomorrow will be better. Surely a tale hangs on that designation. Or take the name Lebenswohl--life is good. And then there is Kopfstein--either head rock or the head is standing or standing on the head. Kleinman and Grossman are pretty self explanatory, but what should we make of Mittleman or Middleman?
All the names mentioned so far have a German and/or Yiddish/Hebrew origin. Add in all the other languages that have contributed to our surnames, and you get an even greater variety of things that people were named for.
What are some of the interesting or unusual surnames you've run across?
Take the name Morgenbesser for instance. Translated this name would be tomorrow is better or tomorrow will be better. Surely a tale hangs on that designation. Or take the name Lebenswohl--life is good. And then there is Kopfstein--either head rock or the head is standing or standing on the head. Kleinman and Grossman are pretty self explanatory, but what should we make of Mittleman or Middleman?
All the names mentioned so far have a German and/or Yiddish/Hebrew origin. Add in all the other languages that have contributed to our surnames, and you get an even greater variety of things that people were named for.
What are some of the interesting or unusual surnames you've run across?
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Chizuk is Where You Find It
Sometimes inspiration can be found in unexpected places. Sometimes the push we need to go on and do what seems impossible but is wanted will come not from our family and friends, but from words penned by a stranger, who yet seems to know just what we are feeling or want to feel. Yes indeed, chizuk is where you find it, and you can find it just about everywhere, if you are only open to seeing its presence. Mention Joe Darion, and most people will look quite puzzled--who is Joe Darion? However, mention the words "To Dream the Impossible Dream," with some appropriate humming, and almost everyone's face lights up.
If you are looking for some inspiration, read on, and thank you Joe!
Musical "Man of La Mancha"
The Impossible Dream Lyrics
[ from Best of Broadway - American Musical Soundtrack ]
Lyrics by Joe Darion
In this song, Quixote explains his quest and the reasons behind it ... in doing so,
he captures the essence of the play and its philosophical underpinnings.
(For me, it is absolutely magical.)
To dream ... the impossible dream ...
To fight ... the unbeatable foe ...
To bear ... with unbearable sorrow ...
To run ... where the brave dare not go ...
To right ... the unrightable wrong ...
To love ... pure and chaste from afar ...
To try ... when your arms are too weary ...
To reach ... the unreachable star ...
This is my quest, to follow that star ...
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far ...
To fight for the right, without question or pause ...
To be willing to march into Hell, for a Heavenly cause ...
And I know if I'll only be true, to this glorious quest,
That my heart will lie will lie peaceful and calm,
when I'm laid to my rest ...
And the world will be better for this:
That one man, scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove, with his last ounce of courage,
To reach ... the unreachable star ...
If you are looking for some inspiration, read on, and thank you Joe!
Musical "Man of La Mancha"
The Impossible Dream Lyrics
[ from Best of Broadway - American Musical Soundtrack ]
Lyrics by Joe Darion
In this song, Quixote explains his quest and the reasons behind it ... in doing so,
he captures the essence of the play and its philosophical underpinnings.
(For me, it is absolutely magical.)
To dream ... the impossible dream ...
To fight ... the unbeatable foe ...
To bear ... with unbearable sorrow ...
To run ... where the brave dare not go ...
To right ... the unrightable wrong ...
To love ... pure and chaste from afar ...
To try ... when your arms are too weary ...
To reach ... the unreachable star ...
This is my quest, to follow that star ...
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far ...
To fight for the right, without question or pause ...
To be willing to march into Hell, for a Heavenly cause ...
And I know if I'll only be true, to this glorious quest,
That my heart will lie will lie peaceful and calm,
when I'm laid to my rest ...
And the world will be better for this:
That one man, scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove, with his last ounce of courage,
To reach ... the unreachable star ...
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
It isn't all Alzheimer's
I have yet to speak with anyone who seriously has decided that they want to die at 40 or so to avoid the trials and tribulations of older age. That being so, there are some things we should know about so we can avoid some of those trials and tribulations. Whether you are yourself already a bit older or are in the position of having family members who are, the following link has some information that is useful. We've long known that good eating habits and good general habits can benefit us. The article tells you why and more.
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0512/prevent_vascular_dementia.php3
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0512/prevent_vascular_dementia.php3
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