Today we meet BOTH, the philo-ist of the blogword's philo-Semites, and a fine friend of the blog. He is also a Talmid Muvak of the RaPas (Rabbi Pinky Schmeckelstein) and the RoshYeshiva of Yeshiva Chipass Emess - West Coast.
His favorite thing about SF:
Strong coffee and Chinatown.
Bloggers he pals around with:
In the electronic world those are Dov, Steg, Tzipporah, Jameel, and Robbie. I also read RenReb and the non-Tefillin Hedgehog and several others. But I have only met Charismatic Megafauna in the world of basarvedam.
Morning routine:
Strong coffee, into the little room with reading material, pen, paper,and small cigars, followed by clothing, tea, rush to work. Head over to the cigar store after eleven to smoke a pipe. On weekends, until fairly recently, I'd wake up late and spend several hours ranting at Fox Newson the tv (only reason to watch: irritation - it wakes you up). Butnowadays I head over to Oakland with a protest sign and flags.
Evening routine:
Leave the office hours after everybody else. Either home for the company of Savage Kitten, or over to The Occidental Cigar Club for Scotch and a pipe. Sometimes to the Karaoke bar around the corner from the apartment o listen to some horrible singing. Once in bed, read until unconscious.
His first encounter with Judaism:
Being called a smous in grammar school because I didn't look or act like the local children (who were all related to each other - you wouldn't believe how appallingly inbred the hinterlands of Brabant are - five facial types, four of them repulsive). Smous is the Dutch cognate of shmaltz. I had no clue what it meant. Until a classmate named Moos (Moshe) explained it to me. But that wasn't really an encounter.
The searching out of Judaic material really got started after a conversation with a bunch of coworkers at the Indian restaurant where I worked in the early nineties. One of them opined that you could always tell the Jews, because they looked a certain way and acted a certain way. Bear in mind, these were Indians talking (who all looked a certain way, and talked a certain way). So I challenged her, telling her that she didn't know what the divvil she was talking about, for all she knew I could be a Jew! At which point they all pretty much screamed "I knew it!".
Later, not a single one could put their finger on what was so Jewish about me. Neither could I. So I started reading. And it helped, at that point, that I still remembered the broken Yiddish which Moos occasionally spoke, as well as the more fluent Yiddish I learned from uncle Chaim and uncle Chaim (one an old-friend of my father, the other a local merchant).
How he met Rabbi Pinky Shmeklestein:
Started when I discovered his shiurim on the internet, and wanted to share the humour with friends. Problem being that the friends I wanted to share the humour with are not strictly "Jewish-literate". So I copied over the texts and interpolated explanatory notes between the paragraphs.
A month or so later, as an example, and to see what he would say, I e-mailed the good rav himself. His response was that a number of his subscriberim had wished that he would do something like that. The people most likely to appreciate the shiurim being somewhat crippled by the language, the ones most likely to scream angrily have no problem at all with the language or the references. So for the next year we went through a large part of the five books together.
Why he hangs out in the Jewish blogosphere:
More interesting than reading food-blogs or political blogs, far far more interesting than visiting Jeebus and friends.
Current status of his relationship with Jesus:
Who? No seriously, who? There is just too much weird stuff in the Jesus story to take seriously, and when there is some real meat, they stole it from the Jewish table. Did he exist? Probably. Did he resemble what his acolytes wrote about him? Likely only in a few details - we actually know more about Rabbbi Akiva than about Jesus. And much of what we think we know about Jesus comes from the filter of Saul of Tarsus and his heirs. So no, I don't have relationship with
Jesus. Why? Did he say he met me?
Favorite torah teaching:
Hard to say favourite - I always find something interesting in the Sfas Emes, and something infuriating in certain Art-Scroll publications. The Ramban (in translation) is some purely great stuff, as is Rashi - but Rashi, as Ed discovered a while ago, also gets my bile going. The entire Abrahamic family history up to Egypt comes across as a great foundation metaphor, and it is easy to read and annotate. But once Moshe Rabbeinu starts lecturing about all the rules and details, it is hard to read between the lines, and hard to read period. Still working on the Hebrew - some words do not occur often enough to get a sense of their shades of meaning.
Who he voted for in 2004:
The lantern-jawed loser of the election.
His plan for ending the war in Iraq:
We stay, it's a mess. We leave, it's a mess. The only reason why we should stay a bit longer is to keep the proxies of the Saudis and the Iranians from blowing each other up and death-squadding each other's civilians. Put differently, give the locals more time to find a safe hiding place. But there's no chance of this ending well.
DovBear: Great blogger or greatest blogger ever?
Oh come now! You know how limited my reading is - there are oompty million bloggers out there.... But yes, after getting spitting mad every day reading the Algemeen Dagblad at the beginning of lunch, Dovbear is the first blog I head into. Followed by the Melech ha gawblinim. Sometimes I cruise into Beis Dov while on hold.
His true feelings about Chaim G:
Really like him. Might not agree with him. But like and agree do not necessarily go together.
The extent of his Jewishness, or the Jewish things he does:
Let's see, anything Jewish..... member of the "International Zionist Conspiracy, Bay Area Chapter", which consists of slightly more people than can fill a van - especially if there are tons of flags and signs in that van.I ended up grabbing flags and signs and heading off to the consulate five blocks away a number of times in summer of last year, once ending up being the only pro Israel demonstrator facing about two hundred very angry Muslims (yes, the SF Police Dept. are a blessing). I waved a shoe at them, and they screamed. In retrospect it was perhaps not a sane thing to do. But it was worth it.
The other Jewish things I do consist mainly of sometimes buying kosherfoods, wrestling with Mishna, and regularly whacking my way through the parshayos. Nothing in an organized or structured Jewish context - not social or confident enough to hunt out a shul, contact a rabbi, or find another chavrusa since the last one Z"L' passed away last year. A friend has encouraged me to come to his shul in the Eastbay, but sofar I haven't made it there yet. Oh, and I contribute to the Chabad telethon each year -non-denominational drug treatment is a darn good thing. Nobody needs to be whacked over the head with Jeebus when they're trying to kick another nasty habit.
Next OrthoMom who doesn't yet know I'm planning to profile her, but will, I expect, be more than happy to play. (What happened to RenReb? She's busy, apparently, with important, private, rabbinic business, and can't spare the time or energy for distractions. I respect that. )
Showing posts with label better know a blogger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label better know a blogger. Show all posts
Friday, April 27, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Better Know a Blogger!
Today, Harry Maryles is in the seat of heat, and tells us a little bit about what he does, what he thinks, and what he drives. Please ask your own questions in the comments, and Harry might answer them.
Previous BKAB
His morning routine:
Shachris 6:00 AM followed by Daf Yomi, breakfast (coffee and doughnut) while reading a newspaper. and then work. I have a small business, which I run out of my house. And of course I do spend a great deal of time blogging.
His evening routine:
It varies. When I’m home, I try and catch the evening network news (usually NBC) and then supper, spending some quality time with my wife and then later… intermittent blogging and occasionally a little TV that I’ve recorded, hardly ever during broadcast. Nightly news and weather (10:00 PM locally here) and then I try to get to bed early. Pretty boring stuff now that I think about it.
I also have an avocation which is videotaping Simchos, usually weddings, almost always at night.
When my children were growing up, I was far more active communally and would spend many an evening out at school meetings or related fundraising events such as concerts, banquets, and their preliminaries.
On Shabbos and Yom Tov, I spend most of my time with Seforim.
His favorite sitcom:
Nothing now. Of all time: Taxi
His prized possession:My children (If one can call them possessions. They are all married)
What he drives:
A 2005 Maxima
His favorite Jewish philosopher:
Has to be Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. His “Halakhic Man” I believe to be the essence of Judaism
Something that opened his eyes forever:
I’m not sure. Perhaps the banning of books by Rabbis Kaminetsky and Slifkin.
The book he most often goes back to:
Currently that would have to be “Logic of the Heart, Logic of the Mind” by Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik
His favorite clothing item:
Don’t have one.
A chumra he keeps:I do not use city wide Eruvin
A chumra he'd never keep:I don’t keep many. .
His opinion of gay marriage:
I’m firmly opposed to them. I am very sympathetic to people who have same sex attraction and they should be treated as human beings the same way heterosexuals should be treated. Sexual proclivity is not forbidden by the Torah, Only the execution of the homosexual act.
But I am opposed to normalizing any such union as just an alternative lifestyle which is what gay marriage would do. I am certainly opposed formalizing it in “holy matrimony”. I could never give my imprimatur on an act the Torah calls an abomination and for which it mandates the death penalty. And though the conditions needed to employ the death penalty are no longer extant, the Issur still exists intact. I doubt, in fact, that the punishment was ever carried out since it required two Kosher witnesses, and warning about the consequences prior to witnessing it… a highly unlikely scenario. I’ve written about this subject many times.
His view on the rest of what the torah calls a "toyavah"
My objection to the forbidden homosexual act is not so much to the fact that the Torah calls it a Toevah. It is more to the seriousness of the offense as a capital one. To that end, I equate it to Halachic adultry (a man and a married woman other than his wife). I consider them equally wrong.
But although I find homosexual acts more difficult to deal with emotionally, intellectually I think adultery is a greater ‘wrong’ (…for lack of a better word).
For a heterosexual, the sex drive need not be satisfied through adultery. There are legal ways to satisfy that drive. But to a homosexual, the drive cannot be satisfied in any way that is Halachic. Thus it is much more difficult for a homosexual to live a Halachic lifestyle than it is for a heterosexual. Transgressions by homosexuals should therefore get more sympathy, in my view, over transgressions by heterosexuals. But in this world, I’m afraid the opposite is true.
His view on inhabiting "the theological middle":I guess I’m a bit of a “Lonely Man of Faith” here. But I truly believe that somewhere between the two extremes lies the truth. And since extremism seems to be in vogue lately, I stand somewhat alone. But that doesn’t deter me since one of the main things that guides my life is Emes.
Why Reform Rabbis are entitled to be called Rabbi (or not):I’m am of the Rabbi Avi Shafran mentality on this issue. I do not recognize the religious legitimacy of non- Halachic Jewish denominations. That said, I will accord them the honorific if that is how they choose to be called. But I will always preface the first reference to them identifying their denominations. In other words if I write an article about, for example, Ammiel Hirsch, executive director of ARZA, I will first refer to him as Reform Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, and then subsequently refer to him as Rabbi Hirsch.
A new blog the JIBs introduced him to:
Do you mean the JIB awards? Or the world of Jewish blogging in general? Currently, I have not seen any that have piqued my interest. But In the past, I have. Amongst them XGH’s blog,
Gbroks or not?Not!
Hat or no hat?Depends on my mood. (My wife likes the way I look in a hat. But I am not theologically married to it.)
His favorite midrash.
I don’t know about Midrash but one of my favorite Mesechtos is Avos. There-in lies the basis for much of Jewish ethics. And one of my favorite people there is Rebbi Meir. What interests me most about him is his relationship with Elisha Ben Avuyah, also know as Acher.
These two figures have intrigued me ever since I “met” them in that Mesheta. I always held Rebbi Meir up be my role model with respect to knowledge. He did not fear learning truth from any source that offered it. Elisha Ben Avuya included.
Elisha Ben Avuya was of course a Tanna, quoted in Mesches Avos before he abandoned Mitzvah observance. That puts him in a very high category with respect to Torah knowledge, Rebbi Meir had absolutely no compunction about learning from him. When asked about it he simply answered “Tocho Ochel U’klipaso Zarek” …he took the food and discarded its shell. His philosophy of knowledge was MiKol M’Lamdei Hischalti. Everyone could be his teacher. He sought truth wherever he could find it. And Rebbi Meir was one of the greatest Tanniam of the Mishnaic era. Stam Mishan K’Rebi Meir. All Mishnayos without specific attributions are considered his. He was truly a role model for me in that sense. When my son was born, I had an opportunity to name him after my wife’s grandfather whose name was Avraham Meyer. It was perfect. I immediately thought of my great Mishnaic hero and have called him Meyer ever since. And that is how he is known.
Next: REN REB (Note: Ren Reb has not, if we're going to get technical, formally agreed to participate, in that her exact words when asked were: "No way Dovie."
Still, we're hopeful. Worst case scenario I'll just make stuff up.
Previous BKAB
His morning routine:
Shachris 6:00 AM followed by Daf Yomi, breakfast (coffee and doughnut) while reading a newspaper. and then work. I have a small business, which I run out of my house. And of course I do spend a great deal of time blogging.
His evening routine:
It varies. When I’m home, I try and catch the evening network news (usually NBC) and then supper, spending some quality time with my wife and then later… intermittent blogging and occasionally a little TV that I’ve recorded, hardly ever during broadcast. Nightly news and weather (10:00 PM locally here) and then I try to get to bed early. Pretty boring stuff now that I think about it.
I also have an avocation which is videotaping Simchos, usually weddings, almost always at night.
When my children were growing up, I was far more active communally and would spend many an evening out at school meetings or related fundraising events such as concerts, banquets, and their preliminaries.
On Shabbos and Yom Tov, I spend most of my time with Seforim.
His favorite sitcom:
Nothing now. Of all time: Taxi
His prized possession:My children (If one can call them possessions. They are all married)
What he drives:
A 2005 Maxima
His favorite Jewish philosopher:
Has to be Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. His “Halakhic Man” I believe to be the essence of Judaism
Something that opened his eyes forever:
I’m not sure. Perhaps the banning of books by Rabbis Kaminetsky and Slifkin.
The book he most often goes back to:
Currently that would have to be “Logic of the Heart, Logic of the Mind” by Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik
His favorite clothing item:
Don’t have one.
A chumra he keeps:I do not use city wide Eruvin
A chumra he'd never keep:I don’t keep many. .
His opinion of gay marriage:
I’m firmly opposed to them. I am very sympathetic to people who have same sex attraction and they should be treated as human beings the same way heterosexuals should be treated. Sexual proclivity is not forbidden by the Torah, Only the execution of the homosexual act.
But I am opposed to normalizing any such union as just an alternative lifestyle which is what gay marriage would do. I am certainly opposed formalizing it in “holy matrimony”. I could never give my imprimatur on an act the Torah calls an abomination and for which it mandates the death penalty. And though the conditions needed to employ the death penalty are no longer extant, the Issur still exists intact. I doubt, in fact, that the punishment was ever carried out since it required two Kosher witnesses, and warning about the consequences prior to witnessing it… a highly unlikely scenario. I’ve written about this subject many times.
His view on the rest of what the torah calls a "toyavah"
My objection to the forbidden homosexual act is not so much to the fact that the Torah calls it a Toevah. It is more to the seriousness of the offense as a capital one. To that end, I equate it to Halachic adultry (a man and a married woman other than his wife). I consider them equally wrong.
But although I find homosexual acts more difficult to deal with emotionally, intellectually I think adultery is a greater ‘wrong’ (…for lack of a better word).
For a heterosexual, the sex drive need not be satisfied through adultery. There are legal ways to satisfy that drive. But to a homosexual, the drive cannot be satisfied in any way that is Halachic. Thus it is much more difficult for a homosexual to live a Halachic lifestyle than it is for a heterosexual. Transgressions by homosexuals should therefore get more sympathy, in my view, over transgressions by heterosexuals. But in this world, I’m afraid the opposite is true.
His view on inhabiting "the theological middle":I guess I’m a bit of a “Lonely Man of Faith” here. But I truly believe that somewhere between the two extremes lies the truth. And since extremism seems to be in vogue lately, I stand somewhat alone. But that doesn’t deter me since one of the main things that guides my life is Emes.
Why Reform Rabbis are entitled to be called Rabbi (or not):I’m am of the Rabbi Avi Shafran mentality on this issue. I do not recognize the religious legitimacy of non- Halachic Jewish denominations. That said, I will accord them the honorific if that is how they choose to be called. But I will always preface the first reference to them identifying their denominations. In other words if I write an article about, for example, Ammiel Hirsch, executive director of ARZA, I will first refer to him as Reform Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, and then subsequently refer to him as Rabbi Hirsch.
A new blog the JIBs introduced him to:
Do you mean the JIB awards? Or the world of Jewish blogging in general? Currently, I have not seen any that have piqued my interest. But In the past, I have. Amongst them XGH’s blog,
Gbroks or not?Not!
Hat or no hat?Depends on my mood. (My wife likes the way I look in a hat. But I am not theologically married to it.)
His favorite midrash.
I don’t know about Midrash but one of my favorite Mesechtos is Avos. There-in lies the basis for much of Jewish ethics. And one of my favorite people there is Rebbi Meir. What interests me most about him is his relationship with Elisha Ben Avuyah, also know as Acher.
These two figures have intrigued me ever since I “met” them in that Mesheta. I always held Rebbi Meir up be my role model with respect to knowledge. He did not fear learning truth from any source that offered it. Elisha Ben Avuya included.
Elisha Ben Avuya was of course a Tanna, quoted in Mesches Avos before he abandoned Mitzvah observance. That puts him in a very high category with respect to Torah knowledge, Rebbi Meir had absolutely no compunction about learning from him. When asked about it he simply answered “Tocho Ochel U’klipaso Zarek” …he took the food and discarded its shell. His philosophy of knowledge was MiKol M’Lamdei Hischalti. Everyone could be his teacher. He sought truth wherever he could find it. And Rebbi Meir was one of the greatest Tanniam of the Mishnaic era. Stam Mishan K’Rebi Meir. All Mishnayos without specific attributions are considered his. He was truly a role model for me in that sense. When my son was born, I had an opportunity to name him after my wife’s grandfather whose name was Avraham Meyer. It was perfect. I immediately thought of my great Mishnaic hero and have called him Meyer ever since. And that is how he is known.
Next: REN REB (Note: Ren Reb has not, if we're going to get technical, formally agreed to participate, in that her exact words when asked were: "No way Dovie."
Still, we're hopeful. Worst case scenario I'll just make stuff up.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Better Know A Blogger II
In today's edition of Better Know A Blogger, DOVBEAR discuses pot and politics with the very great Mobius of JewSchool. Included is a special announcment about the future of JewSchool. Please ask your own questions in the comments, and Moby (or one of his JewSchool henchmen) will be pleased to answer them.
Notes: If you'd like to participate in a future edition of Better Know a Blogger write to me at yourfavoriteblogger@gmail.com. To be considered, you must blog at least three times per week, and have been writing for at least 6 months. Any similarity to Steven Colbert's Better Know a District is purely coincidental. Plus, he steals from me all the time.
Next time: BOTH
Why a group blog? Do you find it hard to compose posts on a daily basis?
Well, first, keep in mind the fact that I have always had my own personal blog, long before there was ever a Jewschool. I set up my first blog during my senior year of high school in 1998, before there
was such a thing as a blog or blogging software. Jewschool is actually an offshoot of another (now defunct) blog I created for me and my friends called Jakeneck. Jakeneck was a group blog discussing art, culture, politics, and assorted high weirdness. In some ways it was a link dump, for my friends and I to share the most interesting content online, but it was also a venue for intense discussion and debate from
which I learned and grew a lot. Jakeneck was a proof of concept, a test model which I then applied to Judaism.
The purpose of a group blog is simple. The Internet was made for dialogue, not self-aggrandizement. Jewschool's value is that it's an open discourse between many people. It allows multiple and divergent
viewpoints to occupy the same space and exist in tandem, rather than opposition. Yes, it's true, a good weblog has many posts a day and it's a lot of work for one person to do alone. That was definitely a factor
in making a group blog. But the major factor was that I view the Internet as a democratic forum, and if I want to introduce more democracy to Judaism, that means involving a community in that conversation, rather than just pontificating into the wind about values I ought to be exercising.
[Self-serving aside: I frequently allow guest posts on DovBear - from both sides of the aisle - for very much the same reason]
I assume you agree that it is important for every part of the Jewishand the political spectrum to be included in the conversation, both because they certainly have valuable ideas to add, and also because they have ideas that need to be confronted. How do you include the far-right in these discussions?
Well I've thought about this a lot, to be honest, and my perspective has kind of changed. Jewschool has, in many ways, become a resource for the progressive Jewish camp -- and though it is diverse in its perspectives within that camp, we are exclusive in that respect. I think that there are more than enough right-wing blogs in the J-blogosphere representing nationalist and fundamentalist viewpoints. Jewschool is the alternative to the endless chorus of demagoguery. I used to think it was importantto include right-wing voices in the discussion but I've come to realize it's part of their strategy to stick their noses into whatever it is we're doing so that they can prevent us from making progress by keeping us navel gazing and infighting. You wouldn't believe how many new Jewschool contributors posted just once and then ran for the hills after one right-wing psycho attacked them. So, part of the new editorial mission of Jewschool (upon our forthcoming relaunch) will be to very quickly eject the right-wing psychos who contribute little or nothing tothe conversation and otherwise alienate quality contributors and readers who actually do have something worthwhile to say. I would much rather engage in cross-blog conversation with intelligent right-wing webloggers (and reap the traffic benefits) than provide a soundboard to people with abhorrent viewpoints who are only interested in injecting invective in to the conversation.
What's it take to rise in the JewSchool heirarchy?
What Jewschool hierarchy? I gave brief mention of this on Jewschool the other day, but I'll give you the full scoop: I cut about half the staff recently and turned over the site to the remaining (and some new)
contributors, almost all of whom are real-life friends and colleagues working in the Jewish community. I'm trying to take a backseat and give the crew more control over the site. They're dictating editorial
policy, design, technology -- everything. I'm just shepherding the slightest bit.
Jewschool has been democratized and turned into a full-on anarchist collective. It is no longer "the Mobius show."
Is TTC ever going to become a made man in the family?
Actually, TTC has been cut from the Jewschool roster. I appreciate and thank him for his contribution, but his leanings don't jive with the direction the site is headed in.
In other words, TTC sleeps with the fishes?
Now, now... The new site will have a feature highlighting posts from elsewhere in the Jewish blogosphere. I fully intend to give TTC focus when there are posts of relevance to Jewschool's readership.
Are you prepared to admit here, for the first time, that Holy Terror was a hoax?
Holy Terror is my hareidi/Kachnik sister. That is no hoax.
Your most famous post, imho, is about the time you were arrested for smoking on shabbos. You understood this as Gods way of telling you that shabbos is important. Why didn't it occur to you that perhaps God was actually telling you to stop it with the pot?
I actually wasn't smoking. I just had pot on me and got shook down by some flat-out pigs who randomly stopped me as I was walking down the street, minding my own business. They actually violated my rights, and if I had any protektzia I would've reamed them new [rear-ends].
In any event, the Torah says that if you violate Shabbos you should be put to death. Marijuana? Nary a mention -- and certainly no death sentence for smoking.
Give me your knee jerk response to the following:
Gay marriage
As an anarchist, no fan of "marriage" in general, but favor civil unions whereas queers ought to be entitled to the same rights and exemptions as straights.
Immigration
Borders are imaginary lines.
The Pledge of Allegiance
Nationalism is the only thing that kills as many people as diseases.
Swift Boat Vets for Truth
May the tears of Orwell water the seeds of revolution.
How are you voting in two weeks time?
I'm a bit torn. As an anarchist, to participate in an election is to acknowledge and validate the machinations of the state. However, as a realist, somebody's gotta get these [mamzarim] out of office before they get us all killed and rape our corpses for fun and profit. I don't want to vote Democratic because I don't think they're much different from the Republicans. They're all corporate-teat-swilling free-trader neo-liberal right-of-center phone-tapping civil-rights-suppressing [bad people] And since you couldn't pay me to vote Green (for a number of reasons I won't detail here), if anything, I'll vote Libertarian, because it's the closest to what I actually believe in.
DovBear great blog? Or greatest blogger ever?
I honestly think your blog is one of the most important things happening in the Jewish community today and I commend you for your service.
What are you doing in Germany?
Three of my best friends just moved here to get away from the dismal state of affairs in Israel. I'd never been and figured it was a good time to come check it out.
Two days ago I davened mincha at Buchenwald. Yesterday, I was at an anti-fascist squat located inside the factory where the crematoriums were manufactured, learning about Zionism's tendency to split the German Left. Today, I'm in Cologne, and just returned from a night club.
You've been blogging since the begining of time it seems. Tell me the most important change in the blogosphere that you've observed
The bar for entry is no practically non-existent. You have grandparents who can barely turn on their computers blogging. The free press is free again.
Why do you suppose Frumkeit is so often hostile to progressive politics. Are they inherently opposed to each other?
I happen to think frumkeit and progressive politics are inherently linked. Moshe Rabbeinu's first action in the Torah is to crack a slavemaster over the back of the head and bury him in the sand.
But there are a few things going on here:
I know a lot of wealthy Orthodox Jews who vote Republican because they're in a high-enough tax bracket that a tax cut actually means something to them. There are also a lot of Orthodox Jews who vote Republican because they want to tax credits to send their kids to yeshiva. Then you have queer and women's rights -- two issues the Orthodox community is still backwards on (though slowly, painfully improving). And then, finally, there's Israel, to which I'll say, Zionism will, G-d willing, one day be something we look back on, like the belief that Shabbatai Tzvi was Moshiach, and say, "Holy crap! Can
you believe they bought that [foul smelling bodily waste product]?"
The problem is the belief that if you want any single one of the above that you have to buy the whole package. So, if I want to send my kid to a charter school because the public education system is shite, I have to hate fags and ragheads. Because if I believe in charter schools, I'm suddenly the enemy of the "Leftist" Democrats. And now that I clearly hate poor black children, because I think my children deserve a decent education in their lifetime, I may as will go all out and hate everything the Left loves because G-d forbid there should be nuance and a diverse array of political opinions.
Which is to say, none of this has anything to do with G-d or Torah.
Anyone who truly loves and serves G-d is progressive on some issues, and conservative on others. They support the poor, the downtrodden, the oppressed, the sick, the weak, and love and care for them. They fight injustice. But they also protect their families, their traditions, and their sacred institutions. The uphold the word of G-d, even when you aren't sure you agree with G-d, but are willing to trust Him.
Notes: If you'd like to participate in a future edition of Better Know a Blogger write to me at yourfavoriteblogger@gmail.com. To be considered, you must blog at least three times per week, and have been writing for at least 6 months. Any similarity to Steven Colbert's Better Know a District is purely coincidental. Plus, he steals from me all the time.
Next time: BOTH
Why a group blog? Do you find it hard to compose posts on a daily basis?
Well, first, keep in mind the fact that I have always had my own personal blog, long before there was ever a Jewschool. I set up my first blog during my senior year of high school in 1998, before there
was such a thing as a blog or blogging software. Jewschool is actually an offshoot of another (now defunct) blog I created for me and my friends called Jakeneck. Jakeneck was a group blog discussing art, culture, politics, and assorted high weirdness. In some ways it was a link dump, for my friends and I to share the most interesting content online, but it was also a venue for intense discussion and debate from
which I learned and grew a lot. Jakeneck was a proof of concept, a test model which I then applied to Judaism.
The purpose of a group blog is simple. The Internet was made for dialogue, not self-aggrandizement. Jewschool's value is that it's an open discourse between many people. It allows multiple and divergent
viewpoints to occupy the same space and exist in tandem, rather than opposition. Yes, it's true, a good weblog has many posts a day and it's a lot of work for one person to do alone. That was definitely a factor
in making a group blog. But the major factor was that I view the Internet as a democratic forum, and if I want to introduce more democracy to Judaism, that means involving a community in that conversation, rather than just pontificating into the wind about values I ought to be exercising.
[Self-serving aside: I frequently allow guest posts on DovBear - from both sides of the aisle - for very much the same reason]
I assume you agree that it is important for every part of the Jewishand the political spectrum to be included in the conversation, both because they certainly have valuable ideas to add, and also because they have ideas that need to be confronted. How do you include the far-right in these discussions?
Well I've thought about this a lot, to be honest, and my perspective has kind of changed. Jewschool has, in many ways, become a resource for the progressive Jewish camp -- and though it is diverse in its perspectives within that camp, we are exclusive in that respect. I think that there are more than enough right-wing blogs in the J-blogosphere representing nationalist and fundamentalist viewpoints. Jewschool is the alternative to the endless chorus of demagoguery. I used to think it was importantto include right-wing voices in the discussion but I've come to realize it's part of their strategy to stick their noses into whatever it is we're doing so that they can prevent us from making progress by keeping us navel gazing and infighting. You wouldn't believe how many new Jewschool contributors posted just once and then ran for the hills after one right-wing psycho attacked them. So, part of the new editorial mission of Jewschool (upon our forthcoming relaunch) will be to very quickly eject the right-wing psychos who contribute little or nothing tothe conversation and otherwise alienate quality contributors and readers who actually do have something worthwhile to say. I would much rather engage in cross-blog conversation with intelligent right-wing webloggers (and reap the traffic benefits) than provide a soundboard to people with abhorrent viewpoints who are only interested in injecting invective in to the conversation.
What's it take to rise in the JewSchool heirarchy?
What Jewschool hierarchy? I gave brief mention of this on Jewschool the other day, but I'll give you the full scoop: I cut about half the staff recently and turned over the site to the remaining (and some new)
contributors, almost all of whom are real-life friends and colleagues working in the Jewish community. I'm trying to take a backseat and give the crew more control over the site. They're dictating editorial
policy, design, technology -- everything. I'm just shepherding the slightest bit.
Jewschool has been democratized and turned into a full-on anarchist collective. It is no longer "the Mobius show."
Is TTC ever going to become a made man in the family?
Actually, TTC has been cut from the Jewschool roster. I appreciate and thank him for his contribution, but his leanings don't jive with the direction the site is headed in.
In other words, TTC sleeps with the fishes?
Now, now... The new site will have a feature highlighting posts from elsewhere in the Jewish blogosphere. I fully intend to give TTC focus when there are posts of relevance to Jewschool's readership.
Are you prepared to admit here, for the first time, that Holy Terror was a hoax?
Holy Terror is my hareidi/Kachnik sister. That is no hoax.
Your most famous post, imho, is about the time you were arrested for smoking on shabbos. You understood this as Gods way of telling you that shabbos is important. Why didn't it occur to you that perhaps God was actually telling you to stop it with the pot?
I actually wasn't smoking. I just had pot on me and got shook down by some flat-out pigs who randomly stopped me as I was walking down the street, minding my own business. They actually violated my rights, and if I had any protektzia I would've reamed them new [rear-ends].
In any event, the Torah says that if you violate Shabbos you should be put to death. Marijuana? Nary a mention -- and certainly no death sentence for smoking.
Give me your knee jerk response to the following:
Gay marriage
As an anarchist, no fan of "marriage" in general, but favor civil unions whereas queers ought to be entitled to the same rights and exemptions as straights.
Immigration
Borders are imaginary lines.
The Pledge of Allegiance
Nationalism is the only thing that kills as many people as diseases.
Swift Boat Vets for Truth
May the tears of Orwell water the seeds of revolution.
How are you voting in two weeks time?
I'm a bit torn. As an anarchist, to participate in an election is to acknowledge and validate the machinations of the state. However, as a realist, somebody's gotta get these [mamzarim] out of office before they get us all killed and rape our corpses for fun and profit. I don't want to vote Democratic because I don't think they're much different from the Republicans. They're all corporate-teat-swilling free-trader neo-liberal right-of-center phone-tapping civil-rights-suppressing [bad people] And since you couldn't pay me to vote Green (for a number of reasons I won't detail here), if anything, I'll vote Libertarian, because it's the closest to what I actually believe in.
DovBear great blog? Or greatest blogger ever?
I honestly think your blog is one of the most important things happening in the Jewish community today and I commend you for your service.
What are you doing in Germany?
Three of my best friends just moved here to get away from the dismal state of affairs in Israel. I'd never been and figured it was a good time to come check it out.
Two days ago I davened mincha at Buchenwald. Yesterday, I was at an anti-fascist squat located inside the factory where the crematoriums were manufactured, learning about Zionism's tendency to split the German Left. Today, I'm in Cologne, and just returned from a night club.
You've been blogging since the begining of time it seems. Tell me the most important change in the blogosphere that you've observed
The bar for entry is no practically non-existent. You have grandparents who can barely turn on their computers blogging. The free press is free again.
Why do you suppose Frumkeit is so often hostile to progressive politics. Are they inherently opposed to each other?
I happen to think frumkeit and progressive politics are inherently linked. Moshe Rabbeinu's first action in the Torah is to crack a slavemaster over the back of the head and bury him in the sand.
But there are a few things going on here:
I know a lot of wealthy Orthodox Jews who vote Republican because they're in a high-enough tax bracket that a tax cut actually means something to them. There are also a lot of Orthodox Jews who vote Republican because they want to tax credits to send their kids to yeshiva. Then you have queer and women's rights -- two issues the Orthodox community is still backwards on (though slowly, painfully improving). And then, finally, there's Israel, to which I'll say, Zionism will, G-d willing, one day be something we look back on, like the belief that Shabbatai Tzvi was Moshiach, and say, "Holy crap! Can
you believe they bought that [foul smelling bodily waste product]?"
The problem is the belief that if you want any single one of the above that you have to buy the whole package. So, if I want to send my kid to a charter school because the public education system is shite, I have to hate fags and ragheads. Because if I believe in charter schools, I'm suddenly the enemy of the "Leftist" Democrats. And now that I clearly hate poor black children, because I think my children deserve a decent education in their lifetime, I may as will go all out and hate everything the Left loves because G-d forbid there should be nuance and a diverse array of political opinions.
Which is to say, none of this has anything to do with G-d or Torah.
Anyone who truly loves and serves G-d is progressive on some issues, and conservative on others. They support the poor, the downtrodden, the oppressed, the sick, the weak, and love and care for them. They fight injustice. But they also protect their families, their traditions, and their sacred institutions. The uphold the word of G-d, even when you aren't sure you agree with G-d, but are willing to trust Him.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Better Know A Blogger I
In a new interview series, DOVBEAR talks to leading bloggers about... well, really anything that comes up. This week David Bogner, the award-winning creator of Treppenwitz, is on the seat of heat. Please ask your own questions in the comments, and David (or someone pretending to be David) will be pleased to answer them.
Notes: If you'd like to participate in a future edition of Better Know a Blogger write to me at yourfavoriteblogger@gmail.com. To be considered, you must blog at least three times per week, and have been writing for at least 6 months. Any similarity to Steven Colbert's Better Know a District is purely coincidental. Plus, he steals from me all the time.
Next week: Mobius of JewSchool
David: Sorry I'm late.
Me: NP. Is now a good time?
David: We just delivered three patrol boats to the Israel navy and I was at the commissioning ceremony. Just got back.
Me: Ooh.
Me. Ok, here we go, and don't worry, this won't hurt a bit.
Me: First question: Jewlicious or Jewschool?
David: Is that like 'Ginger or Maryanne?'?
Me: More like "boxers or briefs" ;)
David: With no disrespect to either... let me just say 'Depends'.
Me: Does anyone call you Trep in real life?
David: So far only you. :-)
Me: How do you feel about that?
David: anyone who knows me in real life calls me by my real name. I find it interesting that many of the people I know only on the net call me Trep. But it doesn't bother me at all.
Me: You're not anonymous, and you don't shy away from controversy. How do you keep the blog world from colliding with the real world? What happens when your kid's teacher, for example, wants to yell at you about your latest post?
David: I do a lot of self editing which helps avoid most of the pitfalls. I try not to publish anything less than 6 hours after writing it. That way I have a chance to look at it with fresh eyes before I hit the publish button. You'd be surprised how many things don't see the light of day because of that 'cooling off period'… although I have frequently had to apologize and retract things I've written. But that could (and does) happen in real life as well.
Me: Has your blog ever gotten you dirty looks in shul?
David: Dirty looks? No. I've had a few friends tell me that they didn't share my views though.
Me: Are you worried your blog one day might embarrass your kids, or interfere with their social life? Say Yonah decides he wants to be a Haredi, for example, and his prospective in laws - a fine Meah Sharim family – come across the blog...
David: We've raised our kids in a very open, non-judgmental household. We are mainstream observant Jews... but they have grandparents who don't keep much beyond tradition... an aunt who is a lesbian...an uncle who is an atheist and married to a non-Jew...etc. I don't think my blog is going to be the thing keeping my kids from finding the right shidduch, do you? :-)
Me: Well it depends on the shidduch, but I suppose other blogs, and other bloggers have more to worry about :) Moving on.
Me: You've been at this for two years, right? Why aren't you bored with blogging. How do you fight of the urge to mail it in occasionally?
David: Going on three, actually. I go through periods where certain aspects of journaling start to seem repetitive. I force myself to change my focus for a few weeks. Since I'm pretty happy with my life... and in my own skin... I don't get tired of rehashing it on Treppenwitz.
Me: Why don't you cut corners, though? I've looked at your blog very carefully, and you never seem to take short cuts. How do you maintain that level of professionalism?
David: That's nice of you to say, but the truth is I NEVER edit myself.
Me: I don't edit myself, either. Maybee yu cn till?
David: That would be the death of the thing for me. I have a few readers who email me with typos and grammar problems... it's actually gotten to be a bit of a game with them to see who can find the first mistake. The real trick as I mentioned earlier is simply not publishing the crappy posts. And there are plenty of them.
Me: I take the opposite approach at DovBear. The crappy posts get published, too. And often they get the most comments. In fact, I've often said, why bother churning out well-written posts, if the crap gets a better response?
David: We have a very different focus. I see you as tossing out ideas and challenging people. I spend most of my time challenging myself.
Me: How?
David: Mostly when I write about topical issues... politics... religion... social justice. I am very conflicted being a transplanted American liberal who happens to be a religious settler. If you look at even my angriest posts you will notice that near the end I usually prop the door open a bit. Y'know, just in case I need to back-track a little in the comments section. At first I felt guilty not taking a firm stand. But I found I learned more from commenters when they perceived flexibility. In my ideas, that is.
Me: Are you trying to learn, when you blog, or to teach?
David: Look, it would sound pretty pompous to say I am trying to teach people with treppenwitz. But I know that there are a lot of people out there who have had to adjust their ideas about Jews, settlers, dati people, etc. because of me. It's not that I am an example of anything, but rather that by reading me they find it is dangerous to generalize. It is mostly a creative outlet for me. I used to play gigs (on trombone) 4 times a week. Now I write about as often.
Me: I think anyone who blogs has something he wants to get across, especially if he stays with it after his audience expands. That's not pompous. We all have values and lessons we'd like to share. That's what makes us bloggers.
Me: Can you tell me who the Ren Reb is?
David: Nope. And I'm not even a little curious. I like my superheroes with their capes and masks on, thankyouverymuch.
Me: Lots of readers seem to operate on the theory that their lives will change if they unmask a popular blogger. They pursue hidden identities with a real ferociousness. As a non-anonymous blogger, I suppose you don't have to put up with that, but has an off-balance reader ever crossed the line?
David: True, being public about my identity has sort of done away with the need for anyone to 'out' me. But that doesn't mean keeping treppenwitz has been all beer and skittles. In addition to dealing with trolls, I have my own personal 'church lady' who sends me long, scripture-laden lectures about everything from my potty mouth (huh?) to the fact that I'm not holding up my end of the whole 'representing all religious Jews' thing. Good times.
Me: What's one thing you want the blogosphere to know about you?
David: Anything I want people to know I pretty much write. Anything I want to hide... well, that's another story. :-)
Me: Ok, I think that's it. This was painless, right? Maybe too painless, right?. Thanks for being a good sport.
Update: David sent this postscript:
Full Disclosure: When Dov Bear emailed me the final draft of the interview to review I was initially a little put off that he had cut it down by almost half. But in retrospect, I'm a bit relieved that he saw fit to edit out the discussion of my years in rehab... the stint in jail... and the profanity, particularly the part where I shared my own riff on the well known joke, 'The Aristocrats'. Thanks for preserving my squeaky-clean image DB. You my be a cockyhead to renreb... but you'll always be a prince to me.
Notes: If you'd like to participate in a future edition of Better Know a Blogger write to me at yourfavoriteblogger@gmail.com. To be considered, you must blog at least three times per week, and have been writing for at least 6 months. Any similarity to Steven Colbert's Better Know a District is purely coincidental. Plus, he steals from me all the time.
Next week: Mobius of JewSchool
David: Sorry I'm late.
Me: NP. Is now a good time?
David: We just delivered three patrol boats to the Israel navy and I was at the commissioning ceremony. Just got back.
Me: Ooh.
Me. Ok, here we go, and don't worry, this won't hurt a bit.
Me: First question: Jewlicious or Jewschool?
David: Is that like 'Ginger or Maryanne?'?
Me: More like "boxers or briefs" ;)
David: With no disrespect to either... let me just say 'Depends'.
Me: Does anyone call you Trep in real life?
David: So far only you. :-)
Me: How do you feel about that?
David: anyone who knows me in real life calls me by my real name. I find it interesting that many of the people I know only on the net call me Trep. But it doesn't bother me at all.
Me: You're not anonymous, and you don't shy away from controversy. How do you keep the blog world from colliding with the real world? What happens when your kid's teacher, for example, wants to yell at you about your latest post?
David: I do a lot of self editing which helps avoid most of the pitfalls. I try not to publish anything less than 6 hours after writing it. That way I have a chance to look at it with fresh eyes before I hit the publish button. You'd be surprised how many things don't see the light of day because of that 'cooling off period'… although I have frequently had to apologize and retract things I've written. But that could (and does) happen in real life as well.
Me: Has your blog ever gotten you dirty looks in shul?
David: Dirty looks? No. I've had a few friends tell me that they didn't share my views though.
Me: Are you worried your blog one day might embarrass your kids, or interfere with their social life? Say Yonah decides he wants to be a Haredi, for example, and his prospective in laws - a fine Meah Sharim family – come across the blog...
David: We've raised our kids in a very open, non-judgmental household. We are mainstream observant Jews... but they have grandparents who don't keep much beyond tradition... an aunt who is a lesbian...an uncle who is an atheist and married to a non-Jew...etc. I don't think my blog is going to be the thing keeping my kids from finding the right shidduch, do you? :-)
Me: Well it depends on the shidduch, but I suppose other blogs, and other bloggers have more to worry about :) Moving on.
Me: You've been at this for two years, right? Why aren't you bored with blogging. How do you fight of the urge to mail it in occasionally?
David: Going on three, actually. I go through periods where certain aspects of journaling start to seem repetitive. I force myself to change my focus for a few weeks. Since I'm pretty happy with my life... and in my own skin... I don't get tired of rehashing it on Treppenwitz.
Me: Why don't you cut corners, though? I've looked at your blog very carefully, and you never seem to take short cuts. How do you maintain that level of professionalism?
David: That's nice of you to say, but the truth is I NEVER edit myself.
Me: I don't edit myself, either. Maybee yu cn till?
David: That would be the death of the thing for me. I have a few readers who email me with typos and grammar problems... it's actually gotten to be a bit of a game with them to see who can find the first mistake. The real trick as I mentioned earlier is simply not publishing the crappy posts. And there are plenty of them.
Me: I take the opposite approach at DovBear. The crappy posts get published, too. And often they get the most comments. In fact, I've often said, why bother churning out well-written posts, if the crap gets a better response?
David: We have a very different focus. I see you as tossing out ideas and challenging people. I spend most of my time challenging myself.
Me: How?
David: Mostly when I write about topical issues... politics... religion... social justice. I am very conflicted being a transplanted American liberal who happens to be a religious settler. If you look at even my angriest posts you will notice that near the end I usually prop the door open a bit. Y'know, just in case I need to back-track a little in the comments section. At first I felt guilty not taking a firm stand. But I found I learned more from commenters when they perceived flexibility. In my ideas, that is.
Me: Are you trying to learn, when you blog, or to teach?
David: Look, it would sound pretty pompous to say I am trying to teach people with treppenwitz. But I know that there are a lot of people out there who have had to adjust their ideas about Jews, settlers, dati people, etc. because of me. It's not that I am an example of anything, but rather that by reading me they find it is dangerous to generalize. It is mostly a creative outlet for me. I used to play gigs (on trombone) 4 times a week. Now I write about as often.
Me: I think anyone who blogs has something he wants to get across, especially if he stays with it after his audience expands. That's not pompous. We all have values and lessons we'd like to share. That's what makes us bloggers.
Me: Can you tell me who the Ren Reb is?
David: Nope. And I'm not even a little curious. I like my superheroes with their capes and masks on, thankyouverymuch.
Me: Lots of readers seem to operate on the theory that their lives will change if they unmask a popular blogger. They pursue hidden identities with a real ferociousness. As a non-anonymous blogger, I suppose you don't have to put up with that, but has an off-balance reader ever crossed the line?
David: True, being public about my identity has sort of done away with the need for anyone to 'out' me. But that doesn't mean keeping treppenwitz has been all beer and skittles. In addition to dealing with trolls, I have my own personal 'church lady' who sends me long, scripture-laden lectures about everything from my potty mouth (huh?) to the fact that I'm not holding up my end of the whole 'representing all religious Jews' thing. Good times.
Me: What's one thing you want the blogosphere to know about you?
David: Anything I want people to know I pretty much write. Anything I want to hide... well, that's another story. :-)
Me: Ok, I think that's it. This was painless, right? Maybe too painless, right?. Thanks for being a good sport.
Update: David sent this postscript:
Full Disclosure: When Dov Bear emailed me the final draft of the interview to review I was initially a little put off that he had cut it down by almost half. But in retrospect, I'm a bit relieved that he saw fit to edit out the discussion of my years in rehab... the stint in jail... and the profanity, particularly the part where I shared my own riff on the well known joke, 'The Aristocrats'. Thanks for preserving my squeaky-clean image DB. You my be a cockyhead to renreb... but you'll always be a prince to me.
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