I’ve noticed that Yom Kippur is the one day most Jews go to synagogue despite their level of observance, and I have no idea why. Rabbis have noted that logically people should gravitate to Purim[…]
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Month: September 2017
“…while ‘strong drink’ remains the most frequent English translation of שֵׁכָר, confusion about its identity persists”
Today, while ‘strong drink’ remains the most frequent English translation of שֵׁכָר, confusion about its identity persists. The problem of rendering שֵׁכָר into English is best exemplified by the JPS translation of the Hebrew Bible,[…]
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“Trump’s innovation is to have mined a deeper vein of cynicism, exhausting the weary tropes of polite political discourse”
…Trump is pivoting constantly. Or perhaps more accurately, the man is so erratic that he has no baseline of behavior against which to pivot. For instance, Trump seemed to change his mind last month on[…]
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“Diaspora Jews must learn, not shun, intersectional discourse in all its forms and be part of the discussion while not being afraid to challenge instances of exclusionary intersectionality”
On too many college campuses, political activists embrace exclusionary intersectionality. Jewish students have reported feeling unwelcome in certain social justice coalitions. In such instances, anti-Israel students have become gatekeepers for campus coalitions, citing intersectionality in[…]
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Considering vertical vs horizontal perspectives
Before 1930, moving picture aspect ratios were all over the place. But mass distribution requires standardization, so influential filmmakers met in Hollywood that year to talk. They settled on the horizontal shot. Things pretty much[…]
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“Do moms and dads of 7-year-olds know whether they want their kids to lead the Jewish community?”
…do the soul-searching and idea-wrestling that lead you to a concept. Use that concept and develop a universal benefit. Consistency is important. Create programs and educational tools that support your brand. Dismiss ideas that conflict.[…]
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“…accusations of ‘virtue signaling’ are, more than anything, a way of walking out on that argument and dismissing it altogether…”
…accusations of “virtue signaling” are, more than anything, a way of walking out on that argument and dismissing it altogether — a quick and easy solution for those moments when engaging and listening, agreeing or[…]
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“…the platforms most flamboyantly dedicated to a borrowed idea of free speech and assembly are the same ones that have struggled most intensely with groups of users who seek to organize and disrupt their platforms”
It is worth noting that the platforms most flamboyantly dedicated to a borrowed idea of free speech and assembly are the same ones that have struggled most intensely with groups of users who seek to[…]
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“Social platforms tend to refer to their customers in euphemistic, almost democratic terms…”
Social platforms tend to refer to their customers in euphemistic, almost democratic terms: as “users” or “members of a community”. Their leaders are prone to statesmanlike posturing, and some, like Mark Zuckerberg, even seem to[…]
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“Memewear has its roots in fandom, though it’s a limited precedent”
Memewear has its roots in fandom, though it’s a limited precedent. In the 1960s, Andy Warhol played with the sheer ubiquity of pop-culture icons, retooling famous faces in lavender and yellow and silk-screening them on[…]
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