June 19, 2011

Jews, I have discovered in previous research, have a much greater participation on social networking sites such as Facebook than the general population.

The Pew Internet and American Life’s new survey on social networking sites has found that the number of people on social networking sites has more than doubled since 2008 and that people with Facebook accounts have a higher degree of social well-being than those without.

The high penetration of Facebook into the American Jewish Population may greatly aid in the creation, maintenance of community.

I find it really convenient to keep up with my friends around the world especially Israel, making my connection with Israel practical rather than only spiritual.

Are social networking sites such as Facebook to be encouraged among our youth to make them better Jews?

Pini Herman serves as President of the Movable Minyan a lay-lead independent congregation in the 3rd Street area.

Catholic University is getting rid of its coed dorms. Seems the administration thinks this will “curtail the binge drinking and casual hookups of students.” But based on the restrictions Catholic already had—segregating men and women in coed dorms to separate floors or wings and enforcing “visiting hours”—I don’t really understand why they think separating men and women into entirely different buildings will make a difference.

Catholic University getting rid of coed dorms Read More »

” target=”_blank” title=”they’ve claimed”>they’ve claimed that Vladimir Lenin was a secret Jew. You know, just another ” target=”_blank” title=”Time”>Time reports:

This fascinating morsel of information, gleaned from declassified KGB files, is not a minor detail in a country where anti-Semitism was a recognized state doctrine for decades. Starting in the 1930s, the Soviet regime —spurred on by its leader Joseph Stalin — launched a violent discriminatory campaign against Jewish citizens.

Born in 1870, Lenin identified himself simply as Russian. His official biography mentions only his Russian, German and Swedish origins. But one of the exhibition’s priceless pieces adds a key new element to the official narrative.

In a letter to Stalin in 1932 — six years after Lenin’s death — Anna Ulyanova, Lenin’s older sister, wrote that their maternal grandfather “came from a poor Jewish family and was, according to his baptismal certificate, the son of Moses Blank.” Blank was born in Zhitomir, Ukraine. In her letter, Ulyanova said her brother “had always thought highly of Jews.” She also urged Stalin to reveal Lenin’s Jewish background, concluding that “it would be wrong to hide it from the masses.”

Stalin, however, ordered Ulyanova to keep Lenin’s Jewish roots under wraps. A few years later, Stalin began to purge Jews from among the leaders of the revolution.

It is, of course, significant that neither Lenin’s mother nor Lenin were Jewish. So what does it matter that Lenin had Jewish ancestors?

The big news in New York this week is not Anthony Weiner. It’s a same-sex marriage bill that is teetering on the passage.

Here’s the story from the Associated Press:

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he was cautiously optimistic his gay marriage bill will soon become law as he held more one-on-one negotiations Friday with Senate Republicans. The Republicans who hold the critical votes say they worry Cuomo’s bill doesn’t adequately protect religious groups and churches that refuse to preside over same-sex weddings and other services.

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“There has been no decision — in fact that really was not the discussion — as to whether it will come out yet, who’s voting for it, who’s voting against it,” Majority Leader Dean Skelos said immediately after Friday’s two-hour conference.

The Long Island Republican said senators for and against gay marriage want to make the sure that if the bill gets a floor vote there won’t be “unintended consequences to this legislation” — a reference to religious protections.

As Cuomo says later in the story, the concern is with not imposing state action—the business of marriage ceremonies—on religious individuals who feel a religious to not officiate such same-sex weddings.

The bill seems to be moving pretty quickly, and it appears that NY legislatures want to resolve the religion issue quickly. One question, though, is whether passage of a law permitting same-sex marriage would lead to the short of voter revolt that California experienced in response to ” title=”legal drama” target=”_blank”>legal drama that has NY’s run at same-sex marriage Read More »