MY URBAN KVETCH

Welcome Back to "Good Idea, Bad Idea"

Blogging is a good idea. Well, for most people anyway.

Having an official blog for your country is a good idea. As long as it's well-done, having a professional look and interesting content. And with all the Jewish bloggers who like visiting and writing about Israel, having an official Israel blog sounds awesome (at least to me).

To recap where we are so far:

Blogging, good. Israel, good. Israel blog, good.

And now there's an announcement of a new blog, sent by the Israeli Consulate itself and written by their "team of young professionals," positioned to be the "official blog of the State of Israel."

Official blog for the State of Israel, good. Right?

Here's the problem. The name of the site is Isrealli.org. The motivation for which I understand. I mean, before this site, there were others whose names used the anagrammed letters of the Jewish State to invoke a sense of reality or realness into the name of the State. (See also IsreallyCool and Isreality.) But there's something about the Consulate misspelling the name of their country--even intentionally in the service of a memorable play on words--that doesn't sit right with me.

So while the site itself seems okay (and seems to exhibit the potential for growth and improvement), I think that using a "clever misspelling" like this isrealli a bad idea.

Am I nuts? Or are you feelin' me on this? What do you guys think?

Synaplex Shabbat Downtown: December 8

Spend Shabbat with some of your favorite bloggers...including me! (Or, if I'm NOT one of your favorite bloggers, then make that "and me".) As part of Synaplex Shabbat, an initiative to “draw in Jews not presently attending synagogue” and “expand the range of possible Sabbath observance for established congregants, Town & Village Synagogue is hosting a dinner and roundtable discussion with some of your favorite bloggers. See info below:

Jewlicious, Jewschool, Kesher Talk, Blogs of Zion, My Urban Kvetch, JDaters Anonymous, Shabot6000 – are all part of a vibrant virtual community that is reinvigorating the conversation and connections among Jews. Come hear four Jewish bloggers representing seven blogs read some of their favorite posts and talk about the impact of the Internet on Judaism. Services at 6pm, dinner at 7, roundtable at 8...

RSVP required to TVSynaplex@yahoo.com or 212-677-8090 x26, by Monday, December 4, with advance payment of $20/adults, $15/young adults & students, $10/children under 13.* This includes a Chinese buffet dinner…

Pay online at www.paypal.com (click “send money”, insert townandvillage@aol.com and note it is for Dec 8 dinner); or send check payable to Town & Village Synagogue at 334 East 14th Street, NY NY 10003, writing “Synaplex” in memo space.

Hope to see you there!

Rule of Three: Celebrity Divorce Edition

First it was Reese and Ryan. No one saw that coming. The world gasped. (If the stars of Cruel Intentions can't make it work, what chance do any of us have?)

Then it was Britney and K-Fed. Everyone saw that coming. The world snarked and snickered. Although being divorced two months after you have your husband's kid can't be fun, so I'm kind of not laughing. But I guess having millions of dollars available for daycare helps.

Now it's a blonde divorcing a Ritchie. Hang on, not Madge and Guy. It's Pamela Anderson and Bob Ritchie, or as he's known, Kid Rock, divorcing after four months, three months or three and a half months, depending on if you are counting their July wedding in St. Tropez, their early August wedding in Beverly Hills, or their mid-to-late August wedding in Nashville.

What I've learned? Two things:
1) Blondes have more divorces.
2) Once you're married, stop having weddings.

Coming Soon: Buffy Season Eight

Sunnydale was destroyed. Buffy and everyone except Anya and Spike survived the battle against The First with the help of all of the Potentials, who had been activated--along with countless girls around the world--as actual Slayers. One of the Potentials turned up in Season Five of Angel, her superstrength having been activated into a dangerous, homicidal rage after a childhood of abuse. A sad story, an unforeseen aftereffect of Buffy's decision to activate all the potential slayers everywhere even if they weren't ready. But that episode gave us Andrew (Tom Lenk) back, which was great, and he gave us some updates on our favorite characters. Giles was worrying about the world being doomed.

Anyway, now we get season eight. And it focuses on the consequences of Buffy having activated all the slayers around the world. Which is good, because we have to learn that there are consequences for our actions, even if we have saved the world in the process.

Why am I not capitalizing this news? Because it's in comic book form. Man, as if I'm not nerdy enough, now I have to walk into a comic book store, push my glasses up on the bridge of my nose and say, "Excuse me, do you have Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 in comic book form? Joss told me it would be here..."

''We're calling it season 8,'' says Whedon, ''and we're picking up almost right after season seven left off. I don't know exactly why it or how it happened. I just thought, 'Oh, I could do that! It would be fun!' It happens to me every now and then, and causes me to commit to things I really don't have time for.'' [EW]

Man, can I relate.

JTA Tackles New Jewish Pubs

What's the difference between Zeek and Heeb? How's AJL doing? How does Ariel Beery drink coffee? All these questions and more are answered in this new article in the JTA about new Jewish publications.

(Article and photo by Sue Fishkoff)

Events: Ethics of Dating and Jewish Photographers

Next week brings two events of note. And by that I mean I have to note them because I'm involved with both, but you should note them because they're both explorations of Jewish identity. On Tuesday, join me at Skirball for a discussion on Dating and Jewish Ethics, and wine/cheese/fruit/coffee. That's free with your RSVP to me by Monday night, $10 at the door. And on Wednesday, join me and PresenTense Magazine in presenting a panel of photographers discussing Jewish themes in their work.

Dating and Jewish Ethics: What Do We Owe the People We Date (and Sometimes Hate)?
Tues Nov 28, 8pm
Skirball Center,                               10 East 66th Street
Free with RSVP to Esther in advance, $10 at the door

Issues of sex and infidelity aside, what are the "sins" of modern dating? Is everything really fair in the pursuit of love? How much do we need to know about those we date and what are the ethical boundaries to seeking out information? How much are we obligated to reveal about ourselves? When things don't "click" with a date, is it unethical to kiss and kvetch? And does dating involve unspoken financial agreements -- and penalties for infractions? Just what do young Jews owe each other as members of the club of singles searching for Mr. or Ms. "Right?"

Four Photographers, Four Searches into Jewish Identity            
Wed Nov 29 2006  7:00 pm  -  9:00 pm       
Bronfman Center of NYU         
7 East 10th Street, New York, NY 10012
Free 

PresenTense Magazine presents Jessica Kaufman, Jamie Permuth, Robert Schafer, Jr. and Julian Voloj: A German, a Guatemalan and two Americans from the North and South of the U.S. who use the medium of photography to explore their unique identification with Judaism. Some look for it in their own backgrounds while others search for its traces in specific locations and populations within the United States and other countries. The resulting images bear witness to U.S. areas once saturated with Jewish populations but are now almost devoid, at least visually, of such history. Other works disclose the difficulties of growing up Jewish in locations virtually unsympathetic to it. The experience of revelation late in life of having Jewish roots is also explored. These visual revelations provided by the four artists serve as fodder for a symposium on diverse ways to observe Jewish identity.         

Contact Information: editor@presentensemagazine.org         
Brought to you by: PresenTense Magazine      
Sponsored by:
     PresenTense Magazine
     Bronfman Center
     JWalks.org   
Cost: Free

"Saved" (American Jewish Life)

Angela Himsel grew up as part of a fringe Christian cult that demonized doctors, makeup, feminists, the Magic-8 ball, and even Christmas. Instead they worshipped Jesus and, quite oddly, celebrated the Jewish holidays. Flash forward a few decades. She's now a convert to Judaism (married to a rabbi's son no less), has three children, and is wrestling with the demons of her past.

Full story, by Esther D. Kustanowitz, available in this month's issue of American Jewish Life.

GA Reflection: Do the Write Thing

On the last morning of the GA, I had the honor of speaking to a group of student journalists who had been convened as part of the "Do the Write Thing" project, sponsored by the World Zionist Organization's Hagshama Department. My role was to speak on the subject of "Blogging Israel"--so naturally, I spoke a bit about my connection to blogging, how Jewlicious started and how I came on board there, and then beyond that, we discussed issues of objectivity and whether blogging should adhere to the general principles and strictures of traditional journalism. (Which I kept calling "traditional Judaism," much to the glee of the assembled.)

It was truly an inspiring experience as I learned from those who are "on the ground" at their college campuses and those who have recently graduated and are trying to break into Jewish journalism. They had extremely intelligent questions to raise, and discussions were on a high level throughout my time there. The relativism of ethics was one of the topics discussed, as one student told the assembled that he had to lie to get the information he needed about the Palestinian community's planned "apartheid rally" against Israel. Another student said, "I know I'm not objective when it comes to Israel." Others gathered around the table urged each other to create an ongoing dialogue, "to take what we learned home with us." Students urged each other to become campus activists for Israel and Jewish life, to "bring to the world's attention the stories that are in hiding."

The more I sat there, the more I became aware that Jewish journalism is changing, obviously because of the proliferation of available news sources and the viability of technology as instant publishing mechanism, available to anyone who wants it. But also because there seems to be even more of a push--which comes not from any centralized Jewish journalistic body, but from the hearts and minds of each individually committed Jewish journalist--toward finding the stories that are not in the news in an attempt to infuse the political picture, which can be overwhelmingly negative, with positive, hasbarah-style stories. For people with an emotional connection to the land of Israel, these stories do not so much whitewash the facts on the ground as they do provide balance--Israel is not just a land of political turmoil, terror and bloodshed, but it is a place of scientific achievement, technological innovation and charitable projects.

Just like the student who spoke up on the issue, I, too, know that I am not objective when it comes to Israel. But for my purposes within the context of my writing, I'm not sure it matters.

A Different Willow in the Unaired Pilot of "Buffy"

Perhaps we would have learned to love "Original Willow," but in viewing this unaired pilot, I do miss Aly Hannigan. Nick Brendon's still great, and all the quipping can irk something awful--plus, no Eric Balfour or iconic "the world is doomed..". But it's great to see Giles's stammery goodness again, and let's face it, this show got much better after the first episode anyway. Enjoy!

Take THAT, Mel Gibson...

Walking down Hollywood Boulevard, we spied a certain signature outside Graumann's Chinese Theater. Unable to resist the chance to engage in spontaneous expression and manifestations of personal truths--and admittedly, a little hopped up on caffeine--my friend Lindsay and I created a public display of temporary art.

How best to illustrate to celebrities who spout anti-Semitism when they're drunk? By asserting a Jewish presence at one of Hollywood's most holy and heavily toured spots, using only the most Jewy of articles that we had on us at the time. Oh no we di'n't? Oh yes, we did.

If you look closely, you should be able to recognize the following artistic, and most certainly Jewish, elements:

1) A copy of PresenTense magazine

2) One of Lindsay's business cards

3) A postcard for Jewlicious @ the Beach 3.0

4) One of my PresenTense business cards

5) My ID badge and press ribbon from the conference.

I think there's one other item in there, but I have no idea what it is...must have come from Lindsay's bag.

The items were carefully positioned, but assembled a veritable tapestry of cultural and religious affirmation that was entirely pure in its spontaneity. Both Princess Fiona and Charlie Chaplin agreed. So you know it must have been an act of righteousness...