HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: friedenb@boswell.egr.msu.edu (Gedaliah Friedenberg)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Negaitve Jewish portrayals in Film (was: Re: GO SEE "A STRANGER AMONG US"!!!)
Date: 24 Jan 93 03:02:52 GMT
Reply-To: friedenb@boswell.egr.msu.edu (Gedaliah Friedenberg)
Organization: College of Engineering, Michigan State University
NNTP-Posting-Host: boswell.egr.msu.edu


In an interview that I saw last year, Spike Lee said on National TV
that "Crossing Delancy" was the most racist film that he has ever seen.

As far as I could tell there was only 1 scene with Blacks in it.  It
was a bit stereotyped (scene in the steam room with 2 Balck women),
but hardly the most racist film that I have ever seen.

This cracked theory sheds light on why Spike does not see any anti-Semitism
in this own films.

Gedaliah Friedenberg
-=-Department of Mechanical Engineering
-=-Department of Metallurgy, Mechanics and Materials Science
-=-Michigan State University
From: ohayon@jcpltyo.JCPL.CO.JP (Tsiel Ohayon)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Religious breakdown of Clinton Cabinet
Date: 21 Jan 93 04:28:35 GMT
Organization: James Capel Pacific Limited, Tokyo Japan

In article <4976@copper.Denver.Colorado.EDU> Shaqeeqa writes:

>Speaking of legitimate needs, I wonder how long it will be for The Pres.
>to "recognize and act on" the needs of Palestinians in the Occupied
>Territories and populations worldwide?
> 
Probably not as long as it has taken the Arabs to recognize Israel's right
to exist, which has yet to come.

Tsiel


-- 
----8<--------------------------------------------------------------->8------
Tsiel:ohayon@jcpl.co.jp	   | If you do not receive this E-mail, please let me
Employer may not have same | know as soon as possible, if possible.
opinions, if any !         | Two percent of zero is almost nothing.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: schwartz@nynexst.com (Steven Schwartz)
Subject: Re: Has Chabad gone crazy?
Originator: schwartz@baba
Reply-To: schwartz@nynexst.com
Organization: Expert Systems Lab., NYNEX Sci. and Tech., White Plains NY
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 93 18:37:08 GMT


If anyone's wondering, Dr. Gutfreund and I took our discussion offline,
as it was becoming rather personal.

	--Shimon

-- 
Steven H. Schwartz		Expert Systems Laboratory
schwartz@nynexst.com		NYNEX Science and Technology Center
PROFS: SCHWARTZ@UNIX		500 Westchester Avenue
914-644-2960			White Plains NY 10604
Xref: sparky soc.culture.jewish:25804 talk.politics.mideast:26020 soc.culture.african.american:14195
From: friedenb@silver.egr.msu.edu (Gedaliah Friedenberg)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish,talk.politics.mideast,soc.culture.african.american
Subject: The term "anti-Semitism" (was: Re: Martin Luther King Quotes)
Date: 21 Jan 93 17:10:34 GMT
Reply-To: friedenb@silver.egr.msu.edu (Gedaliah Friedenberg)
Organization: College of Engineering, Michigan State University
NNTP-Posting-Host: silver.egr.msu.edu

In article <kglavgx@Unify.Com> jhf@dbrus.Unify.Com (Jeff Fields) writes:

> Also not all Semites are Jews. Anti-Semitism was a term invented in the
> Zionist movement of the 19th century.

This is false.  Please prove this statement, or post a retraction.

Thanks,

Gedaliah Friedenberg
-=-Department of Mechanical Engineering
-=-Department of Metallurgy, Mechanics and Materials Science
-=-Michigan State University
From: aliki@nova2.stanford.edu (Alexandra Schmidt)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Niddah and Pregnancy
Date: 27 Jan 93 22:21:00 GMT
Organization: Stanford University
NNTP-Posting-Host: nova2.stanford.edu

In article <9301272048.AA10285@hrt213.brooks.af.mil> tjm@hrt213.brooks.af.mil (Tim Miller) writes:
>On 26 Jan 93 17:13 PST, Stephen Dubin <sdubin@igc.apc.org> said:
>
>S> While on the topic of contraception, I wonder whether there has been any
>S> recent rabinical decisions on vasectomy.  I know that injury to the 
>S> TESTICLES disqualifies one from being part of the  kehilah, but vasectomy
>S> actually is done on the vasa defferentia.  In particular I wonder whether
>S> the rabbis have ever considered that - of all the methods of contraception
>S> that might be used after the obligation of procreation has been fulfilled -
>S> vasectomy is the only one that prevents haschatat hazerah in the sense
>S> that the spermatozoa are certainly the essential element of zerah.
>
>	As I understood things, contraceptive methods that interfere
>(read: prevent) with the deposition of semen in the vagina are
>forbidden.  Also, of course, are any methods that abort a fertilized
>ovum (as the IUD is suspected to work, but there's still some question
>about this).  
>
>	I'm afraid I don't recall the authorities for this
>interpretation.  Anyone?

Shoot.  I know Blu Greenberg discusses this in the birth control chapter of
'How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household', but I don't have the book
handy.  If someone else does, perhaps he/she can post?

			. . .A.

From what you cite, that sounds correct to me.

>
>-- Cerebus <tjm@floyd.brooks.af.mil>
>"In other words, you can armor the target, but you can't take the
> bullets out of the gun."
From: faigin@aero.org (Daniel P. Faigin)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Torah is the center of every Jew? (was Orthadox Judaism and women)
Date: 24 Jan 93 06:14:50
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
	<1993Jan19.061848.14748@netcom.com>
	<1993Jan22.175050.22860@dazixco.ingr.com>
	<1993Jan24.004637.4505@newshub.ariel.yorku.ca>
NNTP-Posting-Host: solarium.aero.org
In-reply-to: cs922177@ariel.yorku.ca's message of Sun, 24 Jan 1993 00:46:37 GMT

On Sun, 24 Jan 1993 00:46:37 GMT, cs922177@ariel.yorku.ca (DANIEL T FARKAS)
said: 

> Orthodoxy does not change their rules period.

Not true. If you compare what Orthodoxy was even as far back as the middle
ages, compared with what Orthodoxy is today, you'll find that the rules have
been changed. Traditions have become rules. Things have been adapted for
modern understandings. Rulings have been examined. Orthodoxy does change (or
else your argument that Orthodoxy is not a stagnent religion wouldn't hold
water). It's just that the change is much slower.

> Reform does change "to suit the times".  

This is a misconception. Reform does change, but not "to suit the times".
Rather, Reform believes the process of interpretation is still continuing to
this day; it changes based on its interpretation of the historical sources.

> Unfortunately, I still
> don't fully understand when the Reform movement is "allowed" to change
> the rules, and on what they base their changes.  

Change is allowed because the Reform movement believes the Torah was written
by the hand of man in a language man at that time could understand, but was
divinely inspired and contains timeless truths. It must be continually
reinterpreted in light of what man can currently understand. These "changes"
are based on Torah, Talmud, and the writings of learned scholars from talmudic
times to present times. Read one of the books of Reform Responsa, esp.
Freehof's or Jacob's, to see what I mean.

> The Reform movement, doesn't agree with anything I just said.  They feel
> that man has the right to change the laws to "suit the times".  I can't
> explain why, but I'm sure Daniel Faigin can, so I'll leave that to him.

See my note above.

Daniel


--
[W]:The Aerospace Corp. M1/055 * POB 92957 * LA, CA 90009-2957 * 310/336-8228
[Email]:faigin@aerospace.aero.org              [Vmail]:310/336-5454 Box#13149
		    "And as they say, the rest is compost"
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Go and see 'A Stranger among us'
From: EXTDSM@LURE.LATROBE.EDU.AU (MADDISON,David)
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 01:31:32 GMT
Organization: La Trobe University
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.24

I saw a movie a few months ago called "Too Close to Eden" and a wondered why it
had not been discussed on s.c.j. Now the reason is obvious: It was released as
"A Stranger Among Us" in the U.S. Sometimes U.S. films are "test marketed" in
Australia before their main release Stateside and this may be what happened
here and it was decided to change the name. What about people in other
countries, what was this movie called there?

Overall I thought it was an absolutely fantastic movie with very few technical
inaccuracies. One small thing I noticed was the light in the closet in the girls
room. It wasn't obvious if this was left on permanently on Shabbos or was
operated by a switch activated when the door was opened (which would have been
a violation of the Shabbos in such a household).

A highly recommended movie for all Jews to see and non-Jews interested in
Judaism. Some Ba'ale Tshuvah might even be inspired to don payos, beard, black 
hat and black coat after seeing this movie!

David Maddison
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: jlove@ivrit.ra.itd.umich.edu (Jack Love)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Reconstructionist Judaism
Keywords: reconstruction
Date: 27 Jan 93 01:18:47 GMT
Organization: /usr/local/trn/lib/organization
NNTP-Posting-Host: ivrit.ra.itd.umich.edu

In article <1993Jan27.002459.10274@osf.org> barry@dingus.osf.org (Barry Perlman) writes:
>called Reconstructionist, and would like to hear from knowledgeable
>people.
>	Is this a fourth branch like Reform/Conservative/Orthodox,
>or is this an accent on one of the main three branches, like 
>Egalitarian?

The question strikes me as a little over-simplistic since it imposes
a predominantly American Jewish viewpoint. However, I suppose that
Reconstructionism, within the framework of your question, does
earn "branch" status. See infra.

>	Is there such a thing as a Reconstructionist rabbi?

Yes. The Reconstructionist movement funds a fine rabbinic college
in Philadelphia which has strong academic relationships with
Temple University, just as JTS is related to Columbia and JIR with
NYU.

>	What are the principal tenets of Reconstructionism?

Here I think you should just read the "founding document"--Judaism
as a Civilization, by Mordecai Kaplan. Kaplan argues, among many
things, that Judaism needs to be concerned more with this world
than the next, he defines God as "the power that makes for 
salvation," and he stresses the need of the religion to strive
for social justice.

>	How is Reconstructionism generally perceived by the mainstreams
>of the three major branches?

I don't think a question such as this can be answered, except by
blazing generalities.
-- 
________________________________________
Jack F. Love	| 	Opinions expressed are mine alone.
		|	(Unless you happen to agree.)
From: engelson-sean@cs.yale.edu (Sean P. Engelson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: from presumption to reality (was Re: Has Chabad gone crazy?)
Date: 22 Jan 1993 14:25:10 -0500
Organization: Yale AI Mobile Robotics Project
Distribution: world
Reply-To: engelson-sean@cs.yale.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: fridge.ai.cs.yale.edu


In article <1993Jan21.052233.11530@cs.tulane.edu>, david@bourbon.ee.tulane.edu (David Kaufmann) writes:
|> In article <107777@bu.edu> simon1@bass.bu.edu (Simon Streltsov) writes:
|> >In article <1993Jan20.221733.5175@cs.tulane.edu> david@bourbon.ee.tulane.edu (David Kaufmann) writes:
|> >
|> >>It is well known that the Vilna Gaon's opposition was based on
|> >>hearsay, that he was also a student of kabbalah and a believer in
|> >^^^^^^^^
|> >>Moshiach. 
|> >>I would think that a gadol of his stature would welcome
|> >>Moshiach whoever he might be.
|> >
|> >Of course, it's a cheap shot to say that being a beliver in Mashiach
|> >would make one a Chasid...
|> >
|> But I didn't say that! (Not that I think there's anything wrong with
|> being a Chasid, of course.) I meant that as a compliment (not that
|> mine mean much) to his memory.
|> 
|> >But, David, do you have troubles with your statement, that a "gadol of his
|> >stature" would declare herem, based solely on hearsay?! 
|> >
|> I don't have trouble with a historically verifiable fact. The Vilna
|> Gaon was a phenomenal scholar who spent most of his life in the daled
|> amos of Torah and halacha. He was not a politician. Given the state of
|> the controversy, it's not surprising that much, if not most, of it was
|> based on misinformation. Under those circumstances, it's thus also not
|> surprising that decisions would be made on that misinformation.

You seem to either believe that the Gaon thought cherem was a trivial
matter, or that he was sloppy in application of his public power.  It
is well known that he was an intensely private person and preferred to
be let alone to learn.  He rarely involved himself in public life at
all.  It's therefore very hard to imagine that a scholar and tsadik of
the Gaon's stature would put a cherem on such large numbers of people,
and particularly in such strong terms as he did, based on hearsay and
misinformation.

|> When
|> the Gaon of Vilna fell ill shortly before his death, Chassidim prayed
|> for his recovery. 

Interesting; I'm curious as to the source for this.  

I have a good bit of difficulty with _some_ chassidim on these sorts
of issues---one has, of course, the ubiquitous "chassid-mitnaged"
jokes, which somehow always seem to come up.  More seriously, last
year a local Chabad Rabbi said, in a public forum, that the Gaon's
Torah was derived from the Sitra Achara (ch"v); the man was not
censured for this, at least in public, and continued to speak after
saying this.  I was not present, otherwise I should have walked out.
-- 
Sean Philip (Shlomo) Engelson		
Yale Department of Computer Science	
Box 2158 Yale Station			
New Haven, CT 06520
From: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Slavery
Date: 25 Jan 93 21:01:09 GMT
Reply-To: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Organization: The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology
In-reply-to: MASH@WEIZMANN.WEIZMANN.AC.IL (Michael Shimshoni)

In article <9301241046.AA09503@relay1.UU.NET>, MASH@WEIZMANN (Michael Shimshoni) writes:
>In: <105964@netnews.upenn.edu>
>>>True, "eved" (slave) is also used  for servant, Moses was called God's
>>>eved.  On the  other hand in the articles Herman  refers to, "slavery"
>>>is pretty  close to what is  understood by that word  in English, with
>>>perhaps some softening of *some* of its harshest aspects.

>>I can only assume that Michael is unfamiliar with slavery in American
>>history.  [...]

>Matthew  does not  have to  agree  with me,  he may  even consider  my
>unfamiliar with  slavery in America  (although I  think I have  a fair
>knowledge about it),  what I consider unfair is to  quote only part of
>my article,  leaving out that  part in which  I had given  an example, [...]

I was responding to the sense _in the articles Herman refers to_, not
what you wrote later.  I also shudder at what you mean by the "softening
of *some* of its harshest aspects"?  Which of the various harshest aspects
of American slavery does "eved" encompass.

>[...] BTW does Matthew "yearn" for a return to *that* kind of slavery
>im Messianic times?

I cannot follow your pronoun reference.  I will just stay that there
are numerous people who yearn for the return of Biblical eved-ness.
Mamzers and sofeks (and probably other problematic conditions) can
be easily resolved be coming eveds.  Heck, it probably will be the
only solution to the OCR conversion crisis!  Ie--and on this I may
be completely wrong, somebody correct me--a Reform convert who serves
as an Orthodox eved and is manumitted (even after a short time) is
Jewish even by Orthodox standards, despite rejection of Orthodoxy.
-- 
-Matthew P Wiener (weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu)
From: warren@nysernet.org (Warren Burstein)
Subject: Re: Torah is the center of every Jew? (was Orthadox Judaism and women)
Organization: NYSERNet, Inc.
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 01:54:33 GMT

dg = gertler@cyclone.sbi.com (Don Gertler)
df = faigin@aero.org (Daniel P. Faigin)

df: For Orthodoxy to admit that *Reform* (not Reformism, not Reformed)
df: is fine, is to admit that their approach is wrong. This will never
df: happen. Different lemmas.

dg: I think we've discussed this one before.  If we're all being honest,
dg: we must realize that the feeling is mutual (or is that reciprocal?).

I'm not quite sure what Don means, but in case he means that R can't
accept O, I know someone who grew up in a R family and decided to
become O.  His family's rabbi insist that this person is a good R Jew,
as he studied and decided what mitzvot were meaningful to him for
himself.  He isn't sure if he's pleased or disturbed about it ...
-- 
/|/-\/-\          currently in NY until the Jewish Agency tells me
 |__/__/_/        I can go back to Jerusalem (early Feb, probably)
 |warren@         
/ nysernet.org    
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: nadel@attatash.aero.org (Miriam Nadel)
Subject: Re: Torah is the center of every Jew? (was Orthadox Judaism and women)
Organization: /usr/lib/news/organization
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 00:58:01 GMT


You have to distinguish between sexism in the religion and sexist applications
on the part of some people who speak for it.

There are some Orthodox rabbis who are sexists and will not, for example,
teach Torah to women.  There are also plenty of Orthodox rabbis who will
teach Torah to women.  

There are also some Conservative rabbis who are sexists and some Reform
rabbis who are sexists.  They have less effect because they generally have
less influence over their followers, but they do exist.

You may be surprised at some practices that do fall within Orthodoxy.  There
are Orthodox women's prayer groups, for example.  Bat mitzvahs are common
in Orthodox shuls.  It is not unusual for a woman to give a d'var Torah in
Orthodox shuls.  

Some rabbis are hesitant to permit practices which there is no halachic
reason not to allow because they're afraid of the implications and I consider
that sexist.  But there other rabbis who will permit what is not actually
forbidden.

And one might note that Judaism is at least explicit about G-d having both
masculine and feminine attributes and not having actual gender.

Miriam Nadel

Xref: sparky soc.culture.jewish:25930 soc.culture.german:10201
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish,soc.culture.german
Subject: Re: Detest Germans?
From: Yaakov Kayman <YZKCU@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Date: Friday, 22 Jan 1993 12:48:39 EST
 <C0xrGA.AM1@unix.amherst.edu><1993Jan17.192129.27257@compu.com> <93022.014410U09416@uicvm.uic.edu>
Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center

Y'know?  When I was stationed in Ft. Hood, Texas, during the Viet Nam
War, it was a German-American major, G-d Bless him and his family
wherever they are, who was G-d's instrument in keeping me from ending up
there, and maybe, G-d Forbid!, getting killed or maimed. When I was sta-
tioned later IN Germany, another German-American was one of my best
buddies (then again, in Georgia, my best buddy was a Palestinian Arab!).

Then again, we lived in Nazi barracks, complete with swastikas, and our
arms room was a former Nazi dungeon, with 5-consonants-in-a-row-type
Slavic names scratched into the wall, SOME OF THEM IN *BLOOD!*
Hearing Nazi drinking songs in the Gasthause (sp?) wasn't fun, either.

Not to mention all the FAMILY members I lost to the Nazi scum!

Detest Germans? I don't know. You tell me!

Yaakov K, ex-"grunt"
--------
Yaakov Kayman      (212) 903-3666       City University of New York

BITNET:   YZKCU@CUNYVM        "Lucky is the shepherd, and lucky his flock
Internet: YZKCU@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU     about whom the wolves complain"
Organization: Queen's University at Kingston
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 13:16:35 EST
From: Andy <2893684@QUCDN.QueensU.CA>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Andy again... (was Re: Was Arafat a GIRL


Skoll says:

>>Style conventions vary

>Face it, Andy.  You're wrong.  In any case, no "style convention"
>allows for dangling participles.

>>in any case how is this relevant to judaism?

>As relevant as your put-downs of Erlich's fluency in English, or
>your long reposts of political articles.

>-
>David Skoll.

For heaven's sake David, stop being so anal retentive and GET A LIFE!!!
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: norm@helix.nih.gov(Norm Friedman)
Subject: Re: Kashering appliances
Originator: scj@israel.nysernet.org
Reply-To: <norm@helix.nih.gov(Norm Friedman)>
Organization: Nysernet
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 13:53:13 GMT

>In article <1993Jan23.010633.11346@speedy.aero.org>, nadel@attatash (Miriam Nadel) writes:
>>I know nothing about microwaves since I've never had one.  I remember
>>something about putting water in to make steam but it isn't clear.
>
>Microwaves are subject to a wide variety of opinions.  Some say they can't
>be kashered at all, while others say that cleaning it and running steam in
>it for 3-5 minutes kashers it.
>-- 
>-Matthew P Wiener (weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu)
I have heard that you may use a glass of water in the microwave. Set the
time for the water to boil and create steam to fill the space. I think that
a paper cup of water would be even better.
+---------------------------------------------------------+
   
   *    ***    ***     *                
   *   *   *     *     *
   *   *   *           *                
   *    ***         ***
   *   nissan reuven b'R Shami     (norm)           
   *   
   *   "EVERYWHERE I GO, I GO TO ISRAEL!"
+---------------------------------------------------------+

Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: ahorwitz@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Anita S Horwitz)
Subject: Chicago!  I made my decision!
Organization: The Ohio State University
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 18:27:24 GMT


About 2 months ago I went through pregraduation panic as to where to live.  
Many of you offered suggestions and I wanted to thank you!  Well, I decided to 
move to the Chicago area, more specifically Lincoln Park.   Once again, I need 
some help to find the following things:

1.  A Conservative Synagogue where women are considered part of the minyan
2.  A Kosher butcher
3.  Where do Jewish singles hang out  (I heard that JUF does a lot of things?)
4.  I have a roomate, but she is also foreign to Chicago -- any extra advice
    to us would be appreciated!!

Thanks to everyone who helped me before!  Just so those of you who live in 
Chicago know, I will be working for Chicago public schools but I will also work
for the Kinko's in Lincoln Park (I am transferring) before school starts.  
Come in an introduce yourself!  I'd like to meet some friends!  I will be there
as of May 1!!

Anita
From: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Reconstructionist Judaism
Keywords: reconstruction
Date: 27 Jan 93 16:02:20 GMT
Reply-To: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Organization: The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology
In-reply-to: barry@dingus.osf.org (Barry Perlman)

In article <1993Jan27.002459.10274@osf.org>, barry@dingus (Barry Perlman) writes:
>	I have some questions about a particular flavor of Judaism
>called Reconstructionist, and would like to hear from knowledgeable
>people.

That's not me, but I've read some of their stuff, talked to some of
their rabbis, and so on, so I have a pretty reasonable impression.

>	Is this a fourth branch like Reform/Conservative/Orthodox,
>or is this an accent on one of the main three branches, like 
>Egalitarian?

It can be viewed as putting a Hassidic-style accent on Conservatism.
The innovations they introduce are often extremely liberal, more so
than Reform usually does, yet individually they are usually more
involved and sometimes more strict than most Conservatives.  Some of
the old-timers were even frum.

Most Orthodox won't read Reform or Conservative literature, at least
not without getting angry, yet many don't mind at least some of the
Reconstructionist literature, like Arthur Waskow? SEASONS OF OUR JOY.

>	Is there such a thing as a Reconstructionist rabbi?

Oh yes.  They have their college out here in Philadelphia.

>	What are the principal tenets of Reconstructionism?

Don't worry, be Jewish.

>	How is Reconstructionism generally perceived by the mainstreams
>of the three major branches?

As incomprehensible.
-- 
-Matthew P Wiener (weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu)
Xref: sparky soc.culture.jewish:26253 soc.culture.german:10360