HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jonesq@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (Quentin Jones)
Subject: The creation of an Australian Jewish Network
Keywords: Kesher
Organization: Sydney University Computing Service, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1992 07:05:26 GMT

Australia has a population of about 17 millon and is about the size of the
USA minus Alaska.  Spread over this continent are approximately 95,000 Jews.
Most live in the capital cites (Sydney 37,000; Melbourne 40,000; Canberra 700;
Brisbane 2500; Adelaide 5,000; and Perth 9,000.  

To fly from Sydney to Perth takes 6 hours.  Phone calls between capital cities 
is expensive.  There is one Jewish newspaper which has a slightly different
in the different cities.

The community is cohesive with about 50% of Jewish children going to Jewish Day schools and a large number of children go to Zionist Youth Movements.  However
Jews outside of Sydney and Melbourne find it hard to find Jewish Patners and to
keep in touch with the rest of the Australian Jewish community.

Bearing in mind the geographic spread and the politics ot the Australian Jewish
community;  A PROFESSIONAL Jewish computer network could be a major benefit
to the community.

We propose to set up a system that is connected to our end of internet AARNET.  This will give the entire (subscribed) Jewish community the ability to send
inter-state and overseas email and join in this discussion group.  We will
also create various local discussion groups and get people to subscribe to otheroverseas groups.  

Individuals and organisations in Austalia will have to pay a subscription fee,
this is the only way we believe we can make the idea become a reality.

We are only in the very earliest stages of this project.  We know we have  
a lot of work to do.  

Comments and ideas would be appreciated.

Yours Sincerely Quentin Jones 

Jonesq@extro.ucc.su.oz.au

 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish,soc.culture.polish
From: jacek@cs.tut.fi (Nieweglowski Jacek)
Subject: Re: Document that! (was Re: Violent antisemitism?)
Organization: Finnish University and Research Network FUNET
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 08:41:15 GMT


Sam Saal:

>>There are an awful lot of us who have family
>> that survived but lost other family members to Polish antisemitism. 


The is logically correct, but if you think about it carefully
then you realize that you have no right whatsoever to say
the murdered one is then the victim of polish antisemitism.  

Notice, I don't deny antisemitism. Since when, however,
killing a Jew = antisemitism. If a Nazi puts a club in
Jewish hand to kill another Jew in Nazi run Ghetto or 
camp is the latter one the victim of Jewish antisemitism?


Jacek N.
--
From: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Bingo
Date: 15 Sep 92 14:16:33 GMT
Reply-To: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Organization: The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology
In-reply-to: ask@cbnews.cb.att.com (Arthur S. Kamlet)

In article <1992Sep14.223756.9508@cbnews.cb.att.com>, ask@cbnews (Arthur S. Kamlet) writes:
>This applies to all congregational rabbis.  There's no need to
>concentrate on conservative shuls and rabbis.   The issues should
>really concentrate on Halacha though.   Example:  In the early
>1970s,  our conservative shul decided to start a weekly Bingo fund
>raiser.  The rabbi, citing resolutions of the United Synagogue,
>insisted that we could not put in Bingo under any circumstances, but
>the board voted to start the game anyway.

There was a Lubavitch-run Bingo in southern California for many years,
before Crown Heights shut them down.  There's a day school in Lakewood
that has Bingo a few nights a week.

Just how widespread is Jewish Bingo?
-- 
-Matthew P Wiener (weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: esafern@shearson.com (Eric Safern)
Subject: Re: On Qadish
Reply-To: esafern@shearson.com
Organization: Lehman Brothers, Inc.
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 16:38:59 GMT

In article 2509@israel.nysernet.org, warren@nysernet.org (Warren Burstein) writes:
... <stuff deleted> ...
>
>Likewise, there are two minhagim about what people whose parents are
>alive do during Yizkor.  In some shuls they walk out and in others
>they don't.
>-- 
>/|/-\/-\       The entire auditorium		Jerusalem
> |__/__/_/     is a very cold ***.
> |warren@      But the ***
>/ nysernet.org is worried.

Hey, Warren -

	Are these the only two possible minhagim???

	What about the ever-popular *third* minhag?

	Don't walk out - that would be disrespectful to the Kehilla
	Don't say Yizkor - that would be disrespectful to one's parents

	So -- stay - but talk with your friends!   ;-)



---
							Eric Safern
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Internet: esafern@sisyphus.govt.shearson.com   ...!uunet!sisyphus!esafern
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: lms@TorreyPinesCA.ncr.com (Max Stern 310-524-6152)
Subject: Re: Another Wedding (was Re: weddings on Saturday???)
Organization: NCR (Torrey Pines Development Center)
Disclaimer: This posting does not neccessarily reflect the opinions of NCR.
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 15:37:46 GMT

In article <2499@israel.nysernet.org> warren@nysernet.org writes:

>
>The only connection between programs and weddings that I know of is
>that I used to run one at YU that punched out all the holes from punch
>cards so I could throw the confetti at weddings.

Warren, I didn't see the "(:-)", but I hope that you are kidding.  I
was always warned that the chads from punched cards were VERY dangerous
to use as confetti, because of the possibility of ingestion,
inhalation, or eye damage.  REAL confetti is made from much softer and
lighter paper.

In other words, "Folks, please don't try this at home!"

Not that anyone ever sees a punched card any more (:-).
-- 

 |\/|  /_\  \/
 |  | /   \ /\                      Max.Stern@TorreyPinesCA.ncr.com
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: MASH@WEIZMANN.WEIZMANN.AC.IL (Michael Shimshoni)
Subject: Re: Orthodox Monopoly
Organization: Mail to News Gateway at Wang Labs
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 92 14:54:19 +0200

In: <mannj.716060967@acf9>
mannj@acf9.nyu.edu (Jordan Mann)   continues  the  Orthodox   Monopoly
discussion.   I have  presented  my  views earlier.   I  just wish  to
comment here  on one  aspect of Jordan's  present posting  (skipping a
lot):

>A number of people have responded to my most recent posting.
>
>>In article <mannj.715971400@acf9> mannj@acf9.nyu.edu (Jordan Mann) writes:
>>>
>>>If I understand the Reform and Conservative correctly, they interpret the
>>>(Written) Torah as literally as the Orthodox do, if not more so.  Their
>>>decision not to fulfill many of the commandments results not from
>>>reinterpretation but from rejection or from the belief that these
>>>commandment are "not relevant".
>>....
>>>This has no bearing on my point, which is that the Conservative and
>>>Reform are the first to reject the *Written* Law.
>
>Art Kamlet writes:
>
>>I will not speak for reform Judaism, but conservative Judaism does
>>not reject or make irrelevant the written law.
>>
>>What conservative Judaism does is continue to interpret the written
>>law, and not freeze it in the distant past.
>>
>>Please read some responsa beofre making such claims.
>>
>>As examples, some of the more well-known responsa are:
>>
>>   - is electricity per se allowed on shabbat (yes - with restrictions)
>>   - are women permitted to be counted in a minyan (yes)
>>   - is a woman permitted to be a rabbi (yes)
>>   - Is commercial wine prepared in the United States treife (no)
>
>Jonathan Baker also responded with a lengthy discussion of the decision to
>ordain women as Conservative rabbis.  You have shown that in many areas,
>the Conservative work very hard to adhere to Written Law (and a great deal
>of the Oral Law as well).  What I would like to know is, do they adhere
>to *all* the Written Law?  How many Conservative rabbis observe the laws
>of Niddah?  And what is the rationale for not observing them?  If you believe
>that the Written Law is *Law*, then it is all Law.

What  I would  like to  know,  do Orthodox  rabbis adhere  to ALL  the
written law?  Do they practice eye  for eye, tooth for  tooth etc.? Do
they completely adhere  in their rulings that no  interest should ever
be charged? Do they  adhere to the rule of not adding  to the the law,
when they completely "distort" the simple rule of not cooking a kid in
his mother's milk to mean what  keeps so many mashgihim employed these
days? So none  of these groups sticks  to all the words  of the Torah,
the fact  that the  O claim  that their "distortion"  of the  Torah is
"what was really meant" or "what was  told to Moshe at Sinai" does not
change the simple fact  that no person does or can  live by the letter
of the Torah as written.  And now that we have established that..., as
GBS or Churchill was  supposed to have told that lady,  no one has the
right to attack the other sect, at least not on these grounds.

Michael Shimshoni
From: backon@vms.huji.ac.il
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Electricity on Shabbat (was Conservative Halacha)
Date: 11 Sep 92 08:19:43 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

In article <1992Sep10.225605.9773@cbnews.cb.att.com>, ask@cbnews.cb.att.com (Arthur S. Kamlet) writes:
> On 10 Sep 92 00:26:23 GMT, schultz@garnet.berkeley.edu (Richard Schultz) said:
>> So here's my question for all you Conservative types out there: in what
>> areas of halachah is the official Conservative position more machmer than
>> even the most liberal Orthodox position?
>
> Does orthodoxy consider electricity to be fire?  And of so, is
> it OK to light Hanukkah or Shabbat or Yitzkor lights with an
> electric menorah?   Yet many conservtaive authorities would not
> consider electricity to be fire and therefore would ask for
> a menorah with something burning in it.
>
> A diversion :^)
> --
> Art Kamlet  a_s_kamlet@att.com  AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus

There is an organization in Jerusalem MACHON MADAII-TECHNOLOGI LEBAAYOT HALACHA
that has put out a book HACHASHMAL BESHABAT (electricity on Shabbat) in two
volumes. The book is available from the Institute whose address is: POB 16121
Jerusalem, Israel.

In general, electricity on Shabbat may involve not only "fire" but also the
prohibition of (I believe) BONEH and MAKEH BEPATISH  (e.g. completing a
circuit). The "fire" would be in the heating of the element and/or sparks.

There *are* some differences between incandescent bulbs, motors producing
sparks, and certain types of flourescent bulbs where the starter would induce
a spark, on the one hand, and certain types of fluorescent bulbs with starters
that do not produce a spark, on the other.


Regarding lighting Shabbat candles vs. lighting a Channuka Menorah: there is a
difference between OHR and NER (light vs. actual candle). Whereas on Channukah
one is mandated to use NER (candle), I remember hearing from a reliable source
in my Yeshiva high school (albeit 25 years  ago :-) ) that theoretically one
*could* EREV SHABBAT make a bracha LEHADLIK NER SHEL SHABBAT and switch on the
electric light. However, I stand corrected if anyone else could provide data
contrary to the above.


Regarding  YOM TOV there was an erroneous ruling (PSAK) by the ARUCH HASHULCHAN
 (about 90 ?? years ago) who had  misunderstood the physics of electricity. But
I believe after he was better informed about electricity, he retracted his
lenient ruling.

In any case, please refer to the primary sources.

Josh
backon@VMS.HUJI.AC.IL
From: moskowit@panix.com (Len Moskowitz)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Prophets, Ethics, Torah
Date: 10 Sep 92 15:01:44 GMT
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC



Michael Shimshoni writes:

> If  this  is supposed  to  mean  that the  prophets  have  said it  is
> hypocrisy  to  live   an  ethical  life  without   observance  of  the
> commandments,  I would  be  grateful to  Len for  a  reference to  the
> prophet who had said that.

The prophets didn't distinguish between so-called ethical precepts and
the so-called ritual ones.  This distinction is a sham, the proverbial
hole-in-the-ground in which Jewish "ostriches" bury their heads.

Judaism's ethical treatment of widows, orphans, the poor, and animals
are G-d's commandments via the Torah, as are the commandments
regarding the Sabbath and holidays, the dietary laws, tefillin and
tzitzit, family purity, agricultural laws, and laws of the Temple.  It
is completely artificial to impose distinctions between them or to
assert that some are more authentically Jewish or important than
others.

Yechezkel (Ezekial), for example, exhorted the nation to follow the
G-d's chukim and mishpatim.  He did not say: "it's okay to desecrate
the Sabbath if you give enough charity and are ethical in your
business practices."

-- 
Len Moskowitz
moskowit@panix.com
From: weiner@theory.lcs.mit.edu (Merril Weiner)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Jews in space.
Date: 11 Sep 92 19:52:01 GMT
Reply-To: weiner@medg.lcs.mit.edu (The Frog)
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT

In article <1992Sep11.145550.21246@ccu.umanitoba.ca> feld@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Michael Feld) writes:
>Mordecai Richler has fun with this in his treatment of the Inuit, in
>_Solomon Gursky_.

Great book.  I highly recommend it to everything.  It is one of the most
ingenious and humorous books I've ever read.

Shabbat Shalom!  

And I mean it! :>
--

   Merril Weiner                weiner@medg.lcs.mit.edu
   11 Ashford Terrace           weiner@medg.uucp
   Allston, MA  02134           Boston University School of Law
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: patt@squid.tram.com (Patt Bromberger)
Subject: Safe to walk at night in cities? (was: Re: I have yet to meet a Jewish murderer.)
Organization: Tramway Unix Systems
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 21:46:16 GMT
Summary: Quality of Life
Keywords: Canada 

In article <VmLNqB1w165w@valpso.hanse.de> tichauer@valpso.hanse.de (Manfredo Tichauer) writes:
>hayim@locus.com (Hayim Hendeles) writes:
>
>> I live in a fairly decent neighborhood in Los Angeles, but yet am afraid
>> to let my wife or kids go out alone at night. Unfortunately, there
>> have been too many incidents lately.
>> 
>> However, I have a friend visiting from Israel, who claims that in Israel
>> you can let your wife and kids go for a walk at 2 in the morning,
>> and not have to worry.
>> 
>> Hayim Hendeles
>
>Your wife and kids could go for a walk at two in the morning in ANY european
>country (besides former Yugoslavia) and also in some south american countries
>(like Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, etc.) even if you live in not so decent neigh-
>bourhood: I'm sure that to walk at night in any mayor city in the USA is a
>dangerous venture! 
>  Manfredo Tichauer M.                       EMAIL : tichauer@valpso.hanse.de

Here in Burnaby/Vancouver, B.C., Canada (also the country voted as
best quality of life in the world by the U.N.) neither I nor my
daughter (together or alone) would walk at 2 A.M. or anytime after 8
P.M. in Vancouver or Burnaby!



-- 
Patricia Ann Bromberger                     -       patt@squid.tram.com
Tramway Unix Systems 
"Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty." (Anne Herbert)
From: mark@fenris.albany.edu (Mark Steinberger)
Subject: Re: Orthodox Monopoly
Organization: State University of New York at Albany
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 92 03:59:10 GMT


I never heard of Orthodox Monopoly.

Do you get hit for tzedaka when you land on Chance? :-)


--Mark
From: friedenb@topaz.egr.msu.edu (Gedaliah Friedenberg)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Conseravtive Kashruth of wine
Date: 10 Sep 92 17:35:11 GMT
Reply-To: friedenb@topaz.egr.msu.edu (Gedaliah Friedenberg)
Organization: College of Engineering, Michigan State University


>In article <1992Sep8.223245.24953@cbnews.cb.att.com> ask@cbnews.cb.att.com (Arthur S. Kamlet) writes:

>As examples, some of the more well-known responsa are. . .

>>   - Is commercial wine prepared in the United States treife (no)

>This example brings up my problem with the Conservative approach to halachah.
>One reason that wine prepared by non-Jews was forbidden to be consumed by
>Jews was the fear that permitting it would lead to excessive fraternization
>between Jews and non-Jews and eventually intermarriage. 

The Conservative teshuva regarding the kashruth of American wine was authored
by Rabbi Israel Silverman of Ontario, Canada.  I was the mashgiach at Camp
Ramah in Canada where he is the Rav, and thus he was my supervisor.

The teshuva is discussed in Issac Klein's _Guide to Jewish Religious Practice_.
The basis for the teshuva is as follows:

1.  Wine is prohibited if it is made by a non-Jew.
	The teshuva states that in all American wine the process of production
	is fully automated.  The grapes never are touched by human hands from
	their delivery to the winery until the wine is placed in the bottle.

2.  Kosher wine must be boiled.
	The teshuva also states that in order for American wine to be given
	the `OK' from the health department, that it must be pasturized.  
	Since the pasturization process causes steam to rise off of the 
	wine, that this law is fulfilled.

The teshuva does state that one should use heckshered wine for Kiddush, 
Havdalah, and Pesach.  No substantive reason is given.

	[Personal note:  if the wine is really kosher, why would the teshuva
	restrict it in certain occasions?  Is it kosher, or not?]  

It also states that since it is a mitzvah to support Israel, that Israeli 
wine (all of which have heckshers) should be used whenever possible.

The teshuva goes into more detail than this.  See Klien's book for more details.
A copy of the teshuva should be available through JTS.

I do not agree with the teshuva, or certain other kashrut decisions made by 
Rabbi Silverman. I am just posting this for informative reasons. 

 
Gedaliah Friedenberg
-=-Department of Mechanical Engineering
-=-Department of Metallurgy, Mechanics and Materials Science
-=-Michigan State University
From: bc744@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Mark Ira Kaufman)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: John DiNardo, just another Jew hater.
Date: 16 Sep 1992 00:07:41 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: slc4.ins.cwru.edu


   Who are you trying to kid with this self-righteous, ex-marine,
passion for the "truth" shit?  Your penchant for seeing a threat,
when none exists, makes me doubt that you were really ever in the
Marines.  And if you were, you certainly have managed to become a
total embarrassment to the Corps!  First Ollie North and now you!
How much embarrassment should the Corps be expected to endure???
   Nobody threatened you!  But your anti-semitic posts in scj are
an affront to everyone here.  It's not just that you have such an
apparent lack of intelligence.  it is your willingness to display
your stupidity for everyone to see.  Do you actually believe that
there are people that cannot see right through you.  
   And please do not take my post as any sort of threat, as there
is no threat intended.  But please do take it as an insult, which
IS intended.  Please understand that I am calling you a bigot and
a fool and, I suspect, a liar.  Now please get lost, because this
board is inhabited by people who can T-H-I-N-K!  And they can see
exactly what you are about.

Semper fi.

-- 
   "One can be a racist.  Or one can be a human being.  But one
may not be both."
                                 - Rabbi Abraham Joshua heschel

Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: antony@netcom.com (Antony Landsman)
Subject: Ba'al Tashchis & Electricity on Shabbos?
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 92 21:41:41 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

Someone recently pointed out to me that the use of a blech, and
keeping a stove running on Shabbos ought to be considered Ba'al Tashchis 

Does anyone have any thoughts on reconciling this, or should one consider
only eating cold foods on Shabbos?

Shabbat Shalom

Yehuda Landsman

Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: avigross@cbnewsk.cb.att.com (avi.e.gross)
Subject: Re: German and spanish speaking SCJ users!
Organization: AT&T
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 20:12:29 GMT

Lyle Lexier expressed interest in the concept that there are Jews that
speak German. I am curious what makes him suspect that no Jews would
have such an ability or interest.

I spoke German before I knew English because I lived in Vienna, Austria, for
a year en-route from Romania to the U.S. I know many others that followed
that route and there was a substantial Jewish community in Austria. In addition,
there is a large overlap between Yiddish and German so it is relatively easy
for mant Ashkenazic Jews to learn German. (I actually learned Yiddish in
the U.S.A. easily because I already knew German and then used Yiddish to
learn English!)

There are still quite a few people left alive (like my parents) that
left Europe before/during/after the Holocaust and speak German. Amusingly,
my professor for German in Brooklyn College was Jewish. Not all Jews have
an unremitting hatred for the current generation of Germans. I have a number
of cousins that now live in West Germany after leaving Romania. I also find
that many Jews (especially ones coming from Europe) are multilingual. I have
been lucky to be able to learn 10 languages -- most of which have no
relationship to anything Jewish. In many ways, Jews are like anybody else
and people should not be too surprised that they do things that non-Jews do.

	Avi Gross


-- 
Avi E. Gross, AT&T Bell Laboratories, 908-576-3218
	attmail!avigross or avi_e_gross@att.com

Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: segs@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (susan.e.slusky)
Subject: Bar Mitzvah Problem
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 12:54:54 GMT
Keywords: non-frum relatives


We'll be celebrating my son's Bar Mitzvah shortly and I'm wondering 
how to deal with a potential problem. Many of our relatives are not
at all observant. I fear that they will try to give my son checks
at the luncheon after services, which will still be on Shabbat. 
Such a situation would be embarrassing all around, for my son trying
to gracefully refuse (grace is not his strong point), for the 
well-intentioned relative, even for
me. As I am composing an insert for out-of-towners on how
to get to the shul and hotel anyway, I am considering adding a line 
like this:

     Please observe Shabbat ettiquette by not giving gifts to Ben on
Shabbat.

Is this insulting? Is it vague? Is it pointless? Anyone out there
dealt with this gracefully?
Please send mail since I'm about a two weeks behind in reading the news.

Susan Slusky
segs@mhuxo.att.com
From: olga@csiatl.Gwinnett.COM (olga from the volga)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: I have yet to meet a Jewish murderer.
Date: 7 Sep 92 14:08:14 GMT

tichauer@valpso.hanse.de (Manfredo Tichauer) writes:

> hayim@locus.com (Hayim Hendeles) writes:
> 
> > I live in a fairly decent neighborhood in Los Angeles, but yet am afraid
> > to let my wife or kids go out alone at night. Unfortunately, there
> > have been too many incidents lately.
> > 
> > However, I have a friend visiting from Israel, who claims that in Israel
> > you can let your wife and kids go for a walk at 2 in the morning,
> > and not have to worry.
> > 
> > Hayim Hendeles
> 
> 
> Your wife and kids could go for a walk at two in the morning in ANY european
> country (besides former Yugoslavia) and also in some south american countries
> (like Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, etc.) even if you live in not so decent neig
> bourhood: I'm sure that to walk at night in any mayor city in the USA is a
> dangerous venture! 
>  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>   Manfredo Tichauer M.                       EMAIL : tichauer@valpso.hanse.de
>   Opitzstrasse 14                            VOICE :     (++ 49 40)  27.42.27
>   2000 Hamburg 60 - GERMANY                  FAX   :     (++ 49 40) 270.53.09
>  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Really?  I was always warned about being mugged in Paris and to be careful 
there. 

olga@csiatl.gwinnett
YOW!
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish