HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: Stephen Dubin <sdubin@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Date: 25 Dec 92 15:23 PST
Subject: Re: God's Hyphen (Re: Mezuzah question)
Nf-ID: #R:1992Dec24.220311.25021@netcom.co:-199408629:cdp:1473600018:000:570
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!sdubin    Dec 25 15:23:00 1992


Without wishing to compound the problem by writing out the very words
to which an objection was raised, I do believe that the "A" word is
a substitute for the truly special name.  As such it serves much the same
purpose as the "G-d" construction.  I am sure that one should not use
the "Hashem" construction frivolously or carelessly, however I would not
be surprised to see "H-sh-m".  My Zaida, of blessed memory, of a fellow
who was so careful that he would ask for a glass of ginger kale.  I
believe that we are called to intimacy with the Divine as well as respect.

Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: saal@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (samuel.saal)
Subject: Re: Re: Conversations with a Rabbi
Organization: AT&T
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 13:36:18 GMT

I dont' know if it worth getting involved in this two person baiting game,
but I did notice a point that Chris seems to have missed.  I don't
understand his motivation.

In article <6613@pdxgate.UUCP> a0cb@odin.cc.pdx.edu (Chris Bertholf) writes:
>:khaikin@boa.cis.ohio-state.edu (dmitry khaikin) writes:

>:If you know that it is not true, then you don't
>:have to read it again to prove it wrong. 

>How can you know anything about the ideas in this booklet?  You
>are ignorant of its contents and cannot make any assumptions
>about what is said until you see it.  With that said, you have
>no idea of the validity of the material.  This is true for any
>book, not just the ... booklet.

Some of us have ignored Dmitry's advice and have read the J4J propoganda.
We do know what it says and we can counter it.  The question is, how many
times must we read it befre we recognize it from the first paragraph and
can tell it is the same trash?  At what point is plowing through an
avalanche of garbage considered a waste of time?  Why can't those who ahve
read and refuted their trash summarize for others?  Why can't that
summary be passed by those who haven't read it to others who haven't so as
to save more poeple the trouble?

For even the most worthwhile of hisotrical reading, have _you_ read the
all the primary sources of all the books you've  read or do you also trust
some of the secondary sources?

 ...

>I am not talking about freedom of religion.  I am talking about
>preserving cultural heritage.  Were you aware that 80-90% of
>intermarriages produce children that wish to pursue the
>religious aspects of Judaism? Even when one parent is non-practicing! 
>The reason for that is due to the continuation of Jewish cultural 
>practices.  For the Jews to continue through time, these people
>must be made welcome while they re-discover their Judaism.
>Your attitude is what can drive those people, searching for their

Where do you get this statistic (other than thin air)? All surveys and
poles - whether done by secular, Reform, or religious Jewish
organizations - point to the opposite.  Intermarriage is one of the
most certain guarantees that the next or subsequent generation will
have lost its connection to Judaism.  Yes, there are Jewish
organizations that are fighting this, and of course there are people
that retain their connection to Judaism, but they are the exception.
-- 
Sam Saal      kingfish!saal OR saal@kingfish.att.com
	Vayiftach HaShem et Peah Ha`Aton
From: sg04@gte.com (Yechezkal Shimon Gutfreund)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Lyrics to Hatikva
Date: 1 Jan 93 15:32:20 GMT
Reply-To: sg04@gte.com
Organization: GTE Laboratories, Inc.

In article 8347@news.ysu.edu, aa324@yfn.ysu.edu (Marlene Miller) writes:
]Kol od ba-le-vav pe-ni-mah,            So long as still within our breasts
]Ne-fesh ye-hu-di ho-mi-yah,            The Jewish heart beats true,

Nefesh is usually translated as soul.

]U-le-fa-a-tey miz-rah ka-di-mah,       So long as still towards the East,
]A-yin le-Tzi-yon tzo-fi-yah,           To Zion, looks the Jew,
]Od lo av'dah tik-va-te-nu--            So long our hopes are not yet lost--
]Ha-tik-vah sh'not al-pa-yim--          Two thousand years we cherish them --
]Li-h'yot am hof-shi be-ar-tze-nu,      To live in freedom in the Land
]E-retz Tzi-yon vi-ru-sha-la-yim...     Of Zion and Jerusalem....
]
]Li-h'yot am hof-shi be-ar-tze-nu      To live in freedom in the Land
]E-retz Tzi-yon vi-ru-sha-la yim.      Of Zion and Jerusalem.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Yechezkal Shimon Gutfreund		 		  sgutfreund@gte.com
GTE Laboratories, Waltham MA			    harvard!bunny!sgutfreund
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
From: janiceg@marvin.Eng.Sun.COM (Janice Gelb)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Jewish Christmas Carol Hits
Date: 23 Dec 1992 22:00:58 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Distribution: world
Reply-To: janiceg@marvin.Eng.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: marvin

In article 1hahp3INNa91@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu, ad980@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Paul S. Wolf) writes:
# 
# In a previous article, Arthur_T_Hu@cup.portal.com () says:
# 
## I never thought about this before, but after hearing Barbara Streisand
## doing a christmas song, it occured to me that she's Jewish, isn't she?
## So what are the biggest Christmas hits sung by Jews? I guess music is
## music, and a buck is a buck. Was there ever a Hanakuh hit record?
## 
# Of course, Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts Roasting on an
# Open Fire...) comes to mind first.
# 

Mel Torme is JEWISH?!??!?  I never knew that. One for our side ...

********************************************************************************
Janice Gelb                  | (415) 336-7075     
janiceg@marvin.eng.sun.com   | "A silly message but mine own" (not Sun's!) 
********************************************************************************

Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: cohen@quartz.ciw.edu (Ronald Cohen)
Subject: Re: Conversion Question
Date: 01 Jan 93 15:11:43 GMT
Organization: Geophysical Laboratory, CIW

In article <9212312127.AA17973@cyclone.sbi.com> <gertler@cyclone.sbi.com (Don Gertler)> writes:
>cohen@quartz.ciw.edu (Ronald Cohen) writes:
>> <gertler@cyclone.sbi.com (Don Gertler)> writes:
>I never said anything about proving one's Jewishness!  Please!!!
>I beg you.  Stop attributing your assumptions to me.  What we were
>discussing was a conversion taking place.  What were the circumstances
>surrounding that conversion?  Was it a proper conversion?  The fact
>that 265 million Americans *may* be Jews is completely irrelevant to
>this discussion.  We have someone who went through *some* procedure,
>guided and supervised by *some* individual.  What I asked is what would
>render that procedure invalid under a particular set of guidelines,
>and whether those guidelines themselves are valid.
>
>How much more abecedarian must I get?
>

You clearly miss the whole point.  If you are questioning
conversions, you are questioning Jewishness.  Since the
converting Rabbi's inner thoughts are the key, according to you,
NO conversion can be proved to valid.  Your whole attitude is
only consistent with NO ONE being able to prove that they are
Jewish since we do not have records back to Abraham.  QED
-- 
Ronald Cohen
Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington
5251 Broad Branch Rd., N.W.,  Washington, D.C. 20015
From: aliki@nova1.stanford.edu (Alexandra Schmidt)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: "Jewish" Christmas Carol Hits
Date: 23 Dec 1992 21:50:02 GMT
Organization: Stanford University
NNTP-Posting-Host: nova1.stanford.edu

In article <92358.161652YZKCU@CUNYVM.BITNET> Yaakov Kayman <YZKCU@CUNYVM.BITNET> writes:
>I guess not too many SCJers know that "(I'm dreaming of a) White Christmas"
>was written by a Jew, Irving Berlin (ne Ballin(sp?)).
>
>Ah Meilah! :-,
>
>Yaakov K.

Not to mention that Danny (Kominsky) Kaye starred in the musical of the same
name. . .

			. . .Alexandra
From: nmiller@starbase.trincoll.edu (norman miller)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: ACLU/AJC Menorah Police?
Date: 22 Dec 92 16:21:46 GMT
Organization: Trinity College, Hartford, CT.

In article <1992Dec22.134053.19143@cbnewsl.cb.att.com> saal@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (
samuel.saal) writes:

>In an earlier post (that you deleted), you called the public celebration
>of Chanuka "vulgar."  I'm curious to hear specifics.
>
>Or was this post a retraction?

Not at all.  I referred to the public celebration by Habad.  I had in
mind not the menorah (though the two I've seen are exceedingly ugly)
but the brouhaha surrounding their lighting, the cars racing around
blasting (poorly reproduced) "Hanuka" music, the totally phony attempt
at creating a "joyous" atmosphere.

Vulgar is a tricky concept and I've been trying to figure it out for
myself.  One surprising conclusion so far is that O is practically
free of it, except as noted above.  I think that this is so because
O is most true to itself, because it thoroughly understands the
meanings of its symbols and gestures and admits none that it doesn't
understand.  Not so, alas, C.

Anyway, and I emphasize that this is how I see it today, I suspect
that Habad's vulgarity stems precisely from its attempt at acting
in a world that it doesn't even begin to understand, so that many
of its gestures and symbols fail of their intentions.

Norman Miller
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: gertler@cyclone.sbi.com (Don Gertler)
Subject: Re: Mezuzah question
Originator: scj@israel.nysernet.org
Reply-To: <gertler@cyclone.sbi.com (Don Gertler)>
Organization: Nysernet
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 21:52:29 GMT

F66204%BARILVM.BITNET@uu2.psi.com (Shaul Wallach) writes:

>     Secondly, once you are sure the mezuza is kosher, you have
> to know exactly where to put it. The proper place is on the right
> side of the entrance, facing inside. Doorways inside the house
> (except the bathroom, etc.) also require mezuzoth, and you may have
> to consult a rabbi to be sure which side is the "right" side. The
> ideal place to affix the mezuza is on the doorpost, two thirds of
> the way up from the floor to the lintel (all of the mezuza must be
> within the upper third of the doorpost), and within one handbreadth
> (8 cm or 3.2 inches) of the door itself.

Two slight qualifications:
   1)  While the mezuza should be within the top 1/3 of the doorway,
       it should not be affixed within one handbreadth of the lintel.

   2)  A doorway may require a mezuza regardless of the existence of
       a door.  The mezuza should be affixed close to (within the
       aforementioned handbreadth of) the "outside" edge of the lintel.

-Don Gertler
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: steyn@cs.rochester.edu (Gavin Steyn)
Subject: Re: ACLU/AJC Menorah Police?
Organization: University of Rochester
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 06:12:41 GMT

In article <FAIGIN.92Dec21144820@soldan.aero.org> faigin@aero.org (Daniel P. Faigin) writes:

>Actually, most of the "founding fathers" were Deists. Deists were most
>definately not atheists, but believed in a disinterested G-d, a form of
>"clockwork universe" where G-d created the universe, set it in motion, and
>then sat back to watch what happened.

You're right about the Deists part; don't know why I said Unitarian.  You're
semi-correct on the beliefs, though.  Although the Deists' beliefs were
officially essentially what you cite here, we have private writings
(sorry, no sources, my history books are in another state) that pretty
much tell us that Deism was, for many members, a publicly acceptable version
of atheism.  It was just as difficult then as it is now to be popular and
espouse atheism (witness Thomas Paine).

Deism lets you claim to believe in a God without having all the messy
details of worshipping him (since he doesn't care anyway), or believing
in miracles (since he didn't do any).

Gavin Steyn
steyn@cs.rochester.edu
"So he's had the lifelong ambition of reversing the polarity of the earth?"
Organization: The American University - University Computing Center
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 00:27:24 EST
From: Peter M. Cohen <PC2370A@auvm.american.edu>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Mezuzah question

Greetings:

I have several questions regarding the installation of mezuzot on the doorways
of my new house.  I have been married now for 6 years. The first home my wife
and I moved into already had a mezuzah on the doorway.  We recently bought a
new house and I must put up a new mezuzah.  My parents gave us one so Im
already to go, but I do have some questions:

     1. Is there a B'rucha for putting up mezuzot ?
     2. Should I ask a Rabbi to put them up ?
     3. I notice that most homes have the mezuzah placed on the right
        doorway, slightly tilted at the top towards the house, what
        is the significance of this ?

I realize I could ask my Rabbi these questions but I thought it would be more
interesting to see the response I get from this newsgroup.  Please either mail
your responses to me or post them on here.  There might be others with the same
questions...

Peter Cohen
ps  Happy Chanukah !
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: sg04@gte.com (Yechezkal Shimon Gutfreund)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: The difference between a chasid and a
Date: 21 Dec 92 17:41:11 GMT
Reply-To: sg04@gte.com
Organization: GTE Laboratories, Inc.

In article 20954@cas.org, rmt51@cas.org (Rick Turkel) writes:
] Is it something inherent in this medium, or are many of those who post here
] sarcasm-impaired?  What ever became of the good sense of humor we Jews are
] supposed to have?

It has been well documented that sarcasm does not transmit well in
e-mail and netnews. This is one reason for the creation of the
side-ways smiley :-), which I use liberally [Must be my liberal
tendencies :-)]. Since much of Jewish Humor is sarcastic or black I
would encourage it's liberal application . As in:

Moshe, were there not enough graves in Mitzrayim? :-)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Yechezkal Shimon Gutfreund		 		  sgutfreund@gte.com
GTE Laboratories, Waltham MA			    harvard!bunny!sgutfreund
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: er@iscp.Bellcore.COM (Elie Rosenfeld)
Subject: Re: Synagogue MUSIC
Reply-To: er@iscp.Bellcore.COM (Elie Rosenfeld)
Organization: Bell Communications Research (Bellcore)
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 92 18:21:59 GMT

In article <102882@netnews.upenn.edu>, weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener) writes:
|> On the third hand, I don't think anyone is going to sing L'cha Dodi
|> to the tune of "Deck the Halls" this Shabbos.

Hopefully not, BUT: I discovered some years ago that the "Deck the Halls" tune
is perfect harmony for "Ma'oz Tsur"!  Maybe not for shul, but if you have a 
sense of humor about such things, try it when you light candles tonight.
-- 
Elie Rosenfeld      | "I am what I am, Leila -- and if there are self-made
Bellcore            |  purgatories, then we all must live in them.
Piscataway, N.J.    |  Mine is no worse than someone else's."
(908) 699-8800      |                     - Spock, "This Side of Paradise"
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: jacobw@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Jacob Solomon Weinstein)
Subject: Re: ACLU/AJC Menorah Police?
Originator: news@nimaster
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1993 03:45:20 GMT

strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight) writes:
>
>I think the argument is that the symbols are seasonal/historical
>rather than religious, though the traditional blessings over
>lighting the menorah were recited. The rest of the evening was
>music and dancing of a historical, rather than religious character.

It is precisely this sort of argument that leads many religious people
to OPPOSE public displays of religion. The only way to justify such a
display within the framework of the constitution is to claim that a
symbol that has held important religious significance for countless
generations is just a nice tree, or a bunch of pretty lights. I really
don't understand why so many people who claim to believe in a religion
fight so hard to cheapen its symbols.

Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: godfrey@vxdesy.desy.de
Subject: Re: Jews for Germany
Organization: (DESY, Hamburg, Germany)
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 02:56:21 GMT

The response has so far been most disappointing.

Laurence
From: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Difficult Lubavitch Question
Date: 24 Dec 92 18:20:48 GMT
Reply-To: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Organization: The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology

Is it the Lubavitch minhag to bench hanakuh before mincha?
-- 
-Matthew P Wiener (weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu)
Xref: sparky soc.culture.jewish:24016 soc.culture.arabic:5952 talk.politics.mideast:24145
From: gwydion@gnu.ai.mit.edu (Mercenary Programmer)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish,soc.culture.arabic,talk.politics.mideast
Subject: Re: Name of Palestinian Deportees (part i)
Date: 27 Dec 1992 14:34:25 GMT
Organization: Free Software Foundation
NNTP-Posting-Host: spiff.gnu.ai.mit.edu

In article <1992Dec27.012529.8948@nysernet.org> astein@nysernet.org (Alan Stein) writes:
>Excellent.  You have shown that one can be both a professional and a
>terrorist.  Does being a professional excuse one from the consequences
>of being a terrorist as well?

In all of this condemnation, I have yet to see any proof that the 400
Palestinians were indeed members of Hamas.  Aside from any discussion
of whether being a Hamas member is the equivalent of being a hero or a
terrorist, you still have not shown any convincing evidence that can
prove that they are actually guilty of what they are accused.  Or does
being a Palestinian automatically make one a terrorist?

Basalat Ali Raja.

Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: tjm@hrt213.brooks.af.mil (Tim Miller)
Subject: Re: Why I became an Athiest (was: frustrations with christianity)
Organization: AL/HRTI, Brooks AFB
	<9212221543.AA15653@hrt213.brooks.af.mil>
	<1992Dec22.160048.22994@wam.umd.edu>
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 18:22:29 GMT

On Tue, 22 Dec 1992 16:00:48 GMT, aap@wam.umd.edu (Alberto Adolfo Pinkas) said:
A> Nntp-Posting-Host: rac2.wam.umd.edu

A> I, as an atheist, have to disagree with this.

A> Atheist do not believe that there is a god. But, there is no way to "face
A> incontrivertable proof" that there is a god. So, there is no way you can say
A> what an atheist would do in an impossible situation.

	I did not offer proof; I pointed out that an atheist believes
that there is *no* G-d, regardless of argument to the contrary.  An
*agnostic* has no opinion.

A> I would agree that atheist have no way to prove that there is no god in
A> the same way that religious people cannot prove that there is one.
A> However, atheism is not a faith as much as any other. 
A> Faith is when you believe that there is something you have to believe in. 
A> Atheism is not a faith.
A> This is the same as:
A> A says that he believes that you can become a table.
A> B says that he does not believe that you can become a table.
A> So, there is no way to generate a proof for that and B will never be face
A> with a proof for him to reject.

	Can B prove to A that you *cannot* become a table?  No, B
cannot.

	Therefore B believes that you cannot become a table.

	This is called faith.

A> B's not believing is not a different faith, but A's is a faith

	Wrong.

	I won't cite the whole entry, but my dictionary has, as it's
primary definition of FAITH: "Unquestioning belief that does not require
proof or evidence."  Personally, I quibble with the use of
"unquestioning" in this definition; let's amend it to read: "belief that
does not require proof or evidence."

	Theists believe in a non-proveable positive; an existance.
*A*theists believe in a non-provable negative; a non-existance.  (prefix
a-, meaning not; anti; against) Both these positions are faiths; they
are beliefs without proof.

	Agnostics hold that, as the issue is *irresolvable*, there is
no knowledge upon which to base an opinion, thus no opinion is held.

	If you're agnostic, call yourself one.

-- Cerebus <tjm@hrt213.brooks.af.mil>
"Call a spade a spade."

Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: simon1@bass.bu.edu (Simon Streltsov)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: oops..Talmud on determining sex
Date: 24 Dec 92 19:39:26 GMT
Reply-To: simon1@bass.bu.edu (Simon Streltsov)
Followup-To: soc.culture.jewish
Organization: Boston University

In article <92359.132425PROMISLO@QUCDN.QueensU.CA> PROMISLO@QUCDN.QueensU.CA writes:
IS this guy from the same college as our popular Hanuka hero -
Andy?! And he has a lastname, not a number...
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: warren@nysernet.org (Warren Burstein)
Subject: Re: Joke (was Re: Synagogue MUSIC)
Reply-To: warren@nysernet.org
Organization: Mail to News Gateway at Wang Labs
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 08:55:37 GMT

In <1992Dec18.180641.15185@umbc3.umbc.edu> shimoff@umbc4.umbc.edu (Eliot Shimoff) writes:

    Va'yevk:  He cried.  (But straightened himself out, and did not
    in fact enter hazzanut as a career.)

I've heard chazzanim who sounded as if they were crying.
-- 
/|/-\/-\          "If there really was a Jewish conspiracy to run the
 |__/__/_/        world, my rabbi would have let me in on it by now.
 |warren@         I contribute enough to the shule."
/ nysernet.org 			    Saul Goodman
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish,soc.culture.arabic
From: makowsky@enuxhb.eas.asu.edu (David Makowsky)
Subject: Re: deportation
Reply-To: makowsky@enuxhb.eas.asu.edu (David Makowsky)
Organization: Arizona State University, Tempe AZ
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1992 21:24:38 GMT

In article <1992Dec27.175411.5727@ncsu.edu> hernlem@chess.ncsu.EDU (Brad Hernlem) writes:

# In article <1992Dec27.163010.19700@nysernet.org>, astein@nysernet.org
# (Alan Stein) writes:

# > cl056@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Hamaza H. Salah) writes:
 
# > >>	Jews come from that land.  The "palestinians?" come from Arab
# > >>invasions.
 
# > >Where were the jews when Arabs invaded palestine?  Did the Arabs
# > >also invade Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon?
 
# > The Jews had been deported.  Unfortunately, there was no UN around to
# > condemn either the Babylonians or the Romans.  (Of course, if there
# > was a UN, it probably would have condemned the Jews for being weak
# > enough to lose a war.)
 
# There was a Persian empire, however, whose Shah released the Jews from
# the Babylonians and gave money to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. The
# Persian Empire could be described as a "united nations" of sorts. The
# policy of the empire was that all nations were to be incorporated with
# at least some respect for their various cultures. 

	Good point. It should be noted that many Jews took this offer up.
However this Persian empire existed before the Roman empire exiled the
Jews, so the long term benefit was not that much.
--
	There are three types of people in the world.  Those that are good
at math and those that are not.

makowsky@enuxhb.eas.asu.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish