HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: dic5340@hertz.njit.edu (David Charlap)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: thanks (Re: Jewish friends - help!)
Date: 17 Aug 92 19:35:05 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

In article <1992Aug14.171238.25585@ultb.isc.rit.edu> jeybbu@ritvax.isc.rit.edu writes:
>Offer Coke products in the can, (except at passover).

Even at Passover, just look for the cans which are stamped "kosher for
Passover".  Unfortunately, the stamp is in Hebrew, so you may have a
problem, but there is normally no Hebrew anything embossed in the lids
of Coke cans, so it should still be OK.


-- 
   |)  David Charlap           "I don't even represent myself
  /|_  dic5340@hertz.njit.edu   sometimes so NJIT is right out!.
 ((|,)
  ~|~  Hi! I am a .signature virus, copy me into your .signature file.
From: grabiner@math.harvard.edu (David Grabiner)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: targeting Jews (was Re: more of ...can of worms....)
Date: 19 Aug 92 20:28:38 GMT
Article-I.D.: birkhoff.GRABINER.92Aug19163059
 8.010453.29031@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu><1992Aug19.124103.5006@cbnewsl.cb.att.com>
Organization: /etc/organization
In-reply-to: saal@cbnewsl.cb.att.com's message of Wed, 19 Aug 1992 12:41:03 GMT

In article <1992Aug19.124103.5006@cbnewsl.cb.att.com>, samuel.saal writes:

<>Ok, where do you start drawing the line between insiders and outsiders?
<>Is it alright to target Jews from Conservative or Reform or Reconstructionist
<>background? What about targetting College Freshmen, who are reasonably
<>"open" (or vulnerable) to such prosyletization (whether from Jewish or
<>non-Jewish sources). What about people who are halachically Jewish but
<>have never been exposed to Judaism? What about people who have chosen
<>a different religion? What about those people's children if they are
<>halachically Jewish?

< Because the people who care to help bring Jews back to Judaism only care
< to bring Jews back, I'd say anyone who is halachically Jewish is probably
< fair game.  Perusing your list, I see a strong probability that all those
< listed would be, in fact, halachically Jewish.

Look at this from the other side as well.  Would you consider it
proper for Christian missionaries to target former Christians who
converted to Judaism?  Their children?

--
David Grabiner, grabiner@zariski.harvard.edu
"We are sorry, but the number you have dialed is imaginary."
"Please rotate your phone 90 degrees and try again."
Disclaimer: I speak for no one and no one speaks for me.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: warren@nysernet.org (Warren Burstein)
Subject: Re: more of ...can of worms....
Reply-To: warren@nysernet.org
Organization: Mail to News Gateway at Wang Labs
Date: 14 Aug 92 08:00:21 GMT

In <ALLEN.92Aug13155154@golem.ssc.gov> allen@golem.ssc.gov (Michael Allen) writes:

>Whether someone is poisoning their body with certain drugs
>or poisoning their Neshama with treif, we all have a responsibility to
>try and do something.  Don't we?

Our responsibility is to observe the mitzva of tochecha and all
of its halachot.  Tochecha is a very difficult mitzva, and if the
Tanaim were doubtful if it was possible in their time, we should
consider the possibility that we might not be so good at it, either.
We might go further and ask if some attempts at tochecha not only
don't fulfill the mitzva, but might have the opposite effect of that
which was intended.
-- 
/|/-\/-\       The entire auditorium		Jerusalem
 |__/__/_/     is a very narrow carrot.
 |warren@      But the ***
/ nysernet.org is concerned.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: ask@cbnews.cb.att.com (Arthur S. Kamlet)
Subject: Re: Smoking during major fasts
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories,  Columbus, Ohio
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 19:45:36 GMT

In article <l8igp7INN849@appserv.Eng.Sun.COM> janiceg@marvin.Eng.Sun.COM writes:
>
>On a related note, I've always thought someone should do a study on how
>dedicated chain smokers are able to completely stop smoking on
>Shabbat.  My ex-in-laws were chain smokers but said they did not miss
>smoking on Shabbat.  Such a study might give an interesting insight on
>addictive behaviors.

Anyone had a headache on Tisha B`Av?  Or Yom Kippur?

Might be caffeine withdrawal.   Causes headaches.

If you are someone who has to have a daily shot(s) of caffeine,
consider cutting back a week or so before a fast day.  It could
really reduce headaches.
-- 
Art Kamlet  a_s_kamlet@att.com  AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
From: sethr@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (seth.r.rosenthal)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Jews in Japan
Date: 19 Aug 92 18:55:26 GMT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories

In article <86519@netnews.upenn.edu>, weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener) writes:
> In article <1992Aug18.204058.18486@sco.COM>, geoffg@sco (geoff galitz) writes:
> 
> This, I believe, is the book by Tudor Parfitt, who also wrote a book on
> the first rescue of the Ethiopian Jews.  He was not so much looking for
> Jews around the world but for "lost tribes", a fascinating miscellany of
> obscure or isolated groups from South Africa, India, Japan, Syria, and
> other places.  He missed a few, but it's worthwhile reading.  Curiously
> enough, the author himself is not Jewish.
> 

I haven't read this book, but at my synagogue we had a guest
speaker, Rabbi Marvin Tokayer.  He has published a book concerning
the Japanese role in saving Jews during WWII.  Tied up in this tale,
(it's too complicated to go through the whole thing) is a story
that he said took place while R. Tokayer was the Chief Rabbi for Japan.

The Israeli Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi (Goren?) came for a visit to
Japan, and asked R.T. to set up a meeting for him with the
highest levels of Shinto priests.  R.T. was the translator,
and R.G. (?) and the Shinto priests were discussing various
parts of their respective religions.  Not finding too much
common ground, but getting some sort of better understanding.
Afterwards, R.G. mentioned that he noticed ceremonial guards in
the Shinto Temple, and asked about them.  The Shinto priest then
began to describe the Ceremonies, practices, etc. in great
detail for guarding the Temple, with R.T. translating into modern Hebrew.
R.G. turned completely white as a ghost, as he recognized the practices
for the guarding of the First Temple.  R.T. theorized at his
talk that there was contact between Israelite refugees and
the early inhabitants of the Japanese Islands that had some
formative influence on Shinto.


		Seth Rosenthal
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: moskowit@tronsbox.xei.com (Len Moskowitz)
Subject: Re: Facts and Opinions: Insights on American Jewish Thinking(?)
Organization: Xanadu Enterprises Inc.
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 03:18:53 GMT

Herman Rubin writes:

>The corresponding thing in Judaism would be to recodify the basics,
>so that they can be studied without going through all the historical
>details.  And almost none of Maimonides' knowledge of medicine is 
>studied at all today, except by historians.  The errors of the past
>are to be discarded.

Judaism changes with the times -- it always has and always will.  The
point is that the recodifying must be done by the experts and not the
armchair amateurs who can't even consult the primary texts in their
original languages, much less claim their mastery.

-- 
---

Len Moskowitz
moskowit@tronsbox.xei.com (preferred address)
moskowit@panix.com (alternate address)
From: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Smoking during major fasts
Date: 13 Aug 92 17:31:23 GMT
Reply-To: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Organization: The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology
Supersedes: <86106@netnews.upenn.edu>
In-reply-to: amir@cc.gatech.edu (Amihood Amir)

In article <1992Aug13.170748.2192@cc.gatech.edu>, amir@cc (Amihood Amir) writes:
>The reforms have no problem. cigarrettes are not mentioned in the Torah.

Oh yeah?  Ever hear of Camels?
-- 
-Matthew P Wiener (weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu)
From: sb5i+@andrew.cmu.edu (Sandy Bodzin)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Share apt/rent room in Philly area
Date: 13 Aug 92 04:57:50 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.MeWZlCe00WB88ICVAL
Organization: Masters student, Industrial Administration, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Single, shomer-shabbat male looking to share apt. or rent a room in a
home in Montgomery county (Elkins Park, Melrose Park, Bala Cynwyd).  If
you or anyone you know is looking to share a house/apt. please respond
by email or call 215-834-4654 during the day, 215-635-0223 in the
evening.  My sublet is over on the 25th so I need to find something
quick (I'd go for another sublet too).

Thanks,

Sandy
From: nyu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Fascism Reawakens in Croatia, Charges
Date: 19 Aug 92 18:37:50 GMT
Article-I.D.: cmcl2.1992Aug19.183750.9905
Organization: New York University

Mr. Stojanovic, you really seem to be missing the point.
You can lay out all the bandwidth "evidence" you want of
fascists in Croatia. It won't change the simple basic
fact that the Serbs are stealing land in Bosnia-Herzegovina
and Croatia, and killing as many civilians as they can.
In Bosnia-Herzegovina, they are doing this because many
of the Bosnians are Muslim and the Ottoman Empire defeated the
Serbs in the 12th century.
In Croatia, they are doing it because of the Croatian fascists
of WWII.
Mr. Stojanovic, Sloban Milosevic, a nationalist fascist in his own
right, is not fighting in Croatia to protect the free world from
fascism. And he is not shelling Bosnia-Herzegovina to protect
Europe from the Muslim hordes. The Serbian aggression is payback
and a land-grab. All your multi-part transcriptions ignore these
little facts.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: warren@nysernet.org (Warren Burstein)
Subject: Re: Smoking during major fasts
Reply-To: warren@nysernet.org
Organization: Mail to News Gateway at Wang Labs
Date: 17 Aug 92 08:39:13 GMT

as = aaron@kesher.UUCP (Aaron Schmiedel)
ib = isaac@numbat.cs.rmit.OZ.AU (Isaac Balbin)

ib: I saw people who ex-haled into a bottle before Shabbos and used
ib: that bottle throughout Shabbos.

as: This is a joke, no?  I would imagine that anyone so strict on
as: keeping the laws would also be strict on the fact that smoking is
as: halachically forbidden! 

This is optimism, no?  There are a number of bogus heterim that
circulate around the frum world for smoking.  I haven't decided if my
favorite is "shomer petaim Hashem" or "well all the Admorim smoke and
Admorim don't do anything wrong".
-- 
/|/-\/-\       The entire kitchen		Jerusalem
 |__/__/_/     is a very crowned carrot.
 |warren@      But the hiker
/ nysernet.org is not concerned at all.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: warren@nysernet.org (Warren Burstein)
Subject: Re: Irony continues in our history
Reply-To: warren@nysernet.org
Organization: Mail to News Gateway at Wang Labs
Date: 11 Aug 92 04:04:47 GMT

In <BssH1K.3qJ@apollo.hp.com> goykhman_a@apollo.hp.com (Alex Goykhman) writes:

>    Don't you think that before speaking out on behalf of a nation
>    we should consider how that nation treated their Jews during WWII
>    and what, if anything, has changed in their collective attitude
>    toward the Jews since than?

No.

If people somewhere are being rounded up and shot, particularly if
it's being done on the basis of their ethnicity, this is too close for
comfort.  Even the Nazis who were executed by the Allies stood trial
first.  The fact that some members of group X are anti-semites, or
even were active participants in the Holocaust (in which case those
people should be prosecuted in a court of law) does not eliminate our
responsibility (and the rest of the world's) for the group as a whole,
let alone their children.
-- 
/|/-\/-\       The entire hall		Jerusalem
 |__/__/_/     is a very narrow gazelle.
 |warren@      But the Kibo
/ nysernet.org is not concerned at all.
From: warren@nysernet.org (Warren Burstein)
Subject: Re: more of ...can of worms....
Reply-To: warren@nysernet.org
Organization: Mail to News Gateway at Wang Labs
Date: 14 Aug 92 07:47:31 GMT

In <1992Aug13.042334.24988@cbnewsl.cb.att.com> stank@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (Stan Krieger) writes:

    I'll put it very simply.  When the time comes that I will have to
    recite Kaddish, I don't want, or need, any ignoramus even
    tentatively implying that I didn't "properly" fulfil the mitzvah

Stan, I like this statement much better than your former message about FACTs.
-- 
/|/-\/-\       The entire kitchen		Jerusalem
 |__/__/_/     is a very publishing house theft.
 |warren@      But the weeder
/ nysernet.org is not all that paranoid.
From: dic5340@hertz.njit.edu (David Charlap)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Breaking a Glass in the Marriage Ceremony - Why?
Date: 14 Aug 92 19:53:16 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

In article <1992Aug12.235104.3753@cs.brown.edu> dzk@cs.brown.edu (Danny Keren) writes:
>Well folks the title says it all... I guess this has been answered
>some time on the net, so I apologize for asking it again.

There are many reasons.

One is that we should remember that the Temple has not been built.
The broken glass should cause people to be sad and upset.  It seems to
me that this reason isn't really used much, since they don't break
expensive glasses - it's usually a cheap one bought for the purpose of
breaking.

Another reason it superstition.  If a bad thing happens, the evil
spirits will leave the party alone.  So a glass is broken - that's the
bad thing.

Another reason is a symbol that a marriage isn't all cheerfulness and
bliss.  That there will be many problems - symbolized by the broken
glass - but that they don't have to end anything.

There are many others as well.
-- 
   |)  David Charlap           "I don't even represent myself
  /|_  dic5340@hertz.njit.edu   sometimes so NJIT is right out!.
 ((|,)
  ~|~  Hi! I am a .signature virus, copy me into your .signature file.
From: hrubin@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Rubin Herman)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Should a jew settle in Israel?
Date: 21 Aug 92 09:52:55 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Statistics Department

In article <1992Aug20.211602.620829@locus.com> hayim@locus.com (Hayim Hendeles) writes:
>In article <57341@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> hrubin@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Rubin Herman) writes:
>>In article <1992Aug19.225942.617346@locus.com> hayim@locus.com (Hayim Hendeles) writes:
|>>>In article <57250@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> hrubin@pop.stat.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin) writes:
|>>>>If every Jew settled in Israel, even kicking out all the goyim in
|>>>>Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank would not be adequate.  The limits
|>>>>are quite real, and we cannot count on manna.

|>>>Why stop at Gaza, and the West Bank ?		 :-)

>>Define the limits.  If we take the limits of David's kingdom at its greatest,
>>it is at best close.  Even if we include all of Jordan, and the Damascus
>>region of Syria, which is larger.  Remember that we would come close to
>>tripling the current population of Israel.


>This is fun. If you allow me to define the limits, I wouldn't stop at
>Jordan or Damascus either. After all, couldn't you argue that David's
>kingdom was sufficient for his day, but today, we need much more room
>than that. (OF course, this is not a valid argument according to the
>Talmud because "kedusha shniya kidsha l'atid l'avo" (Chagiga 3b))

>However, you are of the opinion that we have to use our pure logic.
>My logic says that we should take as much land as we need/want :-)

What is the difference between this and simply declaring that the
whole world is Israel?  Then all Jews are automatically living in
Israel, and the problems of aliyah disappear completely!
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: amir@cc.gatech.edu (Amihood Amir)
Subject: Re: Smoking during major fasts
Organization: College of Computing
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 17:07:48 GMT

>>It's permissible as long as you sell your lungs to a non-Jew. :-)
>
>I thought it's overlooked as long as your rabbi doesn't smoke.
The conservative position is that it is OK to smoke outside the 
house, as long as you don't smoke in the house.

The reforms have no problem. cigarrettes are not mentioned in the Torah.

--  Ami

					
					-Amihood Amir (amir@cc.gatech.edu)
From: rubinoff@linc.cis.upenn.edu (Robert Rubinoff)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: is the hebrew language a new language?
Date: 13 Aug 92 14:24:25 GMT
Organization: University of Pennsylvania

In article <1992Aug13.044326.27889@midway.uchicago.edu> goer@midway.uchicago.edu writes:
>shoham@ll.mit.edu (Daniel Shoham) writes:
>>Modern Hebrew is the same as the biblical one with modern vocabulary and
>>gramer added in the past 100 years or so.
>If the vocabulary and grammar are different, perhaps we'd want to modify
>this statement:  Modern Hebrew is a language, heavily influenced by Indo-
>European, Aramaic, and Arabic, that is based on the scholarly and litur-
>gical language used by Jews from the close of the biblical era up until
>its revival in our century.

All languages evolve and change, both from internal processes and from contact
with other language communities.  Modern Hebrew is not the same as Biblical or
Mishnaic Hebrew.  It's certainly much closer to them than Modern English is to
the versions of English spoken in Biblical or Mishnaic periods.  This is not
surprising, since Hebrew was not a native spoken language for the last two
thousand years.  

   Robert
From: warren@nysernet.org (Warren Burstein)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Jewish friends - help!
Date: 13 Aug 92 07:57:31 GMT
Reply-To: warren@nysernet.org
Organization: Mail to News Gateway at Wang Labs

yg = sg04@ploni.gte.com (Yechezkal Shimon Gutfreund)
es = esafern@shearson.com (Eric Safern) writes:

es: At a place I worked once, we had a birthday party - they bought a kosher
es: cake, and a brand new - sealed - knife.
es:
es: One guy refused to have any cake, because the knife was brand new -
es:                                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
es: AND HADN'T BEEN TOVELED!!!!

yg: Well, it will depend on what the knife is made of. If it is an unused
yg: disposable plastic knife there would be no problem.

yg: Some also hold that a clean & cold metal utensil can be used. Problems
yg: might arise if the utensil was used to cut shart (e.g. garlic, onion)
yg: items or for hot foods.

Sometimes I wonder if people read this group or just scan for
keywords.  Someone didn't eat food prepared a knife, so the response
is about knives that might have been in contact with this or that.
But read the first posting - the knife was brand new and the only
problem was that it had not been toveled.

Is there any source for not eating food that was prepared with untoveled
utensils?
-- 
/|/-\/-\       The entire auditorium		Jerusalem
 |__/__/_/     is a very publishing house theft.
 |warren@      But the weeder
/ nysernet.org is not concerned at all.
From: dic5340@hertz.njit.edu (David Charlap)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: more of ...can of worms....
Date: 13 Aug 92 18:16:03 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

In article <1992Aug11.195514.649608@locus.com> hayim@locus.com (Hayim Hendeles) writes:
>So where does anyone get the notion that the Torah requires you to wear
>a Tallis in the synagogue when praying, that they feel a synagogue
>where this is not done is lacking?

For many, myself included, the being wrapped in a talit while praying
helps me concentrate on the words being said.  It's a garment that is
only worn for prayer - eventually, the association is made and the
wearing can work wonders to put you in a more spiritual frame of mind.

>As a starter, if you really want to feel Jewish, pick 1 mitzvoh (an
>easy one) out of the 613 (you have a good selection) and adopt this
>mitzvoh. Strive to fulfill it to its utmost.  This will give you a good
>Jewish feeling 24 hours a day.

Well, there are actually less.  There are only 248 positive Mitzvot
(would it make you feel more Jewish by not killing anyone?), and many
of them can not be done outside of the Temple.  Of course, bringing a
Karban Pesach wouldn't be my first choice as a "random Mitzvoh" to do!
:-)



-- 
   |)  David Charlap           "I don't even represent myself
  /|_  dic5340@hertz.njit.edu   sometimes so NJIT is right out!.
 ((|,)
  ~|~  Hi! I am a .signature virus, copy me into your .signature file.
From: clamen@CS.CMU.EDU (Stewart Clamen)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: become jewish ?
Date: 16 Aug 92 10:05:46 GMT
Article-I.D.: cs.Bt2Mpn.379.1
	<1992Aug14.153621.3507@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov>
	<1992Aug14.161603.5361@cbnewsl.cb.att.com>
Reply-To: clamen+@CS.CMU.EDU
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University
Originator: clamen@BYRON.SP.CS.CMU.EDU

In article <1992Aug14.161603.5361@cbnewsl.cb.att.com> sethr@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (seth.r.rosenthal) writes:

   Also, among some Sephardim, although conversion is "recognized"
   they consider that it is different to be born a Jew or converted to
   a Jew (halachically or not).  I have met a couple (both non-Jews)
   who were refused by a Sephardic rabbi and then converted into a
   Chasidic group.  I think the rabbi was from Syria.

Certainly not "mainstream" Sephardic tradition.  If this were the
case, the various problems that sprung up between the Sephardic
Rabbinate in Israel and the Bene Israel (Ethiopian Jews) would have
been quite different.

On the other hand, I can imagine that the Jews from Arab lands could
be quite reticient to convert anyone.  Historically, conversion to
Jewry (from Islam), being contrary to Islamic Law, was probably very
difficult or downright illegal in Islamic countries.
--
Stewart M. Clamen			Internet:    clamen@cs.cmu.edu
School of Computer Science		UUCP: 	     uunet!"clamen@cs.cmu.edu"
Carnegie Mellon University		Phone: 	     +1 412 268 2145
5000 Forbes Avenue			Fax:	     +1 412 268 5739
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890, USA
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: dzk@cs.brown.edu (Danny Keren)
Subject: God on Earth?
Organization: Brown University Department of Computer Science
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 04:46:16 GMT

I am posting this on behalf of someone who does not have access to netnews:

"This is a question from a naive but curious enthusiast. What is the 
position, or positions, in Judaism on the role of God on earth? Has he 
washed his hands off of it, so nature runs like clockwork according to 
physical laws, and therefore we are the master of our destiny? If so, 
what is the basis of our relationship to Him? On the other hand, if 
nature strongly depends on advise from Him on how to bend the ``latest 
physical law'', and on what to do next, why is there then so much grief 
on earth, including a recent six million dead? Or, perhaps a combination 
of both, nature (body) governed by universal timeless laws, and mind (soul)
in constant interaction with Him? I realize that this is not exactly a 
yes/no topic! Rather, I am looking for references, pointers, general 
clarifications, or any insight you might offer." 



-Danny Keren.