Hanukkah Quality

It's true that Hanukkah presents are generally cheaper than Christmas presents (there's more of them, duh!), but only Jews are allowed to joke about it.  Thus, the Anti-Defamation League is protesting against the billboard ad for Wodka.

“Although rarely serious, we apologize to anyone we may have offended through our holiday campaign,’’

Wodka said on Twitter.

That's right, don't mess with us, or the [Polish] joke will be on you.

Kosher Thanksgiving

Turkey, being native to the New World, was not mentioned in the Torah.  Thus, some observant Jews are unsure whether they can eat it.  Most agree that they can, because it is certainly more like a chicken (not just taste-wise) than a bird of prey or vultures that are certainly not kosher.  The unfortunate minority follows Rabbi Yom-Tov Lippman Heller (1579-1654), who is often referred to as the Tosafot Yom-Tov, which is actually the title of a commentary on the Mishna for which he is famous.  According to Rabbi Joshua Heller,

Many of his descendants hold fast to a family tradition that he was among the early sages who declared the turkey to be non-kosher. Indeed, I have distant cousins who to this day satisfy their Thanksgiving obligations with a brisket and a chocolate turkey.

For more Talmud-worthy discussion of the holiday bird, you can visit http://www.thejewishweek.com/features/hammerman_ethics/turkey_kosher.

As we Ashkenazi Jews say, "a makeh unter yenems orem iz nit shver tsu trogen," which means "I wish I had their problems."

The Comedy of Joel Chasnoff

The Comedy of Joel Chasnoff
Author of The 188th Crybaby Brigade
Thursday, December 8 @ 8pm
Bendheim Performing Arts Center
999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale

A hilarious coming-of-age tale in which Chasnoff takes readers into the barracks, over, under, and through political fences, and face-toface with the absurd reality of life in the Israeli Army.

Further info: Paul Warhit: 914-637-0513 or Millie Jasper: 914-472-7630

Judaism Without God?

If Judaism means being Jewish, then neither I nor anyone I had known before the age of 16 (i.e., before coming to the US) had any doubts that this is true. It seems that finally this concept has reached American shores (Hallelujah!).  According to an article in USA Today, at least American atheist say yes.

Here are some quotes from people interviewed by the newspaper:

"Atheism and Judaism are not contradictory, so to have an atheist in a Jewish congregation isn't an issue or a challenge or a problem.  It is par for the course. That is what Judaism is. It is our tradition to question God from top to bottom." (Maxim Schorin, a member of the Reform Congregation Beth El in Berkeley--but then he must be a Russian Jew)

"An individual who attends synagogue, participates in Jewish communal affairs, and contributes heavily to Jewish charities would undoubtedly be considered a very fine Jew, without asking questions about whether or not that person believed in God." (Jonathan Sarna, Professor of American Jewish history, Brandeis University) 

According to Shaul Magid, a professor of modern Judaism at Indiana University, atheists join synagogues because American Judaism lacks "a vibrant secular Jewish movement."

I have news for the esteemed professor.  There is an alternative.  The Society for Humanistic Judaism offers a home for people who want to keep their Jewish identity without having to partake of opium for the masses.

What Can Science Say About Free Will?

Are advances in the scientific understanding of the human mind shaping our conception of free will? If so, how? Are the cognitive sciences revealing that free will does not exist, or are they merely shedding light on the inner workings of agency? And do the answers to these questions have implications for moral responsibility?
This Sunday, CFI-New York City will sponsor a panel discussion featuring scientists and philosophers who will discuss their views on these and related questions.
Speakers include:

• Hakwan Lau, neuroscientist, Columbia University.
• Alfred Mele, philosopher of mind, Florida State University.
• Jesse Prinz, philosopher of mind, City University of New York.
• Adina Roskies, philosopher of mind, Dartmouth College.
• Massimo Pigliucci, philosopher of science, City University of New York.

The panelists will participate in a roundtable conversation, then answer questions from the audience. The event will be followed by a reception with the speakers. 

Admission is $10 for the general public, free for paid members. 

Read more here:

http://www.centerforinquiry.net/nyc/events/the_science_and_philosophy_of_free_will/

Hebdo Bombing

As you have probably heard, the office of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo was destroyed by a bomb for daring to print an anti-Muhammed cartoon.

I was glad to learn that they are undefeated.  The newspaper has reprinted the cartoon and has distributed it as a special supplement.

I wasn't able to find the exact cartoon in question, but from what I did find (see the cartoon on the right) it seems they are equal opportunity satirists.  It's just that currently, only Islamic extremists go so far as to spill blood due to their religion (Timothy McVeigh was a Christian, but it wasn't his Christianity that drove him to destroy the Oklahoma City Federal Building).

Also, not all anti-Islamic cartoons Hebdo published are anti-Mohammed.  The one on the left, for instance, is entitled Mohammed Overcome by the Fundamentalists.  Its balloon says, “It’s a Drag Being Loved By Idiots”.