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Friday, October 29th, 2010
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1:07 pm - Welcome to My Journal
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Hello, and welcome to my journal! If you're here through my website, then you're probably interested in my Jewish posts. If so, then please have a look at this list of Torah essays. I've also collected together descriptions of holidays and other Jewish occasions, which includes a few wedding descriptions. And if you want my undying love and friendship, read and comment to my fanfic.
Everything on the list is in typical livejournal style; the entries describe the day as I experienced them. Though they contain Torah information, they are not intended as educational tools in the same way the website is. To read about my day-to-day life, just scroll down.
To regular lj-ers: This journal is about 50% friends-locked. I love new lj friends and I usually friend back, though sometimes it takes me a while to realize you're there. I don't have Internet at home, so while I can email posts, I don't get to read my flist as often as I'd like. With that in mind, friend me as you see fit.
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| Thursday, July 9th, 2009
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4:29 pm - Rejection Letter and Library Hashgacha
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It’s been a long time since I’ve written here, and to tell you the truth, I miss it. I even renewed my account for another year last week though I’ve never figured out why I can’t email post since all my letters to livejournal get bounced back, too. Gam zu l’tova. I paid just to have all those cute icons.
What motivates me to write at the moment is that I received a rejection letter to one of my stories yesterday. It bothers me, of course, but it was the first go-round for this story, and none of my stories has ever gotten accepted on the first try. So now it’s revision time. May Hashem help me to find the time.
As usual, I want to talk about books. Yesterday for the first time in weeks, I took my kids to the public library. They’re into Bruce Coville and whatever graphic novels they can get their hands on, and of course, I had my own “to read” list in mind as well. As a matter of fact, my list is so long, I wasn’t sure what to choose. So even before getting to the library, I thought about letting Hashem guide me. That happened when I read All For the Boss last year. Motcha had been recommending it for years, but I never got around to it, and then while walking around the library not looking for anything in particular, there it was. (If you haven’t read it, I recommend it, but I liked A Tzaddik in Our Time even more.)
This time, Hashem sent a shaliach, ie a messenger. One of my neighbors was also at the library, holding a copy of “Binah” magazine. I asked to look at it to copy the submissions address. (After one magazine rejects one of my stories, I like to try another as soon as possible. I got that piece of advice from a writing book somewhere.) I explained to her that I’d just had a story rejected, and she said, “Oh! Have you read what Ruchama Feuerman wrote about rejection?” Then she led me to Ruchama’s book, which has been on my “to-read” list pretty much since it came out. I never got around to it, though, partly because I couldn’t find it and partly because I was rejected from that collection also. But it’s high time I got over it, and so I read her introduction, which is probably what motivated me to write this post. Writing in my private journal is good, but it’s easy to fall into subjectivity there. When I’m writing something I expect others to read, I get more into a story-telling mode. And though the story of how my neighbor led me to Ruchama’s book may not be all that interesting – not enough conflict, I suppose – i think you can see that it’s already affecting me. Hashem leads us everywhere, even to the books we read. May we all have the good sense to see His guidance and use it wisely.
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| Thursday, June 25th, 2009
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11:06 am - The Jewish Value of Pleasantness (or lack thereof)
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BS"D
Hi, everyone. For the past bunch of weeks, my project at work as been to pick out sample audio clips of every lecture we have in stock. Naturally, I've got my favorites. Most are inspiring stories, but this one is what I consider the funniest moment in all the lectures. It was during Rabbi Wein's lecture on pleasantness, so I'd title it, "A Demonstration on the Value of Pleasantness (or lack thereof)."
Click on "sample audio" on this page.
BTW, if you like it, please share it with your friends! I'd be thrilled if it went viral. It's definitely funnier than "I like turtles."
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| Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
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4:04 pm - The President's Cairo Speech
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No doubt everyone across the blogosphere has written something about the President’s speech, so I guess I’ll add my little voice into the fray, though I doubt it will be listened to much. I guess I’m feeling especially intimidated and ignored since my voice certainly went unheard at the Shabbos table this week . . . but perhaps that’s for the best.
I guess I’ll start chronologically backward with Shabbos. One of my sisters-in-law made an aufruf for her stepson this Shabbos, which means she had a crowd of guests at her house for the seudah by day. When one guest said, “Obama,” another said, “Don’t even mention his name at the table.” They weren’t even moved by his visit to Buchenwald with Elie Wiesel! That shocked me. I went into Shabbos with Wiesel’s speech echoing in my head. It was especially meaningful to me because I’d just finished editing the transcript of Rabbi Wein’s lecture on Holocaust Denial in which he quotes an interview with Elie Wiesel. I visited his website to look at all the humanitarian works he supports. Go look yourselves; you’re sure to be impressed.
That’s not to say that I agreed with the president’s Cairo speech 100%. Parts of it made me incredibly nervous as a matter of fact. Telling Arabs that violence doesn’t work is just what Israel needs, but by making the comparison to African American slave resistance, was he saying that the Israelis are slave-owners? That’s patently false. And what about his vision for Jerusalem? What happens to the Holy Kotel? Are Jews going to be free to worship as Jews? According to the Jewish newspapers, no expansion means a Jew already living in a place like Beitar, on the border but not over the green line, won’t be allowed to build a sukkah porch onto his apartment. If any government, either American or Israeli, begins to prevent people from keeping mitzvos, the end result cannot be good.
And so I am nervous yet hopeful at the same time. To me, it’s an incredible thing for the president to go to an Arab country and tell them that the Holocaust happened and that is why the U.N. voted the State of Israel into existence 61 years ago. I didn’t say that in front of all the guests, about half of whom were essentially strangers to me, but I did say it to my sisters-in-law, who know me well enough that they won’t write me off for disagreeing with them. And I think that even they agreed with that particular point, vehemently as they may disagree with other aspects of the president’s policies.
As for me, I’m continuing to daven, and I’m also getting a stronger desire to visit Eretz Yisroel again. It’s been 14 years. But more and more, I continue to wonder: should I become more politically active? Can I do it in this odd position I’m in - right-wing in religious practice and left-leaning politically? Or is just taking care of my family quite enough responsibility? May Hashem guide me and the rest of the world to correct actions.
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(3 comments | comment on this)
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| Monday, June 1st, 2009
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3:34 pm - Literary Countdown Meme
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| Thursday, May 14th, 2009
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2:08 pm - Leah Kotkes
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Leah Kotkes gave a writing workshop in Monsey yesterday. Wow, wow, wow! It was the best writing workshop I've ever attended. Craft-wise, perhaps, it was nothing new, but as far as encouragement and support to other writers, this group was top-notch!
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| Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
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4:11 pm - Writer's Block: There Once Was a Girl from Nantucket
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BS"D
Just Composed:
I have a bad habit while working.
I can't seem to stop myself shirking.
Whether it's lj or Facebook,
I keep sneaking quick looks,
and posting - it's just no fun lurking!
Favorite:
There once was a man from Japan
whose poems would rhyme, but not scan.
When told this was so,
he replied, "Yes, I know,
but I always try to get as many syllables into the last line as I possibly can."
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(7 comments | comment on this)
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12:28 pm - Letter to the President
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Thanks to the Internet, it's really easy to write to our leaders these days. I've written three letters to President Obama so far. I heard in an interview that every day he reads 20 of the hundreds of thousands of letters he receives so that he can keep in touch with the American people. As I don't really expect to be one of the 20, I'm sharing my letter with you. As always, I ask you not to flame.
( My Letter )
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(5 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
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12:01 pm - Beyond BT
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I put up a political post at Beyond BT, and amazingly, nobody flamed me! (At least, not yet).
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(comment on this)
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| Sunday, May 3rd, 2009
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1:23 pm - Eat the Rich
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Here comes another one of my loooooong book reviews. It's on the subject of economics, which I was always fairly ignorant about. The author is a right-wing libertarian, and I don't agree with everything he said, but I still learned a lot, as you'll see. Like the book, I tried to make the subject of economics personal and interesting. I sure hope I did it since reading the book was certainly an interesting journey for me.
( My Review of Eat the Rich by P.J. O'Rourke )
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(11 comments | comment on this)
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| Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
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10:30 am - The Community Chesed Expo
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Anyone who read my review of President Obama's book Dreams From My Father knows that I've been inspired to get more involved in community service. The book I read after the president's was Rabbi Avi Weiss' Spiritual Activism so that I could learn about becoming a Jewish activist specifically. But while Rabbi Weiss makes some excellent points, I don't think I will be joining him. Religiously, I'm right-wing, so I'm more inclined toward the Agudah.
But in these weeks since reading those books, I haven't done much chesed/community service. For one thing, it was Pesach, and then there are the kids and my job. But when I learned that the OU (Orthodox Union) would be sponsoring a "Chesed Community Fair," I signed up right away. About 35 different Jewish community services organizations were to get together under one roof so that people could take advantage of their services. I attended to both give and take. I hoped to find job leads for Motcha, freelance work for myself, and health insurance information. On the "give" side, I was going to learn about volunteering options. And of course, I hoped I'd be able to write about the event for professional publication.
( Impromptu Volunteerism )
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(6 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
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11:16 am - Pesach 5769
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It's very OCD of me, but I feel like I can't get on with any of my writing until I write some kind of Pesach update for lj. Thing is, I have to get to work, so here it is:
( Pesach Update )
Okay, that's all for now. Hope to write some more book reviews soon!
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| Thursday, April 2nd, 2009
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11:26 am - Woo hoo! New Story!
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I just wanted to let everyone know that I've got a new story coming out, IY"H, in the Pesach Story Supplement of Hamodia, which will be on the newsstands this Monday IY"H. And as I don't see getting much computer time between now and Pesach, chag kasher v'sameach!
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| Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
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11:46 am - Music, Part 1
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My father’s yahrtzeit was on Monday, and since I’ve written memorials of him here before and because I did one for Facebook, I’m going to write about something I didn’t mention much for my entire year of mourning – MUSIC.
For those who don’t know, a Jew who loses a parent has to follow certain restrictions in the year of the parent’s death. Basically, it amounts to three things: 1) no new clothing 2) no attending simchas, i.e. weddings and bar mitzvahs and such 3) no listening to music.
Now #1 was really no big deal for me. Who can afford new clothes? #2 was even less of a big deal. I know some mourners for whom missing out on their friends’ simchas is a real hardship, but I’m not one of them. I almost welcomed the excuse to stay home, though I’d much rather my father were alive, of course. But #3 – no music – was a major challenge.
To understand why it was so hard for me, you’ve got to understand that under ordinary circumstances, I listen to music whenever I can, especially when I’m doing housework. I listen so much that about a week before my father’s death last year, middle son remarked, “Mommy’s going to cry during Sefira because she can’t listen to music.” And I agreed; Sefira is hard for me. But Sefira is nothing compared to a year of mourning a parent.
( Last Year’s Musical Birthday )
Well, that’s only Part One of my musical saga. I’ve got to get to work, so I’ll write the rest later. Hope you stay “tuned.”
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(3 comments | comment on this)
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| Thursday, March 26th, 2009
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12:27 pm - Dreams From My Father
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| Tuesday, March 24th, 2009
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3:59 pm - Late Purim Post
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| Monday, March 23rd, 2009
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2:46 pm - Lectures for Ladies!
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BS"D
I hope you don't mind my going commercial again. Believe me, I wouldn't hawk these products if I didn't believe in them . . .
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Connect with the great women made the Jewish people what it is today!
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(comment on this)
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| Monday, March 9th, 2009
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12:59 pm - A Purim Poem
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BS"D
I don't usually do Purim verse, but my shalach manos are more modest than usual, so this came up. Please consider this your virtual shalach manos. A freilechen Purim!
Dear Friends, upon this festive day
We'd like to take the opportunity to say
that due to our more limited budget,
we're sending just kugel and a fudge-let.
No floral bags, no pretty wrappings,
we can't afford those outer trappings.
But from what we've heard, that is a lesson
that we can learn from this recession.
When the extras take a back seat,
what really counts then takes the lead.
Though it may feel like hester panim,
it's for our good; so say the Rabbonim.
So please accept our heartfelt bracha
for health, real wealth, and clear hashgacha.
Whatever He has in store for you,
may you feel the good, pure and true.
And for Klal Yisroel let us pray
to be saved from the Hamans of today.
With the guiding hand of Shamayim,
may He return us in peace in Yerushalayim.
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| Sunday, March 1st, 2009
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1:37 pm - Six-Line Memoirs
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BS"D
Here's something I had lots of fun with.
Smithmag.net is a website where people can submit their life stories in 6 words. Two people came up with the idea just as a fluke, and it's really taken off. Here are a few samples:
"Shy Jersey girl overcompensating ever since."
"Obama ran so that I could fly."
"Born first. Who invited them?"
"Born last. When was the fun?"
The pair who originated this were on Leonard Lopate's radio show on Friday, and after hearing so many of these 6-word memoirs, naturally I had to try my own. Here are a few:
( My Six-Word Memoirs )
Seriously, writing these things can get addictive. So if you like the format, I hope you'll write a few yourself. And just in case I miss them, feel free to post them as comments to this post. Have fun!
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| Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
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2:17 pm - Outliers Review
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BS"D
A gutten chodesh, everyone! A while ago, ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) pennswoods asked my opinion of Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, so here's the review at long last. (Got addicted to Facebook right after reading the book, ironic in light of its message.)
( My Review )
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