Today for breakfast matrushkaka, her dad, and I went to House of Bagels in the Richmond. While waiting for my whitefish and onion I overheard the store clerk explain that their bagels were kosher style, but not technicaly kosher. Being a fan of complicated religious rules I asked what the difference was ( Read more... )

After apologizing for last week's mailer and firing the person involved, the Pennsylvania Republican Party is sending out a new flyer to Pennsylvania Jewish voters. It reads "History has shown that a naive and weak foreign policy has resulted in tragic outcomes for the Jewish people."


( Read more... )

I've always admired the Jewish tradition, welcoming discussion and discussions of the discussions involving lots of complicated rules and issues. Simultaneously pragmatic and formally legalistic, sometimes perversely so. For example you're allowed to carry something outside your house, unless it's on the Sabbath, unless you're inside an Eruv, ( Read more... )

( Read more... )

When I was growing up the next door neighbors were the Mandells. Richard was a big strong guy with a big beard - he did a lot of hiking, camping, and whitewater kayaking, and he ran a land development and construction business. Audrey was a beautiful woman with short black curly hair. Both of them were unbelievably friendly, warm, and generous ( Read more... )

I was going over my old posts and remembered the Iran Holocaust Cartoon Contest. Does anyone know if the winners have been announced yet?

( Read more... )

A while ago I mentioned my support for the Iranian holocaust cartoon contest. Apparently I wasn't alone: creepyanonymous pointed me to the Israeli Anti-Semitic Cartoon Contest, whose gallery lists some promising entries. This comic also recently ran in US papers:


( Read more... )

I never thought anyone would match the stupidity of renaming "Freedom Fries" but Iran has at least matched it. They're renaming Danishes to be "Roses of the Prophet Mohammad".

Not content with pelting European embassies with petrol bombs to protest against cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, Iranians have decided to rename the "Danish pastries" ( Read more... )

Every so often I'll read someone who says that Islam is an irreparably violent religion because its text requires its followers to commit terrible acts such as stoning adulterous women. This is true, but it's important to remember that the Old Testament is filled with similar instructions.

( Read more... )