A tallit-and-tefillin-wearing woman in a traditional Conservative synagogue?! An unorthodox—and non-orthodox—perspective on Jews and Judaism from a perpetual misfit. This blog, welcoming the entire Jewish community, is dedicated to those who take Judaism seriously, but not necessarily literally.
Once upon a time, I belonged to a left-wing egalitarian Conservative synagogue, where I was one of a number of women who wore a tallit—and one of the few members who used an Orthodox prayer book (adding the Mothers, of course). Having moved since then, I now belong to a right-wing traditional Conservative synagogue, where I’m almost always the only woman wearing a tallit—and one of the few members who adds the Mothers. I seem destined to be forever . . . on the fringe.
6 Comments:
Worse. At least the US definitely for the worse. Torture is the law of the land, and the President of the US claims the authority to order extrajudicial executions of US citizens. Civil liberties are rapidly fading away and the right to privacy is becoming a memory.
If the terrorists hate us for our freedoms they have less reason to hate us because of what we did to ourselves in response to their attacks.
I think that one of the lasting legacies of terrorist attacks is that they created a fear of ordinary objects. Who would have thought, a decade ago, that we would have reason to be afraid of shoes and shampoo bottles because of the explosives that might be concealed therein? People have died of anthrax just because they opened an envelope. The U.S., government included, has become paranoid.
Larry said "the right to privacy is becoming a memory". Contrary to what most Americans believe, there is no "right to privacy". There are certain restrictions on what the government can do with respect to search warrants and taking of property, but they are limited, at best and have always been approached with a substantial amount of flexibility. Justice Douglas attempted to create one out of thin air with his "penumbras" concept articulated in the cases preceding Roe v. Wade, but the reasoning is thin which is why Roe v Wade is so susceptible to erosion.
Shira said "The U.S., government included, has become paranoid." No, it hasn't. The threat is real, a clear and present danger. The problem is that the U.S. population is extraordinarily naive, and reluctant, at best, to consider things in historical terms. While the magnitude of the attack on 9/11 was shocking in its scope, it certainly wasn't a surprise; it was inevitable. We neglected to learn the lessons from our brothers in Israel who have contended with this daily since before the creation of the State. Our response has not been paranoid; desperate, perhaps, but not paranoid. Ultimately, any anti-terror steps come down to a risk-benefit analysis -- how much risk are you willing to tolerate and at what cost?
I haven't watched any of the 9/11 TV programs except for one about people who lost loved ones receiving "messages" from "beyond" that offered them comfort.
I think about 9/11 every day if only briefly in passing because 911 is the number to call in the US for help.
The mere mention of 9/11 causes a Pavlovian reaction of grief and loss so profound that it brings tears.
I haven't lived in NY (Brooklyn) for over 40 years, yet I still respond on a personal level to the attack. We know why NYC was targeted - get as many Jews as they could - I don't know if anyone can react on deeper level than American outrage than a Jewish New Yorker.
TOTJ Steve said, "The problem is that the U.S. population is extraordinarily naive, and reluctant, at best, to consider things in historical terms. While the magnitude of the attack on 9/11 was shocking in its scope, it certainly wasn't a surprise; it was inevitable. We neglected to learn the lessons from our brothers in Israel . . . "
Perhaps that's true, but we've always cherished the idea that the US was a safer place, even if that idea was a delusion.
We had two very large oceans protecting us from the threats of the old world. That worked well from the end of the war of 1812 until perhaps the 1960s. From then, it was only a matter of time. Don't forget, this was the 2nd attack on WTC. But we also experienced extreme terror attacks of a home grown nature (remember Oklahoma City?) We had plenty of wake up calls, but society chose to ignore them. If we cherished anything, it was a myth that we were safer.
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