Living Jews: Jake Zimmerman Part 2

So when we last left Representative Zimmerman, ahem, Jake, he was just returning to St. Louis following a stint at Harvard Law and some time in DC. So what was it that brought him back to St. Louis? And what was it that brought him to politics?

Well, in his own words, "I think Tikun Olam plays in heavily, and a healthy sense of outrage at injustice."

More than that though, it "comes from having an outspoken Jewish mother who didn't listen to the radio idly!"

So how has being a Jew in St. Louis affected Jake's political life?

"The STL Jewish community was part of what made me a strong candidate initially. There are a lot of parental feelings there. People want young Jews like us to succeed."

When we asked how he has been received in Jefferson City, Jake responded, davka, that "being Jewish helps connect across the aisle too, as there is a lot of respect in the evangelical community towards Jews and Israel."

He went further to explain that, "you can either be uncomfortable with people who don't look like you, or you can use that as a lantern post to start dialogue."

Since there are not many Jews in Jeff City, Jake does feel that he represents 'Jews' to some degree, which leads to the need to be careful in some situations.

What does it mean to be a Jew in St. Louis that it might not mean somewhere else?
Jake believes that the Jewish community in St. Louis is a microcosm of the larger St. Louis community, sometimes too inward looking, with a big emphasis on who you know. It is about either accepting the way things have always been or figuring out how to bust those boundaries. -We agree.


What does STL need as a community?

The town needs more than anything, a broader and more regional focus on economic development, city, county, exurbs, St. Charles County and IL. Far suburbs can't thrive without thriving core.

The turn of the century Jewish community was in North St. Louis, what are now theprojects, then they moved to U City, then moved to Olivette, Creve Coeur, then all the way to Chesterfield in 70s 80s and 90s. Now younger Jews are moving back to University city, want to be closer to the action. Also more moving into CWE, South City (Fo Chouteau, what what!) and Soulard.

The migratory patterns in the Jewish community represents the greater St. Louis patterns as people are starting to recognize that we are all in this together.

MO runs a real risk of turning into a place that the rest of the country sees as a backwater. With every year that we don't put the stem cell research thing to bed, or make people believe that they might go to jail for scientific research, the more that immigration passes us by. As Jews, historically immigrants, who value education, we have a moral obligation to speak up for this.

The question is can we attract the best and the brightest, can we hold onto graduating Wash U talent?

So it's clear that Jake has a lot of ideas as to what St. Louis needs by way of revitalization. But what about what's already here? For the dish on bars, food, and Jeff Smith (!?!) check back for Part 3!
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Updated Status, Its Complicated

I wrote yesterday about the apparent schism that had formed in my relationship with the Metrolink, still, I was a bit surprised to get a letter in the mail from 707 North First Street today, aren't you supposed to wait a few days after a traumatic event before getting back in touch?

When I was pulled off that train on Saturday morning, waiting in the cold while the citation was being written, I was expressly told, we won't call you, call us, a week from Monday.

Ok, I thought, not only did I get smacked with a fine, I also have to take the initiative to find out how much it is by calling back in a week, and knowing my attention span, that is a recipe for disaster.

When I received the letter today, I thought that it was a little weird, and was probably a testament to just how badly they needed the money.

The ultimate shock, however, was the content of the letter.

"A review of the above Summons has disclosed an error," it read, "YOUR CASE HAS BEEN DISMISSED."

Whoa. I was caught off guard. Now, we have all had our share of 'Baby Come Back', but this was so matter of fact, so emotionless, I haven't really had a chance to digest it.

Despite this gesture of goodwill, will Metro and I ever be involved again? Stay tuned.
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Donniel Hartman's take on Israel and Gaza

From the Hartman Global Beit Midrash which I attended this past weekend in DC comes this incredibly interesting take on the morality of war vs morality in war in regards to the Israel/Gaza situation. Read it here. Read More......

What Not to Name Your Child Part 2

Remember those crazy parents that named their children after Nazis?

Well, they just lost custody of their impressionable young ones...

Though the reason behind removing the kids from the Campbell home is still unknown, I believe the media attention surrounding the story may have had a lot of impact.

Read the story here.

My hope is that the children grow up as normal as you can be in the foster home system; my thoughts are with them.
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Why My Love Affair With The Metrolink May Have Just Ended

I admit it, I've had a love affair with the St. Louis Metrolink. But lately, I think the relationship has been rather one-sided. After a trip this weekend to DC, and cavorting with the mass transit there, I am going to update my relationship status on facebook to 'single'

Despite the difficulties posed by the Grand Metrolink station (the closest to our spot), I have made an effort, even when not economically prudent, to take St. Louis' half-massed light rail system.

I even planned events that centered around taking the Metro.

This past weekend, I had to rush to the airport Saturday morning to catch a flight to DC for PLP's Global Beit Midrash. I had my roommate drive me to the Central West End Metro stop in my car (why I didn't have him just take me to the airport....), and thought I'd be all set.

I pulled out my semester pass, only to find it had expired 10 days before and was dismayed to find that I couldn't use a credit or debit card to purchase a ticket. Not only that, there wasn't an ATM near by.

So here I am, stranded on this cold morning at the Metro station, without the ability to buy a ticket, and with a newly expired pass.

To make a reasonable-length story palatable for consumers of tinyurl, I was given a citation for riding the train without a ticket.

Ok, I deserved that, right? Now flash forward to DC.

I get on the train from the airport without any problems because I can dip my plastic purchasing power. No risk of a citation, because I can't even get onto the train without having a ticket (or some hops).

All weekend this continues, dip the card, take the train, ride the emotional roller coaster, etc.

Now that I'm back, I'm having a dilemma. I've been treated poorly, and have seen the greener pastures, but I don't want to give up on the idea of functional public transit in STL.
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Updates From Israel

In the midst of the continued military operations against Hamas in Gaza, there are a few stories today which caught my attention and are, I believe, incredibly important to discuss

The first was passed to me by a friend working for the Jewish Agency in Israel.

The story is by an American Camerawoman living with her husband in Sderot, a city which has been the target of continuing rocket attacks originating from the Gaza strip.

In the piece, the difficulties of living under the constant threat of random rocket fire are explained from a very personal perspective, and one can understand why the rocket fire is considered to be an act of 'terror'.

Please read that piece here.

The second story comes from Israel's Left leaning newspaper, Ha'Aretz, and reports on the banning of Arab political parties in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The justification given by those who supported and passed the measure is that the Arab parties have been inciting violence, meeting with enemy nations, and supporting terrorist groups.

The last political party to be banned was Kach, in the 1980's and advocated the expulsion of all Arabs from Israel.

At the same time, this action is a strong blow to Israel's assertion that it is a democratic state. Despite the fact that Arabs affiliated with non-Arab parties aren't effected by this, the ban is still a move which should be widely condemned, and questioned by those who support a free, democratic, and secure Israel.

The article does not explain whether new Arab parties, not affiliated with the actions of the recently banned parties, would be allowed to participate.

Read that story here
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The Greener Side of St. Louis

After attending multiple Moishe House events, a good friend was inspired to write a guest post for us. -Y?

It was only a matter of time before this issue would surface, and I'm perfectly fine with being the annoying tree-hugger to bring it up.

At first glance, I think the underlying spirit of good environmental citizenship has been present at each event since Mighty Moishe came to be. Multiple people ask multiple people on every Moishe occasion whether or not there is a system for recycling, and there is always a refreshing reluctance toward throwing perfectly reusable bottles and cans into the garbage. What I believe can be improved, however, is the clarity of Moishe's stance on recycling, as well as the general level of knowledge about recycling in St. Louis. This post will hopefully teach some of you a few things you didn't already know about how to be a responsible recycler in the 3-1-4.

I, like many, admittedly grew up w/a pair of environmentally conscious parents who did the dirty work associated with household greening for me. As much as I complained about breaking down cardboard boxes, squashing soda cans and sorting recyclable materials into their proper bins every time it was my week to take the trash out, I realize in my young adulthood how much I took these things for granted. Environmentally conscious actions, after all, enable us to gain a sense of our ongoing connection to one another and the cyclical nature of the earth we share. I feel as if I lost part of this connection by neglecting to recycle during my first six months as a young working man in the Lou.

Well, one day I became bored and gained some ambition. As my CWE apartment building does not offer a recycling service (nor do many others, unfortunately), I googled "Recycling in St. Louis" to gain a sense of the opportunities available and to educate myself on which of my daily waste products were and weren't recyclable. What I found was a very comprehensive list of recycling resources available in the St. Louis area. Because I couldn't say it better myself, I urge you all to take a look at the Refuse Division's website and learn what you can do to reduce your environmental impact with respect to waste:

If you don't like driving, and don't trust yourself to take your own recycling to one of the 27 drop-off locations in the city, pay the $37.50 by THURSDAY, JANUARY 15th (this week) and get curbside service for these materials

However, if you don't mind driving a very short distance and would rather drop-off your recycling, simply pre-sort your recyclables based on the categories listed in the above link and schlep them to your local drop-off location

As a final note, make sure you pay attention to everything you buy throughout the day, and the simple things you can do to reduce your disposables and increase your recyclables. Here are some closing thoughts:

--That morning cup of Starbucks: Both the plastic cap and cardboard cup are recyclable, so take advantage!

--GREEN YOUR BEER PONG: As the title suggests, the solo cups are indeed recyclable!

--LOOK FOR THE SYMBOL: Everything that is recyclable will have the triangle made of arrows stamped somewhere on it to indicate recyclability. Make sure your grocery store purchases have this symbol before buying.

--TAKE IT HOME! If your place of work doesn't have adequate recycling, put your empty starbucks cup or aluminum cans in your purse/bag to take home and recycle there.

--LET'S RECYCLE TOGETHER: As Moishe has the power to be a positive example for socially conscious living in STL, let's all agree that Moishe events from here on should have clearly-defined recycling collection points. It takes very little effort for one of us to drop-off the night's recycling, and the resulting smile on Mother Earth's face is all the reward we could ever need!
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Jewish Pin Up Calendar

In Case Heeb Magazine's Swimsuit Edition didn't satisfy your appetite for beautiful biblical babes, Jewcy has the entire Jamie Sneider Calender up. This is probably not safe for work, but I award her extra points for Jewish themes throughout.

Consider this our Shabbat sign off gift to you. Read More......

Zeda's Beat Box This Saturday!

Zeda's Beat Box
LIVE
At the JCC (Wohl)
2 Millstone Campus Dr.
Sat. Jan 10
8:15 PM
FREE!



Listen the tracks from the bands new CD "Seven" Read More......

Living Jews: Missouri State Representative, Jake Zimmerman Part 1

The latest in The St. Lou Jew's series on young Jews who are doing big things, today we bring you an interview with State Rep Jake Zimmerman, read on to learn more about what role being Jewish and from St. Louis played in his life, what its like adjusting to Jefferson City (the capital of MO), and a few good digs on Jeff Smith

For those of you regular readers, you may recall a post from a month or two back, in which LC and I were panelists at the St. Louis Jewish Federation's Board of Trustees meeting. Aside from being a great experience, legitimizing our role and voice in the community, and feeding our egos, the event also gave us the opportunity to network.

When Stuart Zimmerman, Principal at The Buckingham Family of Financial Services approached me afterwards and told me that he wanted to introduce me to his son Jake, the State Rep, I jumped at the opportunity.

Zuz and I caught up with Jake for a phone interview while he was on his way to Jefferson City.

Jake took a moment to activate his Blue Tooth headset and call us back to avoid, "hurting someone."

When we asked Jake to describe how he ended up in Politics in Missouri, he asked if we had specific questions or just wanted him to start talking, and have us try to shift the conversation as we went. Seeing as how he is a politician, we figured he would be most comfortable just talking until he made a gaffe.

Background: The Jake Zimmerman Story

STL born and bred, Jake grew up in family that took the whole Jewish thing pretty seriously. They belonged to Bnai Emunah, Jake attended Hebrew school, Camp Ramah, all of that was a big part of who he was.

He remembers leafing through Pirkei Avot, and finding random passages that advised Jews not to get involved in secular politics, only to have his dad point out on the next page another rabbi who thought that sacrificing pigeons was the most important thing. Luckily for fans of Jake Zimmerman the Politician, he quickly came to the conclusion that maybe Pirkei Avot wouldn't be the be all end all in his life.

Like any good aspiring politician, Jake has spent a fair amount of time in DC working on the Hill, and even at one point as an intern in Bill Clinton's White House, to which Jake added, "insert joke here!"

While in law school at Harvard, Jake spent summers in STL, realizing that "I wanted to be in this community and do things here."

After law school, Jake returned to St. Louis, where he worked first for area law firm, Thompson Coburn, saying that, " On the East Coast, Harvard Law degrees are a dime a dozen...in St. Louis, they are a little less common than in New York."

"After law school I knew that I didn't want to work for someone else's agenda to play in the DC rat race game.

Living the Dream, Jake left the firm to work in consumer protection for the MO Attorney General's office, completing what he calls the ultimate tragedy for his concerned Jewish mother.

After his work at the AG, Jake was given the opportunity to be the deputy chief counsel for the governor, an opportunity that you just don't say no to and besides, he recognized that he needed real experience to do something that mattered in the community, "which I think comes back to Jewish values," adds Jake.

Being the Jewish guy in the governor's office was interesting. The Jewish community is small but an influential demographic, and his knowledge of the people and their issues made Jake useful.

When Governor Holden was voted out, Jake returned to STL and Thompson Coburn.

"At that point I knew I wanted to run for office. If you want to work for someone in politics who you agree with 100% of the time, who you think will do the right thing all the time, you have you be that politician.

I had a whole plan to run for the County Council as my first step. It was a complete and utter failure. You see, I wasn't the only one with this idea, but I was the least experienced with the idea. Even though I ended up not running, I made myself a reputation as someone you couldn't throw under the carpet, and luckily caught the attention of the right people.

Running for office is like starting a small business. I was lucky to have a lot of people who put money and endorsements behind my campaign. If not for the parental instincts of the Jewish community, my career as a politician may never have gotten off the ground."

So County Council was out, but party officials encouraged Jake to run for the state legislature in the Fightin' 83rd District in St. Louis County. Was Jake's campaign successful? What are his thoughts on what St. Louis needs to grow and thrive? And what's the inside scoop you can only get here. Stay tuned for Part Two to find out!
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Live Blogging From The Israel Rally

We will be live blogging from the Israel Rally tonight, follow the action on our Twitter page! Read More......

See you at the Rally for Israel, Friends!

Thursday, January 8, 2009 7 PM

National Day of Solidarity with Israel

Jewish Community Center
2 Millstone Campus Drive

Confirmed speakers: Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder State Representative Maria Chappelle-Nadal

Convened by the Jewish Federation of St. Louis
Coordinated by the Jewish Community Relations Council
Hosted by the Jewish Community Center


With the cooperation of:
American Jewish Committee; American Jewish Congress; Anti-Defamation League, Missouri/Southern Illinois; Association of Reform Rabbis; Bayit Yisraeli; Central Agency for Jewish Education; Hadassah, St. Louis Chapter; Jewish Federation of Southern Illinois, Southeastern Missouri and Western Kentucky; National Council of Jewish Women; St. Louis Hillel at Washington University; St. Louis Rabbinical Assembly; St. Louis Rabbinical Association; St. Louis Rabbinical Council


No packages, backpacks, signs on sticks, etc. will be allowed into the event

For more information contact the Jewish Community Relations Council at 314-442-3871
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Yes, It's Anti-Semitism

Criticizing Israel does not necessarily make you anti-Semitic. But all around the world, Israel-haters are finding ways to be just that.

After a conversation on the Israel-Gaza situation with M-Teen and Y? last night in which about 75 points and counterpoints were thrown out in 6 minutes, I found this Boston Globe article that stresses a very simple point: Criticizing Israel in and of itself does not make you anti-Semitic. Hell, there is plenty that Israel does that deserves careful analysis and even condemnation in some cases.

However, the truly anti-Semitic behavior that this article details throughout the world is a frightening reminder of the absolute necessity that is Israel. Go ahead and criticize the decisions of the government and the military to attack a mosque that has been commandeered by Hamas as a military base if you must. But to do so while urging Jews "back to the ovens?" and advocating the killing of Jews wherever they live?

In advance of pro-Israel rally at the JCC, what are your thoughts? Does criticizing Israel equate to anti-Semitism? What should be the goal of tonight's rally? And what is Israel trying to accomplish anyway, both tactically and in the war of public opinion?
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What To Do At A Pro Israel Rally

As Zuz posted below, it's about time for a rally!

What's that, you say? You've never been to a rally?

Never fear, The St. Lou Jew is here to give you all the advice you need to act like a rally veteran.

The first thing is to mentally prepare yourself.

Ask yourself, "Why am I attending a Pro-Israel rally?"

Did you have a fantastic Birthright trip in which you forged a connection to the land and people?
Are you appalled that people are appalled at the appalling behavior of (insert offending side here)?
Is it the Jews?

Perhaps you recognize the nuances of the issue, and while you don't totally support every Israeli action (like tank shells exploding outside of a school that in which civilians were congregated, even though you've seen the video's of combatants launching mortar rounds from in front of the very same school), you still believe that Israel has the fundamental right and responsibility to protect its citizens.

Now that we have that question answered, perhaps we should ask, "What do I bring?"

Considering that backpacks, signs on polls, packages, and Qassam rockets aren't allowed, you may just want to grab a poster board, write a pithy slogam like, "Free Palestine. . . From Hamas", or even better:
"GENEVA CONVENTION, PART IV, Section 1, Chapter II, Article 50, 7."

(The presence or movements of the civilian population or individual civilians shall not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations, in particular in attempts to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield, favor or impede military operations. The Parties to the conflict shall not direct the movement of the civilian population or individual civilians in order to attempt to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield military operations.)

Brushing up on your Hebrew folk songs is probably a good idea too, but only bother with the first line or two because nothing says, "rally" to me like a bunch of people chanting the same thing over and over.

Finally, "What will the rally, and my attendance actually achieve?"
Now here is the real question. In the PR war, it is a small, but important step to show both our elected officials as well as the members of our larger community, that we are, in fact, crazy. Just kidding, it is important to show that, even as we (I) are aghast at the civilian casualties, at the most fundamental of levels, we acknowledge Israel's right to exist and to act in order to preserve its sovereignty and the safety of its citizens.

See you at the rally, I'll be the one dancing in circles from all of the spin.
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Stand with Israel TOMORROW!

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Exclusive Zeda's Beat Box Video and Music!

As Zeda's Beat Box January 30th show at Ursa's on Wash U's campus approaches, check out some awesome video and audio clips from their December 19th Cicero's show, hosted by The St. Lou Jew!


If you are a regular reader, you already know that Zeda's Beat Box rocks! To reinforce the point though, check out these video clips of their most recent show!






Plus, click here to see video of ANY of the songs from the show!

And click here to hear all of the songs on their brand new CD "Seven!"

And don't forget to check out Zeda's Beat Box for yourself on Friday, January 30th at Ursa's on the campus of Washington University Check back here for more Zeda updates! Read More......

Excellent Analysis of Israel's Dilemma in Gaza

Wow.

I just found a really good analysis of the situation in Gaza.

Read it here. Read More......

Explore 314

I'm always amazed when I host people from out of town who are spellbound by St. Louis. Sometimes we lose perspective and forget how many unique and interesting things there are going on here.

With that in mind, I wanted to pass along some of the places we hit up this weekend in the hopes that you will have a chance to check them out.

The weekend started with dinner at Senor Pops, a Mexican/Puerto Rican restaurant on Grand just south of Chippewa.

Although the beans and rice were pretty good, there was a distinct lack of unique Peurto Rican food. The saving grace was the giant burrito, which was definitely giant.

Saturday morning provided us the perfect excuse to get Dim Sum in St. Louis' China town, located on Olive just East of 170.

The food at Wonton King was good, interesting, and pretty affordable, but if you are doing the no pork or shellfish thing, you may want to consider other options.

For those of you trying to figure out how to spend a nice winter afternoon, Steinberg Skating Rink is the largest outdoor ice skating rink in the Midwest and is yours for the skating for about $10 (including skate rental). The bar next to the rink adds to the excitement for those adventurous souls.

It should go without saying that anyone who has spent more than a month in St. Louis should check out the City Museum, but seriously, you should check out the City museum.

The sheer amount of content there is astounding, from 10 story slides, to caves, to a ball pit that makes for intense games of dodgeball, (and don't forget the bar) may make this one of the coolest 'museums' in the country, and it is right in our back yard.

Look for more juicy (/Jewcy) content as we continue to detox and get back on our feet later this week.
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Baby's First Christmas

What's it like for a St. Lou Jew to spend Christmas in North Carolina?

I'm back in action after a 10-day fact-finding mission into the heart of Christmas in North Carolina. What are the traditions? What makes it different than Hannukah? Do people really stay awake during "Midnight Mass?" I set out to answer all these questions and more.

First off, it is important to mention that, just as is the case for Jewish holidays, every family celebrates Christmas in their own way. So my experiences are in no way meant as broad generalizations, but simply as my own experiences and observations.

Granted, I noticed some pretty stark differences right off the bat. The Christmas tree is an ever-looming visual presence, and the spectre of Santa Claus surrounds events throughout Christmas Eve and Day. Instead of presents coming from Mom, Dad or Jimmy, a majority of the presents were labeled as coming directly from Santa himself.

And Midnight Mass was mostly a conglomeration of Christmas carols (I think with the idea being that they were hymns before they were hit songs on the radio).

However, I also noticed some similarities that really should not be all that surprising. Large family meals, a reason for family and friends from across the country to gather, popular movies and songs watched and listened to again and again...

A lot is made about the differences between Christmas and Hannukah and the negative commercial impact that Christmas has had on the traditional Jewish holiday. However, what my "first Christmas" reminded me of is that ultimately these holidays really are all about family and friends. In our somewhat crazy world, an excuse to slow down a bit is never such a bad thing. Even if it does come with tacky sweaters, bad movies and re-told stories you really wish would just go away.

I'll be recounting some other stories from my trip in the days ahead, but for now, feel free to share your own thoughts on the similarities and differences between Hannukah and Christmas. Does one have a negative effect on the other? And is there something to be gained from learning about other religions and the reasons behind what they do?
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The War For Hearts And Minds

In the midst of Operation Cast Lead, Israel's aerial bombardment of Hamas targets in Gaza, I wanted to examine how the fighting is playing out on the internet. With Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Digg, and other site playing an increasingly important role in the PR war, who is creating these messages, and how are they being shaped

When Israel created an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) YouTube Channel to showcase its efforts to specifically target Hamas forces and infrastructure, it signaled an important shift in the thinking of the government towards the public relations war for sympathy and legitimacy.

Some of the videos were taken down by YouTube, purportedly because of pressure from those who oppose the content, but have been put up. As explained by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit:

We were saddened on Dec. 30, 2008 when YouTube took down some of our exclusive footage showing the IDF's operational success in operation Cast Lead against Hamas extremists in the Gaza Strip. Fortunately, due to blogger and viewer support, YouTube has returned the footage they removed.

Newest update: Instead of removing the footage youtube has restricted viewing ability. We are in the process of opening up a blog so that you will be able to view the videos without problem there.

Twitter also been...well, all atwitter about Israel and Gaza, with Israeli Consulates joining the fray to answer questions and provide information/propaganda.

On Facebook, people are sharing images and videos which range from images of Palestinian civilian casualties, to videos showing Hamas fighters loading rockets onto trucks, then being targeted Israel missile strikes, to Hamas gunmen grabbing children as human shields.

Digg.com, which provides a way to promote stories around the web, takes the front to the next level, in that people who support or oppose a particular view point can blow a story up or bury it depending on if it falls in line with their agenda.

While the internet provides unprecedented access to information, it also bring the question of veracity of information back to the forefront. Even as we see in rapid increase in the number of primary sources, who can quickly Tweet the latest events, uploading pictures, videos, and GPS coordinates, so do we see an increase in the use of this information to deceive, and mislead.

My advice is to consume as much information from a diverse pool of sources as possible. A spokesperson for the IDF has a certain agenda when they present information. While this agenda doesn't mean that the information is necessarily false, it may be an incomplete truth. The same can be said for a Palestinian news network or non-profit.

As the new Roman Calendar year approaches, we at the St. Lou Jew hope that the New Year brings level-heads to the table, a cessation of violence, and a renewed effort towards dialogue and negotiation.
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A Smoke Free St. Louis

For New Years, I really wanted world peace, seeing as how that didn't really work out, I would settle for a Smoke Free St. Louis

Ever since St. Louis had the wisdom to shut down 64-40 for improvements (instead of investing in public transportation), I have been seeing a billboard on 44 for a smoke free St. Louis.
The ad basically says, "look at all of these other top tier cities that went smoke free, we can do it too," in a play towards St. Louis' inferiority complex.

I would love to see St. Louis go smoke free. It is always noticeable when I come am traveling in DC, NYC, Chicago, or (even) Cincinnati, when I can leave a bar and not smell like ash.

Businesses have always been skeptical of banning smoking because they see it as a threat to their business, people who drink smoke, people who smoke drink, if you take away the ability to smoke, they think, fewer people will drink, and we'll lose money.

The results, however, seem to be just the opposite. When Chicago (and all of Illinois) when smoke free, bar owners in Chicago shivered (in fear or declining revenues). But the data has come back and actually shows in increase in money spent at bars.

It seems like there are two main reasons that bars didn't lose out.

The first is that they attracted new people who wouldn't venture to bars before out of concerns about smoke. The second is that people can actually spend more than an hour or two in a smoke free bar, because they aren't being choked, their eyes aren't getting irritated, and they aren't worrying about having to dry clean their clothes to get the smell out.

Read more about the effort to make a Smoke Free St. Louis here.

Sign the petition here.

Read all about the results in Chicago here.
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Too much Bad News?

It is said that no news is good news.

The Good News Network is out to change that. Need a bit of a pick-me-up to make you feel that the world isn't falling apart?

Check them out, it'll put a little optimism back in your day, and hey, you might even learn something. Read More......

Israel's Disproportionate Response

After a long weekend of missiles, bombs, and rocket, moral equivalizing, standard rhetoric, and civilian casualties, nothing has fundamentally changed in the Israel-Palestinian conflict

A lot of the charges leveled against Israel are about the disproportionate military response. But no one has really tested that claim. From an Times Online article:

Let's have a pointless discussion about Gaza and begin it by talking about whether Israel's bombing is “disproportionate”.

To illustrate the meaninglessness of such a debate let us attempt to agree what “proportionate” would look like.

Would it be best if Israel were to manufacture a thousand or so wildly inaccurate missiles and then fire them off in the general direction of Gaza City? There is a chance, though, that since Gaza is more densely packed than Israel, casualties might be much the same as they are now, so although the ordnance would be proportionate, the deaths would not. Of course, if one of Gaza's rockets did manage to hit an Israeli nursery school at the wrong time (or the right time, depending upon how you look at it), then the proportionality issue would be solved in one explosion. Would you be happy then?

The article goes further into the issues of targeting militants versus targeting civilians, and moral superiority:

This is not about outrage. We could then, perhaps, from the other side, attempt to suggest Israel's moral superiority on the basis that, unlike the careless firers of Qassam rockets, any civilian casualties caused by Israel's bombs were the unintended victims of its actions, however many of them there are. Israel takes care with its targeting, they don't. But the eight students killed by a bus stop in Gaza are just as dead, their families just as bereft, and their feelings towards the originators of the bombs just as compounded of hate and regret.

So this is not about moral superiority. Perhaps we could now try to have a discussion with a point. Will the Israeli action advance or hinder any movement towards a long-term solution in the area, or have we all given up on that (in which case expressions of anything very much seem not just irrelevant, but irritating)? Will it, in the long term, relieve Israeli citizens from the threat of arbitrary extinction? I'm pretty sure it will help in the short term. I cannot easily see what it accomplishes in the longer run.

Maybe a really big fence would work?



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Conversos, Crypto-Jews, and Heritage Reclaimed

Many people know that Christopher Colon (Columbus) sailed with several Sephardic Jews, who were escaping the Spanish Inquisition.

What many people don't know is that many more Jews who hid their religion ended up in the Iberian Peninsula and all over Central and South America.

This interesting article talks about using DNA testing as a way to connect people with their long lost heritage. Check it out. Read More......

More Updates On The Escalation In Southern Israel and Gaza

This conflict is growing more personal as I have friends in Kiryat Gat and Ashdod, both of which where recently hit by rocket attacks.

At the risk of being biased, or using biased sources, here is Hamas' logic in its own words.

NPR had someone on today with an interesting take, "how do you minimize civilian casualties when you are bombing one of the most densely populated parts of the planet?" Read More......

Analysis: Cast Lead

“Cast Lead” was the code name given to the Israeli air strike on Gaza that started on Saturday, December 27th. Major media outlets report death tolls of at least 250, the vast majority of which were Hamas security forces. So far it appears that 15 civilians were killed. The wounded could be upwards of 700. There were well over 100 targets that been identified months earlier that included all of the main Hamas military headquarters, security and police stations, training camps, and weapons facilities.

According to Yaakov Katz, writing in the Jerusalem Post:

“The decision to launch such a blow against Hamas on Saturday was made during last Wednesday's security cabinet meeting. A secret meeting was held again on Friday between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, where the timing was finalized.
After several of the decisions from Wednesday's cabinet meeting were leaked to the press, Barak decided on a strategy of deception - to deceive Hamas into believing that Israel was not planning to strike back.
Barak took two actions to achieve this - the decision to open the Gaza crossings on Friday (which was announced on Thursday) and leaking to the press that there would be another cabinet meeting on Sunday to decide whether to attack. This created the perception that Israel was holding off on an operation when in reality it was fueling and arming its aircraft.”

As I write this (now Sunday evening in Israel), the IAF is continuing to attack targets in Gaza, including the Al Aqsa television station used by Hamas and a mosque identified as a base used for terrorist activities. As Y? pointed out, we were all expecting this, but we did not know when or exactly in what form it would come.

I want to address this operation from a few different angles. First, let us talk about the operation’s goals. This is the first of several attacks in what is likely to be a sustained operation lasting several weeks. While the targets will be military, Israel understands that only an overwhelming ground operation lasting many months, maybe even a year or two, would lead to a military defeat of Hamas. Therefore, its main goals is likely to be to break Hamas’s will and continue the fighting so that it can eliminate enough of Hamas to establish a more comprehensive ceasefire that would apply to both Hamas’s overt and covert activities and truly provide peace for its citizens in the south. Some are suggesting that the goal is to overthrow Hamas and give control of Gaza to the PA. This is questionable. The PA is weak, and it is only able to maintain control of the West Bank because it is receiving support from America and Israel. Taking on Gaza would stretch the PA very thin, too thin, and would require significant US and Israel support. This poses a significant problem, however. Neither the US nor Israel can be seen helping in Gaza – the residents would reject it. What is good for Israel is not good for the Palestinians goes the logic in Gaza. If the PA were to retake Gaza, the required support from Israel and the US would have to be entirely silent for the Palestinians to accept PA rule.

Second, let us talk about timing. It should not come as a surprise that Israel launched the attack prior to President-elect Obama’s inauguration. Assuredly Mr. Obama would not have allowed for an operation of this scale to go forward. It must be made clear that for this kind of operation American approval was required. The US and Israeli governments would never state this publically, but it’s tantamount to Israel being considered a nuclear power: Israel would never confirm nor deny its capability, but that Israel does have the ability is one of the worst-kept secrets in foreign policy. Over the last two or so weeks, rocket fire on Southern Israel increased dramatically as the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel broke down. These rockets make life miserable for the population within their reach. Under this condition there has been significant pressure on the Israeli government to retaliate. On Saturday morning, one of these rockets killed an Israeli.

For more information on the rocket fire, visit:
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/945489.html
http://zionism-israel.com/vic/Sderot_Qassam_Statistics_Feb_2008.htm

Third, let us look at the target. A few months ago many foreign policy experts were suggesting that Israel may target Iran before Mr. Obama took office. However, as time has moved forward the likelihood of such an operation became significantly less as America continued to lose influence in world politics, sped exponentially by the economic crisis. Given the current political climate in the US and abroad, even the most pro-Israel American President that the world has seen, President Bush, would not have green-lighted an attack on Iran. This decision stems from Iran’s second-strike capabilities, America’s inability, being tied down in Iraq and Afghanistan, to stand militarily by Israel’s side, and the popularity of the soft diplomacy track. While the increased rocket barrage on southern Israel did escalate dramatically over the past two weeks from Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, it was the reality of America’s limited ability to support Israel that has stovepiped Israel into focusing on Gaza. However, Iran is a target by extension of this operation. More on that below.

Specifically, the direct target was the Hamas security apparatus. The term “security” is used very misleadingly in Islamic circles, just as terms like “freedom” are used very misleadingly in African circles. Terms like “police” and “security forces” used by Hamas, Hizbullah, et al., are tantamount to American terms like “Army” and “Department of Defense.” Make no mistake: these were Hamas groups that were also used for offensive operations against Israel by their participation in activities like clearing and protecting areas for rocket launchers and performing and providing surveillance intelligence on Israel border security (information such as movement timetables, etc) to Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants. Israel is also targeting businesses that that are sources for Hamas income. By targeting this group and its infrastructure, Israel has severely damaged Hamas’s ability to provide synthetically legitimized support to clandestine forces in the short term.

This last point is very important. Israel has a small window within which it can perform these operations. Not only is it hamstrung by the January 20 date, but it is also limited by the atmosphere in Israel. A slightly better kept secret than Israeli nuclear capabilities is that during each ceasefire Hamas receives large amounts of war supplies from its supporters, uses the downtime to dig tunnels under the border, conducts intelligence operations, plants operatives in Israel, and performs other actions along these lines. While this is known, it is not well understood internationally. Hamas benefits from cease fires not only because it re-stocks but also because it beefs up its war fighting ability during these periods. Israelis understand this very well, so when Hamas declared it would not renew the six month Egyptian-brokered cease fire, the Israeli government knew it must act quickly so as to prevent a Hamas offensive coming out of the cease fire.

Forth, let us address where this operation leads. Israeli leaders are promising more military action without giving a timetable on when it may occur; it will occur in the next couple of weeks unless President Bush expressly instructs a cessation to Israeli operations. The big question now is whether or not to launch a ground operation. The second Lebanon War started out with an operation similarly massive to Cast Lead where 90 targets were struck by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) based on the notion that the IAF alone could stop Hizbullah. When this proved inaccurate Israel was forced to go into Lebanon on the ground, ending less than successfully. The concern now is the same: can the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) succeed on the ground in Gaza? At the moment, Ehud Barak is not talking about a ground invasion. However, continued air strikes will most likely not be the only actions taken.

However the operation continues, expect attacks to pause intermittently so that Israel can feed the Strip with humanitarian aide supplies, as it is currently doing (ten trucks are being chaperoned into the territory as I write this while plans for thirty more on Sunday are being drawn up in coordination with humanitarian groups). This helps address international protests and also shows that Israel is not fighting the Palestinian people, a message delivered on Arab television on Prime Minister Olmert on Friday, the day before the operation. While Hamas security operations are down, expect Israel to target Hamas and Islamic Jihad clandestine operations, points of entry used by war suppliers, tunnels, and weapons stockpiles; essentially the Hamas jugular.

Also expect Israel to use its elite forces to target Hamas leadership whenever possible. In 2004 Israel killed three senior Hamas leaders in the span of a few months: Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, and Ismail Abu Shanab. With these loses Hamas was spun into disarray. After Yassin’s death Hamas never found a religious leader to take his place. His death made Hamas more vulnerable to the argument that Hamas was a group of Islamic terrorists without a clear Islamic mandate. The death of Rantisi and Shanab created what could be called a locality crisis. Hamas was forced into naming their replacements in private so that Israel could not learn of their identities. The new face of the group became Khaled Meshal who, because he was based in Syria, created the liability of increasing disintegration between internal and external Hamas leadership. Haaretz is reporting that three senior Hamas officials (the commander of the Hamas police, the commander of the defense and security directorate, and the Gaza central district governor) were killed in the operation on Saturday. This is significant. While the most senior of Hamas leaders are in hiding outside of Gaza, these are three of the heavyweights who resided in Gaza. Look for Israel to create a leadership vacuum in Gaza by targeting as many leaders as possible, from the senior team on down to middle management, so that Hamas is forced into a significantly weaker bargaining position.

Looking more long term, it is worth noting that Israel is planning its first ever country-wide security exercise in July of 2009 that will include full participation of its citizens. Such an exercise shows that Israel understands well the kinds of attacks it could face in the coming years and sends a message to then-President Obama that Israel needs a demonstrable display of American support. The exercise shows faith in Israel’s ability to defend itself; were the exercise to go anything less than stellar, it would signal weakness to its enemies and put doubt in the minds of Israelis. Israel would only go forward with the exercise it if felt confident in its ability to ace the test. It also demonstrates that Israel continues to be willing to launch significant operations against its enemies by signaling that is interested in assuring its citizens that they will be safe when they do. This exercise tells Israel’s enemies that it will not heed their ultimatums.

Fifth, what messages does this operation send? Considering the results it sends the message that Israel’s intelligence agencies are doing well enough to have correctly scouted so many targets, an important victory for the intelligence community and Kadima leadership in the aftermath of the grave intelligence failures of the second Lebanon War in 2006. As a side note, so long as the operation continues to be successful it may benefit Olmert and Barak who could build a case for postponing the election.

It sends a mixed message to the President-elect Obama administration that while Israel does take American direction and interests strongly into consideration, it is fearful that Mr. Obama’s support will be limited and is thus willing to act unilaterally. Depending on how Israel continues the operation, it would not come as a surprise if other Arab countries or terrorists groups attacked Israel or stepped up support of Hamas, Hizbullah, and the usual crowd. This could test the incoming administration’s commitment to the Jewish state by putting the US in a position where it must publically issue policy positions. One of Mr. Obama’s greatest challenges in the Presidential campaign was to convince people that he is a pro-Israel pragmatist, a challenge that, while he did make significant headway, he did not complete. This will put his commitment to Israel to a clearer test.

To the Arab world it sends a message that Israel does not intend to scale down its military operation while it pursues the diplomatic route – that it will not have its hands tied behind its back while it negotiates. The real test for Israel in sending this message is how it ends the operation and the steps it takes afterwards. Israel must continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, especially if it succeeds in significantly deconstructing Hamas. In so doing Israel would need to bolster Mahmoud Abbas and the PA in the West Bank so as to show its intent on supporting a moderate Palestinian government that it will work with in the future.

The most serious message of all may be directed at Iran. One could read daily in the Post and Haaretz and YNet about the power struggle between Hamas and Fatah (loosely the PA). However, there is very little coverage of the internal power struggle between the Gaza-based Hamas leadership (internal) and the Hamas leadership based abroad (external). The key to understanding this is that when the external leadership gains leverage, so too do external actors like Iran, Syria, and Lebanon, and when this happens, Hamas gets nudged towards even harder-line policies. However, when the external Hamas leadership gains leverage it provides Israel with a stronger argument when it presents its case to the international community – the more international Hamas appears the more Israel can push for international actions against it. It should be made clear that these external actors (Syria, Lebanon, Hizbollah, etc) are directly under the influence of Iran. With the incoming presidency of Barak Obama Israel may well have to step up these sorts of international efforts. The message to Iran that Israel is delivering with the operation is that it is ready to take Iran on from multiple fronts – militarily and diplomatically.

To the world the message may be a surprising one – that Israel is so keen on peace that it is willing to launch this kind of operation. So long as the West Bank and Gaza are controlled by different parties there will not be peace between Israel and the Palestinians. If Israel strikes a deal with the PA, Hamas will reject it outright. The Arab world would debate the legitimacy of the deal, and Hamas would do its best to undermine it just as they did the Oslo process. It would likely launch attacks from the West Bank on Israel to weaken the PA. However, this scenario is improbable. What the pro-negotiation side has not realized is that is that Fatah is highly unlikely to accept any comprehensive agreement with Israel as long as Hamas remains in control of Gaza. An agreement with only one of the two Palestinian factions would lead to two different international policies towards the Palestinian people, a reality the PA could not accept because it would undermine the essential Palestinian narrative of a unified people striving for independence as well as the PA’s own goal of representing the Palestinian people. As long the West Bank is controlled by the PA and Gaza by Hamas, Israel will have peace with neither. Significantly weakening Hamas now puts the territories one step closer to political unification and Israel one step closer to quiet.

Sixth, I want to turn our attention to how this plays out in the Arab community. Hamas officials have admitted that they were surprised by the operation. They believed that Israeli threats were rhetoric in the context of the upcoming election in Israel, and are blaming the Arab and Islamic world over their failure to exert pressure on Israel to stop the operation.

Hamas is accusing the Palestinian Authority and Egypt of colluding with Israel in this operation. A Hamas official told the Jerusalem Post that the reason security bases had not been evacuated prior to the operation was because Egypt had promised Hamas that Israel was not going to launch any attacks in the coming days. “We believe the Egyptians deliberately deceived us because they had given Israel a green light to attack,” he said. Mussa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official based in Damascus, claimed that Arab parties had pushed Israel to attack: “We are astonished by reports according to which some parties have been urging Israel to wipe out Hamas.”

Another Hamas official told the Post that Abbas and his aides were telling Israel to take down the Hamas government so that the PA could return to Gaza. For its part, PA officials said on Saturday that they were ready to assume control of Gaza if Israel succeeded in overthrowing Hamas. One official said that its men in Gaza have been told to be prepared for the possibility of returning to power. However, the PA has flatly denied the Hamas accusations that it had urged Israel to attack Hamas. As stated above, it is improbable that the PA is strong enough in its current state to govern Gaza.

It is unlikely both that Israel sought Arab support or received Arab support prior to the operation. In seeking Arab support prior to the operation Israel would have been taking a huge risk in being exposed and in giving away potential targets. In giving support any Arab country would be taking the huge risk in being exposed as having supported Israel.

This acknowledged we have not seen a united Arab front against this operation. Quietly, no doubt, people within the Arab world are hoping that Israel will succeed in reducing Hamas’s influence. Egypt, Israel’s closest thing to a neighborhood friend, sees itself as a leader of the Arab world. There are few Sunni Arab issues that it does not involved itself in and seeks to show it holds more sway than its Sunni rival, Saudi Arabia – this is the primary reason you see them mediating the Hamas and PA negotiations. America expects Egypt to take an active role in issues that impact Middle East security as well, evidenced by the two plus billion dollars in foreign aid it receives annually from us. So far, though, Egypt has failed, and therefore stands something to gain in Hamas being routed by Israel. For years Egypt has allowed smuggling to occur along its shared border with Gaza that has permitted Hamas to survive despite strict international sanctions. Egypt holds the power over enforcing these sanctions and in essence can influence when Hamas and Israel go to war. If Egypt really does support the Israeli mission it will clamp down on the security of its border with Gaza.

I have thrown a fair amount of information at you at this point. Let me conclude by saying that we are witnessing a systematic attack on Hamas that Israel will not stop until Israel believes it can draw out concessions needed to provide safety for itself. This is the essential goal, the success of which will be used to judge the operation. All other goals, while important, will be icing and cherries should they succeed. Israel is looking to create a prolonged period of quiet that can be used to plan its next diplomatic and, perhaps, its next military, move.
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Anti-Israel Leftists' and Pro-war Rightists' Myths

In the wake of the most recent escalation between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, I wanted to pass along this really interesting compilation of the myths used by both sides to foment the conflict, from Haaretz, Israel's New York Times.

That article can be found here Read More......

More Evidence that Hannukah is THE Jewish Holiday 2.0

I caught this hip hop Hannukah mix that apparently aired on Sirius Satellite radio.

Featuring a countdown of songs produced by Jews in hip hop as well as a guest appearance by DJ AM. Profanities abound, so if you are listening at work, keep it the volume down.

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The War On Christmas, The Jews, And Other Half-Baked Conspiracy Theories

In the spirit of the season, I wanted to respond to an article that crossed my path via filtrbox. Written by Edmund Connelly, the article, entitled, “Merry Christmas. . . NOT!,” is a pretty scathing diatribe squarely placing the blame on Jews for the ‘War On Christmas’.

In fact, the article, in two parts, blames Jews for everything from the removal of religious Christmas symbols from the public sphere, to a larger war on Western culture.

“Why does it matter that Jews control Hollywood? In essence, it matters because it represents the loss of power of one group-majority white Christians-to a group with a long history of hostility toward the people and culture of the West. Jewish control of Hollywood has been a crucial means for dispossessing majority whites from their place in the country they built
Quoting Kevin MacDonald “The Judaization of the West means that the peoples who created the culture and traditions of the West have been made to feel deeply ashamed of their own history - surely the prelude to their demise as a culture and as a people.” And, as I argued earlier, the treatment of Christmas shows how Jews “have been able to translate this hatred of Christ and his birthday into increasingly scandalous imagery, thanks to their domination of Hollywood and TV studios.”

Connelly uses the ‘fact’ that Jews control Hollywood as a starting point to attack all of the recent movies about or involving Christmas. He goes even further, looking at all of the movies related to the Holocaust which come out around Christmas as proof positive that Jews are out to subvert Christmas.

“Sadly, Jews have been able to translate this hatred of Christ and his birthday into increasingly scandalous imagery, thanks to their domination of Hollywood and TV studios.”

Connelly also uses the examples of all of the Christmas songs written by Jews (White Christmas, Let it Snow, etc.), to point out that the Jesus has been removed and replaced by secular symbols.

“Of course, this “compromise” to take Christ out of popular culture was a great victory for Jews, for it allowed the hostility many Jews felt toward a Christian majority to find vent without the Gentiles really noticing.”

Let my first point of rebuttal be an acknowledgment that, although there are indeed a great many Jews in Hollywood, that the Holocaust remains a focal point in the Jewish collective consciousness, and that Jews frequently removed Jesus from the songs they wrote, all of these facts add up to BUPKIS.

The fact that Connelly is willing, even eager to see something sinister in the aforementioned points is really far more indicative of his world view than any larger facts.

OHMYGOD! Jews left Jesus out of Christmas songs!

Yea, about that. . . is anyone actually surprised that Jesus wouldn’t make it into a song written by Jews? There is nothing remotely sinister about that. The Jewish song writers were coming to grips with assimilation and identity in a very mixed America, filled with distinct ethnic communities. These songs represented an effort to create a super-ordinate group culture that everyone could feel a part of. Perhaps instead of blaming Jews for willingly corrupting Christmas, it might be valuable to harangue all of the consumers that made those songs among the most popular of the Christmas season.

The same point holds true for movies. The vast majority of movies that are made by major studios are done so for their ability to make money, and they are released accordingly. Christmas represents, from a business standpoint, a great time to release a movie. It is a time when families are together, and lacking anything better to do than talk to each other, they are often looking for an easy way to pass a few hours without any awkwardness or arguing. Movies provide just such an escape.

And when you consider the ill effects of sitting around with family too long, perhaps Connelly should be thanking the Jews of Hollywood for keeping domestic disturbances down.

Not to mention that time off of work makes it easier to justify taking a few hours to go to a movie.

The truth is that the movie industry is an industry like any other, and though it has the ability to potentially shape views of culture, it exists to make money. Imagine if Christians, who still represent a majority demographic in this country, were to stop consuming things that they found to be subversive. With the purchasing power that they have, how quickly would that subversive content disappear from the shelves?

So, why should movies involving the Holocaust, one of the most dramatic events in the history of the industrialized Western world, continue to be made and to find box-office success?

Maybe they are well done, usually requiring the seriousness absent from many of the thrillers/slashers/comidies/action blockbusters that are so commonplace.

Maybe they appeal to universal human nature to see good in times of darkness.

Perhaps, because this event, more than any other in recent history, illustrates the dangers of the very lines of thought contained in Connelly’s piece.

Or maybe the 5 million Jews in this country are simply enough to ensure the success of any movie that comes out. If every Jew in the country sees it, that equals big bucks, right?

The idea that Jews are somehow aiming to take down Western culture and civilization is preposterous. Jews have more freedom in the United States than virtually anywhere else in the world. We know it and are grateful for it. We also have a stake in seeing that America continues to be a beacon of those freedoms.

Therefore, it is not only erroneous to accuse Jews of wanting to subvert American culture, it is completely counter to the truth. This truth is that Jews have a vested interest in the preeminence of American culture

Connelly contends that Jews hate Christ and therefore hate Christmas.

I don’t really think that there are many Jews who dislike Jesus. Really, I don’t think many Jews think about Jesus much at all. I don’t think Jews dislike Christmas either, in fact, there is quite a lot of evidence to the contrary, that Jews like Christmas so much, that many Jewish families have Christmas trees.

There are two points at which I get a bit uncomfortable around Christmas; Kitsch… the first being the non-stop consumerist drum beating, the never-ending Christmas music which starts earlier and earlier every year, etc. and the second, Jesus as the Christ.

I have no interest in preventing anyone else from observing their ritual, but I do believe in a neutral public space in which I don’t have to constantly be bombarded.

I think that what Connelly probably doesn't understand is that the secularization of Christmas is effectively an evolution due to capitalism, and since he blames Jews for Marxism and Socialism, it would be hard to blame Jews for capitalism too.

The thinking goes something like this, how do you take a holiday in which large amounts of money change hands in the form of gifts, bonuses, etc, and make even more money off of it? Get more people to participate in the exchange of goods and services. To do that, make it apply to an even larger number of people.
Namely: Secularize it.

On this 5th day of Hannukah, when we recollect an uprising against Hellenistic, materialistic values, I think that there are some important things to remember about the way that we consume both material goods, culture, and information. Just as the content available guides our consumption, so does our consumption guide the future content.

Consume wisely.
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Oy Galut! Hannukah 2.0 Madness!

Hannukah is definitely the most web 2.0 friendly Jewish holiday, read on to find out why.

Although not a biblical holiday, Hannukah probably goes pound for pound with any other Jewish holiday in terms of the actual content created around it.

What I mean by that is, Hannukah probably more songs, videos, and just plain internet presence than any other Jewish holiday.

Which makes sense, right? I mean, Hannukah has been described as a 'Get up, Stand up, Stand up for your rights' kind of holiday.

The metaphor of lighting candles, bringing light and warmth to the darkest and coldest time of year is powerful and inspiring.

And With many of its own unique symbols, games, food, and songs, Hannukah provides quite a bit of material for any artist.

Still it is interesting that of all of the Jewish holidays, none seem to foment Jewiness like Hannukah.

From the Singles bashes all over the country on Christmas Eve (which more likely than not corresponds to a night of Hannukah), including this one tonight in St. Louis... To the SiriusXM station dedicated entirely to Hannukah, to countless CDs, Youtube Videos, online greeting cards, and kitch... Hannukah is pretty much the undefeated champion of Jewish internet holidays.
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A True Friend

Charlie Winters “was old school that way.” He spent 18 months in prison after having plead guilty to violating the Neutrality Act in 1949, yet his children didn’t even know he spent time in jail until after his death. Winters wasn’t that kind of guy. In 1948, when Israel declared independence, many Americans were ambivalent on whether the US should help the tiny new country defend itself. But Winters, a Boston born Protestant, felt unconditionally sympathetic towards Israel.

Winters, along with two others (Al Schwimmer and Herman Greenspun), sold decommissioned B-17 bombers to the Haganah that are credited with having turned the war in Israel’s favor. Not only that, but Winters himself flew one of the planes from Miami to Czechoslovakia where it and others were retrofitted for Israel’s use. Winters help came as a favor to his Jewish friends, and he received no monetary compensation for his time. Greenspun, a former Army flight engineer, was pardoned in 1961 by President Kennedy, while Schwimmer, a radio personality and publisher, was pardoned 2001 by President Clinton. Winters received his pardon yesterday from President Bush.

Charlie Winters died in 1984 at the age of 71 as a hero of Israel and Jews. The Miami Herald reports that his ashes are scattered in Israel while The Washington Post reports that his body is buried in a Christian cemetery in Jerusalem. Either way his resting place is an appropriate one. Unable to serve in World War II because of polio in one leg, he worked from the government as a purchasing agent during the war. His pardon received support from Democrats and Republicans alike. Even Steven Spielberg made a personal plea to President Bush on Winters’ behalf. Jimmy Winters, his son, said that he saw his father as quiet man who worked in shipping until his funeral, which drew Israeli dignitaries.

At the pardon, the Winters family lawyer said, “He did a heroic thing and, at the time, the law didn’t reflect our values. The pardon is a way of the law catching up with the history.” Winters’ son commented, “This is a present for my father…This was a monumental challenge, but my dad’s favorite saying was ‘keep the faith,’ and we did.” Winters was one of many who helped Israel stand up, and it continues to stand, because many believe what Winters did, that Israel deserved a place in this world. As much today as ever must must keep this faith.
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And Now For Something Completely Different, A Solid American Car

After hearing all about the auto bailout, I felt we needed to give a little (but only a little) sympathy to the American car manufacturers, read on for a brilliant (in the British humour sense)video dedicated to an American car, ironically not commercially available in America.


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What's next for the city schools?

A few days ago, the Missouri Supreme court ruled to uphold the state’s June 2007 takeover of the St. Louis city public schools. This ruling should put an end to all the legal fighting that’s gone on in the past year and a half. Now all that's left to do is get to work reforming SLPS to revive a school system that's been struggling by on life support.

According to the lawyer for the state-appointed school board, the court's ruling ends any "uncertainty" surrounding who has the authority to make decisions around SLPS, which "allows the special administrative board to really focus on improving the educational product in the St. Louis public schools and to get on with the reforms that the board feels are necessary" (read more on the ruling here).

...great, so now what? What on earth are they going to do to tackle the problems SLPS faces?

Since I was curious to find out, I read (most of) the “Comprehensive Long Range Plan” put together by the Special Administrative Board that was appointed to takeover the schools when they lost accreditation. If you’re interested, it’s available online for the public. It sounds like they have some good ideas to improve things, but the real trick will be implementing them.

For any of us Yids to see a long-term future in St. Louis city (I’m talking marriage, kids – the whole shebang), I think good schools are a pretty important factor. I’m enjoying the Lou for now, but being a 20-something living and working here is way different than raising a family here, obviously.

I guess now that the legal barriers have been cleared, we can watch to see what the state-appointed school board does. I’m slightly hopeful that things will get better (it doesn’t seem like they can get much worse), but I won’t hold my breath.
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Madoff, Trust Shattered, Faith Shaken

I remember very clearly the first thing one of my good friends said when the details of the Bernard Madoff scandal were first starting to emerge, "I hope he isn't Jewish."

This simple sentence, "I hope he isn't Jewish," reveals a great deal about the pride and vulnerability that we as Jews in America often feel at the same time.

A recent article in the New York Times, focused on Yeshiva University, which lost $100 Million in the Ponzi scheme.

Yeshiva not only invested with Madoff, he had sat on their board for over a decade and was even made their treasurer. This relationship is causing many of the professors and students to start reevaluating not only the attention given to ethics, but the place of money and power in our society.

Although the NYT article doesn't say it explicitly, I think that there is an element of betrayal the runs right down the middle of this scandal. It's bad enough that Madoff is Jewish and that his actions tarnish all of us. It's even worse that his actions directly took advantage of and caused hard to the Jewish community.

Many foundations will have to shut down due to the staggering losses of money, a great deal more people who would have been employed by or helped by those foundations are now forced to look for alternatives.

In a community as diverse, opinionated, and outspoken as the Jewish community, I think that the Madoff scandal hits us in a very vulnerable spot, namely, the belief in ahavat Yisrael, the love of Israel, or practically, looking out for other Jews.

While Madoff's actions are contemptible regardless of the victim, due to the particular damage caused to the Jewish community, in reputation as well as in actual financial harm, I think that there is even more anger than would normally be the case.

If our trusted institutions are getting hoodwinked, and by a Jew, no less, it causes our faith in the system itself to be shaken. And in times like these, when the system seems to be falling apart, faith is pretty important.



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Hannukah in Paris

If you are looking to satisfy your French food fix, check out this New York Times article about a Jewish restaurant in Paris, what they're serving up for Hannukah, and how the owner's Jewish mother keeps tabs on him from America 24 hours a day! Read More......

Hannukah One-upsmanship

Forget about Hannukah videos that are last year's schmear, here is the freshest of the fresh new Hannukah viral video, and you saw it here first.

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Channukah with the Stars!

Check out this website where you can send Hannukah celebrity greeting cards! Fun for the whole family!

Stuck on what to get those closest to you for Hannukah? Have 7 nights of presents and just can't settle on the eighth?

Well Chanukkah with the Stars has just the thing! Personalized Hannukah wishes from "big-time" celebrities right into the inboxes of your nearest and dearest. Give it a click and check it out...because they really weren't going to appreciate the regifted "Dreidels Around the World" calendar anyway!

Any other great Channukah websites or gift ideas out there? Feel free to leave them in the comments. Happy Hannukah everybody! Read More......

Published on Hip Hop Congress.com

Check out this article published on Hiphopcongress.com, which explains some of the similarities between hip hop culture and Jewish culture. Read More......

Zeda Rocks Out!

Recapping Friday's rockin' Zeda's Beat Box show, hosted by The St. Lou Jew!

Zeda's Beat Box rocked Cicero's Friday night with the release of their second CD, "Seven." A few of us bloggers were there to kick things off with the blessings over the candles and the wine. The crowd was pumped up and ready to go and Zeda didn't disappoint!

Some of the highlights on the set list were a Zedafied version of the classic David Melech Yisrael, an insanely catchy Am Yisrael Chai (am yisrael am yisrael am yisrael chai...), and a chilled out Havenu Shalom Aleichem.

Check back here soon for an updated post with pictures and video from the show, but if you haven't had a chance to hear Zeda's music yet, check out their MySpace page here.

And if you couldn't make it out on Friday, don't miss the next Zeda's Beat Box show, Friday, January 30th at Ursa's on Wash U's campus, along with the Jewish a capella group Staam! More info to come of course
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TONIGHT! The St. Lou Jew hosts Zeda's Beat Box CD Release Party!

TONIGHT! 6:30PM @ Cicero's on the Loop.
The St. Lou Jew hosts Zeda's Beat Box CD Release Party

Jew music that you might actually like? Whoa! Count us in.

TheStLouJew.com is hosting the cd release party for the band's second album, "Seven."

Listen to 6 songs from the new Zeda's Beat Box CD "Seven" at www.myspace.com/zedasbeatbox.

thestloujew.com presents
Zeda's Beat Box
CD Release Party
"Seven"
Friday December 19
Cicero's
6691 Delmar
$10.00 *includes FREE copy of CD!*
6:30 PM

Zeda's Beat Box burst on to the local Jewish and rock scene earlier this year with the release of their 4-song EP "Kabbalat Shabbat." The CD received rave reviews by both Jewish and mainstream press and has been hailed as "Jewish music for the masses." Also known as STUFF YOU SHOULD BE LISTENING TO.

Zeda's Beat Box sets Jewish liturgy and original English lyrics to a unique blend of rock and reggae. The band's mix of Jewish tradition and modern music has landed them shows in both synagogues and night clubs. Their debut CD can be heard playing at the JCC, Jewish gift shops, and on local rock radio. And tonight, you can see them play LIVE.

Us bloggers will be saying the Shabbos blessings before the band takes the stage by storm. We will see you there! Read More......

Living Jews: Dave Simon of Zeda's Beat Box

With the Zeda show only one day away, I am reposting Y?s October interview with Dave Simon, the creator and mind behind Zeda's Beat Box!

There are certain types of people that you expect to find in New York, or California, maybe Austin or Chicago. These are the people who are doing things that are often viewed as bizarre or naive.

Another way of seeing these people is as they are, people who are chasing and living out their dreams. David Simon is one such dream chaser, and happens to be right here in St. Louis

Leader of Zeda's Beat Box, a reggae/ska based rock band that pulls on traditional Jewish liturgy for its inspiration, and Founder of Dave's Simon's Rock School, Dave leads a musical life.

Dave started the Rock school as a way to be heavily involved in music in a way that could simultaneously keep him involved with creative and musical people, but also as a way to actually support himself.

Zeda's Beat Box grew out of a conversation with his Shul (temple) in which they asked him to prepare some upbeat music for Kabbalat Shabbat (literally, receiving the Shabbat, aka the service signifying the arrival of the Sabbath). He turned to all-star rockers from his school to fill out the band's ranks, and hasn't looked back since.

No stranger to playing in synagogues, or AEPi houses, the group recently played with Cincinnati based Ska-Reggae Super-heroes, The Pinstripes, at Off-Broadway, and last weekend, Zeta's Beat Box was the closing act at the St. Louis Art Festival in Clayton.

It is almost taken for granted by those who know about Heeb magazine, JDub Records, Jewlicious, Mattisyahu, etc that there is an entire culture of Cool Jews.

This positive and empowering idea is something that Dave wants to bring to the surface in St. Louis. Dave pointed out that even if a person doesn't really self-identify as being Jewish, often they feel comfortable around other Jews, and knowingly or unwittingly find themselves spending a lot of time with other Jews.

"The idea of Jewish Cool wasn't always there," says Dave, "growning up, we weren't as open about being Jewish, and we didn't have the same pop culture figures who make being Jewish part of their shtick."

To Dave the Beastie Boys were the first cool Jewish kids, even if there weren't any Jewish themes in their music. They were doing something unique, creative, and urban.

The power of music to connect people is really central to Dave's mission to empower Jews to pride in their heritage, and to educate people of other faiths and backgrounds about certain aspects of Jewish culture.



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Play That Funky Music...

Check out this clip of Zeda's Beat Box-- we'll see you at Cicero's tomorrow!

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A Taste of Things to Come!

Get ready for the offical St. Lou Jew logo rollout at tomorrow night's Zeda's Beat Box show!

As the excitment builds for tomorrow night's Zeda's Beat Box show, LC has been feverishly at work to bring you the first step in the redesign of The St. Lou Jew site. Not just another Jewish logo, it shows that The St. Lou Jew is here on the scene and serious about shaking things up in St. Louis. And what better way to start than by rolling it out to the tunes of the funkiest Jewish rock reggae band you have ever heard!

Check out this clip of Zeda's Beat Box in action!



This is only one of a series of changes to the site you will see over the next few weeks. Soon, we will be searchable, we will have categories, and we'll look like a site that LC can be proud of (and she should, considering the time she is putting in on this)!

Thank you for helping The St. Lou Jew to get off the ground and in joining us as we work hard to make the site fun and easy for you to navigate. Most of all though, come on down to Cicero's Friday night at 6:30 so we can celebrate right! Read More......

Coming soon to The St. Lou Jew near you: REDESIGN!

The St. Lou Jew going pro!

At The St. Lou Jew we are always looking for ways to improve the experience of our readers. To that very end, we are going pro with a new look and easy to maneuver website. Here's how:

-We are in the process of moving to WordPress, legitimizing the URL and making the site much easier to use.

-To start the process now, we've developed a Brand Spankin' New Logo, which we're unveiling TOMORROW!

Be sure to set your watches and give us a click tomorrow!

The St. Lou Jew Team
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What Not to Name Your Child

A New Jersey couple is upset that their son's name, Adolf Hitler Campbell, wouldn't be spelled out on his third birthday cake. How about not naming your son after a murderous dictator?

I am intolerant of intolerance. Oxymoron, I know. But seriously, who names their child Adolf Hitler? I found this article on my morning perusal of msnbc.com (the story is courtesy of AP)... it must be a slow news day. The headline reads "3-year-old Hitler can't get name on cake." While portraying the Campbell family as accepting of all races, you can tell there is tension between Heath Campbell and his conflicting message. The author wants you read the whole piece because it finally rationalizes the parents' name choice at the end...

Heath Campbell said he named his son after Adolf Hitler because he liked the name and because "no one else in the world would have that name." He sounded surprised by all the controversy the dispute had generated.

Hello! Someone already had that name, and it didn't end too well for him. By the way, they did end up getting little Adolf's name on a cake... thanks to Wal-Mart. Let's hope this tyke grows up with a little more perspective on life than his parents did. Why couldn't they name him something normal, like Robot Blanket Campbell? Or Apple Bronx Campbell?

More to come from me on my latest endeavors into Judaism... I realize it has been a while since I've posted. Hey, will you be at the Zeda's Beat Box CD release party on Friday? I'll see you there, St. Louis.

LC
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A Jewish Saddam Hussein?

Who better to play the role of Saddam Hussein than... Yigal Naor?

When Newsweek reporter Dan Ephron started watching HBO's ongoing series "House of Saddam," he thought the actor playing the 21st century's most famous dictator sounded familiar, a little like his grocer in Israel in fact.

Turns out, Ephron has an ear for Israel. The actor who plays Saddam Hussein is Yigal Naor, an Israeli. One of his co-stars, who plays "Chemical Ali", is Uri Gavriel. With a name like "Uri Gavriel", is there any doubt that he, too, is an Israeli?

New York casting agent Avy Kaufmann reasons that Israel happens to have some phenomenal actors. In addition, Israeli actors are preferred to Arab actors, because their English tends to be better and their acting style is more "Western".

Check out the full Newsweek article here.

And a shout-out to my dad (Mr. Zuz) for passing this along! As he said in the email... We are EVERYWHERE!
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Mmm...meat

Hey people. I'm M-teen, here to provide a little environmental (or 'green' as the cool kids are calling it these days) context to the St. Lou Jew. This first post explores the wonderful world of meat. Yum.

Have you ever thought about where the meat you buy in the grocery store comes from, or how those animals were raised? If you’re like the majority of people, you probably haven’t. And why would you? In modern urban life, there isn't really much need to. You pick up a package of chicken breast or a piece of steak or and you’re on your way. We're removed from the production of most of our food, and in many ways this is a good thing. We’re not all forced to live agrarian lives and grow our own food, which would prevent us from spending our careers and our time doing some of the amazing things humans have figured out how to do.

But when it comes to meat, this distance – both physical and psychological – is actually sheltering us from a nasty reality that will shock, anger and sadden you. Yeah, it may be more comfortable to not examine the ways our meat is produced too closely, but I think we have an obligation to.

Picture this – a system of producing meat that confines thousands of chickens in cages so closely together that they can’t stretch their wings or turn around; that feeds cattle a diet unnatural to them mixed with hormones and antibiotics; that creates literally tons of fecal waste so toxic (because of all those antibiotics and hormones in it) that it pollutes streams and threatens our drinking water with E-coli when it spills into the water; that produces an odor so strong people living nearby can smell it from a distance...

It sounds nightmarish, doesn’t it? I wish it weren't true, but that’s the reality of the factory farming system that produces the majority of the meat that people eat. I’m not exaggerating in order to scare you; there is countless pieces of evidence and stories to show it.

I’m prone to be interested in environmental issues, which includes a variety of topics. But the reason the issue of CAFOs, as they’re called (short for confined animal feeding operations), is so frightening to me is that it’s actually a culmination of so many issues. The problems produced by CAFOs are truly devastating – to the animals that live in those wretched conditions, to the surrounding environment that gets polluted, to human health which is put at risk, and to the people in surrounding communities who are forced to live with them every day. It is a moral problem, a social justice problem, an environmental problem, and a systemic problem.

You probably haven’t heard the term CAFO, and neither had I until about a year ago. The more I read and learned, the more upset I found myself becoming. As Jews, I think we are raised with a strong set of values and morals, especially social justice. The Jewish faith teaches us to be compassionate to our neighbors and to follow the golden rule...I know I wouldn’t want to be treated the way a CAFO treats its’ neighbors.

Even if we city dwellers don’t have to live by one of these CAFOs, we eat their products, and therefore are contributing to the system that sustains them. I can only imagine how awful it must be to live one, but if you want to find out how bad it really is, just ask one of the many people in rural parts of Missouri that do. And this is not a unique problem; CAFOs are widespread throughout Missouri (and other states), where they operate largely unregulated.

It’s true that factory farming has transformed meat from a luxury item to something that many can afford to eat regularly. But at what cost? Cheaper isn’t always better. As a consumer, and as a Jew, I would urge you to really think about this issue, and about how that package of chicken you’re buying got to be in the supermarket. It’s easy to be disconnected from the food we eat and buy, but as they say, ignorance is bliss...

I’m clearly not an expert on all this, so if you’re curious to learn more, I recommend starting with this one page document on the public health concerns of CAFOs and this executive summary of a report gives a really good overview. That just scratches the surface of this widespread and complicated issue – for more, try the Issues section of Socially Responsible Agriculture Project.

Then hopefully you’ll be motivated to look for alternatives to this madness; healthy, sustainable one’s. Local harvest is a great site for finding vendors and restaurants for organic produce and naturally-raised meat. It definitely takes thoughtfulness and some extra effort to find alternatives, but that shouldn’t stop us.

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Lucas School House Shutting Its Doors

In a sad piece of reality, one of St. Louis' best concert venues will hold its last show New Years Eve...

If you haven't yet been, you have two weeks to experience one of the hidden gems in the St. Louis music scene, Lucas School House. The spacious, creative and inviting schoolhouse turned concert venue is shutting down at the end of the year. Read the article here.

Y? and I were lucky enough to catch more than a few shows at Lucas School House, including this past summer when we were able to catch a drink in the urban courtyard just outside.

Lucas, you will be missed, but thank you for reminding us that a little creativity and vision can go a long way.
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Spreading the Love out in Chesterfield

Shabbat in the Valley? Count me in!

In the never-ending quest to document Jewish life throughout the entire St. Louis region (an area that encompasses more mileage than the state of Rhode Island) LC's family was nice enought to host Shabbat in Chesterfield on Friday. The night was complete with latkes, Sabra hummus, and this St. Louis transplant's first-ever foray into the outer reaches of the Lou. Some highlights:

-Let's settle this debate once and for all... Chesterworld is Far Away. It's not just a few minutes, it's not just down the road and it is stretching the definition of the word suburb to call it that. It's a 40 minute drive from downtown... Just sayin'.

-That being said, to see 20 people gathered together from across St. Louis so far away from home on a cold Friday night in December, says a lot about the power of community to exist anywhere you make an effort.

-Potato latkes, especially Mrs. LC's, are way undervalued in the stable of Jewish foods. As unfortunate as matzah may be, latkes are just that good.

-The Fox and Hound: Chesterfield's prime spot for drinking, dancing, jiving and getting hit on by 40 year old women celebrating their friend's most recent bachelorette party. To say this place was an instant classic doesn't scratch the surface. From half mullets to terrible jukebox music, it has everything you could ever want in a suburban entertainment experience. (And it has a prime spot in the heart of the world's largest strip mall).

-If anyone ever asks you to pay a $4 cover in Chesterfield, leave immediately. You are better than that.

At the end of the day (or night here) the experience was fun, can't deny that. That being said, TGILIC (Thank God I Live In the City)! Entertainment options, walking-distance destinations and a semblance of public transportation... there are some benefits to city living that Chesterworld just doesn't provide. But you can bet I'll be back to visit, 40 minute drive and all!


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