Anti-Semitism

Recently I made a list of things I have never done/seen, one of them is “interacted with a drunk person”. Well today I may have encountered just that, or maybe it wasn’t a drunk, maybe it was a mental person who wasn’t 100% (thereby rationalizing my fear).

So today I went on a nice shabbos walk with my mother, or at least it was nice until 3 scary incidents occurred. So we started off walking down an Avenue that had a lot of stores open with mostly Russians walking around. I didn’t like walking down that avenue because then it’s too busy and it feels like during the week, and you can’t talk, your focusing on walking past it all.

So then we get to Ocean Parkway, and we sit down on the bench across from a nice sefardi shul, we were watching people come out of it, and we were talking. Then we got rudely interrupted by this crazy man. He was on a bike, with white/grey hair and beard, he had ripped jeans and looked like he was homeless. He calls out “F’n Je*u* if I had the strength I would nail you to the cross”. I’m still not sure who he was talking to, where the only one’s there, so it must of been us, but I wasn’t going to wait around to find out.

So I jumped up off the bench and started walking away, signaling that my mother should do the same. So then my mother calls my name telling me to cross the street, since the man was following in my direction. So I quickly cross. Meanwhile, there was a sefardi father with 2 sons walking nearby on the sidewalk to where I crossed over to. They saw what happened, so as we were walking down the block, they kept turning around and looking. I thought they were being kind and they wanted to make sure we were okay. When we got to the corner and were waiting for the light, the father asks if I was scared. I of course said “yea!”, and my mother said she didn’t get scared. So that was incident number 1. As a side point, I noticed many sefardi men were wearing baseball caps.

Then we decided to walk home through a different Avenue, my mother likes to look at the nice houses and comment on them. So we were standing by a house and I noticed a ramp so I made a comment. Then all of a sudden we hear the neighbor to that house call out “F’n A-holes” and he continued cursing. He wasn’t talking on a phone, so not sure if it was directed at us or not, but again we passed by and continued on. Now that was incident number 2.

When we started getting closer to my neighborhood, I see this lady who looked like a man, wearing men clothes, but with woman parts. She had this huge black dog on a leash, she was on the opposite side of the street, so we continued walking. But then she started crossing over to our side and yelled out “Get away”. So we quickly crossed to the side she came from. But then this huge black and brown dog without a leash comes chasing after us, crossing the street. It was a few feet behind my mother, I quickly was able to get away. I felt bad for leaving my mother so close to the dog, but she was able to get away too. So that was incident number 3.

Then we finally made our way home, I had a chazaka of 3 in one day, I had never encountered such anti-Semitism and it freaked me out. I guess it teaches us that we aren’t so safe as we would like to think.

Parshas Vayikra

Midah means measurement. Someone with Middos has the right amount of measurements for each characteristic. There is no such thing as a bad characteristic. Each one can be good when used at the right time, in the right way, in the right amount. I remember in 12th grade my teacher taught us why it’s important to have pride to be a good Jew, it stuck with me through all this time.

Something to Say:

From the cattle or from the flock shall you bring the offering (1:2)

The Sages tell us that the cattle, referring to bulls and cows, symbolize haughtiness, whereas the flock, referring to sheep and goats, symbolize humility. The verse mentions both to signify that these two character traits, both arrogance and humility, must be utilized in the service of God. In this context, haughtiness is not meant in a negative or destructive sense, but rather a sense of pride that is necessary to fulfill our duties. The Zohar refers to this as azus dikedushah, arrogance of holiness, the strength of character we must exercise when someone wishes to turn us away from our obligations to God.

I know some of you feel that Jews can seem haughty sometimes, or act arrogant, but you see here, really it’s needed as a survival tactic. There’s nothing wrong with being haughty in of itself, its only when it’s used for negative that it is bad.

Yentas/Shadchanim

Now I’ve heard of the stereotype of shadchanim of being Yentas who talk a certain way which is very comical. I always thought that was just in movies like Fiddler on the Roof, and in the olden days. I didn’t know they still exist. Today I came upon one and it got me thinking.

I had come to school to find class cancelled, I was unsure if I should stay in school to wait for my next class to start or if I should go back home, since there was 3 hours between the two. I remember in 6th grade my teacher told us that “Mother’s know best” and that mothers are always right. So I called my mother and asked her what she think I should do, and she suggested I go home.

So I went home, and as I was on the city bus I overheard this Jewish lady on the cell phone. Now she was the yenta/shadchan type that I heard about but yet never saw. She was talking in a loud voice, in a certain tone that can only be described as a “Yenta tone”. She said “the girl is 5’7, slim”. Then this non Jewish lady turns to look at her, she doesn’t notice and continues. “She’s bubbly, she’s a very good girl…”.

I was thinking, it’s very nice that this lady is helping out and wants to make a shidduch, but I couldn’t help feel bad for the girl. To me this all sounds very degrading, it’s as if the shadchan is making a sales pitch, trying to sell off the girl. I just don’t like the way it sounds for a girl to be on the market and sold off to someone else. It seems like such Chutzpah.

Why is it that the guys are the ones who have the mitzvah to get married, and yet nobody goes around selling the guys? It’s always the girls being sold. Why are guys the one’s with waiting lists of girls? I think waiting lists are another degrading thing to a girl.

Oops, did I just write a Shidduch post?

Then as I was walking home I saw a Pretty weed!

 

Now that can have all kinds of connotations, so many ways to tie it into my thoughts.

 

 

One last thought, why do men always pick up their coats/jackets before they sit down?

Jewish Song Sunday #18

David Kerner: The Story of Haman and Mamoud
hattip to: Teruah

I know this is a little late in coming, but this is a Purim song to the tune of BINGO. David is actually one of the parents of kids I had babysat for. I even wrote a post about him on my babysitter blog.

Lyrics
There was a rasha long ago and Haman was his name-o
Hey-Mem-Nun Sofit
Hey-Mem-Nun Sofit
He-Mem-Nun Sofit
And Haman was his name-o.    

Now Mordechai HaTzadik, each day would walk right by him
And no, no he wouldn’t bow down
No, no he wouldn’t bow down
No Mordechai would not bow down because he loved HaShem-o.

So Haman hatched his evil scheme, and things looked rather bleak-o
Mor-de-chai Ha-Tzadik
To the palace he came to seek
His righteous lovely Jewish niece*, Esther HaMalkah

Together they did lead the Jews in fasting and tefilah
We really love you Hashem
Our relationship we want to mend
To you we will return again, to You we will be faithful. 

Now in the end Haman was left, hanging on a tree-o
And for the Jews, there was light
Joy and honor and delight
And so on Purim day and night we tell the story still-o.  

Baruch Mordechai,
Arur - arur Haman!
B'rucha Esther
Esther B'adee!
_______
There is a rasha living now, Ahmadinejad's his name-o
Ach - mad - din - e- jad
To say his name it might be hard
But right there on his business card he tells us what he'd do-o.
He'd like to take the Jewish State and wipe it off the map-o
(And if he could he surely would, because he's such a wacko)
The Holocaust he does deny
He's plotting the next genocide
It's time to stand and take a side, so which side are you on-o?

Parshas Vayakhel

A lot of times there’s the excitement of something new which motivates us to do something. It can be something you normally wouldn’t want to do, but because it’s new or the first time you get excited about it. Example in the beginning of the school year, you can’t wait for school to start and can’t wait to do your homework. But then as time goes on, you no longer have the same motivation.

Something To Say:

The people are bringing more than enough for the labor (36:5)

The Mei HaShiloach asks: Why are the Jews praised for brining these offerings? Who wouldn’t give money towards the building of the Mishkan, which served as a house for God? The Mei HaShiloach explains that a man never knows if he truly has a generous heart or not. The first time he is asked to do a mitzvah, he is able to do it with great enthusiasm, but after he has become accustomed to the mitzvah, his performance often does not have the same fire anymore. This may serve as a sign that he is not truly a giving person. In this verse, however, we read that the people gave many contributions; they continued to give time after time, with great enthusiasm, proving their authentically generous character.

So here, the Jews really had a true excitement to do the mitzvah and help donate towards the Mishkan. It wasn’t just because it was a first time thing, and it was exciting, but rather they truly were giving people. The Jews continued to give more and more, so it wasn’t a one time thing.

I Need Memes!

I saw this Meme at Something Different and Tembow. They did a great job with it, and now I will have some fun too!

Instructions:

You type "[your first name] needs" into google. Copy and paste the words into your blog.

Jewish Side needs…

Jewish Side needs a break

yea, I can definitely use one!

Jewish Side needs to be told, and yeah, it really should be more complete.

ok, I’ll listen to what I’m told, but not sure what has to be complete?

Jewish Side needs to stop talking

I know I know, I have to cut down on my typing.

Jewish Side needs the taste of Kosher

yea, Kosher is the best taste out there!

Jewish Side needs money

well I wouldn’t say I need money just yet…

The Babysitter needs…

The Babysitter needs to be decided.

Yea, majorly!

The Babysitter needs to be prepared too.

yea, very important!

The Babysitter needs to look after more than 1 child, add $1/hr per kid

well now that I’m no longer babysitting this doesn’t apply. But I wouldn’t have the heart to charge more per child.

The Babysitter needs on the spot help urgently.

I suppose so, help = motivation to study!

The babysitter needs to be lighthearted and has to have a great sense of humor because the kids can really be a lot of fun!

yea, kids sure are fun! (You hear that Moshe?)

I figured enough time has passed and its time for another meme. Looking at the poll I took asking you if you like memes, it was pretty even. Five of you said you love Memes, another 5 said you would do it reluctantly, and 6 of you said you enjoy them once in a while. Thank goodness no one said they hate them.

Tagged: Baal Tshuva Slowly, frum female, Here in HP, Insanity now, serenity later, Material Maidel, Mike In Midwood, Philosophy & Mixtapes, Shorty's Adventure, The Secret World of Princess Yuttele, האדם בעולמו

Jewish Professors Part 1

I’ve had surprisingly a lot of Jewish professors, some men and some women. They were all 2 types, either funny and a great professor, or just a excellent professor. I was going to write one whole long post with all the different types of Jewish professors I had. But then I realized it would be too long and no one would read it, so I’m dividing it up into parts. So here’s part 1. It won’t be in order of the classes though.

Intermediate accounting 1 and Auditing – Now this professor is a Jewish guy who’s around 60 years old. My friend from college who recently got married, actually invited him to her wedding.

I’m taking Auditing with him now. It was arranged for “Crazy Eddie”’s brother to come down to speak to the auditing students. This took place last night and I couldn’t go because I had another class. So now today this professor said that it was good I didn’t go because the presentation was horrible. He said Sam is a low life and had a horrible language, kept cursing and spoke degrading women. He said the whole staff was shocked to see Sam speak this way.

Sam had been the auditor for his brother Eddie Antar, he ratted out on the others and got out of having to go to jail. He spoke freely about not having paid millions in taxes, my professor said that it was silly of him to do so because the statute is still open forever, so he can technically be reported.

Sam singled out my professor during the speech and said that my professor would make a bad auditor because he was wearing a white shirt and tie. He said you would have to dress down to be a good auditor. My professor knew not to take it personally, but I think that was mean and perhaps racist.

Sam said they were able to trick the auditors by putting a blond up by the boxes where they would have to count the inventory, so that the blondes would distract them. So when my professor was telling this over to the us, one guy asks my professor if he would be distracted by a girl they put up there. So everyone started laughing, and my professor said that you got to do your job, you can’t get distracted. He said you have to be normal, but yet you have to be in control. Then I was thinking to myself Jews have it better in this case if they’re shomer, they would be able to do their job right without getting distracted.

Now this professor is also a good professor and tells jokes and funny stuff to keep the class awake.

to be continued…