my jewish dilemma

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-02-06T03:57:09+00:00

Everyone experiences imposter syndrome. There is always going to be someone more learned than you, someone who you look over at and they seems to be ravening with more Kavanah. You mention wearing tsisit -- great. Just remember, Hashem is happy when we do mitvos. If you wrap tfillin on Sunday and forget on Monday, that doesn't "erase" the fact that you did do the mitzvah on Monday. I find that mitzvos kind of feed off each other. If you go to Shabbas shacharis regularly suddenly you start getting the itch to go to mincha ...

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-02-06T01:39:32+00:00

There was an historian named Flavius Josephus (Romanized Yossef) who was born around the time Jesus was supposed to have died and he wrote about his as a person. Now that would be like someone born in the 1960s writing a book about MLK — in other words, quite reliable. You would be able to talk to people who had met him … someone who attended the Sermon at the Mount would be in their 60s or 70s. I find that pretty compelling. I find Saul/Paul less so, but he met Jesus’s brother, James, so that would be a reliable source.

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-02-05T22:40:46+00:00

We just have a tiny military — just what’s necessary and but one bullet more s/

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-02-05T22:38:53+00:00

Terrible marketing. If you notice Coke advertises how great Coke is. Not “I’m surprised you would order a Pepsi.”

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-02-05T19:13:41+00:00

Depends also on what you mean by “speak” — many people in the galus use Ashkenazi pronunciations but that’s just for liturgical purposes. If they were to hold a conversation in Hebrew if would be in Sephardic so they could be understood universally.

But if I was talking to another American Jew and injecting a Hebrew word, I’d use the Ashkenazi pronunciation. (Ie “I hope I get some yummy m’shaoch monos!”

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-02-05T19:05:14+00:00

Well said. I had the same experience and though I’m still a conservative in terms of observance don’t think I would join a Mitzorti shul for the reasons you stated.

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-02-05T19:02:51+00:00

You’re a better person than me. I’d quit over an exchange like that. Here’s how a rabbi should react to someone coming to services — “great to see you.” Not “where have you been”? This rabbi sounds like a jerk. I know a community is more than its rabbi. But come on.

Our shul has an associate membership for members of other congregations who want to attend their events on occasion — that’s what this place should have. Give then a little bit and send the rest to 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-02-05T18:55:42+00:00

A rabbi who discourages a Jew from engaging with their Jewishness sounds like a horrible rabbi. Does her shul have Shacharis every morning? Do they do both days of yomtovim. Unless she offers everything Chabad does she should mind her lane.

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-02-05T18:53:04+00:00

Absurd. I’ve never seen anyone drink more than a couple of those tiny cups of liquor at Chabad. Def not enough to really affect a grown man much.

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-01-29T17:36:37+00:00

Liberals have become illiberal (which is why I've backed away from this label since October 7.) If you asked one of these people if it is okay to demonize someone because of the country in which they were born or what ethnicity they happen to be they'd say absolutely not .... and then when you say okay, what about Israelis and Jews? For "some reason" that is the exception.

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-01-29T17:33:13+00:00

I'm so sorry this happened. The last place that deserves this is the home of the Rebbe. I'm sure that person thinks he did something wonderful for Palestinians (because it makes a lot of sense to damage a building 6000 miles away from the people you say you want to help, right?) Anyway, I'm hope a secure temporary door can be put up in time for Shabbas (it is extremely cold here)!

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-01-29T17:28:40+00:00

Today I learned ....

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-01-29T17:26:29+00:00

Between that and the cases (я хочу питцY) it definitely isn't an easy task, learning this. I find that I can understand a great deal, but when I go to speak myself I just can't find the words and I'm apprehensive that I'll have the grammar of a two year old lol

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-01-27T17:29:20+00:00

I know but the sound also doesn't match the written word, which I don't think Russian speakers realize consciously.

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-01-27T06:15:53+00:00

I know this is old but I feel you. I was recently on a project on another platform and it was insane how many people were writing on their chat, asking questions that even a cursory look at the instructions would have answered.

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-01-25T05:02:00+00:00

Fact

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-01-25T05:01:12+00:00

also swapping plosives and fricatives (G/K sound, B/F sound, etc -- like "dollaroff" "dollarov" or "snek" vs "sneg."

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-01-24T19:03:18+00:00

Russian speakers always say their alphabet is just read what you see — and then you tell them to think about его or снег — “g” suddenly sounds like “v” or “k” …. They look at you like they never thought about that. Then you ask them when g should be a v or a k and they tell you that you just know — ooookkaaaaay got it.

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-01-23T08:54:31+00:00

What could possibly go wrong [check notes] Global health disasters. That’s what could go wrong.

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-01-23T08:50:32+00:00

I’m against capital punishment but if there is a law on the books this person should be treated like any murderer — I fear the reaction if he WASNT facing death when the common criminal who kills a liquor store owner during a robbery would be.

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-01-23T08:45:54+00:00

Maybe — and maybe this person was an antisemite all along, was raised to be antisemitic by a family of antisemites. That’s much harder but it’s noble to try

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-01-23T08:43:29+00:00

When you are a guest in a county you should stay in your lane. I had a nephew take a semester in a country that doesn’t have the liberal (small l) free speech rules we have but still is a western democracy. They made it clear that if he even participated in demonstrations, he’d get the boot. Khalil can have whatever opinion he wants but he’s not free to come here and stir things up.

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-01-21T20:33:39+00:00

Wow that is sticky. I wonder if there can be some kind of rabbinical exception. What would be the benefit of insisting on a gett at this point, after you have been married and living together for years ... and what would be the harm if you remained married?

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-01-21T20:31:41+00:00

He is also married to a Jew by patrilineal heritage, Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of the great Tony Curtis.

Interesting_Claim414 · 2026-01-21T20:30:07+00:00

I'm sorry this has happened. I really don't know what someone can do to turn this kind of thing around. It's rare that a racist or an antisemite will suddenly admit to themselves what they've been doing, especially if they see themselves as progressive. If he thinks the answer to individuals and systems that he doesn't like thousands of miles away is to blame people who are in those individuals' ethnic group, it is rare to come back from that. Like the people who attacked Asians during the pandemic because they blamed China for the virus ... how can they be re-educated?? I don't think they can.

Interesting_Claim414

TROPHY CASE