Proud Member of The Moms Clean Air Force
Print This Post
Feb
26
To be spent in a primary no less.
From The Plain Dealer Openers, a campaign aide for Capri Cafaro (still nothing on education, health care or retirement security) is reported to have said that the campaign will spend up to $250,000 PER WEEK on television ads in the weeks leading up to the May 2nd Democratic primary for the Ohio 13th Congressional District seat being vacated by Sherrod Brown. Cafaro also is reported to have said that she will spend about $30K to air the commercials, which are to start airing in March.
My calendar says that there are eight full weeks between March and May. That’s $2 million.
I get chills thinking about how else that money could be spent to benefit the people of the 13th CD.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 3:20 am February 26th, 2006 in Politics | 4 Comments
Print This Post
Feb
25
To be spent in a primary no less.
From The Plain Dealer Openers, a campaign aide for Capri Cafaro (still nothing on education, health care or retirement security) is reported to have said that the campaign will spend up to $250,000 PER WEEK on television ads in the weeks leading up to the May 2nd Democratic primary for the Ohio 13th Congressional District seat being vacated by Sherrod Brown. Cafaro also is reported to have said that she will spend about $30K to air the commercials, which are to start airing in March.
My calendar says that there are eight full weeks between March and May. That’s $2 million.
I get chills thinking about how else that money could be spent to benefit the people of the 13th CD.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:20 pm February 25th, 2006 in Politics | 4 Comments
Print This Post
Feb
25
Am I the only one who thinks this amount of $$ is obscene?
Filed Under Politics | Comments Off
To be spent in a primary no less.
From The Plain Dealer Openers, a campaign aide for Capri Cafaro (still nothing on education, health care or retirement security) is reported to have said that the campaign will spend up to $250,000 PER WEEK on television ads in the weeks leading up to the May 2nd Democratic primary for the Ohio 13th Congressional District seat being vacated by Sherrod Brown. Cafaro also is reported to have said that she will spend about $30K to air the commercials, which are to start airing in March.
My calendar says that there are eight full weeks between March and May. That’s $2 million.
I get chills thinking about how else that money could be spent to benefit the people of the 13th CD.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:20 pm February 25th, 2006 in Politics | Comments Off
Print This Post
Feb
25
Jewish tradition teaches that you need ten people, or a minyan, to pray. It wasn’t always that way. Before the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, no rabbis were needed for prayer, primarily because everyone had a certain amount of learning to which they aspired and once earned, it made them knowledgeable to the extent of being called a rabbi, although in those times, there was always a high Kohane (as in the three main tribes: Kohanes being descendents of the priestly tribe of Aaron, Levites, who served the Kohanes, and Israelites, who were everyone else) who led high holy day services on the Temple Mount (now a Muslim location within the Old City of Jerusalem, inside the original retaining wall, an exterior part of which most people recognize as The Western Wall).
But, as I mentioned yesterday, my youngest son is sick, although much better today, and so he and I could not go to the annual family congregational Shabbaton that is occuring over this Shabbat (which runs from sundown last night to sundown this evening).
We went for the first time last year and my children enjoyed it so much that at the end of the event, they clamored for us to commit to a repeat. As we say in Hebrew, Baruch Ha’Shem, God willing.
Well, God willed that my husband and our two older children attend and I stay with my youngest. And it’s been fine – he’s better. But hearing the glee in my kids’ voices this morning as they detailed last night’s activites (staying up until midnight, ahem), and then the glowing report from my husband, well, I’m glad they’re enjoying but sorry that Matthew and I can’t be there.
So, I decided that I would blog today on the activities related to what I’d be doing if I were with the rest of my mishpacha.
First, a Shabbaton, when I was growing up, implied a mass, teen sleepover where you do Jewish stuff: see Jewish-oriented movies, learn Israeli dancing, sing songs. Since I was raised Reform, some religious teaching occured, but the event highlighted the cultural and social aspects.
Why? I can’t say for sure, but I remember few sermons that didn’t express the fear that assimilation by the year 2000 would mean the end of the Jewish people (which seems ironic given that some see Reform Judaism and the accommodation of interfaith marriages as leading to that presumed inevitability).
So, they tried to hook us with “hip” shabbatons. In fact, along with other strong memories of my religious school experiences (seeing horrific Holocaust films over and over (The Pawnbroker and documentaries), Purim and Chanuka parties, being the “She” in the Sholom Aleichem play, “She Must Marry a Doctor!”), I remember sleeping in “the house” of my congregation with multiple other sleeping-bagged teens and sometimes even traveling to other shuls to have these Shabbat-focused pajama parties.
That’s the background I bring to the idea of a Shabbaton: for teens, it was a particularly good way to meet, see and interact with kids whom you knew from school but might not otherwise socialize, and to meet new friends, new Jewish friends, of course (recall my blogging about how my parents wanted me to at least apply to Brandeis as opposed to say, oh, Georgetown, where I ended up anyway?).
I imagine that, for non-Jews, it mirrors a religious retreat, without the Mass.
Before we joined our current congregation, I’d never heard about family shabbatons. And then, when I did hear about them, I didn’t know if it would be for us. But as my husband and I became more active in the shul, and my kids learned more hebrew and more prayer (certainly more than I know), and coupled with the fact that my kids each attended three years at Jewish preschools, well, we began to think, Why not? Then, last year was a big success and this year was a no-brainer to sign-up.
You arrive well before sunset at the hotel where everyone stays. This year, about 15-20 families will participate. There’s a service, then dinner, then introductory activities for adults and kids, then separate study opportunities. As I alluded to above, the evening lasts long – past midnight last night. In the morning, everyone has breakfast and then the primary Shabbat service occurs. After that, there will be some learning and then a meal. There is rest time in the afternoon, then more learning, then Havdalah (the closing of the Sabbath – a beautiful candlelight only with lots of singing service) and then dinner. After dinner, there is usually one more activity.
(Remember, since it’s technically one day – from sunset to sunset, only three real meals are supposed to be served, and there is a strict prohibition – during the Shabbaton for everyone who participates – on writing, electronic games, television, driving, using phones and so on. All the food will also be kosher. For those who don’t know, my family observes very few of these specific prohibitions – we do tear toilet paper, but in Israel you pre-tear – but we’ve started to “calm down” our Saturdays overall and we’re liking it. Of course the flipside is that in Israel, you have a six-day work week and school week.)
(AND, if you really want to chat crockpots and the Sabbath, when you’re not allowed to “create” – including lighting fires or turning on and off lights etc.? Cholent. One of the most evil upspringings of Judaism, in my opinion, but, some people? They love it.)
The focus of the learning will be based on the content of this week’s Parsha, or Torah portion, which, this Shabbat, is called Mishpatim. Now, I know squat, no, make that big fat SQUAT, about parshot and how to interpret them and which one you’re doing in which year (because there’s like some three year cycle thing) and so on. It looks like this year we do the third, fourth and fifth sets of p’sukim, or sentences. Check out this guide that lists which interpretations to read for which Hebrew calendar year (this year is 5766 – here’s a hint – the Jewish calendar year always ends in the same digit as the Gregorian year), depending on which p’sukim are to be read that year – can you see why we use the word “oy” so much?
I cut to the chase and went straight to the Parsha Summary link. The information there makes sense since my oldest told me that the parsha this weekend had a lot of laws in it (oh joy for our Rabbi who no doubt will be beseiged by corrections from all the lawyers attending, good thing I didn’t go and add to their numbers).
This Parsha in a Nutshell is produced by Chabad. Here we find, from the Conservative movement, a summary of the content accompanied by issues and questions about the issues to provoke and encourage discussion. And finally, here is something similar, but representative of the Orthodox movement.
The gist seems to be that Moses just got the tablets last week and now, we have to listen to all the laws we must follow. High drama versus litany of dos and don’ts. For anyone who hasn’t studied the Old Testament, trust those of us who have – there are a lot of kind of, um, how shall I say without committing loshon hora on Shabbat, boring parts?
Well, frankly, I think there’s some great fodder in here (this is from the Conservative summary):
SUMMARY
Some people say that God is in the details. That idea certainly fits with this week’s portion. We move from the broad moral and religious issues discussed in the Ten Commandments to the day-to-day details of living life under the covenant. This week’s parasha contains a long list of civil and religious laws and therefore is often called the Book of the Covenant.
The portion begins with the laws governing a Hebrew slave, who will work for six years and go free in the seventh. If he refuses his freedom, a hole is to be bored into his ear. This parasha also contains the law that a man may not withhold food, clothing, or sexual rights from his wife. It continues with a number of laws about damages, including the well-known rule “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” which Jewish law interprets as paying damages. It also contains the laws about damages caused by an ox that gores, and considers whether the ox has a history of goring.
The portion contains laws about theft, and draws a distinction between the theft done at night or during the day. The night thief is considered to pose a threat to a homeowner and deadly force can be used. The portion continues with the laws of bailment, which involve a person’s property being damaged or destroyed while in someone else’s possession. This portion includes many laws regulating the treatment of the poor, widows, and orphans
It ends with a reaffirmation of the covenant, including the statement “We will do and we will understand.” In the end, the elders “see” a vision of God; there seems to be sapphire stones under God’s feet. Moses goes back up onto the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
One of the routes to interpretation taken by the Conservative summary’s discussion portion has to do with abortion, and given what’s happening in South Dakota right now, I would think that the Rabbi might highlight it, except that it’s a family shabbaton and given the general youth of the kids attending, I doubt he will discuss this part of the portion (wise to avoid, in my opinion).
However, for a blog audience, I think it’s perfect. Take a look:
The Torah says, “If men quarrel, and hurt a pregnant woman, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no further harm follows; he shall be surely punished, according to what the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine” (Exodus 21:22).
Dare we talk about the most controversial social and political issue in our country?
Is abortion murder? According to the verse quoted above, if a man causes a woman to miscarry through his negligence, he must pay a fine. Yet a fine is never allowed in the case of murder. (See Numbers 35:31) From this portion, we see that causing the death of an unborn child is not considered murder according to the Torah’s laws. Could even the most ardent pro-life advocate really equate abortion with killing an adult, even when the Bible indicates otherwise?
Is abortion a mere medical procedure? The Talmud teaches that for the first 40 days, the developing embryo is “mere fluid” (Yebamot 69a) After 40 days, the fetus is more than mere fluid; it has some legal standing. An abortion during this period has profound consequences in Jewish law. For example, if a woman aborts a fetus after formation and later gives birth to a baby boy, there is no pidyon haben, the celebration traditionally reserved for the firstborn.
Why? Clearly, the rabbis understand that there is more involved than “mere fluid.”
Does Judaism point toward a middle way regarding abortion? Could such a middle way have some bearing in a society that is debating this difficult issue?
Pretty powerful, to say that because only a fine is levied in this instance, but more than a fine is levied in murder, therefore Judaism must not equate abortion with murder, don’t you think?
Does everyone in Judaism agree with that interpretation? Does everyone in Judaism ask as many questions as I do? Does everyone who isn’t Jewish understand why so often Jews are portrayed as ending everything in a question? Even when answering a question?
Have a good Shabbos.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 3:06 pm February 25th, 2006 in Politics | 4 Comments
Print This Post
Feb
25
Jewish tradition teaches that you need ten people, or a minyan, to pray. It wasn’t always that way. Before the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, no rabbis were needed for prayer, primarily because everyone had a certain amount of learning to which they aspired and once earned, it made them knowledgeable to the extent of being called a rabbi, although in those times, there was always a high Kohane (as in the three main tribes: Kohanes being descendents of the priestly tribe of Aaron, Levites, who served the Kohanes, and Israelites, who were everyone else) who led high holy day services on the Temple Mount (now a Muslim location within the Old City of Jerusalem, inside the original retaining wall, an exterior part of which most people recognize as The Western Wall).
But, as I mentioned yesterday, my youngest son is sick, although much better today, and so he and I could not go to the annual family congregational Shabbaton that is occuring over this Shabbat (which runs from sundown last night to sundown this evening).
We went for the first time last year and my children enjoyed it so much that at the end of the event, they clamored for us to commit to a repeat. As we say in Hebrew, Baruch Ha’Shem, God willing.
Well, God willed that my husband and our two older children attend and I stay with my youngest. And it’s been fine – he’s better. But hearing the glee in my kids’ voices this morning as they detailed last night’s activites (staying up until midnight, ahem), and then the glowing report from my husband, well, I’m glad they’re enjoying but sorry that Matthew and I can’t be there.
So, I decided that I would blog today on the activities related to what I’d be doing if I were with the rest of my mishpacha.
First, a Shabbaton, when I was growing up, implied a mass, teen sleepover where you do Jewish stuff: see Jewish-oriented movies, learn Israeli dancing, sing songs. Since I was raised Reform, some religious teaching occured, but the event highlighted the cultural and social aspects.
Why? I can’t say for sure, but I remember few sermons that didn’t express the fear that assimilation by the year 2000 would mean the end of the Jewish people (which seems ironic given that some see Reform Judaism and the accommodation of interfaith marriages as leading to that presumed inevitability).
So, they tried to hook us with “hip” shabbatons. In fact, along with other strong memories of my religious school experiences (seeing horrific Holocaust films over and over (The Pawnbroker and documentaries), Purim and Chanuka parties, being the “She” in the Sholom Aleichem play, “She Must Marry a Doctor!”), I remember sleeping in “the house” of my congregation with multiple other sleeping-bagged teens and sometimes even traveling to other shuls to have these Shabbat-focused pajama parties.
That’s the background I bring to the idea of a Shabbaton: for teens, it was a particularly good way to meet, see and interact with kids whom you knew from school but might not otherwise socialize, and to meet new friends, new Jewish friends, of course (recall my blogging about how my parents wanted me to at least apply to Brandeis as opposed to say, oh, Georgetown, where I ended up anyway?).
I imagine that, for non-Jews, it mirrors a religious retreat, without the Mass.
Before we joined our current congregation, I’d never heard about family shabbatons. And then, when I did hear about them, I didn’t know if it would be for us. But as my husband and I became more active in the shul, and my kids learned more hebrew and more prayer (certainly more than I know), and coupled with the fact that my kids each attended three years at Jewish preschools, well, we began to think, Why not? Then, last year was a big success and this year was a no-brainer to sign-up.
You arrive well before sunset at the hotel where everyone stays. This year, about 15-20 families will participate. There’s a service, then dinner, then introductory activities for adults and kids, then separate study opportunities. As I alluded to above, the evening lasts long – past midnight last night. In the morning, everyone has breakfast and then the primary Shabbat service occurs. After that, there will be some learning and then a meal. There is rest time in the afternoon, then more learning, then Havdalah (the closing of the Sabbath – a beautiful candlelight only with lots of singing service) and then dinner. After dinner, there is usually one more activity.
(Remember, since it’s technically one day – from sunset to sunset, only three real meals are supposed to be served, and there is a strict prohibition – during the Shabbaton for everyone who participates – on writing, electronic games, television, driving, using phones and so on. All the food will also be kosher. For those who don’t know, my family observes very few of these specific prohibitions – we do tear toilet paper, but in Israel you pre-tear – but we’ve started to “calm down” our Saturdays overall and we’re liking it. Of course the flipside is that in Israel, you have a six-day work week and school week.)
(AND, if you really want to chat crockpots and the Sabbath, when you’re not allowed to “create” – including lighting fires or turning on and off lights etc.? Cholent. One of the most evil upspringings of Judaism, in my opinion, but, some people? They love it.)
The focus of the learning will be based on the content of this week’s Parsha, or Torah portion, which, this Shabbat, is called Mishpatim. Now, I know squat, no, make that big fat SQUAT, about parshot and how to interpret them and which one you’re doing in which year (because there’s like some three year cycle thing) and so on. It looks like this year we do the third, fourth and fifth sets of p’sukim, or sentences. Check out this guide that lists which interpretations to read for which Hebrew calendar year (this year is 5766 – here’s a hint – the Jewish calendar year always ends in the same digit as the Gregorian year), depending on which p’sukim are to be read that year – can you see why we use the word “oy” so much?
I cut to the chase and went straight to the Parsha Summary link. The information there makes sense since my oldest told me that the parsha this weekend had a lot of laws in it (oh joy for our Rabbi who no doubt will be beseiged by corrections from all the lawyers attending, good thing I didn’t go and add to their numbers).
This Parsha in a Nutshell is produced by Chabad. Here we find, from the Conservative movement, a summary of the content accompanied by issues and questions about the issues to provoke and encourage discussion. And finally, here is something similar, but representative of the Orthodox movement.
The gist seems to be that Moses just got the tablets last week and now, we have to listen to all the laws we must follow. High drama versus litany of dos and don’ts. For anyone who hasn’t studied the Old Testament, trust those of us who have – there are a lot of kind of, um, how shall I say without committing loshon hora on Shabbat, boring parts?
Well, frankly, I think there’s some great fodder in here (this is from the Conservative summary):
SUMMARY
Some people say that God is in the details. That idea certainly fits with this week’s portion. We move from the broad moral and religious issues discussed in the Ten Commandments to the day-to-day details of living life under the covenant. This week’s parasha contains a long list of civil and religious laws and therefore is often called the Book of the Covenant.
The portion begins with the laws governing a Hebrew slave, who will work for six years and go free in the seventh. If he refuses his freedom, a hole is to be bored into his ear. This parasha also contains the law that a man may not withhold food, clothing, or sexual rights from his wife. It continues with a number of laws about damages, including the well-known rule “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” which Jewish law interprets as paying damages. It also contains the laws about damages caused by an ox that gores, and considers whether the ox has a history of goring.
The portion contains laws about theft, and draws a distinction between the theft done at night or during the day. The night thief is considered to pose a threat to a homeowner and deadly force can be used. The portion continues with the laws of bailment, which involve a person’s property being damaged or destroyed while in someone else’s possession. This portion includes many laws regulating the treatment of the poor, widows, and orphans
It ends with a reaffirmation of the covenant, including the statement “We will do and we will understand.” In the end, the elders “see” a vision of God; there seems to be sapphire stones under God’s feet. Moses goes back up onto the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
One of the routes to interpretation taken by the Conservative summary’s discussion portion has to do with abortion, and given what’s happening in South Dakota right now, I would think that the Rabbi might highlight it, except that it’s a family shabbaton and given the general youth of the kids attending, I doubt he will discuss this part of the portion (wise to avoid, in my opinion).
However, for a blog audience, I think it’s perfect. Take a look:
The Torah says, “If men quarrel, and hurt a pregnant woman, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no further harm follows; he shall be surely punished, according to what the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine” (Exodus 21:22).
Dare we talk about the most controversial social and political issue in our country?
Is abortion murder? According to the verse quoted above, if a man causes a woman to miscarry through his negligence, he must pay a fine. Yet a fine is never allowed in the case of murder. (See Numbers 35:31) From this portion, we see that causing the death of an unborn child is not considered murder according to the Torah’s laws. Could even the most ardent pro-life advocate really equate abortion with killing an adult, even when the Bible indicates otherwise?
Is abortion a mere medical procedure? The Talmud teaches that for the first 40 days, the developing embryo is “mere fluid” (Yebamot 69a) After 40 days, the fetus is more than mere fluid; it has some legal standing. An abortion during this period has profound consequences in Jewish law. For example, if a woman aborts a fetus after formation and later gives birth to a baby boy, there is no pidyon haben, the celebration traditionally reserved for the firstborn.
Why? Clearly, the rabbis understand that there is more involved than “mere fluid.”
Does Judaism point toward a middle way regarding abortion? Could such a middle way have some bearing in a society that is debating this difficult issue?
Pretty powerful, to say that because only a fine is levied in this instance, but more than a fine is levied in murder, therefore Judaism must not equate abortion with murder, don’t you think?
Does everyone in Judaism agree with that interpretation? Does everyone in Judaism ask as many questions as I do? Does everyone who isn’t Jewish understand why so often Jews are portrayed as ending everything in a question? Even when answering a question?
Have a good Shabbos.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:06 am February 25th, 2006 in Politics | 3 Comments
Print This Post
Feb
25
A Congregational Blogaton (pronounced "Blog-a-TONE")
Filed Under Politics | Comments Off
Jewish tradition teaches that you need ten people, or a minyan, to pray. It wasn’t always that way. Before the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, no rabbis were needed for prayer, primarily because everyone had a certain amount of learning to which they aspired and once earned, it made them knowledgeable to the extent of being called a rabbi, although in those times, there was always a high Kohane (as in the three main tribes: Kohanes being descendents of the priestly tribe of Aaron, Levites, who served the Kohanes, and Israelites, who were everyone else) who led high holy day services on the Temple Mount (now a Muslim location within the Old City of Jerusalem, inside the original retaining wall, an exterior part of which most people recognize as The Western Wall).
But, as I mentioned yesterday, my youngest son is sick, although much better today, and so he and I could not go to the annual family congregational Shabbaton that is occuring over this Shabbat (which runs from sundown last night to sundown this evening).
We went for the first time last year and my children enjoyed it so much that at the end of the event, they clamored for us to commit to a repeat. As we say in Hebrew, Baruch Ha’Shem, God willing.
Well, God willed that my husband and our two older children attend and I stay with my youngest. And it’s been fine – he’s better. But hearing the glee in my kids’ voices this morning as they detailed last night’s activites (staying up until midnight, ahem), and then the glowing report from my husband, well, I’m glad they’re enjoying but sorry that Matthew and I can’t be there.
So, I decided that I would blog today on the activities related to what I’d be doing if I were with the rest of my mishpacha.
First, a Shabbaton, when I was growing up, implied a mass, teen sleepover where you do Jewish stuff: see Jewish-oriented movies, learn Israeli dancing, sing songs. Since I was raised Reform, some religious teaching occured, but the event highlighted the cultural and social aspects.
Why? I can’t say for sure, but I remember few sermons that didn’t express the fear that assimilation by the year 2000 would mean the end of the Jewish people (which seems ironic given that some see Reform Judaism and the accommodation of interfaith marriages as leading to that presumed inevitability).
So, they tried to hook us with “hip” shabbatons. In fact, along with other strong memories of my religious school experiences (seeing horrific Holocaust films over and over (The Pawnbroker and documentaries), Purim and Chanuka parties, being the “She” in the Sholom Aleichem play, “She Must Marry a Doctor!”), I remember sleeping in “the house” of my congregation with multiple other sleeping-bagged teens and sometimes even traveling to other shuls to have these Shabbat-focused pajama parties.
That’s the background I bring to the idea of a Shabbaton: for teens, it was a particularly good way to meet, see and interact with kids whom you knew from school but might not otherwise socialize, and to meet new friends, new Jewish friends, of course (recall my blogging about how my parents wanted me to at least apply to Brandeis as opposed to say, oh, Georgetown, where I ended up anyway?).
I imagine that, for non-Jews, it mirrors a religious retreat, without the Mass.
Before we joined our current congregation, I’d never heard about family shabbatons. And then, when I did hear about them, I didn’t know if it would be for us. But as my husband and I became more active in the shul, and my kids learned more hebrew and more prayer (certainly more than I know), and coupled with the fact that my kids each attended three years at Jewish preschools, well, we began to think, Why not? Then, last year was a big success and this year was a no-brainer to sign-up.
You arrive well before sunset at the hotel where everyone stays. This year, about 15-20 families will participate. There’s a service, then dinner, then introductory activities for adults and kids, then separate study opportunities. As I alluded to above, the evening lasts long – past midnight last night. In the morning, everyone has breakfast and then the primary Shabbat service occurs. After that, there will be some learning and then a meal. There is rest time in the afternoon, then more learning, then Havdalah (the closing of the Sabbath – a beautiful candlelight only with lots of singing service) and then dinner. After dinner, there is usually one more activity.
(Remember, since it’s technically one day – from sunset to sunset, only three real meals are supposed to be served, and there is a strict prohibition – during the Shabbaton for everyone who participates – on writing, electronic games, television, driving, using phones and so on. All the food will also be kosher. For those who don’t know, my family observes very few of these specific prohibitions – we do tear toilet paper, but in Israel you pre-tear – but we’ve started to “calm down” our Saturdays overall and we’re liking it. Of course the flipside is that in Israel, you have a six-day work week and school week.)
(AND, if you really want to chat crockpots and the Sabbath, when you’re not allowed to “create” – including lighting fires or turning on and off lights etc.? Cholent. One of the most evil upspringings of Judaism, in my opinion, but, some people? They love it.)
The focus of the learning will be based on the content of this week’s Parsha, or Torah portion, which, this Shabbat, is called Mishpatim. Now, I know squat, no, make that big fat SQUAT, about parshot and how to interpret them and which one you’re doing in which year (because there’s like some three year cycle thing) and so on. It looks like this year we do the third, fourth and fifth sets of p’sukim, or sentences. Check out this guide that lists which interpretations to read for which Hebrew calendar year (this year is 5766 – here’s a hint – the Jewish calendar year always ends in the same digit as the Gregorian year), depending on which p’sukim are to be read that year – can you see why we use the word “oy” so much?
I cut to the chase and went straight to the Parsha Summary link. The information there makes sense since my oldest told me that the parsha this weekend had a lot of laws in it (oh joy for our Rabbi who no doubt will be beseiged by corrections from all the lawyers attending, good thing I didn’t go and add to their numbers).
This Parsha in a Nutshell is produced by Chabad. Here we find, from the Conservative movement, a summary of the content accompanied by issues and questions about the issues to provoke and encourage discussion. And finally, here is something similar, but representative of the Orthodox movement.
The gist seems to be that Moses just got the tablets last week and now, we have to listen to all the laws we must follow. High drama versus litany of dos and don’ts. For anyone who hasn’t studied the Old Testament, trust those of us who have – there are a lot of kind of, um, how shall I say without committing loshon hora on Shabbat, boring parts?
Well, frankly, I think there’s some great fodder in here (this is from the Conservative summary):
SUMMARY
Some people say that God is in the details. That idea certainly fits with this week’s portion. We move from the broad moral and religious issues discussed in the Ten Commandments to the day-to-day details of living life under the covenant. This week’s parasha contains a long list of civil and religious laws and therefore is often called the Book of the Covenant.
The portion begins with the laws governing a Hebrew slave, who will work for six years and go free in the seventh. If he refuses his freedom, a hole is to be bored into his ear. This parasha also contains the law that a man may not withhold food, clothing, or sexual rights from his wife. It continues with a number of laws about damages, including the well-known rule “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” which Jewish law interprets as paying damages. It also contains the laws about damages caused by an ox that gores, and considers whether the ox has a history of goring.
The portion contains laws about theft, and draws a distinction between the theft done at night or during the day. The night thief is considered to pose a threat to a homeowner and deadly force can be used. The portion continues with the laws of bailment, which involve a person’s property being damaged or destroyed while in someone else’s possession. This portion includes many laws regulating the treatment of the poor, widows, and orphans
It ends with a reaffirmation of the covenant, including the statement “We will do and we will understand.” In the end, the elders “see” a vision of God; there seems to be sapphire stones under God’s feet. Moses goes back up onto the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
One of the routes to interpretation taken by the Conservative summary’s discussion portion has to do with abortion, and given what’s happening in South Dakota right now, I would think that the Rabbi might highlight it, except that it’s a family shabbaton and given the general youth of the kids attending, I doubt he will discuss this part of the portion (wise to avoid, in my opinion).
However, for a blog audience, I think it’s perfect. Take a look:
The Torah says, “If men quarrel, and hurt a pregnant woman, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no further harm follows; he shall be surely punished, according to what the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine” (Exodus 21:22).
Dare we talk about the most controversial social and political issue in our country?
Is abortion murder? According to the verse quoted above, if a man causes a woman to miscarry through his negligence, he must pay a fine. Yet a fine is never allowed in the case of murder. (See Numbers 35:31) From this portion, we see that causing the death of an unborn child is not considered murder according to the Torah’s laws. Could even the most ardent pro-life advocate really equate abortion with killing an adult, even when the Bible indicates otherwise?
Is abortion a mere medical procedure? The Talmud teaches that for the first 40 days, the developing embryo is “mere fluid” (Yebamot 69a) After 40 days, the fetus is more than mere fluid; it has some legal standing. An abortion during this period has profound consequences in Jewish law. For example, if a woman aborts a fetus after formation and later gives birth to a baby boy, there is no pidyon haben, the celebration traditionally reserved for the firstborn.
Why? Clearly, the rabbis understand that there is more involved than “mere fluid.”
Does Judaism point toward a middle way regarding abortion? Could such a middle way have some bearing in a society that is debating this difficult issue?
Pretty powerful, to say that because only a fine is levied in this instance, but more than a fine is levied in murder, therefore Judaism must not equate abortion with murder, don’t you think?
Does everyone in Judaism agree with that interpretation? Does everyone in Judaism ask as many questions as I do? Does everyone who isn’t Jewish understand why so often Jews are portrayed as ending everything in a question? Even when answering a question?
Have a good Shabbos.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:06 am February 25th, 2006 in Politics | Comments Off
Print This Post
Feb
25
What compels me to ask
Filed Under Politics | Comments Off
I can’t put the source of my motivation into words any better than this entry on Blue 88, and the links it cites. I’m not ashamed, I don’t feel stupid for it, and I don’t care if others think it’s idealistic.
The truth is, it’s not just the way I’ve always heard it should be, it in fact is the way it should be and can be, if enough of us want it enough. Crappy sentence, honest sentiments.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:27 am February 25th, 2006 in Politics | Comments Off
Print This Post
Feb
25
What compels me to ask
Filed Under Politics | Comments Off
I can’t put the source of my motivation into words any better than this entry on Blue 88, and the links it cites. I’m not ashamed, I don’t feel stupid for it, and I don’t care if others think it’s idealistic.
The truth is, it’s not just the way I’ve always heard it should be, it in fact is the way it should be and can be, if enough of us want it enough. Crappy sentence, honest sentiments.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:27 am February 25th, 2006 in Politics | Comments Off
Print This Post
Feb
25
Poor, poor pitiful me
Filed Under Politics | 10 Comments
Well, I definitely don’t fit any of the demographics mentioned in this story about a study that identifies who uses MP3 players.
That’s probably because my own iPod continues to sit under, let me check…ten odd pages, scraps and pads near but not connected to my laptop. I have only two albums worth of music on it and I’ve already been shamed by one blogger (you know who you are) into feeling very dated by what I did load. Feh. I like that album.
How am I supposed to lie about my age if I don’t even know how to play with the equipment I would supposedly like?
By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:32 am February 25th, 2006 in Politics | 10 Comments
Print This Post
Feb
24
First, I couldn’t go because of kid activities during the same time.
Then, I couldn’t go because my synagogue’s annual congregational shabbaton (a family overnight retreat organized around the Jewish Sabbath) is today and tomorrow.
Now, I can’t go because my youngest child has bronchitis and pneumonia.
Sorry, Betty and the Bloggers. I really wanted to make this one.
However, for anyone interested, here’s the 911, no wait, is it the 411? Well, seeing as how it’s barely 12 hours from now, 911 might be more appropriate:
Who: Betty Sutton, Democratic candidate for the 13th Congressional District
Where: Cafe Momus in Akron
Why: To Meet the Bloggers tomorrow morning at Cafe Momus in Akron
When: The session will begin at 9:30 AM and last approximately one hour.
You can read more about the effort here, here and here.
Thanks to Scott of Pho’s Norka Pages for organizing.
My questions for Betty: How important do you think it is that a candidate has lived within the district he or she wants to represent for some reasonable period of time (reasonable meaning at least a year)? And why do you feel it is as important or unimportant as you believe?
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:20 pm February 24th, 2006 in Politics | 7 Comments
Print This Post
Feb
24
What compels me to ask
Filed Under Politics | Comments Off
I can’t put the source of my motivation into words any better than this entry on Blue 88, and the links it cites. I’m not ashamed, I don’t feel stupid for it, and I don’t care if others think it’s idealistic.
The truth is, it’s not just the way I’ve always heard it should be, it in fact is the way it should be and can be, if enough of us want it enough. Crappy sentence, honest sentiments.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:27 pm February 24th, 2006 in Politics | Comments Off
Print This Post
Feb
24
Poor, poor pitiful me
Filed Under Politics | 10 Comments
Well, I definitely don’t fit any of the demographics mentioned in this story about a study that identifies who uses MP3 players.
That’s probably because my own iPod continues to sit under, let me check…ten odd pages, scraps and pads near but not connected to my laptop. I have only two albums worth of music on it and I’ve already been shamed by one blogger (you know who you are) into feeling very dated by what I did load. Feh. I like that album.
How am I supposed to lie about my age if I don’t even know how to play with the equipment I would supposedly like?
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:32 pm February 24th, 2006 in Politics | 10 Comments
Print This Post
Feb
24
First, I couldn’t go because of kid activities during the same time.
Then, I couldn’t go because my synagogue’s annual congregational shabbaton (a family overnight retreat organized around the Jewish Sabbath) is today and tomorrow.
Now, I can’t go because my youngest child has bronchitis and pneumonia.
Sorry, Betty and the Bloggers. I really wanted to make this one.
However, for anyone interested, here’s the 911, no wait, is it the 411? Well, seeing as how it’s barely 12 hours from now, 911 might be more appropriate:
Who: Betty Sutton, Democratic candidate for the 13th Congressional District
Where: Cafe Momus in Akron
Why: To Meet the Bloggers tomorrow morning at Cafe Momus in Akron
When: The session will begin at 9:30 AM and last approximately one hour.
You can read more about the effort here, here and here.
Thanks to Scott of Pho’s Norka Pages for organizing.
My questions for Betty: How important do you think it is that a candidate has lived within the district he or she wants to represent for some reasonable period of time (reasonable meaning at least a year)? And why do you feel it is as important or unimportant as you believe?
By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:20 pm February 24th, 2006 in Politics | 7 Comments
Print This Post
Feb
24
Poor, poor pitiful me
Filed Under Politics | Comments Off
Well, I definitely don’t fit any of the demographics mentioned in this story about a study that identifies who uses MP3 players.
That’s probably because my own iPod continues to sit under, let me check…ten odd pages, scraps and pads near but not connected to my laptop. I have only two albums worth of music on it and I’ve already been shamed by one blogger (you know who you are) into feeling very dated by what I did load. Feh. I like that album.
How am I supposed to lie about my age if I don’t even know how to play with the equipment I would supposedly like?
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:32 pm February 24th, 2006 in Politics | Comments Off
Print This Post
Feb
24
Betty Sutton will Meet the Bloggers, Akron Edition, tomorrow
Filed Under Politics | Comments Off
First, I couldn’t go because of kid activities during the same time.
Then, I couldn’t go because my synagogue’s annual congregational shabbaton (a family overnight retreat organized around the Jewish Sabbath) is today and tomorrow.
Now, I can’t go because my youngest child has bronchitis and pneumonia.
Sorry, Betty and the Bloggers. I really wanted to make this one.
However, for anyone interested, here’s the 911, no wait, is it the 411? Well, seeing as how it’s barely 12 hours from now, 911 might be more appropriate:
Who: Betty Sutton, Democratic candidate for the 13th Congressional District
Where: Cafe Momus in Akron
Why: To Meet the Bloggers tomorrow morning at Cafe Momus in Akron
When: The session will begin at 9:30 AM and last approximately one hour.
You can read more about the effort here, here and here.
Thanks to Scott of Pho’s Norka Pages for organizing.
My questions for Betty: How important do you think it is that a candidate has lived within the district he or she wants to represent for some reasonable period of time (reasonable meaning at least a year)? And why do you feel it is as important or unimportant as you believe?
By Jill Miller Zimon at 4:20 pm February 24th, 2006 in Politics | Comments Off
Print This Post
Feb
24
Get thee to a committee
Filed Under Politics | 10 Comments
I must have committee fever. After being asked twice about whether I’d accept a nomination to the board of directors of my synagogue, I received the official call last night (I’m still laughing over how it is that, after being raised Reform, going to a Catholic university, volunteering in Methodist church missions, spending a year in Israel and still not knowing how to davan very well, a Conservative shul thinks I’m its future, talk about not wanting to know how sausage is made).
In the meantime, I’ve been trying to learn and understand how many degrees of separation there are between a registered Ohio Democrat and the state Ohio Democratic Party.
How am I doing that? By trying to figure out how the rules of the ODP provide an avenue to hear the voice of ordinary, registered Democrats.
Okay, so…how am I doing that?
Well, I started by printing out and reading the ODP Constitution, which is composed of a preamble, articles and chapters (contained in a portion of the document specifically titled, “By-laws”). I tried to understand as much as I could, which wasn’t a heck of a lot and then, I posted a comment to the ODP blog and asked, “What’s the best resource for information on how election and re-election to the exec. comm. works?”
I received an email from John Sauter (who has been responding very promptly to my questions), with the following information (for which, of course, I have follow up questions that I’ll list afterwards):
Executive Committee members are appointed.
Central Committee members run for election in the spring primary (I’m not sure if it is every two years or every four). There are 66 Central Committee members – never any more, never any less. One male and one female are elected from each State Senate district. Look very closely to the end of your primary ballot this spring – they’ll be there. It only takes five (5) signatures to be qualified for the ballot to run for Central Commitee, so in many State Senate Districts upwards of 20 or so males and females will run for one seat. Other Senate Districts will have only one or two who file to run.
In addition, Central Commitee members approve the appointment of Executive Commitee members. This will happen this year post-primary. To be considered for an appointment onto the Executive Committee, one should send a letter indicating their interest in that position to Chairman Redfern. These letters will be considered when making appointments (Chairman Redfern will make 60 or so of these appointments post-primary).
Now, when we talk about having Executive Committee meetings, we’re including those Central Committee members in those meetings – for these purposes that Central Committee dissolves itself into the Executive Committee and the entire 130+ voting block votes.
Very helpful answers, John, sincerely.
But, here are some more questions (I’ll email them as well):
1) Is there anyone who is ineligible to run for Central Committee (criminal record, age-wise, do you have to have voted before, are you ineligible if you ask too many questions, and so on);
2) Is it correct that the mandatory folks (from Article Three, Section 5 of the bylaws) who are included in the Executive Committee are the state-wide office holders and the candidates for those offices, or are there any additional folks who also are automatically included;
3) is it correct that:
a) pretty much anyone from anywhere can be appointed to the Executive Committee? That is to say that, other than the Central Committee members who themselves are elected by Ohio’s registered Democrats and elect themselves onto the Exec. Comm., any other Ohio registered Democrat can be appointed?
b) an individual can pursue appointment to the Exec. Comm. by writing to the ODP chair and requesting the appointment, and then the Exec. Comm. considers those requests, makes recommendations on those requests to the ODP Chair and the ODP Chair makes the selection/appointment?
4) What is the ODP’s suggested timeline to registered Democratic voters who want to write letters requesting that they be considered for appointment to the Executive Committee? When would you send the letter to the Chair to be sure that your request gets infront of the Exec. Comm.?
5) I’ll know this stuff and the five members of my family and six friends I’ve paid to read this blog will now know the answers, but how else does the ODP help registered Ohio voters know this opportunity exists?
I look forward to the answers! (Don’t worry – I won’t be writing one of those letters, I’ve got too many committee commitments already.)
By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:39 pm February 24th, 2006 in Politics | 10 Comments
Print This Post
Feb
24
Get thee to a committee
Filed Under Politics | 10 Comments
I must have committee fever. After being asked twice about whether I’d accept a nomination to the board of directors of my synagogue, I received the official call last night (I’m still laughing over how it is that, after being raised Reform, going to a Catholic university, volunteering in Methodist church missions, spending a year in Israel and still not knowing how to davan very well, a Conservative shul thinks I’m its future, talk about not wanting to know how sausage is made).
In the meantime, I’ve been trying to learn and understand how many degrees of separation there are between a registered Ohio Democrat and the state Ohio Democratic Party.
How am I doing that? By trying to figure out how the rules of the ODP provide an avenue to hear the voice of ordinary, registered Democrats.
Okay, so…how am I doing that?
Well, I started by printing out and reading the ODP Constitution, which is composed of a preamble, articles and chapters (contained in a portion of the document specifically titled, “By-laws”). I tried to understand as much as I could, which wasn’t a heck of a lot and then, I posted a comment to the ODP blog and asked, “What’s the best resource for information on how election and re-election to the exec. comm. works?”
I received an email from John Sauter (who has been responding very promptly to my questions), with the following information (for which, of course, I have follow up questions that I’ll list afterwards):
Executive Committee members are appointed.
Central Committee members run for election in the spring primary (I’m not sure if it is every two years or every four). There are 66 Central Committee members – never any more, never any less. One male and one female are elected from each State Senate district. Look very closely to the end of your primary ballot this spring – they’ll be there. It only takes five (5) signatures to be qualified for the ballot to run for Central Commitee, so in many State Senate Districts upwards of 20 or so males and females will run for one seat. Other Senate Districts will have only one or two who file to run.
In addition, Central Commitee members approve the appointment of Executive Commitee members. This will happen this year post-primary. To be considered for an appointment onto the Executive Committee, one should send a letter indicating their interest in that position to Chairman Redfern. These letters will be considered when making appointments (Chairman Redfern will make 60 or so of these appointments post-primary).
Now, when we talk about having Executive Committee meetings, we’re including those Central Committee members in those meetings – for these purposes that Central Committee dissolves itself into the Executive Committee and the entire 130+ voting block votes.
Very helpful answers, John, sincerely.
But, here are some more questions (I’ll email them as well):
1) Is there anyone who is ineligible to run for Central Committee (criminal record, age-wise, do you have to have voted before, are you ineligible if you ask too many questions, and so on);
2) Is it correct that the mandatory folks (from Article Three, Section 5 of the bylaws) who are included in the Executive Committee are the state-wide office holders and the candidates for those offices, or are there any additional folks who also are automatically included;
3) is it correct that:
a) pretty much anyone from anywhere can be appointed to the Executive Committee? That is to say that, other than the Central Committee members who themselves are elected by Ohio’s registered Democrats and elect themselves onto the Exec. Comm., any other Ohio registered Democrat can be appointed?
b) an individual can pursue appointment to the Exec. Comm. by writing to the ODP chair and requesting the appointment, and then the Exec. Comm. considers those requests, makes recommendations on those requests to the ODP Chair and the ODP Chair makes the selection/appointment?
4) What is the ODP’s suggested timeline to registered Democratic voters who want to write letters requesting that they be considered for appointment to the Executive Committee? When would you send the letter to the Chair to be sure that your request gets infront of the Exec. Comm.?
5) I’ll know this stuff and the five members of my family and six friends I’ve paid to read this blog will now know the answers, but how else does the ODP help registered Ohio voters know this opportunity exists?
I look forward to the answers! (Don’t worry – I won’t be writing one of those letters, I’ve got too many committee commitments already.)
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:39 am February 24th, 2006 in Politics | 10 Comments
Print This Post
Feb
24
Get thee to a committee
Filed Under Politics | Comments Off
I must have committee fever. After being asked twice about whether I’d accept a nomination to the board of directors of my synagogue, I received the official call last night (I’m still laughing over how it is that, after being raised Reform, going to a Catholic university, volunteering in Methodist church missions, spending a year in Israel and still not knowing how to davan very well, a Conservative shul thinks I’m its future, talk about not wanting to know how sausage is made).
In the meantime, I’ve been trying to learn and understand how many degrees of separation there are between a registered Ohio Democrat and the state Ohio Democratic Party.
How am I doing that? By trying to figure out how the rules of the ODP provide an avenue to hear the voice of ordinary, registered Democrats.
Okay, so…how am I doing that?
Well, I started by printing out and reading the ODP Constitution, which is composed of a preamble, articles and chapters (contained in a portion of the document specifically titled, “By-laws”). I tried to understand as much as I could, which wasn’t a heck of a lot and then, I posted a comment to the ODP blog and asked, “What’s the best resource for information on how election and re-election to the exec. comm. works?”
I received an email from John Sauter (who has been responding very promptly to my questions), with the following information (for which, of course, I have follow up questions that I’ll list afterwards):
Executive Committee members are appointed.
Central Committee members run for election in the spring primary (I’m not sure if it is every two years or every four). There are 66 Central Committee members – never any more, never any less. One male and one female are elected from each State Senate district. Look very closely to the end of your primary ballot this spring – they’ll be there. It only takes five (5) signatures to be qualified for the ballot to run for Central Commitee, so in many State Senate Districts upwards of 20 or so males and females will run for one seat. Other Senate Districts will have only one or two who file to run.
In addition, Central Commitee members approve the appointment of Executive Commitee members. This will happen this year post-primary. To be considered for an appointment onto the Executive Committee, one should send a letter indicating their interest in that position to Chairman Redfern. These letters will be considered when making appointments (Chairman Redfern will make 60 or so of these appointments post-primary).
Now, when we talk about having Executive Committee meetings, we’re including those Central Committee members in those meetings – for these purposes that Central Committee dissolves itself into the Executive Committee and the entire 130+ voting block votes.
Very helpful answers, John, sincerely.
But, here are some more questions (I’ll email them as well):
1) Is there anyone who is ineligible to run for Central Committee (criminal record, age-wise, do you have to have voted before, are you ineligible if you ask too many questions, and so on);
2) Is it correct that the mandatory folks (from Article Three, Section 5 of the bylaws) who are included in the Executive Committee are the state-wide office holders and the candidates for those offices, or are there any additional folks who also are automatically included;
3) is it correct that:
a) pretty much anyone from anywhere can be appointed to the Executive Committee? That is to say that, other than the Central Committee members who themselves are elected by Ohio’s registered Democrats and elect themselves onto the Exec. Comm., any other Ohio registered Democrat can be appointed?
b) an individual can pursue appointment to the Exec. Comm. by writing to the ODP chair and requesting the appointment, and then the Exec. Comm. considers those requests, makes recommendations on those requests to the ODP Chair and the ODP Chair makes the selection/appointment?
4) What is the ODP’s suggested timeline to registered Democratic voters who want to write letters requesting that they be considered for appointment to the Executive Committee? When would you send the letter to the Chair to be sure that your request gets infront of the Exec. Comm.?
5) I’ll know this stuff and the five members of my family and six friends I’ve paid to read this blog will now know the answers, but how else does the ODP help registered Ohio voters know this opportunity exists?
I look forward to the answers! (Don’t worry – I won’t be writing one of those letters, I’ve got too many committee commitments already.)
By Jill Miller Zimon at 6:39 am February 24th, 2006 in Politics | Comments Off
Print This Post
Feb
23
The Cook, the Crock and the Crockpot, or Who Stole the Signatures from the Signature Form?
Filed Under Politics | 15 Comments
I don’t understand. How is it that people who want to run for office collect what they think are valid signatures and then the authorities – whomever they are – toss one, a few or batches and batches out?
I’ve read about Charlie Wilson, I just read about Jeff Seeman.
So – what is it that disqualifies a signature? Do people fake them? Is it because they are unreadable? Do the addresses not qualify because folks aren’t from the right place for that particular candidate?
Where’s the handbook?
Now, just as I wrote that question, I realized, more than perhaps I ever have admitted before, just how much I rely on directions, guidelines, handbooks, manuals, constitutions, bylaws and such, and how lost I feel without them. Oh, I’m quick to flout, interpret, question and deviate from them, but as a creature of habit, I like to know they exist for reference.
An excellent recent example of this has to do with my initiation into the world of slow cooking. My mother gave me a slow cooker and a slow cooker recipe book (Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook) for Chanuka. She hears me talk all the time about my aspirations to turn raw food into meals more often than I do and thought that the slow cooker would help prod me in the right direction.
But the cooker sat in its box behind the swinging door between our kitchen and our dining room for more than six weeks. Why? Because it scared me. Yes, my slow cooker and this two-inch thick cookbook, with a full quarter of an inch of information on how to use slow cookers and the cookbook, scared off my few vestigial, Julia Child-like inclinations. Too much to learn, too easy to make mistakes, I never have all the ingredients.
After about four weeks, I opened the cookbook, but not the cooker box. And I saw recipes and pictures that sounded and looked good. But I’d have to write and fill specific shopping lists, and the cooktimes all seemed so long (duh, Jill, it’s a SLOW cooker) and would I ever be able to do the timing right given my kids’ schedules and mine?
Still, a few recipes appealed to me and then, my husband got a hold of the book. He was very supportive of my trying the cooker, but kept it close to his vest so as not to frighten me with his desire that I use it, only to have me do the opposite – like, send the damn thing back to my mother.
And so, this past Saturday, nearly eight weeks after I received the package, I opened the box. I removed the foam and 1960s style egg-carton padding. I held the clear, glass lid in my hand, rotating it like a little kid looking at a firefly in a jar.
Wow. Sleek.
Next came the mini-slow cooker, for jams, jellies and chutneys. Hmm, my bread machine makes excellent jams. Okay. I might be able to like this device too.
Then, the main attraction, the stoneware oval that goes inside the cooker and the cooker itself.
The stoneware: Heavy. Off-white. Substantial.
The cooker: Simple. Obvious labels. Easy to read.
And I’m still standing.
I sudsed and soaped the stoneware and lid with the delicacy of a first time mother giving her newborn infant a first bath in the kitchen sink. And they shined for me just the way my kids did after their initiation. I dry the items off with a similar level of care and place them on the kitchen table, to show off to my husband when he comes home from shul.
“Look! Look what I did.”
“Oh, honey.” He stood still, hand on doorknob, smiling, a bit puzzled, at me. “What exactly did you do?”
Doing my best Vanna White, bending, bowing and bowing out my arms as I began the introductions. “The crock pot! I took it out, I cleaned it. I got it all ready. And this afternoon? I’m going to read the instruction booklets and the cookbook, together, you know, so I can figure it all out.”
His eyes widened. “And then you’ll make the chili?” A game show winner of $1 million wouldn’t have looked happier.
“Yes! Well, you know, one of us will have to get the ingredients and all. And I won’t be able to make it today, because it’s already after one. Well, and, the directions say it needs six hours on low but the machine only lets you have four or six hours on high and only eight or ten hours on low so I don’t know how to adjust that and…”
I got a hug and an attaboy and then, “I can’t wait to eat.”
That was all the encouragement I needed to finish getting comfortable with the new apparatus – and the instructions. Even then, I still grilled everyone with whom I came in contact that day for their experience with slow cookers (this included the mother of a friend of my daughter and the check-out lady at Heinens – who both use slow cookers and love them),
And I’ve already written in the cookbook how to alter the recipe for the next time. Because when I’m cooking, I trust my deviations from the directions. They often result in welcome variations.
Now, I would never advocate that public servant wannabees be allowed onto the ballot without following the rules like everyone else. But it does make you wonder, at a minimum, about who is interpreting the cookbook they’re supposed to be following.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:42 pm February 23rd, 2006 in Politics | 15 Comments
Print This Post
Feb
23
The Cook, the Crock and the Crockpot, or Who Stole the Signatures from the Signature Form?
Filed Under Politics | 15 Comments
I don’t understand. How is it that people who want to run for office collect what they think are valid signatures and then the authorities – whomever they are – toss one, a few or batches and batches out?
I’ve read about Charlie Wilson, I just read about Jeff Seeman.
So – what is it that disqualifies a signature? Do people fake them? Is it because they are unreadable? Do the addresses not qualify because folks aren’t from the right place for that particular candidate?
Where’s the handbook?
Now, just as I wrote that question, I realized, more than perhaps I ever have admitted before, just how much I rely on directions, guidelines, handbooks, manuals, constitutions, bylaws and such, and how lost I feel without them. Oh, I’m quick to flout, interpret, question and deviate from them, but as a creature of habit, I like to know they exist for reference.
An excellent recent example of this has to do with my initiation into the world of slow cooking. My mother gave me a slow cooker and a slow cooker recipe book (Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook) for Chanuka. She hears me talk all the time about my aspirations to turn raw food into meals more often than I do and thought that the slow cooker would help prod me in the right direction.
But the cooker sat in its box behind the swinging door between our kitchen and our dining room for more than six weeks. Why? Because it scared me. Yes, my slow cooker and this two-inch thick cookbook, with a full quarter of an inch of information on how to use slow cookers and the cookbook, scared off my few vestigial, Julia Child-like inclinations. Too much to learn, too easy to make mistakes, I never have all the ingredients.
After about four weeks, I opened the cookbook, but not the cooker box. And I saw recipes and pictures that sounded and looked good. But I’d have to write and fill specific shopping lists, and the cooktimes all seemed so long (duh, Jill, it’s a SLOW cooker) and would I ever be able to do the timing right given my kids’ schedules and mine?
Still, a few recipes appealed to me and then, my husband got a hold of the book. He was very supportive of my trying the cooker, but kept it close to his vest so as not to frighten me with his desire that I use it, only to have me do the opposite – like, send the damn thing back to my mother.
And so, this past Saturday, nearly eight weeks after I received the package, I opened the box. I removed the foam and 1960s style egg-carton padding. I held the clear, glass lid in my hand, rotating it like a little kid looking at a firefly in a jar.
Wow. Sleek.
Next came the mini-slow cooker, for jams, jellies and chutneys. Hmm, my bread machine makes excellent jams. Okay. I might be able to like this device too.
Then, the main attraction, the stoneware oval that goes inside the cooker and the cooker itself.
The stoneware: Heavy. Off-white. Substantial.
The cooker: Simple. Obvious labels. Easy to read.
And I’m still standing.
I sudsed and soaped the stoneware and lid with the delicacy of a first time mother giving her newborn infant a first bath in the kitchen sink. And they shined for me just the way my kids did after their initiation. I dry the items off with a similar level of care and place them on the kitchen table, to show off to my husband when he comes home from shul.
“Look! Look what I did.”
“Oh, honey.” He stood still, hand on doorknob, smiling, a bit puzzled, at me. “What exactly did you do?”
Doing my best Vanna White, bending, bowing and bowing out my arms as I began the introductions. “The crock pot! I took it out, I cleaned it. I got it all ready. And this afternoon? I’m going to read the instruction booklets and the cookbook, together, you know, so I can figure it all out.”
His eyes widened. “And then you’ll make the chili?” A game show winner of $1 million wouldn’t have looked happier.
“Yes! Well, you know, one of us will have to get the ingredients and all. And I won’t be able to make it today, because it’s already after one. Well, and, the directions say it needs six hours on low but the machine only lets you have four or six hours on high and only eight or ten hours on low so I don’t know how to adjust that and…”
I got a hug and an attaboy and then, “I can’t wait to eat.”
That was all the encouragement I needed to finish getting comfortable with the new apparatus – and the instructions. Even then, I still grilled everyone with whom I came in contact that day for their experience with slow cookers (this included the mother of a friend of my daughter and the check-out lady at Heinens – who both use slow cookers and love them),
And I’ve already written in the cookbook how to alter the recipe for the next time. Because when I’m cooking, I trust my deviations from the directions. They often result in welcome variations.
Now, I would never advocate that public servant wannabees be allowed onto the ballot without following the rules like everyone else. But it does make you wonder, at a minimum, about who is interpreting the cookbook they’re supposed to be following.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:42 am February 23rd, 2006 in Politics | 15 Comments
Voted into Top 25 Political Mom Blogs
Now on sale-WLST essay included!
Posts About Pepper Pike City Council2010 WE Magazine 101 Women Bloggers to Watch
Category Specific RSS
Pepper Pike Cleveland+ Politics Women Ohio Elections Law Jewish
