tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58476902011-04-21T21:26:07.007-04:00a·vun·cu·lar adj. 1) Of or having to do with an uncle. 2)Regarded as characteristic of an uncle, especially in benevolence or tolerance. Doing my BA in History and Jewish Studies at McGill University. Adairian at juno dot comJesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.comBlogger1881100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-64825400610310511002007-07-01T01:52:00.000-04:002007-07-01T01:54:24.481-04:00

For those of you who still check up over here, I am now blogging at Big Head, No Brains. We'll see where it goes, I hope you enjoy.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1152454552231269812006-07-09T10:11:00.000-04:002006-10-01T13:12:51.486-04:00

Excersizing my gift for stating the obvious, it's been quite a while since I've posted. I'm going to restart this thing, but for now, in lieu of actual content, I'm going to post an essay a friend of mine wrote. Enjoy....

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1138953529437591742006-02-03T02:58:00.000-05:002006-02-03T11:37:40.040-05:00

Valid point.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1138503867171497702006-01-28T21:58:00.000-05:002006-01-28T22:05:43.336-05:00

Treppenwitz has a little photo essay in praise of מגדנית פאר, which is, in my humble opinion, the best bakery, bar none, in Jerusalem. I reccomend that anybody who can, check it out.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1137994929132947332006-01-23T00:06:00.000-05:002006-01-23T00:44:29.630-05:00

[Note: This post began as a comment to this post on my friend Rebecca's blog. It has since spiraled out of control, so I gave it its own post. Read her first, and then read me.]While I am not so familiar with work done on Eastern Europe, the Holocaust actually had the effect of correcting Whiggish historiography of German Jewry. As the Jewish Enlightenment was rooted in Germany, and the German

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1135206113622071902005-12-21T17:58:00.000-05:002005-12-21T18:01:53.636-05:00

Interesting review of Artscroll translations In the YU Commentator.(Hat tip to Prof. Jim Davila)

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1134710806137620782005-12-16T00:25:00.000-05:002005-12-16T00:26:46.163-05:00

Maritime Humor... Of a sort.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1134362991422094612005-12-11T23:28:00.000-05:002005-12-11T23:49:51.446-05:00

Last week I posted a long translation from R. Baruch Halevi Epstein's autobiography, Makor Baruch. That passage was excerpted from a longer discussion of his understanding of the Talmudic maxim, "Both of these are the word of the living God.." (Chulin 64b, among other places.) The basic idea is that both sides of a debate are, somehow, connected to the divine. To Epstein, this idea makes no

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1133723465240176312005-12-04T14:10:00.000-05:002005-12-04T14:11:05.253-05:00

It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1133419829902255722005-12-01T01:43:00.000-05:002005-12-01T01:52:49.626-05:00

This post is worthwhile, not least for it's use of the line "Note to magazines: "data" is not the plural of "anecdote."" Read the whole thing, and the comments thread. As an Orthodox Jew, it is not my place to tell the Reform movement how to run it's business, but as a general rule, I think it's worth it for all Jews who are associated with a movement to have a sort of knowledge of the

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1133417475734265092005-12-01T01:04:00.000-05:002005-12-01T01:11:15.746-05:00

"And in the end of my thoughts on [the matter of the Talmudic statement 'These and these are both the words of the living God'] I will bring another, external thought, a thought which is based in a conversation of secular scholars, and this thought comes from a source which is honest, and was close to the events, as I shall explain, and the events, and what was about them are both interesting

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1133129932976505582005-11-27T17:16:00.000-05:002005-11-27T17:19:35.976-05:00

"It is now quite clear that Da Costa knew perfectly well that 'modern' Judaism entailed practices that went beyond the letter of the biblical text before he arrived in Amsterdam. He was thus no more surprised to find Rabbinic (i.e extra-Biblical) practices going on in Amsterdam than Captain Renault was to find gambling going on in Rick's Casablancan cafe."~Jay Harris, How Do We Know This:

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1132839909045214692005-11-24T08:40:00.000-05:002005-11-24T08:45:09.056-05:00

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1132595065269809242005-11-21T12:40:00.000-05:002005-11-21T12:44:25.280-05:00

Strong words from Tzemach Atlas.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1132290440670262452005-11-18T00:05:00.000-05:002005-11-18T00:07:20.680-05:00

Steve Den Beste is back in the blogosphere, though sadly no longer the massive presence he once was over at USS Clueless, his contributions to Red State are well worth reading.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1132238519653169092005-11-17T09:33:00.000-05:002005-11-17T09:41:59.653-05:00

Naomi Chana asks, "what do you call Those People Religiously To The Right Of You?" In my case, I would normally say Charedi, but that doesn't help her terribly much. In a more serious vein, when discussing the term "Orthodox," she says, "Even if there weren't U.S. Jewish movements by those names, some of which live up to their names better than others, not everyone Jewishly to the right of me

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1132237626095340102005-11-17T09:25:00.000-05:002005-11-17T09:27:06.110-05:00

.... Kazakhstan has decided to sue Sacha Baron Cohen instead.(Hat tip to Tyler Cowen, at Volokh)

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1131900352223319802005-11-13T11:44:00.000-05:002005-11-13T11:45:52.236-05:00

Am I totally mistaken, or did the invention of hip-hop music destroy parties for those of us who love Rock'n'Roll?

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1131668964124770622005-11-10T19:27:00.000-05:002005-11-10T19:29:24.136-05:00

Best use of the word "Trepanning" ever.(Caution: If you are easily offended by obscenity, do not follow the link.)

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1131471596583847322005-11-08T12:02:00.000-05:002005-11-08T12:39:56.640-05:00

I don't like Artscroll. I don't like their Talmud. I don't like their Siddur. I don't like their Chumash. I don't really like anything they publish (with the possible exception of the biographies they publish, which I think are hysterical examples of bad history). I don't dislike them primarily because of ideology, though I do have ideological differences. I don't dislike them because I think

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1129812432091793722005-10-20T08:43:00.000-04:002005-10-20T08:47:12.096-04:00

I rarely remember my dreams, and when I do, it's usually only in disjointed snippits. For example, I have a vague memory from last night that one of the characters in my dream was a girl holding a copy of Michael Oakeshott's Rationalism in Politics and Other Essays. My question to my readers, if I still have any, is: What the hell does that mean? Who was she, and why was she carrying

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1128257728385661702005-10-02T08:53:00.000-04:002005-10-02T08:55:28.390-04:00

Raihan Salam has resigned?? Not sure what to make of this.... Mostly becuase I can't see how a man with such discerning taste would drink Moxie.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1126275496005860182005-09-09T10:15:00.000-04:002005-09-09T10:18:16.010-04:00

This does not bode well for my prospects of ever living in greater Boston again...(Hat tip to Ross Douthat.)

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1126145874114039672005-09-07T22:10:00.000-04:002005-09-07T22:17:54.120-04:00

In the spirit of Crescat Sententia...Ballad for Gloom FOR God, our God is a gallant foe That playeth behind the veil. I have loved my God as a child at heart That seeketh deep bosoms for rest, I have loved my God as a maid to man— But lo, this thing is best: To love your God as a gallant foe that plays behind the veil; To meet your God as the night winds meet beyond Arcturus' pale

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1124630740347729322005-08-21T09:21:00.000-04:002005-08-21T09:25:40.353-04:00

Ben Chorin has written a fitting tribute to Rav Joshua Schmidman, Z"L. I only went to a couple of his shiruim, and did not have the connection with him that many of my friends did, but he effected everybody he came in contact with him positively. Read it.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1122227537392996182005-07-24T13:50:00.000-04:002005-07-24T13:52:17.396-04:00

One can't help noticing that the lily on the back of the one shekel coin looks remarkably like a fleur de lis...

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1121544234396008502005-07-16T16:03:00.000-04:002005-07-16T16:03:54.403-04:00

I was raised in a very Zionist household. The prospect of Aliyah was very real for my family, and we even lived in Israel for year when I was in fifth grade. In the end we didn’t stay, but my parents still discuss the possibility of making Aliyah when my youngest sister graduates high school. I never questioned the legitimacy of the Zionist idea until I went to study in yeshiva for a year

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1119212256763335912005-06-19T16:15:00.000-04:002005-06-19T16:17:36.766-04:00

Thanks to the miracle of wireless internet, I'm writing from a bar in Heathrow airport, enjoying a pint (though I'll never understand the reason that the British don't refridgerate their beer) while I wait for my transfer. I generally hate travel, but this trip has not been so bad. More later.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1119170823031463832005-06-19T04:43:00.000-04:002005-06-19T04:47:34.206-04:00

I'm leaving for Israel this morning, to begin my two month internship at The Shalem Center. I don't know what will be with this blog in the interim. Frankly, I haven't had much to say lately in general, which is probably quite obvious to all of you. In any event, I'd like to keep blogging, it's something I enjoy doing, but I may need to rethink my writing strategies a bit. Hopefully my summer

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1118416613376740862005-06-10T11:14:00.000-04:002005-06-10T11:17:11.520-04:00

Fantastic parody on th Raich decision over at Fafblog. Take a look. (Via Volokh)

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1118087922182489892005-06-06T15:58:00.000-04:002005-06-06T15:58:42.186-04:00

Ladies and gentleman, my computer woes are now officially at an end. Be back to blogging soon.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1116960695410516042005-05-24T14:50:00.000-04:002005-05-24T14:51:35.426-04:00

My laptop is currently out of commission, and will be for the next two weeks or so. Sadly, this means I will probably not be posting for the next two weeks or so. Hopefully, the problem will be solved by then.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1116874054785239602005-05-23T14:46:00.000-04:002005-05-23T14:47:34.790-04:00

In honor (or honour, as they spell it around here) of my day off from school, here's a link to Mark Steyn's Victoria Day column.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1116399440838931822005-05-18T02:40:00.000-04:002005-05-20T00:33:52.216-04:00

I vaguely remember at some point during high school, on a trip to Israel, picking up a copy of Nahum Glazer's Franz Rosenzweig: His Life and Work which was on the shelf in the apartment that my family was renting. The book contains, among other things, some selections from Rosenzweig's journals. After finishing the book, I resolved that I would keep a journal of my own, in order to keep track

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1116386705646962762005-05-17T23:19:00.000-04:002005-05-17T23:25:05.650-04:00

Not surprisingly, according to today's Telegraph, the French are loathed just as much as they loath everybody else. Money quote: "Interestingly, the Swedes consider them 'disobedient, immoral, disorganised, neo-colonialist and dirty.'"(Hat tip to Andrew Stuttaford at the Corner)

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1116221272746380752005-05-16T01:25:00.000-04:002005-05-16T01:27:52.750-04:00

I love this story. Just as Canada is undergoing her very own constitutional crisis, Israelis come to learn from it. T

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1116220400100506212005-05-16T01:11:00.000-04:002005-05-16T01:13:20.106-04:00

You are a Revisionist Historian. You are the ClarkKent of postmodernists. You probably want towork in a library or in social services. Noone suspects you of being a postmodernist...until they read your publications! What kind of postmodernist are you!? brought to you by Quizilla(Hat tip Ralph Luker)

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1116132082570930382005-05-15T00:39:00.000-04:002005-05-15T00:48:28.353-04:00

As I write this, Trot Nixon just his his 8th career grand slam, to put the Red Sox 3 runs ahead of Seattle. Just wanted to share.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1115873314494602092005-05-12T00:44:00.000-04:002005-05-12T00:48:34.616-04:00

Not a whole lot to say tonight, but I thought I'd point you all to an interesting series of posts that Dr. C has up on the Deuteronomistic History. I don't know much about the topic, and found them informative.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1115788473878415972005-05-11T00:50:00.000-04:002005-05-11T01:14:34.010-04:00

Ben Chorin, as he often does, has put some of my thoughts down in a manner far more articulate than I am capable of. His post about Mayberry and Yom Ha'azmaut gets right down to one of the concerns of my very ambivalent Zionism. Obviously, he is not as ambivalent as I am, but I think that he very clearly states at least one of my issues. The money quote: "I think all the ideological arguments

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1115737922192812892005-05-10T11:10:00.000-04:002005-05-10T11:12:02.196-04:00

Count the Omer with Homer.(Hat tip to Apt 3W)

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1115693051588409012005-05-09T22:07:00.000-04:002005-05-10T01:48:59.036-04:00

During the lifetime of the Lubvitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of blessed memory, there was a faction which belived that he was the messiah. After his death in 1994, this faction did not disappear, and the Chabad movement is still dealing with the fallout. Many of them believe that he is the messiah despite his death, or believe that he did not really die. There are many ways

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1115612592208845312005-05-09T00:05:00.000-04:002005-05-09T00:23:12.306-04:00

I'm not going to dive right back into blogging after such a long absence, but here's an link, to kick things off. I don't find it's actual topic so interesting, actually. Loss argues that the metaphors employed to describe the work of historians imperfectly capature the reality. This is the nature of all metaphors, and is self-evident, I think. However, his assessment of the actual

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1115611094164959622005-05-08T23:56:00.000-04:002005-05-08T23:58:14.170-04:00

My long blog hiatus is at an end. There was no real reason for it, at least for it's length. I stopped for a while because of schoolwork, and then just got out of the habit of posting. In any case, expect to see more from me soon, God willing.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1109521919392252842005-02-27T11:30:00.000-05:002005-02-27T11:31:59.393-05:00

History Carnival 3 is up over at Detrimental Postulations. Enjoy.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1109521759626560012005-02-27T11:13:00.000-05:002005-02-27T12:53:21.146-05:00

Dr. C asks a question as old as the study of history, "Can we indeed write history as it actually was?" The question is not a simple one. I have friends and teachers who would give a straightforward no as the answer. While I don't entirely disagree with them, I think that the answer really depends on where you put the empahsis in the question. It can be asked two ways: "Can we indeed write

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1108322031144151252005-02-13T14:11:00.000-05:002005-02-13T14:13:51.150-05:00

This quiz, I like. (via Dan Drezner) You scored as Curt Schilling. You are Curt Schilling! You are a trooper. You push yourself to the limit, regardless of any setbacks. You are also not afraid to express your opinions on a variety of topics. Very family-oriented. You're the man!!Curt Schilling76%Johnny Damon63%Kevin Millar63%Manny Ramirez53%Theo Epstein50%David Ortiz43%Jason Varitek40%Mark

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1108076060840449962005-02-10T17:53:00.000-05:002005-02-10T17:54:20.840-05:00

This story says it all. (Via Jonah Goldberg)

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1107978002053817202005-02-09T13:42:00.000-05:002005-02-09T14:40:02.053-05:00

I am taking an Introduction to Modern European History class, as a requirement for the history component of my major. I was going to take it last year, but dislike the prof enough to drop the course. In any case, I very much like my professor this semester. Her area of expertise is Vichy France, leading her to have a very dry sense of humor and a massive amount of contempt for the French.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1107753890519415802005-02-07T01:21:00.000-05:002005-02-07T00:42:11.613-05:00

The Patriots just won themselves another Super Bowl. It's odd how it doesn't get old. I've had my teams win 3 championships in the span of about a year and every time, I get the same little rush. Nothing compares to the Red Sox, of course, but these Patriots' Super Bowl wins.... Here's the thing. You commit to a team, a group of guys. You follow them, as they win, lose and struggle over the

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1107536758603682542005-02-04T11:56:00.000-05:002005-02-04T12:37:01.763-05:00

I've always enjoyed Josh Harrison's blog Chakira, so I've been disappointed by his recent lack of posting. I was pleasantly surprised to find that he will now be YU's representative on the new bloc CampusJ. It is an interesting idea. They have bloggers representing five different university campuses in New York, New York, New York, New York and Jerusalem. There are still no posts from

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1107151172386821452005-01-31T01:58:00.000-05:002005-01-31T00:59:32.386-05:00

Yoinked from my friend Mike's away message: "Other teams might showboat, but we're coached to expect to make great plays, so when we do we don't feel a need to jump up and down like it's a big deal. It's like the difference between guys who get a little bit of cash and wear flashy clothes and a bunch of bling and cruise around in fly rides, and the really rich dudes who chill in jeans and

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1106877078458213782005-01-27T20:10:00.000-05:002005-01-27T20:51:18.460-05:00

Something I've become increasingly sensitive to this year (as my roommate/chevrusa can attest to) is text criticism. I've blogged about my frustration with it before, but I've also gained a certain appreciation for its importance to scholarship of all kinds. One interesting fact about Jewish intellectual history that this increased sensitivity has made me aware of is the effect of the printing

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1106759805438620062005-01-26T13:15:00.000-05:002005-01-26T12:24:56.176-05:00

I'm wonder what this is about.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1106698146212935042005-01-25T18:49:00.000-05:002005-01-25T19:30:31.393-05:00

I've put up a few new blogs to my blogroll in the past little while. Kosher Eucharist, which actually went up quite a while ago, is the most excellent blog of Michael and Chris, a couple of guys who have what to say and say it well. Dr. Joe Cathey is a professor of Hebrew in Texas, and often has penetrating insights into biblical issues and even more often asks penetrating questions. Tim Burke

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1106634139431552872005-01-25T01:20:00.000-05:002005-01-25T01:22:19.430-05:00

Apparently, once I graduate, my degree won't be accepted. (Hat tip to Kosher Eucharist)

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1106601072960744822005-01-24T16:05:00.000-05:002005-01-24T16:11:12.960-05:00

The Patriots are going on to face the Eagles in the Super Bowl. As I am sure Danny Loss will tell you, the Eagles are a very good team. This Patriots team, however, just doesn't know how to lose a big game. This morning I asked my father how watching the current incarnation of the Pats compares to watching the great Celtics teams of his childhood, the team that won 11 of 13 championships. He

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1106287021477072382005-01-21T01:19:00.000-05:002005-01-21T00:57:01.476-05:00

This semester I am taking a course in Middle East History, 1918-1945. The professor is intelligent, knowledgeable and an interesting lecturer. He has a Political Science background, and thus comes from a perspective that I am not used to hearing, which makes the course even more interesting. For all of these reasons, I should have a high opinion of the class. But... The question I am

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1105941031315016422005-01-17T01:39:00.000-05:002005-01-17T00:50:31.316-05:00

I'm afraid that I may be turning into a kind of person I hate. I may be becoming, God forbid, a Yankees fan. I am, of course, not about to root for the Yankees. However, my relationship with the Patriots is starting to turn into the kind of relationship that Yankees fans have with their team. The Pats beat the Colts today, 20-3. I was very excited for this game. I fully expected my

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1105735330489370102005-01-14T15:40:00.000-05:002005-01-14T15:42:10.490-05:00

The History Carnival is up. It's a roundup of blogposts from around the web about topics relating to history. Check it out.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1105715517948053712005-01-14T10:04:00.000-05:002005-01-14T10:11:57.950-05:00

In the context of a resolution sent out to members of the Society of Biblical Litererature, Jim Davila makes an important point about the use of the Bible to promote political agendas. The money quote: This claim [of the resolution that the moral issues dominating the biblical texts focus on concerns such as the well-being of individuals, the integrity of community, care for the powerless and the

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1105682926275174042005-01-13T23:57:00.000-05:002005-01-14T01:08:46.276-05:00

I'm taking a class this semester on Medieval Ashkenazic Biblical interpretation. Something that the teacher said juxtaposed two thinkers in my head in a way that would not have occurred to me otherwise. He said something along the lines of "Of course, we do not look at Rashi (an 11th and 12th century Jewish exegete from northern France) in order to understand the Bible." His reason for this is

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1105420989169652962005-01-11T01:22:00.000-05:002005-01-11T00:23:09.170-05:00

Sorry for the long silence. I'll try to pick up again soon.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1104357530976231512004-12-29T16:55:00.000-05:002004-12-29T17:17:19.510-05:00

Seth Sanders, who's new blog Serving the Word looks promising, is working on what looks to be a fascinating book. I can't wait to see how it comes out. Welcome to the Blogosphere, Seth. (Hat tip to Dr. Cathey.)

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1103164616034915312004-12-15T21:19:00.000-05:002004-12-15T23:12:38.946-05:00

I despise text criticism. Not specifically text criticism of Jewish texts, and not for religious reason, which one might expect of a {more or less) orthodox Jew, but all text criticism. I hate it because it is so stultifyingly boring, but simultaneously necessary to any kind of text study. It is impossible to study any text properly without getting a picture of what the original text looked

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1102560494204061372004-12-08T21:45:00.000-05:002004-12-08T21:50:28.946-05:00

Well, I'm heading into the academic trenches for the next little bit. If I survive, I'll be back in about a week and a half. Wish me luck.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1102007507810443992004-12-02T13:05:00.000-05:002004-12-02T12:11:47.810-05:00

Jonah Goldber has a column up over at Nationalreview.com about religion and the role organized religion plays in society. I don't agree with everything he says, and I don't agree with his conclusions. However, he does make a few interesting points. The two I want to single out are: I also detest the tendency of Americans, Westerners, or "Moderns" to boast of how they've customized their

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1101711728561182452004-11-29T02:01:00.000-05:002004-11-29T02:02:08.560-05:00

A recent posting on Kosher Eucharist as well as a rereading of (what I consider to be) the very important essay by Chaim Soleveichik, "Rupture and Reconstruction: The Transformation of Contemporary Orthodoxy," which was originally published in Tradition, Vol. 28, No. 4 (Summer 1994) have got me thinking about something that was a pet peeve of mine in high school, Holocaust education. Simply put,

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1101656757905585022004-11-28T10:44:00.000-05:002004-11-28T10:45:57.906-05:00

Interestingly, this blog is the first hit when you search Yahoo for Shomer Negia.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1101361533790687392004-11-25T00:32:00.000-05:002004-11-25T00:45:33.790-05:00

Heidi over at Letters of Marque (whom I have a not so secret crush on) has some thoughts on "the lovely short hand of people who need few words to convey a lot of information." She is specifically discussing the point in a romantic relationship where a decent comfort level is reached, and both parties understand each other. But this level of communication isn't the exclusive property of couples.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1100898403275822402004-11-19T16:06:00.000-05:002004-11-19T16:06:43.276-05:00

Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose. You are amystery novel dealing with theology, especiallywith catholic vs liberal issues. You searchwisdom and knowledge endlessly, feeling thatlearning is essential in life. Which literature classic are you? brought to you by Quizilla

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1100891672565544172004-11-19T14:09:00.000-05:002004-11-19T14:14:32.566-05:00

I don't have enough time to say more now, but anybody who is interested in the direction the world is headed in now needs to read Robert Kagan's analysis of the US/European realationship. I'm not sure it's right, but Kagan's position is very similar to the way I've been thinking about the subject and he's much smarter and more knowledgeable than I'll ever be, so it makes me feel a little bit

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1100723908686397732004-11-17T15:36:00.000-05:002004-11-17T15:38:28.686-05:00

In my last two posts there were a whole host of misspellings. I fixed them. In general it is my policy not to change a post without notifying my readers, otherwise I feel like big brother. So consider yourself notified.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1100716951538865802004-11-17T13:20:00.000-05:002004-11-17T15:35:20.363-05:00

The concept of a Jewish Ethnicity is a strange one. The idea that my blonde blue eyed friend has any ethnic/racial connection to her dark Yemenite boyfriend is, frankly, preposterous. The bloodlines became so diluted so far back and the cultures so different, that in both racial and cultural terms he is probably closer to his Arab neighbors than to her. However, in Jewish circles, both secular

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1100700904693534292004-11-17T09:05:00.000-05:002004-11-17T15:36:11.216-05:00

Over the past few weeks I've added some new links to my blogroll, so I thought I'd let you all know a little bit about them. Cliopatria is a group blog hosted at History News Network. It's members are all professional historians who write on current events and the academy. Naomi Chana blogs at Baraita. She teaches Jewish History at a small town university, and writes mostly about Jewish

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1100586982447117422004-11-16T01:47:00.000-05:002004-11-16T01:36:22.446-05:00

but something's been bugging the hell out of me, and I just need to get it off my chest. Right after the election, alot of news outlets were claiming that George Bush won the election because a bunch of stupid, gay hatin', Jesus lovin' rednecks decided to stop scratching themselves and get up and vote. Very quickly, any number of people actually started looking at the polling numbers, and you

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1100560716820010352004-11-15T16:52:00.000-05:002004-11-15T18:18:36.820-05:00

I found this exchange to be absolutely facinating. Before I discuss it, a confession. I did not read the original post that prompted this correspondence. I came across the follow-up thanks to The Professor, Grandaddy of all bloggers. I think it is interesting for a number of reasons, but the one I want to address here the incredible civility of John Hockenberry. Here is a man who made a

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1100062618695418772004-11-09T23:45:00.000-05:002004-11-09T23:56:58.696-05:00

Here's something that I'm curious about, though I don't see anyway to answer the question. There are a large number of contradictions (or apparent contradictions, if you prefer) in the Bible. Different sets of laws for the same holiday, different accounts of the same story, differing genealogies of the same family, etc. Now, we notice these contradictions. The scholars of the enlightenment

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1098937557133463712004-10-28T01:24:00.000-04:002004-10-28T00:25:57.133-04:00

Well, then. I can't really say anything else, can I?

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1098891049829399292004-10-27T11:29:00.000-04:002004-10-27T11:31:57.586-04:00

If this doesn't choke you up a bit, then you have no soul. (Thanks to Bill Simmons for pointing it out)

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1098760506180012162004-10-25T23:09:00.000-04:002004-10-25T23:15:06.180-04:00

My roommate pointed out an article by Professor Barry Levy, one of my teachers. It is about the question of Jews and Historical thinking, which I wrote about here. I may have more to say about the article later, when I have time, but for now, here it is.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1098739374491464962004-10-25T17:03:00.000-04:002004-10-25T17:22:54.490-04:00

I apologize to anybody who doesn't care about sports, but, well, I do and that's why I'm writing about them. Bill Simmons has a remarkable column up about this year's Red Sox team. The money quote: However this turns out, the month of November will feel remarkably ordinary. No more Schilling limping out of the phone booth with the Superman cape. No more Ortiz at-bats with guys on base, the ones

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1098717611336349782004-10-25T11:07:00.000-04:002004-10-25T11:20:11.336-04:00

I'm going to take some time off from Red Sox fever to discuss Bill Belichick, the Patriot's coach. His accomplishments are obvious, 2 Super Bowls in three years, 21 straight victories, 18 straight regular season victories. Both of those streaks are records, and they aren't over yet. These are not the reasons I admire Belichick, they are just symtoms of something else which is much more

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1098640656611496082004-10-24T13:53:00.000-04:002004-10-25T17:31:39.913-04:00

Speaking as a person with an interest in the history of the Reformation, I found this facinating. (Hat tip to Andrew Sullivan) UPDATE: Apparently, Luthor did not come up with his idea on the crapper. This is a disappointment to me, though I'm not sure why.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1098637660467791892004-10-24T13:01:00.000-04:002004-10-24T13:07:40.466-04:00

My favorite curmudgeonly ex-pat anglophone Quebecer takes on Canadian health care. I don't know if what he is saying is true, but it's a pretty frightening thought if it is. The money quote: One thousand Americans are killed in 18 months in Iraq, and it's a quagmire. One thousand Quebecers are killed by insufficient hand-washing in their filthy, decrepit health care system, and kindly

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1098630286534522802004-10-24T11:04:00.000-04:002004-10-24T11:04:46.536-04:00

I am exceedingly hungover and yet exceedingly satisfied. 3 more to go.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1098158691307128352004-10-18T23:51:00.000-04:002004-10-19T00:04:51.306-04:00

What is wrong with me? I've written about this before, but I still can't shake it. The Red Sox just engineered two incredibly improbable wins on two consecutive nights. I was actually at Fenway for one of them. In the moment I was thrilled, but about 10 minutes after a strange sort meloncholy struck me both last night and tonight. What am I worried about? Not that they'll lose soon, I'm

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1098026455419361542004-10-17T11:08:00.000-04:002004-10-17T11:20:55.420-04:00

I've been thinking a bit (as hard as that may be to believe) about what makes a blog worth reading. This came in response, no surprise, to my stultifying lack of traffic. The blogs I read often, and enjoy, are very diverse. The best ones, to my mind, teach me something about things I don't know, or say something I know in a way I've never thought of before, or just tell good stories. For this

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1097866526575242022004-10-15T14:50:00.000-04:002004-10-15T14:55:26.576-04:00

I like to read the obituaries. I get laughed at for this, or called morbid, but you know what? You learn some interesting stories from the obituaries. For example, this one: "When [Eugene] McCarthy ran for president as an Independent in 1976, he asked Mr. Hansborough [a Washington Barber] to be on the D.C. ballot. ''He worked on Capitol Hill; he was a real Democrat and a friend of mine,"

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1097858141974539142004-10-15T13:34:00.000-04:002004-10-15T17:32:52.396-04:00

Can you wear a bowtie with a double breasted suit? UPDATE: The answer seems to be yes.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1097710377754748792004-10-13T19:30:00.000-04:002004-10-14T01:22:40.933-04:00

In the McLennan library, Yehshayahu Leibowitz's essays are right next to a bunch of Emannuael Levinas books on the self. My intellectual life in high school flashes before my eyes.... UPDATE: To be fair, it's still my intellectual life now. In high school though, those were probably the only two thinkers I was really interested in. I've branched out since.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1097553758659047232004-10-11T23:59:00.000-04:002004-10-12T00:05:50.563-04:00

The guardian refused to print this column by Mark Steyn. To be honest, I'm not sure what I think about it. Decide for yourself. UPDATE: And just so that article doesn't turn you off Steyn for life, read thistoo. It's in a slightly lighter vein.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1097551594132175952004-10-11T23:24:00.000-04:002004-10-11T23:33:15.736-04:00

Really, it's silly. I hate gematria, I hate silly numerology in general. So why do I get such a big kick out of this? (Thanks to Pej for pointing it out)

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1097507339200534682004-10-11T11:06:00.000-04:002004-10-11T11:08:59.200-04:00

This morning, for the first time all season, I began to have visions of a Sox World Series, and the possiblities of victory. I finally let myself get sucked in. Why do I always set myself up for heartbreak this way? Do I like to suffer? ::sigh::

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1097502722722552512004-10-11T09:49:00.000-04:002004-10-11T09:52:02.723-04:00

I swear, when Lileks writes about his kid like this, I want to get married right away.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1097468899268998082004-10-11T00:27:00.000-04:002004-10-11T00:28:19.270-04:00

Doctor Suarez over at The Protocals of the Yuppies of Zion has a hilarious correspondence that needs to be read to be believed. Start here, then look here and here.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1097389583791984312004-10-10T02:06:00.000-04:002004-10-10T12:39:28.116-04:00

At Shabbos Shacharit, which I davened at the Cote St. Luc Kollel, I encountered an interesting fellow. He is a professor of Ancient Greek History at Concordia University. When I told him that I am a history student he was surprised and pleased. Apparently he doesn't get very many frum students in his classes, and said that in general he has noticed that Orthodox Jews rarely study history

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1097082371572115522004-10-06T13:02:00.000-04:002004-10-06T13:06:11.573-04:00

Well, I finally got highspeed internet at home, which hopefully means that I will be blogging again. For now, chag sameach, but more to come soon.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1095013246780710022004-09-12T14:19:00.000-04:002004-10-06T14:19:29.650-04:00

My kind of spiritual experience. UPDATE: The link is fixed, finally. Thanks for letting me know it was broken Yael.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847690.post-1094223362417066102004-09-03T10:54:00.000-04:002004-09-03T10:56:02.416-04:00

I'd like to aplogize to my regular readers (all three of you) for my extreme lack of posts lately. I just moved and haven't set up internet yet at home, and also have had very little time. Hopefully soon things will have calmed down a bit, and I'll be able to get back to blogging. In the meantime, take a look at my blogroll.

Jesse A.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02915374000225534617noreply@blogger.com1