Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 20, 2009, 2:08 pm
Here's the unnoticed, good news coming from Israel, as compiled by Daily Alert. Israeli Invention Allows for Early Detection of Cancerous Skin Tumors - Dan EvenA new Israeli invention allows cance...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 20, 2009, 12:13 pm
Parshat Toldot from G-dcast.comMore Torah cartoons at www.g-dcast.comWarning from the creators of G-Dcast, This episode used Midrash, which is interpretation of biblical stories that can "fill in the...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 20, 2009, 8:51 am
I would say that it is scary to think of how little Sarah Palin understands about Israel, except that the chances of her ever being in a position of real power are about as great as Netanyahu becoming...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 19, 2009, 7:32 am
See this editorial below from the Forward. Also see: Police arrest female activist after donning prayer shawl at Western Wall (Ha'aretz) and, for more partisan views from each side: Police Arres...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 13, 2009, 1:07 pm
Parshat Chayei Sarah from G-dcast.comMore Torah cartoons at www.g-dcast.com
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 13, 2009, 9:21 am
That ringing you heard at about 9 this morning was the sound of a gaggle of worried parents calling their realtors, considering a flight from Stamford, after reading the headline story in today's ...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 13, 2009, 4:40 am
Why is Friday the 13th a lucky day for Jews? See my prior posting: Friday the 13th: Jason and Freddie Make Shabbos.And also, note the following, from a now-defunct website for an Israeli flower distr...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 11, 2009, 7:36 am
Joe Lieberman is so fiercely independent that he has now separated himself from his most entrenched group of supporters: Connecticut's Jews and religious leaders. The faith & values folk had been...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 8, 2009, 9:04 am
What caused last week's tragic murders at Fort Hood may never be fully known, whether the crazed acts of a single gunman was inspired by his own psychological insanity or the madness of a virulent...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 8, 2009, 9:03 am
In the Torah portion I just read, Sarah dies - but the name of the portion is “Sarah’s lives” (Chayay Sarah). This Torah portion gives us clues as to how it is possible to keep someone’s memo...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 8, 2009, 9:01 am
Those of you who know me, know that I love music. When I started playing guitar a couple of years ago, it gave me the chance to learn and listen to many different kinds of music. Music from rap to cou...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 8, 2009, 8:56 am
At the beginning of my Bat Mitzvah parsha, Lech Lecha, Avraham is commanded to leave his native land and go to the land that Gd will show him. He is promised a special land, set aside for him and his ...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 6, 2009, 11:24 am
An important interfaith event will take place in Stamford this Sunday from 2-5 at the First United Methodist Church, 42 Cross Road, in Stamford.It is entitled: "LIVING WATER FOR DRY TIMES; Faith Commu...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 6, 2009, 11:00 am
Both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Obama will be speaking to the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America next week in Washington. You'll be able to see the speeches o...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 6, 2009, 9:42 am
This one is hard. But not as difficult as it used to be. Back in the dark days B.C.E. (Before the Curse was Extinguished), in otherwords, pre 2004, it was much harder to smile in the face of Only Yank...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 5, 2009, 10:45 am
The recent Hoffman Lecture delivered by Bret Stephens of the Wall Street Journal will be available on free pay per view on Shalom TV, from November 8-14. If you have Cablevision, simply go to Channel ...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 4, 2009, 11:03 am
(CNN) -- When Moses came down from Mount Sinai about 3,300 years ago, he couldn't have seen these Jews coming.A blogger writes about how one of Judaism's holiest days ended, for her, in a stri...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 4, 2009, 10:29 am
WASHINGTON (JTA) -- The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to condemn the Goldstone report.The vote Tuesday urging the Obama administration to keep the report accusing Israel and Hamas...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Nov 4, 2009, 7:39 am
I was recently asked about an obscure custom of throwing away the shoes of the deceased, rather than donating them to charity. Suffice to say that it is a superstition that in fact flies against at l...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 30, 2009, 12:43 pm
Yes, a synagogue was attacked in LA yesterday (see Shooting at LA synagogue likely not a hate crime). But listen to this is good news, although, once the ADL has interpreted it, even a decline in ant...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 30, 2009, 7:24 am
The commentator Dennis Prager often talks about the need for "serious Jews," those who, regardless of their denomination or background, take Jewish learning seriously and bring Jewish values into thei...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 28, 2009, 1:36 pm
Here's my challenge - to write some serious reflections about "A Serious Man," a film that seems to try very hard not to take itself seriously. But when, I think about it, the biblical book after ...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 27, 2009, 8:52 pm
We had the chance to hear from Stamford's two outstanding mayoral candidates this week.There is one incumbent running in this election, and I have no problem making that incumbent the subject of a...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 26, 2009, 9:53 am
Halloween has increasingly become a source of tension for some Jews. The glib answer is, "We've got Purim, a dress-up holiday where we give instead of take." That is true, but Purim is many months...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 26, 2009, 6:34 am
Our new adult ed series, TBE To-Go got off to a nice start with our first discussion section yesterday covering the first four podcasts of the series, "From Israelite to Jew." This section will be re...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 23, 2009, 9:33 am
The portion of Noah is the perfect time to discuss climate change. After all, there can be no more drastic change than a flood that wipes out nearly all life. But the flood, and subsequent rainbow cov...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 22, 2009, 3:59 pm
They're everywhere! For the past couple of days, we've had more ladybugs on the windows of the synagogue than Pharaoh had frogs in his bed.More than one person quipped that if only I "bar mitz...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 22, 2009, 10:40 am
IN WAKE OF “MENGELE” COMMENTS BY RICHARD LAND, SIMILAR INCIDENTSTHE RABBINICAL ASSEMBLY ISSUES A STATEMENTCALLING FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE AND RENOUNCING OF NAZI IMAGERYOctober 21, 2009 (New York, NY) ...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 21, 2009, 6:03 am
See TBE's Rhonna Rogol's article in this week's Jewish Week: "An Innocent Abroad," describing her unique experiences on her most recent trip to Israel.Perhaps it was divine retribution for...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 20, 2009, 2:29 pm
The Cross And The Torah: Supreme Symbols, Supreme Court by Joshua HammermanSpecial to the Jewish WeekOn Simchat Torah night, I received the greatest compliment of my rabbinic career, if not my life. A...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 20, 2009, 11:38 am
Last school year I had the opportunity to hear Gabriel Bol Deng, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, speak about his escape from the oppression in southern Sudan and how he built a new productive life. Fro...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 20, 2009, 11:35 am
Happy Rosh Chodesh, You may not realize it but this holiday is very important, and I have come to learn about one of the most significant reasons:If you have patience and confidence, things work out.I...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 16, 2009, 8:40 am
Last night, approximately 75 from TBE attended Elie Wiesel's lecture on Job at the 92nd St Y. This was the first of what will now becoming a regular feature of our adult ed programming. I am perso...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 16, 2009, 7:48 am
A class schedule and registration information for the Mitzvah Initiative is now up on our website and can be found here. We've now also begun posting the mitzvah projects of our b'nai mitzvah ...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 15, 2009, 10:18 am
From Ha'aretz:The United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday endorsed a report that accused both Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas of committing war crimes during their December-J...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 14, 2009, 7:32 am
Using the power of the Internet to bring world-class scholarship to our doorstep, we'll be embarking on a new adult ed venture called "TBE To-Go." Much like a book group, I'll be recommending ...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 13, 2009, 9:11 pm
On Tuesday night our interfaith discussion group at Borders (got a real great crowd representing several different faiths) discussed the treatment of women in various religious traditions, with a focu...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 13, 2009, 11:02 am
Don't you just miss the High Holidays? For those who just can't get enough, from time to time I'll be featuring here some of my personal favorite all-time "classic" TBE sermons, which I...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 11, 2009, 9:01 pm
I delivered the following sermon this past Shabbat / Shmini Atzeret:Tonight and tomorrow, we’ll be dancing circles around and with our most sacred object – the torah.Isn’t it fascinating, when y...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 11, 2009, 8:57 pm
Rosalea Fisher and Jared Finkelstein were honored at our Simhat Torah services with the special aliyot marking the end and beginning of the Torah reading cycle. Here are the remarks each of them made ...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 9, 2009, 4:34 pm
Here are three sources for the key arguments that have been made for Columbus' Jewish ancestry:http://www.fortunecity.com/millenium/southwater/113/was_christopher_columbus_jewish.htmhttp://www.uca...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 9, 2009, 4:18 pm
Beth El college student Dara Gold recently (and courageously) wrote this article in her school newspaper, following the visit of Judge Goldstone to her campus - the very Goldstone who authored the inf...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 8, 2009, 11:12 am
Read this review from Jewcy of The Coens' most Jewish movie to date, "A Serious Man," and see the trailer. This Joban themed film fits right in with Elie Wiesel's lecture on Job that 70 of us ...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 7, 2009, 9:46 am
What if you could really be in other peoples' shoes? What if you understood the successes and failures going on behind the scenes of our everyday lives?Everyone needs someone to care. Perspectacle...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 6, 2009, 11:02 am
Allow me to kvell (which I reserve the right to do anyway, so you might as well allow it). Ethan produced his first freshman-year radio spot for WBRU, the Brown-owned FM station, which aired last nig...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 6, 2009, 10:47 am
The "Ahamdinijad is Jewish" rumors have turned out to be a hoax. SeeThe Guardian's response to the original claim found in The Daily Telegraph. His father was in fact a devout Shia. The details:Th...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 5, 2009, 7:22 am
No wonder it's called the land of Milk and Honey. See this report from Israel 21c, rebroadcast on CNN. So can we retitle this "The Nerds and the Bees?"
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 5, 2009, 7:02 am
Those of you who know me know that I’m a dancer. I’ve been dancing for 9 years (which is a long time when you are 12). I’ve always loved it. I dance everything from hip-hop to ballet. I’ve bee...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 2, 2009, 10:25 am
The lulav might get all the action (we "wave the lulav") on Sukkot, but the etrog is undeniably the star of the show. There are very strict standards for evaluating an etrog, and often you'll see ...
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Joshua H. posted an article on On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog - Oct 2, 2009, 9:47 am
The news of Iran's offer to allow immediate inspections of it's newly revealed plant as well as to have uranium shipped to Russia for production is being received cautiously by analysts. Here ...
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