tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-320682742011-12-09T03:59:34.570+02:00Understanding the world we live in, so we can make it betterJerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.comBlogger661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-83068676209690058312007-10-10T14:54:00.000+02:002007-10-14T17:42:37.110+02:00

One of the less discussed aspects of freelancing is the spiritual side of this kind of life, but for me this aspect was dominant from the start. I was surprised to find that from a spiritual point of view the difference between a salaried lifestyle and a freelancing one was vast, and the jump to freelancing, which I made recently, a lot more difficult because of it.As a child I grew up in a "

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-39591872759011584342007-09-20T13:20:00.000+02:002007-09-20T13:20:52.551+02:00

Summary: This post will try to understand the consistent, abysmal political failure of right wing religious Israelis (Religious-Zionists) using the basic concepts of a simple but effective psychological theory called Transactional Analysis.This post will address the following questions: In what way is the Religious –Zionist sector subservient to secular Jewry in Israel. Can this be changed? How?

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-50755010515280718512007-09-11T12:36:00.000+03:002007-09-11T13:15:59.148+03:00

Probably you have already heard about the Israeli police busting a ring of Neo-Nazis. They were all immigrants from Russia with a very tenuous connection to their Jewish origins.How did they arrive in Israel? I do not know them personally so I cannot say, but I did happen to witness the state of mind that has brought about this reality:A few years ago I was working in the Jewish Agency helping to

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-41201395940980501972007-08-18T22:39:00.000+03:002007-08-22T01:33:54.120+03:00

A few incidents concerning writing and reading skills at various levels seem to illuminate a bigger problem in the education system and for once - it isn't money:Several years ago, just as I was finishing my studies in the School of Education, a friend of mine, who was an assistant teacher, informed me that the faculty of the School had instituted a new, obligatory course for the freshman class

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-33772114470662291512007-08-05T09:53:00.000+03:002007-08-06T11:05:06.796+03:00

I really enjoyed using a Seinfeld episode to demonstrate a psychological theory so I started thinking about a lot more possibilities of combining fun video evidence with what may be, for some, stale theory. In this post I will be using a clip from "I Dream of Jeannie" as an excellent example of a term from Transactional Analysis I explained in the previous, aforementioned Seinfold post - the "

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-31715041479019123022007-07-15T10:33:00.000+03:002007-07-16T12:08:40.924+03:00

In this post I wish to demonstrate the basic terms of Transactional Analysis (T.A.) with the help of one of the best Seinfeld episodes ever.Why This Is Worth ReadingI have been wanting to write this for a long time, but delayed until I could find a way to explain this theory in a short format. Finally I realized that this is impossible, and I am proceeding with it because the theory is well worth

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-90714154024345165142007-06-24T22:00:00.000+03:002007-06-24T22:43:13.129+03:00

The wedding season is upon us and with it a renewed interest in this most fascinating ceremony of Jewish life - marriage.During the last wedding I attended, the mother of the groom mentioned the well known phrase from Genesis, chapter 2, verse 24: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh."This is a most beautiful verse.

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-87561393120562964642007-06-11T08:30:00.000+03:002007-06-13T01:30:55.367+03:00

Repairing the world is an extremely difficult undertaking. After all, so much around us is so messed up that it may be difficult to figure out where to start. As explained previously, the natural starting point for Tikkun Olam is the individual, but even given this, it is not easy to start. Spiritual exercises often seem frightening to the inexperienced and in any case, any attempt to become more

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-53044044551799603912007-06-02T20:50:00.000+03:002007-06-02T21:16:09.803+03:00

Relationships are a very important part of our lives. We spend most of our waking hours in relationships with different people - at work, with friends, and most importantly, with our families. And, yet, despite spending so much time with other people, most of us have a very vague idea of what a relationship should look like. We can feel if something is not right in our relationships, but many

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-55087075067812065822007-05-16T08:34:00.000+03:002007-05-16T08:57:27.597+03:00

Synopsis: The Jewish mother as maximizer in Jewish culture, Imago theory - What is a maximizer, "Tikkun Olam - Now"IntroductionRead this quote ,please, and ask yourself if the description does not sound hauntingly familiar: "…since her boundaries are lax, she does not know how to protect her space from her children, nor how to protect theirs. When she cannot get her way with her child, she will

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-85630817464510605332007-05-10T17:57:00.000+03:002007-05-10T10:01:44.839+03:00

Synopsis: The birth and development of consciousness , what was created 6000 years ago, resolving the Creationist – Darwinism debate.(Word Count=1299)PrefaceOne of the central tenets of Jungian psychology is that we live in two worlds – the outer world where things happen out in the open, where wars occur and what we normally call "history" happens, and the inner world to which Jung devoted a

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-76931549772436315852007-05-02T16:48:00.000+03:002007-05-02T18:22:10.730+03:00

Synopsis: Men and women experience the development of the ego differently, Jewish law judged the psychic needs of each gender correctly - but that judgment has become outdated. (Word count = 1135)PrefaceIn the previous post we determined that the purpose of prayer is to express and strengthen the connection between the Ego and the Self. As we explained, this must be done because in the process

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-29287281809307396832007-04-25T22:51:00.000+03:002007-04-26T08:24:08.994+03:00

Synopsis: The birth of consciousness and structure of the psyche, The function of prayer, The importance of the religious impulse, Forms of prayer in Western and Eastern culture.All over the world, from time immemorial, humans have prayed. The objective of the prayer has varied widely: humans have prayed to other humans, to statues of every imaginable shape and form, and finally, to a nameless,

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-25620536322249607872007-04-25T09:26:00.000+03:002007-04-25T09:54:00.399+03:00

Following up on the previous post "The New Writing Regime" I am re-opening this blog. I took the opportunity to move to the beta template and redesigned the whole thing, with new aims and new content in mind. I was aiming for a cleaner, more professional look. I added a few ads which I hope will not bother you too much. According to my calculations, if each one of my readers clicks one ad for

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-28246081152020274282007-04-02T10:18:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:24:23.936+03:00

A year or two ago I came across a Hebrew book called "The The Big Book of Jewish Humor " , a collection of jokes gathered and edited by Prof. Adir Cohen. This is a great present for any occasion, although maybe a little expensive. The jokes are arranged by subject alphabetically and it's pretty easy to find things. For instance Passover jokes (who even knew there is such a thing) will be found

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1171473963073079502007-02-14T19:26:00.000+02:002007-04-25T10:07:01.779+03:00

Free Darko, one of the best basketball bloggers that man kind has ever known, just put up one of the most beautiful blog posts I have ever seen. He asked several well known basketball writers to describe how they manage to merge their love for basketball, with their love life, if they even have one. The result makes for a great, touching read.If you are into relationships, or sports, or both - do

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1169989479899964932007-01-28T15:04:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:31:06.758+03:00

Visiting The Miserable RelativeI was raised on the notion that misery is a bad thing, to be avoided at all costs. I learned that miserable people should be pitied but that is best to keep a safe distance from them, just in case their disease is catching. These sentiments are echoes, I think, of the Calvinist teachings of predestination, which perhaps were passed down unconsciously from my German

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1169041170323793082007-01-17T15:37:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:24:23.936+03:00

On my Visit To Machon Meir , the Rabbi I met with gave me an excellent piece of advice - he said that I can contact the Rabbi of the local synagogue, and that in most cases he would only be too glad to help me find my way through the the prayers and services.I took the advice and tried to phone the synagogue offices but nobody ever answered. I was wondering what to do, when The Chabadnik That

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1168800236810208932007-01-14T20:43:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:24:23.936+03:00

Judaism, Zen, and BasketballThree topics that at first sight probably do not seem to belong together, but it is possible to connect them, and perhaps even interesting - just watch me.Judaism and BasketballThe connection between Judaism and basketball may be more understandable, seeing as the commissioner of the NBA, David Stern is Jewish, and Jews had no small part in NBA history. You can read

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1168278530774309112007-01-08T19:48:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:24:23.937+03:00

Today I paid a visit to Machon Meir, A Zionist Yeshiva which caters mostly to members of the religious-Zionist community,although they accept and seem to encourage secular people too. I say this judging by the incredible amount of slogans in that spirit plastered on the wall in the hallways and in the office where I had my meeting with Rabbi Uri Sharki, who is responsible for the Israeli program

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1168184694150722432007-01-07T17:44:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:32:00.743+03:00

Personally, I don't need another reason to tune out the Israeli Mainstream Media, which includes Yediot Ahronot,Maariv,and Haaretz , along with Channels one, two and ten. I am not against entertainment - not at all- and I realize that television can be an endless source of leisure. I just object to turning the news into another area of entertainment (although you might enjoy this hilarious, if

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1168180354180730282007-01-07T16:32:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:50:05.919+03:00

That is the title of an article available here written by the well-known Middle East expert Dr. Daniel Pipes for the New York Sun. I am not a regular reader of the newspaper, but I received the short essay as a subscriber to Pipes' mailing list. I signed up a year or two ago and have yet to find a better source of information on what is actually going on in the world concerning the war against

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1167765913393392642007-01-02T21:25:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:24:23.937+03:00

Yesterday I returned to the BT yeshiva where I received my Second Judaism Lesson in order to meet the Rabbi who runs the place, the same one that annoyed me so much when we spoke briefly last week.In hindsight I found it difficult to understand why he bothered me so much. He actually turned out to be an attentive, accommodating old man (albeit with an office space from hell). He listened

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1167580110351257402006-12-31T17:48:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:24:23.937+03:00

After losing my Chabadnik last week,who, by the way, still hasn't called, i did not know what to do. I asked you, my readers, for help, and waited to see what fate will bring.As it happens, the next day i received a flier in the mail, advertising lectures on Judaism in a nearby synagogue. The topics were extremely philosophical and abstract and as such did not interest me at all, but I thought

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1167208784257743752006-12-27T10:39:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:24:23.938+03:00

You may recall that just last week I happily announced my My First Official Judaism Lesson.After that first successful meeting, my Chabdnik mentor said that he is very busy on Channukah, but that he will call me after the holiday and then we will continue.Well, it is already Wednesday and i still haven't heard anything from the guy.This also happened the first time we talked on the phone - he

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1167051557287617632006-12-25T14:59:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:56:24.533+03:00

A few days ago I had the chance to see again the delightful romantic comedy “Bridget Jones Diary”. This is the story of a single British woman in her early thirties, struggling with life, and especially with the daunting task of finding a partner. More details can be found here, and if you have not yet seen it you can buy it here or rent it. I think it is unquestionably worthwhile if you are into

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1166659224610825582006-12-21T01:49:00.000+02:002007-04-25T09:58:35.080+03:00

Well, i finally did it. After years of agonizing about this, i finally got the nerve to ask for help, and i finally got it. i am very, very happy about this. Here's what happened:Previously , I mentioned that i had set up a meeting with a Chabadnik in a nearby Chabad house. This house turned out to be a small well lit room, with a desk and two tables and a library of religious books. this is

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1166398316306385942006-12-18T01:31:00.000+02:002007-04-25T09:58:35.080+03:00

This is take two because take one was an awful, incoherent rambling mess which did nothing to answer the question I am currently struggling with – what should I do now?As I explained previously my Jewish heritage is haunting me, and as a result I realize that I had better do something about it pretty quick, but I really do not know what to do, or rather, maybe I do, but I’m just frightened of

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1166284027663501902006-12-16T17:47:00.000+02:002007-04-25T10:07:01.780+03:00

This is by no means a tech and computer blog and I am not a geek by a longshot. But I do like to keep one eye open on that stuff in case something comes by that is fun and useful or, preferably both. Since I am running late on my next post, which again deals with my problems with Judaism, I thought I would fill in the time with something a lot more easygoing and superficial. So here is some stuff

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1165507766890445662006-12-07T18:09:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:32:00.744+03:00

Ha!I bet you won’t be seeing that headline in the next issue of Haaretz.That doesn’t mean that the editors of the rabidly secular and radically left propaganda sheet object to spreading negative stereotypes, to the demonization of a group of people, or to feeding the flames of prejudice and anti-Semitism – of course not. They do it all the time. I even recall seeing at my mother’s house (an avid

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1165335328107227452006-12-05T18:15:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:49:22.790+03:00

It would appear so.Yesterday I received in my e-mail a plea to sign a petition in support of a new law in the making, which will make daycare costs tax-deductible for working women here in Israel. At first sight this would seem to me like an excellent initiative – I am a devout feminist, and I am all for woman’s rights, the more the merrier. I remember that I even tried to persuade my wife to

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1165073605722843842006-12-02T17:33:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:53:32.555+03:00

My wife and I have had our share of ups and downs throughout the years, but as time goes on and we continue to solve more and more problems, things are looking much better. So much so that the other day we were cleaning the house – a weekly ritual for us – and it seemed like half the time we were joking, kidding around and just having a good time. Finally my wife noted how much fun it is to

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1164553077499398292006-11-26T16:57:00.000+02:002007-04-25T09:58:35.081+03:00

We all know what secular people think about Jews – people like Yair Lapid have been telling us that for years. But what they don’t tell us, most likely because they do not even realize it, is why. Why the hatred, the fear, the alienation from the past, from their roots?For that, you have me. I have already written on this subject in a previous post titledWhy Is It So Difficult to be A Secular Jew

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1164118685929577312006-11-21T16:18:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:32:00.744+03:00

In the previous post I revisited the Sderot vote in the 2006 elections. The results were quite dismaying, and this was remarked upon in the comments. I agree that it is very sad to see that Israeli’s have such a difficult time learning from their mistakes, and it is particularly disheartening when the residents of a town literally fighting for it’s life still cannot muster the clarity of mind

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1163875880579675572006-11-18T20:51:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:32:00.744+03:00

I was extremely saddened this week to hear that the inevitable had finally happened – a resident of Sderot was killed by a mortar shell. Many people on the Right, like WestBankMomma expressed outrage that the government is doing nothing to protect the lives of it’s citizens.I see no reason to be surprised at this behavior on the part of the government. After all, Olmert is a well known proponent

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1163433750849728702006-11-13T18:02:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:23:12.837+03:00

A few weeks ago WestBankMomma wrote a beautiful post describing how she met her husband. That evening I told my wife about it and she asked me if I feel like writing down the amazing story of our meeting. I told her then that it seems a bit too personal to be published, but if someone asked me to or given the right context, I would do it. The following morning Karma , in the comments to this

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1162827031258310062006-11-06T17:30:00.000+02:002007-04-25T10:07:01.780+03:00

Ordinarily I would not bother even asking such a trivial question. In fact, I would not even be eating a French fry if it weren’t for my decision to start dining with the devil (more on that in another post). But we went out last week, and in the intermission of one of the shows we felt hungry. We ordered the quickest thing on the menu – French fries. It is also one of my favorites, so I was

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1162657787167621372006-11-04T18:24:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:32:00.744+03:00

You know how life goes by so fast, that we just don’t notice a lot of the detail involved? And how you go like that until one day, for some reason, you stop and really look at something that’s been there seemingly forever and you suddenly notice something you’ve never seen before? Something like this happened to me the other day. I was doing some minor cleaning in the bathroom, and I had

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1162377595424800972006-11-01T12:29:00.000+02:002006-11-01T12:39:55.723+02:00

Sometimes I wonder about the road I have traveled. I know I have come a very long way from where I started, and I have managed to heal a great number of childhood wounds. From what I can see around me it seems that I have done more than most people in that respect, but still, sometimes I get really depressed and frustrated with where I find myself.This happens especially if I haven’t been writing

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1162128050213698802006-10-29T15:20:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:24:53.822+03:00

Well , I’m back. I had a hectic two weeks and I simply did not have the time or energy to blog. I think that’s over now and I expect to be back to a regular blogging schedule. I haven’t forgotten that I promised to write about the way I met my wife, but first I want to get this out of the way – an event I attended last Sunday. The first part gives the details, and the second part my

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1161005008437720302006-10-16T15:23:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:28:53.488+03:00

In a comment to the previous post, detailing the Imago theory for singles, Karma of JuBuQuest asked two questions which I thought merit a separate post.The first question was this: “I think that there's a contradiction here - that the person you fall in love with is the right person AND/BUT it will only work if the person is a willing partner in this journey of healing.”For Karma this is a

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1160497208605725022006-10-10T18:20:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:28:53.488+03:00

IntroductionThe battle of the sexes continues to rage on – we see it on TV in every other sitcom, in the movies, and worst of all – in our daily lives, with about half of all marriages in the U.S ending in divorce (in Israel – about a third). Some of us are so used to it that we don’t even expect anything else, and we just go along with the crowd. But there still are people, like Karma, that

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1159892099679721242006-10-03T18:14:00.000+02:002007-04-24T22:16:22.069+03:00

Following up on a previous post about the profound influence of Freud’s psychological philosophy on Israeli Culture and Society, I present this great example, which my wife found a few weeks ago.The picture (click on it to enlarge) is taken from “Akhbar Hair” - literally “The City Mouse”, a great guide for pleasure seekers in Jerusalem, similar to the indispensable Timeout magazine, now

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1159108321810917102006-09-24T17:32:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:24:23.939+03:00

This question popped into my mind the other night while watching the movie “Private Benjamin”. In the opening scene Goldie Hawn is getting married. The wedding is obviously Jewish, and everybody seems very comfortable singing Jewish songs, and dancing Jewish traditional dances. I was struck by this casual familiarity with the Jewish tradition. It reminded me of another TV series that I like – The

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1158790830409665472006-09-21T01:20:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:25:24.798+03:00

This is my holiday gift to all those curious, restless Jews who are interested in what makes our society tick or else just want to impress their relatives , or maybe need something to talk about after exhausting the usual ten-minute -"who is doing what with whom" gossip - for all of you- i give a very long post that answers all these needs and more.Shana Tova,JoeForewordThis is the fifth part

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1158513087059942802006-09-17T20:11:00.000+03:002007-04-24T23:00:01.697+03:00

The Blog CarnivalThe Fourth Child Abuse Blog Carnival is up thanks to hostess ScarlettDemon.I’ve already managed to read most of the posts and I’m sure that anyone who has gone through such experiences will find them (the posts!) worthwhile. It is especially comforting to realize that you are not alone, which is the main purpose of the carnival.But what am I doing there?Although this blog is

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1158419388105112132006-09-16T18:09:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:56:24.533+03:00

I finally managed to finish this book after reading it periodically for the past few weeks. This does not reflect on the quality of the book, but more on my lack of time.Here is my opinion about it:Diet for a Small Planet was written by well-known food activist Francis Moore Lappe more than thirty years ago. The book I read was the 20th anniversary edition from 1991 which includes a new preface

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1158341280469461472006-09-15T20:28:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:32:00.744+03:00

This is what happens when you combine politics with journalism : you, long time NY Times reporter and op-ed,  Frank Rich , publish a picture, weave the 9/11 story that you want around it and then – well just read for yourself.  Slate magazine brought it up with astounding results (via the exceptional U.S.S Neverdock and Hot Air). This is the original Slate column, and this is one of the people

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1158180773256704722006-09-13T23:52:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:32:00.745+03:00

Writing a post about the consistent failures of the Israeli right is a futile task, because this sorry subject is much more suitable for a book or even a ten volume encyclopedia. Nevertheless, I just have to get some of my anger at this situation out of my system, especially after reading this on the GOPBloggers site: under the inspiring title, “Believers of the World Unite!” blogger Mark Noonan

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1157697388101175762006-09-08T09:36:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:32:00.745+03:00

A few days ago I heard the song “Where do the Children Play” on the radio (for me, radio means my Itunes  partyshuffle).  Written by popular (in the 1970’s) British musician Cat Stevens, the lyrics lament the loss of natural resources we are experiencing as a result of our ever-expanding consumer culture, and especially as it affects our children. Take for example, the first stanza:Well I think

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1157537046275092812006-09-06T13:04:00.000+03:002007-04-25T10:08:00.157+03:00

The American Football season starts tomorrow, and obviously such an event merits attention by a blog dedicated to Repairing the world. Well, maybe it isn’t that obvious, so I’ll explain. First of all I love sports, always have and, if things continue this way, always will. As a kid I loved playing soccer, and was even pretty good at it. Unfortunately my successful international career was cut

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1157373751861483572006-09-04T15:42:00.000+03:002007-04-25T10:08:00.158+03:00

Can there really be a connection between such a spiritual aspiration like Tikkun , and the mundane, material activity of preparing, chewing and digesting food?Like I said in the introduction, this blog will deal with various ways of achieving Tikkun, one of them being through food. I was reminded of this today after reading JuBu’s post about migraines. Personally I never experienced one, and hope

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1157039640991110232006-08-31T18:54:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:33:01.316+03:00

I read a great story the other day, via soccerdad, about a tense scene in a bunker in Tel-Aviv, on the eve of the Six-Day War. Lionel Chetwynd tells how after hours of futile debate about what to do, and whether Israel can defend itself without any allies, Begin who did not say a thing until then, raises his hand: “Slowly, the table’s attention slid toward him and there was silence. “Excuse me,”

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1156799758792915932006-08-29T00:15:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:27:45.866+03:00

ForewordThis is the fourth part in a series of posts that constitute the main concern of this blog: What Is Wrong with Israeli Society and How to Repair it. The previous posts are filed under the category “ RepairingIsrael-TheSeries.” The original, somewhat different, Hebrew version of this post may be found here.Warning: I think I broke the world record for longest post with this one, so if you

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1156627571910895942006-08-27T00:26:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:55:59.475+03:00

I’m not giving a spoiler alert here, because I doubt that such a movie can be spoiled. I’ve already seen it a few times, and have enjoyed it more each time. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend you do so, and then come back to read this post.The plotBilly Elliot is the story of an 11-year-old boy growing up in a coal-mining town in northern England. His tough coal-mining father sends him to boxing

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1156507875543124512006-08-25T15:11:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:33:01.317+03:00

Probably you are surprised by the caption. As citizens in a Democratic country, Israel, we are used to voting once every four years, which for most people constitutes the height, length and breadth of democracy. But that idea is simply not true. We vote everyday, in various ways, and the way we vote determines how our society functions, and in Israel’s case, as of now, our votes decide if the

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1156269841976483292006-08-22T21:04:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:33:01.317+03:00

Democracy is supposedly a rational way of self-government. It assumes, among many other things, that the best way to reach a decision is to gather the relevant information, process it, talk about it, debate it, and then decide. Living in a capitalist society, our culture has been willing to pay for the information it deems important for it’s survival. We, the members of that culture, are paying

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1156065287844805702006-08-20T12:14:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:55:59.475+03:00

***spoiler alert***if you haven’t seen the movie “Mrs. Doubtfire” then don’t read this post because it will probably ruin it for you. Instead rent this excellent movie.***spoiler alert***I never was a great moviegoer, until I got married. But my wife is a passionate film fan and as her loving spouse I have learned to accommodate her – who said marriage was easy? I mean, sometimes you just have

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1155843374513864962006-08-17T22:36:00.000+03:002007-04-25T09:59:31.179+03:00

Yesterday I added a small paragraph about the media at the end of the post, and since it probably got lost there, and I’m still obsessed about the media, I’m posting it again. This will also give me an opportunity to explain something about Israeli society that is usually overlooked, but is crucial nonetheless.This is the quote:“What kills me is the inconsistency of observing Jews that believe in

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1155677031785414842006-08-16T00:23:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:59:00.902+03:00

Using the Scientific method to effect Tikkun OlamIt was never my intention to start the tikkun blog with three straight, long posts about the mainstream media, but with the war going on, which led to reutersgate and to this I took a slight detour. But it is only a slight one because these posts are the groundwork for what will eventually be a blueprint for a Repaired media. Of course, we would

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1155595609101184512006-08-15T01:46:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:33:01.317+03:00

There has been some talk in the past days about Israel’s leadership crisis, and how bad Olmert was and is for Israel. The most forceful argument for change was made several times by Ari Shavit from Haaretz. So in that context I’m presenting a few gems, concerning the relationship between philosophy, politics, and the truth. I came across these while doing some research for my next post (about

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1155395023339338652006-08-12T18:03:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:33:01.318+03:00

Continuing this series of posts dealing with the MSM, I thought it would be interesting for myself, and maybe for my readers, if I traced back the train of thought and the actions that I have followed concerning media consumption, concluding with my current position.My point of departure is a few years ago, when I used to buy a MSM newspaper everyday and read it from front to end, like a

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1155157368691833692006-08-10T00:02:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:33:01.318+03:00

How to Deal With MSM Bias, Propaganda and IncompetenceJust a few leftover thoughts from my last post.First of all, apropos bias in the Israeli MSM, it seems like a group of Israelis from the extreme left who staged a protest against Israeli hostilities in Lebanon (no less!! Although thankfully they did not call it genocide) are disappointed with the coverage they (didn’t) get. I guess they are so

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1154985071954763682006-08-08T00:11:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:33:01.319+03:00

The blogosphere is having a field day with the doctored pictures that were published by (el) Reuters. LFG is all over it, and Eureferendum has some more details and Silicon valley watcher (via Pajamas Media) tells us how we got to this point – mostly by cutting costs and firing veteran, competent newsmen. But the question is – what is the point of all these exposés?In my mind there can be two

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1154952940897713652006-08-07T15:07:00.000+03:002007-04-24T22:59:00.902+03:00

Tikkun is derived from the Hebrew verb "letaken" meaning to fix or repair. This verb is used all the time in everyday life and has no special meaning. The well-known spiritual meaning of this verb is inferred from two phrases: "Tikkun Olam" literally meaning "repairing the world" and "Tikkun Midot" meaning "repairing the character". Both phrases are many times shortened and only the word Tikkun

Jerusalem Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605880608061625972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068274.post-1154554563283384482006-08-03T00:36:00.000+03:002007-04-25T10:00:32.007+03:00

Like every other blog, my main purpose here is to let me express myself freely on the subjects that interest me most. In this case the subject is change. All my life i have been fascinated by change on the personal level and also on the societal level. I have pondered change, initiated change, read about it and experienced it in many ways. I believe I have learned something along the way, and I

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