Archive for February 28th, 2010

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“Monkeying” Around with Evolution & Thoughts on Global Warming

Debating Evolution in Israel

The United States is not the only place where creationists attempt to redesign the science curriculum in textbooks. Israel’s chief scientist in Israel’s ministry of education, Gavriel Avital, “sparked a furor” by questioning the reliability of evolution and global warming, leading to calls for his dismissal, according to Haaretz (Feb. 21, 2010).

Avital asserts, “If textbooks state explicitly that human beings’ origins are to be found with monkeys, I would want ...

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Categories: American Jewish Issues, Bible, biblical history, biblical theology, Contrarian wisdom, Conversion, Current Events, ethics, Humor, Interfaith Dialogue, Israel, Judaism and Ecology, science and religion, The Future of Judaism, Theology and Philosophy, Yochanan Lavie's Golden Classics

‘Twas the night before Purim …

Purim picture of the day.

Haredim Purin Mea Shearim Santa Claus
[Purim in Meah Sharim--Haredi style] compliments of Failedmessiah.com.
Now, who says the Haredim don’t have a good sense of humor?
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Posted by Yochanan Lavie on 28.02.10 at 4:18 pm

‘Twas the night before Purim, when all through the shul

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mule;

The stockings were hung by the ...

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Categories: Bible, Contrarian wisdom, Current Events, Holidays, Humor, Israel, Yochanan Lavie's Golden Classics

“Purim Torah” or Purim Synchronicity?

Purim Torah is a remarkable genre of Jewish literature. It is rabbinic satire at its best that centers around the festivities of Purim. Those individuals writing Purim Torah display remarkable wit in weaving Talmudic logic in fabricating conclusions that border the absurd and sublime.

Earlier this week, I received a delightful section of a fabricated Talmud-replete with all the Aramaic expressions one would expect to find in a Talmudic debate. The selection contains a discussion involving President ...

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Categories: American Jewish Issues, Anti-Semitism, Bible, biblical history, biblical theology, Contrarian wisdom, ethics, good and evil, Holidays, Holocaust Related Issues, Israel, Jewish and Jungian ideas, Jewish customs, Jewish Folklore, Jewish History, Jewish symbolism, The Future of Judaism, Theology and Philosophy