The Zionist Conspiracy |
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A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews. 
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Monday, October 31, 2005
Monday Morning Interview Following is the first post of thoughts relating to the murder of Prime Minister Rabin on November 4, 1995. Even I am savvy enough to know that an interview is not the time or place to get into an argument about something political. But on the morning of August 21, 1995, I could not help myself. Just before 8:00 A.M. on that Monday morning, driving toward Columbia University in upper Manhattan from Boro Park, Brooklyn, I switched to WCBS, one of the all news stations. Just wanted to make sure there was no bad news from Israel. Alas, there was terrible news. Yet another bus bombing, this one in Jerusalem, on the Number 9 bus. The same bus that I had taken every day that summer to my internship at the Supreme Court of Israel. Prime Minister Rabin condemned the bombing, but insisted that the only way forward was to continue the "peace process." Israel was about to conclude a deal with Yasser Arafat to transfer control of additional territory to the Palestinian Authority. The deal - known as Oslo 2 - would be ratified weeks later. Rabin confirmed that the bombing would have no effect at all on Israel's policy toward Arafat. I was enraged by what I then saw as Rabin's callousness toward his citizens who had been murdered, and what I saw as his pathetic failure to protect those citizens. Of course, about to enter my second year of law school, I had a full day of interviews scheduled with law firms. So I would have to calm down and focus on the interviews. My first interview was with a New York office of a large national law firm. The attorney interviewing me was pretty senior. He looked at my resume, saw that I had worked in Israel that summer, and mentioned that his corporate practice regularly takes him to Israel. Indeed, he had a number of Israeli clients. He mentioned that the peace process had done wonders for business. I nodded and mumbled something about how it certainly was true that Israel's economy was doing well. Then he went into a bit of a rant about Israelis who are critical of Rabin, how he can't stand people who don't recognize the importance of the peace process. These people are stubborn and strident and will never get it, he said. "Well, with all the terrorism, I can understand those who are frustrated," is along the lines of what I said. The terrorism is just growing pains, he assured me. The best response is to move the peace process along as quickly as possible. That, the partner said, is what the terrorists are afraid of, that Israel will continue the peace process. Those who want to stop the peace process are basically on the same side as the terrorists. "Do you seriously believe this?" I asked. "So the best response to today's bombing is to do nothing except give up more land?" I'm paraphrasing, but that's essentially what I said. It was a rather mild response compared to how I felt, but a strong revelation to the partner, who now realized that my political views differed from his. He quickly changed the subject, offering me boring information about his firm. I did not get a callback from his firm. Nets Tickets If any readers are interested in Nets tickets, I have two seats in section 201 row 4 for $10 each, which is my cost. The face value of these tickets is $15 each and comparable seats are not available at this price at the box office. About half of the games are available. Send me an e-mail if interested. Nets/Knicks Preview Here's a brief preview of the 2005-06 NBA season for the Nets and the Knicks. The Nets should win the Atlantic Division. At the guard positions and small forward, the Nets are very strong with Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson. The Nets' weakness is in their front-court, which features Nenad Kristic, Jason Collins and newcomer (via a trade with the 76ers) Marc Jackson. The Nets intended to sign a starting power forward in the offseason, but after acquiring Shareef Abdur-Rahim, rescinded the deal due to concerns about an old knee injury sustained by Abdur-Rahim. By then, the other starting caliber free agent power forwards had already been signed. The Nets did improve their bench in the offseason, bringing back Cliff Robinson and Jacque Vaughn, and acquiring Jeff McInnis and Lamond Murray. 2003 first round pick Zoran Planinic looks set to finally display his talent. On the other hand, this year's 1st rounder, Antoine Wright, has been a disappointment thus far. The Nets' frontcourt as currently constituted is likely not strong enough to compete with teams like Detroit, Miami and Indiana in the playoffs. If, however, the Nets can acquire a power forward during the season, they could be a contender. With a deep bench, two first round picks in the 2006 draft as well as this year's 2nd round pick Mile Illic, a 7 footer who is playing this year in Europe, the Nets could have the chips to make that kind of move if ownership is willing to spend the money. Prediction: 48-34, 1st place in the Atlantic, 4th place in the Eastern Conference. Lose in second round of playoffs. As for the Knicks, their personnel changes continue to occur at a dizzying pace. Signing Larry Brown as head coach gives the team instant credibility, and will likely ensure that Stephon Marbury falls in line. Marbury, Jamal Crawford and Quentin Richardson (acquired from Phoenix in the Kurt Thomas trade) are all impressive talents at the 1-3 positions, and rookie Nate Robinson, also acquired from the Suns, also has lots of potential. In the frontcourt, Eddy Curry can be soft at times, but provides a scoring threat. Jerome James and rookie Channing Frye add depth, while 37 year old Antonio Davis can still provide decent minutes at power forward. The key question is whether this team will play well together, and whether Isiah Thomas will allow time for that to happen, or continue to make radical changes by the week. I expect the Knicks to get off to a slow start but improve in the second half. Prediction: 41-41, 3rd place in the Atlantic, 9th place in the East, just short of a playoff berth. Thursday, October 27, 2005
'86 Mets My last post mentioned "all the time that has gone by" since 1986. Indeed, 19 years ago tonight, the New York Mets won their second World Series. Rabbi Respler The elementary school that I attended between 1978-1986 has been running ads in The Jewish Press, basically calling on alums to pay tribute at the upcoming school dinner to yeshiva principal Rabbi Avrohom Respler, who is retiring after the 2005-06 school year after nearly fifty years with the yeshiva. Before he succeeded Rabbi Schwartz as principal a few years after I graduated elementary school, Rabbi Respler was a rebbi (Jewish studies teacher) for around 30 years. He was my rebbi in both 5th and 7th grade, and was one of the good rebbis in a yeshiva that had its share of rebbis who appeared to hate children. What struck me about the Jewish Press ads is how much Rabbi Respler has aged. He now has a full beard and at first glance looked different than I remember him. Of course, it's been nearly 20 years since I was in the yeshiva and I'd guess that Rabbi Respler is now probably in his low 70's. I probably look a little older than I did in 1986 too. Obviously, so would Rabbi Respler. Still - and I'm not just being flippant - I really was struck by Rabbi Respler's appearance, a reminder of all the time that has gone by. Hirsch Goodman On Iran's Nukes When it comes to political analysis, there are few who are as offbase as Jerusalem Report founder and senior columnist Hirsch Goodman. Goodman, after all, is the guy who wrote in an October 2000 issue that even if peace talks fail, Israel and the Palestinians would never go back to a state of war because on an individual level, the people had come to respect and like each other. By the time the issue reached mailboxes, Yasser Arafat had launched the Palestinian terror war and Israelis who ventured into cities under Palestinian control were invariably lynched or shot. Last year, Goodman predicted that religious IDF soldiers would, en masse, refuse orders to evacuate the Gaza settlements, and try to take over the IDF. Goodman was especially concerned since, as he put it, the religious comprise around one-third of IDF combat soldiers. Needless to say, no such mutiny occurred. So it was especially troubling to read Goodman's complete dismissal - in his column in the latest issue of The Jerusalem Report - of the Iranian nuclear threat to Israel. Goodman's premise is that it's not that big a deal if Iran acquires nukes, because it would never dare use them against Israel. He offers a few reasons why any rational actor would refrain from nuking a military power like Israel. I read Goodman's piece a few days ago and thought he was off the wall. Since when are the crazies in Iran rational? And as if further proof of this were necessary, yesterday's statements by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map", should more than suffice. Jets Midseason Report Okay, seven games into a 16 game season is not quite midseason, but with a bye week coming up and the Jets going nowhere, this seems like a good time for a few general thoughts: 1. When the 2005 schedule came out, I was disappointed to see that the Falcons game came out on Monday night, on a Jewish holiday. Turns out that was a blessing, and I was able to miss Monday night's massacre in its entirety. Since all I know about the game is what I've read in newspapers, I have nothing substantive to add about the game itself. 2. If the Jets offense doesn't turn things around in their next game, at home vs. the Chargers, there likely will be a defensive mutiny and the team will completely fall apart. As it is, I don't expect the Jets to win more than 5 games. 3. The only source of optimism about the 2006 season is that the Jets will probably finish in last place this season and have a relatively soft schedule. That's what propelled the Jets to their 5-0 start last year. Otherwise, there are big problems, especially on offense. At QB, Chad Pennington can't be relied upon, but his massive salary cap number will make it all but impossible for the Jets to sign another legitimate starting quarterback. RB Curtis Martin has clearly lost a few steps; even if part of the problem is poor run blocking, Martin is frequently only picking up three or four yards even when he has holes. The offensive line is already a wreck and Kevin Mawae, Jason Fabini and Pete Kendall aren't getting younger, and there's little depth at the position on the roster. At WR, Laveranues Coles is looking like a very good number 2 receiver, but not the number 1 that he's getting paid to be. The problems on offense will spill over to the defense. With so many holes having to be plugged on offense and the Jets already having a lousy cap situation, the Jets probably won't be able to bring back John Abraham and won't be able to add any impact players on defense. 4. GM Terry Bradway did an abysmal job in the offseason. He let nose tackle Jason Ferguson go, hurting the run defense. Lamont Jordan, who could have been Martin's heir apparent at running back, also left. Bradway make no effort to bring back Kareem McKenzie or Anthony Becht, and the pass protection and run blocking have declined substantially as a result. Bradway's proactive moves have also failed to pan out. Doug Jolley, Becht's replacement at tight end, has produced even less than Becht did in the passing game and is an inferior blocker to Becht. Coles was reacquired for Santana Moss, who having left the Jets is suddenly a premier WR. Rookie kicker Mike Nugent has kicked only five field goals in his first seven games and his kickoffs have frequently been short. Cornerback Ty Law, while an upgrade, is certainly not the impact player he used to be, and is part of the reason the Jets are in such a salary cap mess. 5. When he was hired in 2001, head coach Herm Edwards hired Ted Cottrell to be his defensive coordinator and Paul Hackett to be offensive coordinator. After the 2003 season, Edwards fired Cottrell. After 2004, Hackett was forced out. Enough is enough. It's time for Herm to finally take responsibility. After 2005, both he and Bradway should be replaced. Monday, October 17, 2005
Gush Etzion Murders I want to write something thoughtful about yesterday's horrible murder by Fatah terrorists of three young Israelis in Gush Etzion, Kinneret Mandel, Matat Adler, and Oz Ben-Meir. There is much to say about the Gush Etzion security fence route and about the proper response to terror and position toward Fatah. But my work obligations combined with the start of the succos holiday tonight don't allow me sufficient time to post now. I don't want to merely write something off the cuff like when I'm writing about the Jets; nor did I want to ignore this latest Arab atrocity. The Meme Gil Student has infected me with "the meme" (not sure what a "meme" is). Here are my very quick responses: 7 Things I Can Do: 1. Write about sports 2. Change light bulbs 3. Play with my son 4. Debate most topics 5. Write a legal brief 6. Write about Israel 7. Reject baseless hatred related to political differences, racism, etc. 7 Things I Can't Do: Only seven? 1. Read a Hebrew language newspaper 2. Manual labor that's much more complicated than changing light bulbs or changing batteries 3. Put my son to sleep in less than an hour when he wakes up in middle of the night 4. Find affordable housing in a New York area Jewish community that I'd want to live in 5. Dress appropriately for winter weather 6. Write legibly 7. Not get frustrated with the Jets 7 Things I Hope To Do In My Life: 1. Raise my son to be a religious Jew with proper values and without the religious or political extremism that is spreading in our world 2. Write a book 3. Live to see the Jets win a Super Bowl 4. Spend more time in Israel 5. Improve my Hebrew skills 6. Sleep for seven consecutive hours like in the old days 7. Learn Torah more often People I'd like to infect with this meme: Nobody, this "meme" appears to have been infectious enough. Meltdown in Buffalo 1. This one can't be blamed on Herm Edwards, which in a way makes the loss even more frustrating. The defense couldn't tackle or get off the field on 3rd down, the QB resumed his penchant for terribly timed interceptions, and the special teams was abysmal in kickoff coverage, which helped set up 10 Bills points, including a field goal at the end of the 2nd quarter. The special teams gaffes, which include poor kicking and terrible punt returning (including several fumbles) are especially galling, since the Jets are not good enough on offense to win if their special teams play is inferior. 2. To be sure, I do have some quibbles with the coaching staff. Why, in the 2nd quarter, did the Jets run on 3rd and 8 from the Bills 28, settling for a long field goal attempt? Admittedly, Vinny Testaverde's performance may not have inspired confidence, but opportunities like that can't be wasted. On defense, as in the Baltimore game, the Jets did not blitz enough, giving Kelly Holcomb way too much time in the pocket. 3. The Jets look like a 5-11 or 6-10 team. I've been reading that they intend to acquire a "franchise" quarterback in the offseason. Even if they can find one, how will they afford him or her under the salary cap when they already have a QB with a massive cap number for '06? And on offense alone, the Jets have serious long-term needs at running back and on offensive line. 4. I've never been a Ty Law fan and he's convinced me that I've been right. His routine illegal contact penalties are killing the team, always occurring at the worst time. In the 2nd quarter yesterday, Law had the worst drive imaginable. First his illegal contact penalty turned a 3rd and 14 situation into a Bills first down. Then, instead of falling on a fumble, he tried to pick up the ball and run with it, and the Bills recovered. On the next play, he missed an open field tackle on a play that set up a first and goal for the Bills. Buffalo then scored to make it 14-0. With a huge '06 cap number, the Jets should let Law go after this season. 5. Santana Moss had another big game for the Redskins: 10 catches, 178 yards, 2 TDs. 6. In the post-game press conference, Herm Edwards kept referring to the red zone (the area inside the opponent's 20 yard line) as the "goal zone." Does anyone else call the red zone the "goal zone" or is this just another example of Herm's poor football acumen? 7. Solomon Wilcots has got to be the worst game analyst in NFL history. He said something foolish or wrong after at least every other play. My favorite was when he said that with two long runs, Curtis Martin had "broken the game open," leaving play-play announcer Ian Eagle to politely explain that with the Jets then down 24-10, Martin actually was helping the Jets try to get back into the game. 8. Nice to see John Abraham resume his minor injury routine. Abraham has in any event done little in the Jets last three games. Sunday, October 16, 2005
The New Rangers It's only been six games, of course, but so far the 2005-06 Rangers have been the best group to watch in years. I can't remember the last time the MSG crowd was as excited as it was last night. Rookie goalie Henrik Lundquist looks like he'll be behind net for many years. Friday, October 14, 2005
Jason Maoz, Snubs and Jbloggers Just a few somewhat belated thoughts re: the criticism by some Jbloggers of Jason Maoz's recent list of his favorite blogs: 1. The list is simply Maoz's own subjective list of blogs that he reads and likes. Why would anyone get excited over whether they are included on one person's list? Granted, my blog is included on the list, which is certainly appreciated, but when it comes down to it, it's not as though an appearance on the list results in a massive (or even a significant) amount of increased traffic. 2. Someone actually asked me if I was upset that another blogger did not include my recent post about the Lakewood Internet ban on his roundup of posts from the Jewish blogosphere on that subject. Plenty of things get me upset, such as Herm Edwards, frum Jews in New Jersey wanting the IDF to fight to the last Israeli, the fact that the roof of the house in which I rent the top floor leaked into my clothing closet last shabbos and remains unfixed, Willie Randolph, or the new scratches on my car's bumpers that seem to appear daily with the morning dew. Not being linked by someone? Come on. The guy probably doesn't read my blog. And if for some reason he actually snubbed me intentionally, should I be insulted? I hope not. But I guess some bloggers, likely the more popular ones (I'm not referring to anyone specifically, honestly), take themselves and their blogs seriously. Maybe I'm fortunate that now, at this blog's peak of popularity, I'm still averaging only around 125 unique visitors and 225 hits per day (numbers that once seemed like a lot), not enough to get a blogger ego trip. 3. Speaking of Maoz, I bet he's the only editor of a major Jewish paper that actually regularly reads blogs and publishes op-eds by bloggers. In contrast, Gary Rosenblatt of The Jewish Week scoffed at blogs and bloggers in a column he wrote, while Jewish weeklies generally have either ignored blogs or published tired, boring and inaccurate features about them by lazy freelance writers. Brief Jets Notes 1. The Daily News reports today that former WR Lam Jones is seriously ill with cancer. It doesn't sound like his condition can get much worse or that his prognosis is good. Jones was a major disappointment as a Jet, but his current predicament is a sad one and a reminder of the fragility of the human body. 2. This week's game at Buffalo is very winnable. The Bills are among the NFL's biggest disappointments. The run defense has been terrible, and their offense has been even worse. Their supposed savior, new starting QB Kelly Holcomb, is not exactly someone headed to the Hall of Fame. They were fortunate to beat Miami at home last week. Knowing the Jets, of course, all of this points to a heartbreaking Bills victory, probably due to a Mike Nugent field goal miss, a Vinny Testaverde ill-timed interception, and a Herm Edwards clock management fiasco. The Jets Have Won The Super Bowl The following is a satiric post motivated by a recent new post on another blog that I've now come across. For background, interested readers can take a look at my April 1, 2005 posts by going to the April 2005 archives and scrolling down. Sunday, February 2, 2014 The Jets Have Won Super Bowl XLVIII Wow. Wow. I wrote a long post describing how it was, how good they were to me and how nice that felt. And I wrote how in the middle of it I had to stop for a few minutes because I felt sick from all the excitement and fear coming up. I was afraid I might throw up. And later I watched them pour champagne. And that was when I finally felt what this Super Bowl stuff is really all about. Wow. But I decided not to post all the details. I want to save some of it for myself. It is enough for you to know that the Jets did it, and yes they kept their uniforms on, don’t worry, and how good they played and it felt nice. Actually what I feel is that Hashem gave me a very precious gift. In the Jets darkest hour he gave me exactly what I needed. Never in my life have I felt as beautiful as I do right now. To those who accuse me of selling out by rooting for the best football team in the world, I am 41 years old and this is the first time that my team has won the Super Bowl, and I don't feel bad about this at all. Harriet Miers, Nannies and Israel's Supreme Court 1. The nomination of Harriet Miers and the not so quiet assurances to the Christian right about her religion represent everything that is wrong about the Bush Administration. Nothing I will post will add substantively to what so many others have already said. 2. In Bush's defense, however, he clearly felt that he needed to nominate a woman to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Given what Judge Kimba Wood and Zoe Baird went through in 1993 when President Clinton nominated each of them to be Attorney General, it is obviously quite difficult to find many women who could get past the question of whether they have ever paid a babysitter "off the books." The LA Times has reported that the Bush Administration first approached several women who declined to be considered for the Supreme Court vacancy before turning to Miers. I have little doubt that the nanny issue was a primary reason for the refusal of these women to be candidates. Miers, in contrast, is not married and has no children. 3. In the U.S., when a President tries to make an appointment to a crony, the media goes crazy, and the confirmation is in serious doubt. This is quite a contrast to Israel, where the selection process of justices to the Supreme Court is a complete farce. In Israel, Chief Justice Barak and Israel's Justice Minister get together to nominate judges to the Supreme Court. Then the nine members of the judicial selection committee (one of whom is Barak himself and two others of whom are other sitting Justices) - also owning their place on that committee at least in part to Barak - agree to confirm the new judge. Last year, Hebrew University law professor Ruth Gavison, considered to be among the best legal minds in the country, was nominated to the Israeli Supreme Court. Unfortunately for Gavison, she is also a longtime critic of Barak's extreme interventionist judicial approach, as well as of the selection process for new judges. So, is this a scandal in Israel? Does the media express outrage? Not exactly. Instead, as Evelyn Gordon wrote in The Jerusalem Post, Israel's media takes all this for granted. As Gordon points out, after the nominations of Gavison and of Edna Arbel, a Barak crony, Haaretz wrote: "Gavison boasts a splendid academic career, with a focus on human rights and public activity. Considered a brilliant jurist, an independent thinker ... Chances of being chosen: Nil." The reason? "Gavison is known for her criticism of [Supreme Court President] Aharon Barak's judicial approach; thus the low probability of her appointment." In contrast, regarding Arbel, Haaretz wrote: "Legal circles express doubts as to Arbel's suitability." Not surprisingly, Barak blocked Gavison's appointment, while Edna Arbel is now Supreme Court Justice Arbel. Religious and Successful in Mainstream Israel I've seen several mentions in the Jewish blogosphere of the awarding this week of the Nobel Prize in Economics to Robert (a/k/a Johnny; a/k/a Yisrael) Aumann, but less than would be expected given that Aumann is a very religiously observant Jew who grew up in Boro Park before making aliyah to Israel. Most likely, the lack of posts are due to Yom Kippur. I'm sure the award to Aumann is the source of much pride among the American community in Jerusalem, especially in the Rechavia neighborhood, where Aumann lives and among the congregants at Beit Knesset Hanassi, the shul led by Rabbi Berel Wein that I most often attend when in Israel - where Aumann davens. Professor Aumann is the latest refutation to the mentality among Israel's charedi leadership that insists on cutting itself off from mainstream Israeli society. Many charedim in Israel continue to believe that they (or their children) will throw away their religious heritage if exposed to secular society. But there is a long list of religious Jews in Israel who have achieved prominence and distinction in Israel's secular society while remaining deeply religious and completely observant. Supreme Court Justice (and former Attorney General) Elyakim Rubinstein and leading attorney (and former Finance Minister) Yaacov Neeman are among the leaders in the legal field. Many Israeli charedim who have entered into their country's "real world" have also done quite well without compromising their values. Shlomo Kalish is among the leaders of Israel's venture capital industry, and of course, Uri Lupolianski serves as Jerusalem's mayor. Of course, service in the IDF is the main entry to mainstream Israel. While charedim should not be fully exempt from the army (an issue that is beyond the scope of this post), the charedi rabbinical leadership does have legitimate concerns about exposing yeshiva boys to the IDF's sexually mixed units, especially in light of recent reports about a significant rise in pregnancies (and abortions) among female IDF soldiers. But shutting off charedim from all of Israel's mainstream society has proven disastrous for charedim in Israel, many of whom are mired in unnecessary poverty due to the unjustified and often paranoid concerns of its leadership. Monday, October 10, 2005
The Old Days As noted by DovBear (where I first learned of the news), AidelMaidel states that she has posted for the last time. When I started blogging in May 2003, there were only a handful of frum bloggers. When AidelMaidel joined the blogosphere in the summer of '03, her new blog was the source of much discussion on Hasidic Rebel and on Protocols. Since then, there has been an explosion in the number of frum bloggers. While all are of course welcome and many of the newer bloggers are very worthwhile reads, I am somewhat nostalgic for the old days, when the few observant bloggers all seemed to know of each other. It's interesting, in that regard, to visit Rebel's site, which remains exactly as it was on October 3, 2003, when he posted for the last time without indicating that he was retiring. In particular, his blogroll lists old - but not forgotten - favorites such as Unbroken Glass. Sunday, October 09, 2005
Ten Brief Jet Musings 1. The offensive line gave far superior pass protection today than it gave to Chad Pennington or Brooks Bollinger. 2. With Cadillac Williams injured, the Jets stopped Tampa Bay's running game, but I don't know that they will be able to stop Buffalo's Willis McGahee next week. 3. After carrying the ball just ten times in the Jets first five games, Derrick Blaylock broke his foot today and is out for the season. For the 2005 season, Blaylock earned a cool $250,000 per carry, or around $135,000 for each of his 19 yards rushing. Hopefully the Jets will sign Little John Flowers, who consistently played great in the last few training camps but never made the final cut, presumably because players who aren't drafted by Terry Bradway don't make the team. 4. After the game, Herm Edwards was asked which foot Blaylock broke. He didn't know. 5. Willie Randolph got a very nice ovation at the game today. I guess there were a lot of Yankees and Braves fans there. 6. Santana Moss had another big game for the Redskins. The Jets really miss Moss' punt returning; with two more fumbles today, their own situation is going from abysmal to horrific. 7. Mike Nugent has not looked impressive. We were told that he has a very strong leg and a very calm demeanor. Well, many of his kickoffs are going short, as did his second field goal attempt today. His two misses almost cost the Jets the game today. 8. Why did Herm Edwards call timeout late in the 2nd quarter after a first down run by the Bucs? Stopping the clock allowed Tampa to slowly drive for a field goal just before halftime. 9. Edwards made the right decision going for it on 4th and goal from the 1. But why did the Jets run the ball up the middle four straight times in their goal to go situation? 10. Did the television coverage of the game show little Luke Chrebet - who will be 4 in December - acting as a ballboy retrieving the tee early in the game? The fans gave him (and by extension, his dad) a standing ovation. Friday, October 07, 2005
Rosh Hashanah in the Charedi and the Modern Orthodox Worlds In the comments to a Dov Bear post criticizing Jason Maoz's list of his favorite web sites (something that I would write about if I had the time), Jblogger extradoinaire Gil Student writes of my little blog: I love his blog when he's not talking about sports. Anyone who reads his blog has to be aware of mine, since he frequently uses post of mine as a launching pad for his own. Okay, for R. Gil then, here's a post that's not about sports, and that uses a post of his as a launching pad for my own post: In his reflections on Rosh Hashanah, Gil writes that he prefers spending the holiday in a modern Orthodox community, because, among other reasons, the cantor is far superior and services are not as long. On the other hand, Gil notes that he does miss the "screamer", a congregant who screams out the prayers, something that, he writes, he has only seen in "yeshiva-style" services. In a post by Godol Hador, the (non-)Godol writes that in the charedi world: Rosh Hashanah and the Yamim Noroim are just that: 'Noroim' - Awesome, a little scary, time for some serious introspection and teshuvah. However in Baal-Habatim land, and especially in MO land, Rosh Hashanah is just another Yom Tov, kinda like Shavuos, only with longer davening. I remember my first year out of Yeshivah, when this dawned on me, I could barely comprehend it. People came out of shul happily wishing each other good yom tov, possibly complaining about the length of davening or saying how good the tekios were this year, and then went off home to spend the day like any other Yom Tov or Shabbos. Yom Kippur was a little intense, but even then it was basically Tisha Beav with Vidduy. No biggie. Until two years ago, when I was 30 years old, I davened every Rosh Hashanah and every Yom Kippur in charedi shuls in Boro Park, almost all with my father in a chasidic shteibel. Since 1986, my father has only davened in this shteibel on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, otherwise attending services in two other Boro Park shuls. Even when he served - for more than a decade - as President of another Boro Park shul, my father continued to spend the High Holidays at the chasidic shteibel. My experience is quite similar to the (non-)Godol's and Gil's. In the shteibel, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are truly days of awe. The congregants absolutely feel as though they are being judged by G-d, and the davening is conducted accordingly. During the emotional high-point of davening, the U'Nesaneh Tokef prayer, many of the congregants scream the prayers, quite a few cry. All of this is done with absolute sincerity. On the other hand, davening in this shul usually goes on from 8 A.M. until around 2:45 P.M., with a break of around 30 minutes after the Torah reading. I found the davening to be exhausting, and in the last hour anxiously looked forward to its conclusion so that I could eat. Two years ago - and again last year and this year - I spent Rosh Hashanah with my in-laws. The shul they go to is probably best described as centrist Orthodox, though the congregants range from very modern to black hat. The davening is very nice. The rabbi, who I like and respect very much, speaks for about 20 minutes before the initial shofar blowing, and everything concludes at a reasonable time of around 1:15. Yet while I don't know if Rosh Hashanah "is just another Yom Tov" there, the fear and the awe that is present in the chasidic and yeshivish shuls I have attended is simply not present there. U'Nesaneh Tokef is sung in a very nice melody, but the sense that G-d is truly judging who will live and who will die, the reminder that man is created from dust and that his end is dust, doesn't resonate quite the same way. When I first experienced this two years ago, it was a shock to me. I still resist - for better or worse - the instinct to shout out these prayers. I wish there were a middle ground, a place where the davening is representative of a day of fear and awe, but where five hours of such davening is deemed sufficient. But I fear that, as Gil and the Godol indicate, there is no such shul. Jets Bizarro World As if things are not bad enough for the New York Jets, today offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger is quoted as saying, in a reference to Vinny Testaverde: "I'm just excited to have a quarterback. It's hard to play in this league without one." But wait, didn't the Jets already have Brooks Bollinger? "We don't have time right now for Brooks to develop," Heimerdinger replied. Okay, then, but if Bollinger is so bad that his offensive coordinator refers to him as not a quarterback, and if when called upon the Jets response is to sign another quarterback not on anybody's roster, why exactly is Bollinger on the team? As for Bollinger needing time to develop, what nonsense. He's in his third year with the Jets, just like Chad Pennington was when he replaced Testaverde in 2002. It sounds like the Jets coaching staff does not think Bollinger is an NFL quarterback. That's okay, since he wasn't a high draft pick and never brought high expectations. But why keep him around? Why not bring in another young arm with more talent and more potential? The answer is that Herm Edwards cannot be bothered about number 3 quarterbacks, and GM Terry Bradway drafted Bollinger so wants him around, even if only as a cheerleader. An October Sunday I will be attending the Jets game this Sunday. Following is my cost: Ticket: 70 dollars Babysitter: 50 dollars Tolls: 15 dollars Parking: 15 dollars Gas: Approximately 12 dollars. The experience of driving from Queens through Manhattan to New Jersey, begging the tailgaters to remove their grills so that I could park, likely watching the Jets lose again because of Herm Edwards, sitting in endless traffic on the way home, coming home with a hoarse voice and a migraine headache: Worthless. Sunday, October 02, 2005
Herm Outdoes Himself The game ended about 10 minutes ago. After I finish writing this screed, I hope never to think about it again. Is it necessary even to state why Herm Edwards' coaching performance today was his worst ever - an impressive achievement for a man who is consistently clueless about how to win a game? The most obvious is the absolute refusal to let Brooks Bollinger actually pass the football until late in the game. Even when the Jets had first and goal at Baltimore's 1 yard line following a fumble return, the only time they didn't hand off to Curtis Martin was on a failed bootleg by Bollinger. When that play failed and the Jets had 3rd and goal back at the 3, the Jets didn't bother to put any receivers in, predictably calling yet another Martin run right up the middle. How the heck did Herm expect to win the game if his team didn't score any points? Doesn't he know that outscoring your opponent is usually a necessity to win? Let's say that Bollinger is just an awful quarterback who can't be trusted to pass the ball? Well then why is he on the team, even as the number 3 quarterback? I realize number 3 quarterbacks are not usually stars, but the Jets had other options, but kept sticking with Bollinger. Indeed, in a post more than a year ago, prior to the '04 season, I lamented the Jets decision to keep Bollinger ahead of CFL MVP Ricky Ray, when I wrote, following the Jets signing of Quincy Carter to backup Chad Pennington last season: Unfortunately, the Carter signing will likely result in Brooks Bollinger staying on as the third string QB, and Ricky Ray - the star last season of the CFL - being released. I think Ray is much more talented than Bollinger, but the latter will probably remain since he was drafted by the Jets, while Ray was picked up as a free agent. I keep reading in the papers that both Ray and Bollinger have been awful in the preseason. Didn't seem that way to me on Saturday night, when Ray went 7 for 8 (mostly on short passes, admittedly) and was able to sustain several drives. A few years ago, when Trent Green was injured during the preseason, the St. Louis Rams were lambasted from having only Kurt Warner, an Arena League refugee, as a backup. If the Rams had signed an experienced backup, they wouldn't have won the Super Bowl that season. While I don't think Ray will turn out to be another Kurt Warner and think the Carter signing is a worthwhile one, I do think Ray is going to be a productive quarterback in the NFL. The Jets let Ricky Ray go for good during this past offseason after signing Jay Fiedler. Now back in the CFL with the Edmonton Eskimos, Ray is again putting up big numbers. Could he be effective in the NFL? Who knows. Again, it's difficult to know whether the problem is with the Jets decision to keep Bollinger on the roster, or with Edwards' refusal to let him try to win the game. Either way, the current situation is untenable. A couple of other notes: The receivers are killing the Jets with drops. The pass protection is awful. Fabini is just as bad from the right side as he's been at left tackle. Ben Graham's punts were unimpressive today. Derrick Blaylock again went essentially unused today, with only two carries. Why exactly was he given a $3.2 million signing bonus and an $11 million contract? The failure to utilize Blaylock is especially galling since Curtis Martin has been totally ineffective. | "
