Anonymity

Last night at our text study somehow the issue of anonymity came up -- I think when we were talking about the disturbing responses posted anonymously on line about the article that Lauren sent out re: NOLA AVODAH. We were noting how vitriolic and nasty people can be when they are commenting anonymously, a trend that a lot of us have noticed. At Wesleyan, where I went to college, there is a terrible tradition called the Anonymous Confession Board (ACB) where people post often violent and hateful comments directed at individuals or groups - it is also used as a venting board for some people who have never heard of a journal before.. but anyway it's terrible. I'm not v. articulate but I object to anonymous posting because I think it just gives people this space to let out the worst of themselves with no responsibility or repercussions, even though what they write can be quite violent and oppressive to readers.

I just read this opinion piece from the Capital Times in Madison, WI (TWO links to Lauren in this post!) by Connie Shultz where she argues against anonymous posts and all that they signify. I thought it was worth sharing. My favorite point she makes:

Anonymous comments also alienate many thoughtful readers, who constitute the majority of people who read newspapers. When readers complain to me about ugly comments, I urge them to weigh in, but most balk. It's like trying to persuade your friends to visit a great tavern in a bad neighborhood; they want nothing to do with that side of town...

My concern is that readers will continue to despair that the worst anonymous comments represent a growing crowd in America. Yet reader response via e-mail and voice mail - and my daily interactions with people on Facebook and around the country - assures me that this is not true.

Most Americans believe civility matters.

They also believe it comes with a name.

Quickie. Abstinence. $. Grrr.

One of the major successes with Obama coming into office was the defunding of abstinence only programs- proven ineffective behavioral interventions harmful to American youth. GMHC, and I, don't like these programs for many reasons, including: misinformation about STIs, HIV & contraception, harmful gender stereotypes, anti-gay biases, and because they don't work. They make it more likely that people have less safe sex.

Oh, but the wonder of not really pro-choice solid Democrats has brought them back through a vote in the Senate Finance Committe last night. 5o MILLION restored for abstinence only tagged onto health care. So now THAT is on the bill and has to be bartered off amid everything else.

reflecting on judaism and activism

On Tuesday night, we had an educational session and text study with AVODAH founder and director, Rabbi David Rosenn. He shared his life story with us, and many of us were totally mesmerized by his obvious passion and vision. I personally was inspired and invigorated by Rabbi Rosenn’s enthusiasm. His talk helped me remember and confirm why I chose to do AVODAH in the first place.
In addition to sharing his personal life path, he engaged us in a text study about the connection between repentance and activism. In the Jewish calendar, this week between Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur is called The Tens of Repentance. We are all urged to wake up and do some serious self-reflection. We are forced to think critically about our interpersonal relationships, as well as our relationships with those in the broader global community and our relationship with God.
Rabbi Rosenn used Psalm 27, “L’David,” to demonstrate these various aspects of repentance and reflection. One verse in Psalm 27 reads: “I ask one thing of God: to dwell in the House of God all the days of my life, to look upon the God’s beauty and ‘l’vaker’ in His temple.” Rabbi Rosenn explained that the modern Hebrew translation of “l’vaker,” to visit, does not apply to the Torah. We must look for a different explanation for this word. He offered three possibilities:
1) “boker” = morning. The request is to visit the Temple regularly.
2) “bakar” = cattle. The request is to be able to tend to the Temple, like one tends to cattle
3) “bikoret” = criticism. The request is to be critical and think critically about one’s relationship with God.
Repentance is composed of these three aspects: it must be done regularly, it must be tended to and it must be done critically. These are also important ways to think about our relationships with one another, as well as being conscious about what’s going on in the world around us. Thinking about the world in these terms will also help inform and enhance our activism and our work for social change.
And don’t forget: “Don’t crash the ambulance! But other people will be your ambulance, too.”

Our love is all we got, honey

I want folks to start using this as a sharing forum - it doesn't just have to be anecdotes or stories but also fun events or cool recipes, ideas whatever.

To start us off I turn to a great "recipe for the recession" that my dear friend Eliza (brooklynrecessionista.blogspot.com) put up on her awesome blog about recession-related topics (including cool cheap tips!). I don't know if it will rival Anna's bread but it's worth a shot!

From Eliza Ronalds-Hannon:
Here's what you'll need:

A cup of warm water ... $0
2 tablespoons of oil ... $.17
3 teaspoon salt* ... $.05
* here i'm tripling the amount of salt called for in the recipe I used because the judges unanimously felt that our bread came out a bit bland.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ... $.40 @ $4.69 for a 5 lb. bag
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour* ...$.40 @ $4.69 for a 5 lb. bag
*(Maybe next time I'll try a 100% whole wheat, or even a multigrain, but I wanted to keep it extra easy for my first time. Sue me.)
2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast ... $1.10
Total cost: $2.12 for two loaves, or $1.06 each.
But even if a few loaves of bread a month (or a week if you are buying for a family) isn't a budgetary burden, reasons abound for baking at home. One big one for me is avoiding the chemical preservatives in commercial brands. Before writing this very post I searched, in my boundless and noble journalistic integrity, far and wide within the kitchen of my Brooklyn apartment for a loaf of commercial bread so as to accurately report its price. To my horror I found half of one that I had bought at least a month ago, chillin on an abandoned shelf and looking exactly as it did the day it was born: no mold, barely even stale. What must they be putting in there to defy the laws of nature in this way?!??

Answer: dicalcium phosphate, diammonium phosphate, calcium propionate. Mmmmm.

Here is the recipe:

1. Pour warm water into a small ceramic bowl and add the yeast, but do not stir. Set aside.

2. Add the oil and salt to the water and yeast mixture; mix well.

3. Add the 1.5 cups of white flour and stir. Once incorporated, add the 1.5 cups of whole wheat flour. Stir until incorporated.

4.To knead the dough, flatten the dough and fold it over, pressing on it with your hands. Turn the dough sidewise and do the same thing. Flatten, fold, press, turn, flatten, fold, press, turn, a few times.

5. After kneading, roll the dough into a ball and put it in a greased bowl, rolling the dough around in the bowl so a thin film of oil covers the dough. Then cover the bowl with a cloth or paper towels.

6. Let it rise in a warm place for about an hour. It should double in size.

7. When you come back to it, "Punch down" the dough. Apparently when they say "punch down," though, they really mean smush down, judging by how quickly my mentor took over the punching after seeing me let loose on it. After its smushed down, leave it and let it rise again until almost double, for about another 30 minutes.

8. Divide the dough into two equal parts and let it rest for 10 minutes. Shape into loaves and put into greased pans. Let it rise again, until sides of dough reach the pan and the top is well rounded (30 minutes to 1 hour).

9. Bake the loaves at 425 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes. The loaf pans should not touch each other or the sides of the oven or the heat won't circulate well enough to bake them evenly. To test for doneness, tap the crust, it should sound hollow. If is doesn't, bake a few minutes more.

When the bread is done baking, immediately remove the loaves from the pans. Set on wire racks or across the edges of the loaf pans so that air can circulate around it. Let it cool at least 20 minutes before slicing and eating, or the inside will stay dense and doughy. (I personally love it that way, but apparently that's weird.)

Amy Goodman on Israel's War Crimes in Gaza

Hey everyone --

Democracy Now! is one of my favorite news sources, check it out if you don't already. They have a podcast but you can watch it here.

Yesterday's feature story was on the UN probe into the Gaza war and Israeli responsibility in perpetuating war crimes. I thought it would be an interesting report for any and all AVODAH-niks to talk about, because they really engage with the allegations that this report is anti-Israel or biased and I think it's well done, whether or not you agree with it.

Welcome! AVODAH NYC 09-10

I thought that this blog would be an amazing opportunity for us, AVODAH NYC 09-10, to share our adventures in Clinton Hill (18 women, one house, yep) and at our job placements (non-profit anti-poverty organizations throughout NYC) with our families, friends, and the people who so generously contributed to our fundraising campaigns!

Also, this can be a GREAT space to share information and fun events with each other! It's anything-goes space and I hope all 18 of us contribute in some way or another.

To start us off, I'd love to encourage folks to see a new documentary that's playing in NY until September 22 called "Crude". My dear friend Priya has been working really hard on this and it engages with the issue of the real cost of oil drilling in Ecuador. For more information look here, and I have posted the trailer below.