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The long awaited saga Steampunk Torah continues with Rivkah Raven’s new chapters: Noah, Lech Lecha and Vayeira.
Not familiar with Steampunk Torah? Check out the unfolding saga here at PunkTorah.org.
Click below to download the newest chapters:
In this week’s podcast, Patrick (with cohost Stefanie) respond to the outrage over the Atlanta Jewish Times article suggesting that Israel may want to assassinate President Obama. Patrick also answers your questions about rabbinical school!
Click here to listen to this week’s podcast.
Never read Taste & See? Catch up on Laura Cooper’s Jewish conversion
comic start and follow up, “one year later“.
At PunkTorah, our most valuable asset is our people. Our dedicated staff and volunteers serve the Jewish community through web based and in-person programs that promote independent Jewish spirituality and culture. Interested in joining us? PunkTorah welcomes all qualified internship applicants, regardless of gender/gender identity, race, age, sexuality, or disability.
Position: Spring Intern, Part Time (6-8 hours/week)
Timeframe: Spring 2012 (March 5th – June 1st, 2012). Additional intern opportunity available in the summer.
Description:
This unique internship opportunity will allow a hard-working, self-motivated, creative individual to work with PunkTorah’s entire network of projects to advance Jewish spirituality and community.
Our goal is to help you learn everything you need to know to start your own non-profit, web company or multimedia project. Be prepared to learn more than any classroom will ever teach you.
Some exciting things include: WordPress website development, podcasting, graphic design, social media, creative writing, non-profit management, business/job skills, and of course, Jewish studies. Experience in these areas preferred, but not required.
Including the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of thousands of people and to learn job skills, interns will also receive free tickets to Jewish events, merchandise such as CDs and books, and upon completion of internship, letters of recommendation to schools and employers.
Interns will work out of our new office two days a week for four hours each day assisting Patrick Aleph as well as via Skype/phone with volunteers around the world. We honor all Jewish and secular holidays and will work with you to craft a consistant work schedule that is best for you and for the organization. Candidates must have reliable transportation and a commitment to PunkTorah’s values.
Please email a short resume and an email explaining why you are applying for this internship to patrick@punktorah.org.
The G-d Project will be filming at Limmud Chicago on Sunday, February 19th. Also, Patrick Aleph will be leading at least one session on contemporary views of God in the Jewish community.
If you have never been to a Limmud, you are missing out!
Limmud Chicago’s family friendly annual festival of Jewish learning will be held February 19th at the University of Illinois Chicago Student Center East. This all day event includes dozens of lectures, discussion groups, workshops and films on all things Jewish. Participants come from all backgrounds, all ages and all levels of observance. It’s an exciting opportunity to push the boundaries of what Judaism means to you – and your family.
Go to www.limmudchicago.com for more details and registration information. Interested in reserving a time for being interviewed for The G-d Project? Click here to email us.
We’ve started a fun, new Twitter account @JewishLaw. Every day (hopefully!) we will post a line of text or an insights from the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, an abbreviated compilation by Rabbi Solomon Ganzfried (translated by Hyman Goldin). Please follow us and get involved in the dialogue about Jewish law, spirituality and text!
Do you want to support @JewishLaw? Please give a donation of $5.99 to support one month of our tweeting!
It took forever to get the Deleon podcast to happen, not because singer/guitarist Dan Sacks had moved to Mexico City, but because the media computer at PunkTorah HQ crashed twice! Props to Dan for being cool about the long, long, delay. We owe him a cupcake at least.
At any rate, here is Dan Sacks from Deleon on his new album, his move abroad and the perils of the Jewish music industry.
Click here to listen to the Deleon Podcast
More info on Deleon’s Spotify project…
Our first video podcast featuring “Biblegum pop” duo Stereo Sinai. Stereo Sinai’s infectious Europop/electronica sound mixed with “lyrics stolen from God” is at once amazingly beautiful and commanding in message. Watch our first Video Podcast with the band.
I’m thinking about calling this blog Rabbi Without A Cause instead of Tattooed Rabbi. You’ll see why in the video. In any case, this is where I am right now in my rabbinical school journey. Enjoy.
Imagine someone you love got cancer (G-d forbid!) and dies. You know you have to observe their yahrzeit, but looking at your calendar that you get every year from the local Jewish funeral home, you remember the day you got the phone call that he/she was sick. So you decide to commemorate the day you got the bad news by not eating.
Welcome to 10 Tevet: a day long Mourner’s Kaddish.
On 10 Tevet, the Babylonian army laid siege to Jerusalem. Thirty months later, the city walls were breached, and on 9 Av of that same year, the Temple was destroyed. The Jewish people were exiled to Babylonia for 70 years.
After the blast of Hanukkah with food, candles and fun, suddenly our commercial break from reality is interrupted by a fasting period and solemn reflection.
To a degree, 10 Tevet is like a day long kaddish. While Mourners Kaddish marks a sad moment, it’s also uplifting, because the actual kaddish (the Aramaic words you don’t actually know yet somehow angels do) are not that sad at all:
Glorified and sanctified be God’s great name throughout the world which He has created according to His will. May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days, and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon; and say, Amen.
May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.
Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.
May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.
He who creates peace in His celestial heights, may He create peace for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.
There is a custom that even in dark times, we should say a few good words of hope. Mourner’s Kaddish does that. And for 10 Tevet, I believe that healthy dose of emo, darkwave and 80′s music will be the light at the end of the tunnel. So here’s a YouTube music video list that I hope will make 10 Tevet a little more tolerable. Have a meaningful fast.
The Cure – Boy’s Don’t Cry
The Mars Volta – Eriatarka
Feeding Fingers – Manufactured Missing Children
Sunny Day Real Estate – 8
New Order – Regret
