bombmaniac : The late Billy Mays knew what he was talking about. Have you ever used OxiClean? So far, I have yet to find a stain that could defeat it. It is an amazing product. I know that there are now a lot of knock-off products but I haven’t tried them as I am still using the tub of powder that I bought over 5 years ago.

“One doesn’t HAVE to wear a dark suit to daven. The idea is to stand before the King “kempt”, vs. unkempt.

And three times a day… you got a problem with that?”

Tzippi – I have no problem with davening 3 times a day – the discussion is about the young people who are opting out. It appears that they have a problem with it.

As for the dark suit – I don’t think Hashem cares what color you wear when you pray – only that you do it. Incidentally, this morning I attended my first class of the new Chabad JLI course in medical ethics. The young rabbi teaching it was wearing a grey suit with a striped open neck sport shirt. Surprising, but refreshing. Incidentally, if class number one is a prelude, then the course will be terrific. I highly recommend it.

If you believe that you can make money doing this than I have a bridge in Brooklyn that I would love to sell you.

“accept everyone for who they are (not what they DO, but as a human being and fellow Jew)”

Ramateshkolian – I wish that you would have posted this on thread with the Conservative/Reform debate. Many who post there don’t get the fact that we are all Jews.

When my daughter was very young she was EXTREMELY active. One day when she had really been trying my patience I said to her “you are really acting like a child.” She quickly retorted “but I AM a child.” Touche

Same daughter a few years later. My brother A”H (her favorite uncle) said to her “You are really growing up.” Her reply ” I know, I already had a pimple.”

When I was a high school student I had a 2 week summer job at what you Yanks would call the State Fair. I worked in the food building in a booth that sold hamburgers. At the close of business each evening we went to the next booth – the Coca Cola companies booth – and bought about 4 large cokes. These were poured on the grills and in barely an instant all of the grease was gone and the grills were squeaky clean. Since that time (about 50 years) I have often wondered what drinking the stuff does to our insides.

Sac and WIY – thank you for the information.

My solution for most stains is Oxi Clean. If Oxi won’t get the stain out then nothing will.

My grandmother’s legal name was Mary. I also know a couple of men named John.

I believe that the question of the OP was are Conservative and Reform Jews considered Jewish. Somehow the response to the question has mainly been overlooked in this somewhat, heated discussion. Perhaps we can get back to the original question. Isn’t it true that a person born of a Jewish mother is Jewish regardless of their religious practice – or lack of?

I think that I’ve had enough

Of this rhyming limerick stuff

I no longer can work

All my duties I shirk

And I’m looking quite ragged and rough.

Poppa bar Abba: You are very lucky to live in a community with an enormous Jewish population so that you may live your life only associating with people who are as frum as you are.

I live in a much smaller Jewish community where on many occasions all of the Rabbis do stand together as a united front. They all sit together in a group called the Council of Rabbis. They occasionally attend each other shul’s for lectures, etc. In the city that I live in the only 2 kosher bakeries in town (certified by the OU) are open on Shabbat, the only certified kosher fishmarket also carries shellfish. In NY these things would never happen but in the “outposts” people adapt. In fact, most of the shuls in this city are located in the area where most of the Jews used to live. In the area that they live in now there are only 2 shuls – one conservative and one orthodox. The ortho shul does not have a daily minyan, so all types of Jews attend my shul for yahrzeiten. I don’t know how you might live your life if you lived in a community like I do – do you? Don’t tell me that I don’t respect your halacha or your lifestyle – I do and I admire you for it. I just ask that you respect the way that I choose to live my life, as well. After all, if there were no conservative shuls a great number of those people would choose no Judaism at all rather than a frum lifestyle – then they would be lost forever. My personal view is (as a religious conservative Jew) that my daily attendance at shul and ongoing Torah study makes me as good a Jew as many orthodox and better than a lot because, after all, a good number who identify themselves as orthodox are what we call “3 day a year Jews”. So, is it better to go 3 times a year and call yourself orthodox or be there every Shabbat and Yomtov and call yourself conservative? It is a rhetorical question because people will do what is most comfortable for them.

Question for the Mods:

I can’t stop composing these silly limericks. Do I qualify for a name change? Instead of a “member” I would love to be known as a

“limericist”. (I don’t even think such a word exists but if one can be a lyricist, then why not?)

“people would live too far away from synagogues to attend and it condoned driving ONLY to the synagogue, but nowhere else”

I once had a discussion with the Rabbi(Chabad) at my daughter’s shul. He told that he never asks his congregants how they get to shul on Shabbat and that he would prefer them to come, no matter how they get there. He also told me that the municipality where the shul is located received a letter from a neighbor of the shul complaining about too many cars parked on the surrounding streets on Saturdays and Jewish holidays (BTW the complainants name was Abdul) but they would never consider having the parking lot open on Shabbat. So, as far as I can see the main difference between this Chabad shul’s viewpoint and that of my Conservative shul, is the fact that the Conservative parking lot is always open.

mybat – can this job be done from home via computer? If so, I also may be interested.

If you like things that are very lemony, here is my latest and favorite chicken recipe – which also happens to be low fat.

Mustard Grilled Chicken

1/2 cup lemon juice (use fresh squeezed only)

1/3 cup dijon mustard (smooth not grainy)

2 tsp basil

1 tsp Italian seasoning

2 tsp (or more) lemon zest

1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Put chicken between plastic wrap and flatten slightly – not thin like for schnitzel, just slightly flattened.

Combine remaining ingredients in a zip lock bag and moosh together. Add chicken to bag.

Marinade chicken for 2-4 hours in fridge.

Grill on BBQ or on an electric grill – I use a George Foreman grill.

I always make extra as this chicken is very good cold as well.

Enjoy!!

I’m Bubby to two boys that love me

Even though they tower above me

For they’r very tall

And I’m very small

And they have to bend over to hug me.

There is probably nowhere in the Torah that says pregnant women should stay away from alcohol but there is also nothing in the Torah about looking both ways when you cross the street. One must use Torah teachings together with common sense and current knowledge. In Torah times nobody knew about fetal alcohol syndrome. It wasn’t even a disease with a name until a few years ago. Now we know quite a bit about it so it obviously makes sense to avoid alcohol and tobacco when pregnant. Medical knowledge expands at a rapid rate and as we learn more we can take more steps to protect our health – example: a few year ago there was no flu vaccine – now most of us are advised to be immunized. Times change. When I was pregnant – over 40 years ago, my ob/gyn was quite elderly. At my first appointment he told me that it was wonderful that I smoked because I would have a smaller baby and, therefore, an easier time. Can you just imagine any doctor saying such a thing today!

Once again I say Shabbat Shalom

My wish is for peace in your home

And tonight when you dine

And sip of your wine

Pray for those who are all alone.

vnishmartemmeod:

Of that pumpkin you spoke of before

I just picked one up at the store

And on Hallowe’en

In my kitchen t’will be seen

Baked – and served with butter galore

1. A long time ago

2. in a far away place……

lived a very wealthy man.

Yawn

Ben Torah: You said:”generally, a result of their fighting relationship as a child”

In my experience this is completely untrue. Most adult siblings that fight do it for one of 3 reasons:

1. Their spouses don’t like each other

2. They have disagreements about business dealings.

3. They fight over a yerushah – biggest of all reasons.

MosheRose: Nowhere in his posting did he say that learning Torah is not valuable – reread it carefully. What he said was that he places a higher value on other people’s learning than on his own – meaning that others feel they are “too learned” to put away books but that he is more mentchlichkeit and will take a few moments to tidy up. At least that is how I interpreted the post. I believe it was worded the way it was because he is far too modest and too much of a gentleman to blow his own horn. The post definitely does NOT say Torah learning is not valuable.

“my wife always cooks the chicken soup with a leek in it. i recommend your wife give it a try. “

If you want a yummy treat, peel a sweet potato and put it in your chicken soup – adds a wonderful tam and tastes great. Often there are so many assorted veggies in my pot of chicken soup that there is barely room for the bird. Most of them are pretty cooked out by the time the soup is done and are discarded when I strain my soup. I only save the carrots (and eat the sweet potato right away-cook’s treat).