“Nittai of Arbel says: Keep far from a bad neighbor, do not become connected to an evil person and don’t ever give up on the notion of reward and punishment” (Ethics of the Fathers, 1:7). When someone is adopted they are sometimes blessed/cursed with the choice of staying connected to their biological family, and that
In the 19th century, textile workers afraid of machines replacing their role in their industry started destroying mechanical equipment as a form of protest. Now, they weren’t, as many people believe, opposed to technological advancement, but they were highly concerned about their diminishing role in the future of their work. Today, we do associate that
Or anyone else, for that matter. A few years ago, Microsoft made a chatbot using an Artificial Intelligence farm, called “Tay,” designed to make Tweets from the perspective of a teenage girl. Within 24 hours, Internet trolls managed to subvert the chatbot AI into racist and antisemitic, claiming Jews caused 9/11 and that Hitler was
No, I’m not making a Game of Thrones reference, unless I’m skiing like there’s a hot Targaryen at the bottom of the ski hill. I’ve been a telemark skier for about 23 years. I’ve done alpine and I’m fine with it, and I’m mildly curious about splitboarding, but telemarking has become special to me. I
I was a little despondent when Nick Isgro was elected to be the Maine GOP’s vice chairman last week. I don’t know him personally, so I can’t say whether I like or dislike him, but I’m troubled any time someone with a profoundly milquetoast resume waxes “tough guy” on social media using a lexicon enjoyed
This has for us been the most engaged week of Chanukah in a long time. We had a friend’s family over for the second night, we went to Chabad’s lighting and party in downtown Bangor, we had 11 friends over last night, and after the Chanukah party at our shul on Sunday, we’re enjoying the
I received the death notice about Morris Merlin today from our synagogue, and my heart is broken. I couldn’t take Morris on social media. He was too much. He hated Donald Trump and the people that voted for them. He hated libertarianism. He hated that I ran as a Republican for State House. I didn’t
Victory in defeat, there is none higher. She didn’t give up, Ben; she’s still trying to lift that stone after it has crushed her. She’s a father working while cancer eats away his insides, to bring home one more pay check. She’s a twelve-year-old trying to mother her brothers and sisters because mama had to
I cannot say enough that don’t like the nativist streak within the Republican Party. Some if it is absolutely racist, playing on the notion that the swarthy peoples from southern lands are coming here not for a better life, but to join MS-13, rape our husbands, and addict our kittens to drugs. It’s a reality/fact
“Let’s do havdalah tonight,” I said to Leah. For our non-Jewish friends, this is the little ceremony that marks the end of Shabbos and the beginning of the normal week. We highlight the partition between the sacred and the profane, between that island of holiness in our daily lives that is Shabbos, and the mundane
Writer, President of Bangor's Congregation Beth Israel, soldier, programmer, father, musician, Heeb, living in the woods of Maine with three ladies and a dog.
Director of Education for Congregation Beth Israel in Bangor, Maine, special educator and former school board member, mother to Amelia and Nezzie.
