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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Sept. 14, 2004
/ 28 Elul 5764
Thank Heaven for the simple, spiritual life
By
Ari L. Goldman
What a former religion reporter for The New York Times has come to appreciate about the oppressiveness of his religion
http://www.jewishworldreview.com |
Growing up Orthodox, there were few things we feared more than the three-day yom tov that oddity of the Jewish calendar that juxtaposed a festival with a Sabbath, giving us a stretch of days we called "the triple whammy." For us, it meant three days with no radio, no records, no television, no telephone, no travel and no shopping.
As a series of three-day yom tovs approaches this year, however, I actually find myself looking forward to the experience. The first comes with Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 16-17), followed by Sukkos (Sept. 30-Oct. 1) and Simchas Torah and Shmini Atzeres (Oct. 7-8). Each observance is lengthened one day by the Sabbath that follows it.
It's not only that I'm an adult and have come to appreciate what once was oppressive. It's not only that I have a family of my own that I want to savor for an extra day. The main reason that I look forward to nine days of yom tov in the coming weeks is the galloping growth of technology in our daily lives.
It is relentless. I easily get a hundred e-mails a day. And there's no escaping it. I've got a desktop at work, a laptop when I travel and another desktop at home. Between the five of us in our family, there are six computers, five cell phones, two Palm Pilots and two Ipods. My children, with earphones in place, remind me of Secret Service agents. Someone's phone is always ringing, or, if not, beeping to let us know that a message is waiting.
When we had to give up television for three-day yom tovs 40 years ago, it meant giving up three channels. Now there are 300. TV is a constant barrage of entertainment and information. And even if we manage to limit it at home, it's at the airport, in stores, in hotels, in the office, even in school. News comes at us at a rapid pace, from the radio, from our phones, even from news zippers on top of taxicabs. FOX and CNN have taken the pleasure out of reading a daily newspaper. We know what happened well before it lands on our doorstep.
Israelis, who manage to escape most three-day yom tovs because of their one-day observance of most festivals, will get a taste of it this Rosh Hashanah, which is two days everywhere. Judging from my Israeli relatives, they're even more in need of a high-tech break than we Americans are. They had cell phones long before we did. Their obsession with the news makes us look like amateur news junkies.
My extended family spent Passover in Israel last April and, like other Modern Orthodox families, were swayed by a newly popular rabbinic ruling that diaspora Jews visiting Israel did not have to observe the second day of yom tov. At first it seemed like a relief, but I soon realized what a diaspora Jew I am. I actually missed the second seder.
We won't be in Israel for the coming holidays, so bring on the triple whammys. As Sabbath observers, we already know what it is to unplug for a day. Two days is unusual, but three is almost imaginable. I can't wait. I've got my holiday reading all lined up. And I'll read it in book form old-fashioned paper between two hard covers and not on my Palm. I can't wait to pick up The Times in the morning, see a headline and declare, "I didn't know that!" I look forward to a family meal uninterrupted by the ringing or beeping of a telephone. I want to talk to my children without waiting for them to press the "Stop" button.
The challenge, of course, is to try to have some of the three-day yom tov spirit permeate the rest of our lives. Rosh Hashanah represents new beginnings, so maybe we can change our daily behavior and not race after every message. ... But, wait, there goes my cell phone and my computer just dinged with a new message and I've got to catch the latest news and play my favorite album. … Thank G-d for triple whammys.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading."
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Ari L. Goldman teaches journalism and is the dean of students at Columbia University Journalism School. He welcomes your comments. To send a message, please click here.
© 2004, Ari L. Goldman. This column first appeared in the New York Jewish Week.
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