Thoughts on being Jewish

I was a "Trekkie" - I'll admit it. Every week, I'd cuddle with my parents to watch the latest episode of the adventures of Kirk, Spock and Co. Always the nonconformist, I had an intense crush not on the hunky Captain Kirk, but on the more cerebral Mr. Spock. Guess I had a thing for pointy ears. Be that as it may; I soon discovered that Leonard Nimoy was a proud Jew who, with his "live long and prosper" gesture, portrayed to the world an ancient Priestly blessing. The Kohens (the High Priests of... Sign in to see full entry.

What do the shows In Treatment and Phenomenon have in common? They were both imports from Israel. Now, I can't claim to have seen the HBO series, In Treatment, but I've heard its quite addictive once you start watching. It has also garnered four Emmy nominations. Phenomenon, a reality show that follows Israeli mentalist Uri Geller (the spoon-bending wonder) and Criss Angel in pursuit of the next great mentalist was, in Israel, based on a show starring Uri Geller. "I don't know what's in the... Sign in to see full entry.

The term “Zionist” stems from the word Zion, which first appears in the Old Testament – the Torah – as another name for the City of King David, and came to mean over thousands of years, the whole of Jerusalem and its environs. A Zionist, therefore, is anyone – Jew or non-Jew - who believes that Israel is a Jewish homeland. But as far as I’m concerned, the term is somewhat outdated. Before 1948, Zionism was the movement to establish a Jewish country in Zion – Jerusalem – where Jews have been... Sign in to see full entry.

A few days ago, Justi and Taps asked this very question in commenting on my Refugee post. As a Jewish person, that question always confounds me, too, so I guess I have to go to a non-Jewish source to ask. And I found one. Julie Burchill is one of the most outspoken columnists, authors and documentary film producers in England - and wildly popular due to her controversial views. I don't agree with some of her causes (like leading the charge to eliminate the Hijab - head scarves - for Muslim... Sign in to see full entry.

I will show RESTRAINT in my post today, though I'm chomping at the bit to clarify what the glib "moderator" on CNN who hosted two young women; one an Israeli American and other other a Palestinian American unfurled in his segment. To say that the whole thing had a Jerry Springer, get them at each other's throats, Bride Wars aspect to it would be an understatement and just underscores the fact that the Mideast conflict has turned into a worldwide shouting match. But today, I will not enter that... Sign in to see full entry.