McCain's Supporters In Brooklyn

A group of journalism graduate students at Columbia University put together this interesting study of how Brooklyn is politically divided ("Bleeding Red for McCain") on their original online news publication, Brooklyn Ink. Using public records of campaign donations, they put together a map that visually reflects which areas of Brooklyn are red and which are blue. Following the map is a series of vignettes about the particular areas in support of McCain. The introduction follows: Venture to the southeastern point of Brooklyn, below Avenue H, and you will find a Brooklyn where Syrian Jews dine on kibbeh in Gravesend, and where Muslims heed the call to prayer in Bensonhurst. This is a Brooklyn where the manicured lawns and Mercedeses on Ocean Parkway or in Dyker Heights shout one kind of American dream, and where the Cyrillic...

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More from actor Kirk Douglas about being Jewish

We hope you've all seen our exclusive interview with actor Kirk Douglas in the September/October issue of Moment in which he talks with his rabbi, David Wolpe. Moment has published thoughts from Douglas before. Back in 1995 we published a (slightly adapted) speech that he had previously given to the Los Angeles Synagogue for the Performing Arts. From the Moment archives, the article follows... When I was a poor kid growing up in Amsterdam, New York, I was pretty good in cheder, so the Jews of our community thought they would do a wonderful thing and collect enough money to send me to a yeshiva to become a rabbi. It scared the hell out of me, because I didn't want to become a rabbi. I wanted to be an actor. Believe me, the members of the Sons...

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Online Exclusive Film Watch: Religulous

Read the current issue's Film Watch on Sixty Six, here. "Religion must die for mankind to live." When Bill Maher resolutely declares this in his new documentary Religulous (a subtle blending of the words "religion" and "ridiculous"), you can't help but cringe. Whether or not you consider yourself to be religious, it's something you just don't say out loud. It's just wrong, right? But of course, it's a concept that many have secretly questioned at some point. Wouldn't things just be so much easier if religion didn't exist? The film is full of cringe-worthy moments, as Maher bombards each person he interviews with intense questioning, often to the point where the person becomes so flustered that Maher is asked to leave. He's on a quest to call into question people's blind faith. Maher just doesn't understand how intelligent,...

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Reminder: Moment's 2008 Book Poll

We had a wonderful response to our Presidential Poll, and now is the time to have your voice heard in our Book Poll. What's your favorite Jewish book? Write an email to vote@momentmag.com, and we might share the results in our next issue. Be sure to include your name, city, favorite book and reason for your choice. Please have your votes in by this Friday, October 3 at 5:00. And be sure to check out the newsstands in November for Moment's Book Issue. Photo by josiehen.

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Announcing the 2007 Moment-Karma Short Fiction Contest winners

Moment Magazine is pleased to announce the winners of the 2007 Moment Magazine−Karma Foundation Short Fiction Contest, our prestigious international contest for Jewish short fiction. This year’s winners—Joe Kraus of Scranton, PA; Andi Arnovitz of Jerusalem; and Ellen Davis Sullivan of Andover, MA—will be honored at our annual event, this year featuring guest judge Geraldine Brooks, on December 9 at 7:30 pm at B’nai Jeshurun in New York City (257 West 88th Street). The contest, cosponsored by Moment Magazine and the Karma Foundation, was established in 2000 to recognize the renaissance in Jewish literature that has occurred over the last decade. At the event, Geraldine Brooks, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March and People of the Book, will read from her work and the contest winners will read from their stories. A reception and book...

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Physical Modesty in Judaism: A Response by Rabbi Gershon Winkler

In our current issue, we printed a letter from a reader who was curious about Rabbi Gershon Winkler's response to our Ask the Rabbis question ("Who Cares What Women Wear ?") in the July/August issue. Here is his response in its entirety: Reader's question: "I would like to know, in a precise citation, where in his writings 'Rav Moshe Feinstein boldly pointed out that there is no Torah injunction against nudity,' and precisely in what context this statement was allegedly made." Rabbi's response: I translate below the pertinent excerpts from Rav Moshe Feinstein's response regarding nudity. The question was brought to him in the context of a man whose skin rash made it uncomfortable for him to wear clothing, and to pray clothed, etc. In permitting the man to not be clothed, Rav Feinstein...

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