22 Nov
Culture, Latest, Moment Magazine, Religion

Overcoming the First Date Blues

We’ve all been there: the awkward first date.  He’s shy.  She’s nervous.  They wait for a table at a restaurant and try to make small talk, but observations about the weather and the restaurant prove both uninteresting and brief.  On their JDate profiles, they seemed so perfect for each other, but in person the silence is hard to overcome. Suddenly, she perks up.  “Hey, did you know that Jon Stewart’s real last name is Leibowitz?  He dropped it when he became a comic, but apparently he’s got a rocky relationship with his dad too.”  Their shoulders drop, they start breathing more freely and the conversation begins to flow.  They sit and order.  “Yeah, I love that Jon Stewart is Jewish.  And Stephen Colbert, too,” she says. “Actually, Stephen Colbert isn’t Jewish at all,” he responds.  “Neither is...

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05 Nov
Culture, Latest, Religion

E-Judaism and the Online Shtetl

By Merav Levkowitz Those of us who have a Facebook roster full of Jewish friends are used to it: “Shabbat shalom” status updates, photos of apples and honey for Rosh Hashanah, and viral articles or videos that are reposted ad infinitum (this week’s was Judd Apatow’s clip for the American Jewish World Service’s twenty-fifth anniversary). For many of us, Facebook, Twitter, and blogs are our main channels of news, particularly with regards to the Jewish world. Thanks to the Internet, the international Jewish community has become closer than ever. First, the Internet opens the doors of Judaism to the world. Throughout history, Jews have been encouraged to actively engage with the texts. With the Internet, discussion and the exchange of history and customs has moved beyond physical tables to online forums and chat rooms that transcend borders imposed...

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