2Life Magazine

Bye, bye Helen

2010-06-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

The power of the internet is fascinating. A teenager and his father, Adam Nesenoff and Rabbi David Nesenoff, were pretty far down the media food chain, but after interviewing media icon Helen Thomas during the American Jewish Heritage Month celebration on May 27 at the White House, they became a media sensation.

They went around asking notables if they had any "comments on Israel," and as the world now knows, Helen Thomas sure did.

"Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine," the doyenne of the Washington press corps said, and laughed. "Remember, these people are occupied, and it's their land."

Nesenoff asked where she thought they should go.

"Go home," she responded.

Asked to elaborate, Thomas said, “Poland, Germany,” and after more prompting by the rabbi, added “and America, and everywhere else.”

The video was only posted on June 3, and quickly gained national attention, unleashing a flurry of demands for Thomas’ marginalization, if not dismissal.

On Monday, Thomas, 89, heeded the calls and quit. It was a rapid fall for a woman who had become a liberal icon.

Thomas, the child of Lebanese immigrants, was known to be a fierce critic of Israel, but it took a citizen journalist to initiate her fall.

You can see the video here.

I also hate the Jews on Facebook

2010-05-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

Facebook has a new problem. Antisemitism. To be more precise: Facebook groups in Spanish with the name "Yo Tambien Odio Los Judios" ("I also hate the Jews"). For the last two weeks, groups with this name were being created on Facebook. No one has to join the group (and share much private information), but only give a thumbs up, pressing the "I like" bottom.

As a reaction, a group with the name 24 HORAS para que Facebook borre el grupo "YO TAMBIÉN ODIO A LOS JUDÍOS" (24 hours for Facebook to delete the group "I also hate the Jews") was created.

The antisemitic groups seem to be mainly joined by Latin Americans, among them the vast majority from Argentina. The first two groups were eliminated with around 500 members each. Here a news report on the elimination of the first group (in Spanish). The members shared antisemitic material from many infamous websites, including Spanish translations of the so-called Protocolls of the Elders of Zion, but also from sources such as YouTube. After Facebook removed the group, a new group with the same name was created today, so far attracting around 200 members (and growing).

Facebook wants to grow up and make its business more profitable, but hate groups who misuse the freedom provided to them, will definitely leave stains on its reputation.

Bearing Witness in Second Life

2010-03-09T08:24:00.000-08:00

Denver's Chanel 9 News reported about Fanny Starr, a Holocaust survivor who regularly speaks in Second Life about her experiences (2Life reported several times about events with her). Here the video.

The Inchvestor

2010-03-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Jerry Paffendorf is one of the pioneer entrepreneurs of Second Life. During the big media boom, his name came up in many of the stories dealing with virtual real estate.

Roughly a year ago, he spoke with Rita J. King, founder of "Dancing Ink Productions", about his new real life venture. The story can be found here. Loveland, so the name of the project, is a micro real estate project, selling land in the Detroit area inch by inch. (King is currently his biggest investor.)

Detroit has 62,000 uninhabited buildings and vacant lots, according to the U.S. Postal Service. Entire blocks of commercial and residential property are deserted. It's the harsh, physical evidence of a city that has lost 1 million people from its peak population of 1.8 million in the 1950s. Right now, Paffendorf is selling an inch of Detroit real estate for $1. After 10,000 square inches are sold, Paffendorf plans to begin selling property by the square foot.

NPR has an interesting story about this (click here) and so does the Detroit News.

Fiddler on the Japanese Roof

2010-03-03T13:15:00.001-08:00

The internet is full of little fun things to discover, like this one here: a Japanese version of Fiddler in the Roof. If you visit the YouTube site, you even find more songs from this American musical. Enjoy.

Under Attack in a Virtual World

2010-03-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

PresenTense virtual issue is taking shape in Google Wave. Among the articles that can be already found online is one by Andre Oboler, originally published by PresenTense Magazine in The Digital Issue, February 2010.

The Jewish people are losing the war. When it comes to the online world, we are for the most part disorganized, under-resourced and lacking leadership. Battles may be determined by short-term objectives, but wars are won by strategy and determination. In the Jewish world today, few have realized that we are in an online virtual war. This is a war against the Jewish state, and against the Jewish people.

The virtual world is a battleground of competing ideas. In a world with no absolute truth or commonly accepted values, racism and intolerance are becoming widely accepted in society. Discrimination, rather than freedom from discrimination, becomes a right. As these poisonous ideas spill over from the virtual world into the real world, there is a potential reversal of all the progress that has been made in the name of civil rights.

Online, as in the real world, there is an extreme fringe. These are the classic antisemites and racists, often sporting swastikas and calling for death to the Jews. In the real world, such racism is opposed and attracts social penalties. In the virtual world, however, such expressions of hate usually pass without comment. Modern online values can even legitimize such views, giving them equal weight to any other “opinion”. Online anonymity further exacerbates the problem. The largest challenge we face is not the racists — it is the online culture that accepts them and their message. This acceptance allows others, particularly the young, to be drawn to prejudice through their ignorance. It encourages good people to stand idly by, or risk the ire of the community for attempting to limit another’s “free expression”.

In May 2007, Facebook added a code of conduct to support its terms of service. The code stated, "While we believe users should be able to express themselves and their point of view, certain kinds of speech simply do not belong in a community like Facebook."

The code of conduct did not seek to define what was illegal; instead, it sought to define shared values for the Facebook community. The code sought to exclude "graphic or gratuitous violence," "threats of any kind,” material that “intimidates, harasses, or bullies anyone” and “derogatory, demeaning, malicious, defamatory, abusive, offensive or hateful” material. The code of conduct lasted almost two years before it was quietly dropped.

Commenting on Holocaust denial on Facebook after the code of conduct was removed, Facebook spokesperson Barry Schnitt said, "The bottom line is that, of course, we abhor Nazi ideals and find Holocaust denial repulsive and ignorant. However, we believe people have a right to discuss these ideas and we want Facebook to be a place where ideas — even controversial ideas — can be discussed.”

When hate-inspired conspiracy is considered as legitimate as historical fact, we have entered a dangerous post-modern stage of society. When those wishing to excuse or deny the Holocaust are said to have nothing worse than a controversial idea, it’s time to step back and wonder how far online society has regressed.

Since the beginning of 2010, Facebook, responding to a public outcry, has started to remove the classic Nazi and Holocaust-denial groups such as “For the followers of Hitler” and “6,000,000 for the TRUTH about the Holocaust.” This change has happened without an announcement, press release or change in written policy.

While this is a step in the right direction, a significant amount of hateful content continues to proliferate on Facebook. Without a doubt, anti-Semitism abounds. More than 100 “Gaza Holocaust” groups, both large and small, still exist. Many of the groups label Israelis as Nazis and demonize Jews. Messages that attack Israel as a Nazi, apartheid, evil state pervade both Facebook and the Internet in general. Moreover, derogatory comments about the disabled, gays and various non-whites are increasingly common on other social-media sites, such as YouTube, Flickr and Blogger. This is not just a Jewish issue.

In the war of ideas, we must look for something to spark a change in online social values. Public leadership on social values is needed. We must hope such leadership eventually will emerge from the corporate world, from the likes of Facebook, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft. If it does not, that role falls to governments and the general public.

Change is starting to happen. “David Appletree,” working under a pseudonym due to concern for his safety, founded the Jewish Internet Defense Force in 2008. The organization’s campaigns have led to the removal of hundreds of antisemitic groups on Facebook, as well as hundreds of racist YouTube videos.

"The problem is overwhelming,” Appletree said. “More people need to get involved to fight anti-Semitism online. Only then can we, together, start to get on top of this problem."

Recently though, Appletree’s own Facebook account was disabled by the social-media site because he does not use his real name. But more than 50 accounts purporting to belong to Santa Claus have not been given the same treatment.

Last December, the Zionist Federation of Australia launched the Community Internet Engagement Project to provide research, training and support to the Australian Jewish community to respond to online hate. That same month, the Global Forum to Combat Anti-Semitism met in Jerusalem, where experts and government representatives from around the world discussed antisemitism, including online antisemitism. The forum produced 17 pages of recommendations to combat online antisemitism.

In an Internet culture where hate of Jews and Israel is seen as just another equally legitimate viewpoint, the Jewish people are set for disaster. Historically, we have been persecuted not just because we had persecutors, but because those who could have stopped it stood idly by. The online world is creating a culture where people will — once again — stand idly by.

As Jews we must stand up and challenge those who use technology to promote racism and hate. We must use the tools provided by sites such as Facebook and YouTube to report the hate we see online. In the wider name of humanity, we must ask others to join us, to turn their backs on those who hate and to exclude them from our online communities. We must create a culture where people refuse to participate in communities that lack basic social values. This starts when we take a stand ourselves, as individuals, against the hate, racism, and bullying we see online. We must work for an online world that remembers the lessons of the past and incorporates the strides made for human rights over the last 60 years.

The clash of cultures that is taking place around the globe is reflected online, but so is the rejection of Western values. We are once again in a brave new world, a world of rapid change where anything can happen. In this new world the Jewish people are once again the canary in the coal mine. The online war over the values of society is a war that we must win — and not only for the sake of the Jewish people. This is a war over universal values. It is a war that civil society can’t afford to lose.

Wave

2010-02-17T06:41:00.000-08:00

Google has a new feature: Wave. Wave allows communication and collaboration in real time. Something that might change the way Internet communication works. Not only for individuals, but for organizations, networks etc. Working online might never be the same. Or at least this is what optimists hope.
PresenTense is one of the first organizations to explore the possibilities of Google Wave. Their 10th issues is dedicated to digital realities, and it will only be published online, not as a hard copy, using Google Wave.
An interesting experiment. The results will be presented in a few weeks, and for sure this will make some waves.
For those who want to learn more about Google Wave, watch this long presentation made last year, introducing the feature to a few chosen ones as a kind of unofficial launch.

Virtual Revolution

2010-02-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

BBC has produced a very interesting looking documentary about how the Internet has transformed the world, but ironically enough, you can only watch it online if you life in the UK. To quote my buddy Wagner James Au: "Don't you think it's immensely silly to produce an online program claiming that the Internet has transformed the world... then prevent almost everyone in the world from viewing it on the Internet?"
Anyhow, on YouTube you find an interesting teaser. Hope to be able to watch more online in the near future.

Lost

2010-02-02T10:57:00.001-08:00

The final season of Lost set to kickoff tonight night. The JTA staff started wondering: What if it had been an El Al flight that crashed on the island? Here the answers from their website:

In the first place, the plane would have never crashed because the pilots would have been able to perform evasive maneuvers. But if it had…
- Jack would not have been the only doctor.
- John Locke would have been named Yeshyahu Leibowitz.
- Sayid would have never been on the plane.
- Instead of his makeshift radio, some of the Israeli passengers would have set up a high-speed Internet link.
- A Chabad house would have opened up.
- There would be more than just one recklessly driven, German-made vehicle on the road.
- The existence of a nuclear weapon on the island would never have been acknowledged.
- Gratuitous shots of Kate in her underwear would be replaced by quick peeks of haredi women sans sheitels.
- The island would suddenly have attracted the attention of the entire world, with the U.N. accusing the passengers of illegally occupying territory and using disproportionate force to fend off attacks by the Others.

Life 2.0

2010-01-30T12:17:00.000-08:00

"Life 2.0" documentary teaser from Jason Spingarn-Koff on Vimeo.

Teaching á la Modiya

2010-01-28T09:27:00.000-08:00

“Teaching à la Modiya” offers strategies and multi-media primary sources for teaching selected readings related to cultural practices at the intersection of Jews, media, and religion. Each installment brings students into direct contact with the primary sources upon which a given reading is based. Inspired by Teaching the Journal of American History, each installment includes a reading, commentary by the author, and exercises using primary sources (artifacts, photographs, film clips, audio, excerpts from a variety of texts), as well as recommended readings and links to relevant materials accessible online.

The first installment is dedicated to "Absolut Tchotchke," Chapter 5 of Jeffrey Shandler's, Adventures in Yiddishland: Postvernacular Language and Culture (University of California Press, 2005).

This chapter explores how American Jews express their postvernacular relationship to Yiddish through objects.

The Absolut Tchotchke installment includes the complete chapter, discussion questions, recommended readings, and four exercises, together with primary source materials, on the following topics:

• Analyzing Objects of Postvernacular Yiddish
• Mock Yiddish-English Dictionaries
• Postvernacular Yiddish on eBay
• Material Culture of Other Postvernacular Languages (Irish, Occitan)

“Teaching à la Modiya” is a project of the Working Group on Jews Media and Religion, which is convened by Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett and Jeffrey Shandler at New York University’s Center for Religion and Media.

If you are curious, click here.

Cultural Heritage Artists Project: Jaime Kriksciun

2010-01-26T06:26:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, the Cultural Heritage Artists Project of the Orchard Street Shul will end. At this point, it is not decided if this exhibition will travel to another location, but all in all the feedback was very positive. We take this opportunity to introduce another, last artist -- and apologize to all of the other artists who did not make it into the blog. Here now three questions to Jaime Kriksciun.

How did you find out about the Orchard Street Shul project and what motivated you to participate?
I received a call to artists through the New Haven Arts Council. My interest was first sparked by the restoration aspect as a major portion of my career consists of the restoration and refurbishing of old and deteriorating stained glass windows, many associated with ecclesiastical buildings. Before my first official visit to the Shul as part of the CHAPS group, I did a drive by and was immediately struck by the unusual architecture of the building. Once inside, it was obvious this was a diamond in the rough in desperate and necessary need of repair, as a historic landmark, not only for followers of the Jewish faith, but also for New Haven and the community as a whole.

How does this work fit into the context of your other art work?
Trained as a fine artist in multiple disciplines, my focus has been in stained glass for the past ten years. I've sought to push the craft and it's medium from more traditional means into the 21st century, mixing mediums (paint, found objects, etc. . .) with the glass. I tend to tell inspired stories through my pieces and I saw in the shul and it's story a perfect opportunity. There are many layers to my work, literally and figuratively, beyond the broad theme or idea I wish to express. I notoriously includes subtle details, in the form of meaningful objects which require close inspection and deeper introspection. In the case of the Shul piece, I was able to procure several broken crystals from the building's chandeliers as well as some paint chips which i directly incorporated into the work.

What did you "learn" by dealing with the synagogue as inspiration for your work?
At a very basic level, I was simply unaware of the existence of the Orchard Street Shul. I knew of the neighborhood, but became increasingly fascinated by the history that unfolded surrounding the area and the Shul as the project progressed. Not being of the Jewish faith and knowing somewhat little of the Jewish practice of worship (until becoming involved with the Orchard Street Shul project) I was largely unfamiliar with the interior design of a synagogue and the specific symbolisms therein. I've always been a follower of architectural styles and movements. Having had the opportunity to attend some of the lectures and talks on the diversity of synagogue building and architecture throughout history in the New Haven area as well as nationwide and abroad has expanded my knowledge and sparked my interest in this specific area of design.

The People of the DNA

2010-01-25T06:01:00.000-08:00

JLTV's Brad Pomerance reports on Author Jon Entine's Book "Abraham's DNA: Race, Identity and the DNA of the Chosen People."

Living Virtually

2010-01-13T11:39:00.000-08:00

Don Heider, dean of the school of communication at LOYLA university of Chicago, wrote a book a book about life in the age of Web 2.0. The title: Living Virtually. 2Life Magazine is also mentioned in it (if you go to the Amazon website and click on book preview, you can find the entry, it is on page 280). On YouTube I found the interview with him about this project. Sounds interesting. Maybe 2Life can obtain a review copy.

Virtually Jewish in JW Magazine

2010-01-04T12:19:00.001-08:00

The winter issues of Jewish Woman Magazine features a piece by Elicia Brown on online Judaism, stating that

From online minyans to e-conversions, from streaming Shabbat services to “Second Life” Shabbat candle-lighting, e-Judaism is reaching new audiences and transforming lives.

Brown also mentions Second Life in her story:

Virtually Jewish

I don’t know Ben Hammer or his family, and I didn’t fly from my home in New York City to Loveland, Ohio, where Ben’s bar mitzvah took place. I wasn’t invited. But I do know that Ben wore a dark suit, white shirt and red tie to his ceremony. And I know that although he didn’t glance up often from his prepared speech, he did master the perfect pause between phrases, and twitched his fingers animatedly to suggest parentheses around a word.

I know all this because I attended Ben’s bar mitzvah. Virtually, that is.

Ben Hammer’s may be among the first bar mitzvahs to be streamed live online, but it surely won’t be the last. With just a few clicks of a computer mouse, anyone—a far-flung relative or an ailing friend—could have witnessed the scene in the blond-wood sanctuary of Congregation Beth Adam on that morning in August. Even today, months afterward, anyone can watch Ben’s event.

I’m no techie. I still scribble on a paper calendar to keep track of my events and appointments. So when I started to explore recent Jewish innovations on the Web, I was astonished. If the online world is called cyberspace, then it appears that the stars are actively realigning.

Some observers describe the transformation in the Jewish world as akin to the shift from an oral tradition to a written one. “Now we’re moving from books to a Digital Age,” says Rabbi Rebecca Sirbu, who directs Rabbis Without Borders, helping rabbis rethink their route to reaching Jews. “Some enter with a little trepidation. What does it mean to offer rabbinical advice to someone you’ve never seen?”

One person who understands this experience is Rabbi Laura Baum, the 30-year-old “cyber rabbi” who co-officiated at Ben’s bar mitzvah and was hired to work half-time at the humanistic congregation, Beth Adam, and half-time at OurJewishCommunity.org. On the Web site, Rabbi Baum posts her blog, streams Shabbat services each week customized for the Internet and offers online bar mitzvah training. She’s received appreciative messages from people around the world. Of her role as e-rabbi, she says: “It’s a little bizarre, but also pretty amazing. I’m giving all of these people a voice who wouldn’t otherwise have one.”

The new technology extends beyond e-rabbis and cyber-synagogues to streaming bar mitzvahs, Shabbat services, and funerals that acquaintances can attend virtually. There are bar mitzvah students who upload videos of themselves on YouTube so their tutors can remotely review their recitations of Torah. There’s an ambitious project called CyberJudaism.org, which hopes to fill an online sanctuary with daily services from every denomination, so that travelers the world over can drop in to a minyan of choice, at their hour of choice. And there’s something called Torah Twitter, in which participants of the social network can “tweet” words of Jewish wisdom and text.

And in perhaps the most radical example of technological innovation, a Jewish community is growing up on the virtual world known as Second Life, a kind of online game in which participants create avatars of themselves, selecting physical characteristics and clothing, and “teleport” to virtual locations of Jewish interest.

Now, I must admit I’m perfectly satisfied with RL Judaism (that’s “Real Life” Judaism in Second Life lingo). But Rabbi Brad Hirshfield, co-president of CLAL (the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership), says don’t be too quick to judge: “I don’t think that even if the most beautiful virtual synagogue in the world was built would it work for me. But would I like to see it built? Yes. Because there are probably a million people or more for whom it would work.”

Cyber-Conversion

Brenna Thomas, 40, who works at an Internet security firm outside Chicago, is among the many individuals whose lives have been transformed by virtual Judaism.

Thomas is one of 50 Jews converted by Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg, who runs an e-synagogue as well as a conventional Conservative congregation in a suburb of Chicago. Rabbi Ginsburg has also educated two b’nai mitzvah students in this manner, and enrolled eight students in his online Hebrew school.

Rabbi Ginsburg was a godsend for Thomas, who says she had Christianity “shoved down my throat” as a child and who as an adult began exploring other religions. Drawn to Judaism because it encourages questioning, Thomas attended a program at a local synagogue, but was turned off when the rabbi made racist remarks about Palestinians.

Through her brother, she learned of Rabbi Ginsburg’s online course. After three months of intense preparation, which included reading half a dozen hefty books, memorizing prayers, and watching a series of Rabbi Ginsburg’s YouTube videos, Thomas left her home at the crack of dawn one morning last spring. She drove with her four children to meet Rabbi Ginsburg for the first time.

She also met a bet din, a rabbinic court, and plunged—along with three of her four children—into the Jewish ritual bath. “The mikvah was awesome,” says Thomas. “I actually cried when I came up for the third time.” The three rabbis and her family cheered.

Thomas doesn’t often make it to religious services these days because, she says, “I am too remote from any synagogue I would want to attend.” But she still tunes in to Jewish YouTube videos, keeps a Bible on her nightstand, banished pork from her kitchen, and is dating a Jewish man she met through JDate.

She’s learned so much about Jewish history and law in recent months that she jokes that between her and her boyfriend, “we make a whole Jew. He’s got the cultural part. I’m the book-smart part of us.”

Sweet Tweets

You might be surprised to learn that a middle-aged woman based in a middle-class suburb thousands of miles from Silicon Valley is one of the most cyber-friendly rabbis in the cyber-savvy Reform movement. That woman, Rabbi Amy Perlin, who serves Temple B’nai Shalom in Fairfax Station, Va., says that when it comes to adapting high-tech to religious practice, “the question is not why—the question is why not.”

She says: “The rabbis of old were constantly looking for new modalities. I’m 53 years old, and if I stop innovating and finding new avenues for sharing my passion for Torah, I’m going to get stale. I might as well hang up my tallis.”

Back in the 1990s, Rabbi Perlin was one of the first rabbis to launch a Web site for her congregation. About three years ago, she began podcasting Shabbat services (she explored Web-streaming services—which would include video as well as sound—but found it to be too expensive). What intrigues me most about Rabbi Perlin is her discussion of Twitter.

The three-year-old landscape of Twitter abounds in Jewish manifestations. Founded in 2006, the social networking tool allows participants to “tweet” messages of up to 140 characters via their computers or cell phones to a community of followers. Earlier this year, an Israeli entrepreneur announced he would deliver tweets to the Kotel, the Western Wall.

Other innovations include Rabbi Laura Baum tweeting a running commentary of her Passover Seder last year. For Shavuot last year, 200 people tweeted words of Torah in a 24-hour marathon. But I’m most engaged by Rabbi Perlin’s approach, which is to tweet periodically, but only when she comes across something worth sharing. “It’s a nice break from the chatter of the day,” she says, adding that in what tends to be a verbose profession, “it’s a nice challenge to get at a thought in 140 characters.”

And so she tweets: “Observation: A good ‘dying,’ just as a good life, depends on the people who do it with you and a respect for taking the time to do it well.”

But Rabbi Perlin also believes that “breaks from technology are critical, and that God will not come to you from Twitter or the latest e-mail. Online will never replace the synagogue.

“There is a time to embrace technology and a time to refrain from embracing,” says Rabbi Perlin, paraphrasing the famous lines from Ecclesiastes.

First Visit, Second Life

A few hours before sunset on a recent Friday afternoon, I gathered my courage and entered the strange new world of Second Life. It takes more than a few minutes for my computer to upload the application, but I don’t otherwise find it difficult to register for this online, alternative reality. Also, the basic service is free.

And suddenly: There she stands, the avatar named Aleeza Abrahams, my online doppelganger. Like me, she sports dark hair, a short stature and slightly generous hips. Unlike me, Aleeza doesn’t move with ease. I punch a few buttons on my keyboard. I click on the computer mouse. Aleeza wiggles, jerks around awkwardly, and then to my delight, takes flight. I ask the search engine to “teleport” me to the Jewish neighborhood.

Woosh. I hear the gentle lapping of the sea beyond. I spot an Israeli flag, an eternal flame, a schedule of Jewish events. And then I’m off to the Second Life synagogue. It is time to light Shabbat candles.

There are many avenues for experiencing Judaism on Second Life. Javatars (Jewish avatars) can participate in a virtual sukkah building contest, study Torah with a Lubavitcher, visit an exhibit erected by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and teleport to a typical Eastern European synagogue. They can also walk though a cemetery where—as Second Life aficionado Julian Voloj e-mails me—“people can upload photographs of RL (real life) gravestones.”

Caren Levine, who has a background in education technology, logs on to Second Life a couple of times a week, mostly to attend seminars on education. She says, “Some people just roll their eyes. But for people willing to experiment, it has a lot of potential. There’s this serendipity. You meet someone you might not have otherwise.”

Candle-lighting takes place several times every Friday to accommodate Javatars who live in different time zones. When I check in at a few minutes before 4 p.m., I find a man dressed in Chasidic garb crouching and beckoning near the candlesticks. I hope he doesn’t notice me. “Hey Aleeza,” he types to me. “Shabbat Shalom.”

My father-in-law wanders by, in real life. He asks whether I have a date with the Chasidic man crouching on my computer screen. Meanwhile, I can’t get Aleeza to behave. She points aimlessly. She marches. She shimmies. Then just when I’m getting the hang of her movements, and just as a group of Javatars, all dressed to the nines, start descending on the sanctuary for the next candle-lighting, my 4-year-old son lunges for the computer mouse. Aleeza freezes. She’s completely paralyzed. Embarassed, I log off.

When I return, one of the Javatars notes my good timing. Someone recites the blessing. The candles are lit. We—the Javatars—take turns typing in our well wishes, “Good Shabbos. Shabbat Shalom.”

I log off again. I can certainly understand the appeal of Second Life, but I like my first life even better. I have real candles to light. And this time I’ll get a chance to drink some wine, too.

Avatar

2009-12-23T13:21:00.000-08:00

The picture, originally published in the New World Notes, has the subtitle: "Avatar from Avatar; Second Life avatar of avatar from Avatar" (yes, this is too good to be made up). Anyhow, Hamlet Au asked in his open forum on the New World Notes if the James Cameron movie "Avatar" might generate new interest in Second Life. The answers you can read here.
New interest in Javatars was not created by the movie (yet). But the Jewish culture magazine Tablet has a Jewish story related to the movie that is worth reading (link here).

Cultural Heritage Artists Project: Paul Duda

2009-12-14T12:54:00.001-08:00

Photographer Paul Duda explains the process behind his contribution to the CHAP exhibition in the John Slade Ely House/Center for Contemporary Art.

As a local (New Haven) artist, were you aware of the Orchard Street Shul before the project?
I was not aware of the Orchard Street Shul prior to this project. So many times driving the street to North Frontage Road, I fell prey to the destruction of awareness due to mundane behavior. I think I know an area thus blindly drive an understood route home. I missed a real jewel of architecture many times.

Can you describe the technique you used for your photograph?
My technique is that of the early photographers, the exposures of the mid 1800's with shutter speeds of twenty-five minutes and longer. I shoot on film, medium format slide film, and through filtration and development of the film I can make my exposures in the bright sunlight. The color is not digitally manipulated. Reciprocity or the films inability to record light at the same speed over time (in this case 38 minutes at an f-stop of 32.2) supplies the look of the finished photographic image. The vignette at the corners is caused by a slightly longer distance from the lens to the edge of the film plain compared to the shorter distance from the lens to the center of the film plain. All cars, people walking, bikes, and the rest of daily life simply pass through the image without reflecting enough light to be recorded. The same reason a bullet shot through a photograph exposed of 1/1000th of a second is absent in the image. The expansion of the contrast is also a natural part of the process when exposing at such lengths. The image provided shows my technique verses a more traditional exposure of slide film on the same day at the same time.

How important are for you artist networks such as CHAP?
I have never believed that great art can be created in a closet void of the study and influence of other artists. Any network promoting the introduction of otherwise unfamiliar artists is a wonderful opportunity for growth in ones on work.

Cultural Heritage Artists Project: Mary Lesser

2009-12-14T12:50:00.001-08:00

Mary Lesser speaks about her work for the CHAP in New Haven.

How did you find out about the Orchard Street Shul project and what motivated you to participate?
Cynthia went to a show of mine in my gallery. She liked my work and called me to suggest that I might be interested in the show.

Can you explain your contribution to the project and its connection to the shul?
I made an installation which hangs from the ceiling and represents a sukkah. The "walls" are paper on which I collaged prints made from photographs and documents connected to the shul. I then printed color and pattern on top with etching ink.

How does this work fit into the context of your other art work?
I generally do not do "Jewish art" but much of my work is concerned with the immigrants who came to America from many lands or were brought as slaves. I often make prints which incorporate manipulated and reprinted antique photographs.

Ralph I. Goldman Fellowship Deadline coming soon!

2009-12-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

Yes You Can. You Can be the One.

JDC is currently recruiting for the 2010 – 2011 Ralph I. Goldman (RIG) Fellowship -- the premiere opportunity for engaging young Jewish leaders in the work of the world’s largest Jewish humanitarian aid organization.

Who? JDC is looking for the best young Jewish thinkers and doers -- writers, artists, policy shapers, business innovators, and community builders -- there is no single profile that fits. We are looking for leaders in their field who have the promise to influence the future of Jewish life and the world.

What? JDC’s Ralph I. Goldman Fellowship is a one-of-a-kind, paid, professional development opportunity to live and work in overseas locations where JDC is active and engage with the inner workings of the organization.

Where? JDC works in over 70 countries around the world.

When? Fellowship begins in September 2010 with an orientation period at JDC’s headquarters in New York, continues with two or more overseas assignments, and concludes in New York in September 2011.

How? www.jdc.org/ralph

Deadline: December 30, 2009

Veronica Monica explains Hanukah

2009-12-10T13:37:00.000-08:00

Cultural Heritage Artists Project: Suzan Shutan

2009-12-09T06:49:00.000-08:00

New Haven artist Suzan Shutan spoke with 2Life Magazine about the Orchard Street Shul and her project.

How did you find out about the Orchard Street Shul project and what motivated you to participate?

I received an exhibition call for artists by a colleague who knows that I happen to live in the town where the exhibits central focus would be local, Orchard Street Shul, and thought my community based artwork would be appropriate. I replied to the call with interest and attended a meeting at the Shul site. When I walked inside, it was as if I stepped back into history. At first glance the interior was magnificent, full of intimate details and symbolism and at second glance I noticed sections of ceiling that had fallen through onto hand carved benches and walls that were rotted and exposed amidst beautiful hand stenciling. That is when I understood the gravity of the call and knew I wanted to be a participant.

Can you explain your contribution to the project and its connection to the shul?

My contribution to the project was a video installation called “Stomping Ground” that is part street map, moving pictures and personal stories woven together to examine community as a cultural construct and system that transcends its people.
The title references the neighborhood and Orchard Street Shul as sites of congregation and desecration where boundaries and interactions blur, shared beliefs intermingle, and transformation is the outcome of heterogeneity.
The installation consists of a geometric wooden relief grid work that references an aerial map of the neighborhood. A video screen is mounted in its middle like a courtyard, where action and congregation take place. The video is visually constructed like a grid of four panels that uses assembled photographic images combined with moving video to build a collective recollection of "place".
I interviewed six individuals who reside/d in the community. They represent three generations and four different cultures. Each story told focuses on a universal issue, the immigrant experience (home ownership & business), spiritual experience (the role of religion/the Shul) and community experience (how we connect to each other).
Stomping Ground is about preservation stimulating sustainable neighborhood development so that cultures are retained, views are celebrated and streets bustle with life.

How does this work fit into the context of your other art work?

Much of my work is rooted in socio-political content be it obvious or more subtle. For example, I have been working on a series about Pheromones- art and science. The work visualizes patterns of attraction or repellent that happen within our body chemistry. The idea is abstract and its message is subtle, but you certainly get the feeling of a sexual reaction...particles blown away or drawn in like a magnet, the work spreading across 20 foot walls. Last year while on a regional grant to Argentina, I created an entire exhibit based on traveling, how we glean information... developing a preconceived notion about what a place is like before we arrive.
My sculptural work, often combined with large projected videos, is at first glance abstract until you spend time with it to identify its deeper meaning ... in Argentina, a glacial drift was based on a small mountain of ice that dislodging itself in Patagonia due to our climate crisis.
Stomping Ground fits into the context of my other work in that it is based first on an investigation of ideas, in this case being, how can we live well with each other to survive in the world.

Shimon Peres launches YouTube channel

2009-12-09T06:19:00.000-08:00

“Welcome to my YouTube channel. I am so glad to speak to you and no less, to listen to you. I would like to share with you my dreams, my thoughts, and I would like also to hear your dreams and your thoughts”.
No, this isn’t a quote by Beyonce, but rather the launching of a completely different channel, the blog IsRealli reports.
After staying on top of almost every global trend, the President of Israel now has his own YouTube channel. At a special event held in Jerusalem, President Peres hit the publish button and uploaded his first ever clip: “The freedom of speech belonged for many years in history to the strong, to the mighty, to the privileged. They have had the microphones and we have had to listen to them. Today we really enjoy free speech. We can talk to each other, no matter where are you, no matter who are you, no matter who I am, as a person to a person, directly. With a great interest and full hope, join in me, in dreams, in hope, in conversation. I think it will enrich you, I am sure it will enrich me.” said Israeli President Peres.
Joining Peres at this event was Chad Hurley, YouTube’s founder who hopes this channel and others will serve to promote peace and understanding: "I could have never imagined when we started this site five years ago that we would be considered a vehicle for peace. Today, we are breaking down boundaries so that people get to see the other side. People see that everyone around the world really shares the same dreams and have the same fears.”

Cultural Heritage Artists Project: Lisa Link

2009-12-08T06:15:00.001-08:00

Three questions for CHAP artist Lisa Link.

How did you find out about the Orchard Street Shul project and what motivated you to participate?
I found it somewhere online and was interested because I used to work in New Haven and it was a chance to investigate a place near where I used to go to work every day.

Can you explain your contribution to the project and its connection to the shul?
After visiting the Orchard Street Shul and speaking to some New Haven residents, I kept thinking about the impact of urban renewal projects on people's lives. For the Orchard Street Shul project, I set out to create a piece that gives a small glimpse into the intersection of personal memory, politics, and the built environment. I chose the format of a public Google Map because of its accessibility as a space on the World Wide Web, its capacity to juxtapose layers of information and its option for public participation. I am interested in the contrast between the personal reflections of the people I spoke with and the generic but so functional visual interface of Google Maps. I wanted to place the words and photos gathered from my learning about this aspect of New Haven's history on the map; over the parking lots and highways that were once the vibrant Jewish neighborhoods.

How does this work fit into the context of your other art work?
Most of my other work is more directly political in content and activist in context. My work is about giving people voice in the media and lately, as artist, standing farther in the background, acting as a catalyst for conversation and connections rather than as a focal point as a maker of objects. That is why I chose the format of the Google map - it can reach a lot of people and allows for community participation and my role is almost invisible. I've also been exploring ways to incorporate concepts that I am exploring in my job as a web designer into my art projects and seek to blur the boundaries that I used to set up between these two worlds of "art" and "interactive design".

To visit Lisa's artwork online, click here.

Lamentations

2009-12-08T06:09:00.000-08:00

Digital film made in response to the Orchard Street Synagogue after visiting on the day before Tisha b'Av, a day of mourning. The artists selected associative images in the first paragraphs of Lamentations that had direct relevance to the synagogue.

92-year old Sam Faiman at the opening in New Haven

2009-12-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

Maya Escobar shared this video from New Haven with me via Facebook. The opening of the exhibition was yesterday.

Cultural Heritage Artists Project: Alan Falk

2009-12-04T06:25:00.000-08:00

Three questions for CHAP artist Alan Falk.

How did you find out about the Orchard Street Shul project and what motivated you to participate?

I initially got involved in the Shul's restoration project. As a designer (my day job), I was invited to develop and create materials for marketing the Shul's fundraising appeal. Having worked in the New Haven Jewish community and producing a series of posters for the New Haven Jewish Historical Society celebrating the contribution of Jews in New Haven during the 350th anniversary of Jews in America, I was extremely familiar with the history of the synagogue, neighborhood and congregation. During my conversations with the Shul Board, I met Roslyn Croog, a participant in the CHAP project and a member of the board. She told me about the artist's project and I expressed my interest in participating. She contacted Cynthia Beth Rubin and the Artist's Committee, and I was invited to participate in the project.

How does this work fit into the context of your other art work?

My work is immersed in Jewish issues and topics, so the subject matter came to me easily. As soon as I entered the Synagogue's sanctuary, I pretty much knew how I would approach the project.

How important are artist networks such as CHAP for you and where do you see this project going after the exhibition in New Haven ends?

Having chosen to work, until recently, in relative isolation, my experience of engaging with other artists has been limited for quite a number of years. However, I have come to realize how important these networks are. I recently became involved with the New York-based Jewish Arts Salon and have had opportunities to meet and engage in dialogue with artists of similar sentiment. I have come to understand how this form of exchange - ideas, philosophies, experiences, etc., is so vital to development and growth. The CHAP concept is very appealing, because it goes a step further, involving artists in a form social/community action, and I am delighted to be a part of this venture. I am very much in favor of the idea of developing more cooperative projects, involving artists contributing to a team effort, as opposed to just individual contributions.

Cultural Heritage Artists Project: Bruce Oren

2009-12-04T06:12:00.000-08:00

Allison Hoffman has today a story about the Cultural Heritage Artists Project of the Orchard Street Shul in Tablet Magazine. In it, you find a slide show with some of the work. One of the artists featured there prominently is New Haven artist Bruce Oren. "I wasn't aware of the Orchard Street Shul before this project," he explains 2Life Magazine in a recent interview. "I've only been in New Haven for five years. I had driven passed the shul before, but simply never noticed it."
Invited to visit the shul, he made his way there one afternoon this summer, and was inspired for his piece. "Soon after committing to do a piece for this project, I dreamed about creating a large, empty tallis. I'd never dreamed up artwork before and felt obliged to follow through on the tallis concept. I'm a stone sculptor who occasionally carves wood, so working with cloth was a considerable departure from my comfort zone. Overall, it was a fun experience working in such a malleable, plastic medium."
Oren is looking forward to the opening this Sunday. He is thankful for the opportunity provided by CHAP, but "artist networks have not been important to me. I work alone and don't usually actively seek exposure".

Cultural Heritage Artists Project: David Ottenstein

2009-12-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

Three questions for New Haven photographer David Ottenstein about his experience with the Orchard Street project.

As a local (New Haven) artist, were you aware of the Orchard Street Shul before the project?
Yes, I was aware of the Orchard Street shul. Several years ago someone in the community brought it to my attention. I photographed it then, but had always intended to go back and do some more work. This project presented the perfect opportunity for me.

Can you describe the technique you used for your photograph and how they fit into your portfolio?
Unlike much of my work, all the photographs included in the project were captured digitally. Usually I photograph on 4x5 film, then scan my negatives and print them with pigment inks. The 8 smaller images are individual exposures; however, the large, central image was created from 16 separate digital files that were stitched together in my computer. I had been experimenting with this stitching technique prior to my work on this project, but this is the first time I produced a finished exhibition piece using the technique. The prints were made with the same inks, paper and type of printer that I typically use.
To most viewers, I expect that these photographs will be indistinguishable from my 4x5 work. Combining multiple files to create a single large print yields clarity and resolution at least equal to what I can achieve with a scanned 4x5 negative.

How important for you are artist networks such as CHAP?
This is the first time I have been involved in a project through an organization like CHAP. It has been a very rewarding experience. Being part of a diverse artistic community, guided by a common theme, is a great way to work. It provides inspiration and energy in a way that working in isolation simply cannot do. I'm looking forward to seeing the exhibit and meeting more of the artists. I will likely pay attention to future opportunities for working with similar networks.

Cultural Heritage Artists Project: Janet Shafner

2009-12-03T06:26:00.001-08:00

Janet Shafner, one of the contributors from New York, answers questions about the Cultural Heritage Artists project of the Orchard Street Shul.

How did you find out about the Orchard Street Shul project and what motivated you to participate?

I knew Cynthia Beth Rubin from the time, many years ago, when we both were teaching art at Connecticut College. Over the years, we have had occasional contact.

Last year, I wrote to tell her about a project I was involved with in NYC . It was something akin to the Orchard Street Shul Project, in which a number of artists were planning to show their work in the lower East Side Stanton Street Synagogue, which like the shul in New Haven, was decrepit and about to be rehabbed. The exhibition consisted of works by Jewish artists from the New York area, and panels and lectures to correlate with the show were being planned.

Cynthia, in turn, let me know about the New Haven project, and urged me to participate. Anytime a group of artists interested or working with Jewish themes gets together, I am interested.

For over 20 years I have been making multi-paneled paintings based on material from the Hebrew Bible and classic commentaries and their parallel with contemporary political and social issues. At first, I felt like I was mining a vein that was way off the path. It was almost universally considered "kitsch" to do art relating to Jewish subjects. Now, of course, it has become respectable, although Jewish subject matter is still considered transgressive by many museums, galleries and curators.

So, it is with great pleasure that I join with artists who are bringing this material into a contemporary context.

Can you explain your contribution to the project and its connection to the shul?

I visited the Orchard Street Shul and it was so reminiscent of other very old synagogues, all
deteriorating as the neighborhoods and the demographics shift. The images that were most insistent, for me, were the many piles of old sacred books, on benches and in bookcases. I took some photos and went home to find an image that would link the decaying books to a larger motif.

How does this work fit into the context of your other art work?

As I mentioned, most of my paintings done in the last 22 years have dealt with images relating to the Hebrew Bible, Midrash & Talmud. Almost all consist of a rectangular panel with one or more attached lunettes.

Although this piece is not textually inspired, it definitely relates to the Jewish tradition, and its physical structure of a lunette attached to a rectangular panel is the same.

I admire the reverence that is given to holy books, so that when they are unusable they are buried like, and with, the Jewish people. Zachor (remember) is a reference to those books and
also the passed life of the Orchard Street Shul. To bring the concept forward, the box marked "Shaimos" is placed below the piece so sacred books that can no longer be used, can be deposited there, awaiting proper burial.

Cultural Heritage Artists Project: Beth Krensky

2009-12-02T07:55:00.001-08:00

On December 6th, the Cultural Heritage Artists Project will open its first exhibition, dedicated to the Orchard Street Synagogue. Before the exhibition opens at the John Slade Ely House in New Haven, 2Life Magazine will feature various participating artists. Each one will get three questions related to their artwork and their experience.
Today we feature Salt Lake City based Beth Krensky, an assistant professor of art education at the University of Utah.

How did you find out about the Orchard Street Shul project and what motivated you to participate?

I was interested in the Orchard Street Shul project because it examined a particular place, the shul, over time and, for me, was a way to examine how a space or objects in that space get imbued with meaning. Much of my current work explores how objects can be used to create new rituals that comment on larger social and/or political issues. Since I moved to Utah 6 ½ years ago, most of my art has explicitly drawn from elements of the Jewish tradition—both text and objects--that have to do with transformation. For these reasons, the project intrigued me.

Can you explain your contribution to the project?

I visited the shul last summer and I was interested in how the meaning and power of many of the religious objects remained intact despite the layers of dust and decay that had occurred over the years that the space appeared to have lay dormant. I was also struck by the importance of the space to former congregants. I pondered questions like “What gives a place meaning?” and “Is there a way to sanctify a space by demarcating it in some way?” These questions brought up the idea of portable sanctuaries. I considered making physical tent-like spaces that could signify a space of worship and could go to where the congregants were scattered. In the end, I decided to recall and reify the objects that represented orthodox Jewish observance which would represent that meaning despite the location they were placed in.

In my statement about the pieces, I assert that:

These Reliquary pieces are about enduring objects. The Orchard Street Shul, and the neighborhood within which it exists, act as a metaphor for the multiple layers of shared existence over time and place. The ebb and flow of people, activity, decay and renewal shares a history with objects that retain their symbolism, power and liturgical or ritual meaning over time. The objects placed in the reliquaries have physically and symbolically endured over time and demarcate a space for religious observance. Architectural elements of the Shul have been incorporated into the forms of these containers. Much of my work consists of common objects made sacred. This turning of the mundane into precious invokes the possibility of change, mirroring the layered history of the community and Shul.

How does this work fit into the context of your other art work?

In his book, The Strange Place of Religion on Contemporary Art, James Elkins debates the impact and importance of contemporary art that addresses religious beliefs and/or observances. These beliefs and observances can come from established, new or individually created religions. In describing some of this work, he refers to the artist Betty Saar who believes that this type of work shifts points of view and releases an inner spirit.

For my own work that is based on ritual, I often research ancient traditions that were used within Judaism and other traditions of faith. This research only informs my art, as I often imagine new, sometimes idiosyncratic, rituals based on ancient knowledge. The objects I create are intended as instruments for our own rituals, real or imagined.

I like to think of my work existing somewhere in the space between secular art and ritualized objects. There is a long tradition of artists, many of them women, creating altars, rituals and objects that aesthetically reside within the high art world, yet the purpose of the objects often responds to a personal ritual. These very personal actions can come to bear on larger social or political issues, such as the work Suzanne Lacy engages in.

A Visual Midrash

2009-12-01T07:23:00.000-08:00

We are living in a world that almost daily offers us new media and new challenges. We are also the latest in a long line of generations awed and wonderstruck by our ancient Jewish traditions and their place in world culture.

A new website addresses both of these realities: It offers access to a digitized collection of artwork on biblical and Judaic subjects, gathered over decades. It is a gate to a vast treasury that can be searched by subject, period, artist, medium and textual location. The search will be aided by biographies, essays, citations, references and pedagogical guidelines for the use of these materials in formal as well as informal education.

A fascinating site, worth exploring. Enjoy.

Cultural Heritage Artists Project: Yona Verwer

2009-11-25T07:11:00.000-08:00

On December 6th, the Cultural Heritage Artists Project will open its first exhibition, dedicated to the Orchard Street Synagogue. Before the exhibition opens at the John Slade Ely House in New Haven, 2Life Magazine will feature various participating artists. Each one will get three questions related to their artwork and their experience. Today we have Dutch-born, New York based Yona Verwer talking about her artwork.

Describe your artwork and its relationship to the Orchard Street Shul. How can it be positioned into a wider context of your art?

My art for the shul consists of a print series called “Temple Talismans: Orchard Street Shul Amulets”.
The Kabbalistic notion of Tikkun is the idea that the world is broken and can be fixed only by human acts. Amulets were traditionally made to be worn or placed in locations to protect & to bring good luck. Kabbalists made extensive use of amulets.
For the Orchard Street Synagogue I made three amulet prints to invoke protection and good luck. Orchard Hamsa Amulet I shows the hamsa, a traditional amulet shape, its center containing the top half of the shul's ark (Aron Kodesh): the lions, tablets, priestly hands, crown, and sefer. The five-fingered hamsa shape is echoed in the hands bestowing the priestly blessing. Orchard Fish Amulet Red & Orchard Fish Amulet Blue's main shape is the symbol for prosperity; its center is a detail of the Shul's ark. The line designs on the hamsa & fish are derived from henna tattoos, contrasting with the textural background paint..
With these works I hope to draw positive energy and protection to the shul and aid in the saving of this beautiful building, so that it can reclaim its role as New Haven’s vibrant Jewish center.
Most of my recent work features amulet imagery. My "Modern Amulets: Kabbala of Bling" series commented on the appropriation of Kabbala by pop icons. The “City Charms” amulet photographs invoke protection from acts of destruction on buildings, particularly terror-watch-list targets. I continue this theme in "Temple Talismans"; these apotropaic images aim to protect synagogues against attacks and to bring good luck. Two Manhattan synagogues, Congregation Orach Chaim and the Stanton Street Shul, have been featured so far in the Temple Talismans series; many more to follow.

How was your experience visiting New Haven and the Orchard Street Shul?

The minute I walked into the shul I felt a familiarity; as a Dutch native the architecture reminded me of the “Snoge”, the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam. By the way, the congregation there too has dwindled, most of the Sephardim having moved to Amsterdam’s suburbs or Israel.
Roz Croog, while giving us a ride from the station to the shul, had been reminiscing about her grandparents’ participation in the synagogue.
After her stories, which made the synagogue come to life, it saddened me to see the building’s disrepair.
It was exciting to meet fellow artists, exploring each other’s oeuvre, united by the commitment to help make a difference. I can’t wait to meet current and former Orchard Street congregants next time I’m in New Haven.

How important are artist networks such as the CHAP to you?

Artist networks such as the C.H.A.P. are very important to me. Creating artist communities is my passion, and it was the main impetus for founding the Jewish Art Salon (JAS) two years ago. Recently I’ve been reaching out to several Jewish art groups across the country to facilitate modeling our community building efforts; and C.H.A.P artist Maya Escobar is planning on starting a Jewish art salon herself.
It is through JAS. that I met artist Cynthia Beth Rubin, C.H.A.P.’s project director. I look forward to meeting many more C.H.A.P. artists and to future collaborations.

Curious about the exhibition? Then check out the catalog here.

Chai/Vida

2009-11-19T05:55:00.000-08:00

Mexican Filmmaker Ariel Zylberstein created this beautiful short film that is now making the rounds in the Internet. Thanks to the web, this film gets the exposure it deserves.

GWU Twitter

2009-11-16T10:04:00.000-08:00

George Washington University is the most active Twitter University in the US (and probably in the world) and behind it is a friend of a friend of mine, Menachem Wecker. The video is an introduction to the topic. For more, read also the Washington Post article.

Living Memory

2009-11-10T12:55:00.000-08:00

She might not be the oldest Second Life user, but with 87 years, Colorado resident Fanny Starr is one of the oldest (the oldest is, by the way, 97 years old, as reported in the New World Notes). In January, she spoke about her experiences during the Holocaust to an audience of avatars. The New World Notes reported here about it. The YouTube video above gives a little of the atmosphere during the event. Let's hope that this event can be repeated some time in the near future.

The other 9th of November

2009-11-09T06:49:00.000-08:00

Newspapers worldwide feature today the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Another event that happened as well on November 9th seems today forgotten: Kristallnacht.

Zeek magazine features today photographs by Julian Voloj of the Muensterland, a small geographic area in the north west of Germany. Voloj was born in Muenster, the capitol of this region, and for this project, the New York based photographer re-visited his hometown and the surrounding area, documenting the last traces of the once vibrant Jewish culture in this area. None of the villages he photographed has a Jewish community today, but other areas witness a renaissance of Jewish life. Around 200,000 immigrants from the former Soviet Union turned Germany's sleeping Jewish community of around 25,000 into the third largest of Europe with around 220,000 (only around half of them are recognized by the official Jewish community due to Halachic definition).

Voloj's photographs are traces of the past, taken nearly 70 years after Kristallnacht. Today, 71 years later, they are a silent reminder.

(To visit the slide show, click here.)

The Orchard Street Shul Cultural Heritage Artist Project

2009-11-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

A month from now, a very interesting exhibition will open in New Haven: The Orchard Street Shul Cultural Heritage Artist Project.

The project was, at the outset, spurred by an urgent need to make the public aware of efforts to save a community building that has been designated a Historic Site by the State of Connecticut. The project is without religious mission, but rather is the outpouring of thoughtful response and integrated research by those who found the story of this building and community to be compelling.

The members of the Orchard Street Shul Cultural Heritage Project began with varying levels of familiarity with the story of immigration to New Haven at the turn of the 20th century, and the shared history of working class neighborhoods during a time of radical change throughout the United States. Through the fluid exchange of research and resources within the group, all participants are now finding new meaning in the narrative of the community and surrounding neighborhood of the Orchard Street Shul.

One of the expected outcomes of the project is a dialogue among artists on the conceptual inspirations derived from interaction with the building, as a symbol of a community.

This could be a proto-type for similar future projects for other historic sites of meaning to other parts of our collective community and memory.

For more information visit the projects website. The exhibition opens on December 6th and we plan to introduce some of the artists on this website.

Is Twitter the new Second Life? Tom Hale's Case Study at the Web 2.0 summit

2009-11-02T12:04:00.000-08:00

My friend Wagner James Au recently reported in the New World Notes about Linden Chief Product Officer Tom Hale finishing his presentation on the Web 2.0 summit, 'attacking' Twitter. His presentation "Surviving the Hype Curve: A Case Study" warns Twitter that they might also see a backlash like Second Life did.
See presentation for yourself. One important difference between Second Life and any other "hyped" platform like Twitter or Facebook: Immediately perceivable, substantial impact beyond its user base. Yes, Second Life is still growing and yes, its users, the residents, are very loyal, once they stay for longer, but outside the virtual world, the impact is not very feasible.

Second Life on Zeek

2009-10-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

With the financial crisis, many Jewish blogs and online magazines had to find new partners, or vanish completely. Jewcy now is hosted by JDub, and Zeek is partnering with the Forward. The new Zeek website went online this week.
A new feature are artist slide shows. The first one featured actually Second Life's Jewish community (a link can be found here). In 18 slides, a brief history of Judaism in the virtual world of Second Life is presented. Many of the pictures were previously featured in the magazine edition of 2Life, others were older screenshots from the 2Life archive.
The slide show shall wet appetite for more, and more will come with Zeeks winter (print) issue where Julian Voloj will have an essay on the Genesis of Jewish (Second) Life. Something to look forward to.

Virtual Shtetl

2009-10-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

When you think about Jews and Poland, you probably think about death camps and ghettos. The Holocaust is definitely very much associated with these two words, but Poland's Jewish history dates back 1,000 years.

Four months ago, Albert Stankowski launched the Virtual Shtetl Web site as a homage to Jewish history in Poland, a country that once offered the community religious refuge in medieval times and later became home to the world's biggest Jewish community.

Stankowski, the son of a Holocaust survivor and a Roman Catholic Pole, likes to call the site a museum without walls—a multimedia precursor to the 2012 completion of Warsaw's long-anticipated Museum of the History of Polish Jews.

The website is more treasure trove than institutional preview. Its key feature: wiki technology enabling registered users to contribute memories, documents, and photos to the bilingual (English and Polish) site. Stankowski is also integrating the Virtual Shtetl with sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr. According to Stankowski, about 2,000 to 3,000 visit Virtual Shtetl daily. He expects that number to keep growing.

2010 – 2011 Ralph I. Goldman Fellowship (RIG)

2009-10-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

The Next Generation and Service Initiatives Department of the Joint Distribution Committee are currently recruiting for the 2010 – 2011 Ralph I. Goldman Fellowship (RIG) -- the premiere opportunity for engaging young Jewish leaders in the work of the world’s largest Jewish humanitarian aid organization.

Yes You Can. You Can be the One.

JDC is currently recruiting for the 2010 – 2011 Ralph I. Goldman (RIG) Fellowship -- the premiere opportunity for engaging young Jewish leaders in the work of the world’s largest Jewish humanitarian aid organization.

Who? JDC is looking for the best young Jewish thinkers and doers -- writers, artists, policy shapers, business innovators, and community builders -- there is no single profile that fits. We are looking for leaders in their field who have the promise to influence the future of Jewish life and the world.

What? JDC’s Ralph I. Goldman Fellowship is a one-of-a-kind, paid, professional development opportunity to live and work in overseas locations where JDC is active and engage with the inner workings of the organization.

Where? JDC works in over 70 countries around the world.

When? Fellowship begins in September 2010 with an orientation period at JDC’s headquarters in New York, continues with two or more overseas assignments, and concludes in New York in September 2011.

How? www.jdc.org/ralph

Deadline: December 30,2009

Auschwitz on Facebook

2009-10-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

The BBC reported that the Polish authorities in charge of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz have launched an official site on the social networking website Facebook.

A spokesman said the move was aimed at reaching the younger generation and educating them about the Holocaust.

It follows the launch by Auschwitz - now a state museum - of a YouTube channel earlier this year.

"We're always trying for new ways of reaching people, and in today's world one of the most popular tools is the internet, and on the internet millions of people use Facebook," said Auschwitz Museum official Pawel Sawicki.

Still, a strange idea. Do you be-friend Auschwitz on Facebook? How do you feel about this?

Cao Fei at ICP

2009-10-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

The International Center for Photography is currently celebrating its Triennial with the signature exhibition "Dress Codes". The Triennial is a global survey of the most exciting and challenging new work in photography and video. This year, artists variously explore fashion—whether in everyday dress, haute couture, street fashion, or uniforms—as a celebration of individuality, personal identity, and self-expression, and as cultural, religious, social, and political statements.
Surprising enough, visiting the Center in Manhattan's Midtown, I found also a computer with Second Life running on it, featuring Chinese artist Cao Fei, known in-world as China Tracy.
Cao Fei has become deeply involved in Second Life. Her avatar is a striking Chinese woman who often wears shiny body armor.
In 2008, Cao Fei and a team of young web designers created RMB City, a metropolis inside Second Life that brings together various ancient and modern Chinese landmarks. Among the recent events in RMB City was a fashion shoot commissioned by Modern Weekly, a leading Chinese lifestyle magazine. For this project, a Second Life programmer modified numerous real-world runway looks to fit the measurements of China Tracy's virtual body. The resulting screenshots subsequently appeared as an editorial spread in Modern Weekly.
For the ICP Triennial, Cao Fei has installed this group of fashion photographs on billboards throughout RMB City. By maneuvering an avatar on a nearby computer, visitors can explore RMB City and discover Cao Fei's images.
Even if some critics claim that Second Life is dead, having Cao featured in the leading center for photography is an indication that Second Life (or at least parts of it) should be taken seriously as a new art form.

New Jewish Words

2009-10-13T07:16:00.000-07:00

Jewbilation (n.) Pride in finding out that one's favorite celebrity is Jewish or that your offspring is marrying a Jewish person.

Torahfied (n.) Inability to remember one's lines when called to read from the Torah at one's Bar or Bat Mitzvah. (OR from the Hagadah at Passover)

Matzilation (v.) Smashing a piece of matzo to bits while trying to butter it.

Bubbegum (n.) Candy one's mother gives to her grandchildren that she never gave to her own children.

Chutzpapa (n.) A father who wakes his wife at 4:00 a.m. so she can change the baby's diaper.

Deja Nu ( n.) Having the feeling you've seen the same exasperated look on your mother's face, but not knowing exactly when.

Disoriyenta (n.) When Aunt Linda gets lost in a department store and strikes up a conversation with everyone she passes.

Hebort (v.) To forget all the Hebrew one ever learned immediately after one's Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

Jewdo (n.) A traditional form of self-defense based on talking one's way out of a tight spot.

Mamatzah Balls (n.) Matzo balls that are as good as your mother used to make ..

Meinstein (slang.) "My son, the genius!"

Mishpochadots (n.) The assorted lipstick and make-up stains found on one's face and collar after kissing all one's aunts and cousins at a reception.

Re-shtetlement (n.) Moving from Brooklyn to Miami and finding all your old neighbors live in the same condo building as you.

Rosh Hashana-na-na ( n.) A rock 'n roll band from Brooklyn .

Yidentify (v.) To be able to determine Jewish origins of celebrities, even though their names might be St. John , Curtis, Davis, or Taylor.

Minyastics (n.) Going to incredible lengths and troubles to find a tenth person to complete a Minyan.

Feelawful (n.) Indigestion from eating Israeli street food, especially falafel.

Dis-kvellified (v.) To drop out of law school, med. school or business school as seen through the eyes of parents, grandparents and Uncle Sid. In extreme cases, simply choosing to major in art history when Irv's son David is majoring in biology is sufficient grounds for diskvellification.

Impasta ( n.) A Jew who starts eating leavened foods before the end of Passover.

Kinders Shlep (v.) To transport other kids besides yours in your car.

Schmuckluck (n.) Finding out one's wife became pregnant after one had a vasectomy.

Shofarsogut (n.) The relief you feel when, after many attempts, the shofar is finally blown at the end of Yom Kippur.

Trayffic Accident (n.) An appetizer one finds out has pork

The Japanese Sukkah

2009-10-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

One of the most unusual Sukkahs that can be found on TMA (to teleport click here) is the one done by Shmoo Snook. It has a Japanese motive. 2Life asked Shmoo about his creation.

"I wish I had planned all along to make a Japanese sukkah. The reality is that I already had other walls up when I noticed that another builder was using that texture. I didn't want my sukkah to be redundant, so I started casting about for something else, and I remembered the Japanese screens in my Inventory. Once those were erected, I was on my way."

Only later, Shmoo tells us, it occured to him to go to the Chabad of Tokyo website to look for appropriate photos.

"The Japanese sukkah evolved; initially, I actually had a campfire where the table is now. But the motif led I had chosen led me by the hand, sort of, as I added and modified elements of it.

I am very pleased with the result. I feel that the sukkah -- with the simplicity of its elements and its uncluttered feel -- exudes tranquility. Just as I hoped it would."

We agree with Shmoo and congratulate him to his beautiful Sukkah.

Do you want to be featured in 2Life? If so, then write to us or IM Kafka Schnabel or Mayer Rhaspody and we are happy to consider you in the 2Life blog.

Sukkah Building Contest has nearly 50 entries!

2009-10-08T06:23:00.000-07:00

This week is Sukkoth and this means time for the annual Sukkah building contest. If you make your way to TMA, you will be surprised. Not 5, not 10, but nearly 50 Sukkahs can be found in the area between the Second Life Synagogue and the 2Life building. "Amazing," says Beth Odets, the organizer of the competition. Yesterday's count was 48, but, because of the high number of participants, Beth gave one more week for the competition. Already two people showed interest in building their own virtual Sukkah. But it is not about winning, some participants told 2Life. It is more about gaining skills, cooperating with other Javatars and celebrating a Jewish holiday in a virtual world.

Renate in SL Israel

2009-10-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

I love Machinima. Well, some of them. Yes, I know, there are some poorly done ones, and yes, the one you can see here might not be the most exciting one, but you know what, it covers SL Israel and for those of you who understand German, it might be fun to see.

The Internet is ...

2009-10-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, the internet is lovely. Isn't it? There is so much to find. The web of endless opportunities. Or not? A friend of mine, who was one of the brains behind Wikipedia and left frustrated to create something else (that is not yet done and therefore won't be mentioned here) send me a link to this website. If you have a minute, check it out and read it.

Mayer July in Second Life, Second Chance

2009-09-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

For those of you who missed the opening of the "Mayer July" exhibition in the Tachles Gallery, you have a second chance to meet Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, daughter of the artist Mayer Kirshenblatt, to talk about her father's work.

Tomorrow, 10:30 EST (7:30 SLT), she will join from Warsaw again to present the virtual exhibition to an audience in New York.

Some general information about tomorrow's event can be found on Barbara's blog.

The event will be hosted in New York by the NYU Center for Religion and Media. So come on and join, you will be prominently featured on the big screen for a RL audience in New York.

There is also a review of the exhibition opening on the Westmuse blog.

10 Days/10 Questions

2009-09-23T08:49:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine sent me an invitation to join 10Q, a project launched for the time between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

10 Days. 10 Questions. You answer one question per day in your own secret online 10Q space. At the end of the ten days, you hit a magic button and send your answers to the secure online 10Q vault for safekeeping. One year later, the vault will open and your answers will wing their way back to your email inbox for private reflection.

An interesting and creative project to reflect in the Days of Awe.

In-world, also an interesting project was brought to our attention. Yula Finesmith made a freebie earring for Rosh Hashanah and wanted to let everyone know they can have it.

Interested, then contact Yula. I am sure she is happy to hear from you.

Shana Tova 5770

2009-09-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

Dancing Rabbis

2009-09-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, when I couldn't sleep, I flipped through my TV channels and what did I see? Dancing Hasids! Yes, guys like the one you can see here on my left, even if this one is virtual.
What I witnessed was the Chabad Telethon. I never watched a Telethon and for those of you who are not American, a Telethon is a very American experience, a little bit of shopping channel, a little bit of light entertainment ("Borsht Belt humor"), and everything about fundraising. Last year, the Chabad Telethon brought in over eight million dollars. This year's results are not out yet.
The Chabad Telethon is a real American experience, and it attracks not only Jews. Having this event on television underlines (at least to me) how all American orthodox Jews are, and it seems not strange to have them dance on the streets of Los Angeles to raise money for welfare programs.
In-world, even if not that visible, Jews are also part of main stream Second Life culture. You don't believe this? Well, I do. If you look at the membership of the Second Life Synagogue, you'll see that over 1,000 avatars joined the group. Yes, I know, not everyone is still in-world, maybe some avatars belong to the same RL person, etc., but this is true for any group, and if you compare SLS with other religious groups, you will see that not so many (if any) can proudly state that they have over 1,000 people registered.
As the founder of SLS, Beth Odets (Brown in RL) has been featured in many interviews and was recently at the Second Life convention in San Francisco. NPR, the American National Public Radio, had two years ago an interesting story about Online Religion and she was one of the people interviewed. In case you missed it, here a link. Even if nearly two years old, many things could have been said just yesterday.

Mayer July exhibition to open at Tachles Gallery

2009-09-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

The New York Times called him "a reluctant painter and accidental memoirist whose words and images form an extraordinary exhibition".

And this exhibition is now coming into Second Life.

The artist, Mayer Kirshenblatt, was born in Opatow (in Yiddish Apt), Poland in 1916 and left for Canada in 1934. At the age of 73 he taught himself to paint and made his mission to remember the world of his childhood in living color, lest future generations know more about how Jews died than how they lived.

This unique project is a blend of memoir, oral history, and visual interpretation. Intimate, humorous, and refreshingly candid, the project is a remarkable record -- in both words and images -- of Jewish life in a Polish town before World War II, as seen through the eyes of an inquisitive boy.

So far, the images have been shown in in Berkeley/San Francisco, in Kirshenblatt's hometown Opatow in Poland, and are currently at the Jewish Museum in New York and the Galicia Jewish Museum in Krakow, Poland. In December, part of his artwork will be show in Amsterdam.

And now "They Called Me Mayer July" will come into Second Life.

The opening will take place in the 2Life Building (Tachles Gallery) in Nessus at 11 AM SLT.

Those who are either in New York or Warsaw, will have even a chance to join the opening in RL.

In New York, 2Life Magazine organizes a get-together for the opening, Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, the daughter of the artist, will join from Poland.

We're back... somehow

2009-09-05T18:17:00.000-07:00

Rosh Hashana is around the corner and you might wonder if there is another issues of 2Life magazine.

The bad news: There won't be a Rosh Hashana edition of 2Life.

The good news: 2Life magazine is continuing (for the moment) in blog form.

Having a blog has the advantage that the news are more immediate. What happens right now in Second Life can be minutes later already on this blog.

Yes, we know, we loved the nicely magazine layout, but you know how it is. Times are tough, money does not grow on trees, etc.

Hope you enjoy the blog. If you have any comments and suggestions, write us to 2lifemagazine@gmail.com