more pretties

Once again in the interests of sharing pretty things: this behind the cut is a piece I've just done for a bat mitzvah girl - it's the first two sections of her Torah portion.

( yes, down here )

(no subject)

Here's my schedule for next week and subsequently:
14th: interview in St Louis for yay job
15th: class at YU and then leave for home
16-19th: in Southampton
20th: W gets here
23rd: To Oxford for shabbat
24th late or 25th early: to Limmud
29th: Back down south with family (W goes home)
4th: Leave for NYC

I don't think I can justify coming up to Cambridge, since it's already rather little time with family what with Limmud and all and it takes forever to get there from Soton. There will be crash space at my mum's house if ppl want to schlep it down to Soton - it'd be jolly nice to see you.

The grey area in Judaism

There isn't really an amazingly good distinction between Conservative and Orthodox, when you get right down to the dividing lines. There doesn't seem to be a good theological difference, adherence to halacha existing in both denominations. It doesn't have to do with the divine or otherwise origins of the Torah, since you can find Yes and No opinions on both sides. The No opinions are quieter in Orthodoxy, but they're there, and there are certainly Yeses in Conservatism. Viscerally, the division is separate seating in shul; if you have separated seating, you're Orthodox (or at the very least, you're Not Conservative), and if you don't, you're Conservative (or Not Orthodox). There are other distinctions one could attempt, but it's a blurry line.

Hence the existence of the grey area - all those people who can't stomach the social side of Orthodoxy, but find it awfully hard to deal with the huge majority of Conservative laity not being particularly observant.

( musings in the grey area )