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Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!grapevine.lcs.mit.edu!olivea!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!news.aero.org!faigin From: faigin@aero.org (Daniel P. Faigin) Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish,news.answers,soc.answers Subject: soc.culture.jewish FAQ: Miscellaneous and References (10/10) Supersedes: <faq.10_776542027@solarium.aero.org> Followup-To: poster Date: 9 Sep 1994 18:07:11 GMT Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA Lines: 775 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Expires: 23 Oct 1994 18:07:05 GMT Message-ID: <faq.10_779134025@solarium.aero.org> NNTP-Posting-Host: solarium.aero.org Summary: Miscellaneous Question, Getting Access, Regular Postings, Software Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu soc.culture.jewish:73444 news.answers:25423 soc.answers:1662 Archive-name: judaism/FAQ/10-Miscellaneous Posting-Frequency: Monthly Frequently Asked Questions on Soc.Culture.Jewish Part 10: Miscellaneous and References [Last Change: $Date: 1994/09/09 18:07:07 $ $Revision: 1.15 $] [Last Post: Wed Aug 10 11:07:10 1994] This posting is an attempt to answer questions that are continually asked on soc.culture.jewish. It was written by cooperating laypeople from the various Judaic movements. You SHOULD NOT make any assumption as to accuracy and/or authoritativeness of the answers provided herein. In all cases, it is always best to consult a competent authority -- your local rabbi is a good place to start. The deceased sages described within are of blessed memory, (assume a Z"L or ZT"L after their names) and the sages alive today should live to see long and good days (assume SHLITA). May Hashem grant complete recovery to the ill. Individual honorifics are omitted. The FAQ was produced by a committee and is a cooperative work. The contributors never standardized on a {Hebrew,Aramaic,Yiddish,Ladino}-->English transliteration scheme. As a result, the same original word might appear with a variety of spellings. This is complicated by the fact that there are regional variations in the pronunciation of Hebrew. In some places, the common spelling variations are mentioned; in others --- not. We hope that this is not too confusing. This list should be used in conjunction with the Soc.Culture.Jewish reading lists that are posted separately. Similar questions can be found in the books referenced in those lists. Reproduction of this posting for commercial use is subject to restriction. See Part 1 for more details. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: Organization This portion of the FAQ contains answers to the following questions: Section 18. Miscellaneous 18.1. I want to become more observant. Where do I start? 18.2. Why is "shabbat" spelled sometimes shabbath, shabbath, shabbos, 18.3. What are some common Hebrew and Yiddish phrases I see on SCJ? 18.4. What do all those abbreviations like Z"L mean? 18.5. Is "shvartze" offensive? Is "goyim" offensive? 18.6. What does "shiksa" and "shaygetz" mean? 18.7. Can you provide me with a list of kosher restaurants in <xxx>? 18.8. I am going to be in <>, where can I eat, stay for Shabbat. 18.9. What do bagels, lox, ... have to do with being a Jew? 18.10. What does Warren Burstein's signature mean? 18.11. What does the funny pattern in Rob Levene's signature mean? 18.12. Who was the sixth Marx brother? 18.13. Why do Hebrew clocks run clockwise, not counter-clockwise? 18.14. How do I show my love for the Jewish people? 18.15. What is the origin of the word "kike"? Section 19. References and Getting Connected 19.1. I'd like to learn more? Do you have any books to recommend? 19.2. What are the different hechsher symbols? 19.3. What are the Jewish-oriented mailing lists? 19.4. Are there any moderated mailing lists? 19.5. Are there any Jewish-oriented gophers or WWW servers? 19.6. How do I get access to s.c.j? 19.7. Is SCJ available via a Listserv or other e-mail means? 19.8. What divrei Torah are posted to Usenet? 19.9. Where can I find collected divrei Torah? 19.10. What software is available for Hebrew applications? 19.11. Are there conversion programs for the Jewish and other calendars? All portions of the FAQ are organized as digests, and should be undigestifyable by software such as Gnus or rn. Please report any difficulties. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: Archival and Credits Anonymous FTP: All portions of the FAQ and of the reading lists are archived on israel.nysernet.org [192.77.173.2] and on rtfm.mit.edu, and are available for anonymous FTP. The locations of parts of the FAQ on israel.nysernet.org are as follows: ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/01-FAQ-intro ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/02-Who-We-Are ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/03-Torah-Halacha ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/04-Observance ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/05-Worship ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/06-Jewish-Thought ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/07-Jews-As-Nation ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/08-Israel ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/09-Antisemitism ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/FAQ/10-Miscellaneous The locations of the parts of the reading lists on israel.nysernet.org are as follows: ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/general ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/traditional ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/chasidism ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/reform ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/conservative ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/reconstructionist ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/humanistic ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/zionism ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/antisemitism ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/intermarriage ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/lists/scj-faq/reading-lists/periodicals If you are accessing the archives on rtfm.mit.edu, the pathname is pub/usenet/news.answers/judaism, instead of israel/lists/scj-faq. Mail: The files may also be obtained via Email by sending a message to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with the following line in the body of the message: send usenet/news.answers/judaism/(portionname) Where (portionname) is replaced by the appropriate subdirectory and filenames; for example, to get the first part of the reading list, one would say: send usenet/news.answers/judaism/reading-lists/general WWW/Mosaic: The FAQ and reading lists are available by following the following pointer: http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/bngusenet/soc/culture/jewish/top.htm Comments and corrections are welcome. Note that the goal is to present a balanced view of Judaism; where a response is applicable to a particular movement only, this will be noted. Unless otherwise noted or implied by the text, all responses reflect the traditional viewpoint. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 18.1. I want to become more observant. Where do I start? Coming from a background of nothing, the best thing you can do first is to find someone who is already observant with whom you are comfortable and discuss the issues involved. Join a directed study group designed for "Baalei Tshuva". It is impossible to be a practicing Jew (of any type) without the knowledge of what you are practicing. There are groups within many communities which are set up to do this. Examples include Chabad Lubavitch, Aish Hatorah seminars, and NCSY youth groups. Non-Orthodox Jews also do outreach, but in common parlance, _baal teshuvah_ refers to someone who adopts Orthodox Judaism. The best advice is often to go slowly, decide what you are going to do, and don't let difficulties with particular levels of observance cause you to drop the whole matter. Find a sympathetic rabbi who will help and advise you. Avoid the "All or Nothing" syndrome. Most of all remember that you are not alone. In fact, there is even a Baal Teshuva electronic mailing list. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 18.2. Why is "shabbat" spelled sometimes shabbath, shabbath, shabbos, shabbes? ___ __ _ _ * The Hebrew word is | | . | | | | and it's pronounced in various ways, _| | __|_ |/_/ T -- of which "Shabbos" and "Shabbat" are examples. "Sabbath" is an anglicization of the Hebrew. It's all the same word, and the pronunciations are used interchangeably in this FAQ. Same with Kashrus/Kashrut/Kashruth, Yisroel/Yisrael/Israel, Yisro/Yitro/Jethro, etc.. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 18.3. What are some common Hebrew and Yiddish phrases I see on SCJ? Most people are careful to translate their Hebrew and Yiddish, but a few are common enough that people don't bother. "Nu?" This is an exclamation used in the same sense as "well" "eh" and "hey." It could be used in the Hebrew/Yiddish translation of any of the following: 1. Well, do you want the egg roll or the knish? 2. Hey! Stop throwing paper airplanes in class. 3. My experimental tofu-liver-garlic cholent tastes good, eh? 4. So, Becca, I hear you and Izzy went out last week. Well? 5. A rebuke (on small kids): "Nu, nu, nu, you spiled all the milk! 6. To express doubt: "I heard that Rabin met Asad. Nu." 7. When the news ain't new no more: (see #7; the change is in the tone of the "nu"). 8. As "come on": NU BEMET. 9. When one can't talk (i.e. in the middle of Shmone-Esre, after Netila before Hamotzi, etc.) -------------------------------------------------- Subject: 18.4. What do all those abbreviations like Z"L mean? Those abbreviation are shorthand for common Hebrew phrases. Here are some of the most common ones: A"H (Alav(Male)/Aleha(Female) Hashalom) * For any deceased Jew. * Translation: Peace Be Upon Him/Her * Sometimes written as PBUH, generally by Muslims. Admo"r (Adonainu, Morainu, VeRabbeinu) * Translation: Our Master, Our Teacher, and Our Rebbe * Honorofic title given to scholarly leaders of a Jewish community, "R' Yankel Shmendrick, SHLITA, Admor of Chelm.") * This is usually a specifically Hassidic term. AMUSh (Ad Maia Veesrim Shana) * Translation: [He/She should live] for 120 years * Used for salutations in correspondence: "Dear Ploni AMU"Sh" B"H (Baruch Hashem) * Translation: Blessed be G-d (occasionally) (B'Ezras/Ezer Hashem) * Translation: With G-d's help (i.e. at top of papers, sometimes with an ayin following the beis) B"N (B'li Neder) * Translation: Without taking a vow * Used after a promise, since failure to fulfill a promise is a serious violation of Jewish law. For example, "I'll check that reference tomorrow, B"N." (i.e., if I forget, I don't want to be liable under Jewish law). BLA"H (B'li Ayin Hara) or (K'ain Ayin Hara) * Translation: "without the 'evil eye'" * Meaning: "I'm saying this without hubris" * Often pronounced Kanaina horo (Yiddish) BS"D (B'siyata d'shmaya) (Aramaic) * Translation: With the help of heaven (common) HY"D (Hashem Yikom Damo[am]) * For martyred Jews. * Translation: Hashem will avenge his[their] Blood IY"H, IYH (Im Yirtzeh Hashem) * Translation: If it be G-d's will (very common) * Used for referring to future actions: "I'll see you tomorrow IY'H." N"E (Nishmaso(male)/Nishmasa(Female) b'Eden) * Translation: His/Her soul should be in Eden/paradise R' (Rabbi) ShLIT"A (SHe'yikhye Lirot Yamim Tovim ve'Arukim) * Used for living prominent Jewish scholars. * Translation: That he/she should live to see good and full days (long life) YM"SH,Y'Sh,Y"ShU (Yemach Shmo Vezichro) * For deceased enemies of the Jewish people * Translation: May his name be wiped out (YH"SH, Y'Sh) May his name and memory be wiped out (Y'Shu) Z"L (Zichrono Livrocho) * For deceased prominent Jewish scholars. * Translation: Of Blessed Memory * Sometimes written as OBM ZT"L (Zecher Tzadik Livrocho) * For deceased prominent Jewish scholars. * Translation: The Memory of the Righteous is a Blessing ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 18.5. Is "shvartze" offensive? Is "goyim" offensive? "Shvartze" is the neutral Yiddish term for "black", including the person. There are other derogatory terms--some borrowed from English. But there are Jews who can make "shvartze" offensive. However, even though the meaning of the term isn't offensive, that doesn't mean that the word hasn't acquired an offensive connotation over time. This is the case with "shvartze". Historically, it was used in a nonneutral way, regardless of its neutral meaning. In general, the term should be avoided. Note that "shvartze" is also used to describe strict observance. [From the black clothing the very strict always wear, in mourning for the destruction of the Temple.] "Goy" [plural: goyim, adjective: goyishe] is the standard Hebrew term for non-Jew. Literally it is the Hebrew for "nation." Spoken aloud with a disgusted inflection, it's pejorative. So is the word 'Jew' in similar circumstances. Better to say "gentile" when writing in English for a multireligious audience, such as SCJ. In the phrase "shabbos goy"--a gentile who does things for Jews on Shabbos --it is neutral, yet when refusing to do something for someone by saying "I'm not your shabbos goy", it carries a derogatory tinge. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 18.6. What does "shiksa" and "shaygetz" mean? How offensive are they? Shiksa and Shaygetz are the Yiddish derivative of the respective feminine and masculine Hebrew words for something unclean, dirty. The appellations are customarily applied to gentiles who do things inimical to Jewish interests, such as vandalizing Jewish buildings, robbing Jewish kids of their lunch money, or becoming romantically involved with Jews. In Israel, shaygetz is sometimes used to refer to a misbehaving child. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 18.7. Can you provide me with a list of kosher restaurants in <xxx>? Yes. See the archives on israel.nysernet.org for a list of kosher restaurants in various cities. See also "Travelling Jewish in America" $11.95 Wandering You Press Note that since these data change frequently you POB 20 should check with the local synagogue where you Lodi, New Jersey 07644 are going to ensure that the restaurant (201) 772-1052 still exists and has a valid hashgacha (kosher certification). You'll often find mention of Kosher restaurants in the various Jewish periodicals, especially the ones focusing on Kashrut. See the Periodicals Reading List. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 18.8. I am going to be in <>, where can I eat, stay for Shabbat. Go to your local library and request a telephone directory for that city. Look up "Synagogues-<your affiliation>" and call them up. Ask to be directed to the Hospitality Committee, which is in charge of such arrangements. Alternatively, a short post to SCJ can get you up-to-date information about cities from their residents. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 18.9. What do bagels, lox, ... have to do with being a Jew? QUESTION: What do bagels, lox, pastrami, falafel, garlic pickles, kishka, and kasha have to do with being a Jew? ANSWER: Those are foods popular in some cultures in which Jews lived, but have zero religious significance. They are sometimes called "Jewish foods" because of their popularity among Jews, and because they bring back memories of one's ancestors who ate similar foods. Gefilte fish, however, *is* a Jewish food. Many Jews have a custom to have fish, wine, and meat on the Sabbath. On the Sabbath, one may not separate "bad from good" such as removing bones from fish. (Good from bad, i.e. fish from bone is OK...) To simplify matters, it became popular to serve ground fish from which bones were removed. Another Jewish dish is cholent, a stew left to simmer throughout Shabbos, because this a) avoids cooking on Shabbos b) reaffirms the belief in oral Torah, permitting the use of a fire lit before shabbos, as opposed to the Karaites, who rejected the oral Torah and didn't use fire on Shabbos. The cholent is then eaten for the Sabbath afternoon meal. One of the problems with Jewish cooking is that you can eat an entire meal, yet not even 72 hours later, you're hungry for more. (:-) ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 18.10. What does Warren Burstein's signature mean? The original signature quote said "The world is a very strange carrot, but the farmer is not worried at all." This is a pun on R' Nachman of Braslav's saying "Kol Haolom Kulo Gesher (Gezer) Tzar (Zar) Meod Vehaikar (Aleph & Ayin diff) Lo Lephached Klal," which actually says "The whole world is like a very narrow bridge, and the main idea is not to be worried at all." ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 18.11. What does the funny pattern in Rob Levene's signature mean? QUESTION: What does the funny pattern "/ // / /" in Rob Levene's signature mean? ANSWER: Think of the slashes and spaces as binary digits. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 18.12. Who was the sixth Marx brother? The sixth Marx brother Karl turned his comedic skills to literature. He wrote a spoof of an economic treatise which parodied the ponderous "scientific" tomes of his day. Unfortunately, people with no sense of humor took him seriously and attempted to carry out the philosophy he used in the book. It was as if the English had attempted to carry out Jonathan Swift's "A modest proposal" and the results were just as tragic. The last czar of the Russian Empire (Mikhail I of the House of Gorbachev) finally admitted this and abdicated, and there was much rejoicing. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 18.13. Why do Hebrew clocks run clockwise, not counter-clockwise? QUESTION: Why do Hebrew clocks run clockwise? Since Hebrew goes right-to-left, shouldn't Hebrew clocks go counterclockwise? ANSWER: Some do, but I wouldn't lose sleep over this question. FYI, the clock on the tower of the Prague Jewish Community Center uses Hebrew letters and runs counter-clockwise. Most clocks use *Arabic* numerals, another right-to-left language. The real question is why Roman numeral clocks don't go the other way. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 18.14. How do I show my love for the Jewish people? QUESTION: I'm overflowing with love for the Jewish people. How should I show it? ANSWER: Do: discourage anti-Jewish behavior, object to stereotyping, humbly follow the seven laws and behave morally, support the existence of Israel, support religious freedom and sensitivity to others' practices, be friendly to Jews, encourage your friends to do likewise. Don't: proselytize/witness/missionize to Jews, date or marry Jews, give ham/pork/shellfish to Jews, force a Jew to work from Friday night to Saturday night or on Jewish holidays, tell "JAP" jokes. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 18.15. What is the origin of the word "kike"? The word kike originates from the word "keikl", in Yiddish, which means "circle", the reason being that the first Jewish immigrants in America, who were unable to sign their names, signed with a circle instead of a cross. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 19.1. I'd like to learn more? Do you have any books to recommend? Take a look at the front of this message. There you will find a pointer to the set of Reading Lists, posted as part of the overall soc.culture.jewish FAQ. In the reading lists, you'll find information on the following: o Part I: Introduction and General I.1. Where Can I Get These Books From? I.2. But The List is So Long, Where Should I Start? I.3. For Non-Jewish Readers I.4. General Judaism I.5. General Jewish Thought I.6. General Jewish History I.7. Noachide Laws I.8. Torah and Talmud I.9. Mishnah and Talmud I.10. Torah and Talmudic Commentary I.11. Midrash I.12. Halachic Codes I.13. Becoming An Observant Jew I.14. Women and Judaism I.15. Science and Judaism o Part II: Traditional Liturgy, Practice, Lifestyle, Holidays II.1. Traditional Liturgy II.2. Traditional Philosophy and Ethics II.3. Prayer II.4. Traditional Practice II.5. The Household II.6. Life, Death, and In-Between II.7. The Cycle Of Holidays o Part III: The Messiah, Kaballah and Chasidism III.1. The Messiah III.2. Chasidism III.3. Kaballah and Mysticism o Part IV: Reform Judaism IV.1. Reform Beliefs IV.2. Reform Rituals IV.3. Reform Liturgy IV.4. Reform Responsa IV.5. Reform History IV.6. The Bible o Part V: Conservative Judaism V.1. Conservative Beliefs V.2. Conservative Practices V.3. Conservative History V.4. Conservative Liturgy o Part VI: Reconstructionist Judaism VI.1. Philosophy Of Movement VI.2. Reconstructionist Education VI.3. Reconstructionist Liturgy o Part VII: Humanistic Judaism VII.1. Philosophy Of Movement VII.2. Other Related Reading o Part VIII: Zionism VIII.1. Zionism and The Development Of Israel VIII.2. The Founders VIII.3. Zionistic Movements VIII.4. Judaism in Israel o Part IX: Antisemitism IX.1. Antisemitism IX.2. What Led to The Holocaust IX.3. Medieval Oppression IX.4. Antisemitism Today (Including Dealing with Hate Groups) IX.5. Judiasm and Christianity o Part X: Intermarriage X.1. So You're Considering Intermarriage? X.2. The Traditional Viewpoint X.3. Conversion X.4. You've Done The Deed. Coping With Life As An Intermarried o Part XI: Periodicals XI.1.a. Topical General Interest Periodicals XI.1.b. General Interest Periodicals focused on Tradition and Home XI.1.c. General Interest Periodicals focused on Jewish Scholarship XI.1.d. Other General Interest Periodicals XI.2. Publications Targeted For Specific Movements XI.3. Rabbinic Journals XI.4. Local Publications For additional information on Israel and Aliyah, gopher to jerusalem1.datasrv.co.il (gopher://jerusalem1.datasrv.co.il). There you will find a large number of FAQs dealing with those subjects. Topics available include: *) How to become a temporary resident *) How to become a working tourist *) How long can one be a tourist before it effects your rights *) Step by step guide for changing status in Israel *) How to bring your pet into Israel *) Custom rights *) Serving in the army while completing a university degree. *) A general information sheet on Banking in Israel. *) An information sheet on the Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel *) Tips on Starting your own business in Israel. *) How to ship your belongings with you to Israel. *) How to bring your computer to Israel. *) A list of all the study programs that are available in Israel. *) Kibbutz Ulpan FAQ *) Machon Meir Ulpan FAQ *) Livnot U'lehibanot FAQ *) Everything you wanted to know about the Yeshiva Experience in Israel. Includes: choosing a yeshiva, hesder, yeshivot for men and women. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 19.2. What are the different hechsher symbols? You'll have to keep informed. Note that in most states, "K" does not necessarily mean that the product has rabbinical supervision, so you can't rely on the simple K. Of course, many products with a "K" *are* kosher anyway, as are many unmarked products. The circled-U, circled-K, K-in-a-five-pointed-star, and k-in-a-letter-chaf are widely accepted nationally-known kosher symbols. Other accepted kosher symbols are only found in small local areas. In the Periodicals Reading List, you'll find a number of magazines focused on Kashrut. These magazines often publish information on who is behind the various hechshers. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 19.3. What are the Jewish-oriented mailing lists? The Directory of Jewish Electronic Services can be found in the Global Jewish Information Network server. The Directory (then Partial Directory...) began as one of the components in the planning of the Global project back in October 1991. It listed then about 30 services. Now, almost 130 listserv Jewish conferences are included. All known Jewish interest gophers and archives; dozens of Jewish libraries; Jewish networking projects; Jewish networking background materials and more. You are invited to visit the server following this procedure: telnet www.huji.ac.il login: JEWISHNET Best results are obtained using a VT320 emulation available through the Kermit adapted by the Hebrew University. This can be obtained by anonymous ftp: ftp noa.huji.ac.il login: anonymous password: <your email address> cd /pub/hebrew_kermit binary get heb_kerm.zip If you have suggestions and pointers to any additional resources that may have been skipped and should be included please write to: jewishnt@bguvm.bgu.ac.il You may also send mail to listserv@israel.nysernet.org with the following as the body of the message: lists In terms of URLs, the following may be of interest: gopher://jerusalem1.datasrv.co.il/0/about/list/list ftp://israel.nysernet.org/israel/NYI-LISTS You can also try ftping to vm.tau.ac.il, changing to the directory hank.400 and retrieving the file israel.lists. A number of chasidic mailing lists are listed in the Chasdism portion of the reading list. Ohr Samayach maintains the following mailing lists: Dafyomi - "The Weekly Daf," Rav Mendel Weinbach's insights into and comments on the seven pages of Talmud studied this week. Ask - The Rabbi answers YOUR questions on Judaism. Weekly - Summary of the weekly Torah portion. Parasha-QA - Challenging questions on the weekly Torah portion. Os-Special - All the SPECIAL publications produced by Ohr Somayach. Os-Alum - "Yachad" - the Ohr Somayach Electronic Alumni Newsletter. To subscribe to any of these, send the SUBSCRIBE listname yourname message to listserv@@jerusalem1.datasrv.co.il. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 19.4. Are there any moderated mailing lists? QUESTION: Boy, there's a lot of flaming on this newsgroup. Are there any moderated mailing lists available on Judaism? ANSWER: A number of the lists mentioned above are moderated; furthermore, you should be able to find a list to suit you regardless of your particular movement. The important thing is to stay connected to Judaism. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 19.5. Are there any Jewish-oriented gophers or WWW servers? There are two major sites for Jewish info on the Internet: israel.nysernet.org and jerusalem1.datasrv.co.il. Israel.nysernet.org has a great ftp archive. There are Jewish-oriented gophers at these sites: israel-info.gov.il (Israel) jerusalem1.datasrv.co.il (Israel) israel.nysernet.org (New York) lubavitch.chabad.org (New York) judaism.com (Pittsburgh) Some of these sites sponsor listserv mailing lists - there are at least 75 different Jewish mailing lists on the net. To see what listserv lists are at a site, try send a message containing the word "lists" to listserv@(that-site). These sites are sponsored by different organizations, so they have different info and different flavors. They have Hebrew and English bible texts and commentaries, Jewish-oriented software, info on Israel and Judaism, and much, much more. There is a Web server at archie.ac.il, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Computer Science Institute. Readers might also want to explore the Jewish Resources HTML page: http://sleepless.acm.uiuc.edu/signet/JHSI/judaism.html ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 19.6. How do I get access to s.c.j? QUESTION: I have a friend with a brand-new Internet account. I think she would really enjoy this group but I don't know if she has news access. Have her ask her site administration if she can access Usenet groups. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 19.7. Is SCJ available via a Listserv or other e-mail means? Yes, it can be received as a huge torrent of electronic mail through a listserver on nysernet.org. Be sure to have a good mail program to handle the volume, follow the threads, and delete excess messages. To receive scj, send a message to listserv@israel.nysernet.org, saying subscribe scj FIRST LAST Substitute your name for FIRST LAST Do not specify a Subject: line in the message, and do not include any other lines (e.g. do not include your signature). Specify your real name, not your computer address. Don't say "please" or "thank you" as this will only confuse the computer. Do not put any punctuation marks in your message. Since scj sends out a lot of messages (over 100 a day sometimes), you might prefer to receive digests. Digests go out when 1000 lines of messages have accumlated, or at least once a day. To change your subscription so that you receive digests, send a message to listserv@israel.nysernet.org, saying set scj mail digest You can put the SUBSCRIBE and SET commands in the same message, as long as each is on a separate line. If you lack a good mail program, try receiving the digest and saving it as a single file; then develop a perl script to delete articles in a manner similar to a killfile. To post to SCJ via email, send your article to scj@israel.nysernet.org. An alternative address is soc-culture-jewish@cs.utexas.edu. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 19.8. What divrei Torah are posted to Usenet? There are quite a few. Some are posted on a regular basis, some on an ad-hoc basis. The regular postings are as follows. If you can't get soc.culture.jewish (or if you don't want to deal with the volume), the regular divrei Torah are also available via Email as indicated. HaMaayan EDITOR: Shlomo Katz EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION ADDRESS: ajb@digex.net HOW TO SUBSCRIBE: Drop a note to the subscription address requesting addition to the distribution list. L'Chaim EDITOR: Chabad-Lubavitch EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION ADDRESS: aaron@kesher.lerctr.org HOW TO SUBSCRIBE: Drop a note to the subscription address requesting addition to the distribution list. A Byte of Torah EDITOR: Zev Itzkowitz, "Center for Return" EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS ADDRESS: listserv@israel.nysernet.org HOW TO SUBSCRIBE: Send the following strings, with appropriate substitutions for <first name> and <last name> to the subscription address: SUB bytetorah <first name> <last name> Oxford Jewish EDITOR: Rabbi Shmuel Boteach EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS ADDRESS: listserv@israel.nysernet.org HOW TO SUBSCRIBE: Send the following strings, with appropriate substitutions for <first name> and <last name> to the subscription address: SUB oxford-judaism <first name> <last name> S.C.J also receives occasional postings of divrei Torah by (in alphabetical order) Rabbis Avrohom Alter, Aharon Levitansky, Shlomo Riskin, and Menachem Schneerson. To the best of my knowledge, these are not available via Email subscription. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 19.9. Where can I find collected divrei Torah? The machine israel.nysernet.org contains a Torah discourse collection in israel/tanach/commentary, plus archives of various Jewish-interest mailing lists. Israel.nysernet.org does provide a gopher that focuses on Jewish information; see: gopher://nysernet.org/11/Selected%20Gateways%20to%20many%20resources/NY%20-%20Israel%20project or, for us humans to parse, gopher to israel.nysernet.org and follow the path: Selected Gateways to Many Resources/NY - Israel Project ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 19.10. What software is available for Hebrew applications? There are numerous utilities. See the Hebrew Computing document on the nysernet.org library. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 19.11. Are there conversion programs for the Jewish and other calendars? Several such programs have been released in C source code for Unix and other systems. See the archive on nysernet.org. ------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: 19.99. Boy, you did a wonderful job on the FAQ? How do I show my appreciation? Questions in the FAQ can be dedicated in your honor, or in memory of a loved one. Just send your checks to SCJ FAQ Building Fund P. O. Box 613 Haven't-you-figured-this-out-yet Drive San Chelm CA 90000 [This question is dedicated in honor of Matthew P Wiener by Anonymous] ------------------------------------------------------------ -- Please mail additions or corrections to me at faigin@aero.org. End of SCJ FAQ Part 10 (Miscellaneous) Digest ************************** ------- -- [W]: The Aerospace Corp. M1/055 * POB 92957 * LA, CA 90009-2957 * 310/336-8228 [Email]:faigin@aero.org, faigin@acm.org [Vmail]:310/336-5454 Box#68228 Seen on the net: "Earthquakes aren't fascinating when they are under your house"