yehudayona

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Viewing 39 posts - 1,601 through 1,639 (of 1,639 total)
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  • in reply to: IDEA: Let the 100,000 attendees at the Siyum Hashas #884891
    yehudayona
    Participant

    1. It’s a huge mistake for the Siyum Hashas to get involved in politics of any kind.

    2. There was an interesting article in Hamodia that said that the IDF doesn’t want chareidi soldiers because it would be too expensive and too much trouble. The bottom line, according to the article, is that it’s just political posturing and it’s not going to happen.

    in reply to: the ads are missing #883960
    yehudayona
    Participant

    Because of the annoying ads in this and that other frum website, I set my browser’s preferences to block Flash animations. It’s a bit of a nuisance because I have to do an extra click for things like Youtube, but it’s definitely worthwhile.

    in reply to: What Does “Heimish” Mean? #884079
    yehudayona
    Participant

    Hmmm, according to getzel1’s “big shadchan” a “tuna beigel” is heimish.

    in reply to: Singing A Goyishe Tune #882674
    yehudayona
    Participant

    How about Maoz Tzur from a Lutheran hymn?

    in reply to: Auctions That End On Shabbos #1042196
    yehudayona
    Participant

    The OP was asking about bidding, not selling. Clearly eBay sellers can set up 5-day auctions to avoid the problem. When eBay was young, I asked my LOR about bidding on eBay auctions that end on Shabbos, and he said that since the transaction isn’t finalized until you pay, it wasn’t a problem. This was before sniper sites and software existed, so I don’t know how to answer Shmoel’s question.

    in reply to: Brooklyn Bridge vs. Manhattan Bridge #881627
    yehudayona
    Participant

    Figure out your routes, then listen to the traffic reports. Rocket science it ain’t.

    in reply to: But what if you have water with you? #882202
    yehudayona
    Participant

    If you have bear spray, there must be bears around. If there are bears, there is a body of water. Find the water and use that for washing. If doesn’t have to be drinkable.

    in reply to: Two Scoops for the Price of One #884570
    yehudayona
    Participant

    takahmamash, I saw an article recently about an attempt to reopen the Canarsie mikveh. It said there were a bunch of shuls and young people are moving in. It was the first I’d heard of it.

    in reply to: How and where do they get the Parchment for Sefer Torahs? #880401
    yehudayona
    Participant

    pcoz, according the the Pergemena website, the term is slunk, not slinks. The name they list it under is uterine calf.

    in reply to: Infertility treatments – Tzedaka?? #883846
    yehudayona
    Participant

    It’s simply not true that it’s virtually impossible to adopt a Jewish child. There are many Jewish children who are available for adoption. They may be older, they may have health issues, they may be mixed race, but they do have yiddishe neshamas. If someone is thinking, “I couldn’t deal with a child with [fill in the blank],” what would you do if you sired/gave birth to such a child?

    The Jewish Children’s Adoption Network is an organization that matches Jewish children to Jewish families.

    in reply to: Infertility treatments – Tzedaka?? #883794
    yehudayona
    Participant

    While it’s true that a lot of infertility treatments aren’t covered by some insurance, some states mandate coverage. You can find the information at http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/health/insurance-coverage-for-infertility-laws.aspx

    in reply to: Fighting NYC Red Light Camera Ticket #878069
    yehudayona
    Participant

    Actually, the camera shows your car going through a red light. Since they can’t tell who’s driving, there are no points. You could argue that your car was stolen, but you’d have to produce a police report attesting to that.

    Pay the fine, and remember not to go through red lights (or at least THAT red light).

    in reply to: Olympics Sized Pritzus #877219
    yehudayona
    Participant

    They wear clothes. That’s a step up from the Greek olympics.

    in reply to: Matzo Vs The Digestive System #866697
    yehudayona
    Participant

    A prune is just a dried plum, so maybe a plum would have the same effect.

    in reply to: An issue with a cross #868206
    yehudayona
    Participant

    Chassedisher Litzvak: I was unaware of the pagan origins of the fish (though I’m not surprised; the Christians co-opted lots of pagan symbols). The Greek word for fish is ichthus (iota-chi-theta-upsilon-sigma). That’s also the roshei teivos for a phrase that makes G-d offspring claims about JC. My understanding is that that’s the reason for the Christian use of the fish symbol.

    in reply to: Yale University and Its Logo's Hebrew Slogon #883766
    yehudayona
    Participant

    Itche, when I studied classical Greek, I was told that today we really don’t know how it was pronounced. Where do you get the idea that it sounds like you’re talking with your mouth full of spit?

    in reply to: what do you think of daf yomi? #860783
    yehudayona
    Participant

    Uneeq said “In my mind, it’s easy for any Joe Shmoe to give over the daf.” I’ve been learning daf yomi for 20 years or so (with some gaps). While it’s certainly true that there are Joe Shmoes who give over the daf, there are also true talmidei chachamim who do so. Personally, I’d choose the talmid chacham over Joe any day.

    in reply to: Fake Diamond Jewelry #1058389
    yehudayona
    Participant

    When my wife and I got engaged 25 years ago, we agreed to forgo the engagement ring. That was at a time when buying a diamond was tantamount to supporting apartheid. Quite a few years later, she told me she’d like a ring, but that it was a waste of money to get a diamond. So I got a nice CZ ring on eBay.

    If you want to know the social history of diamonds, I recommend this long 1982 article from The Atlantic:

    http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/02/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-a-diamond/4575/

    in reply to: Was William Shakespeare an Anti-Semite? #926961
    yehudayona
    Participant

    147, according to Wikipedia (yes, I know), his birthdate is unknown but he was baptized on (Julian date) April 26, 1564 and died on April 23, 1616. But even your premise (which I recognize as tongue in cheek) is suspect. You gotta know the dates on the Hebrew calendar.

    in reply to: Gourmet Glatt is finally opening (old Friedmans location 39th street) #850162
    yehudayona
    Participant

    Poster: If it’s like the one in Cedarhurst, the various specialty departments are run by other companies, but they’re fully integrated into the store. So the bakery department is Zomicks (which closed their retail store on Central Avenue), the fish department is Ossies, etc. Everything gets checked out up front, so it’s not like a mall.

    in reply to: Gourmet Glatt is finally opening (old Friedmans location 39th street) #850152
    yehudayona
    Participant

    Gourmet Glatt in Cedarhurst tends to be pricy, so I suspect the one in BP will likewise be expensive. I assume GG in Cedarhurst is doing OK because they expanded the store recently and they’re expanding into BP. Of course, there are lots of people in the 5 Towns who don’t have to worry about grocery prices.

    in reply to: Mincha gedola minyanim #830245
    yehudayona
    Participant

    If you’re talking about Rabbi Landau’s shul, I’ve been told their first minyan is at 12:20, which is shortly after mincha gedola.

    in reply to: vehicles with Hatzala permits not moving during alternate parking #824993
    yehudayona
    Participant

    Dr. Pepper, while it’s true that it’s in everyone’s interest that Hatzala members be near their vehicles, hadassa specified that their wives have the cars during the day. The implication is that the members are nowhere near their cars.

    in reply to: BMG bans cellphones with texting #815682
    yehudayona
    Participant

    Texting is addictive for many people, so the ban is understandable. My daughter goes to a seminary in Israel that only allows kosher phones, but they made an exception for her and allowed texting because she’s deaf. I wonder if BMG would make a similar exception for a deaf bochur.

    in reply to: Child Adoption #813077
    yehudayona
    Participant

    soliek: Our posek told us that yichud was not an issue. If you’ve read The Bamboo Cradle, their posek said is was an issue.

    tickle toe eitus: We told our kids from the beginning. Adoption should be presented as just another way to build a family, not as something exceptional. It’s very bad for adoptees to find out later, especially when they find out from somebody other than their parents.

    in reply to: Child Adoption #813071
    yehudayona
    Participant

    BaalHabooze, that’s not very helpful. As I said, there aren’t a lot of healthy Jewish infants waiting to be adopted, but there are Jewish children who are available.

    When we were starting on the process, we considered what we could deal with. That’s each couple’s decision. Some may decide that they only want healthy infants, some may be willing to take children with certain types of disabilities but not others, and others may take toddlers or even older kids. If you’re considering the latter, I suggest you read Adopting the Older Child by Claudia Jewett Jarrett.

    in reply to: Child Adoption #813068
    yehudayona
    Participant

    There’s a wonderful organization that helps place Jewish children in Jewish homes. It’s the Jewish Children’s Adoption Network, run by Steve and Vicki Krauss of Denver. It’s true that it’s quite rare for healthy Jewish infants to be available for adoption, but there are children who are older or have health issues. When we were looking to adopt, we (of course) asked a posek whether we should seek to adopt Jewish children, and we were told that we should.

    It’s probably extremely rare for healthy children of frum parents to be adopted by non-family members, but I have heard of one case. In the past, in some segments of the frum community, children with disabilities may have been given up for adoption, but I think that’s less prevalent now.

    in reply to: Avodah Zaroh in Nail Salons #810568
    yehudayona
    Participant

    cv, I thought all nail salons are Asian.

    in reply to: Irene in Far Rockaway #802715
    yehudayona
    Participant

    Yes, LIPA serves Far Rockaway, but apparently Mayor Bloomberg doesn’t know it (at least he only had a Con Ed spokesman at his drasha). I looked on the LIPA website, and there seems to be an outage in parts of FR, though it’s not very specific. My answering machine still isn’t responding, so I suspect we’re out. RSRH, did you go to shul Shabbos morning? How many showed up?

    in reply to: Irene in Far Rockaway #802709
    yehudayona
    Participant

    I’m a refugee from Bayswater. I tried calling home, as well as a bunch of neighbors. No one’s answering machine picked up, so I suspect either power is out or telephones are out. From what I’ve read, the roads are mostly passable.

    in reply to: Goyish brands, that are kosher… #800340
    yehudayona
    Participant

    I don’t think Pringles are served at state dinners, so they don’t need to be bishul yisroel.

    in reply to: Crocs on Tisha Ba’av #789791
    yehudayona
    Participant

    If it’s preferable not to wear Crocs because they’re too comfortable, is it also preferable to forgo air conditioning?

    in reply to: Almond Milk on Pesach??? #754074
    yehudayona
    Participant

    A little googling reveals that there’s a KfP brand and it’s available:

    http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/774175

    in reply to: Torah vs. Toyrah #745537
    yehudayona
    Participant

    In a certain out-of-town cheder, classes are mixed through pre-1a (it’s not so out-of-town that the call the year before 1st grade “kindergarten”). Boys and girls learn cholem. Then in 1st grade when the boys and girls are separated, the boys are instructed in the error of their ways and learn choylem.

    in reply to: Engagement Rings #944384
    yehudayona
    Participant

    When my wife and I were discussing getting married, we agreed that a diamond was a waste of money. That was at a time when most diamonds were coming out of apartheid South Africa, so we also had an ethical issue with buying one. After several years of marriage, she decided that she wanted a ring after all, so she picked out a nice CZ ring for a couple of hundred dollars.

    If you think a diamond is forever, it isn’t. My mother’s diamond was shattered internally when a window sash fell on it. B”H, her finger was fine.

    in reply to: Bigger Assur Facebook or Smoking? #726610
    yehudayona
    Participant

    They’re both addictive. I’ve never really done either one, so I don’t know which is more addictive.

    Pashuteh Yid, I don’t see where anyone has answered your question about what’s so bad about Facebook. Besides the obvious bitul zman, teens in particular connect with all kinds of people who are not the best influences. They “friend” people they don’t know and are exposed to all kinds of shmutz. Because it seems to be somewhat private, it lessens inhibitions, in a similar way to how the Internet made pornography more accessible. Yes, it can be used to help families keep in touch, but that’s not how teens use it. I think if you ask anyone who works with at-risk teens about Facebook, they’ll have a very negative opinion.

    in reply to: Litoeles H’rabim: Free Internet service from Google #689076
    yehudayona
    Participant

    Obviously, myfriend and qaws didn’t look at the FAQ.

    in reply to: Reading Teacher/Specialist #928572
    yehudayona
    Participant

    Unless things have changed recently, you must be certified in Special Education or Students with Disabilities in order to do P3. Theoretically, you can make good money, but good luck getting those groups together. The yeshivas aren’t interested in P3’s before 2:00 PM, the blocks are typically 40 or 45 minutes, the kids don’t show up, etc. I know one frum provider who does Catholic schools in the morning and yeshivas in the afternoon. Guess which group she prefers to work with.

    If you do P3 through an agency, they’ll take a cut. I’ve always done it directly, so I don’t know what the cut is, but I suspect it’s more than nominal.

    Bozo, I mentioned that I’m back in school to get an additional certification in a field where there’s a shortage. It’s Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired. I believe there are only three colleges in NYS that offer it: Hunter, Teachers College, and Dominican.

    in reply to: Reading Teacher/Specialist #928564
    yehudayona
    Participant

    I’m an unemployed teacher certified in special ed and math. I have two master’s degrees from reputable colleges. It’s a very tough market, which is why I’m back in school to earn certification in a field where there’s a shortage (and very few programs turning out teachers). The problem, of course, is that everybody jumps into the field that currently seen as having a shortage, so there ends up being a surplus of people in that field. You have to stay a step ahead of the crowd. If the frum programs are pushing degrees in (insert field here), it’s probably too late. Also, if a school has a choice of hiring (a) someone with experience, (b) someone without experience but with a degree from a real college, or (c) someone without experience and with a degree from one of the frum programs, which do think comes in third? A yeshiva might hire someone in category c, but the pay will probably be low and the check will probably be late.

    To do P-3 (available only in NYC), you need to be certified in special education (or students with disabilities, as the newer certification is called). I’ve done it, and it’s OK for extra income, but of course there are no benefits.

    Anybody out there familiar with opportunities in nursing? I believe it used to be a field with a shortage where you could make your own hours. The preparation is rigorous, so if you’re looking for an easy degree, forget it.

Viewing 39 posts - 1,601 through 1,639 (of 1,639 total)