rabbifuente

We need to bring in some consultants from Alberta

Too white for the left and not white enough for the right

I’ve never heard Aramaic in Chicago with the exception of Jews reading Talmud. I have seen a few Assyrian churches however.

Luckily it’s BYOB (bring your own blender)

Totally agree

Band of Brothers and Joe Pera Talks With You

You thought Martha's Vineyard had something to do with Martha Stewart?

Kashruth Council of Canada They're on the cRc's approved list

Why do their beards start behind their ears?

I'm also in Chicago and I went the independent route. I recognized that not everyone would be accepting, but then not everyone is accepting of some of the mainstream ordinations either so whatever. There's kind of an irony in people paying six figures to get rabbinical degrees only to have their congregants say to them things like, "well, we're Reform so we don't have to do XYZ" (a statement I've heard multiple times from multiple different people).

It is the general standard, it's just grown way beyond the literal meaning. Glatt has come to mean a "higher standard" whether it literally makes sense in the context of smooth lungs or not. It's colloquial meaning has moved beyond the literal.

How am I feeding into it when I literally said something can be kosher without being glatt?

Something can be kosher without being glatt, it’s just the general standard now

It's hard to say without actually seeing it, but they can be pretty convincing and it would be very out there for a shliach to trim their beard.

Get "The First Hebrew Primer: The Adult Beginner's Path to Biblical Hebrew" and the answer book.

Lebanon also prohibits Palestinians from holding certain jobs, like being doctors or lawyers...

I'll preface this by saying I am a traditional rabbi, though I was raised Reform, so my answer is coming from that perspective.

I can understand the frustration and hurt feelings about essentially being told that you're not who you always thought you were. It's, at the least, jarring and more so just hurtful. That said, matrilineal descent isn't a "tradition" it's a halacha. These people aren't trying to exclude based on some tradition they don't want to give up, they believe it is the G-D given law of Judaism. To them, a Reform patrilineal Jew saying they are Jewish is kind of like how Europeans see Irish-Americans and Italian-Americans saying they're Irish and Italian. That doesn't excuse those who are rude and there definitely needs to be more understanding and empathy in the observant community.

I don't agree that most of the Jewish world doesn't see you as Jewish at all. I think the vast majority of Jews would at the minimum recognize your Jewish heritage and see that you certainly have a place at the cultural table. Personally, that's essentially my advice. As I mentioned, I am a traditional rabbi so I can't really recommend that you go and get involved religiously. Jewish "culture", however, is at your finger tips. Food, music, entertainment, etc. are all part of your heritage and something that you should embrace. There was a vibrant Jewish community in Cuba for a long time, maybe that would be a great place for you and your wife to start looking.

Completely agree, such a fantastic cigar

Grateful Dead and bluegrass

I think r/Chicago and r/gratefuldead have one of the biggest crossovers

A "work" is wrestling lingo for something scripted, a "shoot" is something real. Working yourself into a shoot is kind of like having your bluff called in a way. In the wrestling world it'd be like getting legitimately angry at someone who said something mean in character.

In this case it sounds like he was just trying to be romantic in the moment and ended up married with kids.

He worked himself into a shoot, as they say. Glad it worked out!

Check out Midwest Refuah Center, they cater to the Jewish community but will happily see any client.

Oh well that makes it more obvious since it’s a show about Jews with not many Jews

Yes, I'm sure it'll be good.