re: #56 Obdicut

Sure. And I feel more connected to someone who loves Borges and The Master and Margarita, and who has a swathe of friends of all religious persuasions, than I do Pamela Geller.

There’s a difference between people with whom I have fun, (which is one type of connection), and then there’s the connection that I feel with other Jews. Believe me, it’s not a love fest. Right now, it’s a ‘gee, I hope we all get this figured out soon” fest.

Sure. But then it’s nigh-unto meaningless; I’m connected with people for a lot of other reasons, too. So you’re connected to everyone. The Jewish part wouldn’t be special— unless you think it’s mystic.

It’s not special, it’s just a fact of life. But, you asked me if I feel it, and I do. I’m not sure I even have a working definition for ‘mystic’. I never use the word.

No, that is not at all what appears. What appears is that he showed up to a rally hosted by someone who promotes anti-semitism and blessed it.

That is not keeping one’s distance. At all.

You didn’t watch the video. Beck is sitting in an easy chair, doing his teary thing and talking about how he read the Book of Ruth and the Book of Esther. The rabbi is asking him what he would like him to do. Beck describes the event. The rabbi is polite, and says that he’d be pleased to come, if his schedule permits. Somehow, Beck Productions puts this on Youtube with the heading that the Head Ashkenazi Rabbi blesses his event. I can’t even imagine how such a mix-up could occur.