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September 29, 2004
Oasis Sanctuary Benefit @ 2 Rivers
I attended the Oasis Sanctuary Benefit as my friend David's guest. This was a fundraiser filled with animal activists and Playboy bunnies.
David and I have gone to a bunch of similarly themed events. We saw lots of half naked women at a Republican National Convention protest.
Posted by lawrencehecht at 09:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 20, 2004
Religion, Jews and Israel
Is Judaism a culture or a religion?
That was the question I wanted answered by David Sarna, Amichai Lau-Lavi, Founder of Storahtelling, Ruth Calderon, Philosopher and Educator, and Dor Chadash's David Borowich. Tonight they participated in a panel discussion about "The Role of Religion in the Jewish State."
I didn't hear anything ground-breaking, but I did leave with a better understanding of the issues.
Sarna took the position that Halachic law cannot be ignored anymore than a Constitutional legal system. He wasn't the best public speaker. Lau-Lavi told a compelling story about a pluralistic society. Calderon took the moderate position, but still declared the right to practice her religion any way she pleases.
Who is a Jew? I don't know. The compromise in 1948 doesn't seem that bad as a status quo.
Posted by lawrencehecht at 09:16 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
