Usenet 1994 October/usenetsourcesnewsgroupsinfomagicoctober1994disk1.iso/answers/judaism/FAQ/10-Miscellaneous

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Subject: soc.culture.jewish FAQ: Miscellaneous and References (10/10)
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               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
  [e-mail] 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
[phone]           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:

[e-mail]

You may also send mail to [e-mail] 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 [e-mail], 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 [e-mail], 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 [e-mail]. An
alternative address is [e-mail].

------------------------------------------------------------
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: [e-mail]
        HOW TO SUBSCRIBE: Drop a note to the subscription address requesting
                        addition to the distribution list.

  L'Chaim
        EDITOR: Chabad-Lubavitch
        EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION ADDRESS: [e-mail]
        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:  [e-mail]
        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:  [e-mail]
        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 [e-mail].


End of SCJ FAQ Part 10 (Miscellaneous) Digest
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