Havel Havelim... hakol havel

Welcome to edition #219 of Havel Havalim, the weekly round-up of all that is odd, interesting and self-submitted in the Jewish blogosphere.

Curious about the real old dinosaur days of Jewish blogging? You didn't miss much. For proof click to Havel Havalim #4 and #12, the two previous times I hosted. See how sparse the offerings were? And who are those long-forgotten, defunct bloggers anyway? PsychoToddler? Mis-nagid? Now compare my two attempts from 2004 with last week's HH, hosted by the inestimable Benjie Lovitt [here.] See what I mean? Not only does he include several hundred dozens of posts, he uses categories! Categories? Who needed categories in late 2004 when the whole Havel Havelim was 12 posts?

I was also briefly perplexed earlier this week when the automated submission notifications started arriving from Blog Carnival central. Not to overdo this grouchy old man routine, but in my day, Havel Havalim consisted of posts the hosting blogger found on his own. That's right. We went out into the fields and sweated and toiled walking uphill both ways to create the best possible Havel Havalim experience. Along with neglecting the categories (bah! categories!), I tried to revive that old tradition by sharing some of the posts I personally enjoyed during the week that was.

(Note: I'm certain other HH hosts, possibly even the inestimable Benjie Lovitt, have done the same. Part of the grouchy old man bit is ignoring how things are not really that different after all)

***

Before there were blogs how did big-mouthed nobodies like me force their opinions on the world? With broadsides or pashkevils. Mother In Israel (A high-ranking member of the DovBear team) delivers a brief history of the form and some fun pashkevil facts to know and tell.

Alto Artist was shomeret for a dearly departed member of her congregation. The experience is described here. Speaking of dinosaurs, Tzippora the anthropologist found some old XGH cave drawings about the mesorah. Frum Satire makes a shidduch. JacobDaJew can see your nees. [sic]

Shvach Yid makes some not very schvach points about Nefesh bNefesh and their less sensible requirements. Occidental Israel frets about Israel: There's not enough water and the politicians are all corrupt. Ben Yehuda wonders if its true that Only the Likud Can... destroy settlements and return land.

DYS reports on the discovery of Ida, and explains why believing Jews needn't be concerned. Dass Hedyot publishes on the aftermath of his own Better Know a Kofer interview. Pen Tivokesh tell us how Akdomos and the Koran are alike. Kvetcher complaims that Israel is being less then democratic.

The Wolf tweaks JBN. Fiar Yid catches Dennis Prager being dumber than usual. XGH catches Rabbi Avi Shafran being just as stupidly condescending as always.

Is there a black fly in your Chardonnay? HSaboMilner has one: The parade pisher who can't seem to say anything nice about her recent wedding.

Shira Bat Sarah prepares for Shavuot and sees a bit of herself in Ruth the Moabite; Batya prepares to turn 60, and reports on the birthday celebration. The Rebbetzin's Husband posts a satiric Shavuos prayer; Cosmix X posts a poem about a bad guest. Shorty struggles with the different types of doxs; Benji Lovitt struggles through a shavuos all nighter (sort of) and comes up with a get rich scheme worthy of Ralph Kramden.

My own anthology of past Shavuos posts.

Rafi G. (another high-ranking member of the DovBear team) tells us about wierd water minhagim kept on Shavuos in other times and other palces. Remeber tfillin Barbie? Her creator(Hatam Soferet) is on JewSchool with a good Shavuos drash about the crownlets on letters in the Torah.

ChayyeiSarah hates grading papers.

How to be an Israeli offers a guide to the grunts, ehhhh's, nu's, and other monosyllables that are crucial to passing yourself off as an Israeli. Ben-Yehudah gives us a post about the joys and dangers of traveling in Israel as Shaboth nears. RutiMizrachi sings a song of love for Israel. SeraphicSecret worries about Obama. (He shouldn't.) Jameel worries, too. Rachel Neiman of Israelity waxes nostalgic about the dubon, the winter coat Israelis wore back in the 70s. JR shares some Israel hotspots.

Lamrot hakol has a long and interesting article about the Sanhedrin and bringing redemption. Also long and interesting, is Josh of ParshaBlog, who is his usual excellent self with a scholarly discussion of a story, told in Megged Givos Olam, in which Rav Moshe Soloveitchik rejects a newspaper account of his rebbe's death on the grounds that newspapers are unreliable; and anyway, "one is prohibited to believe that one's rebbe had died." Balaoshon goes L&I on the origin of the word agunah with supporting evidence from all sorts of neat sources. Rabbi Julian Sinclair gives us a long and interesting discussion of the tenth commandment which, he argues, is unfortunately ignored.

HH defends Cassuto. Chaviva imagines standing at Sinai . Shmarya finds a mideival Jewish text which appears to discuss a rape at the mikva. Ick.

Liora reviews a S Y Agnon story. Muse makes her monthly trip to Tel Shiloh. Ilana Davita reviews His Father's Paradise. MoChassid tells about the rewards of fostering. Chaim Bray (also a member of the DB team) found OpenMindedTorah's sad, infuriating, heart-breaking post about a father trying to get his Downs Syndrome child admitted to a Jerusalem yeshiva.

Rabbi Eliyahu Fink, who generated 166 comments with a guest post this week, argues on his own blog for a new Memorial Day. AbandoningEden has her first post-marriage Memorial Day bbq and discovers her Jewish wife gene. Suburban Sweetheart (who should NOT be reminded that her Cavs, like, suck) is also cooking (for the first time?) and has pictures to prove it

Religion and State in Israel does his regular review of media coverage on issues of religion and state in Israel, and includes a discussion of a female soldier denied permission to recite Kaddish at her base's synagogue and some new information about the reform conversion controversy. David of Israelty reports on the plan to increase the vegetable tax. Amanda discovers rabbis may reject for conversion those who studied about Judaism on the Internet

Mikkal Travvis tells how to survive a flu pandemic. The very great BOTH tells how to get things done with a customer service rep. NickDupree explains why Judge Sotomayer is not a radical (She isn't. Only those deeply in the grips of TownHall style commentary think she's a lefty loon, as Nick makes clear.)

Russel Grayson expresses some second thoughts about Obama, and gives a brief recap of Palestenian/Jewish History Yisroel Medad talks on Kol Israel Radio, offers some sympathy to Spanish "oppressed territories" and takes another visit to Jerusalem to read the ridiculous posters ridiculous people paste on walls.

RivkA explains how she and her husband raised a family of geeks, ummm, I mean Star Trek fans while the Rebbetzin's Husband tells us why his own kids are well-behaved in shul . Noyam G. has more to say about So You Think You Can Dance than any straight man should.

RivkA also tells us how she came to choose life, and the difference its made (recommended for anyone enduring a difficult or painful season.)

And finally, the Real Shliach announces his engagement (to Free Elisheva)

Mazal Tov. Mazal Tov


***

OK, cue the stuttering pig. I'm done. If I left out your post, perhaps I mistook it for spam. Please resubmit your great ideas for making money on Twitter to Esser Agaroth who is ringleader next week -- for the seventh time, if Google and my own memory are to be trusted. See you there, or back here again in 25 years for HH #3450

Search for more information about Havel Havelim at 4torah.com.

DovBear on the Parsha makes a great Father's Day Gift.