Havail Havalim #297

Founded by Soccer Dad, Haveil Havalim is a carnival of Jewish blogs -- a weekly collection of Jewish and Israeli blog highlights, tidbits and points of interest collected from blogs all around the world. It's hosted by different bloggers each week and coordinated by Jack.

Opinions expressed in the posts linked below are those of the respective bloggers and not necessarily endorsed by me. For instance, I am absolutely against violence directed at unarmed people who are simply going about their lives and not being agressive in any way. I'm not happy that needs to be said, but there it is.


Torah:
Batya presents a drash at שמות Sh'mot Names, Yes, It's all in a Name posted at Shiloh Musings.

What do Facebook and the book of Sh'mot (Exodus) have in common (or not)? Find out where Chabad.org presents Mark Zuckerberg - Facebook Revisited posted at Views on the News.


Judaism:
Frozenchallah has a cautionary tale for parents looking for a teacher in 14 | December | 2010 | Frozenchallah's Blog posted at Frozenchallah's Blog.

Lady-Light presents "Chanukah Redux" posted at Tikkun Olam.

I talk about my evolving relationship with my new tefillin at My Tefillin Are My Friends - How Did That Happen? posted at To Kiss a Mezuzah.

Sunny writes about Kaballah in Kabbalah - Sephirot and Mysticism posted at Metaphysical light rays meditation.

Rabbi Yehoishophot Oliver presents Chassidus Chabad: Not just for intellectuals posted at A Chassidishe farbrengen.


Chavi's Conversion Corner:
Chavi sent in so many posts about converting to Judaism that I'm making a special section just for her. All the posts in this section can be found at You're Not Crazy.

Read about the Orthodox dating process at The Orthodox Dating Process.

Get some answers to the question "Why convert?" at Why on Earth Would Someone Convert to Judaism?.

The Importance of Finding the "Right" Community presents some thoughts about finding the right community in which to live.

Learn about one of the newest requirements for Orthodox converts at Convert Issues: The Community Requirement.

Last but not least, a rose by any other name still would not be Jewish: Adventures in Semantics: Goy v. Non-Jew.


Israel:
Should Israeli rabbis be immunized? No, what Mordechai Torczyner writes is not about getting flu shots. Read more at Immunizing the Rabbis? posted at The Rebbetzin's Husband.

Join Harry on a stroll through downtown Jerusalem in A walk on the wild side posted at ISRAELITY.

Yes, there is American football in Israel, says Batya in American Tackle Football, Very Israeli posted at me-ander.

View some great pictures as Harry brings us Foto Friday – Local Testimony 2010 posted at ISRAELITY.

Lady-Light talks about US airport security in comparison to Israel's in Here's a Good Idea for Airport Security posted at Tikkun Olam.

Joel Katz presents Religion and State in Israel - December 20, 2010 (Section 2) posted at Religion and State in Israel.

Yisraek Medad reprints a speech from 1922 in On The Arabs in Palestine posted at My Right Word.

Yisrael Medad presents The Medad Principle Justified posted at My Right Word.

Ariel Ben-Yochanan gives us a few words about the conversion bill in This IDF conversion bill is absurd posted at The Torah Revolution: Everything that Hashem has spoken we shall do (Ex. 19:8).

Cosmic X doesn't think Jews and Arabs should mix, in Voices Against Assimilation posted at Cosmic X in Jerusalem.

Ben-Yehudah has no sympathy for the hikers attacked in Israel, he says, in Christians Attacked On A Hike In Israel and he supports Jewish Israeli youths who attacked Arabs for no apparent reason in Teens Suspected Of Attacking Arabs posted at Esser Agaroth.

Daniel Ben Shmuel also doesn't seem to have sympathy for the hikers in Reflections On A Dead Missionary (audio) posted at THE JEWISH FIST: A Call to Resurrect the Jewish Scholar-Warrior of Old..

Ben-Yehudah argues against the RCA protest of the ruling for Israeli Jews not to sell or rent to non-Jews in Esser Agaroth On The RCA posted at Esser Agaroth.


Antisemitism:
Batya presents Good News, Bad News, Good-Anti-Israel Bus Ads Rejected, Bad-They Were Proposed posted at Shiloh Musings.


Personal:
Galit Breen presents a heartwarming story about the right way to respond to bullying, Minnesota Mamaleh: For the Love of Star Wars | TC Jewfolk posted at TC Jewfolk.

Mulling over whether to have another baby? Ima2seven is thinking about it too in Another Baby? posted at Ima 2 Seven.

Chaviva writes about her less-than-stellar mikvah experiences in The Mikvah is Lost on Me posted at Just Call Me Chaviva.

In response, here is an inspirational piece by Melissa about her mikvah experiences: Reclaiming Mikvah posted at Redefining Rebbetzin.

Let's all wish Batya a fruit-filled year as we read TU B'Shvat is Coming, Yum, But... posted at me-ander.

For her perspective of the role of Jewish women, read self-proclaimed sexist Rachel Moore's Ima 2 Seven: Old friend, warm soup, healthy debate posted at Ima 2 Seven.

Mirj writes a sweet tribute to her father for his yahrzeit at Daddy?s Girl posted at Miriyummy.

Eli presents a story about the problem of child sexual abuse in Shame and Blame posted at jewtribe.com.

Sheva presents Love Letters and Air Guitar posted at My Shtub.

Elle shares some bittersweet thoughts about conversion in who I am posted at On Becoming Devoted.


Culture:
I had high hopes for this weekend, as described in Is the US About to Get a Taste of Jerusalem? posted at To Kiss A Mezuzah.

Super mommy Galit Breen answers the question, Minnesota Mamaleh: So What DO Jews Do On Christmas? posted at TC Jewfolk.

Mordechai Torczyner reminds us of the need to be senstive regarding childless people in Childlessness in the Jewish Community – www.yerusha.com posted at The Rebbetzin's Husband.

Batya writes about a play in It Should Be Required Viewing! posted at Shiloh Musings.

You can see and read a tribute to the "Mendy Report" from Thejewishteen in Mendy Pellin IS Shnazzle posted at The Jewish Teen.

Cosmic X quotes a former Attorney General regarding Israel's request to release Pollard in Former Attorney General Mukasey: Pardon Pollard posted at Cosmic X in Jerusalem.

Amy Greenbaum marks the end of discrimination against gays in the US military in On the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell posted at Amelah's Blog (Thoughts from a Rabbi).

Harry tells us about a "destination" wedding in Israel in Ben gets married in Israel posted at ISRAELITY.

Yisraek Medad presents My Comment Has Been Removed from the New York Times' The Lede posted at My Right Word.

Cosmic X finds the birth of a new baby to be sad because the child's mother is Jewish but his father isn't, in Einat Wilf: The Plague of Intermarriage Hits the Knesset posted at Cosmic X in Jerusalem.

Lady-Light presents a video of a Christian from Lebanon talking about discrimination by Muslims in Where is the Church's Outcry Against This? posted at Tikkun Olam.

For new-school blogs on an old-school subject, read Jennifer Lynch's 20 Soulful Blogs for Vinyl Fans and Collectors posted at Top Online Colleges.


Food:
Mottel shares a recipe in Mottel Pizza posted at Letters of Thought.


How you can participate:
You may submit your blog post for the next edition of Haveil Havalim by using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.