Day One of Blawg

Blogs are glorious.
Julie and Julia is based on a blog and while the movie sent me into R.E.M. I think I'm ready to venture into this new era of self-expression. And I currently have a bit of free time on my hands since I am sitting in Jewish-American History and 94.4 percent of the 15 students are Jewish.

Throughout the discussion, I've had the following muses:
I don't know what Baklivah is- Google search has informed me that oh it's butter.
Why is it so hot in here?
Did newly immigrated Jewish males feel emasculated by their American expected roles as tailors? Asian men forced to work in laundry mats in the late 1800s experienced gender conflicts and were often portrayed as effeminate in that time periods films, novels and social opinion. It really wasn't until Bruce Lee that a masculine identity was established. Still Asian men are a rarity in film and television despite the fact there are about 13.4 million Asian Americans.

Things I've learned in this class:
Some people go to synagogues just for the lunch served, or the Kiddish. When people pass away or have a birthday they will sponsor a kiddish and their name will be listed in the program.
Women are not supposed to sing in an orthodox synagogue, choirs are composed of all men.
Jdate is the most hopping dating service and now has a willing to convert application.
Jake Gyllenhall is Jewish. He was named Sexiest Man Alive at some point. According to the professor "Jews are in."
Apparently there is a movement among the youth to use less Hebrew in the usually 9:30 to 12:30 services. Prayers like the Kaddish are repeated 5 to 6 times in a service and the Amida is so long it takes a few minutes just to read in a service and then speak aloud together. (The Kaddish may sound familiar as it was commonly said throughout the Holocaust and mentioned as it was considered the mourner's prayer for the dead.)
Something I never knew- in Jewish tradition men are obligated to pray, women are not.

Interesting.