Blogachute 7 - Middle East Heaven

It’s Friday and the Sabbath is almost here. I’m geared up and ready for my weekly blogachute.

This week, I’m jumping into the Kosher-sphere. There’s a whole fascinating world of Jewish faith blogs, filled with interesting comments, articles, and links. So here goes.

Goyimino!

8000 feet Radical Torah - I love this site! The Rabbi who writes it, Brant Rosen, interprets the scriptures with his caustic comments on relevant issues. This blog lives up to its subtitle: “Sources for the Jewish Social Action Community.”

There’s also some great artwork by his wife for a comic series on the Torah. Together, they both radically interpret some of the most controversial passages of the Pentateuch. Scroll down, read a few entries, and soak in some really creative stuff!

7000 feet The Velveteen Rabbi - I must admit, the name of the site drew me in. This is a great source for Jewish wisdom, sayings, stories and practice. It’s also stock full of some great quotes:
e.g. “…the opposite of a simple truth is falsehood, but the opposite of a profound truth is another profound truth.”

Wow! And this is just in the opening entry where our blogger is studying Middot. There’s also another worthwhile entry all about Theodicy - Is God Just? Some great material for future Bible studies and Sunday School series here. Would you believe that the Velveteen Rabbi also provides a link to the beautiful Madonna Retreat and Conference center in New Mexico?

Finally, there are some wonderful Jewish prayers to be found all over the site and in the archives.

6000 feet Hasidic Rebel - aren’t these titles something else? And what about the subtitle? “Writings, musings, and ramblings from a Chasid on the edge…”

This blogger is a great story teller. I guiltily laughed all the way through his accidental experimentation about smoking pot and how he explained it to his wife the next day.

This is a place of humorous reflection in an off-beat Chasidic way. I haven’t a clue what all the Jewish and Yiddish terms mean, but I get the flavor of their meaning in the context of the blogger's remarks. A great escapist blog. Woody Allen would be nauseatingly proud.

P.S Don’t forget to read the Bibical Redactors piece. It’s hilarious!

5000 feet The Big Pharaoh - whoa, Cleo! I seem to have been blown a bit off course!

This link amazed me. Here I was falling through the Jewish Hasidic blogosphere and all of a sudden I end up on an Islamic Egyptian’s website! Talk about connectionalism!

The Big Pharaoh is one of the bravest Muslims I have run across on the internet. He diligently reports on what’s happening to peace-loving Muslims in Egypt and expresses what’s wrong with Islamic fundamentalism. This guy is sticking his neck out - talk about profound truth!

His site is a welcome addition to any peacemaking bookmarks you may have on your computer. In just one visit, I learned a lot of new information about real Muslims - those who actually want to revere and practice the Quran in peaceful, loving, and faithful ways.

If you want non-propaganda commentary on what’s happening in the Middle East, here’s a welcome place to find it.

4000 feet The Moor Next Door - I might as well go with the flow.

Nouri from Algeria writes this blog. It is mainly about the issues facing North African Muslims. Nouri is definitely not afraid to criticize things that are wrong with his culture, as well as ripping into with what’s wrong across Africa & Western society. There are also some unique political cartoons which reflect his thoughts.

I also enjoyed reading about his family. Some of his stories are very moving and intensely personal.

At the moment Nouri is covering Algeria’s successes in the All Africa Games which are going on. Whilst the rest of the world gets caught up in the British Open, Nouri’s pride in his country’s great athletes is a breath of fresh air. Watch out for Algerian medal winners in next year’s Olympic Games in Beijing.

3000 feet Ecce Libano - Louis Noel Harfouche is an American of Lebanese origins. He writes truthfully and painfully about the current events and turmoil in Lebanon. His purpose is to inform us about what’s really going on amidst the violence; what it means to be Lebanese and to eradicate a few of the media myths concerning Lebanon.

His descriptions of his people, their plight, and his reflections upon the media coverage of the hostilities are fascinating. Louis writes about a proud, noble, and unique people who are true Middle Easterners and should not be characterized as being Arabic.

This would be a well informed site to visit when reading media articles about Hezbollah. Louis’ perspective cuts right through the propaganda on both sides.

2000 feet Across the Bay - I seem to be drifting through Lebanese links at the moment - who would have thought it when I started off in the Jewish Social Action world?

Anton Effendi is another expert commentator about the current Lebanese situation. Anton is academically into Ancient Near Eastern history and the languages of the region. This has given him a perfect background and insight into making penetrating comments about the origins and reasons behind the conflicts across the region.

Currently, he’s writing about the political debates in Congress and how the US is seeking to support the people and government in Lebanon.

1000 feet The Perpetual Refugee - some blogs are very hard to write about. This is one of them. The content is heart-wrenching and very personal. Whoever the writer is, she/ he is enduring and carrying a lot of pain. Maya Angelou with a Lebanese heart is how I would describe this place.

There is a beautiful entry about the blogger’s mother or grandmother. It is a wonderful piece about human nobility in the midst of trying circumstances. This blogger writes lyrically and effectively. She/ he caused me to reflect upon my own family's faith journey.

Zero feet - back on the ground, quiet and pensive. What a meaningful journey into the heart and soul of humanity.