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May 1, 2008 David Zwiebel: Faith communities can learn from Orthodox Jews in stimulating private philanthropy for religious education George Friedman and Peter Zeihan of Stratfor: The Shift Toward an Israeli-Syrian Agreement JWisdom: It's time to wake up by Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis April 30, 2008 Jonathan Tobin: Pennsylvania's Democratic slugfest may leave some Jewish votes up for grabs The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: Fresh herbs, sauteed veal and tiny creamer potatoes makes a light spring dinner JWisdom: How to Build a Mentch by Rabbi Mordechai Becher April 29, 2008 Daniel Pipes: Barack Obama's Muslim Childhood Joel Brinkley: On human rights, the U.N. once again strikes out JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: When The Truth is Unbelievable April 28, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q: I'm often stuck in the doctor's waiting room for hours! Doesn't he owe me something for my wasted time? Steven Emerson: New U.S. government policy advises agencies to avoid using some of the very same words that make up terror groups' names JWisdom: Why You & I Never Die: A Jewish View of Immortality, Part I by Rabbi David Aaron April 25, 2008 Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg: Schadenfreude isn't kosher for Passover --- or at any other time Rabbi Berel Wein: The secret of how the data bank of memory is transferred from one generation to the next JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen, Part III April 24, 2008 Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: The successful failure Fred Burton and Scott Stewart of Stratfor: Placing the terrorist threat to the food supply in perspective JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen, Part II April 23, 2008 Connie Ogle: An intricate game of a novel Jonathan Tobin: Making Sense of the 'J Street' Jive JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen April 22, 2008 Jonathan Rosenblum: Why Israel's 'Leaven law' matters Caroline B. Glick: Obama the Savior April 18, 2008 Rabbi Harvey Belovski: Multimedia tool of antiquity Caroline B. Glick: Revealed Truths vs. revealed lies JWisdom: More than miracles by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky April 17, 2008 Rabbi Avi Shafran: Deconstructing Dayeinu Rabbi Elazar Meisels: Is innovation at the Seder a slap at tradition? JWisdom: Discovering Your Divine Mission, Part III by Rabbi David Aaron April 16, 2008 Jonathan Tobin: A Prayer for Sderot's Children Ethel G. Hofman: Sumptuous Seder JWisdom: The Divine is in the details by Rabbi Mordechai Becher April 15, 2008 Rabbi Dovid Zauderer: Let Charlton Heston Go! Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Jimma, tyranny's enabler JWisdom: Relationships: Beyond Mars & Venus, Part IV by Dr. Lisa Aiken April 14, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: The Snitching Supervisor Jonathan Tobin: Forget the Fun and Games! JWisdom: Sincerity is Valued Most by Rabbi Abraham J. 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Recently someone asked me to translate some financial documents that are clearly forged. Should I agree? Jonathan Rosenblum : Israel is unwittingly helping to fuel the international campaign of delegitimization against it JWisdom: Matzah and leaven as a life philosophy by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. April 4, 2008 Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The Mystery of Suffering Caroline B. Glick: Fear of democracy JWisdom: Dirty Jews by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky April 3, 2008 Rabbi Y. Y. Rubinstein: Parents --- and the children who would be them The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Manweiler: Tempted by restaurant dressings? Don't be. Here are recipes that can be made at home, healthier! 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Jewish World Review Sept. 14, 2004 / 28 Elul 5764 Thank Heaven for the simple, spiritual life By Ari L. Goldman What a former religion reporter for The New York Times has come to appreciate about the ‘oppressiveness’ of his religion http://www.jewishworldreview.com | Growing up Orthodox, there were few things we feared more than the three-day yom tov — that oddity of the Jewish calendar that juxtaposed a festival with a Sabbath, giving us a stretch of days we called "the triple whammy." For us, it meant three days with no radio, no records, no television, no telephone, no travel and no shopping. As a series of three-day yom tovs approaches this year, however, I actually find myself looking forward to the experience. The first comes with Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 16-17), followed by Sukkos (Sept. 30-Oct. 1) and Simchas Torah and Shmini Atzeres (Oct. 7-8). Each observance is lengthened one day by the Sabbath that follows it. It's not only that I'm an adult and have come to appreciate what once was oppressive. It's not only that I have a family of my own that I want to savor for an extra day. The main reason that I look forward to nine days of yom tov in the coming weeks is the galloping growth of technology in our daily lives. It is relentless. I easily get a hundred e-mails a day. And there's no escaping it. I've got a desktop at work, a laptop when I travel and another desktop at home. Between the five of us in our family, there are six computers, five cell phones, two Palm Pilots and two Ipods. My children, with earphones in place, remind me of Secret Service agents. Someone's phone is always ringing, or, if not, beeping to let us know that a message is waiting. When we had to give up television for three-day yom tovs 40 years ago, it meant giving up three channels. Now there are 300. TV is a constant barrage of entertainment and information. And even if we manage to limit it at home, it's at the airport, in stores, in hotels, in the office, even in school. News comes at us at a rapid pace, from the radio, from our phones, even from news zippers on top of taxicabs. FOX and CNN have taken the pleasure out of reading a daily newspaper. We know what happened well before it lands on our doorstep. Israelis, who manage to escape most three-day yom tovs because of their one-day observance of most festivals, will get a taste of it this Rosh Hashanah, which is two days everywhere. Judging from my Israeli relatives, they're even more in need of a high-tech break than we Americans are. They had cell phones long before we did. Their obsession with the news makes us look like amateur news junkies. My extended family spent Passover in Israel last April and, like other Modern Orthodox families, were swayed by a newly popular rabbinic ruling that diaspora Jews visiting Israel did not have to observe the second day of yom tov. At first it seemed like a relief, but I soon realized what a diaspora Jew I am. I actually missed the second seder. We won't be in Israel for the coming holidays, so bring on the triple whammys. As Sabbath observers, we already know what it is to unplug for a day. Two days is unusual, but three is almost imaginable. I can't wait. I've got my holiday reading all lined up. And I'll read it in book form — old-fashioned paper between two hard covers — and not on my Palm. I can't wait to pick up The Times in the morning, see a headline and declare, "I didn't know that!" I look forward to a family meal uninterrupted by the ringing or beeping of a telephone. I want to talk to my children without waiting for them to press the "Stop" button. The challenge, of course, is to try to have some of the three-day yom tov spirit permeate the rest of our lives. Rosh Hashanah represents new beginnings, so maybe we can change our daily behavior and not race after every message. ... But, wait, there goes my cell phone and my computer just dinged with a new message and I've got to catch the latest news and play my favorite album. … Thank G-d for triple whammys. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. Ari L. Goldman teaches journalism and is the dean of students at Columbia University Journalism School. He welcomes your comments. To send a message, please click here. © 2004, Ari L. Goldman. This column first appeared in the New York Jewish Week.