More stuff

[debka_notion]

First off, why do apples taste different once they're cut up? I was all set to microwave the one I'm eating now, but it tastes too good on its own to bother.

Secondly- today I got to give my opinions on the Arabic department (aka Franck) to the reviewers who came in to observe and talk to students, etc. Only two of us showed up to talk to the Arabic department guy- I was quite surprised. But well, we were both pretty blunt about it, and the reviewer was pretty shocked and surprised, but we decided that a good bit of it was because he was still a grad student. But it was an interesting experience- to share my kvetches and occasional praises with an honest-to-G-d interested adult who isn't related to me. Of course, he tried to push his own program at the end, but I squirmed out with the excuse that it would be dreadfully hard to keep kosher in a regular family's home in Syria. Let's hear it for convenient excuses to get people to stop riding their own hobby-horse.

Comments

[fleurdelis28.livejournal.com]

Which leaves me wondering yet again why kosher meat is hallal but hallal meat isn't kosher. My recollection, which may be incorrect, is that Islamic law requires only that the animal be slaughtered in the name of God, whereas Jewish law requires that it be slaughtered by a Jew. Which has always struck me as unnecessarily obnoxious, though I do understand that you can't go around reworking religious law, even rabbinic religious law, on the grounds that it's unneccessarily obnoxious...

[zachkessin.livejournal.com]

Jewish law says that an animal be slaughtered by a Jew, but it also states that the person must be rather pius, and gives a lot of detail on how to do it. Also I think there are some animals that muslims can eat that Jews can't.

To be honest I think there would be bigger problems in many arab countries that keeping kosher. Most of them are not real friendly to jews. I think there are still small comunnities in Morroco and Tunis.

[fleurdelis28.livejournal.com]

Well, that's another issue. I just remember reading about this public-outreach professional thing in Baltimore, where a Jewish doctor was examining a child and the child turned to his mother and asked, what's that thing on his head? Apparently she responded, "It means he's Jewish. That means we can eat each other's food."

It just struck me as a shame that moments like that couldn't be more widespread. (Or maybe accurate?)

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on that one. I think Zach was missing the whole thing where the rest of us live in the US, and well, I've never had any trouble with Muslims- I get more from the fundamentalist Christians, or occasionally other Jews. And it would be handy if I could eat Hallal meat- not that I find much of it, but in some places it's more common than kosher meat...