Thursday I flew to NYC on business, but stopped by to see jonk at Google and Chicklet for dinner. The business was with AJWS, where I met AJWS’s President, Ruth Messinger, for the second time in as many weeks. The first occasion was at Adat Shalom (a reconstructionist synagogue in MD) a couple weeks ago, where Messinger spoke about Jewish values and world service. She spoke five times over the course of the shabbat, and I only happened to catch the first talk, but apparently an interesting exchange happened at the last event:

Adat Shalom was discussing whether to repeal a bylaw that said that the temple should remain neutral on political members. One woman wanted Messinger’s opinion, stood up, and said: “I deal with politics in much of my life. I want my synagogue to be a place of relaxation and meditation, where I can reflect on my life without the distraction of the world around me. I was wondering your opinion on that?”

To which, Messinger responded: “That’s great and reasonable. That’s just not Judaism.”

Certainly one reason why I’m a Jew.
Link of the day: MIT’s time traveler convention and corresponding Slashdot article.