Jew's Ear Juice !!!

From Ynet:

The Consulate General of Israel in Shanghai recently was surprised to discover on the shelves of a local supermarket chain a canned beverage called "The Jew's Ear Juice."

The Consulate General of Israel in Shanghai recently was surprised to discover on the shelves of a local supermarket chain a canned beverage called "The Jew's Ear Juice."

The drink is made of a black mushroom which does resemble a wrinkled ear.

Israel's Consul-General in Shanghai Jackie Eldan stressed that this was not a case of anti-Semitism, as Judaism is considered in China a synonym of success.

According to Eldan, the juice's manufacturer must have thought that linking it to the Jewish ear would be profitable.
 
And from the JC blog
 
Anyone fancy some Jew's Ear Juice?
 

 
You've heard of Yinglish - the mixture of Yiddish and English? Now, courtesy of the New York Times, comes Chinglish - the mixture of Chinese and English:

For English speakers with subpar Chinese skills, daily life in China offers a confounding array of choices. At banks, there are machines for “cash withdrawing” and “cash recycling.” The menus of local restaurants might present such delectables as “fried enema,” “monolithic tree mushroom stem squid” and a mysterious thirst-quencher known as “The Jew’s Ear Juice.”

A quick search on Google shows this stuff actually comes in a can - and is a black fungus juice. What it has to do with Jews still remains unclear, but one blogger ran a review:

It’s a nasty-looking thick semi-transparent cloudy brown liquid. It’s smell is weird, like a mix between the apple vinegar drink and turkey gravy. It’s a little thick and slimy, but the flavor is actually mild. The flavor isn’t anything at all like the cooked wood ear that I’m used to eating. It’s so strange that it tastes like bland, bad, old apple cider...

Well, what do you expect with a name like 'Jew's Ear Juice'?

 
A comment here explains:
The jew’s ear is actually a type of edible wild mushroom, and jew’s ear used to be a general term for all edible wild mushrooms, though this usage of the term has long fallen out of favour due to heavy pressure from the Jewish lobby. Ok, I made that last part up. But the rest is true.
 
And a pic of a Jew's Ear Bottle Opener from here.

Another comment: I assume they meant "The juicier juice"


One of those sites asks the most important question of all:  "Yes, but is it kosher?"

And finally, here's another strange beverage available in China...

Rabbi Yossi Braun's 'chassidim' create a blog

Further to our earlier report on the news that Sydney's Rabbi Yossi Braun has been nominated as a candidate for the 3rd position on Crown Heights Beth Din, we have learned that his supporters have established a blog promoting their candidate.

Some interesting posts from that site:

Meanwhile that blog reproduced AJN Watch's brachos to Rabbi Braun "AJN Watch, together with the rest of the Australian Jewish community, wish Rabbi Braun Hatzlacha Rabba" under their heading "Australia will miss him":

Now have a look at what the internet's search engine came up with as a "possibly related post":

The dangers of the internet...

Idiotic headline of the week - Disneyland: "the crappiest place on earth"

Actually not only the headline, but the piece below the photograph is pretty idiotic as well.  Disneyland is the 'most xenophobic' and 'crappiest' place on earth? Really?
He can't think of any worse places? Adam Kamien has this time outdone even his usual foolish self.

The latest Christian news...

Sydney's Rabbi Yossi Braun for Crown Heights Beis Din?

Rabbi Yosef Yeshaya Braun, is a scion of a renowned Rabbinical family. His grandfather was Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Braun, who served as a Rav and Posek in Flatbush and the author of the celebrated series “She'arim Metzuyanim Ba'Halacha” on Kitzur Shulchan Aruch. The Rebbe recommended those Sefarim and even disclosed his extensive use of them.

His father, Rabbi Chaim Elazar Braun, a tremendous Talmid Chacham who serves as the Rav of the Shaarei Tziyon community in Flatbush, carries on his ancestors' pursuits and has published the continuation of the series “She'arim Metzuyanim Ba'Halacha” on Shas (15 volumes have been published so far).

It was in this atmosphere of rabbinic scholarship and community leadership coupled with Halachic analysis and scrutiny that Rabbi Braun was raised. It comes as no surprise that his siblings too serve in important Rabbinic capacities: his brother Rabbi Moshe Shmuel Braun serves as a Rav and Dayan in Monsey, while his brother Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Braun serves as an esteemed spiritual leader in the Nitra community.

As a youngster, R’ Braun attended yeshivas Chasan Sofer and Kochav M’Yaakov Tchebin. Then he learned in yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim in Kiryat Gat followed by Oholei Torah zal and then yeshiva gedola in Sydney. When he completed his shlichus in Sydney he learned in yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch – 770 until he married.

Rabbi Braun had the privilege of being one of the “Chozrim” of the Rebbe's farbrengens during the early 90's, and was noted for his precision in preserving every word and utterance of the Rebbe. After marrying his wife Yehudis, daughter of the Mashpia Rabbi Berel Lipsker, member of “Vaad Lahafotzas Sichos”, he pursued his Rabbinic training, and in addition to the numerous hours of 'shimush' which he performed with his father and grandfather in Halachic rulings, he had the privilege of doing 'shimush' with the greatest Rabbanim and Poskim of our time, both within Chabad and without.

The Mara D'asra of Crown Heights, Rabbi Yehuda Kalman Marlow, famous for his short and concise Halachic decisions, recognized Rabbi Braun's rare grasp of Halachic knowledge and his excellent communicative talents, and requested that Rabbi Braun formulate detailed Piskei Din for public consumption on his behalf. The two spent hours together, delving into Halachic complexities. Till this day, Rabbi Braun remains in contact with the biggest Poskim, and is regarded as someone with a great proficiency in Halacha who is capable of accessing the rarest sources.

The tremendous knowledge which Rabbi Braun has acquired in various Halachic fields, as well as in the Rebbe's Sichos, has led numerous authors of Sefarim to send their work to him for Halachic review. He has also participated in his father's series, “She'arim Metzuyanim Ba'Halacha”, providing editorial assistance.

Fifteen years ago Rabbi Braun moved to Sydney, Australia, where he served as the Menahel Ruchni of the Mesivta and as a lecturer at the girls' seminary. A short while later, the members of the Tzemach Tzedek Community Centre turned to him and requested that he assume a Rabbinical position. Rabbi Braun acceded to their request and immediately entered his new role with great vigor. He invested a lot into his personal relationships with the members of the community, while concurrently establishing a Yeshiva Gedola as well as a Machon for Semicha.

With time Rabbi Braun has become one of the most distinguished Rabbanim of Sydney. He serves as an exceutive member of the Rabbinical Council of Sydney, and was the former vice-president of the Rabbinical Council. Rabbi Braun maintained a special relationship with Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner a”h, the Rebbe's shliach to Australia.

Despite dedicating most of his time to Rabbanus and the leadership of the community, Rabbi Braun still devotes much time to Chinuch and Shalom Bayis. He arranged a special course for his community members on the subject of parental involvement with their children's studies, as well as a seminar on Shalom Bayis and a course on engagement and marriage.

Rabbi Braun's expertise in education has led the Department of Education of New South Wales (one of the five states of Australia) to appoint him as governmental representative overseeing the Limudei Kodesh curriculum for matriculation in all of its schools. Rabbi Braun was also appointed as a member of an exclusive three-member body which is assigned the task of writing the syllabus, curriculum, as well as serving at the helm of the examination committee.

In addition to his Torah studies and Halachic expertise, Rabbi Braun is a friendly and sociable family man, who also utilizes technological advancements for his community's benefit. He responds to Shaalos and inquiries via email, and additionally sends a weekly email to his community consisting of a relevant Chassidic perspective on topical issues, a Halacha feature, and more. Rabbi Braun's excellent articles on Chinuch and Shalom Bayis are featured regularly on Chabad websites such as Chabad.org and Chabadworld.net.

Rabbi Braun champions Achdus and cooperation. Despite the differences of opinion between Chabad communities in Sydney he was able to bridge those differences and promote unity. In recent years the two communities hold joint farbrengens and activities. He maintains good ties with the local Shliach Rabbi Pinchas Feldman and with the Rabbanim and community leaders of Melbourne and Sydney's Chareidi and Modern Orthodox communities. He has been invited numerous times to lecture at the “Yarchei Kallah” of the Chareidi Adass Yisroel community of Melbourne.

Recently Rabbi Braun received an appeal from the elder Chassidim and the community activists of Crown Heights, familiar with his exemplary and unique virtues, who requested that he tender his candidacy. Concurrently, Rabbi Braun received an appeal from a group of Yungerleit in Crown Heights who requested that he stand for election for the position of third Rav of the Crown Heights Beis Din. This will make it possible for him to offer his unique combination of youthful spirit and community leadership alongside broad and profound Halachic knowledge to the Beis Din.

Rabbi Braun acquiesced to this request and despite the difficulty in parting from the community to which he has been devoted for ten years, he has decided to accept the challenge and invest his energy and vitality, his knowledge and talents, for the benefit of the community of Crown Heights, the Rebbe's community.                                                          From Chabad.info

AJN Watch, together with the rest of the Australian Jewish community,
wish Rabbi Braun Hatzlacha Rabba

Mishpacha magazine on Melbourne Jewry

A reader alerted us to a recent article in the popular weekly magazine Mishpacha depicting aspects of Chareidi life in Melbourne. We reproduce some of the more interesting photographs. (Click on pictures to enlarge.)

So who knocked down Michael Danby?

What a difference 24 hours makes in politics!

It was only yesterday that we reported our Mike standing outside Caulfield Shul - so proud and upright in the centre of Inkerman Road being a traffic hazard (warning?)

Less than 24 hours later Danby is knocked out – together with the KEEP LEFT sign.

So who was it?

An AJN Watch reader with Liberal tendencies - or could it be one of the old ALP “tomato left”? (Though we’d be surprised that too many of those read this blog.)

If anyone witnessed the accident (or “accident”) please drop us a line.

And we thought that Danby was from the Right...

Seen outside Caulfield Synagogue

Kosher kvetchers: What next? The pilot should remind them about Yaaleh Veyavo?

                                    

Instead of appreciating that they can get a Kosher meal whilst flying, it seems that some travellers expect Qantas to keep one eye on the Jewish calendar and another on the Shulchan Aruch.

Really, did those whingers expect Qantas to inform all employees to keep an eye out for 'forbidden' (Kosher) meat meals?

And then what? Captain announcements for Yaaleh Veyavo and Al HaNissim? A Shofar after Shachris in the month of Ellul?


(And not a little bit hypocritical of the AJN, as they continue to publicise “glatt treif” food establishments – week after week.)

Marc always wears a Tallit on Shabbat - even as he marries out

Lest anyone accuse American Reform clergy of sloppiness in the preservation of Judaism – here’s clear evidence that even when the bride is not Jewish and even when sharing the spectacle with a Galach - the "rabbi" is adamant that the groom wear a Tallit.

 Other photographs indicate that while this "rabbi" himself also had a Tallit, his collaborator the Methodist minister did not. Shame that.

And nice to see that Marc sports a nice “Charedi-style” yarmulka. No kippa serugah for him.

Some of the comments on the Forward blog:

Bill Pearlman • Get married by a rabbi or get married by a minister. Make a decision. Trying to split the difference is bull****. This is what's wrong with judaism and also america today.


Anonimoose1 • I hope I'm wrong, but I give this union less than two years.


Guest • "A Reform rabbi, Ponet received ordinationin 1973 from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. The Clinton-Mezvinsky nuptials took place about two hours before the end of Shabbat."
What terrific respect for yiddishkeit!


DickMarks • Mazal Tov to the Conservative Marc Mezvinsky, married two hours before the end of Shabbat. Maybe it took marriage to convert him to Reform Judaism.


Feel free to let this "Rabbi" of Jewish desecration know what you think. james.ponet@yale.edu.


Rob • is this a Rabbi? Ha Ha Ha! What a joke! a clown has more respect for the sabbot! god is the one who made the laws in his image not man! no one can change it!


Rob • What will they call there kids? 50% jewish when they are NOT! will she light shabbos candles now? or will he light the chanukah manorah? if they have a boy ,will this so called Rabbi be a the babys Bris?


Eli • This is a sad day for the Jewish community, despite this Reform "rabbi"'s officiation at the Clinton-Mezvinsky wedding. From a Jewish perspective of course there can be no such thing as a wedding with a gentile woman. She is considered his concubine, and he is still a single man. The sad thing, however, that they will have non-Jewish children even by Reform standards, since she didn't convert. So we have just lost an innumerable number of future Jews. The consolation of Hilary Clinton singing "Next year in rebuilt Jerusalem" while shoving her high-heel down Bibi Netanyahu's throat is all too ridiculous to contemplate. Shame on Mr Ponet for being giving legitimacy to this. Reminds me of a joke about a reform rabbi saying kaddish for a dog when offered a large donation to the temple.


Aaron • Can just imagine the conversation at the Mezvinsky household! "Mom, I'm marrying a shiksa"...."Oy vey, what are you doing to me!"..."Mom, she's the daughter of the Secretary of State, and the former Prez"...."Oh, so she's a nice Jewish girl!!!!! Mazel Tov my yiddishe son!"


dmmd • It is a sad day when Jews lose a person whose family survived about 4000 years. The American Holocaust marches on, and on with the help of Reform "Rabbis".


INSENSED • Doesn't this reform rabbi know that a ketuba is a marriage contract and you can't make a contract on Shabbat?
Why did the chatan wear a tallis at the ceremony? Sheva Brochos at an intermarriage. This whole ceremony seems like a joke. 

Apt AJN front page: Avodah Zarah and Giluy Arayot...

What happened to Shefichat Damim?

Some may say that that the depiction of the church steeple topped by a cross is symbolic and would not be out of place in most AJN editions…

PS: Due to Tzeniut concerns of our readers, we have modified the banner photograph.

Postal voting - an AJN Watch tip (plus our endorsements)

The Federal election will take place in a few weeks (to be followed closely by State elections). As always it will be held on the Shabbat. Many observant voters are unaware that in addition to applying for a postal ballot before each election, they have the option of registering as a "General Postal Voter" which results in their automatically receiving ballot papers in the mail for all future state and federal elections.

It is a great service and of immense value to all of us. It is quite easy to forget to apply for a postal vote and risk being fined for not voting. We strongly urge everyone to register all members of their family and to forward this information on the others in their community.

For further details click here.

For general information about pre-poll and postal voting see the Electoral Commission website.

At the same time, in the spirit of Hakorat Hatov, AJN Watch strongly endorses the incumbent candidates in the 2 electotates with the largest Jewish populations.

Both Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports) and Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth) deserve our full support and appreciation for all their efforts on behalf of the Jewish community. We wish them Hatzlacha Rabbah.

"Va vorscht". Say it again Joe!

Another post by "Chaverim Kol Yisroel" (see earlier post here) :

Following on last week's front page feature on Yiddish, the AJN decided to prove that they really haven't go a clue.

Whether Joe Krycer really said "Va vorscht nisht?" or that is the way the paper's reporter heard it, is irrelevant. It clearly shows that the Yiddish knowledge at the AJN is zero! And that is despite their editorialist trying his best to make use of every cutesy Yiddish word that he has ever heard on American TV shows.

Indeed their entire reportage about Yiddish language locally is completely flawed. Their attempt to fill a few pages by making a desperate big deal about a dozen (or less) Yiddish ‘academic’ students, (whose irritating, unnatural and stultifying dialect usually hurts listeners ears,) is a complete beat-up with the total result showing gornisht mit gornisht.

Had they done even minimal research, the AJN may have discovered that indeed Yiddish is a live day-to-day language in Melbourne amongst many frum Jews. In the Adass there are dozens of families for whom Yiddish is on an equal footing with English (and quite a few where that is actually the first language). Similarly in the Lubavitch community has – especially amongst the “imports” - families where Yiddish is a living language. So too can one find its use in the Ger shteebel, Katanga, Yeshiva and Beth Hatalmud. But then what would the Jewish News know about such places?


The Adass school has since its inception 60 years ago remained faithful to it as the language of instruction - as it was in “der alter heim”. They have produced generations of Yiddish speakers over that time. Also, there are dozens of Yiddish Torah shiurim held in Adass. Not only all speeches but even the selling of aliyos is in Yiddish. But as to be expected, the AJN’s report doesn't have a single word about all that, rather its focus is on the efforts of a few housewives and pensioners who ‘study’ the language for an hour or two a week.

What’s to say, except  to repeat the immortal words of Joe: “Va vorscht?”

A Williamsburg tale

A nice story from an American rabbi's site.
(Hat tip SBA)

As I enter the main shul on Rodney Street, I see hundreds of men engrossed in learning Torah and davening to Hashem.

 As I walk down Ross Street, I notice dozens of women emerging from a Tzedoka event which in all probability was not even for the population of their community.

On Lee Avenue I admire the now legendary bus of the Satmar Bikur Cholim which goes daily to the hospitals in Manhattan delivering home cooked kosher food to any Jew; regardless of their religious persuasion.

I observe dozens and dozens of shteibach and Batei Medrash and most of all, I lovingly gazed at the holy faces of the hundreds of fellow Jews who walk the streets unabashedly Jewish in their dress, language and mode of conduct.

I thank Hashem for allowing me to witness such a neighborhood located in the midst of the most modern and culturally secular city in the world.

One day, as I was heading back from the Satmar Shul on Rodney Street, I noticed a group of Chassidic men holding radios and running down the street. They had no medical equipment on them and they were not moving towards a vehicle so I realized they must be part of the famous Shomrim (neighborhood watch) squad.

I quickly turned on my heels and off I went in quick pursuit of these 21st century heroes!

About one block down on Bedford Avenue the objective of the chase became apparent.

There in the street, surrounded by half a dozen Shomrim members was a man standing next to a bicycle lying in the street. As I approached the men, I realized that the fellow under guard was accused of ‘misappropriating’ the bicycle from a Jewish grocery and he was being held until the police could arrive.

I waited and observed for about 7 minutes until a police vehicle arrived to take control of the situation. As I was watching, I overheard the suspect relate: “. the next thing I knew, all of these Jewish cops appeared out of no where and are holding me here!”

Did he say: Jewish cops? Did he really say Jewish cops?

Indeed, he did.

However, this is not the end of the story.

As we were waiting for the police to arrive, numerous individuals- me included- kept surging forward off the sidewalk and into the street to see and hear what was transpiring.

All this time, the Shomrim men- who were very professional and courteous, continually urged everyone to return to the side walk while simultaneously making sure that traffic continued unimpeded down Bedford Avenue.

They were very sensitive not only to their needs which was apprehending the suspect, they were equally concerned that traffic was not impeded and that even the suspect was never taunted nor abused- even verbally!

 They treated the accused man with respect and backed off the moment the police arrived and allowed the officers to speak with the suspect in an uninterrupted fashion.

In short, I felt proud to be a part of these people who professionally, effectively, yet, in a non-vigilante method- keep their neighborhood safe and secure.

It was also obvious that they have an excellent working relationship with the local precinct and its officers.

Just sixty five years after many of these men’s grandparents were being gassed in Auschwitz, their grandchildren are the ‘Jewish cops’ of Williamsburg; working in tandem and with the support of the local authorities and with their encouragement and backing.

Where else in the world can you find a Jewish cop, who speaks Yiddish, has peyos and a beard and has the respect and backing of the government powers that be?

Where else in the world will you find ‘Jewish cops’ who have respect for the law of the land and make sure -while maintaining the safety of their own neighborhood- that the needs of all the citizens of the city in which they reside are maintained?

Only in America.
It is a zechus and a chessed from Hashem to live in America.

G-d Bless America.
*
Rabbi Lederman is spiritual leader of Congregation Kehillas Torah in San Diego

What's in a name?

The reader who sent us the above screen-snap speculates that the name for this website was conceived by some mischievous Jewish advertising executive.

Sounds right to us.

(If you want to know more, click here.)