Shalom, Cyndie

The Birmingham Post-Herald ran a very nice piece in today's paper about the life of our dear friend, Rabbi Cyndie Culpeper. Click here to read it.

We went to the graveside service this afternoon. There were probably 150 people there, a testament to the lives that Cyndie touched. We'll all miss her.

Jews in Alabama, Episode #6

We express our sympathies to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and talk a little about how it sideswiped our area. We also talk about a dear friend who passed away this week, tell a funny "Moses" story, play a promo, and complain about looters. We also give lots of shout-outs. (31 minutes, 21 seconds)

Links, Definitions:

• UJC article about the hurricane's effects on the New Orleans Jewish community
• UJC Hurricane Relief Fund
• Beit Din
• Shiva
• Kol Nidre

Jews in Alabama, Episode #5

We claim to have nothing to talk about, and yet still manage to do a podcast over half an hour long. We give our shout-outs, talk about the "Jewish Valentine's Day," our anniversary, Raya's parents' visit, "A Mighty Wind," Eric's return to school, and why Pat Robertson is crazy. (30 minutes, 33 seconds)

Edited 8/24: Forgot to include The SG Show in our list of links. Sorry, Steve and Sam!!!

Links:

• Neighborhoodies
• Tu B'Av, "A Day of Love" (myJewishLearning.com)
• "Robertson rails against pullout" (Jerusalem Post)
• Geeky binary clock (ThinkGeek)
• Rick Recht
  

Jews in Alabama, Episode #4

Home from vacation, we run into a small GarageBand issue but still manage to get this podcast done (though not posted!) before midnight. Shout-outs, disengagement talk, other Alabama Jewish communities, John Tesh, is Grandpa Simpson Jewish?? (36 minutes, 37 seconds).

Links/Definitions:

• "Aliyah" (Wikipedia)
• "Disengagement" (Wikipedia)
• Deep South Jewish Voice
• "Shalom Y'all"
• "Sephardic Tradition and 'The Simpsons' Connections" (The Simpsons Archive)
• "Torah from Simpsons" (MyJewishLearning.com)
• "Television's Changing Image of American Jews" (request a free copy!)
• Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life

Jews in Alabama, Episode #3 (On the Road, Daytona Beach, Florida)

We do our first podcast away from Birmingham, on vacation in Florida. We discuss state lotteries, Jewish weddings, our vacation, and Eric's conversion to Judaism. (24 minutes, 47 seconds.)

Definitions:

• Chuppah
• Beit Din
• Mikvah
• Shehecheyanu

Jews in Alabama, Episode #2

In response to listener comments, we discuss the Orthodox and Chabad presences here in Birmingham; Eric rambles on about fundamentalism; and we talk about Alabama's relationship with Israel. What would we have talked about without listener comments? Write us -- apparently we'll discuss whatever you want to hear!!! (28 minutes, 49 seconds.)

Definitions of terms and/or links mentioned in the show:

• Tefillin (Wikipedia)
  
• Chabad Lubavitch (Wikipedia)
• Dolphin Reef, Eilat