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The Blog of Garnel Ironheart
The ongoing ramblings of the Leader of the Living and his thoughts on Judaism, Israel and politics today. Contact me at GARNELIRONHEART@OUTLOOK.COM
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Pesach And The National Imperative
Although we tend to focus on yetzias Mitzrayim during the Pesach celebrations it is important to remember that one of the underlying features of the entire narrative is the transformation of our ancestors from an ethnic group within the larger Egyptian society into a separate nation with its own identity.
Rav Steinsaltz, shlit"a, both note this important facet in their writings on the holiday. He asks the question of why we have to remove chametz from our possession. If we are trying to remember the exodus then it should be enough to have a Seder and eat matzah. The folks at that first Seder didn't remove chametz from their homes. Why is it not Pesach for us unless we do?
The Rav then notes an obvious point, one that is repeated throughout the classic Jewish writings. It's not enough, he writes, to engage in positive expressions of Judaism. One must also remove the negative from one's life. One can have the Seder, one can have the positive spritual experience that brings dviekus closer but if one still has chametz, the materialistic gashmiyus, in one's life then this interferes with the full appreciation positive worship of the Ribono shel Olam provides.
This also relaets to the national experience. It's not enough for a nation to siomply develop some customs and idiosyncracies that define it. What it stands for and against are equally important. The Jewish nation must reject much of what the rest of the world considers normal and standard in its quest for holiness. Matzah balls without perishus from the materialism that surrounds us is not the norm.
On behalf of the staff here at this blog (and that would be pretty much just me) I would like to wish all of you a happy, healthy and filling Pesach and end with this reminder: flavourless Metamucil is kosher for Pesach. I'm just saying.
Posted by Mighty Garnel Ironheart at 03:54 1 comment:
Them And Only Them
You have to feel sorry for the Chareidi community some days. Wave after wave of assaults against them are leaving them publicly frustrated and annoyed. Whether it's yet another outrage from the Morethodox against their mesorah or the Israeli government's recent chutzpah to think it can govern the State without their Daas Torah, Chareidism has not been taken very seriously by outsiders recently and this has them mad.
Part of it, to be fair, is their fault. One problem Chareidism has always had is its assumption that the rest of the world sees them they way they seem themselves. They see themselves as the superior and only really authentic form of Torah observance and assume the rest of the world thinks that as well. It's like a person who insists there are four lights instead of the three that he's supposed to say. Why, oh why, don't people see it their way?
The other difficulty is an assumption, based on a little bit too much literalism when learning Talmud, that the outside world also knows everything the Chareidi world does including those values that are "right" and "wrong" and agrees with their basic validity. This is often why Chareidim in Israel go apopleptic over immodestly dressed secular women on the street. In their minds it's not that this woman is just dressed inappropriately but that she knows she's dressed wrong and insists on doing it anyway. The idea that it's hot and she's dressing for comfort and doesn't know or care about the laws of modest clothing simply isn't in their paradigm.
That's why every government move that isn't pro-Chareidi is automatically an assault on the Torah and an attempt to destroy Torah observance in Israel. From the secular side it may be a budget consideration or something with a broader social necessity but in the mind of Chareidism the government is only thinking "How can we oppress the Chareidim and attack the Torah?" Chareidi leaders don't see politicians concerned with a global picture. There is them and only them.
But perhaps they are most frustrated when it comes to a perceived lack of appreciation for their claim that the only real learning occurs in the Chareidi world and that which occurs elsewhere is at best second rate. This belief fits into the general package, of course, alongside the "All real 'Gedolim' are Chareidi because any non-Chareidi 'gadol' isn't a real 'gadol'".
What's more, some Chareidi PR flacks aren't content to allow a mistaken belief like "There's real learning outside the Chareidi world" to go without contesting. Thus we have Rav Yitzchok Adlerstein's latest piece in Cross Currents where he takes a comment allowed through the censors to task for daring to suggest that not only is there real learning in the non-Chareidi observant community but that Chareidi learning, for all its perceived self-importance, isn't as amazing as its propagandists would like us to believe.
The interesting thing to note in Rav Adlerstein's response is how he subtly revises history while using insincere flattery to deflect the objection. Consider this little statement halfway through:
With all the considerable learning outside of haredi circles, they have not produced a critical mass of depth learners adequate to address complex new questions. In contradistinction to the term "morei hora'ah" that I used above, those who can creatively address new questions are true "poskim."
Really? Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt"l, was only a real posek because he was part of the larger "team"? Paskening is now a group activity? What's more, the next statement that Rav J. David Bleich, a major halachic authority and extremely intelligent man, is more authoritative than the contributors to Tradition journal en masse is ridiculous in its oozing of contempt. Rav Bleich is an important figure but he is hardly the only one in the YU ecosystem.
Then there is this gem:
Incisive depth learning is the common thread you will see in the Rashba, the Terumas HaDeshen, the Maharik, the Nodah BeYehudah, Rav Akiva Eiger, R Yitzchok Elchonon, R Moshe Feinstein and the Chazon Ish
The implication is clear: these are all Chareidi authorities throughout the ages thus proving that it's Chareidi learning that is the most important and influential around. Never mind that the first half of that list predated the invention - yes, the invention, of Chareidism as a Jewish religious philosophy. Just like Muslims claim that Avraham Avinu, a"h, and David HaMelech, a"h, were Muslim prophet so too the Chareidim now assume that any important religious figure predated the Chasam Sofer's innovation of forbidding innovation was also Chareidi. Are we really supposed to take that seriously?
Finally there is the aspect of self-promotion. When any well-known Charedi authority dies nowadays we are treated, usually within weeks, to a shining hagiography that tells us that he was the greatest thing since sliced bread (an innovation! Ban it!) and that the entire Torah world basked in his glow. Without meaning any disrespect, how many "gedolim" who have recently passed away truly fit that bill? How many were simply major political figures in that community who were granted an eternal bill of importance based on that standing?
As Rav Natan Slifkin himself noted in the comments section (note how, after calling Adlerstein "rabbi" he is referred to by his first name):
"New conditions, new technologies bring a host of questions that must be addressed creatively only after thorough mastery of a sugya, especially after analysis of the impact different shitos in rishonim have on a topic." However, in the charedi world of today, that is not what takes place. Questions are not addressed "creatively." Rather, the eventual psak is a foregone conclusion; it's the one that satisfies the socio-religious mores of charedi society. The only creativity is in getting there. I'm not sure that producing legions of such poskim is such a great achievement. What difference if you have one charedi posek prohibiting organ donation from the brain-dead, or a hundred such poskim? The end result is obvious from the outset, given their socio-religious orientation.
For those who would dispute this – please name a recent psak from a well-known posek that goes against the socio-religious mores of charedi society. The most recent one that I can remember is Rav Shlomo Zalman's psak regarding electricity on Shabbos, which has been all but buried.
Yes there are more Chareidi sifrei shu"t coming out that non-Chareidi ones but there are good reasons for that. Rav Alderstein is correct when he notes that the numbers of high level scholars in the Chareidi world vastly exceeds those on the non-Chareidi side. But then the number of Chareidi shnorrers who show up at my door looking for money for yet another obscure kollel engage in this high-intensity learning vastly exceeds those on the non-Chareidi side. Actually, I never get non-Chareidi shnorrers but maybe that's because there is a balance in the non-Chareidi community in which both learning and earning are valued. Non-Chareidi institutions produce dayanim and volumes of responsa. The folks at Eretz Chemda and the Kollel MiTzion network are an important example. Is their lack of importance due to Chareidi refusal to stock their books in their yeshivos based on political consideration and snobbery?
One can have high esteem for learning without engaging in it full time despite what you might have heard. That's why Zevulun was never asked to stop being Zevulun and merge into Issachar. The former also had his role, God-approved and all.
All Rav Alderstein seems to have done is confirmed that Chareidism is trapped by the "No good Scotsman" agruement.
Posted by Mighty Garnel Ironheart at 01:30 6 comments:
Labels: Charedim
Don't Count Your Chareidim Until They've Been Drafted
And now the news from Israel is bleak if you only own white shirts and black suits. According to the news reports the imminently incoming government in Israel will, for the first time in decades, have no Chareidi parties in it. (I dislike those who say it will be a secular government. There will be plenty of observant Jews in it and in positions of influence, no less) As a result the government can finally discuss something which is of great concern to the secular population: the drafting of the Chareidi population in the name of equality.
On the surface this is an easy issue. Seen simply, the Chareidim have been living off the State for decades without contributing anything back. Their boys sit and learn claiming to be the real protectors of the State while non-Chareidi boys go out and do the actual protecting. There has been no gratitude and only minimal recognition of this from the Chareidi side and it's time the burden was shared equally.
Unfortunately life is not that simple. First of all, the depiction in the above paragraph in no way reflects the entire Chareidi population, just a significant portion of it. Since 1947 there has been not a small number of Chareidim who have equally shared the burdens with the secular population, working, building and dying for the State. They have had the further difficulty of having to deal with the other part of the community, the part that sees the State as evil incarnate (except when the welfare cheques arrive).
Yes, equal sharing of the national burden of defence is an important goal. Yes, Chareidi 18 year olds should feel the same pressure to contribute to the wellbeing of the State as 18 year old non-chareidim. But as anyone who follows life in Israel knows this isn't going to happen.
To be an observant Jew there are certain obligations one must accept. One must accept that the only edible food out there is kosher food. One must accept that one cannot watch television on Shabbos. And so on.
The Chareidim in Israel have added to that list as a condition for membership in their community. To be a good Chareidi, it seems, one must disparage the State, see serving in the army as a sure path to personal damnation and consider the idea of working for a living anathema.
Again, this is not true of the entire Chareidi population, just a significant proportion that loves to portray itself as the superior part of that community.
Imagine the State of Israel were to make it a national obligation to eat bacon for breakfast on alternating Tuesdays in the winter. What if they were to make the attending of pornographic live plays compulsory? Could you imagine the response from not just the Chareidim but from the rest of the Torah-observant population? There would be outrage and resistance and why not? Acquiescence to such laws is unthinkable to a Torah observant Jew because it strikes at the very identity of that Torah observance.
Well for the proportion of the Chareidi community we're discussing the idea of serving in the army is pretty much on the same level. With their characteristic black and white thinking they can see no difference between being soldiers and being forced to eat bacon or drive on Shabbos. They all threaten what are defining features of Chareidi society.
Now, we can argue as to whether it's normal or functional for a community to have lack of gratitude to the State it lives in or refusal to serve in its army as ikkari haemunah in the first place but we cannot argue that these ikkarim are there and will serve as an obstacle to the draft.
Not that this draft will ever happen, mind you.
Yes, the quietly funny party of this controversy is that it will never happen. Consider the details leaked so far. No initiation of the draft until 2017. No jail time for refusal to serve.
The year 2017 is far off. There is a good chance that there will be a new government in place by then and unlike today it is quite possible that the Chareidi parties will once again be in a controlling position. And when they are one can be quite sure this draft plan will be quietly shelved.
Yair Lapid can congratulate himself. He has satisfied his voters by delivering "the draft". He has also set it up in such a way so that when it fails he won't be held responsible.
So my advice to my Chareidi friends in Israel (yes, I have a few) is: don't pack your bags. Your sons aren't going to any army. Just relax and stop making such a fuss. It just makes you look that much more parasitic.
Labels: Chareidim Politics
From Tanach To Talmud
One of the biggest maiden speeches in the Knesset ever was Prof. Ruth Calderon's speech as a newly elected MK. Outside of the Chareidi community people both religious and secular were excited. Here was a non-religious but proudly Jewish woman give a relevant lecture in Talmud to the nation's elected representatives. It was hailed as a new era and a chance for Israelis to reconnect to the Talmud. One would have to be a spoilsport of epic proportions to challenge that assumption, the kind of guy never invited to parties because the negative gloom he brings cancels out any joy the others are feeling.
Hi guys. Here I am.
Let me being by pointing out the obvious. I mean absolutely no disrespect to Prof. Calderon. I also want to give no impression that her learning and knowledge base are in any way defective. From her background it is quite clear that she can run circles around many experienced Talmidei Chachamim when it comes to knowledge of the Talmud. She has dedicated her life to its study in a way many religious folks would do well to emulate.
Furthermore I don't begrudge her the right to learn Talmud at all and if she serves as an inspiration for more secular Jews to pick up a volume of Gemara and go through it, kol hakavod. For too long a small portion of the Jewish nation has treated the Talmud as its private property. According to them you are only learning if you learn like they do, using the formatted text they use and understand it using their methodology. If the learning of Torah is meant to be a universal Jewish practice then the method one learns with and comes closer to God's truth is valid.
I also don't dismiss Prof. Calderon because she is a woman. One of the most important books on understanding the parshiyos of the Torah is written by a woman, Nechama Leibowitz, zt"l. Years ago I was sitting in shul and reading one of her books when the Rosh Kollel of the day (long since moved away) came over and asked what I was learning. When I showed him the book he rolled his eyes dismissively. His response only served to reinforce the idea that his version of learning was limited. It avoided truth when that truth didn't come in the expected pre-packaged form he recognized. I don't doubt, therefore, that Prof. Calderon has a lot to teach about Talmud.
Here's where I don't get excited: this isn't the first time an important Jewish book has been touted by someone in a position of secular leadership. We've seen this all before with the Bible.
Do not forget that early Secular Zionism, seeking to create a connection with the Land of Israel amongst the early chalutzim, used the Bible to create that tie. For them the Bible was Jewish history and a prequel to the great Zionist enterprise. For many decades, until Shulamit Aloni came along with her hatred of Judaism and Jewish education, Bible education was standard in the secular school system in Israel. Talk with any Israeli over a certain age and they can still quote various parts from memory in ways that make religious Jews feel embarrassed. Now an unacceptably high proportion of average Israelis can't even recite Shema Yisrael from memory.
But something was missing in all that. These non-religious Jews may have read the Bible but they didn't connect to it religiously. For them it was a history book, not a guide to moral instruction and if you don't read the Bible as a guide to moral instruction then you aren't really learning it in a uniquely Jewish way. That's why after decades of having it in the school system it could be quickly expunged, to be replaced with revisionist textbooks blaming Israel for the so-called occupation.
Prof. Calderon's approach to Talmud reminds me of this. Once upon a time David Ben Gurion, a"h, could stand up with a Bible and lecture people on it. Now Prof. Calderon invokes the Talmud. But both have the same approach: it's a book. It's a field of knowledge. It might be inspiring and fascinating, a great exercise in learning and analysis but it's a book. It's external. If a secular Israeli gets into the car on Shabbos and drives to the beach and on the way he thinks about the Talmud sugya he learned the day before, did he really learn Talmud?
Try this exercise: go through at least the first half of Prof. Calderon's speech and do a word switch. Instead of references to being Jewish and Israeli change them to English and British. Change Talmud to Shakespeare and the story from the Gemara to a particularly moving scene from Julius Caeser or Romeo and Juliet. Here, I'll help you along:
By telling you this I'm trying to say that I grew up in a very English home, a very British home, secular, traditional and normal, that combined both being English and Scottish, Labour and Conservative, in the accepted English surroundings, the main-stream of the 60s and 70s, and was educated like all of my generation in the government education system, in the spirit of the "English Literature for the People". And I encounter neither Shakespeare and the Sonnets, nor Bacon and Milton. By the time I was a teenager I felt something was missing, something about the new, liberal British identity,... was all well and good but something was missing. It lacked depth, for me more words were needed in the vocabulary, it lacked a past, epics, heroes, places, drama, stories. The "New English", educated by the founders of the nation, fulfilled their dreams, and he became a citizen of the word, brave, practical and civilized. But for me, he (me) had a void, I didn't know how to fill this void, but when I encountered Shakespear for the first time, and fell in love with it, its language, its humor, its profound wisdom, its methods of debate, its practicality, its humanity, its maturity, which comes through with every line, I felt that I had found peace of mind and what I was missing.
Since then I have studied, at Oxford and at Canterbury, academic studies, and I have earned a Doctorate in English Liberature, from Cambridge, in Shakespeare and Medieval English Poetry for my own personal enrichment and for years I've been lucky enough to study the Sonnets which have helped me become who I am.
Do you see my point? Prof. Calderon loves the Talmud. She's passionate about it and does want to learn from it to enrich herself and her culture but how different is it from a professor of English literature with a love of Shakespeare and Bacon?
Is it so far-fetched to wonder if the new secular love of the Talmud will wind up like the former love of Tanach? That for a few years or maybe even decades the Talmud will infiltrate the secular school system producing students who can quote various sugyas and engage in a form of pilpul only to be followed by an abandonment of a book that didn't enter the souls of its learners because it was never presented in that way?
Prof. Calderon's love of Talmud is a start but for the same reason Prof. Marc Shapiro, a brilliant man with an extensive knowledge of Torah, isn't a posek, it is not the path back to religious study that many believe it is. for that the religious leadership in Israel now has to take up the banner and show people how to learn Talmud in such a way as to connect them back to Judaism and the Creator.
Labels: Israel NationalReligious
The Great Reassertion
Around 110 years ago or so something should have happened to the Torah-observant community. Zionism was spreading its wings, a return to Israel by our nation was no longer a far-flung dream but an emerging reality. Judaism was poised to evolve from a diaspora-based religion back into the national faith it has once been.
And then it didn't. The leadership of the part of the community that couldn't handle change fought a pitched battle to keep the ghetto walls high and strong and more the most part they won. Secular Zionism marched off to build a country and, with only a small exception, Torah Jewry stayed behind in Europe awaiting the personal intervention of God on its terms and understanding.
Around 70 years ago something should have happened to theTorah-observant community. The leaders that had announced their intention to remain in Europe come hell or high water got both and most of the followers they had kept around perished from their decision. Suddenly the Religious Zionist component of the Torah world was the dominant one and poised for success. However, history had other plans. The remnants of the Chareidi community, unwittingly aided by the Secular Zionist leadership which thought they would remain an obscure museum piece for display, reorganized, manipulated and grew until it again became the dominant part of the Torah community.
This is the situation that has persisted until today. Two opportunities for Religious Zionism to take its place as the defining form of Torah Judaism. Two misses. And now comes the third try.
At this point the situation in Israel seems to be like this: Bibi Netanyahu, along with Tzipi Livni and Avigdor Leiberman, will bring Yesh Atid and Bayit Yehudi into the government. For the first time in a long time there will be no Chareidim sitting around the cabinet table. There will, however, be plenty of non-Chareidi Torah observant Jews. This is where things get interesting.
It is well understood that for a long time Chareidism has worked to define itself as the authentic highest form of Torah observant Judaism. Everything else has come to be seen as a lower level or less frum variation on a theme. To this end history has been revised, publishing houses have churned out propaganda pieces and extensive kiruv work has been done to cement this impression in the general Jewish public's mind.
Think about it: if someone says frum Jew what do you see in your mind's eye? A soldier or businessman wearing a knitted kippah or a Chareidi with a shtreiml?
Now without the Chareidim in the government Bayit Yehudi has a chance to remake this image. Without Chareidi interference the Rabbanut can start shifting back towards a more nationalistic position. Without Chareidim in the government more rational policies can be developed in terms of universal army service and enforcing basic education standards in all schools that receive government money. Progress that has been held back in the name of narrow-minded parochialism for decades can finally occur.
Ironically it seems that the Chareidi leadership might actually encourage this trend as well. It is no secret that the chumra-of-the-week attitude that has exemplified Chareidi society over the last several decades has not endeared Judaism to the masses. It has instead served to alienate them from it. It's hard enough for a secular Israeli to feel some connection with people dressed like 15th century Polish nobles. It's impossible to empathize with folks who think the Taliban were on to something when they made the burka a mainstream garment in Afghanistan.
If the recent trends in Israel have shown anything it is that the general population is getting more nationalistic. They are tired of always being told that Israel has to make sacrifices for peace and that whatever those sacrifices are they will always be preludes to more demands without any concessions from the other side. There may be a few idealistic dreamers left but most Israelis now realize there is no interest in a final peace agreement with the Arab leadership in Yesha and have gotten on with their lives. A Chareidi call to boycott settlements and show sympathy for the Arab enemy over the Green Line in retaliation for being left out of government will not gain much traction with the general public, nor will it be as successful even within the Chareidi community considering how many of them live in Yehuda and Shomron now.
And how exactly does the Chareidi leadership justify aligning itself with the Labour party, one of the leading influences in the diminishing movement to make Israel a Judaism-free secular "state of all its citizens"? Labour has spent 70 years working actively against what most Chareidim consider priorities for Israel and suddenly they're natural allies?
Finally the public calls for revenge, the claims that the Religion Zionists are treasonous for not capitulating to the natural "leadership" position of the Chareidim, will only strengthen Religious Zionism as a valid Torah-observant alternative. People are already sick and tired of the cry-baby tactics of the Chareidi PR machine. Chareidim can claim many things but when they say they are discriminated against and don't receive a fair share of the national revenue, well pause for canned laughter.
This is, as I noted, Religious Zionism's third opportunity. Played right, the religious leadership of the Dati Leumi community could retake the Rabbanut and make it more relevant for average Israelis. It could position Religious Zionism back in the heart of Israeli religious life.
Or it could, pardon the baseball reference, be strike three and out.
Let us hope that the Dati Leumi leadership has wisdom granted to them by the Ribono shel Olam to make the right decisions for now and the future of our nation.
What Morethodoxy Misses
Orthodoxy has often been accused of being the kind of religion that focuses not just on the trees instead of the forest but on the little lines on the leaves instead of the forest. We become so obsessed with the little details in some areas that we forget the big picture and the importance of other areas.
A classic example of this is brought by Rav Shimon Eider, z"l, in his seminal book on hilchos Niddah. In noting the importance of asking shailos when it comes to deciphering bedikah clothes he lamented that many people don't ask but instead assume that it's okay to be machmir and delay the tevilah date. But this leads to an unwanted kullah, Rav Eider noted, because it treated the woman's onah with unneeded leniency. In fact, if one looks at all the new chumros that keep cropping up nowadays one rarely finds one that doesn't result in another area of halacha being unintentionally observed with leniency.
How many chumros when it come to bein adam l'Makom result in leniency in bein adam l'chaveiro? How many people are raised in the Jewish educational system and taught by strong implication that the former is far more important than the latter?
This results from people forgetting some of the overarching principles of Judaism. There are ikkarim that should filter down into all our actions and influence them but we get lost in the particulars and forget about them on a regular basis.
This often happens on the Chareidi side, as I've (and others) noted frequently in the past. What's interesting to note is that it happens on the left-wing Modern Orthodox side as well but as a mirror image. In the Morethodox world bein adam l'chaveiro often assumes a superior position to bein adam l'Makom with the resultant twisted paskening, just like on the Chareidi side of things.
Thus the latest piece on their blog by Rabbi Hyim Shafner, resurrecting the concept of the female rabbi, the Mahara"t. The blog has recently focused on partnership minyan arrangements only to get slapped down repeatedly in the comments section by folks who note that the halacha doesn't support such things and that in the absence of a posek (they have a whole one book by Rav Daniel Sperber to rely on, not so very encouraging) Morethodoxy is hardly in a position to enact such a significant change in our liturgical worship.
So they've moved on, or rather: back to an earlier position.
Unfortunately Rabbi Shafner's article is quite confusing. At the beginning he writes something which sounds quite Orthodox:
Orthodox Jews believe that men and women are fundamentally different. They have different characteristics, different strengths, different obligations and different ways of seeing the world and approaching life.
But within the same paragraph he makes a complete U-turn:
Thus, it follows that especially for us, (as opposed perhaps to more liberal Jewish movements in which the boundaries between the genders might be more blurred), it is vital that we have both genders leading our people.
He then supports his contradictory position at the end of the article. First he notes:
I would like to caution us against seeing women spiritual leaders in the way that liberal Jewish movements have in the past, that of expecting women to be rabbis just like their male counterparts.
But then he says:
The Maharat will be no less powerful, no less influential, no less important, no less respected than the Rabbi
In fact what he's proposing is, other than the title being Mahara"t instead of Rabbi, is exactly what liberal Jewish movements are doing. If he was, for example, proposing female leaders for the women in a congregation and male leaders for the men he might be onto a genuine idea. But in practice the Mahara"t isn't a rabbi figure for women. She's a rabbi figure for the congregation and Morthodoxy is being dishonest when it refuses to come straight out and say this.
But going back to the start of this post one can see what the guiding feature is behind this move. The guiding passion in Modern Orthodoxy is bein adam l'chaveiro. This is why Morethodoxy's various initiatives have all involved interpersonal relations, the role of women and the wistful dreaming of legitimizing gay marriage within halacha. While the Chareidim overemphasize bein adam l'chaveiro by saying "no" to everyone Morethodoxy does the opposite by trying to say "yes" even when it's extremely questionable if they can within halacha.
Here's what Morthodoxy is missing, however. Two of the distinct features of Orthodox are (1) definite distinction in the roles of men and women and (2) definite distinction in values and beliefs when compared with surrounding society. Morethodoxy, on the other hand, seems bent on blurring these two as much as possible. For example its writers have demanded the removal of the beracha of shelo asani ishah from the morning prayers because it offends feminist sensibilities. As noted above, they have opined that they wish gay marriage could be Jewish acceptable. Now they're saying we should have women rabbis, albeit with a different name.
No, they're not suggesting we stop waiting 6 hours after meat or allow driving to shul on Shabbos but (1) and (2) are very much fundamental principles of Torah society and Morethodoxy seems to not understand that working against them means working against being Orthodox.
Posted by Mighty Garnel Ironheart at 04:46 11 comments:
Labels: Modern Orthodoxy
Goose and Gander
Having discussed insight recently I want to return to the topic, especially with how it comes to play in the current negotiations for a new government in Israel.
The one thing people following the issue cannot have missed is that Bibi Netanyahu has been presented with a choice. He can either cobble together a government with secular Yesh Atid and Dati Leumi Bayit Yehudi or with the Chareidi parties. The clashing platforms of the former preclude forming any kind of functioning government containing both sides.
It's not an easy choice for Bibi. At first glance it makes obvious sense for him to go with Yesh Atid and Bayit Yehudi for two reasons. The first is that they represent important segments of the Israeli population with long-standing grievances and if these are not addressed he will continue to lose votes to the new parties. Yair Lapid has already boasted publicly about becoming prime minister in the next election (assuming he's not a flash in the pan like his father was). The second reason is forward thinking. By bringing Yesh Atid and Bayit Yehudi into the government Bibi can steal some of their momentum. Nothing muddies up today's golden boy like the mud of governing. Remember that what killed Shinui, the party of Lapid's father, was being in the government of Ariel Sharon's Likud and being exposed as a political party as corrupt and incompetent as all others.
But it is the forward thinking part that must worry Bibi. He might be able to form a government without any Chareidi parties today but the next election is a wild card. Yesh Atid and Bayit Yehudi might soar to 25 seats or more. They might also completely disappear. The only real certainty is that the Chareidi parties will accumulate 18-20 seats. They will definitely be around and a possible candidate for government after the next election, the new upstarts might not and Bibi knows this. If he builds a non-Chareidi government he would be successful today but then be relegated to the sidelines after the next election.
Why? Isn't the natural home of the Chareidi parties on the right? After all they've been part of every Israeli government since 1977 when Menachem Begin first brought them into his new coalition. Where else would they go?
To quote Madonna from the old Dick Tracy movie when asked the question: "Whose side are you on?"
"Mine!"
As soon as the election results came out and the possibility of a government without any Chareidi parties emerged the Chareidi leadership began to scream and shout in a predictable fashion. Like the spoiled child who has gotten whatever he wants for years by stamping his feet they were incredulous at the thought that they might not have the blackmailing power they've come to expect as their natural inheritance this time around.
As this article in Ynet notes, the Chareidi leadership and, by extension, its general cultural awareness, has come to expect a double standard in all its dealings with the outside world.
If there is one thing the haredim cannot be accused of, it is having respect for the other's worldview, beliefs and needs. They demand everyone else's respect as the (sole) representatives of the Torah, but they do not have to respect anyone else in return. They have a right to meddle in every affair under the sun, while others are forbidden from intervening in their affairs.
This isolationist and condescending outlook of haredi society in Israel could have been its own business had it not chosen to run our affairs as well. The Amish in the US are just as isolated, but at least they do not ask to head Congress' Budget Committee in order to transfer huge sums of money to their communities.
The ultra-Orthodox in Israel chose the political arena because they want to enjoy the best of both worlds. Now that there is a possibility that they will be treated like any other player, they yell "Gevalt! A community in Israel is being boycotted!" But this is not true. No one is boycotting the haredi community. The ultra-Orthodox public enjoys many rights, and even those who do not want them in the coalition are not trying to marginalize them, but rather to drag them towards the center. Opposing a political agenda is not akin to a boycott.
Now one can certainly not place all the blame on the Chareidi leadership. Since the State was founded they have enjoyed certain inequitable rights like endless deferral of army service and government funding of their educational institutions regardless of their refusal to abide by the conditions the funding comes with. They have never been held accountable for what they receive and it is no wonder they are shocked when they are suddenly told they will be. This is a community, after all, for which change is farbotten.
But their response will not win them any points either. Threatening to boycott the settlements and work with the ultra-left to delegitimize Israelis in Yehudah and Shomron is hollow. Too many Chareidim live across the Green Line. Will they all be ordered to move into pre-1967 Israel al pi Daas Torah?
The real danger of the internet for the Chareidim is how it has exposed the hollowness of its claims to superiority. It has exposed the shenanigans of its prominent members, the extent of child abuse, pedophilia and other crimes committed by these supposed representatives of "true Torah Judaism" and put a lie to its revisionist claims of Jewish history. Once upon a time things which were said in Yiddish in Bene Beraq stayed in Bene Beraq. Now they get spilled over the airwaves in Hebrew and English.
Once upon a time folks like Rav Avi Shafran could smile and tell us the official line about how Chareidim love all Jews and that Chareidi communities are models of tolerance and religious perfection. Now we on the outside know that they are just like anyone else, even worse sometimes because whereas other communities have bad traits Chareidi leaders often take those traits and elevate them to the status of halacha l'Moshe miSinai. If a Frenchman is arrogant, well he's just being French and doesn't know better. When a Chareidi is arrogant he insists he is performing a mitzvah! It sometimes seems like it is the official Chareidi position to be dismissive and insulting when interacting with the outside world while being outraged when the tables are turned. Some of them seem to believe they have a right from Heaven to do whatever they want combined with an immunity to reciprocity and they cannot comprehend why the outside world doesn't get it.
Consider Rav Yonasan Rosenblum's latest piece for Cross Currents. Now one must admit Rav Rosenblum is called on to perform many thankless tasks. No matter how outrageous a Chareidi action might have been he has to defend it in some ways. His latest task, naturally, is justifying why Chareidim are entitled to not serve in Israel's army while receiving benefits from the State. And if you think he's starting out by defusing one of the most idiotic arguments Chareidim make:
"More and more Israelis are asking themselves whether it's fair that young men like Yochanan Plessner [who served in an elite combat division] should go off at the age of eighteen, risk their lives, endure great hardship, in order to defend us – all of us – while at the same time eighteen year old yeshiva students are exempted from that burden. Rabbi Rosenblum, is that fair?"
I have heard chareidi debaters counter this argument: Well, is it fair that we have to do all the Torah learning for the country?
well, he's not. Instead of admitting what we all know, that the claim that Chareidim do all the Torah learning for Israel is incorrect and outrageously arrogant he goes in a different tack. Yes, it's true but it's not what the Chareidi leadership should be telling people because, poor benighted am ha'aretzim that we are, we simply wouldn't get it.
As radical as it sounds one wonders if there is any further point to discussion with the Chareidi leadership. Perhaps Yair Lapid is feared and villified not because he represents a secular attack on Torah but because his first major speech post-election was to educated Chareidi professionals, that segment of the community that has tasted what the outside world has to offer without compromising on their lifestyle and beliefs, the very segment that would respond to their leaderships clarion call to return to the ghetto with a resounding "No thank you". Perhaps it's time to talk to the Chareidim themselves and remind them that their leadership is condemning many of them to lives of poverty and ignorance and that they can do better while remaining stalwart in their observance of Torah.
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This week we have been preparing for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party but outside it isn't feeling like Fall yet. I decided that nothing says Fall in Florida like faking it with a pumpkin recipe. I was thinking about Pumpkin Pie but I felt like I needed something new and different. That is why I created this pumpkin pie cake crock pot recipe. It's a combination of the deliciousness of pumpkin pie with the texture of a moist cake. I'm sure you will enjoy it. I know we did.
When I was 17 I moved to Miami. I spent many great years there and that is where I met my husband. We left Miami for Central Florida but there was one thing missing from my life. I missed the amazing Cuban food. To be specific, I missed mojo pork. I put together this crock pot mojo pork recipe as a way to get my fix of Miami from home. The best thing about this recipe is that it is crazy easy and really forgiving.
One of my favorite meals that my husband makes me is Chicken and Dumplings. However, there are days when he just doesn't have time to be in the kitchen cooking. I wanted to take his recipe and find a way to bring it to the crock pot so that we could fix it and forget it. This has been great for sick days or days when we just need a comfort food. I have to tell you, I am now in love with this crock pot chicken and dumplings recipe!


text:
Energy & Environment News
Vienna/Sarajevo, 18 January 2021, dtt-net.com – The Secretariat of Energy Community said it has adopted measures against Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) as the country has failed to meet certain reforms in energy sector.
EU gas pipeline eyes to double flow capacity from Azerbaijan in 5 to 6 years
Tirana/Baar, 11 January 2021, dtt-net.com – The EU's Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) is eying to double its gas capacity flow from Azerbaijan from 10 bcm to 20 bcm per year in 2026 or 2027, representatives of the Swiss-based company said.
EU "keen" on extension of gas pipeline to W. Balkans countries as well
Brussels/Tirana, 07 January 2021, dtt-net.com – During the first phase of flows through TAP pipeline only three EU member states will be using Azerbaijan gas of total 10 bcm per year, but officials in Brussels say the European bloc is "keen" on finding ways to extend the supplies in an later phase to the Western Balkans countries as well.
Croatia starts receiving American LNG at Krk terminal
Zagreb, 01 January 2021, dtt-net.com – The Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Krk floating terminal today morning started receiving first deliveries from the USA, marking the launch of commercial use of the Croatian terminal in the island.
Serbia receives first gas deliveries from Russian owned Turkstream pipeline
Belgrade, 01 January 2021, dtt-net.com – Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko today participated in the official opening of the 403 km long Turkstream pipeline stretch in Serbia from Bulgarian to the Hungarian border.
Azerbaijani gas flows reach Bulgaria, Greece and Italy
Tirana, 01 January 2021, dtt-net.com – The EU gas pipeline, Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) AG said first gas flows from Azerbaijan reached yesterday the markets of the three members of the European bloc, with Italy to receive 8 bcm per year and Bulgaria and Greece 1 bcm each.
North Macedonia to construct gas interconnector with Greece to buy USA LNG
Skopje, 30 December 2020, dtt-net.com – North Macedonia government today said it will start construction of a gas pipeline interconnector to Greece to connect with the planned LNG terminal in Alexandropolis which would enable the country to purchase gas from the USA.
Russia owned Turkstream gas pipeline to be operational in Serbia this month
Belgrade, 25 December 2020, dtt-net.com – Gas from the Turkstream pipeline will start be delivered to Serbia on December 30, Serbian President announced, after a test made today by the pipeline owned by Russian gas giant Gazprom.
Russia cuts by half gas supplies to Bosnia
Sarajevo, 16 December 2020, dtt-net.com – Russian gas giant Gazprom informed today Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) gas distributor that it has cut by 50 percent gas supplies to the country citing unclear "technical problems", a day after Bosniak and Croat members of the presidency refused to meet with Russian foreign minister.
Albania-Kosovo electricity new inter-connector operational as of today
Prishtina/Tirana, 14 December 2020, dtt-net.com - The new inter-connector, 241 km long of 400kV – financed by Germany – is operational as of today, Kosovan government announced, as Kosovo's transmission system operator (KOSTT) starts functioning independently from Serbia after becoming part of the joint electricity grid with Albania.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


SpongeBob SquarePants comes across as a goofy, lovable screw-up, but what if that's not actually who he is at all? According to Reddit user arbidymeindustries, our favorite sea sponge is much more than he seems. He's apparently a Roman god.
At the end of the Season 1's "Neptune's Spatula," Roman god King Neptune turns SpongeBob into a god so he can bring him to Atlantis. Even though SpongeBob convinced Neptune he didn't want to go, we never see Neptune revoke SpongeBob's god persona — although SpongeBob does lose the ripped pecs.
The user backed up this theory with three main points of evidence.
Supernatural creatures obey and respect SpongeBob.
Unlike at the beginning of the episode, when Neptune mocked SpongeBob and overpowered him, Neptune now looks like a kid being scolded by a parent. Surely a god wouldn't behave this way to someone who wasn't physically more powerful than himself?
The Reddit user also pointed out how SpongeBob has taken on the feared Flying Dutchman various times and has always won.
SpongeBob has created life from nothing.
Bubble Buddy and Frankendoodle are perhaps the best examples of this, though arbidymeindustries also mentions the perhaps sentient rock that moves from "Pizza Delivery" and the revived skeletons from "One Man's Trash." You don't see Squidward, Patrick, Sandy, or Mr. Krabs ever anthropomorphizing things.
SpongeBob is able to manipulate others and achieves the impossible.
For starters, SpongeBob turns a musically challenged group of people -- er, marine life -- into full-fledged rock stars overnight in "Band Geeks." That's virtually impossible, but SpongeBob manages it without breaking a sweat.
Plus, as arbidymeindustries points out, "Hall Monitor" shows SpongeBob wearing proper policeman attire but able to get Bikini Bottom residents to continually crash their cars into things — even when they can see driving their car toward the wreckage will only cause more damage. Why else would they do that, unless SpongeBob could control the people below him and his godliness?


text:
O Arco de Jano é o único arco triunfal quadrifronte preservado em Roma e está localizado num cruzamento no Velabro-Fórum Boário, no rione Ripa. Ele foi construído no início do século IV utilizando materiais reaproveitados, possivelmente para homenagear Constantino I ou Constantino II. Seu nome atual provavelmente data do Renascimento ou depois e jamais foi utilizado para denominá-lo na Antiguidade. Este nome deriva possivelmente da configuração da estrutura, com quatro fachadas e quatro arcos, o que remete à versão com quatro rostos de Jano () e também à estruturas reais relacionadas a Jano mencionadas em descrições históricas da Roma Antiga.

Na Idade Média, a família Frangipane transformou o edifício numa fortaleza, o que permitiu que ele sobrevivesse praticamente intacto até 1830. Na época, o ático e o topo foram demolidos por que se acreditava que estas porções não faziam parte da estrutura original. Fragmentos da inscrição dedicatória estão preservados na vizinha igreja de San Giorgio in Velabro.

Bibliografia

Ligações externas

Século IV
Jano
Roma R. XII Ripa

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Sonshine and Broccoli is a famous Canadian band performing since 2004. Their catchy pop-rock songs and interactive shows became favorites of many families and kids not only in the GTA. Lisa Sonshine and Brock "Broccoli" Burford create music and entertain kids for many years. We often meet the band in our community. When there is a new library grand opening, festival or a charity event we are always happy to see Sonshine and Broccoli performing.
This year the band released their new album called It's Cool To Be Kind. And we had a chance to listen their new creation. The release is filled with amazing tunes, a perfect mix of different styles pop, rock and disco. You can dance, play and sing with Sonshine and Broccoli.
Besides having catchy tunes, the release sends positive messages of kindness and happiness what we all need these days. Children learn how to be thankful, enjoy being with a family and have fun together! And they also learn to clean up toys and be nice to everyone.
The new album does not follow one style, it is a combination of lively songs, fast tempo and calming music tunes. The lyrics are also great, easy to remember and sing for little ones. We hope the audience will also enjoy Toronto song from the It's Cool To Be Kind album, it is about the major city attractions and places to visit! Teddy's favorite songs from the album are Broccoli Jam, Disco Ninja and Toronto song.
On the positive note Sonshine and Broccoli's "Cool To Be Kind" album is submitted for Best Children's Album and we can't wait to see it will win at the Juno Awards this March!
Visit sonshineandbroccoli.com for more information about new album, upcoming shows and live performances.


How apprenticeship standards and frameworks are paid for depends on whether the employer pays the apprenticeship levy or not. Large UK employers with a pay bill of £3million or more pay an apprenticeship levy.
The information here is for England only and arrangements are different elsewhere. If you have questions about apprenticeship funding arrangements in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, contact us to see how we can help.
To support our customers, we match our charging to funding points. So for EPA, you'll pay a small registration fee upfront and the balance not until after the EPA. It's one more way we try to help make apprenticeship programmes easier. Make sure you read more about our EPA service, including the manual with our T&Cs.
For more on funding, you could also watch one of our expert-led webinars that offer context and examples.
UK employers with a pay bill of £3million or more will pay an apprenticeship levy. They can access this money through the Apprenticeship Service and it can only be used for apprenticeship training and development in their own organisation. If they don't use the levy funds within two years then it goes back to the Government. If they use all their levy and want to train more apprentices, they'll pay for them using the same model as an SME. The levy is collected by HMRC via the PAYE process. There is a £15,000 allowance and the Government will top-up monthly funds for apprenticeship training by 10%. No employer is exempt.
Employers control where they spend their apprenticeship funding. The providers will get that money through their monthly Individualised Learner Record (ILR) return.
SMEs with a pay bill under £3million contribute 10% of the total apprenticeship cost and the Government pays the remaining 90%. The same model is used for levy-paying employers who have exhausted their funds.
The Government will fund 100% of the cost of apprenticeship training for a 16-18 year old for businesses with fewer than 50 employees.
For more on how to manage your apprenticeship and funding, you could also talk to your local college or training provider. Alternatively your local chamber of commerce, local economic partnership or business improvement district.
The Apprenticeship Service is an online portal for employers to manage their levy account. It shows the amount of funding available and lets employers make virtual payments to providers for delivery of their apprenticeships. It includes the "Find an Apprenticeship Provider Tool" with details of nearby education providers. It will show which apprenticeships the provider offers as well as performance data so that employers can make informed decisions when negotiating funding and contributions with local providers.
The Government will contribute £2,000 towards the cost of apprenticeships for 16–18 year olds: £1,000 to the employer and £1,000 to the training provider.
If an employer is delivering their apprenticeships as an employer provider they can claim the full £2,000 incentive.
The Government pays the full cost of a 16-18 apprenticeship for any employer with fewer than 50 employees.
Apprenticeship standards and frameworks fall into funding bands. These are the maximum amount the Government considers is needed to deliver the apprenticeship. The upper limit of those bands goes from £1,500 to £27,000. Within the band, employers can negotiate with providers over the cost of delivery. The funding band is regardless of the apprentice's age or location.
Apprenticeship funding is claimed through the education provider's Individualised Learner Record (ILR) data returns. There is guidance for providers in the ILR Manual. Employers and providers can use the ESFA funding guides for help with the funding requirements for apprenticeships.
Education providers and employer providers delivering apprenticeship standards and frameworks must collect and keep evidence such as invoices and payment receipts for audit by the ESFA. The ESFA is responsible for monitoring spend of public funds and will audit all providers' data and financial information, to check they're following the funding rules for the levy.
Apprentices must get support in this depending on their level of prior achievement and what's set out in the standard or framework. It isn't funded by the levy but training providers will be funded for this directly by the Government.
City & Guilds offer Functional Skills in maths and English at levels 1 and 2, these qualifications are included in the approved maths and English apprenticeship offer. We also offer a variety of smaller awards and units that are funded and can be used to support apprentices to progress to functional skills qualifications if needed.
You can have a look at our slides and webinars for apprenticeship funding guidance.
If you're an employer looking for help understanding the apprenticeship funding changes or how to make the most out of the levy, you could talk to our Employer Services Team for ideas and support. Just contact us to arrange this.
Our resident funding expert, Bryony Kingsland, has put together this list of FAQs, including guidance on funding, off-the-job learning requirements, inspections, auditing and more.


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Q: How does Logistic regression classifier modelize the dataset? I'm working on a system that be able to detect the hand contour. So I have 270 instance in my dataset: 7 class of hand  contour, 8 feature vectors of each instance.
Firstly, I used Weka to determine which is the best classifier for my dataset. And I found out Logistic regression classifier.
But, the problem is I don't know 'How does the Logistic regression classifier work?' or 'WHAT IS THE MAIN PONIT (IDEA) OF LOGISTIC REGRESSION CLASSIFIER?'. I've been searching on google for a long time but I still can't find the answer.
Here's what I've found that should be useful:
1 1992-JSTOR-Cessie-Logistic_Regression
[2] [Chapter 4 Logistic Regression as a Classifier]1
Thanks in advance!

A: Logistic classifier is a linear classifier. It uses 'Least Square' to adjust the f(x) function, which classify the 2 class. Instead of predict the class, the classifier predict the probability of class Y being 1 with knowing X.
In my problem, the Logistic regression model uses Newton algorithm instead of  'Least Square'. It builds a matrix to adjust the function.
To classifying 7 class, it needs to have 7 logistic function, where each logistic predict the probability of one class.
That's how I've got.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
home News, Politcs Comey Gets GAME-CHANGING News From Former Agent
Comey Gets GAME-CHANGING News From Former Agent
By Sean Brown Posted in News Politcs
Former FBI Director James Comey is set to testify before Congress on Thursday, and now it appears as if he's going to be answering more questions than whether or not President Trump suggested he go easy on Michael Flynn.
Former intelligence contractor Dennis Montgomery has officially filed a lawsuit against Comey after he alleges to have provided overwhelming evidence to the FBI about illegal spying on Americans. We previously reported that Montgomery had come forward with the bombshell revelations and at the time he accused Comey of burying the evidence, but he's apparently become fed up with the lack of media coverage so he took matters into his own hands.
Circa News, whose broken several major stories surrounding the Obama administration's illegal spying on American citizens, reports that Montgomery filed suit against Comey and several other U.S. officials he alleges covered up the information he revealed. In even worse news for Comey, the suit has been filed in the same court that has already ruled the NSA overstepped its authority with its data collection policies.
This should be interesting.
From Circa [emphasis added]:
A former U.S. intelligence contractor has sued fired FBI Director James Comey and other current and ex-government officials, alleging the bureau has covered up evidence provided to agents showing widespread illegal spying on Americans.
The suit, filed late Monday night by Dennis Montgomery, was assigned to the same federal judge who has already ruled that some of the National Security Agency's collection of data on Americans violates the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment, setting up an intriguing legal proceeding in the nation's capital this summer.
Documents obtained by Circa outside of the lawsuit show that the U.S. attorney's office in Washington in 2015 approved a grant of limited immunity for Montgomery so he could explain how he managed to walk out of his contract work for several U.S. intelligence agencies with 47 hard drives of highly classified documents — a security breach potentially larger than Edward Snowden's leak.
The documents show FBI agents interviewed Montgomery on videotape for several hours and collected the 47 hard drives.
Montgomery's lawsuit, which included his lawyer, the well-known conservative activist Larry Klayman, alleges Montgomery provided extensive evidence to the FBI of illegal spying on Americans ranging from judges to businessman like the future President Donald Trump.
So this should be interesting. It will be even more interesting to see if anybody in Congress has the intestinal fortitude to ask Comey what he knows about the lawsuit and the allegations within it.
Regardless, if Montgomery's allegations are true, and we have no reason to believe otherwise considering he still has copies of the information he handed over to the FBI, then there's been an active effort to cover-up highly illegal activities from the previous administration, which would make Watergate look like petty larceny compared to someone stealing a superyacht.
Trump Visits 9/11 Memorial On Saturday, Curators STUNNED At What He Left Behind
Trump, Jr. Was Set Up, And The Facts Of The Case Prove It
BREAKING: Trump TICKED Over MASSIVE Media Spin With Comey Firing, THREATENS To Make…


Police have located a 25-year-old man who suffers from depression and was reported missing a few days earlier from his home in the West Side Humboldt Park neighborhood.
Sean Sullivan left his home in the 3300 block of West Chicago Avenue at 6 a.m. Friday and did not return, according to a missing person alert from Chicago Police.
Police said Sullivan was located Monday, but did not provide further details.


We are Notts Gymnastics Academy (NGA), a charity registered with the Charities Commission and a limited company registered with Companies House. We provide gymnastics activities and are registered with English Gymnastics and British Gymnastics (BG) who govern the sport and offer competitions and events in which we may participate. We are also affiliated to Nottinghamshire County Gymnastics Association and East Midlands Gymnastics Association.
Why are you sending me this Privacy Notice?
On 25th May 2018, the regulations surrounding how organisations can hold your personal information (data) changes. This Notice explains how we handle your personal information when you contact us or use our services, and your rights. This Notice is intended to comply with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
At Notts Gymnastics Academy we take your privacy seriously and will ensure your personal information is kept secure. The way we collect and use your information are equally important as you expect us to manage it confidentially and securely, so that trust in us is maintained.
For the purposes of GDPR, we are the 'data controller' (as well as British Gymnastics). This means that we decide how your personal information is processed and for what purposes.
We are always happy to explain anything which this Notice does not make clear to you. You will find our contact details at the end of this Notice.
By providing us with your personal information, you accept and consent to the practices described in this policy.
We collect personal information about you when you contact us requesting our services or support, for example via email info@nottsgymnasticsacademy.co.uk calling us by telephone or when coming in for a trial session. We also collect information via feedback you provide in surveys or following the delivery of a service. The information that we collect is held securely on our Information Management System (Gymnastics Club Manager / PaySubsOnline) and their servers, securely in our gym office, or in locked filing cabinets.
To provide the gymnastics activity you have requested, communicate with you about this activity, to let you know about changes to our terms and conditions and to process your payments (if relevant).
To meet the legitimate aims of the Academy and ensure your child is well supported and safe whilst participating in gymnastics.
Providing our services and process payments.
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Maintaining contact details for emergency purposes.
Filming and photography for coaching purposes and / or promoting the Academy on our website, Academy social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), in our monthly newsletter and in communications. All film and photographs of children will only be published in line with the NGA Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy.
Processing job and volunteer applications.
Please note: You have the right to object to any of the above uses of your information by contacting us in writing. Please note that in some cases, this may affect our ability to carry out the things we need to do for you to take part in gymnastics.
To comply with applicable laws and to protect the legitimate interests and legal rights of the Academy. This includes, but is not limited to, the use of your information relating to legal claims and compliance and regulatory activity.
With your consent, we may send you information by email, SMS or via social media about Academy news, activities, events, products and opportunities that we think will be of interest to you. You can ask us to stop sending you this information at any point by amending your preferences in your member account on Gymnastics Club Manager and informing NGA separately by emailing us info@nottsgymnasticsacademy.co.uk or if applicable, by following the instructions in the relevant communication. If you do not wish us to use your personal information for marketing purposes this may affect the level of our services to you.
NGA Staff and associates have access to your personal information to deliver services to you.
We will not sell or rent your information to anyone else and we will not share your information for marketing purposes.
Gymnastics Club Manager / PaySubsOnline.com – for the management of member information, events and activities, our waiting list, fee payments and registers.
British Gymnastics – to provide insurance to us and to individuals to allow them to part in gymnastics activities, to take part in competitions and other gymnastics activities.
Nottinghamshire County and East Midlands Gymnastics Associations (and individual clubs affiliated to British Gymnastics where appropriate) – to take part in competitions and gymnastics activities.
GoCardless – processing payments within Gymnastics Club Manager.
off the shelf – for our Academy website.
Survey Monkey – for the collection of feedback and questionnaires.
MailChimp – for the distribution of our Academy Newsletter.
CCTV – monitoring of persons on site (this is only a live feed and not recorded).
Google Forms / Sheets / Docs – for processing and managing internal events.
Eventbrite – for booking events.
Outlook and Gmail - for email communications.
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Accountant / HMRC – for completing our financial account records.
Your personal data will only be shared with organisations whose services are required to provide the services we offer.
We will not share your information with any additional organisations except with your consent or in exceptional / emergency circumstances, where we believe that the sharing of information about you or your child is vital to protect you, your child or another person.
If you / your child wishes to enter a competition provided by an external organisation, we will, once the entry and therefore your permission has been received, need to share the information required to enter the event, usually name, date of birth, BG membership number and gender. Most competitions are large events and there are likely to be photographers and people filming (including members of the public).
Financial transactions including payment information will form part of our financial accounts and may be shared with our accountants and regulatory authorities such as HMRC.
We keep your personal information / data for as long as you are a member of NGA. After you leave, we will keep your information for no longer than we reasonably need to.
NGA will keep your personal information in accordance with our internal retention policies. Where appropriate we will determine the length of time we keep it for based on the minimum retention periods required by law or statutory regulation. We will only keep your personal information after this period if there is a legitimate and provable business reason to do so.
You can amend your registration by logging into 'My Account' on the British Gymnastics website. If you do this, the information you have provided will be archived for 60 days. During this period, you can transfer your information to another club. After this period, the information you have provided will be deleted, except where there is a legitimate and lawful reason to continue to hold your data. In the absence of a legitimate and lawful reason to retain any other information held about you, this will be deleted after 12 months, unless you re-join an affiliated club within that period.
We will delete the information held on Gymnastics Club Manager and any other information held internally within 30 days, unless there is a legitimate and lawful reason to retain the information.
Easily access the data / information we hold about you. You can request a copy of the personal data which we hold about you, without any charge.
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Withdraw your consent to the processing we carry out at any time.
Request that we provide you with your personal data and, where possible, to send that data directly to another organisation (data controller). This is known as data portability.
Where there is a dispute in relation to the accuracy or processing of your personal data, to ask us to restrict further processing.
Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office and to seek legal recourse.
You have the right to see the personal information held about you. You can log in to your personal member account on the British Gymnastics website and on Gymnastics Club Manager at any time to view/amend/delete the information held on these systems. We ask you to keep this information up to date to help us deliver the best service that we can.
You can also request a copy of any other information we hold by sending us a written request by email to info@nottsgymnasticsacademy.co.uk or by letter to Notts Gymnastics Academy, Boundary Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 7BY.
If we do hold additional information about you, we want to make sure that your personal information is accurate and up to date. You can ask us to delete it or correct any inaccuracies. We will either make the requested amendments or provide an explanation as to why we are not making changes. You can also tell us if you do not agree with the way your data is processed by us.
If we wish to use your personal data for a new purpose, not covered by this Privacy Notice, then we will provide you with a new notice explaining this new use. We will do this before we start processing for the new use. We will set out the relevant purposes and processing conditions. Where and whenever necessary, we will seek your prior consent to the new processing.
In line with GDPR, Notts Gymnastics Academy as an organisation is not required by law to appoint a single point of contact in the form of a Data Protection Office (DPO). Every staff member and volunteer of Notts Gymnastics Academy has received relevant GDPR training to ensure all information is handled correctly and is complaint with GDPR. We have appointed a first point of contact for any Data Protection related issues: Nila Benfield (Business Support Manager).
If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice, if there is something you don't understand, or you wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact us first by emailing info@nottsgymnasticsacademy.co.uk or by writing to Notts Gymnastics Academy, Boundary Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 7BY.
If you have any concerns about the way we process your personal data, or are not happy with the way we have handled a request by you in relation to your rights, you also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office. Their address is: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
We keep our privacy notices under regular review. This Privacy Notice was last updated in May 2018.


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Articles Archive for March 2008
Local Media »
Feeling the heat, Todd?
[31 Mar 2008 | No Comment | ]
Why didn't someone tell us sooner that we could free ourselves from the clutches of Cook County?
Yes, it's legally possible, but practically impossible, for suburban townships to secede from the county and its oppressive taxes, bloated payrolls, insider dealings and pathetic leadership. Still, it might be worth the effort. After all, if you can't beat them, leave them.
Several Palatine government officials, pushed to the limit by the county's recent sales tax increase, which may send shoppers scooting across the county line into adjacent Lake County, are discussing secession as something …
From Blogs »
On Liberation Theology
In multiple articles Saturday and Monday, The Chicago Tribune has at great length avoided the fundamental inquiry into Black Liberation Theology. Here is a clear, pointed description from Theology Professor, Anthony Bradley, sorely missed from the Tribune article.
Black Liberation Is Marxist Liberation
One of the pillars of Obama's home church, Trinity United Church of Christ, is "economic parity." On the website, Trinity claims that God is not pleased with "America's economic mal-distribution." Among all of controversial comments by Jeremiah Wright the idea of massive wealth redistribution is the most …
Barack Obama thinks higher taxes are a good thing
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama went after the "We're not paying enough taxes to the government" vote today during a television interview in New York.
First, he said the Bush tax cuts ought to die. He likes that top marginal rate of 39%. Although the non-partisan National Journal recently declared him the most liberal of the 100 senators, Obama denied being a "wild-eyed liberal," which wasn't what the Journal called him, but it sounds good on TV where everything moves by so quickly.
Maria Bartiromo on CNBC's "Closing Bell" asked, "Who should pay …
Our Columns »
The End Game that Wins for Obama
Now here's my plan:
The Michigan and Florida delegations will be seated at the convention and Barack Obama wins the nomination. It's all settled a month or more before the Democratic National convention in August.
Everybody's happy except the Clintons. (You're extra happy if you revel in a bit of schadenfreude over the Clintons.)
How do we reach this happy conclusion? A deal is likely to be struck with the superdelegates, who will in good conscience be following the will of da peepul.
I will outline the contours of the …
Senior Democrats mull Al Gore's nomination
[31 Mar 2008 | One Comment | ]
Plans for Al Gore to take the Democratic presidential nomination as the saviour of a bitterly divided party are being actively discussed by senior figures and aides to the former vice-president.
The bloody civil war between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has left many Democrats convinced that neither can deliver a knockout blow to the other and that both have been so damaged that they risk losing November's election to the Republican nominee, John McCain.
Former Vice President Al Gore speaks at a news conference: Senior Democrats mull Al Gore's nomination
Former aides …
Obama's Three Big Doubts
Obama's concerns:
"Three major doubts have been raised," he said. The first is whether in today's political environment–with its emphasis on media and money–a grass-roots movement can even be created. Will people still answer the call of participatory politics?
"Second," Obama said, "many believe that the country is too racially polarized to build the kind of multiracial coalitions necessary to bring about massive economic change.
"Third, is it possible for those of us working through the Democratic Party to figure out ways to use the political process to create jobs for our communities?"
From …
Just Another Politician 2.0
[30 Mar 2008 | 5 Comments | ]
A year ago the New York Sun breathlessly reported that the Obama campaign "hinges on whether the uncharted power of the social networking sites on the Internet, such as MySpace and Facebook.com, can offset the organizational advantages of his strongest opponent", while the New York Times announced that Rudy Guilliani's daughter had- gasp-listed herself as a Friend of Sen. Obama on his Facebook site. Obama's campaign sought to gather 1,000,000 Friends on Facebook, as sort of a showing of Web 2.0 support for the rookie Senator.
In a year I have …
Hillary: We Need Tariffs, Timeout on Trade Deals
Northwest Indiana needs jobs, and she is the presidential candidate who will fight for them, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton told an audience of 5,000 Friday in Hammond.
Against an American flag backdrop at the Hammond Civic Center, Clinton declared, "It is time we have a president who stood for a comeback for Northwest Indiana."
Imposing tariffs on steel imports would help foster that comeback and boost region employment, she said.
"My campaign is about jobs, jobs, jobs, middle-class jobs," Clinton said.
Tribune Waves Hands Shielding Rev. Wright while Sun Times Yawns
Sam Zell really has an object lesson for his next talk to the journalists that he employs at Tribune Company meetings around the country.
While the Sun Times New Group stands at a husky offering of under $.99 per share, The Chicago Tribune seems help bent on following it's pulpy sibling down into the root cellar:
Chicago Sun-Times parent Sun-Times Media Group Inc. said Thursday that it has received notification from New York Stock Exchange authorities that the company is not in compliance with the Big Board's listing requirements because the price …
Wirtz Beverage in deal to expand in state
Wirtz Beverage Group will form what be Illinois' largest liquor and beer distributorship in a deal that with Glazer's Distributors of Illinois that will result in the closing of Chicago's Union Beverage Co. and its brands being folded in under a new Wirtz operation.
Under the agreement, Union, which distributes Brown Forman spirits, E&J Gallo and a number of smaller brands, will cease operations in the state effective June 30. The new company, Judge and Dolph, LLC, will open the next day and assume distribution of the former Union brands as …


Bottled & Boxed stocks a fantastic range of Famous Grouse whisky gifts, which make great birthday, Christmas and Father's Day presents for whisky connoisseurs.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Matthew Gloag searched for the employees and suppliers that he believed would benefit his business the most. They needed to have the right skills and expertise to make the best quality blended whisky possible. Of course, he succeeded, and The Famous Grouse developed into the brand we know today.
Our range of Famous Grouse gifts is extensive, so we're sure you'll find the perfect present for any fan of this whisky in this range. As well as individual bottles, we have gift boxes that come with truffles, or even beautiful glasses from Royal Scot Glass than can be treasured long after the whisky is gone.
If you're still considering your options, we have a selection of gift sets from other blended whisky brands that might interest you. So, take a look at our ranges from The Lakes Distillery, J&B Rare Whisky and Teachers.


Search Marina Bay homes for sale & real estate in North Myrtle Beach, SC. Marina Bay is a small, luxury raised beach home community with an ideal location in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, just a mile from the oceanfront. The development is situated along Marina Bay Drive which extends West of Highway 17 near the intersection with 11th Avenue South. For information about Marina Bay neighborhood properties for sale or to schedule a private home showing, contact your North Myrtle Beach real estate experts today.
Want to purchase a home in Marina Bay? Call Preston Guyton at CRG Companies (843) 283-1493. Your neighborhood Marina Bay real estate agents and agents are here to help with the North Myrtle Beach housing market.
Marina Bay is a small waterfront community in North Myrtle Beach nestled along the Dock Holidays Marina. The development was established in 2009. Most of these beautiful luxury homes offer immediate access to the Intracoastal and provide panoramic views of of the marina and waterway. The homes within Marina Bay range from 2,200 square feet to over 6,000 square feet. Although this community is relatively small, the homes are extravagant and many offer custom designer upgrades. Inside may include open floor plans, elaborately detailed living spaces, vaulted ceilings, crown molding throughout, gourmet kitchens, ample windows, and elevators. The exteriors follow an impressive modern Charleston style and feature large porches, spacious yards, and swimming pools. Most homes are 2 and 3 levels with 46 bedrooms. Prices for homes range from $600k to over $1 million. There are still available homesites along the 75 feet of water frontage ranging from $150k to $500k. This is a truly unique neighborhood just a few minutes from the oceanfront and near to all the popular attractions of the Myrtle Beach area.
For additional details on any of these Marina Bay real estate listings, click the "Request More Information" button located on the detail page of each property. We can provide you with disclosures, past sales history, dates and prices of homes recently sold nearby, and more.
Register for a free account to automatically receive email alerts whenever new Marina Bay homes for sale hit the market that match your specific search criteria.


Fiona is able to offer a range of workshop programmes to suit schools, community groups, students and companies.
An introduction to design can be delivered as half-day, one day or a series of workshops exploring scale, model-making, storyboarding and research.
These workshops have been delivered as a guest lecturer at University of Kent, Brunel University, University Centre, Folkestone and during the residency of Collaborators:Design for Performance at the V&A.
Specifically tailored towards companies looking to work with a designer/scenographer for the first time, this workshop explores visual storytelling through the use of objects and the configuration of space. Designed to develop the visual language of the piece, the process can culminate in the drawing together of a design brief. This has included work with Futures Theatre Company, Accidental Collective and script development with individual writers.
These workshops use the scenographic process to consider wider themes of engagement with the built environment, regeneration and ownership of space.
Drawing out creative thinking among community participants, this has included work for Freeform Arts Trust, Chatham World Heritage Partnership, Medway Renaissance Regeneration Ambassadors Programme and Journey to Learn (Kent Architecture Centre and CABE).


Background: The Etch-A-Sketch's inventor, André Cassagnes, worked as an electrical technician and happened upon his inspiration for the popular toy by chance—during the installation of a factory light switch plate. Cassagnes noticed that when he drew on the aluminum residue that coated the light switch's decal covering, the design was visible on the other side of the translucent decal. Mechanically, the Etch-A-Sketch is somewhat similar—the interior is coated with a layer of aluminum powder that is displaced by an interior stylus (controlled by the two knobs on the Etch-A-Sketch screen). The black lines on the screen are actually the dark interior of the toy becoming visible as the aluminum powder is "erased." Shaking the Etch-A-Sketch forces the aluminum powder to re-coat the screen's interior, thus creating a blank canvas.
Max! Ohio Art is based in Bryan, Ohio – where I'm from! They used to make them there. I'm so excited you featured this!
Originally called in France "télécran" !