Pacific Jewish Center | Rabbi Rotating Header Image

Posts Tagged ‘blogging’

300th Post: Some Of The Most Interesting of the First 300

Mar 24th, 2010
by rabbifink.
2 comments

The World Celebrates 300 Posts on finkorswim.com

Today we are celebrating 300 posts on my blog. Hence, the fireworks. (To see the picture I DID NOT use, click here.) When I started blogging 15 months ago I never dreamed I would ever have 300 posts or a respectable, regular readership. As you all know, most blogs rise and fall quicker than the President’s polling numbers. A big reason I have been able to maintain this blog because of you the readers. So I thank you.

I have compiled a nice list of posts worth reading. For some of you it will be review, for others it will be interesting to see some of the things you may have missed. As always I welcome feedback.

Enjoy. (more…)

One Year Anniversary

Dec 15th, 2009
by rabbifink.
3 comments

happy-anniversary-balloon-bouquetOops!

I can’t believe it! A huge milestone!

At least I don’t forget my wedding anniversary. I did however, forget my one year Blogoversary. I am a week late…

This blog began last year on December 8, 2008. At the time, I had no idea that if anyone would ever read a single word I published. I am always surprised when I discover people reading my blog. But more than surprised, I am appreciative.

So much has happened, so much has changed in our world in the last year. Blogging from the sidelines has been a really great experience. I am glad I started the blog and I am glad that we are closing in on 250 posts.

Thank you for reading, thank you for commenting, thank you for linking and thank you for supporting my blog. (more…)

KCET Visits PJC and Interviews Me

Nov 6th, 2009
by rabbifink.
3 comments

pbsKCET (the local PBS affiliate) has been working on a city-wide project. It is called Departures and it focuses on the people and places that make the neighborhoods of Los Angeles. For the last six weeks they have been working on Venice. Today they came to the Pacific Jewish Center Shul on the Beach to learn about us and to be included in their upcoming Venice piece.

It was a true honor and privilege to be a part of this worthwhile project. The production should be finished in February and I look forward to seeing that.

The camera crew shot some footage of our morning services and did two interviews. (more…)

Matisyahu, NBC and The Olympic Winter Games Make A Great Team

Nov 4th, 2009
by rabbifink.
2 comments

Matisyahu-One_DayI first heard of Matisyahu while working as a Campus Rabbi at USC. The Jewish students on campus were really into his music (this was ~5 years ago) and some of my students invited me to join them at a Matisyahu concert.

He was performing at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood which was right near my home. I went and it was really cool. The music was great, the message was equally wholesome and the connection that I got to build with my students was profound.

I liked it enough that I took my wife to a Matisyahu show at the American Jewish University a few weeks later. It was a bad venue for a concert. It was more like a movie theater than the right venue for a reggae concert. Still, we enjoyed the music.

I knew that Matisyahu had made it, when (more…)

President Obama’s New Hardware: Nobel Peace Prize

Oct 9th, 2009
by rabbifink.
3 comments

Nobel-Peace-Prize-medalWow, two semi-political posts in a row. For a non-partisan blog that is a lot.

But once again, it would be impossible to ignore this elephant in the room.

Optimistic at best presumptuous at worse, President Obama’s recent Nobel Peace Prize award really pushes the envelope of credibilty. (more…)

Today’s Sign The Apocalypse Is Upon Us

Sep 15th, 2009
by rabbifink.
3 comments

bloggingYesterday morning I received a blogging gift.

Sometimes there is just not much to write and that’s every bloggers worst nightmare. I had a few things that were on my mind that I wished to share but none of those ideas fermented into anything worth posting.

I love blogging and I think it is important to supply fresh content as often as possible. It is no fun to see the same posts every day. I needed something new.

Then I went outside and I found what is perhaps the most disturbing flyer I have ever seen attached to my car. (more…)

Authentic Judaism and Authentic Charity

Sep 8th, 2009
by rabbifink.
No comments yet

announcementThis post is really two Public Service Announcements.

Please read both and if you are able to help in any way possible, it is much appreciated.

One great thing about blogging is the opportunity to connect with other people for the sake of an important cause. Today, I present you with two important causes. (more…)

Book Review | The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook

Aug 27th, 2009
by rabbifink.
2 comments

Facebook Founder Mark ZuckerbergYesterday I flew from New York to Los Angeles. We got to the airport just under 3 hours before our flight. This is a direct result of missing a few flights in the last few years. We always err on the side of caution.

I stopped in a Hudson Books to peruse the available reading material. Prominently displayed was a new book by Ben Mezrich called “The Accidental Billionaires“. I am a big fan of Mezrich having read, Busting Vegas, Rigged and of course Bringing Down the House (I recommend all those books). I took a look at the book and discovered it was about the founding and founders of Facebook.

I bought the book.

(more…)

Weekly Jewish Blog Round-Up #231

Aug 23rd, 2009
by rabbifink.
No comments yet

Haveil Havalim #231 is being hosted at Esser Agaroth.

Check it out by clicking here for a variety of very interesting links from all around the J-blogosphere.

Thanks to Esser Agaroth for hosting and doing another super job!

(And thanks for linking my post on Brett Favre.)

Elul Begins With A Warning | Anonymous Bloggers Take Note: Google Knows Your Every Move

Aug 21st, 2009
by rabbifink.
11 comments

A little while back I contributed a decent post to DovBear that generated an impressive response from legions of commenters on DovBear. The post was a comparison of anonymous vs. onymous blogging.

I argued that by blogging about important things anonymously, they are less effective and only perpetuate the near censorship of right-wing Orthodox Judaism. Some went on to call anonymous blogging cowardly.

In the discussion that ensued I conceded that quite possibly, better conversation can be had anonymously and I admitted that for a blog like DovBear, the unfortunate reality is that anonymity is the preferable choice.

Something left undiscussed was the reality that DovBear is not anonymous. Google, who hosts his blog, knows exactly who he is, where he lives and presumably, has access to all his email, searches and web history. Until a few days ago, one may have assumed that their information was safe with Google.

Not anymore.

(more…)

Jewish Blog Round-Up #225

Jul 12th, 2009
by rabbifink.
No comments yet

Another week, another Haveil Havalim.

This week’s round-up is hosted by “How To Be An Israeli”. A number of excellent blog posts from the week that was are linked.

An excellent job all around.

My Book Review of DovBear on the Parsha is mentioned with a very nice comment:

Rabbi Fink talks of being swept away by DovBear’s passion and insight; I felt the same way about reading this post!

Thanks for the mention.

To check out Haveil Havalim #225 click through. (more…)

Onymous Blogging

Jul 1st, 2009
by rabbifink.
7 comments

This post has been cross-posted to DovBear. – more discussion there.

Social Networking has been around for a long time. The term is nearly two centuries old and the concept perhaps 30 times that.

With the internet explosion around the new millennium social networking became all the rage on the world wide web. MySpace and others blazed the trail. Now, blogging, Facebook and Twitter are an integral part of our social landscape.

Naturally, I was drawn to these new age ways of using technology to create social networks. I’ve been on Facebook since its inception five years ago and joined Twitter a while ago and have only recently begun to blog.

Over the last few weeks some incredible things have happened that are direct results of social networking online. (more…)