Ezzie's Blog Roundup 11/6: Staying Afloat

Happy birthday to iPayTooMuchForMyHair! :)

There are a few good posts out there from the last few days, but I think this one by Wolf is by far the most important:

We've set up a society where everyone scrupulously follows all the rules, not because they want to, or because they think the rules are correct; but because they know that if they don't, it will be held against their children when it comes time for shidduchim. Everyone struggles to keep up with the chumra (stringency) -of-the-month club so that they shouldn't seem like second rate Jews.

We've created an environment where people are no longer trusted to be able to police and think for themselves. Cell phones with text messaging has been ruled assur (forbidden) because people might use it to contact others of the opposite gender. Schools have tried to institute policies where parents cannot have Internet access in their house on pain of expulsion on the pretense that they are protecting the children

It's an excellent and saddening essay. Check it out.

Elsewhere, stuff I found interesting or sharp:

• Jameel on fake graves being used to protect housing.
• via DB & XGH, this letter (#2 down) by James Kugel on how and whether DH would affect Orthodox Judaism is very well put.
• DaGirl on high Jewish IQs.
• The Apple rips into YU for excluding from their Israel program schools whose philosophies they do not like.
• Sephardi Lady on the idea that some jobs are "beneath" us.
• Ariella on how we define 'where we're at' on the Orthodox Jewish spectrum. I always liked the line "Ever notice how anyone driving slower than you on the highway is a nut, while everyone who drives faster than you is a maniac?"