Judaica Uganda

This weekend at B'nai Keshet in Montclair, a member of the Ugandan Jewish Community
JJ Keko, taught three songs during services. He did Psalm 92 and 93 and taught a L'cha Dodi. JJ is one of the singers on the Smithsonian Folkways recording (see link). It was great to meet him and to learn from him. We also got to drink the coffe he grows as part of Thanksgiving Coffee Company.

Nation-state Debate

The Nationalism Project is a nifty site which explores debates on the origin of the concept of nation and nationality. I just happened across it while working on the curricula for Face to Face.

Frantic Turtle

I was down at the Bowery Poetry Club last night for a show by Jake Marmer's outfit Frantic Turtle. Marmer, sporting a Woody Allen themed t-shirt waxed poetic about fish soup, gabbais, russian novelists, shimon bar yochai while his laid back band did lots of reggae like things. It was all truly mesmerizing and wonderful. The spirit of Ginsberg lives on.

Here's a link where you can hear their fine work: Frantic Turtle

Afterwards, we were treated to another wonderful act, Plain Hex Quartet.

Mazel Tov Dad!

Saul Brenner, Lifetime Achievement Award in Judicial Politics
Professor Saul Brenner will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Law and Courts Section of the American Political Science Association (APSA) this fall at the annual meeting of the association in Chicago. The award was announced by Melinda Gann Hall, Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University and chair of the selection committee.

Dr. Hall stated: “The Law and Courts field is particularly distinguished by the number of outstanding scholars who consistently have contributed much over the course of their careers. Thus, [Dr. Brenner has] reason to be particularly proud of [his] achievements and this award.” She continued: “ From a personal perspective, I know that I speak on behalf of all the committee members when I say that we appreciate the extraordinary impact [Dr. Brenner’s] work has had on our own. The Lifetime Achievement Award is the only such award given by the APSA for those who study judicial behavior and law."

Dr. Brenner has been at UNC Charlotte since 1965. He is a past recipient of the First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal in 1994, which honors the best scholars at UNC Charlotte. He is the senior professor in the Political Science Department.

A Gem from Reb Rilke

Once the realization is accepted

That even between the closest of human beings

Infinite distances continue to exist

A wonderful living side by side can grow up

If they succeed in loving the distance between them

Which makes it possible for each to see the other

Whole and against a wide sky.

-Rainer Rilke