In these days of foreclosures, high unemployment, and increasing poverty, a focus on consumption might be considered a frivolous pastime for the upper middle classes. But this month’s Sh’ma really provoked a reckoning with some uncomfortable truths. And wherever we might stand on the socioeconomic class ladder, I think it’s a good opportunity to ask: … More »
If you were to look around at the Jewish world in which we live, would you be pleased? Would you see everything you ever dreamed of? A perfect world bereft of ignorance, selfishness, and intolerance? Most likely not. Unfortunately, such an ideal life would require tireless effort, true selflessness and dialogue that the average person … More »
The primary problem with consumerism is its social effect. The relentless quest for satiation through purchasing may be bad enough as a phenomenon on its own, but far worse is the creation of a culture of consumers. “The customer is always right,” goes the cherished old saw of the business world. And while that may … More »
We’ve made it, statistically anyway. For the most part Jews in the US are doing alright. Yes there are the poor, the lonely, the suffering, and somehow still the oppressed, but now more than ever in our history we’ve found a relatively stable existence, places of acceptance in society and for the most part the … More »
Consumerism, when speaking of manufactured goods, usually implies their creation in a massive scale in Third World countries to be sold in the First World. This guarantees low prices but also runs the risk of providing low quality and, often, leading to the exploitation of the people who produce them. Nevertheless, when talking of ideas … More »
The following is an excerpt from the introduction to my senior thesis for the religion department at Wesleyan University. The title of this essay is “The Jewish Relationship to Ethical Food,” and throughout the esssay, I point to moments where Judaism and values of ethical consumption converge in the act of eating. “When I began learning to … More »
“I was recently in a store where I saw a beautiful print of a teaching from Ben Zoma, one of the sages of the Mishnah. It read, “Who is a rich man? He who is satisfied with his lot.” So begins Brent Chaim Spoder’s article ‘Who Is Rich,’ using Ben Zoma’s adage concerning livelihood as … More »
Once upon a time, it happened (or it didn’t) that a god named YHVH (sp?) ran for President. The terrain was tough: the electorate was apathetic, voter-turn out was expected to be dismal (hardly surprising given all the voter restrictions) and the field was already packed with establishment favorites (Ra, Isis, Osiris and Horus) who … More »
I’ve learned that I, like many of us modern Jews, am addicted to STUFF… … More »