Rosh Hashana

Rosh Hashana went well. Some other time maybe I'll write about services and sermons and stuff. Short takes: There was, predictably, some discussion of 9/11. While I generally don't care for the formal, grandiose music of the high holy days, Shira (our cantorial intern) has a beautiful voice and I really liked her "Avinu Malkeinu". I think I dislike our synagogue president, who just oozes "slick salesman" whenever he speaks publicly. (The president always gives a short address sometime during HHD services.)

We had Fran, Alan, and Gail over for lunch on Saturday. I made honey-roasted chicken, yams, raw veggies with hummus, and a tossed salad -- and of course we had apples and honey, challah, and my traditional starfruit. They brought some really tasty (parve) chocolates. (For the chicken, on Thursday night I drizzled it with honey and then broiled it for about 15 minutes, then on Saturday cooked it in a crock pot with the yams. I was hoping the broiling would seal in the juices and keep it from drying out, and this was almost successful.)

( kiddush geekery )

meaty TV

Dani and I have been working our way through the first season of "West Wing". This show is consistently good -- clever writing, characters with real depth to them, and meaty. Even "Babylon 5" wasn't as consistent (face it; it had some klunkers, though I will buy the whole thing on DVD as it becomes available), though B5's peaks might have been higher than the peaks I've seen so far on "West Wing".

Yesterday we watched the WW episode "Take This Sabbath Day", in which Bartlet struggles with the issue of capital punishment. The episode really impressed me, and it wasn't afraid to bring in religion. And hey! It got the Jewish position approximately correct! I'm not used to that. (I'm not used to people pointing out the correct translation of "lo tirtzach", usually and incorrectly rendered as "thou shalt not kill".)

Watching Bartlet struggle to weigh his personal opposition to the death penalty against the rule of law and separation of powers was fascinating. Should he overrule the Supreme Court and issue a stay in a federal case? Or should he let the court system work? I'm so used to television shows taking the simplistic, happily-ever-after answer that it's refreshing to see one actually dig into an issue. (Granted, I don't watch much TV any more, and it's possible the landscape has changed, though commercials for other shows don't inspire much confidence.)

There was one improbable plot development (that the defense counsel could, on a Friday night, influence Toby's rabbi's sermon Saturday morning), but I'm willing to grant that literary license. It's still a good story.