Archive for category Uncategorized
Greenspoon, Leonard. “Jewish Bible Translations: Personalities, Passions, Politics, Progress”, Jewish Publication Society, 2020.
Posted by amosllassen in Uncategorized on November 16, 2020
Greenspoon, Leonard. “Jewish Bible Translations: Personalities, Passions, Politics, Progress”, Jewish Publication Society, 2020.
Evaluating Translations
Amos Lassen
Leonard Greenspoon’s “Jewish Bible Translations” is the first book to examine Jewish Bible translations from the third century BCE to our day. “It is an overdue corrective of an important story that has been regularly omitted or downgraded in other histories of Bible translation.”
Greenspoon examines a wide range of translations over twenty-four centuries through the historical, cultural, linguistic, and religious contexts of versions in eleven languages: Arabic, Aramaic, English, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and Yiddish. He looks at many Jewish translators including Buber, Hirsch, Kaplan, Leeser, Luzzatto, Mendelssohn, Orlinsky, and Saadiah Gaon and shows their “their aspirations within the Jewish and larger milieus in which they worked.”
He examines principles, styles, and techniques and their choice to emphasize either literal reflections of the Hebrew or distinctive elements of the vernacular language and their underlying rationales. Here are new insights about their shared characteristics and the limits they faced and we see how Jewish translators and interpreters influenced the style and diction of the King James Bible.
Accessible and authoritative for all from beginners to scholars, Jewish Bible Translations enables readers to make their own informed evaluations of individual translations and to holistically assess Bible translation within Judaism.
Amazon.com–Things You Don’t Know But Should
Posted by amosllassen in Uncategorized on April 28, 2011
Let’s talk about Amazon. Com–things you don’t but should
For those of you who do not know, I was one of the top 40 reviewers of Amazon when I left in December. This is significant in that I was the only person in the top 100 that reviewed GLBT books and movies but, of course, not everyone was happy with that and I am no longer posting on Amazon. I think it is very important for us to know that Amazon DOES NOT care if we do business there or not so I urge you to take your business elsewhere and support out independent GLBT business like the local bookstores and TLA.com.
I have recently learned some interesting facts about Amazon that I want to share. Since Amazon is so large and powerful they are not policed by any of the net protectors such as net nanny, etc. This simply means that Amazon can see what it wants and there are no stops top anyone seeing whatever on their site. Did you know that Amazon also sells porn and sex toys and those pages are open to all?
Small children can buy porn on Amazon-check out these links:
http://www.amazon.com/Hardcore-Film-Classics-Vito-Bandit/dp/B001MJOH2A/ref=pd_sim_d_5
These items are in Amazon’s inventory and are available for immediate shipment to whoever orders them, regardless of age. Additionally the film below is so offensive that other companies have refused to carry it yet even a small child can buy it. There’s a scene where a woman is abducted, raped and a coke bottle is forced into her vagina – among many other rape short films – it’s a collection of short films about rape.
http://www.amazon.com/Victims/dp/B002U4QGOS/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1292534829&sr=1-1
Let’s have a look at Amazon’s sex toy store which they call their Sexual Wellness Store. Maybe I am naïve but I did not know that butt plugs, vibrators, handcuffs, sexual furniture, etc. have anything to do with sexual wellness. Let’s call a dog a dog and not give it a fancy name. How about an 11 year old ordering a butt plug?
http://www.amazon.com/Sexual-Wellness-Products/b/ref=sv_hpc_6?ie=UTF8&node=3777371
Amazon is the largest sex toy retailer in the US. Does that shock you? Imagine the joy that a 9-year old girl can get from reading all about dildos. Look what you can buy at Amazon.com without an age check.
PLease note: My reviews have moved
Posted by amosllassen in Uncategorized on April 23, 2011
all of the reviews that are here plus many more can be found at
http://reviewsbyamoslassen.com/
For reviews go to new site
Posted by amosllassen in Uncategorized on March 10, 2011
There will be more reviews posted on this site. All of my reviews are being transferred to my new website:
http://reviewsbyamoslassen.com/
The new site
Posted by amosllassen in Uncategorized on February 27, 2011
If any of you have made comments on this site, I am moving everything to my new web page and would appreciate your moving your comments there.
Let’s talk about Amazon.com–things you don’t know but should
Posted by amosllassen in Uncategorized on February 27, 2011
Let’s talk about Amazon. Com
For those of you who do not know, I was one of the top 40 reviewers of Amazon when I left in December. This is significant in that I was the only person in the top 100 that reviewed GLBT books and movies but, of course, not everyone was happy with that and I am no longer posting on Amazon. I think it is very important for us to know that Amazon DOES NOT care if we do business there or not so I urge you to take your business elsewhere and support out independent GLBT business like the local bookstores and TLA.com.
I have recently learned some interesting facts about Amazon that I want to share. Since Amazon is so large and powerful they are not policed by any of the net protectors such as net nanny, etc. This simply means that Amazon can see what it wants and there are no stops top anyone seeing whatever on their site. Did you know that Amazon also sells porn and sex toys and those pages are open to all?
Small children can buy porn on Amazon-check out these links:
http://www.amazon.com/Hardcore-Film-Classics-Vito-Bandit/dp/B001MJOH2A/ref=pd_sim_d_5
These items are in Amazon’s inventory and are available for immediate shipment to whoever orders them, regardless of age. Additionally the film below is so offensive that other companies have refused to carry it yet even a small child can buy it. There’s a scene where a woman is abducted, raped and a coke bottle is forced into her vagina – among many other rape short films – it’s a collection of short films about rape.
http://www.amazon.com/Victims/dp/B002U4QGOS/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1292534829&sr=1-1
Let’s have a look at Amazon’s sex toy store which they call their Sexual Wellness Store. Maybe I am naïve but I did not know that butt plugs, vibrators, handcuffs, sexual furniture, etc. have anything to do with sexual wellness. Let’s call a dog a dog and not give it a fancy name. How about an 11 year old ordering a butt plug?
http://www.amazon.com/Sexual-Wellness-Products/b/ref=sv_hpc_6?ie=UTF8&node=3777371
Amazon is the largest sex toy retailer in the US. Does that shock you? Imagine the joy that a 9-year old girl can get from reading all about dildos. Look what you can buy at Amazon.com without an age check.
Lotions & Potions
Adult Toys
Novelties
Safer Sex
Bondage & Fetish
Sex Furniture
Featured Brands
Do I protest too much? No I don’t think I do and what we need is a collective protest from everyone. I just can’t help what wonder what Christian organizations think about this.
Two Men and a Baby | The Heart breaking Story of Laurent Ghilain and Peter Meurrens
Posted by amosllassen in Uncategorized on February 27, 2011
Two Men and a Baby | The Heart breaking Story of Laurent Ghilain and Peter Meurrens
LAURENT GHILAIN (27 YEARS) AND PETER MEURRENS (37 YEARS) HAD IT ALL. THEY FOUND LOVE WITH EACH OTHER AND TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO THEY MOVED FROM BELGIUM TO THE SMALL TOWN OF LODEVE NEAR MONTPELLIER WHERE LAURENT STARTED SUCCESSFULLY HIS OWN FITNESS BUSINESS AND PETER FOUND EMPLOYMENT AS CARDIOLOGE IN THE LOCAL HOSPITAL. ONE SETTLED THEY MADE THE BOLD DECISION TO FULFILL THEIR DEEPEST WISH: HAVING A CHILD.
Since 2006 it is legally possible to adopt a child in Belgium, but practice learns otherwise. It is difficult to go through the procedures and more often than not gays have to wait longer than straight couples to get approval. And thus Laurent and Peter decided to look for a surrogate mother. Not willing to take any risk, both men turned to an official surrogate organization based in the Ukraine, known for its solid and trustworthy approach. All went well and two years and two months ago their Ukraine surrogate mother gave birth to their son Samuel, of who Laurent is the biological father. But what was supposed to be the beginning of the fulfillment of their dream turned out to be their worst nightmare. Because as careful and well-prepared as Laurent and Peter were, they had not counted on the stubborn and static bureaucracy of the Belgium government.
Surrogate parentalship is not allowed in Belgium. Strangely enough it is also not forbidden. In fact, it is not clear what the law says in the northern European country. And because of this, little Samuel was refused Belgium citizenship and was not able to join his two fathers, even though one of them is his biological father. Forced by the unwillingness of the Belgium government, Laurent and Peter had to look for another solution to take care of their new born and found this with a Ukraine foster family willing take care of Samuel. But one year was the deal and when that year passed, this family was not ready to help any further. Having lost two lawsuits, Laurent and Peter were desperate, not knowing what would happen to their son. And so they made the dangerous decision to travel once more to Ukraine and take their baby, even if it meant kidnapping him.
Their plan was good but not good enough and Samuel was stopped at the border to eventually end up in a orphanage in Lviv, Ukraine. Another year has passed and the two fathers have grown hopeless. Knowing Samuel is more than two years old, they have come to realize that if nothing would happen soon, it would become too traumatic for their son to keep fighting for him and finding a good permanent foster family would probably be the best solution. A hard decision that proofs how deeply they care for the welfare of Samuel.
Laurent Ghilain and Peter Meurrens decided to try one more time. One more time they went to court to fight for their parental rights and to bring their baby home. And fortunately for them this time, before the hearing, the press picked their story up. A documentary was shown on TV and after French gay magazine Têtu published their heart breaking story on their blog, many international press sites followed their example. It was the best thing that happened to the gay couple in more than two years. The worldwide coverage of their hard breaking story resulted in the Belgian Foreign Ministry deciding to issue a passport for Samuel, following the court decision earlier this week saying bureaucrats had erred and the boy was entitled to the document. Finally, after more then two years of fighting and sleepless nights, Laurent and Peter will be reunited with their infant son.
The Belgium authorities still have one month to recall their decision, but after the hearing and the worldwide coverage of Laurent and Peter’s heart breanking story, this doesn’t seem likely. Still it might be useful and helpful to sign the online petition. Samuel is coming home to his rightful parents. let’s make sure he stays there.
“The CLASSMATES: PRIVILEGE, CHAOS, AND THE END OF AN ERA”– John and Arthur
Posted by amosllassen in Uncategorized on February 26, 2011
Douglas, Geoffrey. “ The Classmates”, Hyperion, 2008.
John and Arthur
Amos Lassen
It is the fall of 1957 and John and Arthur, two fifteen year old boys, are at an exclusive New England boarding school. This is the setting of Geoffrey Douglas’ new book, “Classmates”. John came from a wealthy family and his future was filled with promise. Arthur was a scholarship student from a Pennsylvania farming family whose future was shaky at best. The boys’ class was made up of one hundred boys and it is the student population that Douglas uses as the source of his memoir. The boys were divided—their fathers expected success but the guys lived in a society that was in the middle of a disastrous war in Vietnam, a sexual revolution at home and an age when people were filled with questions and doubt.
I remember those years all too well as this is my generation. We were interested politically, we experimented sexually, we were afraid of being drafted and we tuned in and dropped out. Here we stood at the door waiting to move from the 50’s to the 60’s and we hoped for a better world. We, as did the classmates of Douglas’ book, were witness to both the political and social changes and upheavals of the late 60’s and we watched the world change drastically. The decade of the 60’s was to change the world forever and we still feel the results today.
Douglas has written a compelling book that looks at the changes that America and the world went through and he uses the characters of John and Arthur as our guides. John is John Kerry who went on to college at Yale, became a war hero in Vietnam and was later elected to the Senate of the United States and then attempts a bid at the Presidency. Quite the opposite is Arthur (whose surname is not given, perhaps to emphasize that his life was as anonymous as he was) who went on to nothingness, a life of little meaning and ultimately a salesman who died alone a year after his classmate loss the election. Peppered through the book are other classmates which reflect the diversity of American life. There are two other war veterans, a federal judge, a gay artist and the author himself. Together these classmates watched as a new world was created and worked to find their place in it.
“Classmates” is a short book but one that is powerful. It reopens those old wounds that many of us have carried and it explains a period of time that almost defies explanation. It reminded me so much of the time I spent trying to come to terms with who I was and where I fit. “Classmates” is a remarkable study and my generation should welcome it into their minds and libraries.
“Beaufort”–boys to men
Posted by amosllassen in Uncategorized on February 25, 2011
Leshem, Ron. “Beaufort”, (translated by Evan Fallenberg), Delacorte Press, 2008.
Boys to Men
Amos Lassen
If you haven’t heard of Ron Leshem’s “Beaufort” you will. “Beaufort” which is now available in English (translated beautifully from the Hebrew by Evan Fallenberg, author of the amazing “Light Fell”) is the book that the Academy Award nominated Israeli film is based upon. In
its original Hebrew the book won Israel’s top literary award and the film went on to win the award for best director at the Berlin International Film Festival.
The story is set in 1999 in the north of Israel and in southern Lebanon during the conflict between the two countries. Lieutenant Erez Liberti, nee Liraz (but nicknamed Erez because his commanding officer feels that Liraz is too feminine) is the main character as well as narrator of the book.
Beaufort is a military outpost that Israel captured from Lebanon in 1982 and it is the focal point of the book. It is at Beaufort that relationships are built between the young Israeli soldiers stationed there and this is what this book is about. Leshem manages to blend historic fact and fictional personages as he tells the story of that period before Israel withdrew from Lebanon.
In order to enjoy the book, no prior knowledge if the situation is necessary and the writing is beautiful—something that does not necessarily happen in a translated work. It reads as a black comedy but what it really is, it seems to me, is a coming of age story. We get a picture of what war is from the point of view of a soldier and even with its crude language and mounting death tolls, this is a story of friendship and Leshem shows us what the bonds of manhood are. Subversively funny and funny at the same time, we read about the horrors and ridicularity of war as well as of the camaraderie of men.
To the very few Israeli soldiers who occupy the fortress, Beaufort is hell and is surrounded by the enemy. Liberti, for the thirteen men that are with him, wears many hats—he is a confessor, a slave driver and a hope for survival against the terrible attacks leveled at the site. It is a tense rime for the young men and death seems imminent. Liberti and his men create their own world and spend a lot of time talking—talking about the things that all young men talk about—women and sex; however they add another topic to their discussions—death and their dead comrades. The guys are frightened, angry and tired. They receive one last order; they are to perform a mission that is to change everything and thereby show just how futile war is.
At a time in out own history when we are engaged in a war with an enemy of which we know little about and in a place of which we also know nothing, it is to our advantage that we read about the horrors and futility of battle. Ron Leshem and his translator Even Fallenberg give that to us and do so beautifully.
Reviews by Amos Lassen 