So when is kosher "kosher?"

Oh, my. I don't need Ray Charles to serenade me with "Georgia on My Mind." The American Civil Liberties Union and the Conservative Jewish movement are pushing ahead with a case filed August 7 that is designed to topple the Orthodox Union's monopoly on determining what is "kosher" in that state. As designated by a state law enacted in 1980, the suspect legislation was designed to ensure the public's safety and peace of mind in setting up the standards of Orthodox Judaism (their board is known as the O-U) as being the determining factor by which food is sold as "kosher" in Georgia. Apparently, there was a question of fraud having been perpertrated in the past, so by using the Orthodox Union's high bar of kashrut (dietary laws), there was no question that everyone -- from the most observant Haredi on down to secular Jews -- would feel assured and comfortable with a "kosher" designation. The problem came about when some people began to question whether a Conservative rabbi who might supervise a restaurant or kitchen for a community event would be de facto violating the law. Although Conservative standards are less stringent than the O-U's, their designation of a restaurant, bakery or kitchen as being kosher would be held as valid by members of the Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist branches of Judaism. The problem is by lending its official state sanction to the standards of Orthodoxy, the division between organized religion and the state is blurred. The ACLU named Rabbi Shalom Lewis of Congregation Etz Chaim in Marietta as the plaintiff in its suit in which it specifies that the Georgia law discriminates against other forms of Jewish religious practice by strictly adhering to Orthodox Judaism to determine what is considered "kosher." It is important to point out that the statute in question does impose criminal sanctions for violations, so Rabbi Lewis could have been arrested and prosecuted over the course of his career in Georgia had he been challenged. Lewis admits that he has "technically" been a criminal by merely doing his job as kosher supervisor for his own synagogue and for kosher events held under its auspices. This has triggered an immediate response from the Orthodox movement, who claim that not one non-Orthodox rabbi has ever been prosecuted, despite the fact many have provided kosher supervision information to the state. Some suggest an overturning of the law as unconstitutional might lead to more fraud being perpertrated against the public in the future. As of now, a few cases of probable fraud are handled per month. Orthodox kosher supervisors fear a more relaxed code could result in a spike of such irregularities. All of this seems to go along with the Conservative movement's attempt to become more proactive in the field of kosher supervision. Similar designations of kosher as being determined only by Orthodox standards have been overturned in New York (2003), Baltimore (1995) and New Jersey (1992). Whether Georgia becomes the fourth such state or municipal government to change its standards remains to be seen. I'm sure the rabbis pleading their cases will be very persausive. Perhaps they will need to daven (pray) a bit more devoutly as well.

The sad case of William Jefferson

While I was enjoying the revelry and brotherhood associated with the National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC) last week, I lost touch with what was happening in the Virginia courthouse where the federal government had laid out its case against former Louisiana Second District Congressman William Jefferson. Jefferson, a political icon from New Orleans, has been a civic leader in New Orleans for decades. After he lost the mayoralty two times while a state legislator, he ran for an open seat vacated by then-retired Congresswoman Lindy Boggs some 18 years ago. He had withstood challenge after challenge until this past election when he won the Democratic primary, but failed to muster his troops in the general election. In a surprise defeat, he was bested by Loyola professor Anh Joseph Cao, a Republican and the first Vietnamese elected to Congress. Cao (pronounced Gow) has acknowledged he probably won't be re-elected in the largely black district that was designed in effect to ensure that an African-American would represent New Orleans in Congress. While still a congressman, Jefferson was able to thwart prosecution, but once he was ousted from office, the federal government sped up its case which resulted in 16 indictments. The most compelling evidence seemed to be $90,000 that was videotaped being given to Jefferson from an FBI informant that was allegedly to be used for bribes. The cash was found in a freezer along with a lot of other cash that could not be directly proven to be payouts for influence peddling. According to the government, the money was to be used to ensure that members of the Jefferson family would reap financial windfalls in the form of stock in foreign enterprises and percentages in businesses held in Africa. The 11 guilty counts out of 16 that were returned last Thursday after five days of jury diliberations signal the end of the career of a high profile politician, who wielded tremendous power both in New Orleans and in Congress. Ironically, the count that involved the $90,000 received a not guilty verdict. Nonetheless, it is another closed chapter in a history of corruption, malfeasance and influence peddling that seems to repeat itself year after year. Meanwhile, Mose Jefferson, the older brother of William goes on trial this week on charges that stemmed from the federal investigation that eventually felled his brother. If prosecutors have their way, though, the Jefferson family might be spending a considerable time living at government expense for the near future.

The ride back from Bloomington

Checking out Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, the longest cave in the world.

For well over 24 hours I have been without e-mail or Internet access. It is a good feeling to know that I am now reconnected, even though I probably won't be using it due to the onset of Shabbat. The drive back from Bloomington was uneventful, but long. Last night our group stayed outside of Nashville, Tennessee at Boxwell Scout Reservation. I had the opportunitiy to enjoy a nice meal at the Cherokee Steak House there where I had a filet mignon, baked potato, salad and rolls for $12.95. It was the best bargain I had all week! And, for those who know of this out of the way place in Lebanon, the food was prepared as good or better than some of the more expensive steak house chains I've been to in the past. I felt so guilty that I was having such a good time away from the members of my Order of the Arrow lodge that I bought three half-gallon containers of ice cream for them to enjoy. Unfortunately, they were so tired from play and the drive down from Indiana University, most of them skipped the ice cream and hit the sack or sleeping bags, if you will. I suspect most of them were tuckered from the three-hour hike inside the longest cave in the world, Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. My poor dogs were feeling the heat of the walk and I wished for a nice foot massage or hot soak. But it was not to be. Boxwell was deserted and had no such amenities, but it did yield a most interesting show. It would seem the Scout camp was virtually overrun with deer (even some fawns with telltale spots and ever-present mothers nearby). I don't recall ever seeing that many deer running free on a Scout camp before. Just a few days before just off the Indiana University campus, I was amazed that a deer was only a few yards away before it scampered off to hide in the woods. These deer on the Scout reservation weren't all that concerned about my presence, but didn't hang around too long once Scouts headed in their general direction. Yet, there were so many of them, I believe it was the largest concentration of deer I've ever seen. Up north many people consider deer to be vermin, akin to a large rat. Down South I would imagine some would think of Bambi as "good eatin'," but for city folk like myself, there's very little chance we'll be eating venison any time soon. Generally, we are appalled that someone would want to shoot a deer with a bullet or an arrow. It may be considered sport, but it doesn't strike me as particularly fair. I would say when hunters tackle bucks by their antlers or capture them in a trap that doesn't mame the animals, then it would be considerably more fair. In Solon, Ohio, I know there have been large kills where the deer are killed with a helmet that drives a steel post into their tiny skulls. I'm sure none of the deer would willing don those helmets and the kills have generated a great deal of negative publicity. I guess shooting the deer is against the law, hence the recommendation to use the helmets and skirt the law about dispatching them with a rifle or bow. Deer are such graceful creatures it surprises me people would think about tearing them asunder with a weapon of long-range destruction. But as I said, in this part of the world there is that contingent that swears that Bambi is "good eatin'" and there's nothing that can be done to change that. I'm all for someone who needs to hunt to put food on the table for his family. I guess I'm somewhat opposed to killing for the sport of it. If anyone cares, I like the way animals are slaughtered in a the kosher ritual. In theory (and hopefully in practice), they are tied down, prayers are uttered over them to beg forgiveness of the shochet (kosher butcher), their carotid arteries are severed, they slowly go to sleep and bleed to death. Or perhaps they bleed to death and slowly go to sleep. It may not matter to many, but I like to think that the animal whose body I am eating didn't go through an enormous amount of pain at the moment he was slaughtered. Of course, I'm not so dead set against slaughter to become a vegetarian or a vegan. That way of life is good for many, but I don't think I could become adapted to salad days for the rest of my life. In any event, it's good to be back in New Orleans, far away from Hoosiers, Volunteers and deer.

And in the end....

National OA Chief Jack O'Neill and his friend

The last day of NOAC is typically called Founders Day and is named after E. Urner Goodman and co-founder Carrol Edson. The year was 1915 and Philadelphia Scoutmaster Goodman was then director of a local camp located out of the city called Treasure Island. Edson was his assistant and with some help from some outside folks, they concocted a new Scouting fraternity that emphasized brotherhood and cheerful service. The Order of the Arrow grew from those first tentative steps into a burgeoning group of hundreds of thousands of alumni with a primary emphasis on camping. Theirs is a service organization and their involvement in making a difference is palpable. There are adult members and youth members, but the youth run the organization and are the only ones allowed to vote. Since Boy Scouts troops elect their members based on performance and past records (such as a minimum number of nights of camping), it is unique that non-members select those who join the ranks of the OA. That's the way it has been largely from the beginning. It's about as good a process as can be found and that is as it should be. Today's events included the competitive Goodman games and Founders Day exhibits in which participating lodges could give away different items or inform fellow Arrowmen about points of interest in their respective areas. The day was capped by a nighttime show that brought much of what attendees had learned throughout the six days. Life is determined by the amount of time we spend and the love we give one another. The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" was used as a musical theme to the final spectacular, which featured indoor fireworks and sing-a-longs to favorites like "Good Vibrations" from the Beach Boys and "Don't Stop Beleving" by Journey. The piece-de-resistance was an outdoor concert with plenty of vanilla ice cream (300 pounds) scooped out for the hungry Scouts. All in all it was a great night and one that prepared all of us for our forthcoming journeys home.

Del Loder and the second generation of OA

Del Loder represents the last of the second generation of Order of the Arrow members. He was 19 when he first met the founder of the OA, E. Urner Goodman. As Loder relates, Goodman was shocked when Loder repeated something he had learned about him a decade before and recalled it ten years later when he became a Vigil Honor member of the honor society for Boy Scouts founded in 1915. That connection and hundreds of others they made in the years leading up to Goodman's death cemented a relationship of mutual respect. Loder, a dynamic broadcaster, public speaker and comedian on more than one occasion is a jovial sort of fellow, but he is intractable. For years he perfected the oddities that existed in the ceremonial work of the OA between different lodges so that only one officially approved manuscript would exist that would pass muster to all who might find any part of it objectable. To be certain he did not do it alone, but let there be no doubt that he did so with the express blessing of Goodman, who is the most revered figure in OA history, even surpassing that of co-founder Carroll Edson. Loder is at home at the National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC), held biennially on college campuses. This year at Indiana University he is definitely in his element and loving all of the deserved attention he has received. Loder became the fourth person to receive the Legacy of Servant Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award, which requires a minimum of 25 years of service to the OA and a previous citation of the Distinguished Service Award. Loder's work with Scouting over the course of the last 65 years has had significant impact on the quality of the ceremonies practiced by OA members. It is only right that he be singled out for meritorious service as the ranks of his generation have been greatly lessened through attrition. It would seem that my position as one of the third generation has been enhanced by knowing Del and his deep connection to this order that promotes brotherhood and fellowship among Boy Scouts. Although Del had a health scare a few months back, he says he is feeling better than he has in a long time. May the Great Scoutmaster continue to bless him with good health and keep him safe and in our midst for a long time to come.

The Power of One

Since Saturday there has been an unusual gathering of a most unusual group of Boy Scouts and adult leaders, commonly referred to as Scouters. Every two years or so, the Order of the Arrow, the BSA's Honor Society composed chiefly of Boy Scouts or Scouting alumni, meet at a given college campus. This year the campus chosen is Indiana University, the same site as the very first conference held in 1951. This marks the tenth time that such an august gathering of Scouts has occurred on the Bloomington campus. The fact is that the National Order of the Arrow Conference is a very big deal. It is one of the greatest community service groups in the world and, in this country, a great percentage of Eagle Scouts become members of the order. Founded in 1915, only five years beyond the founding of the Boy Scouts of America, the Order of the Arrow started out as a way to inspire other Boy Scouts to follow the Scout Law and Oath. It became an official part of the BSA in 1934 when its program emphasizing camping and using the theme of the American Indian legend was approved. Later in 1948 the independent Order of the Arrow was merged into the BSA and its operations run by the National Council. This year's conference features about 7,000 members, referred to as Arrowmen and the activities include classroom experiences, competition of dance, singing and drumming groups and a variety of experiential events like scuba, kayaking and extreme sports. It's also a conference intended to honor those who lead the service society with several coveted awards like the Distinguished Service Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award as well as those who have helped the organization, but who are not members themselves (Red Arrow Award). This year's theme is "The Power of One" and was eloquently addressed by Del Loder, this year's recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, an award that has only been presented three times before. Loder, a 55-year member of the Scouting movement, was acquainted with the founder of the Order of the Arrow, E. Urner Goodman, and actually helped chair the committee that perfected several of the ceremonies handed down from its inceptions and made them acceptable to the BSA and sponsoring religious organizations. This makes his 27th appearance at a National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC) and it is certain that this may have been his most emotional. When the conference ends in another day or so, the thousands of members of the OA will depart for their respective troops or Venturing crews. Yet, there will be a better connection to this fraternity of cheerful service between Arrowmen and their lodges. There will be memories to last for a lifetime and a purposeful lifetime to make more memories. The Order of the Arrow has an will continue to set the highest standard for dedication to the principles of the Scout Oath and Law and will forge young men into the leaders of tomorrow.

White Noise

Just finishing a three-week run at Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carrè is the cautionary musical "White Noise." This is the first production to take advantage of tax credits that were created by the state legislature to lure first run shows here first before they bow on Broadway or take to the road. It is an important part of the response of the theatre community and its advocates to make New Orleans a vital center for national and regional theatre. It is appropriate this show is being held at Le Petit, since it is the oldest continuously operating community theatre in the nation. Yes, that's right. The nation. New Orleans has long been at the forefront of the arts and while it does take a back seat to New York and other major cities in the promotion of the arts, we do hold our own. As to "White Noise," it has the potential to be the next "Hair" or "Rent." It deals with the very tough subject material of racism and how we should respond to it. The cast was assembled in New York, went through three weeks of rehearsals there, journeyed down to the Crescent City, had one additional week of preparation and then opened their doors almost three weeks ago. The reviews have been largely positive and the performances of this very young cast have been spectacular. I have seen it twice. The first time I was so pulled into the show that I was not able to absorb many of the intricacies of the book and the impressive score that is both riveting and fresh. The basic plotline involves a pair of beautiful blonde sisters, Eva and Kady Siller (played respectively by MacKenzie Mauzy and Patti Murin), who respond to their father's suicide by becoming members of a band with a message of hate against all those they hold responsible for his death. They team up with a menacing skinhead named Duke (Patrick Murney), who makes no bones about wanting to espouse his racist lyrics to rally like-minded racists. The group's name is an obvious metaphor, but it isn't until they are "discovered" by successful producer Rick Kent (Brandon Williams) that their message is coded and made more mainstream. Along the way Kent's protégé, Kurt, a talented musical genius repulsed by their message, is convinced to become a member of the group in order to make their message more tolerable to the masses. In short order a song decrying black people is re-titled "Monday's Suck" (as Kent explains to Kurt: "Everybody hates Mondays!") A popular rap group - Blood Brothers - is also used in juxtaposition to show their similar hateful "N.G.S" in which their profane laced lyrics profess a need to shoot whites. Their opening number for Act II, "Hip Hop Country" is a choreographic masterpiece with lyrics and music that steal the show. The music and lyrics by brothers Robert and Steven Morris, Joe Drymala and Joe Shane make the show even more compelling than the masterful book by young writer Matte O'Brien. O'Brien bravely professed in a talkback session last Tuesday night to the audience that some of the writing came from experiences he had as a young gay male. The homophobic hate he has seen could easily be translated into anti-Semitism and other racist thinking. The love story between Kurt and Kady is worthy of mention in that it shows the dichotomy of their feelings for each other and their disconnect with regard to Eva and Duke's message of hate. Despite enormous success, the characters spin out of control until tragic events rip the two groups apart. This is a show that Broadway should take to like a duck to water. Its message is raw and the language is frank, but the production has the potential to take the theatre district by storm. The production is due to open in a legitimate Broadway theatre in late fall or early 2010 and I predict we will hear more from them on what might then be the Great "White Noise" Way.