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by Molly McCall
Fri, October 12, 2007, 1:00 am PDT

Aiming "simply to show the multiple facets of Muslims' lives," this collection of images ranges from soccer players in Pennsylvania to religious pilgrims in Syria. Young girls in Thailand beam for the camera, members of the "Allah Made Me Funny" comedy troupe mug for the snapshot, and a traveler in Argentina gives the universal symbol for "everything's cool": the thumbs-up. With the ambition of "keeping ignorance away," HijabMan, the site's creator, presents colorful images of Muslims in workaday settings, surrounded by family and friends, enjoying their lives. Whether that means communing with a camel or watching the Super Bowl depends only on your access to desert creatures and whether or not you like the NFL.

One last note: As of this moment, A-Muslim-A-Day has slipped from its "a day" schedule. In fact, HijabMan hasn't added to the page since July. We hope this review adds to the comments coaxing HijabMan back into action!

Filed under: Photography, Religion, Portraits

by Karen Sulkis
Thu, October 04, 2007, 1:00 am PDT

For Jews who like to rock—or just enjoy ethnic parlor games—thank Moshiach for Jewsrock.org. The brainchild of Atlantic writer Jeffrey Goldberg, XM radio executive Allen Goldberg (unrelated, as far as they know), and Washington Post style reporter David Segal, the site is a celebration of Semitic contributions to American rock 'n' roll. But don't let the lolling tongue of Gene Simmons (aka Chaim Witz) scare you. Jewsrock.org isn't all Bar-Mitzvah Boy bluster and tales of groupie glory.

The site's comprehensive Challah Fame is an Aaronson to Zorn compendium of Jewish artists and groups, from the tenuously connected (Courtney Love?) to the wholeheartedly Hebraic (all of J. Geils Band, except J. Geils). It's great ammo for the next time your know-it-all cousin tries to tell you that half the Knack was Jewish. (Wrong! The whole band was—Sharona, too.) Or that Mama Cass choked to death on an unkosher sandwich. (Wrong! It was heart failure that killed Cass, not ham.)

With a Jewish-themed tattoo gallery, a Steely Dan d'var Torah, and close ties to an organization that helps sick children and their families, this site most definitely rocks.

by Molly McCall
Thu, June 21, 2007, 3:00 am PDT

Wanted: Buddha. 1,000 times. Photography site Lens Culture has put out a global call for images of the roly-poly, sacred figure. Already, the collections boasts images of the deity posing in a shop window in Amsterdam and sitting on a table in New York. He towers over a garden in Thailand; hides in a collection of garden clippings in Berkeley, CA; and casts his legendary profile against a cloudy Japanese sky. Here, he appears in a colorful poster in a Beijing market; there, he manifests in the dark lines tattooed on a man's forearm. Sometimes, he looks angry, like the "stern Buddha" captured by Edward Galligan in "a small Buddhist temple in the hills of Coxsackie, NY." One picture reveals the "world's largest seated outdoor Buddha" on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Lens Culture ventures that the project "may well generate good karma for everyone involved, viewers and contributors, alike." 1,000 times over.

Filed under: Photography, Religion, Sculpture

by Molly McCall
Tue, June 12, 2007, 8:00 am PDT

For years, the Reverend Brendan Powell Smith has labored at translating the great tales of the Good Book into pictorials told with LEGOs. In the beginning, his thought bubbles quoted from The New Jerusalem translation of the Bible. Now, because even the Lord must consider copyrights, they speak in a mix culled from public-domain versions. But always, his bearded religious characters have gestured, bellowed, and knelt with full biblical bravado (and bright Danish coloring).

We got in touch with the Reverend to find out how citizens of the Web have responded to his plastic parables, which biblical moment is hardest to depict in LEGO form, and what other sites he likes:

We know you get mail from all kinds of religious groups—and reactions run the gamut from requests to use the tales to anger. Has any of it surprised you?

Judging from the thousands of e-mails I've received, reactions do indeed run the gamut. But it should be noted that the positive reactions outnumber the negative by about 99-to-1, whether they're from devout ministers or hardcore atheists.  Read the full profile...

by Molly McCall
Wed, April 11, 2007, 3:00 am PDT

What happens when an "amateur" sits down with the Good Book? Last September, Slate's David Plotz decided to find out. A "proud" but "not very" observant Jew, David one day found himself engrossed in the tale of Dinah. What he read there was so starkly different than anything he'd ever known about the Bible, he determined to start at the sacred text's beginning and discover what else lay in wait. Since then, he has released a steady stream of thoughtful, provocative, and often very funny responses to the likes of Isaac ("the Harpo Marx of Genesis"), Joseph, and Moses. Read along as he examines why there are so many prostitutes in the Bible, uncovers whether or not the Proverbs is a "collection of great one-liners," and develops his theory on "why God needs Satan." Start with Genesis or just jump in wherever you like. Either way, you're guaranteed something smart and provocative.

Filed under: Religion, Blogs


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