Moving Quotes Blog From Tumblr to Wordpress

About a couple of years ago, I started using a Tumblr page to post quotes I found interesting and it has been useful.  However, because I want to reference certain quotes sometimes, I search for them, but they don't turn up.  That's really unfortunate :(
So, I just created a Wordpress site today for them and will be moving the quotes on over there.

What Does Qualitative Data Look Like? and Other Issues with this Much-Needed Genre of Data for [Jewish] Non-Profits

Yes, I've got a lot to say on this matter, so here is a table of contents: I. Introduction, II. Qualitative Data vs. Quantitative Data, III.  [Some] Types of Qualitative Data, IV.  [Some] Problems with Collecting Qualitative Data, V.  Moving Forward

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I. Introduction
       Before the school year began, I had some time to put down some of my thoughts regarding a sadly much-overlooked piece in the Jewish (perhaps the non-profit world more broadly?) world: "Qualitative Metrics for the Jewish Community?" (which I was then able to get re-posted at eJewish Philanthropy the following week).  My main point I tried pushing in that post is that we should not be as "concerned with how many people show up as a marker of programmatic success" than "with how the program actually went and its impact upon the participants/attendees."  Granted, coming from me, that's not surprising since my view on matters is to be concerned more about quality than quantity, but this view should not be exclusive to me within the Jewish world (and, perhaps, the non-profit world more generally).
     Having posted it, I received a variety of feedback, some not sure what to do with it (okay, largely the organizations I mentioned, who thought I was criticizing them), but also many who thanked me for opening up this conversation and that they had been wondering about this matter, as well.  My goal, as I stated in the original post was "to push the conversation not only toward thinking about the importance and need of qualitative data amongst participants of Jewish communal programs, but also to see if we can develop methods of such data collection as well as to be able to get it into the minds of funders that a program's impact is more than just number of feet who walk into a program."
      As I mentioned in the follow-up post, I was glad that I felt I achieved the goal of people discussing qualitative data and its importance rather than an almost exclusive focus on quantitative data (I was super happy with the response by Renée Rubin Ross and Matthew Grossman (especially since they start off with "Drew Kaplan is right"), wherein they acknowledge "Funders and organizations offering Jewish experiences must pay attention to qualitative assessment. While it is challenging to measure the effects that unique Jewish experiences have on the lives of individuals, thanks to partnerships between funders and Jewish educational organizations, new approaches are emerging to do just that."  Fortunately, it seems that the Jim Joseph Foundation gets it and is really working toward integrating quantitative data in their considerations of developing young Jewish people), however I don't know or think there was much further discussion of the matter (let alone philanthropically-minded folks changing their orientation from quantitatively-focused to also considering (or mostly considering) qualitative matters.  Part of that is my fault for not having continued posting on the matter and continuing to keep it on people's minds.
     I also mentioned in that follow-up post that my ideas had been further shaped/advanced through being in dialogue with people about this topic and that was tremendously delightful.  I wrote down notes in August about writing further about this matter and never seemed to grab the time to do so.  Now that the school year is winding down, I am grabbing some time now to write about this once again.

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II.  Qualitative Data vs. Quantitative Data

     Although people may be quite familiar with quantitative data, that is numbers that inform about the amount of something; although in this case of the non-profit Jewish world, I mean how a measurement of how many people are participating in something: it could be an event, it could be a variety of events, etc.  It seems that the Jewish world is largely concerned with the numbers of feet that make it through the door at a given event or over the course of a given time-span.  While this can indicate marketing/promotional success, it does not indicate how successful the program they are attending is.  While it can indicate how good previous programs/events produced by that organization/group are, they don't bear directly on this particular program.  Yes, it's further true that attendance can indicate how excellently-targeted this particular demographic is and the type of program is, it may also be about the timing and location (vice versa for low attendance).
      But what about the program, itself?  How does one measure this?  Also, which type of program is it?  For example, if it's a shabbat dinner, we may measure one type of qualitative element; if it's a Jewish textual learning experience, it's another; and if it's a leadership-development program, perhaps it's another.  Perhaps we have different expectations of what we want to measure: are we measuring short-term effects, medium-term effects, or long-term effects?

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III.  [Some] Types of Qualitative Data
      In August, through the discussions I was having with people, I realized that there are different types of qualitative data.  Here are some: specific quantified qualitative data, oblique quantified data about participation in event or practice, binary quantified qualititative data of beliefs or activities, and vignettes/stories as non-quantitative data.
      Here is what I mean about that linguistic gobbledy-gook above (perhaps they're neologistic terminology...): specific quantified qualitative data - if you can pardon the seeming paradoxical element - is measuring how good the event was or how much a given person (or certain ones or all of them) enjoyed or developed due to the event.  This can be measured on a particular numerical scale (1-5, 1-10, 1-100, etc.) and crunching that data.
      Oblique quantified data about participating in event or practice is measuring how many people are now doing some particular practice; this can include (but in now way limited to) lighting shabbat candles, observing shabbat, marrying a Jew/Jewess, or giving tzedakah.  This isn't so much qualitative, per se, exactly, but can reflect how impactful a particular activity/event/experience was.
      Binary quantified qualitative data is similar to the above, (and, frankly, I don't remember what I meant when I wrote this down 9 months ago...).
      Vignettes/stories as non-quantitative data is interesting in that it's not numerical data, but rather can be sharing a story about someone who's life was greatly effected/enhanced/ameliorated by the participation in the event/program/etc.

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IV.  [Some] Problems with Collecting Qualitative Data
      As I mentioned in August, that

even if there is a way to measure it, when and how ought we go about doing it?  Is it simply an entry survey and an exit survey to see if their leadership skills or Jewish identity has increased?  If so, is it a binary measurement of yes/no or is it more complex, even something as seemingly simple as measuring it on a scale of 1-10.  Let's say you try this and you are able to get information such as "There was a 56% increase in Jewish identity from this event", what does that mean?  Furthermore, how does that translate?  
But the biggest question mark is that this work generally is actually development work (no, not fundraising), such that we are seeing how we can provide these ideas, activities, etc. to develop in these [young (although not necessarily so)] people.  Thus, even if they can tell us how they were affected, impacted, or helped through such programming immediately afterwards, what about six months down the road?  One year later?  What about 5, 10, 15 years later?

There are certainly issues with not only the data that result through the arbitrary self-reporting of those attending at the moment, but also how is the data collected weeks, months, or years later?  How many of those who attended will respond?  How much can the attendees attribute their growth (or, perhaps, lack of it) to that particular program (especially years later)?  
    But this is only just the beginning of the problem: do the staff members of those groups/organizations spend the time and resources on gathering and going back and continually gathering this information?  That could be time and labor-intensive.  What about hiring outside evaluators, which will be also money-intensive?  And how will those evaluators be able to stick to that group and how will they be remunerated for those programs?  Also, can we say 10-15 years later: that particular program was great, but that other one wasn't based on longitudinal study?  Even if longitudinal studies are launched for the Jewish community, how sustainable are they?  Lastly, are funders able/willing to wait a few years to hear about their investment in the development of these [young (but not necessarily)] Jews?  I would imagine they not only want [more] immediate results, but also immediate data.  For those working with young Jews, whether in their teens, college years (or emerging adulthood), or 20s-30s, we know that their development doesn't just happen at a shabbat dinner; it takes time.  

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V.  Moving Forward
     My vision is two-fold: the first of which is further discussion of not only the need and desirability (usefulness, even?) of qualitative data, but also the collection of it and publication of it.  The second is for donors to have a greater desiring of qualitative data over simply quantitative data.  Fortunately, since August when I first wrote about this topic, I have been happy to see Andrés Spokoiny writing about this need in various writings of his, whether in The Jewish Week, The Jewish Journal, or eJewish Philanthropy.  He is well-situated as not only a Jewish communal professional, but also someone who has access and influence to donors to encourage them to consider qualitative data.  For a couple of his examples, he wrote in eJewish Philanthropy that "Good measures are those that measure impact, especially long-term impact. Granted, this can be hard and expensive to measure. But measuring the wrong things is not the solution. Investing in capacity to allow organizations to measure themselves is critical for high-performing philanthropy."  He also wrote that

The tendency is to measure what we can (objective metrics), instead of what we should. For example, while this country was founded based on the concept that we all have the right to the “pursuit of happiness”, this is not anything we can objectively measure. We often need to be more creative and subjective in measuring impact. It is not only important how many kids attend Jewish camps, but also the quality of their experience.

  There is hope.

Increasing Expenditures for B'nai B'rith Youth Organization's Summer Programs, 2001-2010

BBYO's expenditures on summer programs greatly increased in the last decade

For some reason, I got distracted while looking up something about B'nai B'rith Youth Organization's summer programs and came across the National Center for Charitable Statistics website that has 990 forms available for viewing!  Anyways, it was fascinating to - just by reading the 990 forms - see how BBYO's spending on summer programs greatly changed upon its separation from erstwhile parent organization, B'nai B'rith International.  Since I only had access on the aforementioned website for 990 forms from 2001-2010, I can only knowledgeably discuss those years.

Excerpt from BBYO's 2001 990 form

    In 2001, B'nai B'rith Youth Organization (BBYO) spent $46,312 on summer programs, although it stated that "the organization began efforts toward assuming responsibility for various summer programs, formerly program areas of B'nai B'rith International", letting us know that things are about to change dramatically.

     In 2002, BBYO's spending jumped to $1.8mil and, in 2003, it further went up to $2.3mil, continuing on up to $2.5mil in 2004.   In 2004, BBYO stated that "B'nai B'rith Youth Organization has assumed responsibility for various summer programs of B'nai B'rith International", indicating that they had figured out the transition.   
     In 2005, the form stated that "B'nai B'rith Youth Organization  assumed responsibility for various summer programs, formerly of B'nai B'rith International" and the amount spent jumped up to over $4mil, where it also was in 2006.  In 2007, it went up over $5mil, and was close to $5mil in 2008.
    In 2009, another jump was in-store, as the spending went up to over $8.6mil.     Finally, in 2010, it hit the eight-figure mark with over $11mil in spending.  Interestingly, it finally dropped any mention of former B'nai B'rith International programs.

From BBYO's 2010 990 form

      Although the most obvious reason for the great increase in spending is that B'nai B'rith International was no longer the aegis under which the money was spent for summer programs, there are other factors, as well.  One of which was going from the stable the of summer programs from simply being International Convention, International Kallah, International Leadership Training Conference, and the various Chapter Leadership Training Conference sessions to expanding to include various service-learning trips as well as other travelling trips, no longer held exclusively on BBYO/BBI properties.

A Central Existential Fear

Occasionally, I will hear people speaking about finding one's purpose in life of something along the lines of doing what's meaningful in one's life.  For me, I discovered in rabbinical school, my life's passion (at least for a number of years now). However, the problem I realized then was that of time.
     My passion is generating written material, whether that is blog posts or, ideally, academic-style articles on rabbinic literature.  While I am also interested in Biblical literature and later Jewish writings, as well, it is rabbinic literature that has captured my fancy.     However, I recognized in rabbinical school that my time was limited and that I needed to get to work researching and writing on these topics.  What I knew would be an impediment to pursuing this special, meaningful passion of mine would be not only once I got out, that I wouldn't be in the same atmosphere of rabbinical school and mindset to be dealing with such "academic"/intellectual concerns and, instead, be dealing with whichever job it was that I would have.  The other issue that I was concerned about was the softening of my intellect.  I knew that in one's 20s and even still into one's 30s, one's mind is at its sharpest and begins to soften.  I figured I needed to get out my sharp perceptions on rabbinic literature and other writing while I am still young and able to bring a sharp mind to approaching the texts with which I wanted to deal.  Moreover, I wanted to lay down foundations for potential further articles that could build off of what I had written previously.     Well, this got exacerbated once I got married.  Although I published three articles before I got married, I still haven't published any.  What I didn't know then was that having a kid would make it more difficult to have the time to do so.  Once I had my first child, whoa, that changed my time!  But then after my second, I realized all the potential free time I could have had.  However, having the second child helped me realize that my time is very limited.  One thing that it forced me to do was knowing that if I wanted to go to the gym, I had to make sure I did it and not wait around to see if I had the time to do so.  I have also, in the two years since I have had a second child, been working on researching and writing other pieces.  Although I am further ambitious to research and write even more articles, I am also realistic that I may not get as many done as I would like.
     Although I have tried to keep up my mentality of trying to work on my writing and keeping my mind sharp, I wonder if this has taken some enjoyment away from living my life and just enjoying it as opposed to having thoughts on my mind about research and writing interests or even worrying about spending time with my children taking time away from my researching and writing pursuits. While I will acknowledge that I have not yet reached a healthy and comfortable sense of my personal balance, I know that I am doing the right thing to be there with my children and that I just need to figure out the right times to work on these intellectual pursuits.
     So, while I know that my passion and a great sense of meaning is being achieved when I endeavor to help others better understand our Jewish tradition with its Biblical and Rabbinic foundations, I also know that I should enjoy my youth and good health and be very involved in the raising of my children.

Can Disney Create a Star Wars Theme Park?

Last year, when I wrote about the desire (at least mine, but I imagine it's widely shared) for a Star Wars theme park, I was hopelessly optimistic about the creation of such a fantastic place.  However, why would Star Wars decide to venture out and do such a thing when they wouldn't even create episodes 7-9?
     When I first heard about the purchase by Disney in October (see, for instance, this recent BusinessWeek article), I was shocked, but was certainly happy when I heard that episode 7 would be coming out in a few years :)  Nevertheless, I didn't imagine the possibility of a Disney Star Wars theme park at the time.  However, between the resources, capability and experience that Disney brings to the table with their theme parks and the immense draw and interest that Star Wars has for fans of all ages, it only makes sense that this wonderful idea could become a reality.
     Slashfilm broke the story yesterday that it seems even Disney is considering making it a reality.  Now, many websites are making mention of it, such as Slashgear, MovieFone, Mashable and more, so with all of this buzz, I can't wait for Disney to start making this dream come true!

Textually-Speaking: Why I Am So Into Using Texts

Although it may seem obvious that someone who is ordained as a rabbi and serves as a rabbi would be really into text study, since studying texts is the bread-and-butter for becoming a rabbi as well as the area of expertise for rabbis.  However, I have been surprised in my three-plus years of serving as a rabbi that I am quite text-heavy (apparently compared to others?).  (Although we can speak of a variety of media of texts, for the purposes of this post, I am referring to written and printed texts.)
When it comes to leading any classes or learning with people, my preferred style is "text-based discussion" whereby texts from the Jewish tradition are front-and-center and informing our conversation.  Although I happen to lean heavily on Talmudic texts, primarily since they are foundational (I also particularly happen to enjoy studying them), I do use other texts, as well.  Although one thing I have had to learn in my current position is that most Jews do not particularly enjoy going through texts of heritage, there are still those that actually do, and, amongst some of those, like going more in-depth.  Fortunately, I am still able to ply my trade with these Jews :)

Anyways, I have gotten a sense that there are those that don't use texts so heavily and prefer to simply speak about Judaism and about a variety of Jewish topics.  While I may avoid that method because I don't trust my memory as well as others may, I actually avoid it for two primary reasons.  The first reason is that by placing out a visual text that all may see, we have equal access to the text.  We can unlock that text together - it is all of our shared heritage - and I see my role as being the one who can furnish the text and provide a space for a conversation to take place around it.  One thing that this method does is allow the participants to engage with the texts in an intimate way and really wrestle with it, as opposed to hearing a [potentially] one-dimensional view of the text out of a rabbi's mouth.  Another thing that this does is actually selfish on my behalf: it allows me to show some neat textual approaches.
The second reason is that I don't like when other rabbis say that "Judaism takes a ____ approach to ___" or "the Jewish view on _____ is ____" because it makes it so simplistic, when, in truth, many topics are actually quite complicated.  By having texts in the discussion, it offers the audience an opportunity to participate in grappling with the texts and having a greater sense of personal ownership to them.  Moreover, I actually dislike it when other rabbis say that because I either don't like what they're saying, that they are lacking important nuance (making them kind of wrong), or that they are straight-up incorrect.  So, I am avoiding a method I dislike.  Another thing that avoiding this approach accomplishes is that if I say "The Jewish approach/view to _____ is ____", I may end up sounding somewhat flippant, but worse, it would be common for people to pipe up, "But, I thought Judaism says _____ about ____?"  I would then say, "Yes, but..." and a weird conversation would ensue.  Basically, it cuts out that uncomfortable conversation and allows them to see the complexity of the issue (and, of course, perhaps my view of the topic).
For those two primary reasons, I like to share the texts and, apparently, am considered pretty textual(?).

The Image of God Problem for Same-Sex Couples II: Chief Rabbi of France Agrees With Me

Last week, while using the elliptical machine, I read Rabbi Gilles Bernheim's essay that was translated as "Homosexual Marriage, Parenting, and Adoption" for First Things.  It was a fascinating essay, for sure.  It is really interesting.
Anyways, I am bringing it up here because he actually echoes a thought of mine about which I wrote in June that Genesis 1:27 describes the Image of God to be Male and Female.  Rabbi Bernheim writes not so dissimilarly from my thoughts that "It is significant that, in the Bible, sexual difference is mentioned just after the affirmation of the fact that man is in the image of G-d. This means that sexual difference is embedded in this image and thus blessed by G-d."  He also writes

The biblical account grounds sexual difference in the act of creation. The polarity of masculine–feminine pervades all that exists, from clay to G-d. It is part of what is given primordially and what guides the respective vocations—the being and the agency—of man and woman. The duality of the sexes is part of the anthropological constitution of humanity.

Thus, every person is brought sooner or later to recognize that he possesses only one of the two fundamental versions of humanity and that the other will remain forever inaccessible. Sexual difference is thus a mark of our finitude. I am not the whole of humanity. A sexed being is not the totality of the species; it needs a being of the other sex to produce its likeness.

Although I am glad to have my ideas ratified by the Chief Rabbi of France, I am happier that he wrote them eloquently :)  Here are a couple further paragraphs from the piece about this topic:

Genesis finds the similarity of the human being with G-d only in the association of the man and the woman and not in each one taken separately. This suggests that the definition of a human being is perceptible only in the conjunction of the two sexes. Because of his sexual identity, each person is referred beyond himself. From the moment a person becomes conscious of his sexual identity, he is thus confronted with a kind of transcendence. The person is required to think beyond himself and to acknowledge the independent existence of an inaccessible other—that is, of one who is essentially related to himself and desirable yet never wholly comprehensible.

The experience of sexual difference thus becomes the model for all experiences of transcendence; it designates an indissoluble relation with an absolutely inaccessible reality. On this basis we can understand why the Bible so readily uses the relation between man and woman as a metaphor for the relation between G-d and man: not because G-d is masculine and man is feminine but because it is man’s sexual duality that most clearly manifests an unsurpassable otherness within the closest relation.

Intending What You Mean To Say and Not Just Direction: כוונה (Kavanah) and כוונת הלב (Kavanat haLev)

People all too often confuse kavanah with kavanat halev

All too often, I hear people saying it is good to have כוונה (kavanah).  What they mean to say is it is good to have intention.  They get this sense from rabbinic literature.  However, when the rabbis of the Talmud speak about כוונה, they mean direction.  
If one wants to say intention, one would say כוונת הלב (kavvanat halev), which means mental direction.  An easier way of saying that is intention.  
Thus, when people say kavanah is a good thing, they are actually saying having direction is good, which is true, but not what one is trying to impart.  They should really be saying one should have kavanat halev.
 

Snacking on Bread

Growing up, a not uncommon snack of mine - especially in the afternoon - would be to snag a piece of bread from the kitchen counter.  Although looking back, it clearly was not the healthiest of snacks, it seemed like a pretty snack-worthy item. 
    Imagine my surprise when I started observing more Jewish activities, including saying blessings regarding food, especially insofar as it pertains to bread.  With many foods, such as meat, chicken, fish, cheese, and most drinks, one says a one-line blessing prior to partaking of them and a one-line blessing following them.  For baked goods, one says a one-line blessing prior to partaking them, and a paragraph or two blessing following them.  
      However, for bread, although a one-line blessing is said, one is not only supposed to wash one's hands prior to partaking of it, but supposed to say a four-paragraph blessing following it!  It struck me as strange that one would have to go through all of that blessing for a snack!  However, for the Talmudic rabbis, upon which Jewish law is based, bread was a central component of one's meal and other things, such as meat and cheese, were ancillary.  
     It is an interesting deterrent for me (when my health-minded will power breaks down and I consider snacking on some bread lying around) for me nowadays and not have bread simply because it is a lot of blessing to say for a snack!

"Marriage Equality"? "Marital Equality"?

Marriage Equality: Are men and women equal in marriage?

Whenever I hear the term "Marriage Equality" or the term "Marital Equality", I think that it pretty plainly means having equality in marriage.  Raising the term in conversation seems to be about how equal is the husband to the wife in the marital relationship?  
     Of course, with last week's inaugural address by President Obama, that's not how it seems to be used in popular discourse.  It sounds strange to me for people to be using it that way (and, no, this is not a discursive attack on our president).  If for no other reason, marriage can be entered into by any man and woman.  But, then, that would be "Equal Access to Marriage" and not "Marital Equality".  
     Anyways, although I've been married for over five years and am good with it, I wonder what types of thoughts pop into other married people's minds about equality in marriage.  Granted, not only is everybody different, but the way (and even how far into the marriage) that people relate to each other within their own marriages matter.  Nevertheless, I wonder how often people think about or strive for "equality" within their marriages or they are fine with their status quo.