Some Parting Reflections

I've really enjoyed reading this blog. It has made me stop and think about various topics, and since it was written from a Jewish perspective it made me think about those topics in a different light (I'm a Gentile). I will miss it dearly.

Fortunately the real authors of the real Talmud had this tenacity thing. Anybody know where it is?

And with the huge growth in the numbers of the ultra-Orthodox, even more people will study the real Talmud.

I loved the diversity of beliefnet and I subscribed to Virtual Talmud for that very reason. I am sorry to see the diversity being whitewashed, perhaps my Mohawkness will be less unique and more odd now.

I am sad. asakwa

I join with the others who have expressed their disappointment, and their hope that this blog will continue at a new location.

Sorry to see you go. I only just began reading your blog, and was finding it interesting. Unlike many things, the internet poses "unique" challenges for dialogue and discourse, and lack of participation is just one of them.

Sometimes you have to "push" everyone's "hot button" to get them to respond, and sometimes it only takes a warm invitation or a vibrant discussion. Sometimes you have to take a stand, and sometimes cut and run. Apparently your editors prefer the latter, and if their good reason (usually economic) was not countered by some good reasoning on your own part, then I can see that it is economics that "shall set you free", which it did.

I personally think that you're one of the most interesting sections of this online post, and will miss you here.

Mitchell

The Virtual Talmud is being terminated almost without notice. Who decided (and how) that "that this particular experiment in blogging as a forum for creating wide-ranging discussion on topics of interest to contemporary Jews has run its course"? As far as I am concerned, this is not true. I do not alway agree with what the rabbis had to say. But what they had to say was always of interest to me. Are other, non-Jewish blogs also being terminated or is the Jewish audience too small and inconsequential to Beliefnet?

Will miss this blog terribly. Won't miss Dave though.

Even tho I am not Jewish (anyway not to my knowledge) I have enjoyed reading all the comments. Gail

Sorry to see you go. Hope you can re-open in another venue.

I so so very much wish that this blog could continue.

Everyone who benefited from it did not respond in ways that can be quantified. Some activly participated by merely reading and reflecting.

Can we not continue, allowing space for reflection, and speaking out when struck with burning questions or inspired questions (or smackdowns)?

Please. At least consider. Please.

In parting, thank you ever so much!

I am sorry to see that this is leaving, as I just found it recently. The format and the (few) discussions I have looked at were quite interesting and informative.

All things come to an end, but there are other similar (not the same, but in the same spirit) online discussions, most notably, for me, Eilu V'Eilu on the Union for Reform Judaism website:

www.urj.org/torah/ten/eilu/

Best to all,

Karen

I am very sorry to see the end of this "experiment". This discussion has frequently been spirited, thoughtful and interesting, and has led me to many new ideas and new ways of looking at topics that i thought i "had nailed down". i think it's been wonderful to see the sometimes surprising points of view expressed by the rabbis of different traditions, in contrast to the opinions that we, the audience, coming from our own biases, might impose on those outside our perceived perspective. all three participants have provided thoughtful, intelligent contributions, and have maintained an admirable spirit of "Shalom Bayit".

Yasher Koach, and hoping that you may reconsider!

This is indeed sad news. I was hoping to see growth that would include exchange with our Rabbis in some of the discussions. Everyone here has been so gracious and candid - I will miss you all.
Blessings!
Cully

I guess people do not want to hear what Jewish people have to say. Hmmmm It must sound a little different from the other side of the fense. Oh Well, life goes on and we are left to keep our opinions to ourselves and not have a separate blog on a religious site. Doesn't make any sense to me. I guess somebody ticked somebody off somewhere. Go figure!

I am extremely diappointed that this blog is disappearing! I cannot understand why. I visit this blog several times a week and find the respectful interchange of differing ideas very enlightening, refreshing, and interesting. It's a mistake to end this column - it was probably my favorite place to come.

Perhaps if the rebbes were more like previous columnist Charlotte Hays, the column would continue on. I guess the rabbis were too respectful to draw as much attention? Do they need to be more like Hannity and Combs?

8-(

This is really incomprehensible. Isn't the Virtual Talmud blog exactly the sort of thing that Beliefnet is supposed to be about?

Thank you for being there for that ray of sunshine in this sometimes very dreary world. You have always stimulated my thoughts and let me feel connected. You will be missed. Thank you for your contribution to my life.

It is too bad to read that Virtual Talmud will be closing up shop. There are not enough thoughtful blogs out there.

If you are interested in continuing to blog, consider jspot.org. It has been relaunched as a community blog, open to all. Your voices would be most welcome there.

You do know that it's possible to simply move the whole blog, lock, stock and barrel to another host site?
If you are willing to continue the conversation, there is no reason you couldn't do it elsewhere.
And we would certainly be happy to have you on Jewschool. Contact me if you wish it.