First, it's Cinco de Mayo. I had no idea of the history of the day- it's fascinating. That also means it's the (secular) birthday of one of my devoted readers. Propriety forbids me from sending flowers again (or that just be the cheapo in me talking), so please accept my warmest wishes here.

It's also Pesach Sheni. Happy happy, all.

A recap of last night first; I hope to have a few rants later.

The YU Alumni Awards were last night, at the Center for Jewish History. Basically, the various undergraduate alumni associations give awards to alumni who've accomplished a lot. The closing speaker put it best: You worry you'll be bored at these things, but then you get an idea of what an incredible university this is, and how much it's contributed to the world. Not just from that year's awardees, impressive as they are, but looking over the list of past awardees...wow. It's inspiring, and especially so if you, too, are a product of YU.

Anyway, it was all nice. But there was an interesting dynamic- one of the awards went to R. Kenny Brander of Boca Raton, and another to Toby Weiss, wife of R. Avi Weiss, who was alumni director herself once. Naturally, her husband was there (I think he got an award once too). Maurice Lamm got an award too, and his brother Norman accepted it on his behalf. And Richard Joel was there, of course.

Now, not too long ago, Avi Weiss' new yeshiva made the news when Howard Jonas blasted YU as "gutless, spineless, brainless, and mindless" at the yeshiva's dinner. (Someone even wondered if Jonas was there last night.) Brander was at the dinner, and wrote a letter condemning Jonas to the Forward. Norman Lamm's son wrote a letter provisionally condemning Weiss (pending Weiss' response, which hasn't come) to the Jewish Week. And here was everyone, getting along and happy. I guess that's a good thing. I must've missed it myself, but the person sitting next to me pointed out that Brander specifically talked of YU having a "spine" and "brain." Zing!

There's talk on Protocols of Brander being tapped to be the new dean of RIETS, but I wasn't able to ask him about that.

Anyway, a nice event all told. Now it's time to decompress. Anyway, I have unrelated things to post; just gotta check my notes.

Dear Protocols: My rabbi doesn't really deliver sermons. There, you may now link to me. Heh.

YU is giving an honorary degree to Hier. Oy. At least the other honorees deserve it.