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Shabbat-O-Gram

December 9, 2005 - Kislev 8, 5766

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, Temple Beth El, Stamford, Connecticut

Send your friends and relatives the gift of Jewish awareness -- a Shabbat-O-Gram each week, by signing them up at www.tbe.org. To be removed from this mailing list, sent e-mail request to office@tbe.org. If you have signed up and are not receiving our e-mails, check your spam filter to make sure that TBE is not being “spammed out.”

Contents of the Shabbat O Gram: (click to scroll down)

Just the Facts (service schedule)

The Rabid Rabbi

Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunities

Ask the Rabbi

Spiritual Journey on the Web

Required Reading and Action Items (links to key articles on Israel and Jewish life)

Announcements (goings on in and around TBE)

Joke for the Week

THIS WEEKEND’S TO-DO LIST (aside from regularly scheduled events)…

n Comedy Night on Sat night at 7:30

n Youth Service for and by teens at 11 on Shabbat

n Bar/Bat Mitzvah class lunch n’ learn after services on Shabbat

n Hot-Button Halacha on Sunday at 11 (church-state issues)

n TBE Israel Adventure informational meeting – Sunday at noon

n Hanukkah-shop in our gift shop on Sunday morning

n Shovel snow…

This week, I voted in the World Zionist Congress elections. Have you??? Rolling registration is continuing through 1/15, even as voting is now taking place. Register online HERE

THIS WEEK ONLY – The acclaimed Israeli film "Ushpizin" is playing at the Avon theater.

Our deepest sympathies to Rabbi Emily Korzenik on the passing of her husband, Sidney. May his memory be for a blessing. Memorial donations may be made to the New Israel Fund, the Reading Reform Foundation of New York or the UJA-Federation of New York.

Quotes for the Week

“It's a great shame that the Security Council couldn't speak to this terrorist attack in Netanya,

but if the Council won't speak, the United States will.”

—U.S. Ambassador John Bolton, blaming Algeria for quashing the statement condemning the suicide bombing in Netanya. The statement would have “unequivocally” condemned the blast, and urged Syria to shut down Islamic Jihad offices in Damascus. Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack. (Voice of America, Ha’aretz, Dec. 7)

JUST THE FACTS

Winter Weather Advisory

Note that in the case of bad weather, weekday minyan does not take place when Stamford public schools are cancelled OR postponed. On Sunday, minyan is cancelled if our Religious School sessions are cancelled. Friday evening and Shabbat morning’s main service is never officially cancelled, but do use your best judgment in deciding whether to come. We will endeavor to get proper notification to WSTC radio regarding cancellations, but that may not always be possible for children’s services held on Shabbat.

THIS SHABBAT MORNING – A TBE FIRST!!

A Shabbat morning service and lunch by teens and for teens!!!! In the youth lounge at 11 (you even get to sleep late!)

Minyan on Sunday mornings now begins at 9:30 AM.

Our ritual committee decided to abandon the 8:30 experiment. On the bright side, the Guaranteed Minyan experiment has worked wonderfully, using the Rosner Minyan Maker at www.tbe.org. If you want a Guaranteed Minyan on a day when you have yahrzeit, simply go to the site, click on the day and fill in your name, indicating that it is a Yahrzeit, then e-mail me at rabbi@tbe.org so I can alert the congregation. The last time we did it, we had 24 people turn out.

As things “quiet down” (only a little) in our Bar/Bat Mitzvah schedule, we will be having a couple of congregational lunches over the coming weeks, including December 24 and Feb 4. The one in Feb. will be a special JTS Shabbat when we will be welcoming a student from the Jewish Theological Seminary who will be speaking at services and joining us for the weekend. The one on Dec. 24 is, well, on Dec. 24 (Hanukkah Eve), and that’s always a nice time to relax over lunch. We are looking for SPONSORS for those lunches. For more information, contact the temple office.

Friday Evening

Candle lighting for Stamford, CT: Candle lighting: 4:08pm on Friday, 09 December 2005. For candle lighting times, other Jewish calendar information, and to download a Jewish calendar to your PDA, click on http://www.hebcal.com/. To see the festivals of other faiths as well, go to http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/

Family Friday Kabbalat Shabbat: 7:30 PM – in the sanctuary

Join us as we begin our preparations for Hanukkah! (note the 7:30 time on the second week of the month)

TOT SHABBAT WILL RETURN NEXT WEEK!

Shabbat Morning: 9:30 AM – Main service

MAZAL TOV TO, Alexander Aflalo, who becomes Bar Mitzvah this Shabbat morning!

Junior Congregation and Tot Shabbat Morning: 10:30

Special this Shabbat: 11:00: Teen service – BY teens, FOR teens (8^th grade and up) in the youth lounge. It will be followed by lunch.

A Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class lunch and learn will take place immediately after services

Torah Portion: Vayetze - Genesis 28:10 - 32:3 – the Jacob story continues

1: 30:14-16
2: 30:17-21
3: 30:22-27
4: 30:28-36
5: 30:37-43
6: 31:1-9
7: 31:10-16
maf: 31:14-16

Haftarah – Hosea 12:13 - 14:10

See a weekly commentary from the UJC Rabbinic Cabinet, at www.ujc.org/mekorchaim. Read the Masorti commentary at http://www.masorti.org/mason/torah/index.asp. University of Judaism, JTS commentary is at: http://learn.jtsa.edu/topics/parashah/. USCJ Torah Sparks can be found at http://uscj.org/item20_467.html. UAHC Shabbat Table Talk discussions are at http://uahc.org/torah/exodus.shtml. Other divrei Torah via the Torahnet home page: http://uahcweb.org/torahnet/. Test your Parasha I.Q.: http://www.ou.org/jewishiq/parsha/default.htm. CLAL’s Torah commentary archive: http://click.topica.com/maaaiRtaaRvQhbV2AtLb/. World Zionist Organization Education page, including Nehama Liebowitz archives of parsha commentaries: http://www.moreshet.net/web/index.asp?f=1 For a more Kabbalistic/Zionist/Orthodox perspective from Rav Kook, first Chief Rabbi of Israel, go to http://www.geocities.com/m_yericho/ravkook/index.html. For some probing questions and meditations on key verses of the portion, with a liberal kabbalistic bent, go to http://www.jewishealing.com/learning.html or, for Kabbalistic commentaries from the Zohar itself, go to http://www.kabbalah.com/k/index.php/p=zohar/weekly/intro. To see the weekly commentary from Hillel, geared to college students and others, go to http://www.hillel.org/hillel/NewHille.nsf/FCB8259CA861AE57852567D30043BA26/DF7D129F15B3DF0885256AB80058E9C3?OpenDocument. For a Jewish Renewal and feminist approach go to http://rabbishefagold.hypermart.net/Torah1.html . For a comprehensive Orthodox viewpoint from the Israeli rabbi, Yaakov Fogelman, go to the Torah Outreach Program at http://israelvisit.co.il/top/previous.shtml. Guided meditations for each portion by Judith Abrams at http://www.maqom.com/kavannah.pdfFor online Parsha quizzes from Pardes in Israel, go to http://www.pardes.org.il/online_learning/parsha_quizzes/ Torah for Kids: http://www.torah4kids.net/ Weekly Lesson of Popular Israeli Rabbi Mordechai Elon: http://www.elon.org/archives/archives.htm - and his parsha sheets: http://www.mibereshit.org/special/download_eng_pdf.htm From Bar Ilan University: http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/

THE ENTIRE HEBREW BIBLE (AS WELL AS OTHER JEWISH SOURCES) CAN BE FOUND WITH SIDE-BY-SIDE TRANSLATION AT

http://www.mechon-mamre.org/

Morning Minyan: Sundays at 9:30 AM (note new time!!!),

Weekdays at 7:30 AM – IN THE CHAPEL

TO ENSURE A “GUARANTEED MINYAN” FOR THE DAY OF YOUR YAHRZEIT – GO TO THE ROSNER MINYAN MAKER AT WWW.TBE.ORG AND ALSO CONTACT ME AT RABBI@TBE.ORG.

A guaranteed minyan has been requested for Thursday, Dec. 22 and Tuesday, Dec. 27.

If you can make it, go to www.tbe.org and click on the Rosner Minyan Maker to let us know.

The Rabid Rabbi

Missionary Groups on Campus

One of our TBE college students sent me this e-mail last week:

Hi Rabbi Hammerman-

I have having a debate with some friends, and we are disagreeing. Did the ancient Jews believe that Jesus was God's son? Or not?

That’s my question, thanks so much!

Here is my response, which I am sharing because I suspect she is not the only one of our students to confront these types of issues on campus, especially at this time of year. When we realize that the Southern Baptists have allocated more money for Jewish missionary work than all of American Jewry has allocated for Jewish education, we realize that the obstacles are formidable and serious.

Hi ___

Great to hear from you! Anyway, it's an important question. The earliest Christians were Jews, but by far most Jews refused to believe that Jesus was the Messiah (which really bothered Christian leaders, some to this day, which is why so much emphasis is being placed on converting Jews to Christianity).

But most of all, the teachings of ancient Judaism, including the Talmud, were very clear that Jesus was not the son of God. Judaism believes in a messiah, but that the messiah has not come yet. That is the main place where Judaism and Christianity differ. Those groups that try to convince Jews that it is possible to believe in Jesus and still be Jewish are trying to manipulate us into conversion. These missionary groups are very well funded and they are all over college campuses.

A real good website to check if you are looking to respond to what your friends are saying is http://www.outreachjudaism.org/

But also feel free to ask me any questions, any time. I’d be more than happy to help.

Happy Hanukkah!

Rabbi H

A Crossroads for the Red Cross

Last week I included in the Shabbat-O-Gram some information on the proposed change that would enable Israel’s version of the Red Cross, the Magen David Adom, to participate, at last, on the international stage with an agreed-upon and recognizable symbol. A recent article explains the situation:

“Israel's society will not operate under the cross or crescent. A request for recognition of its red Star of David was rejected in 1949 and Arab countries have since blocked attempts to find an alternative emblem. The new design - a red square standing on one corner, with a blank white interior and a thick red border - would be used by Israeli medics instead of the Star of David. Magen David Adom could place a red star in the center of the crystal for humanitarian missions at home, or abroad if a host country allowed it. The red cross symbol was first adopted in 1863, reverses the colors of the neutral Swiss flag, without any religious intent. But most Muslim countries refused to use it and the Ottoman empire used the red crescent instead to protect medical workers in the 1876 Russo-Turkish war.”

So last week Israel and the P.A. agreed on a formula that would enable Israeli and Palestinian paramedics to operate unmolested on either side of the Green Line in the West Bank. Now this week it has been approved, though not unanimously, by the International Red Cross. This week the hang-up was that Syria wanted a similar arrangement on the Golan Heights, but Israel long ago annexed the Heights and doesn’t consider them disputed territory (although has often stated a willingness to negotiate them away in a real peace treaty). It’s interesting how a symbol that was supposed to transcend political or religious differences has come to embody them. For more, see Red Cross approves new emblem (Ha’aretz)

Eye on the UN

But even as we hear some good news from Geneva, some bad news from the East Side. Herb Soroca has alerted me to a terrible injustice. Just as Israel is finally “on the map” at the Red Cross, it has been taken off the map, literally at the UN. See for yourself at http://www.eyeontheun.org/

Spielberg and “Munich” / Gibson and then Holocaust

Some articles on the next big controversy to hit the big screen – whether Steven Spielberg’s new movie about the 1972 Munich massacre and its aftermath does not reflect accurately the feelings of the Israeli participants who responded to this seminal terrorist act. You can find also read the Time Magazine Cover Story. I found the first selection below, the blog from Ha’aretz, to be especially illuminating.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/rosnerBlog.jhtml?itemNo=653593&contrassID=25&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=1&listSrc=Y&art=1

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408306/

http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/09/wmunich09.xml

http://www.laweekly.com/ink/06/02/deadline-finke.php

And after Spielberg’s movie is done, we read that Mel Gibson’s production company will be turning its attention to the Holocaust. It’s too early to know what the implications of this will be, but I know two things: 1) His father’s beliefs are irrelevant here (he’s a Holocaust denier) and 2) I have visions of Venessa Redgrave in the starring role, then jointly accepting the Oscar with Mel. To be continued…

OUR NEW ONLINE DISCUSSION FORUM IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Now you can use our website to talk about all my rabid rantings, all things TBE and all things Jewish! Just go to our website at www.tbe.org, log into the discussion forum and follow the simple directions. If you’ve started a discussion, let me know and I’ll inform the congregation. Naturally, all participants are expected to adhere to the rules of Internet etiquette and Jewish sensitivity of language.

Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Projects

MITZVAH MUSIC

I received this information about a fascinating Mitzvah project, and I share it not only because the music is good, but because it sets a wonderful example of what our own kids might consider doing….

Hi! I'm Ben Zauzmer. For my Bar Mitzvah project, I compiled a professional CD with many popular Jewish singers on it called "Mitzvah Music." These outstanding performers each graciously donated and gave me full permission to use one of their great songs: Debbie Friedman, Craig Taubman, Dan Nichols, Rick Recht, Cantor Bruce Benson, Rabbi Joe Black, Steve Dropkin, Kol B'seder, Julie Silver, Mah Tovu, Danny Maseng, Judy Caplan Ginsburgh, Mark Bloom, Matt Stamn, the Shabbatones, AND MORE!

The proceeds from the CD will go to Camp Dream Street, held at a URJ Camp and sponsored by NFTY. Kids with physical disabilities come here, free of charge, for a magical week of summer fun where they can just

be kids, away from hospitals and constant reminders of pain.

So far, generous people and congregations in over 30 states have bought hundreds of my CD’s to support Camp Dream Street!

A complete list of the 18 songs and other information about the CD can be found at www.mitzvahmusic.com, and the CD can be purchased at this website for $18, which includes shipping and taxes.

You can mail a check payable to Mitzvah Music, along with the order

form below, to 1880 Nicole Drive, Dresher, PA 19025.

Thank you very much for supporting my mitzvah project,

and I hope you enjoy this fabulous music!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: _____________ Address: _______________________________

Number of CD’s you wish to purchase: _____ Total amount included: ______

Telephone number: _____________ E-mail address: _________________

Comments: ________________________________________________

The Highest Level of Tzedakkah

A congregant who has been doing some home-based franchising wanted to share her ideas with those from the congregation who might be looking for a Plan B – it’s especially for someone finding it difficult making headway in the corporate world right now. I agreed to give it a shot. Here is Dara’s blurb:

Start 2006 owning your own online franchise and partner with such marqee name retailers like Nordstrom, Sony, Disney and Target! This at home business features cutting edge goods and services (like VOIP and customized supplements based on your genetic profile) and can be started part time to fit into anyone's lifestyle. With many 401Ks and pensions sadly a reality of the past, there has never been a more compelling time to work for oneself, especially with a proven business model that is a residual, willable asset. Call or e-mail Dara Tyson at 203-249-3844 or dara@daratyson.com for more info.

BETH EL CARES

BACK FOR 2006 - BLOOD DRIVE - APRIL 30^th 8:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Anyone interested in participating on the committee please contact Cheryl Wolff at 968-6361.

Spiritual Journey on the Web

A Jewish Reading List for the Holidays

Looking for gifts to give over the holidays? Looking for something to read on the beach, on the boat or off the slopes? (First of all, why didn’t you invite me along?) Here are some of the best annotated Jewish reading lists to be found online.

Go to the Union of Reform Judaism's Item Browser for an excellent, comprehensive list. Among the books suggested, here are some that I also recommend:

Of course the guy who wrote the book on Jewish literacy, literally, is Joseph Telushkin. He will be our scholar in residence on the weekend of March 3-5. SAVE THE DATE!

ASK THE RABBI

What is the Sigad?

Thousands of Ethiopians celebrate Sigad holiday

Thanks to Joe Heyison for calling this article to my attention – from Ha’aretz of last Friday.

Thousands of Ethiopian immigrants gathered yesterday along the Sherover-Haas Promenade overlooking Jerusalem's Old City to celebrate Sigad - the Ethiopian Jewish holiday that for 2,500 years in exile marked the yearning for Zion.

Sigad, held on the 29th day of the Jewish month of Heshvan, commemorates the renewal of the covenant between the people of Israel and the Almighty, when Ezra and Nehemiah read out the Torah to the exiles who returned to Jerusalem.

In the Diaspora, Ethiopian Jews would prepare food and drink in advance, and, while fasting, gather in the morning to ascend en masse to the top of a mountain. Their religious leaders, the kesim, would lead the community, carrying Torah scrolls.

The kesim would read Torah chapters in the ancient Gez language, translated into Amharic, and deliver sermons in which they exhorted the people to be loyal to the Torah, observe the commandments and pray to be found worthy of returning to Zion. The immigrants who gather annually on Jerusalem's Armon Hanatziv ridge repeat the same sermons and Torah chapters. In the afternoon, the community descends from the mountain singing and dancing, returns the Torah scroll to the Ark and breaks its fast with a festive meal.

Ethiopian Jews in Israel still celebrate Sigad despite having fulfilled their dream of reaching Zion. Every year, crowds come to the grove near Armon Hanatziv, which overlooks the Old City and the Western Wall plaza, and listen to the prayers and sermons of their kesim.

In recent years Sigad has received the status of a national event, organized by the government's Committee for Ceremonies and Symbols. The Immigrant Absorption Ministry sent 70 buses to provide transportation from towns with sizable Ethiopian communities. These buses weren't always enough, so others organized and chartered buses at a cost of NIS 15 per person.

Immigrant Absorption Minister Tzipi Livni represented the government. "It is amazing that after the long journey you made from Ethiopia to Jerusalem, you did not leave behind this glorious tradition," she said.

Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger also addressed the crowd, pledging to work to abolish the system under which Ethiopians wishing to wed must come to Tel Aviv to open a marriage file.

The kesim called on their congregations to strive to strengthen relations between Ethiopian immigrants and veteran Israelis. Underscoring the phenomenon of murders within Ethiopian families, they warned against self-destruction as a community, and asked each individual to work toward rehabilitating himself and his family.

The director general of the President's Residence welcomed celebrants on behalf of President Moshe Katsav, who did not attend, and urged the immigrants to uphold their traditions and make sure the next generation learns about its culture and heritage.

AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING WILL BE HELD THIS SUNDAY AT NOON FOR OUR

2006 Israel Family Adventure

Keshet: The Center for Educational Tourism in Israel

PO Box 8540 Jerusalem 91084

Telephone: (972) 2 6451865 Fax: (972) 2 6452670

E-mail: keshet@keshetisrael.co.il www.keshetisrael.co.il

Israel Family Adventure

Led by Rabbi Joshua and Mara Hammerman

July 24-August 6, 2006

This unforgettable journey will have something for everyone:

· Bar/Bat Mitzvah affirmation service and celebration

· Kibbutz Experience in the North

· Bedouin experience in the Negev

· Exploring Tel Aviv and the mystical city of Safed

· Visit to our sister city of Afula

· Visit to an army base

· Exploring the Golan and Kayaking on the Jordan

· Archeological dig in the Judean Hills

· Relax at a five-star Mediterranean Spa

· Guest speakers, including Dr. Michael Oren, author of Six Days of War.

· Meaningful encounters with Israelis from a wide variety of backgrounds

Western Wall Tunnels
Full children’s program with youth counselor
A glorious Shabbat in Jerusalem

Cost: $3865 per person

Single Supplement: $765

Third Adult Reduction: $173

Child as 3^rd in a room Reduction: $732

Family Quad Discount for family of 4 sharing one room at the Daniel and Inbal Hotels: -$880

“Land Only” Deduct $1274

Package Price Includes:

· Roundtrip Airfare from JFK on El AL

· Airport taxes

· Full time Tour Educator

· Full time Youth Counselor

· Security Escort

· All breakfasts plus 11 additional meals

· Customized Sourcebook

· Keshet Hat, T-shirt and bencher

· Keshet Luggage Tags

· Keshet Map of Israel

· Insulated Water Carrier

· Gourmet Dinner in Zefat

· “Dig for a Day” Program

· Gratuity for Driver

· Gratuity for Guide

· Porterage at available hotels.

Price DOES NOT Include:

· Medical coverage

· Personal Expenses

· Gratuity for youth counselor

· Gratuity for security escort

· Airline Fuel Surcharges

Download the interactive itinerary and registration form, now, at http://www.tbe.org/site/sog/TBEIsraelAdventure06.htm

and contact Rabbi Hammerman (rabbi@tbe.org) with any questions.

Required Reading and Action Items

From CLAL

Today's Hot New Career Handbook? The Bible
"Landing in jail threatened to end Joseph's promising career. But he befriended the warden, won release from Pharaoh, and emerged, as the Bible tells it, to save Egypt from starvation. It's the kind of journey line that, more or less, Willie Jones is hoping to walk, too. Just released from 16 years in state prison for drug trafficking, Mr. Jones faces employment prospects that he calls insurmountable. But the story of the famous Israelite gives him hope. "I can certainly relate to Joseph - and more," says the heavyset man with a cane and a pale beard. At Durham's Covenant Presbyterian Church, Jones is one of eight prospective hires - ex-cons and ex-homemakers dressed in their best - learning how to gain confidence and break through personal roadblocks with a biblical bent: a bit of Jeremiah for the jitters, some Noah for uplift, and Joseph for perspective...."
By Patrik Jonsson (from The Christian Science Monitor)

Faith in Love: Can Religion Make or Break a Relationship?
"We all have dealbreakers. Maybe yours is “no smokers” or “no Democrats.” I’ve heard “no redheads” and “no jocks.” But what happens when faith is the dealbreaker? “He’s gotta be Jewish.”
“She must be Christian.” Or Muslim, or Wiccan, or whatever. Know your dealbreakers, says David Steele, a marriage and family therapist based in California and author of Conscious Dating: Finding the Love of Your Life in Today’s World. Too often he counsels couples who thought they could overlook religious differences...."
By Andrea Lorenz (from Kansas City Star)

At Biennial, Conservative Jews Look to Recapture Place in the Sun
"How should Conservative Judaism cope with dwindling membership, growing intermarriage rates and society’s increasing religious and political polarity, while remaining true to its base in halachah, or Jewish law? Those are some of the vexing questions the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism will tackle when it convenes Sunday in Boston for its four-day biennial. There are more: Who will replace Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, longtime chancellor of the movement’s flagship Jewish Theological Seminary, when he retires next summer?..."
By Sue Fishkoff (from The Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

At Reform Conference, Movement Calls for a Push Toward Conversion
"The movement that was the first to welcome intermarried families into its synagogues nearly three decades ago now will focus on actively inviting non-Jews to convert to Judaism. That was one of the initiatives announced by Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, during his Shabbat sermon at the movement’s 68th biennial here...."
By Sue Fishkoff (from JTA)

Riding the Metrospiritual Wave
"Do you go out of your way to buy organic food? Have you thought about the wu wei in your home? Have you tried yoga, belly-dancing, or surfing recently? Are you attracted to traditional crafts from other cultures or have you started knitting? Do you own a Prius or have you thought about buying a hybrid car? Are you a tea connoisseur or an organic wine- and beer-drinker? Is there a certain aromatherapy scent that brings you comfort, especially in candle form? If most of your answers are yes, then count yourself among the growing numbers of metrospirituals—the kinder, gentler post-Yuppies who want to treat the earth and native cultures with respect, connect with their inner source and inspiration, test their bodies and expand their minds with ancient physical practices—and do it all with serious style...."
By Ariana Speyer (from Beliefnet)

Doubt Is Their Co-Pilot
"It takes a certain amount of audacity to found a religion. Ford Vox does not look audacious. A tall, slightly stooped medical student, Vox speaks in a mumble and rarely lifts his eyes. But if he lacks confidence, that only makes him all the more qualified to lead his flock because Vox, 28, has created a religion for people who know only that they know nothing. Universists might believe in God, or might not. (Personally, Vox thinks he does.) The only dogma they must accept is uncertainty. Relinquishing any hope of cosmic truth, Universists worship by wondering how we got here, and why, and what lies ahead. From his base here in the Bible Belt, Vox has built an online congregation of more than 8,000 in the last two years. They meet in cafes and living rooms across the nation; they join online chats with scientists and theologians; they find profundity in admitting their confusion. "We want to rework religion from within," Vox said. It is a surprisingly common impulse these days...."
By Stephanie Simon (from LA Times)

God on the Internet
"One hundred and twenty-eight million Americans use the web, and it has been integrated, if only as a formality, into nearly every facet of modern life. Law firms, politicians, manufacturers, charities, elementary schools—one is hard-pressed to find an entity without a web appendage. This is true even—or perhaps the word is, particularly—for religious life. According to a 2004 Pew survey, 64 percent of Internet-using Americans—82 million people—say they use the web for religious purposes. They are more likely to be female, white, middle aged, and college educated. Catholics and Jews tend to use the Internet slightly more heavily than Protestants. Half of these users report that they attend church at least once a week...."
By Jonathan V. Last (from First Things)

OTHER KEY ARTICLES ON JEWISH TOPICS:

“Against Indifference,” a conversation with Elie Wiesel; http://reformjudaismmag.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=1074

Boston Globe’s report on the USCJ Biennial held in Boston this week (I, along with many other rabbis in the movement, have some issues with the thrust of the the new approach to conversion, but the focus on outreach is welcome).

http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=15049 – More on Rabbi David Wolpe’s proposal to rename the Conservative movement as “Covenantal Judaism.”

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007611 – “Our Troops Must Stay: America can't abandon 27 million Iraqis to 10,000 terrorists” – by Senator Lieberman, (Wall Street Journal)

The latest on Rabbi Gelfand and the East Hampton synagogue fiasco: Controversy Over Rabbi Divides East Hampton Synagogue (New York Times) Win For East Hampton Rabbi’s Critics (Jewish Week)

FROM ISRAEL (SUPPLIED BY THE JCPA’S Daily Alert)

Will the Next Generation of Palestinians Make Peace with Israel?
- Justus Reid Weiner and Michael Sussman (Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)

Israel and the Middle East, 2005: A Strategic Overview
- IDF Head of Military Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Aharon Ze'evi (Farkash) (Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies-Tel Aviv University)

A major factor shaping Israel's security environment is the internal forces at play within the Arab countries. The leading issue on the agenda is a worldview that holds al-wataniya (nationalism) above all else. The interest of the nation now takes precedence over interests of pan-Arabism, the Arab world, and the Arab League. Urdun awalan ("Jordan first") is the initiative of King Abdullah. The same is true of the call of Lubnan l'lubnani-in ("Lebanon for the Lebanese"). Such phenomena signify a turn inward. Foremost on the agenda is safeguarding the national homeland and promoting the necessary changes.
If the Palestinians were once portrayed as the victims and Arafat was heralded as an Arab symbol, the Palestinian issue has now been relegated to a secondary role. Other voices are sounded that reflect increasing doubt about the effectiveness of resistance. Debates within Hamas and Islamic Jihad currently include speculation that perhaps their future lies in the political system, and that they may therefore also need, for the moment, to give up firing Kassam rockets and pursuing active resistance. Also in a unique position today is Hizballah in Lebanon, which understands that its existence is guaranteed if it is enmeshed in the political system in Lebanon, where the group has two Shiite government ministers in its service.
The Egyptian Jihad, led by Ayman al-Zawahiri, merged with al-Qaeda in January 2001, nine months prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. The new organization was called Qaedat al-Jihad, and Ayman al-Zawahiri is the organization's number two man. Junud al-Sham (Soldiers of al-Sham) is actually al-Qaeda in Syria. Additional groups linked to al-Qaeda in the region include Egyptian Jihad soldiers at Jabal Hilal, in the center of the Sinai Peninsula, and the Egyptian Unity and Jihad group. There is also Abu Musa Zarqawi's group that operates in Jordan and is al-Qaeda's representative in Iraq.
Today, the Arab world is a target for terrorism. Israel is located in the center of the Islamic world in which the caliphate should be established. The struggle in Iraq and the ejection of the Americans is merely a preparatory stage for the establishment of the caliphate. The confrontation with Israel is of particular importance to al-Qaeda for both theological and strategic reasons.
A connection with al-Qaeda could inflict great damage on Palestinian interests. Al-Qaeda's struggle will not end with the ejection of American forces from the region, but rather only after a proper Islamic regime is established on the ruins of Israel and the current Arab regimes.
The bloc in the north - Lebanon, Hizballah, and Syria - is disintegrating. Syria has lost Lebanon. This is important from our perspective because it means that an independent Lebanese interest is emerging in many areas. My assessment is that Hamas is currently at one of its lowest points ever in terms of operational capacity, though not in terms of motivation. Similarly, this does not mean that it is unable to carry out an attack when it decides to do so.
The elements responsible for calm between Israel and the Palestinians at the moment are the IDF, the Israeli security apparatus, and Hamas. I would like to make clear that no security body within the Palestinian Authority is playing a part in maintaining the calm. This includes Abbas. The preservation of calm has been an independent decision of Hamas, which will be able to reactivate the violence when it decides to do so.

Palestinian "Peace Team" Soccer Players to Be Punished - Nidal al-Mughrabi (Reuters)
The Palestinian Football Association plans to punish players under its jurisdiction for participating alongside Israelis in a "Peace Match" in Barcelona, an official said Wednesday.
"The Palestinian Football Association will form a committee to investigate the players who participated in the match...everyone involved will be punished," senior FA official Jamal Zaqout said.
Fifteen Israelis and 12 Palestinians from the West Bank joined up for the match sponsored by the Peres Center for Peace and the Palestinian Abu Sukar Center

Letting Go of Gaza - Shlomo Avineri
As long as Gaza was under Israeli jurisdiction, there was some logic - perhaps even some responsibility - to allow Gaza residents to work in Israel. But Gaza is no longer under Israeli control. It is another country in every way. Of course Israel has an interest in Gaza's economic development and reducing human suffering for its residents, yet there are also job shortages in Jordan and Egypt and we have an interest in ensuring that unemployment there does not lead to extremism. But we all agree this is not our responsibility. Gaza, too, is no longer our responsibility. (Ynet News)

Presbyterians Say Meeting in Middle East Isn't Official - Jodi Wilgoren (New York Times)
Officials of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are distancing themselves from a meeting in Lebanon between a Hizballah commander and a Presbyterian delegation.
Jay Rock, the church's national coordinator for interfaith relations, promised Jewish leaders in a letter that Presbyterians would develop guidelines for members traveling in troubled regions, saying those at the Hizballah meeting should have made clear the church's positions "against terrorism in any form, and for the security and vitality of Israel."
At the same time, the Rev. Robert Reynolds, Chicago's executive presbyter, said in a letter last week that he regretted attending the meeting because Hizballah "used the group's visit for political purposes."

After France - Walter Laqueur
Integration of Muslims in Europe has failed so far and multiculturalism is discredited. Even if a greater effort had been made and more money invested, the majority of new immigrants from Islamic countries have no wish to accept Western values and the European way of life. If there has been ghettoization, it happened because they wanted to be among themselves, not because anyone imposed it on them. (Wall Street Journal, 8Dec05)

Assad Hopes to Head Off UN Sanctions Through Peace Talks with Israel - Simon Tisdall and Ewen MacAskill
Syria is engaged in clandestine talks about reopening peace negotiations with Israel in an attempt to head off UN sanctions next week. Syrian President Assad was urged by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan at an Islamic Conference Organization meeting Wednesday in Mecca to restart bilateral talks with Israel that collapsed in 2000. "Syria would go along with almost anything at this point," said a senior Arab diplomat. "They do not want to be penalized like Libya or Iraq." (Guardian-UK)

Israel: Myths and Facts

MYTH #201

"One million Palestinians were expelled by Israel from 1947-49."

FACT

The Palestinians left their homes in 1947-49 for a variety of reasons. Thousands of wealthy Arabs left in anticipation of a war, thousands more responded to Arab leaders' calls to get out of the way of the advancing armies, a handful were expelled, but most simply fled to avoid being caught in the cross fire of a battle.

Many Arabs claim that 800,000 to 1,000,000 Palestinians became refugees in 1947-49. The last census was taken by the British in 1945. It found approximately 1.2 million permanent Arab residents in all of Palestine. A 1949 Government of Israel census counted 160,000 Arabs living in the country after the war. In 1947, a total of 809,100 Arabs lived in the same area.¹ This meant no more than 650,000 Palestinian Arabs could have become refugees. A report by the UN Mediator on Palestine arrived at an even lower figure — 472,000, and calculated that only about 360,000 Arab refugees required aid.²

Although much is heard about the plight of the Palestinian refugees, little is said about the Jews who fled from Arab states. Their situation had long been precarious. During the 1947 UN debates, Arab leaders threatened them. For example, Egypt's delegate told the General Assembly: "The lives of one million Jews in Muslim countries would be jeopardized by partition."³

The number of Jews fleeing Arab countries for Israel in the years following Israel's independence was nearly double the number of Arabs leaving Palestine. Many Jews were allowed to take little more than the shirts on their backs. These refugees had no desire to be repatriated. Little is heard about them because they did not remain refugees for long. Of the 820,000 Jewish refugees between 1948 and 1972, 586,000 were resettled in Israel at great expense, and without any offer of compensation from the Arab governments who confiscated their possessions.⁴ Israel has consequently maintained that any agreement to compensate the Palestinian refugees must also include Arab compensation for Jewish refugees. To this day, the Arab states have refused to pay any compensation to the hundreds of thousands of Jews who were forced to abandon their property before fleeing those countries. Through November 2003, 101 of the 681 UN resolutions on the Middle East conflict referred directly to Palestinian refugees. Not one mentioned the Jewish refugees from Arab countries.⁵

The contrast between the reception of Jewish and Palestinian refugees is even starker when one considers the difference in cultural and geographic dislocation experienced by the two groups. Most Jewish refugees traveled hundreds — and some traveled thousands — of miles to a tiny country whose inhabitants spoke a different language. Most Arab refugees never left Palestine at all; they traveled a few miles to the other side of the truce line, remaining inside the vast Arab nation that they were part of linguistically, culturally and ethnically.

Notes

¹Arieh Avneri, The Claim of Dispossession, (NJ: Transaction Books, 1984), p. 272; Kedar, Benjamin. The Changing Land Between the Jordan and the Sea. (Israel: Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi Press, 1999), p. 206; Paul Johnson, A History of the Jews, (NY: Harper & Row, 1987), p. 529.
²Progress Report of the United Nations Mediator on Palestine, Submitted to the Secretary-General for Transmission to the Members of the United Nations, General Assembly Official Records: Third Session, Supplement No.11 (A\648), Paris, 1948, p. 47 and Supplement No. 11A (A\689, and A\689\Add.1, p. 5; and "Conclusions From Progress Report of the United Nations Mediator on Palestine," (September 16, 1948), U.N. doc. A/648 (part one, p. 29; part two, p. 23 and part three, p. 11), (September 18, 1948).
³New York Times, (November 25, 1947).
⁴Avneri, p. 276.
⁵ Jerusalem Post, (December 4, 2003).

This article can be found at http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths/mf14.html#a

Source: Myths & Facts Online -- A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict by Mitchell G. Bard.

Hanukkah links from Zipple: the Jewish Supersite

123 Greetings
613's Real Audio Chanukah Page
About.com: Chanukah
Adam Sandler's Hanukkah Song (Humor)
Ahavat Israel: Chanukah
Aish HaTorah: Chanukah Site
Akhlah: Chanukah
Awesome Animated Greeting Cards
Bar-Ilan Essays on Hanukah (requires Hebrew font)
Billy Bear's Hanukkah
Bitsela Hanukkah Clipart
Blue Mountain Animated Greeting Cards
Care2 Animated Greeting Cards
Celebrating a Secular Chanukah
Chabad Brazil - Chanukah (Portugese)
Chabad: Chanukah
Chabad of Maryland: Chanukah
Chanukah Clipart from Kid's Domain
Chanukah from Chabad MD (1999)
Chanukah from Caryn.com
Chanukah Fun & Coloring Book (Torah Tots)
Chanukah Gateway
The Chanukah House
Chanukka Midi Music
Chanukah Special (in Italian)
The Chanukah Spot
Chanukah on VJ
Chanukah on the Net
Chanukah with Ohr Somayach
Clipart for Hanukkah Clipart
Draw a Hanukkah House
DundaWare ShockDreidel (req. Shockwave)
Epicurious: Chanukkah Recipes
Everything Jewish: Chanukah
For Every Jew: Chanukah
Free Graphics Chanuka Graphics
Hanukat: Celebrate Hanukkah with the Kids
Greetz Greeting CardsHanukkah

in CyberSpace

Hanukkah @ JTS

Hanukkah - Jewish Agency Pedagogoic Center
Hannukah Song SheetMy Hebrew Dictionary - Chanukah Related Words

Holiday Max: Adore-a-Menorah (Flash 4 Game)
Holidays on the Net: Chanukah

ICJI: Chanukah
Israel Ministry of Education (requires Hebrew font)
Israel Museum: Galleries of Menorah (English & Hebrew)
JAJZ Chanukah
Jewish Agency: Chanukah (Easy Hebrew)
Jewish Communication Network: Chanukah
Jewish Community Online: Chanukah
Jewish Heritage Magazine - Hannukah Edition
Jewish Holiday Consumer: Pesach
Jewish Magazine - Chanukah Issue
Jewish World View: Chanukah
JOI Hanukkah Activities
Judaic Greeting Cards by Raz
Judaism 101: Chanukkah
Kid's Domain Chanukah Coloring Pages
Kidskourt Hanukkah Coloring Pages
Machon Chagim: Chanukah (English)
Machon Chagim: Chanukah (requires Hebrew font)
Machanaim: Chanukah (in Russian)
Masuah: Januca (in Spanish)
Misrash Ben Ish Hai (Sepharadim customs)
MZNET Chanukah Quiz
NCSY Publications: Chanukah
Neveh Zion Channukah Page
Nishmas: Customs of Chanukah
Pedagogic Center: Chanuakah
Project Genesis Chanukah Page
Ohr Somayach: Chanukah Page
Online Menorah
ORT: Chanukah
OU Online Chanukah Page
RFCJ: Hanukah Recipes
Sealing Wax Greeting Cards
Torah from Dixie Chanukah Archives
Tzivos-Hashem: The Short Story of Chanuka (for kids)
Virtual Chanukah (in Russian)
Virtual Chanukah - Chabad Lubavitch
Virtual Jerusalem - Chanukah Megasite (1999)
WZO - Holidays with a Twist (Humor, 1996)
Yeshivat Har Etzion: Chanukah
Yeshivat Har Zion Chanukah Journal
ZigZag Hannukah Lights (req. Java)

Announcements

HANUKKAH IS ONLY

THREE WEEKS AWAY!

Our Temple Beth El Gift shop has everything you need to make this holiday special. Please stop by and see all the children’s toys and crafts as well as all the gifts for other members of the family.

Special extended hours for Hanukkah:

Tuesday: 4:00 - 6:00

Thursday: 4:00 - 6:00

Sunday: 9:00 - 12:00

If you cannot make it to the gift shop during these hours, please call Mia Weinstein for a special appointment at 595-0528

Happy Chanukah!

Saturday, December 10^th

TBE Presents for One Night Only

COMEDY NIGHT

Showcasing the comedy of

JOEL CHASNOFF

Doors open at 7:30 PM

THE PLACE IS FILLING UP, BUT TICKETS ARE STILL AVALIABLE

Joel Chasnoff has taken the stage in seven countries around the globe at some of the world’s biggest comedy venues: the Montreal Comedy Festival, a USO Comedy Tour of Japan and Korea entertaining American troops, Jewish and corporate events across North America and Europe and hundreds of college and club dates nationwide.

Also featuring SURPRISE skits and

musical performances by local talent!

Next Week (Dec. 17) - Beth El Cares Presents:

Eco Shabbat with Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener

Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener has accepted Beth El Cares’ invitation to address the congregation during Shabbat morning services on Saturday, December 17, 2005.

Rabbi Cohen-Kiener is the director of the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network which is based in Hartford, and will speak about "Ecology and the Environment: The Big Picture and Small Steps.”  “She will “plant some seeds” and give us some ideas for ways we can all pitch in to quickly improve the environment and will leave us with some ideas to contemplate regarding the bigger picture.  Rabbi Cohen-Kiener will be available after services to meet with congregants who want to spend a little longer exploring the topic.

The Interreligious Eco-Justice Network encourages faithful living that reflects a right relationship between humankind and the environment. Its website is irejn.org if you want to obtain more information

Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener is also the spiritual leader of Congregation P’nai Or of Central Connecticut. As a teacher, rabbi and community organizer, Andrea has practiced the art of bringing a spiritual perspective to problem solving for two decades. She has practical skills in communication and dialogue, environmental activism and personal growth. Andrea has worked in coalition and singly to address environment and life style issues. Theatre and musical concerts, educational forums, profound community building, editorial and newsletter writing and lobbying are among the tools that she has brought to bear in this field. Many congregants are familiar with Andrea as she has led Temple Beth El in prayers and study as a past “Scholar in Residence.”

ADULT AND FAMILY ED AT TBE

THE IDEAL CONSERVATIVE JEW: EIGHT BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS

with Rabbi Selilah Kalev

Thursday, December 1, 8, 15 & 22 at 7:00 p.m.

2006 Bar/Bat Mitzvah Family Luncheon

Shabbat, December 10, 2005

Immediately following services and Kiddush

Led by Rabbi Joshua Hammerman

Topic: Exploring your Bar/Bat Mitzvah Torah portion and the “meaning” of Bar/Bat Mitzvah

RSVP to Ellen Gottfried at 322-6901, ext. 308