January 12, 2007–
Tevet 23, 5767
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.”
Martin Luther King Weekend
Dr. King, whose
birthday we commemorate this week,
had a close
relationship with the Jewish community,
as is shown in the
following link:
MLK on Zionism: http://www.internationalwallofprayer.org/A-022-Martin-Luther-King-Zionism.html
Sue and Carl Shapiro, with a friend
Check out www.tbe.org for many more new pictures of our
recent Murder Mystery,
plus our extensive library of
photo albums,
articles, sermons, info about
the temple,
Shabbat-O-Grams and links to
the Jewish world.
Did you know that in December,
the TBE website had nearly 100,000 hits
(and an average of over 400
unique visits each day), from over 60 countries????
NEXT
WEEK!!!
Feb. 3
FULL
Synaplex Schedule and
The fun begins next Friday night:
SHABBAT UNPLUGGED IS BACK!!!
With Cantor Littman
And Scholar in Residence Benjamin Gampel
Dancing! Singing! Meditation! Celebration!
For all ages, the Spirit of Shabbat
Friday, Jan. 19 @7:30
Contents
of the Shabbat O Gram:
(Click
to scroll down)
Just
the Facts (service schedule)
The Beth El Bar/Bat Mitzvah Commentary
(new)
The (Occasionally) Ranting Rabbi
Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunities
Required Reading and Action Items (links
to key articles on Israel and Jewish life)
Announcements (goings on in and around
TBE)
Quote for the Week
"When I was young, I admired clever
people. As I grew old, I came to admire kind people."
-Abraham Joshua Heschel, who marched with Dr. King
Friday
Evening
Candle lighting: 4:30 pm on Friday, 12 January 2006. For candle lighting times, Havdalah
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/. The United Synagogue has updated its
candlelighting information. To learn more, click here.
Shabbat Evening service:
7:30 PM (note later time)– in the chapel
Shabbat Morning: 9:30 AM
Children’s
services: 10:30 AM – (Jr.
Congregation service in the chapel, Tot Shabbat morning downstairs. 6th
and 7th graders in the main sanctuary)
Our Torah Reading
for Shabbat Morning
Parashat
Shemot
פרשת
שמות
Exodus
1:1 - 6:1 – the Exodus Saga begins
1: 4:18-20
2: 4:21-26
3: 4:27-31
4: 5:1-5
5: 5:6-9
6: 5:10-14
7: 5:15-6:1
maf: 5:22-6:1
Haftarah: Isaiah 27:6 - 28:13; 29:22 - 29:23
If
you liked Storahtelling, you’ll LOVE Storahtelling’s new weekly
blog about the Torah portion Find it at http://storahtelling.blogspot.com/. ORT
Navigating the Bible; Rashi
in English; BibleGateway:
Useful for comparing different translations: Note- this is a Christian site.
What’s
Bothering Rashi (Bonchek) Each week, one example from the parashah is
deconstructed. 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://www.jtsa.edu/community/parashah/.
USCJ Torah
THE ENTIRE
HEBREW BIBLE (AS WELL AS OTHER JEWISH SOURCES) CAN BE FOUND WITH SIDE-BY-SIDE
TRANSLATION AT http://www.mechon-mamre.org/
100
Blessings: Download information about the grace
after meals (see Birkat
Ha-mazon explained in Wikipedia and in the Jewish
Virtual Library) The actual
prayer can be downloaded at Birkat
Hamazon [pdf]
Morning Minyan
7:30 Weekdays, 9:30 Sundays
We’ve had a Guaranteed
Minyan request for a yahrzeit on Monday, January 8. If you can make it, please take a moment
to sign up at the Rosner Minyan Maker at www.tbe.org.
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.
We’ve had several people coming lately
who are saying kaddish following recent deaths in the family. We want to make sure we have a minyan
each day. Your presence any morning is greatly appreciated!
Please sign up at the Rosner Minyan Maker at www.tbe.org
The Beth El Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Commentary
During this lull
in the Bar Mitzvah season, we are filling this space with Bar Mitzvah related
material rather than speeches. This
week, in honor of Dr King, we focus on ways to add more mitzvah to the bar/bat mitzvah
The following suggestions come from the Ziv Tzedakkah Fund: http://www.ziv.org/
MITZVAH
KIPPOT
Want to have the most beautiful kippot for your guests? Ones that no one has ever seen before? Brightly colored and beautifully patterned? Call MayaWorks, Kathleen Morkert, 773-506-4905, mayaworks-chi@attbi.com, www.mayaworks.org.
These kipot
will not only wow your guests but will also help support the women who make
them in remote villages of
WHAT TO DO ABOUT INVITATIONS?
Want a really original invitation to send your family and friends? There are lots of possibilities. First, contact Carol Katzman, 402-397-9935, ckatzman@jewishomaha.org . She can tell you how she did hers. Or, be in touch with the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, 888-421-1221, www.jfr.org, jfr@jfr.org. Ziv Tzedakah Fund can also provide you with artwork to be used for original invitations, naomi@ziv.org.
CENTERPIECES
When it comes to your party, there are so many things you can do for centerpieces:
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1. Books, books and books! An
arrangement of kids’ books, audio tapes, video tapes and CD’s can
then be given away to a deserving organization in your area. |
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2. Food, food, and food! An
arrangement of canned and boxed foods in a basket can then be donated to a
local pantry or shelter. |
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3. Want to go the traditional route
with flowers or plants? Arrangements of individual plants and flowers can be
broken up and distributed to the local hospital, shelter or nursing home, or
you can ask your Rabbi or synagogue office to give you the names of
congregants who might enjoy some. You can do this with balloons and bima
arrangements, too. |
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4. Speaking of bima
arrangements….don’t forget you can make attractive baskets of toys
and stuffed animals and distribute them as well. |
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5. Are you a sports fanatic? Try
collecting sports equipment and arranging it as centerpieces. After the
party? Give it away to local shelters where kids may not have their own
equipment. |
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6. Use your imagination! There are
hundreds of ways to do this—just keep thinking Mitzvahs! |
Got a caterer preparing
your party? Make sure you tell them that you want all of the leftovers packed
up so that you can bring them to a nearby pantry or shelter after your party.
Don’t let them tell you they can’t because they don’t want to
be sued. Here is a copy of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Law (a federal
law which states that no one can be held liable for any illness resulting from
the donation of food). Many people do not know about this law. It will be your
proof if the caterer does not want to cooperate!
Selections from The New Federal Food Donation Law
The “Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act” appears in the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 as 42 U.S.C. 12672. The legislation essentially states that the donor of food to a non-profit organization to people in need is free of liability. This act provides uniform coverage for the entire country. I have italicized the sections that relate to issues of liability:
(c) Liability for damages from donated food and grocery products.
(1) Liability of person or gleaner. A person or gleaner shall not* be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently whole-some food or an apparently fit grocery product that the person or gleaner donates in good faith to a non-profit organization for ultimate distribution to needy individuals
OK! You’ve had the service. Everyone was sooo impressed with you! The party could not have been better—everyone had a ball. One thing is left to make this a real Mitzvah Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Are you going to share some of the many gifts you received with others who are less fortunate? There are many programs described on this website that you can choose from. Just go back to the link for the 2004 Annual Report and find one that interests you. Here are some suggestions (but don’t forget to check the others)
HAMA-IL and
search for the "HAMA-IL" section (II E)
INTRA www.intra.org.il
Shoes That Fit www.shoesthatfit.org
Books, Bears and
Bonnets
And don't
miss Danny Siegel's 116 Practical Mitzvah Suggestions!
The
(occasionally)
Prayer Circles
One of the most powerful uses of the
Internet has been the way massive amounts of concern can be generated for those
in need of companionship, consolation or healing. It is with that in mind that I
circulate, with the family’s permission, this letter regarding Nancy
Leferman, who has inspired all of us with her courage and now faces a new
battle.
Dear friends and family:
Our mother's motto has always been..."it takes a village..." We
all know that this village is a strong one and with that we are writing this
letter.
As you may recall, our mother first collected socks, and then toys for children
in hospitals. She was featured each time in an article that was printed
in the Advocate. Please find these articles attached to this email if you
never had a chance to see them.
Our mom has felt a little burnt out with writing the email updates, and the
collections.....but that has seemed to be integral in getting through. As
most of you know she has been going through the "cancer dance" for
the 3rd time.
When she recurred for the 1st time about 1 1/2 years ago it was told to us that
she had recurrent Ovarian Cancer and that she had some stubborn cancer cells
that would not respond to chemo and therefore the cancer would always find a
way to return. Unfortunately, the cancer recurred earlier than anyone
would have liked....only a year after she completed the last time. Stress
can be a major contributor and unfortunately she has been under a lot of
stress....so here we are....again.
We expected her to "simply" go through the same protocol as last
time.....6 infusions of Taxotere, one time every 3 weeks. We all knew
what to expect, although they warned her that each time you go through this it
gets harder because your body has a way of remembering. After 3 infusions
her CA 125 (her tumor marker) indicated that the chemotherapy was not
working. Although this is expected....that your body builds up an
immunity to a particular protocal, this was a blow. She had gotten
through half of the treatments, only to be back to where she had started
from. The doctors have assured us all that there are plenty of protocols
to turn to and we just have to move on to the next.
As this was happening, she came down with Shingles and a ridiculous mouth
infection (unrelated to one another but both caused in part to her immune
system being compromised.) And that is more or less where we are
now....see where the needing the village comes in?
So with all of this crap....the fighter that she is....needs to pull up her
boot straps.....finish dealing with the mouth and shingles and get ready to
fight the cancer.
She first needs to take care of the mouth problem. This may require
pulling one of her teeth. She is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday...this
may or may not throw off the rest of the schedule.
She then needs a port put in in order to reduce certain risks that come along
with the new protocol. She is scheduled to have the surgery for the port
on Monday January 15th. This is a day surgery and she will be ready to
start the new chemotherapy on Wednesday January 17th. This time she will
be given the poison, I mean drug, Doxil and the infusion will happen 6 times on
the schedule of 1 time per month.
Ok, so here is where we need you all.....Our mom has always had a collection of
some sort to channel her energies and focus on something positive. We
feel that having not done this this time has been a mistake and we have decided
to start a plan. Although she has been lucky this time to have at least
some of her hair, she has enjoyed wearing hats...mostly baseball hats.
And people with cancer often need hats to help them get through. So we
thought we would start a collection of hats.....some for our mom to wear and
some to be donated to different organizations who can give them out to patients
who need them.
We have decided that the more positive energy sent our mother's way the
better....so go out get a hat or two....."fill" it with energy and
send it her way.....We would appreciate it. A prayer or two
wouldn't hurt either!
Thanks in advance, as always, for your support, prayers and hats!!!!
Love,
Lori and Phil
Randi and Craig
Marc and Susan
Minimum Wage and Maximum Justice
The new Congress took up the minimum wage as one of it’s
first concerns. On this weekend as
we recall the legacy of Martin Luther King, and Judaism’s – and
America’s - long tradition of caring for those who are weakest, the House
this week voted to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25. A new Jewish Social Action umbrella
organization has been created: the Jewish Funds For Justice - http://www.jewishjustice.org/
Here is the petition that rabbis and rabbinical students have been
asked to sign (which I’ve signed as well):
"You shall not abuse a needy and
destitute laborer... but you must pay him his wages on the same day, for he is
needy and urgently depends on it."
Deuteronomy 24:14
As rabbis and rabbinical students, guided by religious faith and Jewish ethics,
we are deeply concerned about the working poor in this country. The current
minimum wage of $5.15 fails to provide a fair opportunity for those who
struggle to escape poverty as they labor in full time, low wage jobs. We urge
you to pass a clean minimum wage bill that will help ensure dignity for working
Americans.
The medieval Jewish scholar Maimonides taught that the highest level of
tzedakah (righteousness) is reached when we help someone stand on their own two
feet. As religious leaders, we open our hearts and our hands to the poor and
ask: How can we create a society that promotes economic self-sufficiency,
reflecting this teaching?
A decent minimum wage is a critical tool in the struggle for economic
empowerment and against poverty. The minimum wage helps us to honor work by
establishing an hourly wage floor beneath which employers cannot pay their
workers. It has contributed to a reduction in the exploitation of workers. We
empathize with those in our communities who fight everyday to make ends meet
against the declining real value of today's minimum wage. It is a disgrace that
the minimum wage is worth $3 less in today's dollars than in 1968 and hasn't
been raised in almost ten years.
We applaud the stated commitment by the leadership of the 110th Congress to
raise the federal minimum wage to $7.25 per hour. We urge you to follow through
on this commitment by passing a minimum wage bill without delay and without
amendment.
On this MLK weekend, take a moment between sunning, skiing,
shopping and football watching to think of the Jewish stake in world repair,
tikkun olam, by reading some of these articles linked to the Jewish Funds for
Justice website at http://jewishjustice.org/jfsj.php?page=7.2:
Below are links to articles on Judaism and
social justice written by JFSJ staff members, board members and friends.
Simon Greer (JFSJ
President), Ruth Messinger, and Yossi Prager, “Chesed and Tzedek” from Sh’ma October 2005
Jeremy Burton,
JFSJ, “Philanthropic Responsibility and Obligation” from Sh’ma October 2001
Jeffrey Dekro and
Jeffrey Dekro,
JFSJ, “Through Wealth to Justice” Keynote address
delivered at membership celebration of Jewish Community Action (
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, “Toward a Halakhic Definition of Poverty,” Conservative Judaism Fall 2004
Rabbi Jill Jacobs,
“The Living Wage: a Jewish Approach,” Conservative Judaism Spring 2003
Rabbi Jill Jacobs,
“How to Fight Poverty” from myjewishlearning.com
Rabbi Jill Jacobs,
“Housing the Homeless” from myjewishlearning.com
Rabbi Jill Jacobs,
“For this I went to Rabbinical School?” from Lilith,
Winter 2004
Rabbi Jill Jacobs,
“From Sukkah to Ma'akeh: The Halachah of Housing”
from Tikkun, September/October
2000
Rabbi Jill Jacobs
reviews The Hebrew Prophets: Annotated and Explained by Rami Shapiro from Sh’ma October 2005
Rabbi Mordechai
Liebling, JFSJ , “Making Synagogues Vessels of Tikkun Olam” from The Reconstructionist Volume 68, Number 1 (Fall 2003)
Rabbi Mordechai
Liebling, “Tzedakah Collectives” from socialaction.com
Rabbi Mordechai
Liebling, “Money in Synagogues” from Sh’ma March 2005
Rabbi Mordechai
Liebling, “The First Jewish Shareholder Activist Group” from
greenmoneyjournal.com
Daniel Sokatch,
“Economic Justice” from Sh’ma
October 2005
Our 5th
Grade’s Winter Mitzvah Project:
A Time to
Plant
During last summer’s war between
Micha Danieli is the
In the recent past, Micha was involved with Keren Hayesod a
fundraising organization that primarily helps
Micha Danieli received his BA in Economics and MA in Development of
Country Economy from
(see more
in announcements below)
From the USCJ
Tzedek Hekhsher
The United Synagogue and the Rabbinical Assembly are considering the
possibility of establishing the tzedek hehksher, which would certify kosher
products as being consistent with Jewish social values. We are beginning by
looking at the conditions for workers at meat-packing plants. To read a press
release, click here; for
an in-depth report, click here.
Halakhic Status of Gay Men and Lesbians
The USCJ background materials re. December 6 decisions of the Committee
on Jewish Law and Standards. For more information, including links to the
teshuvot and to a video of panels we held before the vote.
Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunties
Beth El Cares
Cathy Satz (968-9191; csscounsel@yahoo.com)Cheryl Wolff (968-6361; cwolff@optonline.net)BETH EL CARES co-chairs Mitzvah Project – Dog-related Items LINDY FRUITHANDLER WILL BECOME BAT
MITZVAH ON MARCH 17. PLEASE READ
THIS NOTE FROM HER REGARDING HER MITZVAH PROJECT:
For my mitzvah project I am helping Adopt-A-Dog, a volunteer organization in Greenwich, CT, which helps find good, safe homes for homeless animals. They have found homes for many Katrina dogs that lost their families in the hurricane. To help them, I am donating money I have raised, and collecting dog-related items such as toys, collars, bones, and leashes; and cat-related items such as toys, collars, and catnip. Any crates that your dog or cat no longer use would be greatly appreciated by Adopt-A-Dog You do not have to be dog or cat owner to help - Adopt-A-Dog also needs new or used blankets, pillows, soft table cloths, and really anything else that the animals can sleep on. I can collect some of these items myself, but I need your help to collect enough needed items to make a big difference.
I will have a collection box
out in the
You can also help Adopt-A-Dog by saving "Weight Circles" from Purina Brand Dog Food. Adopt-A-Dog receives 8 cents for every pound of weight circles sent in to Purina. Adopt-A-Dog buys 1,000 pounds of dog food every month! Each label that you clip and donate from a 20 lb. bag gives them $1.60 towards their food bill. A 50 lb. bag label means $4.00 in meals for their pooches. Trust me, it adds up! Please clip the labels off the side of each bag you buy and place them in the envelope attached to the collection box.
On behalf of all the homeless dogs and cats at Adopt-A-Dog, thanks so much for your help!
Lindy Fruithandler
322-4712
To check out Adopt-A-Dog for yourself, please visit their website at www.adoptadog.org.
TBE Congregant Forging New Responses to Autism TBE congregant
Steven Freedman is inaugurating a new venture that might be of help to families
here. See below:
13 YEAR OLD BOY
FINALLY FIGHTS BACK AGAINST AUTISM
Join our teleseminar - “Autism: Breakthrough Approach,
Radical Results”
on Tuesday Jan. 9th, 8:00PM EST, sponsored by the Sensory Training Institute in
Darien, treating ADHD, Autism, and other sensory-based issues with a unique and
effective Sensory Learning Program.
Register at: www.thesmartmachine.com/ or 888-595-6382 (24 hr). There are only a
handful of spaces available at this point – register NOW and save your
space!
Please let me tell you what happened, and WHY you or someone you know should be
a part of this:
This 13 year old boy’s Mom has called me up almost every day with a brand
new behavior change after 3 weeks of our BREAKTHROUGH approach to Sensory
Integration, with ADHD, Aspergers Syndrome, and Autism being three of the
primary issues we can make a difference with – first it was:
Adding new words to his vocabulary
Dressing himself in the morning
Playing together with siblings
Sitting calmly with the family for dinner
Being much more relaxed at school and at home
Recently he’s been going to the kitchen, and PREPARING HIS OWN BREAKFAST!
These are all things that Mom NEVER DREAMED was possible. So many things have
VASTLY improved their family life, there’s just too much to list here.
So I said to Mom we must set up a teleconference to share some of these amazing
breakthroughs with other parents of children with autism, and let them know
these Behavior Breakthroughs are not only possible, they are REAL, and they are
happening here at The Sensory Training Institute in Darien with the only
Breakthrough Approach to pure Sensory-based learning in this area.
JOIN THE CONFERENCE CALL on Tuesday Jan. 9th, 8:00PM EST. Sponsored by the
Sensory Training Institute. Register at: www.thesmartmachine.com/autism or
888-595-6382 (24 hr).
If someone else you know and love suffers from Autism, FORWARD THIS EMAIL! You
may help improve the lives of them and their family – forward this
message, it may be the greatest gift you could give them.
Thanks for taking a moment to read this, and sharing it with someone you love.
Steven Freedman
Director, Sensory Training Institute
203-656-3636
steven@thesmartmachine.com
Register at: www.thesmartmachine.com
or 888-595-6382
Gilad Shalit, abducted from southern
Israel into Gaza on June 25, 2006
Ehud Goldwasser, abducted from Northern Israel, July 12, 2006
Eldad Regev,abducted from Northern Israel, July 12, 2006
Guy Hever, disappeared from his army base, August 17, 1997
Ron Arad, shot down over Lebanon,October 16, 1986
Zachary Baumel, missing-in-action since June 11,1982
Zvi Feldman, missing-in-action since June 11, 1982
Yehuda Katz, missing-in-action since June 11, 1982
Please do your part to bring Gilad Shalit,
Ehud "Udi" Goldwassser and
Eldad Regev home to their families without delay.
Freethesoldiers.org represents a broad base of national Jewish organizations
and community leaders that share a common urgency to advocate on behalf of
these soldiers and their families, as well as Israel's other missing soldiers,
Zachary Baumel, Tzvi Feldman, Yehudah Katz, Ron Arad and Guy Hever. Learn
More
You can make a difference: Join one
million people worldwide by signing the petition,
keep them close to your heart by
wearing the dog tags.
http://www.freethesoldiers.org/
Job Bank: The Highest Level of Tzedakkah
I received this notice of an available position from
Rev. Dick Schuster at Lifeworks….
Date: January 3, 2007
To: Interested
Persons
Re: St.
Luke’s LifeWorks - Position Available
The following position is
available for application:
CHIEF
FINANCIAL OFFICER FINANCIAL
SERVICES FULL-TIME
Responsibilities: Responsible
for accounting and financial operations of the agency. Interface with financial
institutions, government agencies, boards of directors, major funders,
management, and staff. Supervise Accounting Manager and Senior Accountant. Manage audit requirements including
payroll, cash receipts, disbursements, accounts payable and accounts
receivable. Provide accurate
financial reports as needed by internal and external customers, including
SLLW’s Board of Directors, government funders, lending institutions, and
major funders. Manage cash flow, negotiate loan conditions, and handle
government grant payments. Lead
annual budgeting process that results in a balanced operating and capital
budget. Responsible for oversight
of grant management function.
Supervise staff in the preparation for all required audits. Develop a service entity to provide
capable financial services for other non-profit agencies. Make presentations and perform financial
analysis as required for Executive Director, , Executive Committee, and the Board of
Directors.
Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in finance,
accounting, or a related field required. CPA or master's degree in related
field or equivalent professional certification desirable. Previous experience supervising the
accounting function in a not-for-profit agency (5+ years). Management Information Systems (MIS)
experience preferred. Computer
proficiency required, especially with spreadsheets.
All candidates
interested in this position should submit a resume along with a cover letter
with salary requirements to: Louise Varricchio ,
Director of Human Resources, St. Luke’s LifeWorks/Bread & Roses, 141
Franklin Street, Stamford, CT 06901 or you can e-mail your resume to: lvarricchio@stlukeslifeworks.org
or fax 203-363-5927.
Is the Internet Kosher
for Ultra-Orthodox Jews?
Then answer is a resounding
YES – even though it is forbidden by many rabbinical authorities. This recent article in Ha’aretz,
forwarded to me by Joe Heyison, drives home this very point. The first couple of paragraphs are
particularly eerie. I checked the
website noted (the Hebrew central site for Habad) where you will find the messianianic
expectations to be much more “in-your-face” than in the more subtle
English language site.
“Internet? There's no such thing,”
by Ofri Ilani,
Haaretz Correspondent
At the world center
of Chabad Hasidism in
"The Chabad rabbi walks among the people as if alive," states the
film's title (snipurl.com/15fpn), and the Chabad portal (www.chabad.fm
) declares that the Rebbe began revealing himself on the 25th of the Hebrew
month of Heshvan (November 16, 2006).
"After 12 long years in which our detractors ridiculed us, here is the
clearest proof that our teacher is alive," wrote one surfer. Other participants in the ultra-Orthodox
forums throughout the Web were more skeptical, referring to the incident as one
more indication of the "false messianism" of some Chabad Hasidim.
During the week following the distribution of the video clip, however,
something happened that shed light on the previous week's event. It turned out
the elderly man captured by the camera is one of Chabad's activists in
"I still contend it is the Rebbe," wrote one participant in
"B'Hadrei Haredim" (in the Haredi inner sanctum) in the Hebrew portal
"
Rabbinical
paparazzi
The "revelation" that occurred in
Among the most viewed clips are "Engagement at Belz," "Rabbi,
Pinhas Weber in the Mitzvah Dance," "The Satmar Rebbe Dancing with
his Eldest Son," and even "The Funeral of the Saintly Admor of
Rachmastrivka." The site's operators told Haaretz that since this category
opened, there has been real competition between the various Hasidic courts,
with each group uploading events and waiting for viewer feedback. The Tsofar
portal offers the impression that the ultra-Orthodox sector has
enthusiastically adopted the Internet. Such an impression, however, is misleading.
Formally, since 2000, use of the Internet is strictly forbidden in
ultra-Orthodox society, and is described by the Council of Torah Sages as a
"terrible threat" and "the greatest temptation in the
world," and which is to be avoided by adherents to the Torah. It is no
wonder that the activities of the Mashtap portal are veiled in secrecy, and its
operators are hesitant to be interviewed.
"The Internet is strictly forbidden in the Haredi sector," says
ultra-Orthodox journalist Bezalel Kahan. "It is not recognized at all, and
will probably not be in the foreseeable future. The rabbis object to the
Internet and speak out against it, always mentioning it as a sick evil."
Even so, anyone familiar with the media habits of the ultra-Orthodox tell you
that tens of thousands - up to 30 percent - of ultra-Orthodox access the
Internet regularly, despite the prohibition, and actively surf forums, news
sites and other sites.
Sometimes access is gained via Internet cafes at the edges of the
ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods or at secular workplaces. Other ultra-Orthodox
clandestinely install Internet access in their own homes. Unlike television,
this is easy to conceal, as owning a computer is permitted by some rabbis.
To bridge the gap between the ideal and reality, there are occasional
initiatives offering different types of hookups that afford access to useful
services provided by the Internet without any risk of exposure to content
considered an abomination and without the accompanying guilt.
No
risk of exposure
Just last week Bezeq announced the launching of a special Internet
infrastructure under rabbinical supervision. This infrastructure will
facilitate Internet access via screened servers, but even this has been deemed
unacceptable by the strictest ultra-Orthodox rabbis. In fact, over a year ago a
few similarly screened Internet services began operating. One of the leading
portals is Nativ ( www.enativ.com), which provides users with
software blocking everything but e-mail, or allows access to a limited number
of sites, such as those operated by banks, health maintenance organizations and
public transportation services.
Nativ is approved by several rabbis, including Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, vice president
of the ultra-Orthodox council in Jerusalem, and Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Ullman of
Bnei Brak. The rabbinical approval displayed at the site states that "an
Internet device" is permissible in an office, and "only on the strict
condition that software is installed that guards against the risks to body and
soul, Heaven forfend."
Nettonet.co.il is a portal that offers a similar service, and includes links to
essential sites and film clips of rabbinic leaders. Babakama.co.il is a site
that offers "kosher" googling and access to the strictly kosher
shopstar.co.il e-commerce site, which does not operate on Shabbat.
Ultra-Orthodox media sources report that the only arrangement that has been
awarded the approval of most of the rabbis is netto mail, by Bezeq International,
which provides e-mail service only, with no access to Internet content.
Participants in the ultra-Orthodox forums frequently discuss the
"kosher" aspects of the Internet and constantly explain and justify
their Web surfing to themselves and their surroundings. They exchange creative
ways of saying they saw something on the Internet, without admitting actively
surfing. "Somebody else told me," "I overheard a conversation on
a bus," and "I heard it on an emergency medical services pager,"
are a few examples. One ultra-Orthodox member of the media, who preferred to
remain anonymous, explains the origin of such sophisticated tactics:
"The ultra-Orthodox are apprehensive in such matters, as they could have
dire consequences. If it becomes known that someone surfs the Internet, the
next day his son could be expelled from [private] school."
Despite the constant fear, the ultra-Orthodox journalist believes the Internet
has gained such popularity in the ultra-Orthodox sector that the struggle
against it has no chance of success, that the rabbis' harsh opposition to the
Internet only heightens the curiosity about this medium.
Blogging
the Bible
"Blogging the
Bible" written by David Plotz. He started at the beginning with
Genesis and posts his irreverent and topical interpretations weekly. http://www.slate.com/id/2156086/fr/flyout. Here is an excerpt from this
week’s edition, on Isaiah:
Chapter 54
and Chapter
55
That God—He's so
Postmodern about gender! A few chapters ago, the Lord was a mother in labor.
Now it's
Here's an interesting
rebuke to those who would try to interpret or explain God. (A rebuke, in other
words, to people like me.) "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are
your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
According to Isaiah, our efforts to humanize Him, to turn Him into a friend or
a relative, even to understand Him, are doomed. The impossibility of imagining
God may be the essential theme of Isaiah. Isaiah objects to any effort to
contain, reduce, limit, represent, or explain God. (This is the source of his rage against idols.)
Once you accept that He can be limited, faith is compromised.
God promises eternal
glory to "the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths." Eunuchs? Where do the
eunuchs come from?
Much of this chapter
savages the sorcery-practicing, child-sacrificing worshippers of Molech. This
is at least the 37th time Isaiah or another prophet has inveighed
against the child-killing Molechites. But I'll bet you a cup of coffee that
this is a blood libel—an exaggeration or distortion of Molechite
practices designed to dehumanize the enemy. Have you ever heard of any society,
culture, religion, or tribe in the entire history of humanity that sacrificed
its own children? It's a Darwinian dead end. Of course, there are groups that kill young prisoners
and ritually sacrifice a virgin or two, and there are occasional mass
suicides that include kids (see: Masada), but no group makes a standard practice of killing
its heirs. Wikipedia
seems to confirm my suspicion that the Molechites didn't sacrifice their
children. (The false murder charge may have derived from a ritual where they
harmlessly passed their kids through a fire to give them strength.)
The Lord again demands good
works rather than rituals. This is His strongest plea yet. He savages those
who pray to Him and observe fast days even as they continue to mistreat others.
If you want to get saved by Me, God says, then you better "loose the bonds
of injustice … share your bread with the hungry … bring the
homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them."
Then, and only then, will the Lord bless you. (Oh, and you have to keep the
Sabbath, too.)
Isaiah asks the question
that has plagued every child since time began. If God is omnipotent, why
doesn't He heed our prayers? Of course, if you've read the last 58 chapters,
you know exactly how God is going to answer that one. He doesn't pay attention
because our sins are too great, our tongues too wicked, our hands too bloody.
God's scathing denunciation is followed by this breast-beating passage, one of
the most hauntingly beautiful in the Bible:
We stumble at noon as in
the twilight,
Among the vigorous as though we were dead.
We all growl like bears;
Like doves we moan mournfully.
We wait for justice, but there is none;
For salvation, but it is far from us.
For our transgressions before you are many,
And our sins testify against us.
"We stumble at noon
as in the twilight." That's a powerful image!
Isaiah's getting for a
big finish—just a few more chapters to go! Here's a jolly section. The
Lord lifts the world out of gloom, and sheds light everywhere.
Let’s
begin with GOOD NEWS from
and other sources
FROM www.Isrealli.org
- I swear, the person who wrote the
following is NOT me!
Josh
‘The Hammer’ man writes:
The band Teapacks was
selected to represent
Yeah, but come on Josh, Eurovision gots
nothin’ on American
Idol…
From Holy Land to HOLLYWOOD
Our very own Yigal Naor will soon find
himself rubbing shoulders with Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Reese Witherspoon on
the set of the new American
film, “Rendition” under Oscar winning director Gavin Hood. What
an awesome opportunity to boost his international career!
Yigal got his first
Naor’s international career includes appearances in the French television series Djihad. But apart from roles in the film industry, he is also a must see stage actor. At the moment he is appearing in two major roles in Habimah stage productions, in “Antigone” as King Creon in a production with the Cameri Theater and in “Nudnik”.
You Go Girl
Getting people to talk about themselves is
easy. But having the New York Times write
a half page expose on your history, talents and exploits definitely takes more
than the gift of gab or a talented publicist. So, we have to give props to Iris Bahr, the young Israeli- American
writer and performer of the play “Dai”, who the NYT profiled
last week.
You may recognize the writer, actor,
neuropsychologist from her hilarious role as the uptight Orthodox girl sitting
next to Larry David on
the ski lift in Curb Your Enthusiasm…
So
Many Different People to Be, Onstage and Off, if She Can Dodge the Trucks
By
Iris Bahr’s résumé
reads as if it were pasted together from the résumés of a bunch
of people who have never met. At one point she’s working for Israeli
intelligence; then she’s the author of a memoir about, among other
things, her attempts to lose her virginity. Here she is playing opposite Larry
David on television; here she is playing opposite Larry the Cable Guy in a
movie. Oh, and here is Ms. Bahr studying neuropsychology at
FROM Israel21c:
Israeli research: Tiny Saharan valley ensures
survival of Amazon
More than half of the dust needed to fertilize the entire Amazon rainforest is
blown thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean from a small valley in the
African country of Chad, according to new research by an international team of
scientists led by Israeli Dr. Ilan Koren. The results of the researchers from
Health
| Bedouin genetic defect identified by Israeli
scientists
A team of Israeli genetic researchers have identified a genetic defect that
causes a severe neurodegenerative disease in children resulting in premature
death. According to the head of the scientific team from
Technology
| Israeli startup enables computers to 'understand'
human language
Most people have gotten comfortable with the idea of chatting on their computer
- but the day may not be far away when we'll be able to chat with our computer.
A new application created by Jerusalem-based start-up Linguistic Agents will
allow computers to accurately decode human language - a development which is
bound to revolutionize the world of computers. Currently, we change the way we
communicate in order to get our computers to understand us. Linguistic Agents'
new technology will change all that, says the company's COO Simcha Margaliot.
"The same way you talk with friends, you'll talk to your computer."
More...
Global
Democracy | Israeli-Palestinian team cleaning up regional
rivers
Rivers know no boundaries nor politics. That's why the polluted Alexander
River, which runs through both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, has
brought a team of Israeli and Palestinian researchers together to create a blueprint
for action to restore the quality of not only the Alexander, but also the 15
rivers that flow through both Israeli and Palestinian areas. For the first
time, there is joint monitoring of water quality and a combined action plan to
clean the rivers up, and team members are now in the final stages of putting
together an effective river restoration strategy for Israel and the PA which is
tailored to the unique ecological and geographical conditions of local
streams. More...
Profiles
| Israel's alpha female
Whether it's in the fields of business, acting, or public advocacy, Galia Albin
is a powerful player who doesn't do anything halfway. Her high profile began to
emerge following her husband's sudden death, when she defied expectation and
took control of his seven companies and other holdings. Since then, she has
enjoyed a diverse career in the business world, including a sharp detour when
she studied acting and became a television host. Most recently, she has begun
to focus on yet another career - female empowerment - culminating in an
invitation from
Culture
| Israeli film 'Sweet Mud' to compete at
Sundance Festival
now for the rest
Prime source: Daily Alert of the
See also http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/c.hsJPK0PIJpH/b.672581/k.CB99/Home.htm
CIA
Gets Go-Ahead to Take on Hizbullah
- Toby Harnden
The
Bush's move is at the center of a fresh drive by America,
supported by the Sunni states of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt, as well as
Israel, to stop Iranian hegemony in the Middle East. "There's a feeling
both in
Bush:
U.S. Facing "The Decisive Ideological Struggle of Our Time" in Middle
East
In a televised address Wednesday, President Bush said: "Failure in
"Succeeding in
"The challenge playing out across the broader
Prosecutor:
U.S. Student Was Hamas Terrorist Leader - Mike Robinson
Abdelhaleem Ashqar, 48, who was a graduate student at the University of
Mississippi in the early 1990s, was an important Hamas terrorist leader
directing thousands of dollars to families of members who were jailed or
killed, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Ferguson said Tuesday in closing
arguments at the trial of two accused militants. "He's Hamas, and he's
assisting the murderous terrorist activities of Hamas,"
Gaza
Preacher Criticizes Hamas and Is Slain Moments Later - Ibrahim Barzak
Assailants gunned down Muslim preacher Adel Nasar, known for his anti-Hamas
views, moments after he exited a mosque last Friday where he delivered a sermon
criticizing the Islamic group's role in a wave of Palestinian violence. (AP/Boston
Globe)
See also Photo Essay:
Fatah vs. Hamas in the Palestinian Territories (TIME)
News
Resources -
Olmert:
Chinese PM "Surprisingly Positive" on Iran Nuclear Issue - Herb Keinon
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert emerged from his meeting Wednesday in Beijing with
Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao saying that he heard things from his Chinese
counterpart regarding the Iranian nuclear issue "that were surprising -
surprisingly positive and unexpected." Diplomatic officials said that in
private contacts between Israeli and Chinese diplomats recently, the Chinese
have emphasized their opposition to the Iranian nuclear program and have
reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate with attempts to stop it.
While
Hamas Denies It Would
Consider Recognizing Israel -
Avi Issacharoff
Hamas denied Wednesday that its Damascus-based political chief Khaled Mashaal
said in a Reuters interview that his group would consider recognizing Israel
once a Palestinian state is established. Hamas government spokesman Ghazi Hamad
said Mashaal said, "
First Arab
Israeli Minister Named - Attila
Somfalvi
MK Raleb Majadele (Labor) has been appointed Minister of Science, Technology,
Culture, and Sports, the first Arab to be appointed a minister in
Global
Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis (Best of
The Case
Against Talks with Syria - Ehud
Yaari
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is apparently proposing peace talks with
Israel for a simple reason: He is afraid of the international court that is
supposed to be set up in the next few months to try the suspects in the murder
of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri and other political
assassinations in Beirut. The Syrians well know that the UN investigating
committee headed by Serge Brammertz is taking its time because it already has
enough evidence in hand for indictments against senior figures in Syria,
including some who are members of the Assad family itself, or at least very
close to it.
Basically, Assad is asking
Maybe
Israel Should Bust Iran's Bunkers
- Zev Chafets
Israel is certainly thinking about how to stop Tehran from getting its hands on
nukes. And why wouldn't it? Given the evident failure of American diplomacy and
UN sanctions,
There are some who believe that it is in
Ending Israeli-Palestinian Dispute
Won't Resolve Other Mideast Problems - Youssef Ibrahim (
- Some claim that settling the
100-year-old dispute between Israelis and Palestinian Arabs is a sine qua
non to resolving other
- The catastrophes in the
o
Internecine
conflicts in
o
Absence
of representative governments for 350 million Arabs;
o
Uneven distribution
of wealth and corruption;
o
Widespread
illiteracy, poverty, and illness;
o
Disenfranchisement
of women.
- Why does resolving any of these depend
on good will in the Palestinian Arab areas?
- Another canard is that the Palestinian
Arabs themselves are ready for anything in the way of peace. Yet
Palestinian Arabs are gearing up for a civil war of their own. Should
- Gaza, evacuated by Israeli troops more
than a year ago, stands as a vivid example - a mess of armed factions,
extortion, corruption, and Islamic fundamentalism. Palestinian Arabs need
rule of law before a settlement with
MYTH
#247
"Abbas
is helpless to stop the terrorists."
FACT
The
media has helped create the misperception that the Palestinian
Authority (PA) cannot dismantle the terrorist network in its midst because
of the strength and popularity of the radical Islamic Palestinian
terrorist groups.
Hamas
and Islamic
Jihad are not huge armed forces. Together, the armed wings of both
organizations total fewer than 5,000 men. By contrast, the PA has 45,000 people
in a variety of police, intelligence, and security forces (Anthony H.
Cordesman, “Escalating to Nowhere: The Israeli-Palestinian War —
The Actors in the Conflict: The Palestinian Factions That Challenge Peace and
the Palestinian Authority,” DC: CSIS, September 12, 2003, p. 35;
Jerusalem Post, November 25, 2006). Not only does the PA have overwhelming
superiority of manpower and firepower, it also has the intelligence assets to
find most, if not all of the terrorists.
Given
the disparity of forces, the Jerusalem Post’s Palestinian affairs
correspondent, Khaled Abu Toameh, asked “Why then, doesn’t [PA
President Mahmoud] Abbas
simply order thousands of his policemen to deploy along the border with Israel
to halt the Kassam attacks? How come he hasn’t even made the slightest
effort to stop the smuggling of tons of explosives from
Toameh
answers the questions himself. “Abbas
lacks the will — not the ability — to take harsh decisions. In
fact, he appears comfortable with the image of a weak leader low on funds and
resources.”
Despite
the suffering the terrorists have brought them, the Palestinian public has not
called for an end to the violence. No equivalent to
Still,
on an individual basis, it is possible for Palestinians to say no to terror.
When the suicide bombing recruiter phoned the wife of former Hamas
leader Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi to ask if her son was available for an operation,
she turned him down (Israel Radio, August 1, 2002).
In
other countries, including
This
article can be found at http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths2/exclusives.html#a65
Source:
REVISED
Myths & Facts Online -- A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict by
Mitchell G. Bard.
To
order a copy of the NEW paperback edition of Myths and Facts, click HERE.
The previous edition of Myths & Facts is also available in Spanish, German,
French, Russian, Portuguese, Swedish, and Hebrew.
Dr.
Bard is available for media interviews and speaking engagements on this and
other topics.
Save the Date: Saturday, February 3rd, 2007
Break out your blue jeans, and your dancing shoes
and join us for a full evening of food, cocktails, dancing and good
friends.
All this while you peruse the unbelievable items up for bid at the Silent
Auction.
Kick off Super Bowl weekend when TBE transforms into the Temple
Rock Cafe
with some rockin' music, and awesome activities.
Mark your calendars for this Temple Beth El fundraising
"extravaganza".
What:
When:
Saturday, February 3rd from 7:30 p.m. -midnight
Where:
Cost:
Only $90 per person either by check, MasterCard or Visa.
Food:
Dinner (buffet), dessert and full bar.
Entertainment:
Dance to the tunes of "The In Laws" band
playing Rock and
Roll and Pop music spanning the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's.
RSVP: To www.tbe.org with our NEW online RSVP form
or send us the card you receive in the mail with your payment by
January 19th.
Bring your checkbook or credit card and enthusiasm--there will be plenty
of opportunities for you to support the
Questions?
Contact templerockcafe@tbe.org or call
203.322.6901, ext. 304
-------------------------
Dear Fellow Congregant:
We are very excited about
Temple Beth El’s 2007 primary fund raising event “Temple Rock
Café” that will take place at TBE on Saturday evening
February 3, 2007!
This event will prove to be a
fantastic evening for all adult members (FOR ALL AGES) of
The evening will be highlighted
with a Silent Auction in which we need your help in donating items and
services. Silent auction items and services can be just about anything of any
value such as:
Sports tickets Day of Golf Yoga
Lessons
Vacation Package Salon/Nail
Service
Baby Sitting
Music Lessons Theater Tickets Art Work
Jewelry DVD/Music Items Time
Shares
Autographs/
Frequent Flier
Memorabilia
Miles
The Silent Auction is the main
fund raising component of the evening as the ticket price only covers the cost
of the event. All profits will go directly to the
![[Dr. Benjamin Gampel ]](070112_files/image020.jpg)
![[Dr. Burton L. Visotzky]](070112_files/image021.jpg)
