January 25, 2008 – Shevat 18,
5768
A special thank you to our Synaplex and
Sisterhood Shabbat chairs and committee members, and all those who will be
participating in this weekend’s services and events, including all the women
leading services and reading Torah in the morning and our junior choir, who
will be singing at Havdalah Unplugged.
AND WELCOME TO OUR SCHOLAR, YOSSI KLEIN
HALEVI
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NEXT WEEK!!!!
THIS WEEK!!!!
Click here
for a full
updated Synaplex schedule
Featuring
scholar-in-residence Yossi
Klein Halevi. Click
here for his bio.
Friday evening: “
Saturday following
morning services: “A
Jewish Journey into Islam and Christianity: Experiences and Lessons.”
Saturday following
lunch: “Beyond Left and
Right: How
for
Peace with the Palestinians.”
Saturday following
Mincha at the Seuda: (Third Meal) - “Meet the Scholar”
Saturday following
Havdalah Unplugged (open to all, but especially for Young Professionals staying
for the UJF comedy night program or those staying for our Israeli Movie Night):
“Tracing Israeli Politics from 1967 to Today
Through Israeli Rock Music.”
Some other highlights:
Our Yoga team
is putting together a great new session, emphasizing a Shabbat theme.
Interest is growing in
our Meditative Service drew 35 people last time.
Donna
Sweidan will be leading a workshop on “10 Steps to Implementing a Successful Job Search
or Career Change”
Havdalah
Unplugged will be spectacular – Imagine Shabbat
Unplugged with glow sticks!
Daniel
Krauss deals with “Helping our Aging Parents Stay at Home”
Lot Therrio, a therapist and
former minister, has enthralled
people of all ages with his stories from around the world.
My book discussion will be on Emma Shore's new
biography of Emma Lazerus. It is part of the Nextbook
series. Click
here to purchase it.
And, last but certainly
not least…it’s SISTERHOOD SHABBAT!
This just in…
the deadline
has been extended to TONIGHT for tomorrow night’s USY’s Teen Shabbat
Dinner
(8th
Graders are invited too!)
When/Where: Meet in the TBE Youth
Lounge @ 5:30pm. Pickup is at 8pm.
We'll enjoy a (dairy) lasagna dinner and challah
before having our own services in the youth
lounge, then hanging out and having a dessert oneg!
Cost: $5
RSVP to YOUTH@TBE.ORG by Thursday, January 24th.
The first 10 teens to RSVP will get a $5 Cold Stone
Creamery Gift Certificate
Contents
of the Shabbat O Gram:
(Click
to scroll down)
The (Occasionally) Ranting Rabbi
Mitzvah/Tzedakkah
Opportunities
The Beth El Bar/Bat
Mitzvah Commentary
Required Reading and Action Items (links
to key articles on Israel and Jewish life)
Quote for the Week
A person’s character can be
judged by the way he handles three things:
his drink, his money and his anger:
And some people say by the way he jokes also.”
- Babylonian Talmud (Eruvin
65b)
Rave reviews for last week’s experimental “Nefesh
Service” on Friday evening:
“I thoroughly enjoyed the new and experimental Nefesh service on Friday
night. The setting, sitting in comfortable chairs in the lobby, was ideal.
Rabbi, Cantor and David Daniel led us in a well thought out service. We prayed
together, we sang, we heard interesting stories, we meditated, we connected
with people in the circle both visually and orally, and we tried new ways to
make prayer more meaningful.”
Candle lighting: 4:44 pm on Friday, January 25,
2008. For 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.
THE FULL SERVICE SCHEDULE NOW APPEARS ON THE
SEPARATE TBE ANNOUNCEMENTS E-MAIL
Shabbat Services: 6:30 Friday night in the sanctuary
Followed by our scholar
in residence Yossi Klein Halevi.
“
Tot Shabbat Friday at 6:45 pm. in the chapel
Shabbat morning
full updated Synaplex schedule
Morning Minyan:
7:30 Weekdays, 9:30 Sundays
TO ENSURE A “GUARANTEED MINYAN” FOR THE DAY OF
YOUR YAHRZEIT – GO TO THE ROSNER MINYAN MAKER AT WWW.TBE.ORG
AND THEN NOTIFY OUR OFFICE.
Reminder
of our “No School No Shul” policy: On days when Stamford
Torah
Reading For Shabbat Morning
Torah Portion: Exodus 18:1 - 20:23
The Ten Commandments
1: 18:1-12 (12 p'sukim)
2: 18:13-23 (11 p'sukim)
3: 18:24-27 (4 p'sukim)
4: 19:1-6 (6 p'sukim)
5: 19:7-19 (13 p'sukim)
6: 19:20-20:14 (20 p'sukim)
7: 20:15-23 (9 p'sukim)
maf: 20:19-23 (5 p'sukim)
Haftarah for Ashkenazim: Isaiah 6:1 - 7:6; 9:5 - 9:6
Haftarah for Sephardim: Isaiah 6:1 - 6:13
- myjewishlearning.com
- Torah
from JTS
- JTS Podcasts
- American Jewish University
- Academy for Jewish Religion
The Obama
Libel
I don’t yet know whom I will be voting for in the CT primary, but
the horrible smear campaign that has been waged
against Barack Obama should
offend every Jew. According
to an
article in this week's Jewish Week, “Jewish leaders in diverse parts of the
country say the year-old campaign to pillory Obama
based on the four childhood years he spent in Indonesia and the fact his
stepfather was a secular Muslim continues, despite intensifying efforts by the Obama campaign to reaffirm his friendship with the Jewish
community and tout his credentials as an active Christian.”
Of all people, we Jews should be especially wary of the dangers of
the type of unsubstantiated rumors that have become increasingly prevalent in
this era of instant and unedited global communication. It becomes clearer all the time that human
nature has yet to catch up to the technology.
When people began driving cars, they had to get used to the added
speed. For example, they needed to learn
an entirely new way of negotiating turns, very different from the old
horse-and-buggy days. Well, now we have
to get used to the fact that with a single click of the mouse, unsubstantiated
rumors can go viral globally in just seconds.
That’s a far cry from the quaint old days when
Yenta the Matchmaker would tell Golda and Tevye about
Lazar Wolf’s dirty laundry. We need to
recalibrate our ability to sniff out falsehood and become all the more careful
before repeating things we’ve read.
Of course, Obama is hardly the only
victim of political dirty tricks. But
I’ve seen little else directed specifically by Jews to Jews. In light of the upcoming vote in Florida
Let’s just stick to the issues, folks!
Our Kulanu
Teens on YouTube
A week
ago Wednesday night, Kulanu held an open house program for 7th graders (also
attended by 8th graders) featuring a drumming workshop. It was
a fantastic program and the kids had a great time. Also, it was just uploaded to YouTube – so check it out! Maybe
you’ll see someone you know! To our TBE drummers and
dancers – Yasher Koach!
Oh yes,
it’s at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEQplyiSykg
Pats vs.G-Men
It’s not going to be easy to put together my annual Super Bowl
prediction for next week’s O-Gram. Never
before has a Super Bowl hit so close to home for so many around these
parts. Since it’s abundantly clear that,
as a Patriots fan I will be all-to-likely to manipulate the Jewish sources to
show how they are predicting a New England victory, (not that I’ve ever done that in the past!), this year I want to
invite YOU to send me your predictions, based on Jewish sources. Anything is fair game:
numerology, biblical references (lots of giants in the Bible), the Hebrew
meaning of names of players (did you know
that “Tom” in Hebrew is “simple,” – think of the third of the four sons at the
Seder – and he does make things seem so simple!), folklore, cities in
Israel, number of Jews in each city (I
believe Boston has more…J), whether a team’s legendary owner has your wife’s
name (J),
you name it!
I’ll collect the “evidence” and present it objectively next
week. I’ll assume that you don’t mind my
using your name in presenting your prediction.
Teens and kids are most welcome to add their two shekels to this as
well.
Should be a fun week…
Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunties
Beth El Cares:
Inreach and Outreach
Mitzvah Suggestions for the
Week
Chevra Kadisha
of
We at TBE benefit
greatly from this community-wide service.
Our members have always been among the volunteers, but the Chevra is always looking for more people from our
congregation to become involved. The Chevra (Burial Society) performs the sacred act of tahara, washing and preparing the deceased for burial. It is done in a
loving, traditional manner that is profoundly meaningful to all who
participate. Let me know if you might be
interested in helping out. Meanwhile, here is the announcement regarding their
annual dinner, always timed to be held on the date
traditionally known as Moses’ Yahrzeit, a date when burial societies have
customarily been honored throughout the Jewish world.
ANNUAL DINNER
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. at
Congregation Agudath Sholom
Honorees: Bernard L. Shapiro, President of the Chevra
Kadisha, and his son, Benjamin Shapiro
Community Service Award: Michelle Balazano of Leo P.
Gallagher and Sons Funeral Home
Guest Speaker: RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb is the Executive
Vice President of the Orthodox
Donation - $36 person
Sponsorship available at $180 (entitles one to
two reservations at the dinner)
Please join us as the community honors the
many volunteers who selflessly perform the mitzvah of preparing the dead for
burial according to Jewish tradition.
For further information, please call Phyllis
Shapiro at 327-6711.
I received the
following urgent request from our friends in Westport
The Israel Children's Action Network (ICAN!) is comprised of four Israeli organizations that make a tremendous difference in the lives of children.
- Ofanim retrofits old buses into mobile classrooms that
travel throughout the
- College For All is an intensive 11 year mentoring and tutoring program for underprivileged children grades 2-12 with potential;
Tavrow|Lund Consulting has identified
these four Israeli nonprofits as well-managed, unique and effective.
These special nonprofits help children who deal with problems that we do
not like to associate with
Visit our webiste, www.icanfund.org,
to learn more about ICAN! and each organization.
ICAN! is visiting
You can give children in
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Projects:
Keep watching
for projects to appear in this space….
The responsa below contains
a fascinating historical survey showing the wide diversity of Jewish
practice. In the end, Rabbi Golinkin comes out in favor of he entire congregation
standing for the mourner’s kaddish, something that is not the current practice
here (it used to be). My own feeling is
that standing for mourner’s kaddish is something that
enables the mourner to “do” something on behalf of a departed loved one – and
this can be a very powerful, healing act.
Read Rabbi Golinkin’s responsa and see what
you think.
Should We Stand or Sit for
the Kaddish?
by Rabbi David Golinkin
Question:
In some congregations
people stand for the Kaddish, in others they sit, and in others some
stand and some sit. What is the correct custom?
Responsum:
Sitting or standing for the Kaddish
has been a subject of dispute for over 1,000 years. Indeed, Jews have also
argued about sitting or standing for the Shema for 2,000 years, but that
argument is based on many Talmudic sources.1 The Kaddish, on
the other hand, is only hinted at in the Talmud2 so there are no
early sources as to whether it should be recited while sitting or standing.
I shall therefore present
five different customs regarding our topic and then state my own opinion:
1. Sitting for Kaddish
Rav Natronai
Gaon (ninth century) was asked:
A person who enters the
synagogue and finds the congregation who are responding to Kedushah
or Yehi Shemo Hagadol [ = the refrain of Kaddish] when they
are standing [for Kedushah] or sitting [for Kaddish],3
may he answer when he is sitting and they are standing or vice versa, or
what is the correct practice?
So it is good to do: When
they stand, stand; and when they sit, sit; and don't stand out from the entire
congregation.4
The questioner was not
directly interested in our topic, but we learn from his question that the
congregation normally sat for Kaddish.
Rabbi Judah Al-Barceloni (of
and this is a custom of all Jews
in all synagogues to sit seriously bent over (or: with heads bowed) when the Sheliah Tzibbur
recites Barekhu… and Rav
Amran Gaon wrote the same
thing… (Sefer Ha'itim, ed. Ya’akov Schorr, Cracow, 1903, p. 250).
Rabbi
Maimonides (1135-1204) has a similar
approach. He says (Hilkhot Tefillah 9:1-5) that the congregation sits until the Amidah and only the Sheliah
Tzibbur stands beginning with Kaddish and Barekhu.
Finally, this is also the
approach of Rabbi Avraham Hayarhi (1155-1215) in his Sefer Hamanhig,
written in
2. It is Forbidden to Stand
for Kaddish or Barekhu Because of Yohara
Rabbi Yehizkiya
of
those who stand in the
synagogue for Barekhu or Yehey
Shmey Rabbah [the
refrain of the Kaddish] who compare those prayers to Barukh
She'amar or the Shema, it seems to me that
we protest because it appears like yohara
[=haughtiness to appear more observant than others]… and so ruled Rabbi Azriel, unless the person is a well-known Talmid Hakham
[Sage]… (Teshuvot Or Zarua, ed. Kahana, parag. 391 = Y. Z. Kahana, Maharam Mirotenberg: Teshuvot, Pesakim Uminhagim, Vol. 1, Jerusalem, 1957, p. 56, parag. 29; also quoted by Leket
Yosher, Part 1, p. 17 and Shu”t
Maharil Hahadashot, No.
17).
Rabbi Yehizkiya
felt that since everyone sits for Kaddish and Barekhu,
it is a form of yohara or haughtiness to
stand, and only well-known Sages may do so.
3. If One Asks the Answer is
"No", but One Does Not Protest if One Stands
This was the response of
Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg
(ca. 1220-1293) to Rabbi Yehizkiya (ibid.):
"Of course, one who asks, he is instructed not to stand, but [if he
stands], one does not protest, since his heart is directed towards Heaven".
In other words, one who stands for Kaddish and Barekhu
is not guilty of yohara; he does so out of
true piety and we do not protest.
4. If One is Standing When
the Sheliah Tzibbur
recites the Kaddish, One Continues to Stand
This was the custom of the Maharil, R. Ya'akov Moellin (
would not stand neither for Kaddish
nor for Barekhu, but any Kaddish that
caught him standing, he remained standing until [the Sheliah
Tzibbur] finished "Amen, Yehey Shmey Rabbah".
(Minhagey Maharil,
ed. Shpitzer, Jerusalem, 1989, pp. 438-439, which is
quoted by the Rema in Darkhey
Moshe to Orah Hayyim
56 and many others).
Rabbi Hayyim Vital (Safed, 1543-1620)
reported in his Sha’ar Hakavanot
(end of Drush Hakaddish,
fol. 16d) that his teacher, the Ari z"l, would not stand for "Amen, Yehey Shmey Rabbah",
but if it was the Kaddish after the Amidah
of Shaharit or Arvit
or Minhah, he would remain standing,
complete the reply [of "Amen, Yehey Shmey Rabbah"] and then
sit.
It should
be noted that neither the Maharil nor the Ari gives a reason for this custom. The reason may
have been simple logic – if one is already standing, he should remain standing
until he recites the reply “Yehey Shmey” which sanctifies God’s name. In any case, they,
as usual, had a tremendous influence on subsequent halakhah. Thus, for
example, Rabbi Hayyim Benveniste
(Turkey, 1603-1673) says in Sheyarey
Knesset Hagedolah (to Orah
Hayyim 55, on the Tur,
parag. 1) that he changed his own custom after he
read about the custom of the Maharil. Similarly, the Hida, Rabbi Hayyim Yosef David Azulay (Israel and
Italy, 1724-1806) says that we must follow the Ari
because the Kabbalists of our generation follow the Ari (Shiyurey Berakhah to Orah Hayyim 56, subparag. 1 = Responsa
Tov Ayin, No. 18, parag.
32 = Responsa Tuv Ta’am, No. 32, p. 30 quoted
in Sinai 109 [5752], p. 243).
Indeed, modern Iraqi
authorities such as R. Ya’akov Hayyim
Sofer (1870-1939; Kaf
Hahayyim to Orah
Hayyim 56, parag 20),
R. Yitzhak Nissim (1896-1981) in his Responsa Yein Hatov (Jerusalem, 1979,
No. 30) and R. Ovadiah Yosef
(born 1920) in his Responsa Yehaveh Da'at (Vol. 3, No. 4) all follow the Ari. Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef adds that this is the custom of the Sefaradim and Oriental Jews.
5. Standing for Kaddish
This is the opinion of Massekhet Soferim
(21:5, ed. Higger, p. 358):
[On Shabbat] after the
Torah scroll is returned to its place, they recite Kaddish… to teach
that Kaddish is not recited on Rosh Hodesh, fastdays,
Monday and Thursday, Hol Hamoed, Hanukkah, Purim until they return the
Torah scroll to its place, when the people stand and they respond Yehey Shmey Rabbah
while standing.
Massekhet Soferim
is considered by many modern scholars to be a
Palestinian work from the eighth century. Recently, Rabbi Debra Reed Blank has
shown that the third section (Chapters 10-21) was written
in Europe, perhaps in
Despite the Maharil's custom as reported by R. Zalman
(see above), in a responsum published recently from a manuscript (Shu"t Maharil Hahadashot, No. 17) he justifies those who stand for
the Kaddish "out of honor and praise for the Oneness of God".
Indeed, standing for every Kaddish
became the standard practice among many Ashkenazic
Jews, due to the influence of Rabbi Moshe Isserles,
the Rema (
In his Darkhey
Moshe to the Tur (Orah Hayyim 56, parag. 3), the Rema says:
and the
custom is to stand, and so I found in the glosses to the Mordekhai
in the new edition of the Talmud to chapter Tefillat
Hashahar: "In the Yerushalmi:
'Stand up for I want to tell you the word of God' – from here Rabbi Elazar said: When they respond Yehey
Shmey etc. and every Davar
Shebikdusha they must stand on their feet".
As many have pointed out,
this passage is very problematic because:
a) it
is not in the Mordekhai;
b) it
is not in the Talmud Yerushalmi;
c) the
verse quoted is not in the Bible!
However, regarding problem
“a”, the passage is, in fact, found in Shiltey
Hagiborim to the Mordekhai
to Berakhot, Chapter 4, parag. 5. Shiltey
Hagiborim was published by Rabbi Yehoshua Boaz in
The Rema’s ruling was accepted by many, including the Magen Avraham to Shulhan
Arukh ad loc., subparag. 4 and a rabbi quoted by the
Hida (see above) who says "and so is the custom
among all Jewish communities". Rabbi Hayyim Benveniste adds (Knesset Hagedolah
to Orah Hayyim
56): “And so I saw is the custom among many pious men, to stand when they
recite all Devarim Shebikdushah”.
R. Shneyer Zalman of Liady (Shulhan Arukh Harav 56:6) and R.
Shlomo Ganzfried (Kitzur
Shulhan Arukh 15:6)
also ruled according to the Rema.
Others agreed with the Rema, but suggested other proof texts. Some quoted Numbers
23:18 and Bemidbar Rabbah
thereto (20:20) in which Balaam tells Balak to stand
up and listen: "You may not sit when the words of God are being
spoken" (Bigdey Yesha,
Orah Hayyim
56; R. Shlomo Kluger, Responsa Shenot
Hayyim, No. 81; R. Ya’akov
Schorr in his notes to Sefer
Ha'ittim, Cracow, 1903,
p. 250, note 27).
Others quote Sanhedrin
60a, where Rabbi Yitzhak bar Ami says that when judges hear testimony about a
blasphemer they must stand, just as Eglon stood to
hear "the word of God" (R. Shmuel Kellin, Mahatzit Hashekel to Orah Hayyim 56; R. Judah Assod,
Responsa Yehudah Ya'aleh,
No. 11).
Rabbi Kaufman Kohler (1843-1926),
a leader of the Reform movement, wrote in 1914 that the entire congregation
should rise for the Mourner's Kaddish to express sympathy with the
mourner (American Reform Responsa, New York, 1983, No. 120).
Finally, Rabbi Mordechai
Aryeh Wald, a Conservative Rabbi, advocated in 1952
that the entire congregation rise for Mourner's Kaddish. If we rise for Hallel,
a Sefer Torah, Birkat Kohanim, the Amidah, Viduy, Shofar
and the Omer – why should we sit for the Kaddish? He also
stressed that this gives comfort and moral support to the mourners. This is
especially important in our day, when many mourners are not observant and we
need to make them feel welcome in our synagogues (Conservative Judaism
8/3, April 1952, pp. 25-32 = David Golinkin, ed. Proceedings
of the CJLS 1927-1970, Jerusalem, 1997, pp. 1038-1045; Hebrew).
Conclusion
It is clear that this custom
is an example of "nahara nahara upashtey" [ = every river has its own course; Hullin
18b] - there are many different customs and each is legitimate. However, I
would like to advocate the last approach – of standing for every Kaddish
– for three reasons:
1. This custom is supported by Numbers 23:18, Judges 3:5, Massekhet Soferim
and the three midrashim
quoted above.
2. This is now the standard procedure for all important
rituals such as those mentioned by Rabbi Wald and
others.
3. Finally, as Rabbis Kohler
and Wald emphasized, it is especially important to
stand for Mourner's Kaddish where, by standing, we show our solidarity
with our fellow Jews who are in pain.
David Golinkin
3 Shvat
5768
Notes
1. See Levi Ginzberg, Ginzey Schechter, Vol. 1,
2. There is a vast literature about the Kaddish.
In English, see David de Sola Pool, The Kaddish,
New York, 1909 and reprints; Leon Wieseltier, Kaddish,
New York, 1998; Encyclopaedia Judaica, second edition, Vol. 11, pp. 695-698.
3. I have translated according to Brody (see the following note),
p. 135, note 2.
4. Geonica, Vol. II,
pp. 120-121 = Otzar Hage’onim
to Berakhot, p. 50, parag. 124 = Teshuvot Rav Natronai, ed. Y. Brody,
5. For this custom, see the Rema in Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayyim 57:1; Yitzhak
Baer, Seder Avodat Yisrael,
Rodelheim, 1868, p. 76; Ismar
Elbogen, Hatefillah
B’yisrael B’hitpathutah Hahistorit, Tel Aviv, 1972, p. 13, parag.
7.2; The Complete ArtScroll
Siddur,
6. Debra Reed Blank, Soferim: A Commentary to Chapters 10-12 and a
Reconsideration of the Evidence, Ph.D. dissertation, Jewish Theological
Seminary, New York, 1998; idem, JQR 90/1-2 (July-October 1999),
pp. 4-5, note 10.
7. There is a vast literature
on this subject. See, for example, Levi Ginzberg, Peirushim V'hiddushim
Bayerushalmi (above, note 1), Hebrew
Introduction, p. 29
The Schechter Institutes, Inc. is dedicated to the advancement of pluralistic Jewish
education in
In honor
of Sisterhood Shabbat…
Orthodox Ordination of Women as
Rabbis???
In
Has the Messiah come?
See http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m11s19&SecId=19&AId=57454&ATypeId=1
A
The program is being planned by the
Shalom Hartman Institute, headed by Rabbi David Hartman, a leading light on the
left fringe of Orthodoxy, whose British donors include Lord Kalms
and Fred Worms.
Speaking to the JC this week, Rabbi Hartman said that the
ordination would not be the standard type which
qualifies the recipient to make judgements in Jewish
law. It would be a qualification demonstrating that the holder is well-versed
in Jewish texts, ethics and philosophy.
The institute will launch a four-year course for men and women in 2008, focused
on producing educators and ending in ordination. Rabbi Hartman described it is
a return to the root of a rabbi’s role, explaining: “Rabbi means teacher, and
rabbis were always meant to be teachers.” In his view, there is no reason to
exclude women from this qualification.
Rabbi Hartman emphasised that the
objective was not to create female pulpit rabbis, rather to provide school
teachers, particularly for
The Israeli Chief Rabbinate and other leading religious figures
have declined to comment on Rabbi Hartman’s plans: “They just ignore these
things — they have more important things to deal with.” Their silence could also be explained by the time-scale and the fact that
mainstream institutions could choose to ignore the qualification.
Nevertheless, in the long term Rabbi Hartman’s plan could
represent a challenge to the status quo in mainstream Orthodoxy.
For whatever the objectives of the program, Rabbi Hartman admitted there was
nothing to stop graduates from applying for pulpit jobs.
“That is up to them — people are free to choose what they want to do.” In such
circumstances, it would be up to the individual communities to decide if
someone was suitable.
“If a community looks for a rabbi as a halachic authority, then no. If a community looks for a rabbi to make Judaism exciting for its
congregants, then yes. “Everyone gets
panicky about where things will lead to, but that’s not my concern. My concern
is filling a need.”
Read here about
the Women of the Wall,
the group that started it all by
standing up
to the Rabbinical Authorities.
Interested in On-Line
Courses from the Conservative Yeshiva in
On-Line Tehillim (Psalms) Course
beginning the week of February 10, 2008
Instructor: Rabbi Gail Diamond
http://www.uscj.org.il/yeshiva/OnLineClassTehillim.php
The Beth El
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Commentary
Daniel Chimes on Beshallach
Today’s
portion describes the splitting of the
According to
Jewish legends, Nachshon was the one who took the
first step into the
Like Nachson, I feel that it’s important to be original and true
to yourself, even if it means standing out from the
crowd. I do it in many ways.
For one
thing, I’m the first Bar Mitzvah of 2008 at
Another way
is through music, and it’s ironic that today happens to be Shabbat Shira (the
Sabbath of Song). My musical tastes are
different from most. I also play guitar
and write songs.
I also I try
to stand out from the rest in what I wear and how I look. But it’s not because I want people to notice
me. It’s because I want to be true to
myself – to be the person I really am.
Becoming a
bar mitzvah has a lot to do with learning who we really are. It’s the first step to adulthood. Like Nachshon’s
step into the water, before you know it, sometimes you get up to your neck in
responsibility. But when you are willing
to stick your neck out, great things can happen.
Like Nachshon – and like me – the Jewish people have always been
willing to stand out from the crowd.
People like Bob Dylan, a talented poet and legendary musician, who based
some of his songs on Jewish themes. As a matter of fact, I found out that 400 people attended
his bar mitzvah, the largest one ever in
There are
some cases where people try to stand out from the crowd just to prove that they
are part of the crowd. For my mitzvah project, I am supporting
Special Olympics. Those athletes simply
want to show that they can do the same things anyone else can. But in doing that, they
have to overcome many obstacles. Simply
by being normal, they show that they are extraordinary.
The same is
true about bar mitzvah. It’s a very
normal thing for any Jewish teen to be part of. But in standing up here, I realize that it
also gives me a chance to stand out from the crowd.
(Bob
Dylan source http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Bob_Dylan.html)
Required
First, some
GOOD NEWS
Israeli tennis star Shahar Pe'er reaches Australian
Open finals (in doubles) (Ha’aretz)
Beaufort - Joseph Cedar
- NOMINATED FOR A BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM ACADEMY AWARD®
Opens Jan. 18 @ Lincoln Plaza Cinemas / Quad Cinema
Kino International is proud to announce that
Joseph Cedar’s BEAUFORT (2007), currently playing in
Perched atop a mountain in southern
It has become his reason to live, filling him with power, fueling him with
self-importance, driving him to allow perilous - and ultimately meaningless -
operations. Bomb specialist Ziv loses his life when
the bomb he is about to defuse explodes. 19-year-old Zitlawi
dies in a missile attack. And Oshri, who can´t wait to see his girlfriend in
As the day of retreat approaches, Liraz is forced to find a new meaning in his life. For he, too, realizes that Beaufort, once a symbol of victory,
has long since become a symbol of futile bloodshed. Finally, the order comes to
blow up the fort. Liraz pulverizes the cursed
mountain that killed his friends - and destroys what he loved and hated the
most.
Lincoln Plaza Cinemas /
Quad Cinema - 1886 Broadway at
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1200572519269
- Beaufort receives Oscar nod
http://www.tin.tv/homePage.aspx?t=1&l=0&z=0
– Israeli Network now available online.
Second
Life Israel - Megan Jacobs
Virtual world "Second Life" opened a virtual Israeli community for
its "Residents" on Sunday, allowing over 11 million users worldwide
to teleport into a vibrant 3-dimensional Internet version of the country.
"The purpose of Second Life
As a Legacy Heritage Fellow at the European Union of Jewish
Students in 2007, Landau initiated the Second Life
Unemployment
Drops to 10-Year Low - Adrian Filut (Ynet News)
2008
Herzliya Conference on Israel's National Security
(Institute for Policy and Strategy,
View the conference sessions - January 20-23, 2008
(thanks to Sherry Cohen
for sending this one from the
HE'S A NEW JEW
CNN's chief national correspondent, John King, has a way to go before marrying
his co-worker and sweetheart, congressional correspondent Dana Bash. The Irish
Catholic is converting to Judaism before their May wedding. "Yes, it is
true," he told Page Six. "I'm studying to convert and will consider
inviting you to my bar mitzvah. Mazel tov. On a more serious note, I took a class and am working
with a wonderful rabbi in DC, and it has been a remarkably enriching
experience."
now for the rest
Prime source: Daily Alert of the
The
Gaza "Blackout" and the Laws of War - J. Peter Pham (National
Review)
- Although
the so-called "
- As Prof. Michael Krauss of George Mason University Law School and
I pointed out last year when Gaza was designated "hostile
territory" by the Israeli cabinet: If Gaza is territory under the
control of the enemy - as it manifestly is under Hamas - then the Israeli
government is both within its rights and arguably obliged by its
responsibilities to its citizens to treat the strip as "hostile
territory."
- Siege and
blockade of a hostile territory is a legitimate tactic of war, used in
declared and undeclared (e.g., Cuban) conflicts and explicitly recognized
by the 1949
- Even this
exception was conditioned on there being "no reasons for fearing...
that a definite advantage may accrue to the military efforts or economy of
the enemy" (for example, if resources destined for humanitarian
aid will be commandeered by the enemy).
- Notwithstanding
the outraged howls from the external enablers of Hamas, there is no basis
in international humanitarian law for claiming any belligerent is obliged
to supply energy to territory occupied by the enemy, conventional or
otherwise.
The writer is director of the Nelson Institute for International
and Public Affairs at
Israel: We Will Defend Our Citizens - Even at the Price of
Condemnation - Roni Sofer
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni
told the Herzliya Conference Tuesday: "Israel
should not have to apologize for its existence and it will continue to defend
the lives of its citizens, even at the price of condemnation....It is
inconceivable for Palestinians to fire rockets on Israel and then ask for our
help." "We are not heading towards a new cooperative Middle
East, but rather parting consensually for the good of our children and ourselves,
and so that we may preserve our sense of independence," she said.
On
Peres: UN
Must Denounce Hamas, Not Israel - Aviram Zino
The UN Security Council must denounce Hamas rather
than
"In this case, there is no doubt who
started and there is no doubt that Hamas is constantly firing missiles, and
this cannot remain unanswered. The responsibility for the situation in
EU Official:
Gaza Siege Not a War Crime - Dana Zimmerman
European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom, and Security, former Italian
Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, said Tuesday that
the steps leading up to the Gaza blackout cannot be construed as a war crime
and criticized the incessant Kassam rocket fire on
Israeli civilian population centers. "There has been a large
misunderstanding in recent years between Europe and
See also Dutch Foreign Minister:
Israel Unfairly Singled Out for Criticism by UN - Cnaan Liphshiz (Ha'aretz)
Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis (Best of
Blame
It on Hamas - Editorial
Last week, 100 rockets rained down on
Yaalon: No Progress Possible Without
Palestinian Reform - Roni Arison
Former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon said Tuesday
there was no chance for a peace agreement with the Palestinians without
Palestinian reform. Speaking at the Herzliya
Conference, Yaalon criticized the "failed"
political perception that assumes the need to find a solution as soon as
possible. "This perception must be replaced immediately," he said.
The reform in the PA should include education reform. "As
long as the Palestinian education system preaches jihad, a holy war
against
Israel's
Statement to the Security Council: The Situation in Gaza and Sderot - Charge d'Affaires Gilad Cohen (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- The
situation in the region today did not develop overnight. It is the
consequence of many choices, repeatedly the wrong choices, made by the
Palestinians to adopt terrorism and violence over peace and negotiations
with
- Since the
year 2000, more than 7,000 rockets and mortars have been
fired at
- Normal
life in Sderot is a thing of
the past. Not a day goes by when the Red Alert warning system does
not sound, which gives children on playgrounds and in schools, and parents
at home and at work, less than 15 seconds to find the nearest shelter
before the next rocket comes slamming into their lives. Why is the Council
not concerned with the safety and security of
- Hamas
controls the fate of
Escalation
of Terror in Gaza (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- Beginning
on Jan. 15 and over the next 24 hours, more than 100 rockets and mortars
were fired by Palestinians from Gaza on the Israeli cities of Sderot and Ashkelon -
indiscriminate fire raining down on Israeli civilians. A Hamas sniper
murdered 20-year-old volunteer Carlos Chavez from
- More than
two years ago,
- Since the
Hamas takeover of
- A clear
distinction must be made between Palestinian
terror attacks against
Israeli
Town in Trauma from Palestinian Rockets - Rebecca Harrison
When the siren sounds, the residents of Sderot, an
Israeli town just a mile from Gaza, drop everything
and run for cover. They have 15 seconds to reach a bomb shelter and face an
almost daily barrage of Palestinian rockets. "We are living in a war
zone," said Hava Gad, a 42-year-old mother of
three. Sderot's streets, many of them cratered by
rockets, are dotted with bomb shelters. Bigger concrete shelters decorated with
colorful murals stand outside schools and community centers. (Reuters)
See also Rockets
Keep Raining Down on Sderot - Dina Kraft and
Andrew Friedman
After seven years of rocket fire from nearby Gaza and no end in sight, Sderot residents are weighing w hether
or not to stay, as crippled businesses survive on hope and loans. Home prices
have fallen by 50%, said Yakov Levy, a realtor in
town. "It gets to you. You think about it all the time," said Atara Orenbouch. "You are
always thinking: If there were an alarm now, where would the safest place be to
hide?" (JTA/Washington Jewish Week)
Palestinian Group
Sounds Like Al-Qaeda - Ilene R. Prusher
A new fundamentalist player is emerging in Palestinian politics. The group
sounds like Hamas - or even al-Qaeda - but doesn't support suicide bombings or
secret militias. Hizb ut-Tahrir
(the Party of Liberation) is now filling a hole left by Hamas in the West Bank.
In many of the places where Hizb ut-Tahrir
is popular - the party says they're active in 45 countries - governments often
see them as a feeder organization to more extreme groups.
James Brandon, a senior research fellow at the Center for Social
Cohesion in London, says that party officials worldwide don't advocate or
organize violent attacks. "But...they act as a conveyor belt organization,
in which they attract people and radicalize them, and then those people
eventually move on, reject the Hizb ut-Tahrir method, and start looking to al-Qaeda." The
group is bann ed in many
countries, including
Observations: Implications of the Breached Gaza-Egypt Border
Gaza Border
Breach May Pressure Egypt to Act - Adam Entous
Retired Brig.-Gen. Shalom Harari of Israel's
Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Herzliya said
Hamas may have achieved a "PR" victory in Gaza, but the situation
would now put more pressure on Egypt to act - to Israel's benefit. "The
situation may look worse on the surface, but
"For months and months,
- See also Israel
Wants to Sever Connections with Gaza
- See also Will Responsibility for Gaza
Shift to Egypt? - Benny Avni
Some Israeli officials saw an "opportunity" in the flow of hundreds of thousands of Gazans into - See also Proving
the Egyptian Alternative - Yaakov Katz
- See also Hamas'
Strategy: Disconnect Gaza from Israel, Connect to the Arab World - Pinhas Inbari
Opening the border between
MYTH #286
"
FACT
Israel has always regarded the creation of a Palestinian state as a threat to its security. This remains true today, but most Israelis believe the best chance for coexistence with the Palestinians is to negotiate an agreement whereby a demilitarized state is created in the Gaza Strip and most of the West Bank.
Given the damage and terror caused by the rockets
Palestinians are firing daily from Gaza,
it should not be surprising that Israelis worry about the possibility of a
Palestinian military force with missiles, artillery, tanks, warships or fighter
planes. Long before the two-state solution became popular, discussions about
the creation of a Palestinian state envisioned that it would be demilitarized
to minimize the risk of an Israeli withdrawal.153
Following the
|
“You can’t expect — President George W. Bush, (January 9, 2008) |
While the focus of the negotiations, and media coverage of them, has been on the familiar issues of settlements, refugees and Jerusalem, it is the issue of whether the Palestinian state will be permitted to create an army that could threaten its neighbors that may yet turn into the major obstacle to an agreement.
Notes
153For example, demilitarization was one of several prequisites to ensure Israel’s security after the
establishment of a Palestinian state according to a study group that explored
Israel’s options for peace in 1989. The West Bank and
154Khaled Abu Toameh, “PA does not want demilitarized Palestine,” Jerusalem
Post, (January 4, 2008).
This article can be found at http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths2/exclusives.html#a84
See also Mitchell Bard's blog:
http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/author/mbard
Source: Myths
& Facts Online -- A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict by Mitchell G.
Bard.
Jewish Dictionary (www.jewishjokes.net)
JEWBILATION n. Pride in
finding out that one's favorite celebrity is Jewish
TORAHFIED
n. Inability to remember one's lines at one's Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
MATZILATION v. Smashing a piece of matzo to bits while trying to butter it.
BUBBEGUM n. Candy one's
mother gives to her grandchildren that she never gave to her own children.
CHUTZPAPA
n. A father who wakes his wife at 4:00 a.m. so she can change the
baby's diaper.
DISORIYENTA
n. When Aunt
Sadie gets lost in a department store and strikes up a conversation with
everyone she passes.
KISHKA n. Smooching at
a Bar Mitzvah and getting the telltale smell of Stuffed Derma.
MEINSTEIN
slang. "My son, the genius."
MISHPOCHAMARKS
n. The
assorted lipstick and make-up stains found on one's face and collar after kissing
all one's aunts and cousins at a reception.
RE-SHTETLEMENT n.
Moving from
FEELAWFUL
n. Indigestion from eating
DISKVELLIFIED
vb. To drop
out of law school, med school or business school as seen through the eyes of
parents, grandparents, and Uncle Sid. In extreme cases, simply choosing to
major in art history when Irv's son, David, is
majoring in biology is sufficient grounds for diskvellification.
KINDERSCHLEP
n. To transport other kids in your car besides yours.
OYVAYSMEAR What one says when the cream cheese squeezes out of the
bagel and falls on your clean pants.
JEWDO
n. A
traditional form of self-defense based on talking one's way out of a tight
spot.
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