Just a quick post to wish you and all those whom you love a wonderful, healthy, joyful, reflective New Year. May 5769 be a year of promise, hope, success and peace.
Category Archives: Judaism
1Rabbi proud of another
I’m proud that Rabbi David Saperstein of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism gave the invocation (click here for the video of the prayer) at tonight’s DNC program. Check out the RAC, its programs and educational initiatives at http://rac.org . (I’m posting from my Treo, so it is hard to insert links.)
Sharing a Post about King David Street and Tractor Terror #2
King David Street is a familiar location in Jerusalem. Many people have lodged, studied, shoped and lived along this famous street once on the boarder between Israel and Jordan.
This past Thursday Rabbi Michael Marmur reflected on the street, its visitors and its recent terror attack. He wrote a post for the Jerusalem Post Blog. His words resonated with me for many reasons, and so I want to link it here for you. Read his entire post.
Another Terrorist Attack by Tractor
Another East Jerusalem resident used a tractor as a terroristic weapon today in Jerusalem. Once again the attack was near the center of the city, this time focusing on the area near the King David Hotel where Barack Obama will be later today. I still don’t understand the desire to solve a problem by trying to kill people. I don’t think I will ever understand it, for such a perspective is not part of who I am.
I only have a few minutes as I post this, so I am keeping it short. Here are some links:
Ha’aretz story on the attack, Jerusalem Post on the attack, reactions of Obama and Abu Mazzen to the attack (also Ha’aretz),
More Antisemitism
I just shared with you information about the antisemitic church sermon on Sunday. I opened my daily email from the Jewish Telegraph Agency (JTA) and I read that an American tourist in Belgium was refused service in a restaurant for being Jewish. He was reportedly told, “We’re not serving Jews here, get out.” [Read more here.]
What is going on in our world?
Church Sponsored AntiSemitism – "Almost a Pogrom"
This Sunday in Krakow (also spelled Cracow) Poland, a Bishop preached a sermon against “the kikes.” n case you are unaware, kike is a horrible antisemitic slur akin (but not the same as) the n-word. I find it quite disturbing that the church a significant figure in a church (edited on 2/17 after reading comments below) is once again preaching hateful antisemitism.
Here is an excerpt from an article by Ha’aretz:
“This was not a pogrom, but it was close. Sunday’s incident in Krakow at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was rife with overtones of hatred. “The Jews are attacking us! We need to defend ourselves,” shouted Prof. Bogoslav Wolniewicz, to stormy applause.
“About 1,000 people gathered for special services Sunday at the church, organized by the Committee Against Defamation of the Church and For Polishness, along with the anti-Semitic Radio Maryja. Local residents were informed of the service by posters that proclaimed: “The kikes will not continue to spit on us.”
“The huge church was packed. People sat on the stairs and stood in the aisles. The service opened, as usual, with prayer and song, but after about half an hour, the 91-year-old bishop of Krakow, Albin Malysiak, began inflaming the crowd with his sermon.” [Click here to read full article.]
Much of the vitriol was spewed against Jan Gross, a scholar and Polish-American who grew up in post-war Poland. He has published a number of works, including “Fear: Anti-Semitism in Poland After Auschwitz” for which there are a number of reviews, including one by Publisher’s Weekly.
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. [Signature]Reviewed by Deborah E. LipstadtRarely does a small book force a country to confront some of the more sordid aspects of its history. Jan T. Gross’s Neighbors did precisely that. Gross exposed how in 1941 half the Polish inhabitants of the town of Jedwabne brutally clubbed, burned and dismembered the town’s 1,600 Jews, killing all but seven.The book was greeted with a terrible outcry in Poland. A government commission determined that not only did Gross get the story right but that many other cities had done precisely the same thing. Now Gross has written Fear, an even more substantial study of postwar Polish anti-Semitism. This book tells a wartime horror story that should force Poles to confront an untold—and profoundly terrifying—aspect of their history. FearFear, the next time I hear someone say the Poles were as bad as the Germans, I will probably still challenge that charge —after all the damage wrought by the Germans cannot be compared to what the Poles did—but my challenge will be far less forceful. I may even keep silent. 8 pages of photos. (July 4)Lipstadt is director of the Rabbi Donald Tam Institute for Jewish Studies at Emory University and the author of History on Trial: My Day in Court with David Irving.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Here is what two other blogs are saying about this hateful sermon:
What do you think?
Back…Happy New Year…G'mar Tov…..Hag Sukkot Smeach
I’m back. Wishing you and yours a belated Happy 5768, wishing that you and yours be sealed in the Book of Life and a Happy Sukkot.
I can’t believe how long it has been since I posted. I have been working working, working and working some more. The only days I haven’t spent working (on the computer and paperwork side) are the Holy Days when I’ve been doing the rabbinic work. As my wonderful, late friend LN (z”l) said – for rabbis there is nothing mar about Heshvan. The month after Tishrei (our month with holidays from the 1st through the 24th) is called Heshvan. It has no holidays and thus the rabbis called it mar or “bitter” Heshvan. I love our holidays, especially Sukkot, but I can’t wait for a non-mar Heshvan.
May your Sukkot be joyous
Shameful and ?antisemitic? behavior by the VA against a Jewish Navy veteran
While researching a memorial day sermon, I came across a blog post by the NJDC Blog, titled “A disturbing report of mistreatment toward Jewish veterans.” (The blog referenced an article in the JTA.)
The JTA reports,
A Jewish Navy veteran accused a Veterans Administration hospital of denying him kosher meals and trying to convert him to Christianity.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that David Miller, 46, was hospitalized at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Iowa City three times in the past two years for kidney treatment. Miller, an Orthodox Jew, said he went hungry because the hospital refused to provide kosher meals or allow him to contact his rabbi, who would have brought them.
I am appalled at the lack of respect, courtesy and common decency of the VA in Iowa City.
I am a former Navy Chaplain and the Navy Chaplain’s motto includes “facilitating for others” – meaning at the very least providing for kosher food, sabbath observance and such. The Navy is breaking its own rules!!
Unfortunately, this falls right in line with the proselytizing that is occurring throughout the military. The Navy should be ashamed of itself.
Citing Shmuley Boteach on the Pope
Greetings and salutations on this secular New Year day.
Today’s Jerusalem Post has an interesting article on some of the recent actions and statements by the Pope. Boteach speaks of the Pope’s recent “warm greetings” for Ahmadinajab of Iran, the recent Holocaust denier’s conference there and the Pope’s condemnation of the execution of Sadaam Hussein.
See if you agree with Boteach in the following excerpt from the article,
Last week, the church broke ranks with nearly every moral voice and came out publicly against Saddam’s execution. But if that were not enough, Pope Benedict XVI granted a private audience to a delegation of Iranian officials, led by Iranian Foreign Minister Manoucher Mottaki, whose ministry sponsored the recent Holocaust denial conference in Teheran.
The pope is the foremost spiritual leader on earth. It shocks every moral sensibility that he would choose to legitimize a wretch like this. More troubling yet, the pope conveyed warm greetings to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad through the delegation.
Warm greetings? Ahmadinejad is calling virtually every week for Israel’s annihilation. Does the pope have anything to share with this man aside from his contempt? One would hope that a pope who witnessed the Holocaust and the destruction of the Jewish people would practice extra caution before hanging out with those who wish to renew Hitler’s efforts.
LET’S NOT finesse this. Ahmadinejad is an international abomination who can lay strong claim to being the single most hate-filled man alive. Surely the pope can find more worthy recipients of his time and graciousness?… (keep reading)
Yes, it is a bit unusual for me to cite Rabbi Boteach, but on this point, I agree. How about you?
Shavuah tov
Shavuah tov – a good week to you and yours. This week we read parashat Vayishlach, a portion continuing the story of Jacob and his family. Here are some net resources on the portion:
Summary of the portion (Torah from Dixie)
Commentary on the reunion kiss between Jacob & Esau (JAFI)
Rabbi Shefa Gold on Vayishlach – a spiritual commentary
Take a quiz about Vayishlach from Paredes
Wikipedia on the portion and many links to other commentaries
Read, learn, reflect and connect with the text.
Enjoy and may you have a week of blessing!