Rabbis & Imams Praying Together

Judaism, Muslim Blogs

Wonderful, hopeful news out of Brussels in Sunday’s Ha’aretz. On Wednesday, Rabbis and Imams prayed together (following a moment of silence) for the tsunami victims. The participants spoke of the spontaneity, joy and camaraderie of doing so. Read all about it in the article.

Also hopeful is the fact that the rabbis and imams had been together to seek means of greater involvement for religion in quietening the bloody Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

May these efforts in peace, coexistence and understanding continue and grow.

Some thoughts on Sunday's Palestinian Authority Elections

Israel, Palestinians

Sunday will be election day in the Palestinian areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Palestinians will elect a new President to replace Arafat. There are many predictions, pronouncements, warnings and hopeful statements on the web and in the media. I do not intend to duplicate any of them nor even summarize them. Rather, I share with you some signs and evidence of work already happening on the ground to continue to nurture co-existence and peace.

All Nations Cafe, has been engaging in coexistence for some time now. Take a look at the beautiful
pictures on their website of some of their activites. (Who are they, their information page includes the statement, “We believe that people can live in peace if they get to know each other, through sharing food, having an open conversation, through celebrating and through working together.”

According to the Jerusalem Report, the Israeli Army may not re-enter Palestinian areas after the election.

Leslie Susser of the Jerusalem Report details some of the mechanism of the election,
The January 9 election will be monitored by about 250 international observers. Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter will head a 90-member supervising committee. The election will be conducted according to the 1996 model, in which East Jerusalem Palestinians voted at post offices, rather than at regular polling booths. Israel did not want to deny East Jerusalemites the right to vote, but at the same time did not want the fact of their having voted to imply anything about the territorial status of disputed East Jerusalem. The dilemma was resolved by having them cast what could be regarded as a postal vote. The same procedure will be followed this time too.

I have hope which I pray will not be dimmed by terror or extremism on any side that Sunday will be a step toward democracy and peace for the Palestinians.

Israeli Company Donates Tsunami Warning Systems

Israel, Social Justice/Tezedek

This morning’s news from Israel includes a great statement about generosity, hope and help above profit. Meir Gitelis of Avtipus Patents and Inventions Ltd. is giving away – for free – tsunami alert systems to countries in South East Asia affected by the devastating earthquake and tsunamis. What a moment of pride. I learned of this from an article in Ha’aretz. Here is an excerpt,

An Israeli company said on Monday it planned to distribute free to Asian countries hit by last week’s tsunami a device it says could save lives by warning holiday-makers directly that a tidal wave is coming.
The system developed by Israeli inventor Meir Gitelis uses land and water sensors, smaller than a shoe box and each costing $170, to measure seismic activity and wave motion.

Like other systems already in operation, the sensors can send alerts in seconds by satellite to governments anywhere in the world. Unlike others, this system can also relay warnings directly to private subscribers over cell phones, pagers or dedicated receivers, spreading the message more widely.

Seaside hotels could install a satellite receiver to pick up warnings broadcast over the system seconds after an earthquake that could cause giant waves. Local cell phone or pager networks could do the same and send SMS messages to their subscribers…..”We’re not doing this to make money,” Gitelis said. “He want to help people. We plan to give our product to poor countries for free and we will not charge the countries that were affected by the disaster in Asia.”

Read the rest of the article here.

May this act of generosity inspire others.

Thinking about those in South East Asia

Social Justice/Tezedek

As we prepare for Shabbat, let our hearts, minds and tzedakah be turned to the peoples of South East Asia whose lives, families, homes and entire communities have been ripped apart. It has long been part of our tradition to give tzedakah just before Shabbat begins.

Where to give? There are many places where you can do it online and with ease:

Tsunami Help Blog lists specific requests and agencies who will recieve a package. (It is also a wonderful site for information.)

Union for Reform Judaism Asia Disaster Relief Fund

The Reform movement also has a beautiful prayer for the victims of the tsunami. The prayer includes,

…As we gather this Shabbat, we remember the loss of tens of thousands of God’s children killed this week in the Asian Tsunamis. We pray that the survivors find strength and comfort. We pray that those who search for missing loved ones be sustained with courage and hope. We pray that those who have lost so much have the fortitude to rebuild their lives. Loving and gracious God, who created the earth in all its fullness, grant them comfort, healing and peace. Be their help, in this, their time of need….May we be the voice that brings comfort and hope in the midst of the storm.

The Reform movement also has some resources on handling natural disaster.

The Conservative movement recommends giving through the American Joint Distribution Committee

May our prayers, hearts and resources send comfort, hope and help.

Torah Commentary for the Week – Vayigash

Jewish Texts - English

This week’s Torah portion continues the saga of Jacob. His sons, having learned the true identity of Phaoroh’s Vizier, their brother Joseph, prepare to return to Canaan to tell Jacob that his son is still alive.

This portion is filled with family dynamics, travels and the process of change. One of the change-agents in the text is a woman by the name of Serach bat Asher, a “female Elijah” of sorts who helps the brothers tell Jacob about Joseph and later helps the fleeing Israelites find Joseph’s bones.

Read Rabbi Sheridan’s drash at Learn Torah With….

Learn, study, live and enjoy the last day of Hanukkah!

An Auspicious Anniversary

Judaism

Today is a significant anniversary for rabbis, especially female rabbis. On this day the first woman in North America worked as a rabbi. (Regina Jonas worked as a rabbi in Germany before she was murdered by the Nazis.)

Jewish Women’s Archives gives the details on thier This Week in Jewish History site.

On December 12, 1950, Paula Ackerman became the interim “spiritual leader” of Temple Beth Israel in Meridian, Mississippi after her husband, who was the congregation’s rabbi, passed away. In 1919, Paula Herskovitz had married Rabbi William Ackerman. As a rebbitzin, Paula Ackerman was an active partner, not only teaching in the Hebrew school and helping out with the sisterhood, but also taking her husband’s place in the pulpit whenever he was absent or ill. Ackerman was also a member of the board of the Reform movement’s National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods (NFTS) and chairman of NFTS’s National Committee on Religious Schools.

Read the rest of the story here.

Formal ordination of women as rabbis by accredited and recognized rabbinical schools began in 1972 when Hebrew Union College ordained Rabbi Sally Priesand. (Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1973 and Jewish Theological Seminary in 1985.)

Hag Urim Sameach

Judaism

Happy Hanukkah!

May these days be filled with light, joy and pride for you and yours.

The many ways to spell Hanukkah].)
Huge collection of Hanukkah resources at My Jewish Learning.
How to light the candles
Hanukkah service for the home
Text studies on Hanukkah.
Hanukkah and hunger, connecting our celebration with those in need.

Hanukkah music from around the world.

Hanukkah Food (a.k.a – the fried food festival)
Sufganiyot (Thanks Rinat for a link to the picture.)
Sufgagniyot recipe
Hundreds, if not thousands, of latke recipes (quite a few of which I made last year – yummmmm.)

Torah Commentary for the Week – Vayeshev

Jewish Texts - English

Torah commentary for the week is back. This week’s Torah portion is Vayeshev, beginning the saga of Joseph which will continue through the next 4 portions. Rabbi Sharon Mars of Univerity of North Carolina Hillel examines Joseph’s character, specifically is he righteous? Her drash is titled Joseph: Technicolor Tzadik? The complex character of Joseph raises questions about what it means to be righteous.

Go, learn and have a shabbat of peace and blessing.

Historic Decision for Same-Sex Benefits

Israel

Israeli Courts recently decided that Same-Sex partners have the right to inherit their deceased partner’s estates. Excerpts from the beginning and end of the full article

The Nazareth District Court on Sunday handed down a landmark decision declaring that the survivor of a homosexual partner is entitled to inherit his or her estate as long as the deceased has not willed it to someone else….
According to Maman, the High Court handed down a landmark decision on equal rights for homosexual couples in the workplace in 1994, when it ruled that the benefits offered to the common-law partners of El Al employees should include same-sex, as well as heterosexual, couples.
Maman also said that Article 55 of the Inheritance Law, which granted common-law partners the same inheritance rights as married partners, was primarily aimed at helping common-law couples who could not marry because of religious law.
Although the law at the time was clearly aimed at heterosexual couples, it did not rule out homosexual couples. In fact, homosexual couples belong to the category of those who are prevented by matrimonial law from marrying.
Mike Hamel, chairman of the Association of Homosexuals and Lesbians, hailed the decision as “highly significant” and said he hoped that it would be the springboard for recognizing homosexual rights in other spheres of matrimonial law.

May all peoples live in countries with equal rights and privledges.