by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Friday, November 19th, 2010
Only in New York. A noted federal judge reinvents the zeved habat/ simchat bat, courtesy of today’s Wall Street Journal:
… Bennett Epstein [a Manhattan trial lawyer]… recently asked New York federal judge Kimba Wood to grant him a day’s reprieve in a criminal trial to attend the bris of his grandson. Epstein’s daughter has not yet given birth — so he doesn’t yet know the sex of the baby. But Epstein wanted to give Judge Wood ample notice to consider his request, given that his daughter’s due date is Dec. 3, smack in the middle of the scheduled trial.
So Epstein was stuck in the slightly awkward position of asking Judge Wood for a day off if, in fact, the baby turns out to be a boy. If it’s a girl, well, no bris, no day off needed.
Wrote Epstein, in this letter filed with the court on Thursday:
Should the child be a girl, not much will happen in the way of public celebration. Some may even be disappointed, but will do their best to conceal this by saying, “as long as it’s a healthy baby.” . . . However, should the baby be a boy, then hoo hah! Hordes of friends and family will arrive . . . for the joyous celebration . . . known as the bris. . . . My presence at the bris is not strictly commanded, although my absence will never be forgotten by those that matter.
Judge Wood, in a note written at the bottom of the letter, granted the request. But she did Epstein one better. Wrote Wood:
Mr. Epstein will be permitted to attend the bris, in the joyous event that a son is born. But the Court would like to balance the scales. If a daughter is born, there will be a public celebration in Court, with readings from poetry celebrating girls and women.
We say, well done Judge Wood!
How did Epstein respond to the answer? “It was wonderful,” he told the LB on Friday. “It struck the perfect chord.” Epstein said he appreciated being granted some time off to celebrate, given the burden such a request places on a court. “As a lawyer, you don’t want to make a habit of asking for things like this,” he said. “You’re really asking for a disruption of the court’s time. So I’m very grateful.”
And on the topic of having to ask a noted female judge for time off to celebrate the birth of a boy, but not a girl, Epstein minced no words:
“Look, the Jewish religion is sexist. It just is. But I didn’t make the rules!”
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Friday, May 7th, 2010
Sorry for the delay, but this is what happens when you only get around to reading last Sunday’s New York Times Magazine on Friday morning.
In any case, I loved this excerpt from the Magazine’s long piece on Obama’s rising-star junior staffers:
ERIC LESSER LOOKED out over the containers of Thai carryout, the bottles of wine and the Shabbat candles. “Should we do Shalom Aleichem?” he asked, and the whole table began singing a warbled but hearty version of the song that welcomes Shabbat. In Lesser’s group house of Obama staff assistants, Friday-night Shabbat dinners have become something of a ritual, a chance to relax and spend a few hours with friends, reflecting on the week. Sometimes it’s just the four housemates, sometimes it’s a large group from the campaign trail or the White House, sometimes it’s friends from college and people who happen to be in town.
Once it was even their bosses — “the Bosses Dinner,” they still call it. David Axelrod, Lesser’s boss, was out of town, but others came: Jake Levine’s boss, Carol Browner, the White House coordinator of energy-and-climate policy; her husband and her sister; and Ziskend’s boss, Jared Bernstein, the vice president’s chief economist, along with his wife and their two young kids. Linda Douglass, then the director of communications for the White House office of health reform, was also there.
Around the table on a late September night, the weekend of Yom Kippur, were the four housemates along with Samantha Tubman, a 30-year-old associate director to the social secretary who helps plan nearly every White House event, and Sam Wilson, 27, the deputy director of broadcast media for the White House office of communications. On the campaign trail, Tubman was a press wrangler, one of the most difficult and least glamorous jobs. She had to make sure the press corps was fed and on time, all while dealing with lost luggage and hotel mishaps. Tubman, who is petite and has a quick, engaging smile, was also an older-sister figure to a lot of the young staff members. “Do you remember when we met at a coffee shop in Keene, N.H., when I was still a college student?” Ziskend asked, turning to Tubman.
At the end of every Friday dinner, the tradition is that everyone goes around the table and says something from the past week for which they’re grateful. Over Whole Foods gingerbread and brownies, Lesser looked at his watch and announced, “O.K., we’ve got to do this and then get out of here.” They all had other friends they were trying to see that night.
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
Rabbi Shai Held has written a beautiful article on chiddush, Jewish authenticity, and gender egalitarianism in response to last week’s Hershel Shachter brouhaha.
Here’s an excerpt, but you should read the whole thing.
One can recoil at Rav Schachter’s words and still be grateful to him for drawing an absolute line in the sand. The world of Jews committed to serving God through a life of Torah and mitzvot is divided between those who believe that gender roles are eternally fixed and immutable, and those who believe that new faces of Torah and halacha are revealed in every generation—as they must, if Torah is to remain a Torat Chaim, a Torah of life, dynamic and alive in every generation.
One can respect the integrity—not to mention the robust clarity– of Rav Schachter’s position. But I wish to make one very fundamental point: the time is long past for Jews to assume that the forces of reaction are somehow “more authentic” or “more religious” than the forces of dynamism, responsiveness, and creativity.
For generations now, those arguing against Chiddush (innovation) in halacha have prided themselves on their insistence that conservatism is just about always the (only) authentic position. There is nothing particularly surprising about that.
But what is surprising—and not just surprising, but profoundly damaging for the prospects of Torah in the modern world—is that those who have argued for Chiddush out of passion and conviction that this is what God wants have largely conceded the point. And thus, countless Torah-observant Jews spend much of their time anxiously looking over their right shoulder, hoping against hope that those on the other side of Rav Schachter’s line will somehow confer legitimacy upon them.
Well said! It’s about time.
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Monday, November 16th, 2009
This is a painful opinion piece from this week’s New York Jewish Week. Devorah Zlochower and Rabbi Dov Linzer are luminaries in the progressive/open Orthodox world. One of them is a beloved former teacher of mine, and maybe of yours, too. The two of them write about how they have begun to withdraw from the Jewish community because of how their children with invisible disabilities have been treated (or not treated). That these particular two people feel so alienated and so angry at the Jewish establishment speaks volumes.
We are the parents of two children with what are often termed “invisible disabilities.” Invisible disabilities can include learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and Asperger’s syndrome, Tourette’s syndrome and other tic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other anxiety disorders, mood disorders and behavioral disorders…. More profoundly, these disabilities are invisible because these children have become invisible in our community. Synagogues do not provide Shabbat programming for children who cannot handle the standard Shabbat groups or junior congregation. Day schools do not educate many of these children, and prayer services in synagogue are not welcoming places for these families…
While there have been a number of stories in the Jewish media recently about the rare programs that do exist, more often, families like ours hear that such programs are too expensive and serve too few children to make them viable. We in turn have pulled away from the community in our search to have our children’s needs met… We have asked for help in the past, but we have been told “no” so many times that by now we feel it is futile to ask. And we are angry — angry because our children survive by our advocating for them, and advocacy is not always pretty… We can’t do it alone. We are overextended emotionally and financially. We worry every day about our children’s future. Will they be able to make a living? Will they marry? How will they manage when we are gone? And we have current worries, too. Will we be able to continue to afford the education, the therapies, and the medications that our children need?
We have been forced to accept that we will not find a place for our children in the Jewish day schools, but we can no longer tolerate that this extends to our synagogues as well. For our children, inclusion in the prayer services and programming at synagogue is a last chance to be part of the Jewish community, and they are being pushed out with both hands.
Full article here.
If even the rock stars are having such a difficult time, how much harder must it be for everyone else struggling with similar issues? Yashar koach to them for sharing their story.
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
Jews United for Justice is proud to partner with the Progressive Jewish Alliance to bring an exciting new social justice training program to DC! The Jeremiah Fellowship educates and trains a select cohort of young adults (ages 25-35) to become the next generation of Jewish social justice change makers.
* Empower yourself through in-depth training in professional and leadership skills .
* Expand your knowledge of what Jewish text, tradition, and history have to say about putting ethics into action.
* Acquire tangible organizing and activism skills within a Jewish context.
* Explore pressing social, political, and economic issues facing our region.
* Become a member of a lasting community of vibrant and engaged leaders.
* Access a dynamic network of organizers, advocates, rabbis, artists, and renowned scholars.
During the nine-month course, Fellows come together twice monthly to learn different models of putting ethics and values into action, for intimate conversations with leaders in Washington’s Jewish and social justice worlds, and for intensive study of Jewish history and texts. Two Fellowship retreats during the year offer in-depth training in professional and leadership skills, study of Jewish tradition and history, and intensive community-building activities. Participants leave the Fellowship with concrete skills in community organizing, activism, and grassroots fundraising, better equipped to pursue their own volunteer work and careers in the social justice field.
We are seeking creative, dynamic, and engaged young Jews who are: already volunteer leaders or have leadership potential, passionate about making our community better, actively interested in building community, and committed to using the skills gained through the Fellowship. The Fellowship is committed to the diversity of each cohort, and believes that a breadth of experience adds to the richness of the program. People of all Jewish backgrounds are encouraged to apply, and prior knowledge of Hebrew or Jewish texts is not required.
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, with a final deadline of September 8th. Submit your application as soon as possible for the best chance of acceptance. Applications and more information here.
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
Also, is “halakhic progressive” the new designation for minyanim like Shira Hadasha? Is “partnership minyan” out?
JOFA (the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance) invites submissions for its Seventh International Conference on Feminism and Orthodoxy to be held in New York City on March 13th and 14th, 2010.
Leadership within the Modern Orthodox community has, for too long, been the domain of men. Halakha has been used by those in power to exclude women from positions of authority. Traditional values and social conservatism have reinforced narrow interpretations of Jewish law. Despite this historic reality, over the past few years, we have begun to see a serious effort to change this monolithic male power model.
Halakhic progressive minyanim, such as Shira Hadasha in Jerusalem, where women lead parts of the service, have emerged as a viable alternative to traditional synagogues. A woman has recently been ordained as a member of the American Orthodox clergy and is serving in a rabbinic role in an Orthodox synagogue, and women are members of the religious staff of a number of Orthodox synagogues. More women are founding and leading serious schools of learning where women are being trained as halakhic decisors. And, in the home, more women and men are sharing responsibility for ceremonial and ritual practice, previously performed by men only.
The challenge we now face is to both accelerate these changes and at the same time make them an accepted part of the mainstream Orthodox experience. In this conference, we will explore historical precedents that can serve as models for women’s empowerment today. We will engage with texts to develop a balanced view of the halakhic dimensions of women’s leadership in communal and religious life. We will examine novel approaches to facilitate change within Orthodox institutions and traditions. We will hear from Orthodoxy’s young female leaders and scholars. Finally, we will discuss how to maximize the new facts on the ground to create a more vibrant, inclusive and democratic view of leadership within the Modern Orthodox community. We hope to address these issues through diverse perspectives and especially welcome proposals for interactive sessions, as well as those that focus on innovations in life cycle events.
Please submit a short abstract of your proposed presentation, as well as a brief CV via email to: conference@jofa.org. The final date for proposal submissions is October 15, 2009.
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Thursday, May 14th, 2009
I just got a huge announcement in a tiny email:
We are pleased to announce the opening of Yeshivat Mahara”t, an Orthodox Yeshiva of Higher Learning, founded by Rabbi Avi Weiss of The Hebrew Institute of Riverdale.
Yeshivat Mahara”t (Manhiga Hilchatit Ruchanit Toranit) will train women to become Orthodox Spiritual Leaders– full members of the Rabbinic Clergy– in Synagogues, Schools, and on University Campuses.
Resumes and letter of interest should be emailed to Mahara”t Sara Hurwitz at sarahurwitz@yahoo.com, or call 718-796-4730, ext 107.
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Sunday, May 3rd, 2009
TPM‘s Josh Marshall writes:
It used to be that when you saw two men and one woman under a chuppah, everyone’s assigned role was clear. Not any more.
LOVE IT.
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Wednesday, April 8th, 2009
From the JTA:
President Obama will host a Passover seder Thursday evening in the White House.
The president’s schedule for the rest of the week, released on Tuesday evening, said that Obama would mark the beginning of the holiday with a seder for friends and staff. No other information was provided. It is believed to be the first presidential seder held in the White House.
William Daroff, vice president for public policy and director of the United Jewish Communities Washington office, said the seder was scheduled on the second night so as not to disrupt first night family seders and is “a testament to how far we have come as a Jewish people in America.
“Jews are a vital component in the mosaic that is American culture and society,” he said. “Our welcome through the front door, and the dining room door, of the White House speaks to the inclusiveness of today’s America and of President Obama. This night is indeed different from all other nights.”
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Sunday, March 29th, 2009
As we reported last week, a group of 25 large Conservative synagogues calling themselves HaYom: The Coalition for the Transformation of Conservative Judaism has formed to pressure the USCJ [the congregational arm of the movement] into becoming a “synagogue organization that truly speaks to the needs of our congregations and community on every level, both here and in Israel.” Their founding and subsequent announcements were signed by the rabbis and presidents of 25 large Conservative synagogues. As we learn in their latest dispatch, these shuls were chosen “based upon the size of their dues obligation in order to create a climate in which the leaders of the USCJ would come to the table quickly and begin a dialogue.” We also learn that the shuls collectively contributed $25,000 to the new coalition. In other words, these are the shuls with the money, and therefore the power.
As fascinating as all of this might be to Conservative movement watchers, I found something else more interesting (and irritating, and unsurprising). Here’s the list of signatories to the new coalition (rabbi followed by president/s). What do you notice?
Rabbi Richard Camras Barry Wolfe
Rabbi Mark Cooper Barry Bearg Peter Drucker
Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove Steven M. Friedman
Rabbi Menachem Creditor Jeff Rosenbloom
Rabbi Alexander Davis Marshall Lehman
Rabbi Ed Feinstein Andrew Hyman
Rabbi Wayne Franklin Nathan Beraha
Rabbi Baruch Frydman Kohl
Rabbi Bill Gershon Hylton Jonas
Rabbi Felipe Goodman David Steinberg
Rabbi Bill Hamilton Noah Roffman
Rabbi David Kalender Edward Weiss
Rabbi Joseph Krakoff Brian Hermelin
Rabbi Harold Kravitz Judy Cook
Rabbi Alan Lucas Susan Zelman
Rabbi Jack Moline Evelina Moulder
Rabbi Joel Rembaum Diane Shapiro
Rabbi David Rosen Stuart Wilson
Rabbi Phil Scheim Carrie Orfus Gelkopf
Rabbi Michael Siegel Jay Goodgold
Rabbi Alan Silverstein Bill Lipsey
Rabbi Barry Starr Arthur Spar
Rabbi David Steinhardt Roger Leavy Fred Weiss
Rabbi Gordon Tucker Mark Zeichner
Rabbi Steve Weiss Dick Myers
Rabbi Irvin Wise Nina Paul
Rabbi David Wolpe Kurt Smalberg
Rabbi David Glanzberg-Krainin Fred Wolfson
Hazzan Jacob Ben Zion Mendelson
Hazzan Alberto Mizrahi
Hazzan David Propis
Number of men? 54. Number of women? 6. Number of rabbis who are women? 0.
If we take this list as even somewhat representative, even (or especially) just representative of large, American Conservative synagogues, women appear to make up a mere 10% of the top synagogue leadership and 0% of the clergy.
These are the rabbis and synagogues that pull the purse strings, get the PR, and wield power in the movement, such that congregations have any power in the Conservative movement anyway. And women appear to be largely absent from that scene.
It’s not, as some will say, simply because women have only been ordained in the Conservative movement since 1985 and therefore haven’t made their way to the “top” congregations yet. What are the barriers to women’s election/appointment to the presidencies of large synagogues? Grump.
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Wednesday, May 28th, 2008
Mazal tov to Rabbi Jill Jacobs!! The Conservative Movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS) today passed Rabbi Jacobs’ teshuvah outlining the responsibilties of Jewish employers toward their employees. Check out our friends over at Jspot for a summary of the teshuvah’s conclusions; we’ll post a link to the full text once it’s available. This teshuvah has been several years in the making– yashar koach!
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Sunday, May 25th, 2008
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ), the congregational arm of the Conservative Movement, has issued a request for proposals from existing or potential independent minyanim that “are interested in developing a relationship directly with a USCJ congregations [sic].” In return, minyanim will receive $2,500. The RFP is extremely vague about what it means to partner with a Conservative congregation, other than that it involves prayer (“or ‘davenning,’” as the RFP clarifies in a seemingly giggle-inducing attempt to speak indie minyan language) and that minyanim “may encompass a spectrum of practices that falls within the Halachic framework of Conservative Judaism.” (More on that below.) While the language of the RFP itself feels clumsy and and a tad self-serving (though no harm there, since that’s their job), it’s probably the smartest thing the USCJ has attempted to do in recent history. I don’t expect they’ll have much success with existing minyanim, but I could see it appealing to a limited set of young people with strong Conservative denominational identities who are looking for more room to do their own thing within the Conservative movement and who want to start new minyanim. Text of the RFP, commentary, and an application below:
PROJECT OVERVIEW AND GOALS
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) recognizes that it must be a dynamic and not a static Movement.
My first reaction to the opening line was something sophisticated along the lines of “duh,” but then I realized that, in all seriousness, and snarkiness aside, this may actually be a revelation for institutional Conservative Judaism.
To that end, this initiative reaches out to engage Jewishly committed young adults. During the last 10-15 years many independent prayer or “davenning” communities of young adults have emerged,
The use of the translation, “davenning” (in quotes no less) does make me laugh. It’s really okay just to call it “prayer.” But they’re trying, they really are, and they get points for that.
often generated by those whose commitment to Jewish life grew from experiences in United Synagogue Youth(USY), Camp Ramah and Solomon Schechter Day Schools.
Ah, denominational possessiveness rears its head once again. The authors of the RFP seem not to have read the recent indie minyan survey, which concluded that “[t]he presence of alumni of the Conservative educational system… in the more visible leadership of emergent communities has prompted many observers to see the movement as drawing primarily from the Conservative demographic heartland…. However, despite these widely held impressions, the distribution of denominational upbringing among the independent minyan… is not all that different from those found in the NJPS… In short, in terms of upbringing, there is not much exceptional about the emergent communities’ denominational profile, with participants’ backgrounds spanning the denominational spectrum [sic]…” (pp.14-15).
On the other hand, the language of the RFP is at least a welcome a change from the rhetoric of former JTS chancellor Ismar Schorsch, who was famous for statements such as “[t]he Hadar movement could not be mistaken for anything but a Conservative synagogue: It’s fully egalitarian and seriously Jewish. The ritual is neither Reform nor Orthodox; it’s quintessentially Conservative… The young people at Hadar are intellectually Conservative and they are ritually Conservative except they are advanced Conservative Jews rather than entry-level Conservative Jews. They wish to distinguish themselves from the materialistic, bourgeois synagogues of suburbia.” (Did he really say that in print and still manage not get fired for either offensiveness or illogic?)
More »
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Thursday, May 1st, 2008
JTA reports:
Bahrain will name a Jewish ambassador to the United States, a report said.
Huda Azar Nunu, a Jewish woman who is a lawmaker in Bahrain’s upper house, will be named to the Washington position, according to a report this week in A Sharq al-Awsat, a Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily published in London.
“The sources denied that the appointment of Nunu as a woman and a Jew is a public relations campaign by Bahrain in the West, emphasizing that Huda Nunu has proven her qualifications, whether through her membership in the Consultative Council or through her work in human rights associations, of which she is an active participant in Bahrain,” the newspaper said.
Full article here.
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Thursday, May 1st, 2008
Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day (or, if you’re in Israel, Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day). Israel takes the day quite seriously, at least officially. Restaurants and “places of entertainment” are supposed to be closed by law. Many Israeli TV channels are only broadcasting a still picture of a candle or an Israeli flag and a message that “broadcasts will resume after the end of Holocaust memorial day.” Other channels are showing Holocaust-related programming.
This morning at 10:00, the air raid/Shabbat siren sounded for two minutes, as usual. As usual, traffic came to a halt, people got out of their cars and stood at attention, passersby stood still, and everyone on the bus stood up. At my intersection, though, the taxis continued to zoom through, weaving around stopped cars, and the construction workers kept working, while the garbage collectors paused. On a friends’ corner the taxis stopped. I wonder whether the difference has to do with capitalism or the drivers’ degree of identification with the Jewish narrative or something else.
As another friend commented, it is also disturbing– though powerful– that the mode of remembering Holocaust victims here is via an air raid siren. Last night’s official government ceremony at Yad Vashem also had military undertones strewn throughout. The ceremony began with the entrance of a military honor guard with large guns. Throughout the ceremony they were told either to stand at attention with their guns or to stand at ease. The constant commands about shifting guns back and forth felt odd, distracting, and out of place.
Other parts of the ceremony were moving, particularly the stories told about six particular survivors who were present. The accompanying pictures were powerful, and I learned a number of things I hadn’t known before (including the fact that there were Nazi camps in Norway). I was especially struck by the fact that the oldest of the survivors was only 13 when the Holocaust began. This means that in very little time there will be no more survivors. I wonder what that will mean for the way in which Israel commemorates the day.
More »
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Wednesday, February 27th, 2008
JTA (and inside sources) report that Brandeis has selected a winner in their competition for Bronfman Visiting Chair in Jewish Communal Innovation (i.e., “the next big idea in Jewish life”). According to this article “the idea is based on the contest held by Sears Roebuck and Co. chairman Julius Rosenwald in 1929, in which Rosenwald offered $10,000 to the person who could answer the question: ‘How can Judaism best adjust itself to and influence modern life?’ Sixty-two contestants answered the question over two years, until Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism, submitted his work ‘Judaism as a Civilization’ and won.”
Mazal tov, Yehuda!
Brandeis names competion winner
Brandeis University selected a Harvard graduate student as the winner in its competition for a visiting professorship and book deal, JTA has learned.
Yehuda Kurtzer, who is finishing his doctorate in Jewish history at Harvard University, won for his proposal, “Shuva: the Sacred Task of Rebuilding Jewish Memory.”
Brandeis and the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies offered a two-year visiting professorship and a book deal to the person who could come up with the best proposal for a book that would transform the way Jews think about themselves and Judaism.
Kurtzer’s book would be a combined history, theological statement and prescription for programming that can help Jews access their history through text study to create meaningful Jewish experiences, Kurtzer said Sunday at a Brandeis symposium for the five finalists in the competition. The open competition garnered 231 applicants.
The school would not comment on the selection until after the official announcement.
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Wednesday, February 27th, 2008
If you’re in NYC and want to learn more about the intersection of Judaism and justice from a stellar lineup of teachers (and a great book), run run run to sign up for this class! (And then email us if you want to guest blog any of the sessions). It looks amazing.
REVOLUTIONARY TEXT STUDY!
A Six-Part Series on Michael Walzer’s Exodus and Revolution
“Wherever people know the Bible, and experience oppression, the Exodus has sustained their spirits and (sometimes) inspired their resistance.”
- Michael Walzer, Exodus and Revolution
Do you have the same conversations at your Passover Seder, year after year? Are you looking for something that might spice things up this time around?
Do you crave substantive and meaningful Jewish learning in community?
If so, here’s the program you’ve been waiting for!
Exodus and Revolution, by Michael Walzer, traces the dynamics of revolution, redemption and liberation through the biblical story of the Israelites leaving Egypt for the Promised Land. It also examines later retellings of Exodus by diverse groups including classical rabbinic interpreters and political actors who used the story as the rallying point for their own revolutionary struggles – from African American resistance to slavery and Jim Crow, to the British and French Revolutions, to the guerilla liberators of various Latin American countries.
Over the course of 6 weeks together, we will unpack Exodus and Revolution through intensive learning in chevrutah (in pairs) and through facilitated discussions that will be guided by some of NYC’s leading scholars and activists. You will have a chance to learn with and from a roster of inspiring rabbis and social justice educators, including:
Aaron Dorfman
Director of Education, American Jewish World Service
Rabbi Elie Kaunfer
Co-Founder and Executive Director, Mechon Hadar
Rabbi David Rosenn
Founder and Executive Director, AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps
Dara Silverman
Executive Director, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice
Rabbi Melissa Weintraub
Co-Founder and North American Director, Encounter
Shmuly Yanklowitz
Co-Founder, Uri L’Tzedek
Rabbi Brent Spodek, the Marshall T. Meyer Fellow at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, will open and close the series by teaching the introduction and conclusion. Teams of rabbis and educators (including those listed above) will teach the four chapters in between.
Dates: Weekly, starting on Wednesday March 12th and ending on Wednesday, April 16th (March 12th, 19th, and 26th and April 2nd, 9th, and 16th).
**The course will end just in time for you to bring your newfound insights to your Passover Seder!
Time: 7pm-9pm
Location: TBA
RSVP: Audrey Sasson at 212.792.2871 or asasson@ajws.org or asasson@avodah.net.
This program is brought to you by AJWS, AVODAH, Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, Encounter, Uri L’Tzedek, Mechon Hadar, and JFREJ.
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Tuesday, February 26th, 2008
I’m too tired to really comment, but here’s the update on the egg roll strike story from two weeks ago:
Yesterday’s The World reported that Israeli sushi restaurants planned to go on a “sushi strike” today in phase two of their protest against Israel’s plan to eliminate work permits for foreign chefs. (Okay, really their plan is to challenge the new Israeli policy in court, but this is more fun, if totally counterproductive.)
Best line in the story comes from the Israeli owner of Sakura, a Japanese restaurant in Jerusalem: [Israelis just want to be normal.] “Being normal means you can eat sushi whenever you want…kosher or not kosher…”
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Wednesday, February 20th, 2008
Unbelievable, but sadly unsurprising. Maybe they don’t teach plate tectonics in Shas schools.
Today’s Haaretz reports:
Shas MK Shlomo Benizri blamed gays Wednesday for the earthquakes that have shaken the region in recent months, telling a Knesset plenum debate on local authorities’ earthquake preparedness that government action on homosexuality would do much to prevent the tremors.
Benizri said the government should not make do with reinforcing buildings, but should instead pass less legislation that encourages homosexuality and other “perversions like adoptions by lesbian couples.”
The ultra-Orthodox party MK invoked passages from the Talmud and the Gemarrah to support his claims.
The Jerusalem Post adds further details:
Homosexuals caused Israel’s last earthquake, Shas MK Shlomo Benizri said Wednesday.
During a special Knesset session on earthquakes, Benizri said he proposed that the Knesset “find a way to prevent mishkav zachar [sexual relations between men], and thus save [us] a lot of earthquakes.”
MK Ophir Paz-Pines (Labor) responded to Benizri’s statements by saying that MK Nissim Ze’ev should be banned from the Shas faction because of his influence on his party members.
Last week, Ze’ev told faction members that “homosexuals were poisoning society,” and that “homolesbianism legitimized the state of Israel’s ‘self destruction.’”
At least Benizri seems to hate pluralistically. A bunch of years ago he seems to have made the news for complaining about foreign workers and saying, “”I just don’t understand why a restaurant needs a slant-eye to serve me my meal.” In March 2006 Benizri was charged by the State Prosecutor’s Office with accepting bribes worth millions of shekels and breaching the public trust.
Lovely.
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