Film on The New Yorker writer’s coverage of the Eichmann trial lacks some passion.
New theater troupe, a division of the Folksbiene, mounts second production digging into Russians’ complex background.
Learn the "Top 18" Kosher white, red and Israeli Wines, Read about the American kosher wine scene, Israeli wines and much more
Tourism booming in the Negev, that first teen roots journey, driving in Israel (really!), and more.
Claims Conference
Dear Friends Of Holocaust Survivors,
Dignity and respect for Holicaust Survivors was not to be found at the Claims Conference.
I am not surprised by the current negative state of affairs swirling around the leadership of the CC.
From its inception it was clear that the CC exploited and subjugated Jewish Ho aust Survivors.
It was also clear that they were not interested in promoting harmony, fairness, unity and openeds.
Jewish Holocaust Survivors and the Jewish Community paid, and are still paying, a heavy price because if their selfish and Draconian management style.
The New York Jewish Leadership could have reigned in the CC and helped Jewish Holocaust refugees. As during WWII they chose not to be helpful.
What is the real relationship between the CC and the Germans?
Why does the Home Care program and Cafe Europe program waste millions without being helpful to Holocaust Survivors?
Good Day
Carl Minuskin
Such an interesting story and wonderful recipe!! Looking for more from these sisters!
Two words to solve the day school tuition crisis, not to mention the entire US quality of education crisis - SCHOOL. CHOICE.
Unfortunately, the non-observant Jewish community is vitrually the only voting bloc out there still opposed to it. Besides the teacher's union and their political cronies, of course. And there's quite a bit of overlap between the two groups.
I have talked to Catholic schools and a Christian school in California. They charge a lot less than we do. The high school in California charges 7,300 per year has 160 students. Perhaps we may want to stop talking to ourselves and start talking to others who do the same thing but have a different theology.
Betty and Ilyse - thank you for coming to tour Chapel Haven and for writing this wonderful blog about Chapel Haven's Jewish Student Organization. We are grateful to Rachel Scolnic-Dobin, MSW, of Jewish Family Services of New Haven, and Rabbi Hesch Sommer, for providing such a robust program on our campus. We appreciate the nice mention! Good luck as you continue to look at next steps in transition.
Stop wasting your time reading articles by anonymous schmendricks.
If these boys were truly on an intellectual quest, I would expect them to be more vigorous in their search for information and not just except one side of the story - J Street's. They lost me when he said (after being in Israel for only 10 days), "Understanding what Israel truly needs. . ." The arrogance of that statement is astounding! Perhaps they should try living there for a year, and then maybe, just mabye, they can begin to see the true nuances and complecations of the situation.
You'll be surprised to learn that I daven in an Orthodox shul, with separate seating and a minyan that would meet even your definition. At the same time, I also appreciate that not all Jews follow this observance. Jenn and WOW are not attempting to impose their definition of a minyan on anyone and are certainly not attacking anyone who davens in a different way than they do. Why then are you and your colleagues so up in arms about how the and they choose to daven.
And what's up with all this praying "for peace" and "prey on peace" play on words? Do you seriously think that WOW is threatening the existence of Eretz Israel? From what I read, WOW was simply celebrating rosh hodesh, including saying Hallel. For this they deserve to be attacked?
What percent of Jews in the States or Israel do you think davened that day? So here are some women who actually want to daven, and they are attacked, verbally and physically! Do you realize what a hillul hashem this behavior represents? Tisha B'Av is not that far away and Chazal teaches us that the reason for the horban was sinnat hinam. Jews were killing Jews within the walls of the city even as the Romans were attacking. My point -- with the reference to all the enemies surrounding Israel right now --- is that sadly nothing has changed in the past 2000 years.
I strongly support the motivation of these students to delve more deeply into understanding the political situation in Israel. My sense is that the birthright trip motivated them to look deeper, which is commendable. I would suggest if you (or any other students) are interested in returning to Israel to learn about the political situation on a deeper level, apply for the Hasbara Fellowships program (www.hasbarafellowships.org). There are still spots on the program leaving June 16th!
Ability vs. Disability
Gary Shulman, MS. Ed.
Special Needs Consultant and Trainer
shulman.gary@yahoo.com
April, 2013
During my more than 24 years as Program Director of Social Services and Training Coordinator for Resources for Children with Special Needs and now as a private consultant and trainer, I have had the great pleasure of asking thousands of parents of children with disabilities to tell me about their children's talents, skills, abilities and passions. Very often that question has been met with astonishment, "Someone is actually asking me to accentuate the positive as the old song says!" What a concept! My heart has always been warmed and my soul and spirit uplifted by the myriad responses that gleefully utter from the lips of these proud parents: "Susan is a gifted musician-she hears a song once then sits down and figures it out on the piano", "My son swims like a fish!" "Thomas has memorized the entire subway system-he is passionate about trains.", "Hector always greets me with a hug and seems to know when I am feeling down-he brightens up my life." ………and on and on. My response is to have everyone in the room praise and applaud these positive stories of hope, joy and delight. We of course also move on to discussing the needs, wants, wishes and dreams.
I often tell the story of an "angel" who blessed this world by the name of Matthew. When Matthew was born, the doctor who had obviously not been through any sensitivity training, felt compelled to tell the new parents the bad news that after conducting genetic testing, Matthew was determined to have a very rare condition called I-Cell Disease. "So what does that mean?-when can we bring Matthew home to enjoy and love him?" The doctor proceeded to elucidate that Matthew should not be brought home but rather institutionalized! He then felt compelled to share that Matthew's immunological system would over the course of 5 or 6 years, destroy all organs in Matthews tiny body. "Why put yourself through such misery-he will never grow or develop. Needless to say these spiritual, caring, loving dedicated parents took Matthew home and received Medicaid under the Medicaid Waiver program to meet many of his complex medical needs. He was enrolled in Early Intervention where his miraculous and talented Occupational Therapist Ilaine, only saw the potential skills, talents and strengths. Matthew learned to happily feed himself, walk with a walker, sing, dance and love……..oh how this child gave and received love. He was pure love. This beautiful child positively affected ever human being who was fortunate enough to have the joy of knowing this angel on earth. I made him pancakes during one visit and he stopped eating for a moment, turned his steroid filled, barely moving body, to face me so he could tell me, "Hey Gary! These are delicious!" Matthew by the way had a photographic memory and could tell you every player in the Yankee dugout, give you directions to Grandma's house and direct you to all food items in the supermarket.
There is no miraculous ending here-Matthew died after 6 glorious years on earth. Six years of love and joy. Six years of enhancing the lives of everyone who was fortunate enough to have known this miraculous child. At his funeral were all the friends, neighbors, family members and admirers whose lives had been touched by this angel of humanity. The doctor who had diagnosed Matthew of course was not present. His memory lives on in every workshop I conduct. His parents graced me with a gift that I will always cherish. Knowing that Matthew would soon be leaving this world, they had him record anything that he wanted to say to those people in his life whom he cared for. Sitting on my dresser is a small photo book with Matthew's picture in it. There is a button in that photo-book. When you press that button, Matthew's sweet voice can be heard saying, "Hello Gary-I love you!" His spirit helps to motivate all parents of children with disabilities who have been told by "professionals" what their children would never be able to do. Just as the Bumblebee should not fly according to scientists, yet does (because nobody has ever told the bumblebee he can't fly) so too will all children with disabilities continue to FLY as long as we continue to recognize that behind every label of disability there is a human being with abilities, talents, skills and passions…………………..and love to give and receive. We must never take the hope away!
Behind every child with a label of disability is a child with ability to be cherished, praised and supported.
Leora! I loved the article! A happy Jew on Okinawa! Mike!
The Kotel is not a place to 'peacefully protest' or hold a 'prayer rally'. Busing in thousands of young girls to crowd Women of the Wall out of the women's section is not "simply devout people who came to pray at the Kotel"
It is simply not true that the angry crowd numbered only 25-50 protesters. There are pictures and videos of what really happened and I was there so I also know something: At some points during the tefilla, there were thousands of Haredi men (and a few of the women too) booing, whistling, and screaming. A conservative estimate is that there were hundreds of Haredi men pushing and shoving, throwing water bottles, coffee, rocks and garbage at Women of the Wall and our supporters. The police had to call in reinforcements to contain the violence.
As I was at the Kotel on Rosh Hodesh Sivan, praying with my group, Women of the Wall, I will add some opinion and facts:
1. The Kotel is not a place to 'peacefully protest' or hold a 'prayer rally'. Busing in thousands of young girls to crowd Women of the Wall out of the women's section is a form of aggression.
2. Women of the Wall have been conducting dignified and joyful Rosh Hodesh morning services for 24 years. Our service is no more a provocation than any other group's Rosh Hodesh morning service.
That was the opinion. Now for some facts:
3. There were not a 'dozen riffraff''. At some points during the tefilla, there were thousands of Haredi men (and a few of the women too) booing, whistling, and screaming. A conservative estimate is that there were hundreds of Haredi men pushing and shoving, throwing water bottles, coffee, rocks and garbage at Women of the Wall and our supporters. The police had to call in reinforcements to contain the violence.
4. The Israeli Democracy Institute found: "When later told that the Israeli district court had ruled that the Women of the Wall were not violating the "local custom" and were not breaking the law, support for Women of the Wall grew to 56%, while 34% maintained their opposition."
http://en.idi.org.il/about-idi/press-releases/with-court-ruling,-majority-of-israeli-jews-back-women-of-the-wall/
5. Women of the Wall's true and only goal is to achieve the social and legal right for women to pray as a group, wear tallit, tefillin and read from a sefer torah out loud in the women's section at the Kotel.
I can only share my own birthright story. And our experience was completely the opposite. Our tour guide is an officer in the military. He took the time to extensively explain the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Israeli-Arab conflict. He was in the middle of a conversation as we started driving past the west bank when he stopped his conversation and got on the microphone and started talking about "the wall." He started explaining when and why it was built. He also discussed where it was actually a wall and where it was a fence. He talked about how Gaza does not want the West Bank. And throughout the trip, he made very sure to explain the history of all the wars, all the negotiations, the times we gave land back and then were attacked, and the reason we annexed the Golan heights. I mean absolutely everything. I wish I had written it down. Now I will unfortunately have to research based on snippets that I remember and write down the history so I have it. We also had someone come in from the government explain the current political and security affairs of Israel in regards to its neighbors.
Our tour guide also studied history and anthropology among other things so he was very knowledgable about the history in the textbooks vs the history in the bible. He was just fantastic, I can not say enough about our guide.
I am very sorry your trip was not what you were hoping and that you did not get the full picture. I would have been disappointed as well.
none of these solutions will work. what other product has doubled or service in price since the year 2001? not many...
vouchers and increased government assistance and increased student financial aid will just do to jewish day schools what the same thing did to college education between 1980 and 2010. look at the NY Times recent article on the return of public universities and the decilne of private colleges.
only a true public jewish educational system can alleviate this problem. the only places I know of that offer this are Israel and the UK. The UK jewish community is largely in a state of decline (as is the rest of the UK - the USA is not far behind). This leaves Israel.
It is NOT embarassing or wrong to make Aliya as a "tuition refugee". You would still be in a better place than the real refugees who made Aliyah to Israel over the last 50 years under even worse circumstances.
make aliya. Tuition in Israel costs next to nothing. This makes up for your reduced income. Unless you telecommute, in which case your income stays the same and your expenses go down...
wow, women of the wall, already lost their battle before it started, as in Talmud and by poskim since the Talmud, what they do and say is not allowed -it is already against Jewish Law, halacha! No debate and machlokes wanted or needed.
The Talmud records those discussions that WERE for the sake of heaven. That IS why they were recorded.
Anyone who thinks Leora hasn't allowed herself to learn about the history, culture and people of Okinawa should read all her blog postings! Those postings provide an exciting and vibrant picture of all that she and her husband have done to immerse themselves in the life of Okinawa.
I am so glad that Ilyse was able to come to Mahane Emunah at Temple Emunah (www.templeemunah.org). While there are many things to be proud of with regards to inclusion in the Jewish community, there is always more that can be done!
Update: Torah Montessori School in Chicago, mentioned a few times in this article, closed its doors in March, primarily due to financial difficulties. However, we are excited to announce that a new Jewish Montessori Preschool called Shaarei Chinuch Day School will be opening in the fall, to fill the gap of Jewish Montessori education in Chicago.
This is a wonderful article that highlights an underserved Jewish population. So glad Ilyse has been able to participate in a Jewish community. This year Temple Emunah in Lexington, MA had a pilot inclusive Kabbalat Shabbat program, Mahane Emunah (Camp Emunah). We were so glad that lyse and Betty joined us for that.
A Hebrew charter school could be a possible answer.
results are being achieved.
http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/new_york/day_schools_saving_millions_new_efficiency_effort
Congratulations to Avital! Her courage and strength during those difficult times gave energy to all those
activists who came together and took direction from this lovely woman! She is certainly deserving of this honor!
Addressing the comment from 17:09 - Indeed, there have been a number of projects. Tuition grant programs eat money at a staggering pace. $10,000 per family for 100 families is $1 million dollars. Jim Joseph, and CJP's "Discover Day School" (among others) have ploughed millions into tuition support in the past 5 years. This money hasn't changed the world -- we still have the same challenges for Jewish continuity. But... these grants *have* changed the world for the families and children involved.
We need a few $100 million dollar checks.... (and all the other stuff too: meaningful cost controls, thoughtful schemes for tuition, great school leadership etc., etc, )