Rama Burshtein is a product of the haredi Tel Aviv world she depicts warmly in 'Fill the Void,' opening in theaters.
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.
How about talking about JOB CREATION in the Jewish community. Thank you William Rapfogel for including us as Jews. It's not just seniors anymore, it's working age people who can't get a job, and are behind in their mortgage.
From their website: "As an affiliate, WRJ (Riverdale Temple) provides many services to the temple, hosting its Oneg Shabbat collation each week and coordinating many fund raising events that support the temple's operations."
Why are participants only allowed to attend once? If they returned and brought guests, would that not be an indicator of individual devotion to their faith and a desire to contribute to the solidity of Jewish communities and bring into the global communities the vitality and innovativeness of a younger generation with a new personal and community issues, new perspectives on old issues, and a different perspective on new issues?
Sometimes, youth brings wisdom. The wisdom of The Elders is not always fair and just in today's society and has created often times horrible psychological consequences for issues facing the younger generations. This is wrong and is not in keeping with the words of Yeshua. Freshness of voices and ideas are only as effective as your willingness to allow the voices to be heard and the ideas to be presented. If you only hear a voice once in a crowd, do you remember that voice or the words?
Most times, once is not enough. Then there times when once is too much.
I don't believe Mr. Williams' comments were in any way bigoted. I, like Mr. Williams and millions of decent American citizens, also become edgy at the sight of Muslims anywhere near an airport. Imagine that!! 9/11 wasn't a hangnail or hiccups or a bad case of indigestion from too many fast food tacos. It was one of the worst, most frightening and costly acts of terrorism in recent history any where on the planet.
Since 9/11, numerous survivors are now deceased, some as a result of violence; some in "mass communications" incidents, some as a result of "pilot error", some from cancer for being there to help, for doing their job in the face of unholy trauma and shock. PTSD does not describe this aftermath to the psyche. It is a gross understatement of a nightmare that could and should have been prevented by the US government. The foul-ups, the casual treatment of the situation as it was going down, the incompetence of the military in its dispatch of fighter planes, the bravery of passengers on Flight 93 -- which saved Donald Rumsfeld's rear as well as Dick Cheney's -- is still forever engraved in the memories of millions of Americans, including thousands in Oklahoma who were just beginning to recover from the Murrah bombing when slammed with the realization that our government had no intentions of (A) executing all involved, (B) telling the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help us God, (C) were still recovering from our own personal re-victimization elsewhere because of the Murrah Bombing, and (D) once again, turned on the TV in time to watch Tower 2 slammed at 9:03 AM by a Muslim jihadist who can no more be described as an extremist than "megalomanaic" accurately describes Hitler. But the principles are the same, and so is the psyche.
Mr. Williams' statement was not racist, bigoted, hate-filled, nor any other negative you choose to place on a human filled, justifiably with fear that another 9/11 could happen when this country has played footsie with thousands of Muslim terrorists and their American counterparts (so we have to live in fear of our own as well), watched other acts of terrorism occur, including ON US military bases my members of The Nations of Islam, and millions of us are victimized on a personal level daily by these individuals. His fears are justified and real. Countless members of African-American communities are deeply tied to the Nations of Islam and subscribe to their jihadist philosophy. Hamas, Hezbollah, al-Qaeda, PLO, Black September, and at least 3000 other terrorist factions and sub-cells recruit from within US prisons, from within street gangs, from the Internet, from within Social Services, from the US military on a global level, via colleges and universities and high schools ---- exactly what is there NOT TO FEAR, SIR?!
In other words - tea parties might be stupid weirdos. They might advocate policies we don't agree with. They might lack a unified program.
But we don't care about that - what is really horrible, that someday, sometime, somehow in the future, even if there is no indication of it now, they might hurt... minorities. And that's why we all need to shut 'em up ASAP!
I propose we inspect every house member on the subject of his, her or it capability to hurt minorities in the future. May be we should develop a scientific theory - if your head has such shape, you might hurt minorities, if not - you might be just an anti-semite.
So that we would know whom to vote for.
This is so sad. Throughout the NY metro area and across the country, synagogues from the "liberal streams" of judaism are dying. It's nice that people had a good time at this event, but illusionists and magic shows won't revive the Conservative and Reform movements. There can be no meaning in Judaism without knowledge of and an adherence to the Torah. Orthodox Judaism of all stripes -- modern to chasidic -- is thriving with overflowing shuls and schools, while Conservative and Reform temples are dying. The only "answer" to this tragedy is not a simple one nor one that is susceptible to quick marketing fixes. Orthodox synangoges all need to start reaching out NOW to bring non-religious/less observant Jews into their doors and make them feel welcome. Twenty years from now or less the suburban Conservative/Reform temple will have faded into the history books.
As Besser says, "The problem is the [criticism of] Moveon.org derives from anti-Semitic posted on the group's blogs - open to the public - by outsiders."
The problem has been a chronic one going back to the origin of the Moveon.org site. Antisemites don't choose Moveon.org at random as a venue to spew their vitriol. They know that they will be in the company of many others who share their warped views there and that the operators of the site will be less than zealous in discouraging and removing such trash.
It's been a general pattern in American political life for decades that the Left has more tolerance for antisemites in its midst than does the mainstream conservative movement!
Your innane anaylsis fails to get to the deeper point. NPR is an organization of liberal bigots. Bigots are people who are afraid of truth and afraid to dialogue with others who have cogent ideas that differ from their own.
Fortunately, eventually the truth will out. The true mind of the staff at NPR is exposed: these people are dogmatic, narrow-minded bigots.
If you want to anesthesize your mind with the bias and half truths spewing forth at NPR, and donate to that cause, that's fine. Dont force the rest of us to fund (even if only in part) the state-sponsored bigots and their propaganda at NPR.
Jeremy:
Congratulations on having made it through a lot of very difficult, traumatic turns in your life.
In my opinion, it is unlikely that the GLBT community will ever win any "big" battles with the black hat world. There can never be serious dialogue between the two groups. That statement/declaration that a lot of rabbis signed a few months ago might as well not exist among the black hatters.
Black-hatters' degree of conformity also leads to a united/unified front in their world.
By contrast, There are so many conflicting sub-agendas among GLBT people, that there's rarely an opportunity for working in lockstep for the long term. I know of T people who aren't personally vested in gay marriage, but who work toward it for the benefit of the G and L people. That doesn't mean the G and L people will reciprocate on a T-only issue. The bonds of the Jewish community are generally stronger.
The Modern Orthodox world will likely never reach consensus on basic acceptance of openly gay members at synagogues, youth groups, whatever. We should expect that acceptance of gay couples is just NOT going to happen. At an Orthodox shul, don't ever expect to hear or see announcements like "This week's kiddush is sponsored by Ann Thus-and-such and Miriam So-and-so in honor of their 10th anniversary.".
Mi Sheberach for a woman who underwent sex reassignment surgery?
Heh..don't count on it in an Orthodox shul if the person making the Mi SheBerach knows WHY. In fact, chances are the transsexual woman who'd had sex reassignment surgery shouldn't count on a pleasant reception upon her return to shul.
Any shades of GLBT acceptance in a Modern Orthodox synagogue will always make that synagogue controversial. I attended one synagogue that didn't disavow its support of the equality of gay people, and it became known as the "anything goes" shul of its area. (Yes, it's a little more open in other areas too..but..the gay thing played pretty big.)
No Orthodox shul ever got widely criticized for being "too frum". The Orthodox world has kept and grown its community by exclusion, not by inclusion. The GLBT world is the opposite. By letting more people in, the GLBT folks increased its numbers, but also made for many more agendas and sub-agendas, many of which will never be addressed seriously.
The GLBT way allows for greater diversity, and some of that annoys certain members—especially the old-school ones. But in terms of real strength, the Jews got it all over the GLBTs. I don't much like it, but it's not about what I like.
"Obama administration’s dogged pursuit of renewed Israeli-Palestinian negotiations has been admirable" -- I guess the author of this editorial spent the last two years on Mars
How utterly sad,disturbing, and devoid of truth are some of the comments made by Zaslavski and Bunkerman above. To refer to the Palis as indigenous people (and not Jews) is ignoring history prior to Mohammed (hense why the Arabs try to stop and or deligitimize Archeological digs). To label Settlers as Terrorists is just so distorted that I wonder if these two men have spent any time in Israel and actually met people from all walks of life including settlers and Sephardi or Mizrachi Jews who were in Arab countries generations before Mohammed left the peninsula. This woman and her group essentially push the idea that if they like what we say (that is thenfar left and the Arabs) then they won't hate us and we can feel better about being Jews. Enemies from within the Jewish people would be putting it mildly.
Hubris and institutional arrogance, combined with total incompetence of the leadership, have turned this once-proud standard of modern orthodoxy and community openness into a blathering fool for all to laugh at.
LSS may well go bankrupt due to the ineptitude of its leaders and their self-importance; they should feel shame for having ruined this shul.
Hi - I think this is a very pertinent discussion.
My husband and I have developed an iPhone app that is currently being used by the Solomon Schechter Day School in Newton, MA (available in the App store under SSDS). We have gotten a lot of interest however from synagogues as well. It allows Jewish organizations to really take advantage of the iPhone platform - and to provide the "app" experience to users - synthesized, on-the-go content (articles, events, more...). Synagogues pay a very modest monthly subscription fee and get their own app in the App store.
Here is an article from this weeks Boston Jewish Advocate: http://shorttext.com/o6gazno4mqz
I for one am tired of all the liberal Jewish hypocrisy in the United States.
Many Jews that are considered liberal in America are hawkish when it comes to Israel.
Israel doesn't have open borders. Israel protects it borders like its existence depended on it, and there is good reason why, but how is that any different from the US?
In fact, I have never been to a country, even in Arab countries and former Soviet countries, that monitors both its borders and internal activities of foreigners more than Israel.
In Israel, you can be stopped by the police and army at any time and be forced to show ID. No Jewish ACLU will be there to cry racism and bail you out.
I lived in Israel and it happened to me MANY TIMES and I was never engaging in any suspicious or criminal behavior.
My American passport didn't give me any special privileges or respect, that is for damn sure.
With all due respect Adam, you too are missing the point. Jimmy says he's being persecuted for exposing favoritism towards Hasidim, but in reality, he is blaming Jews for 9/11.
http://loadtest.story.news.yahoo.com/s/atlantic/20101021/cm_atlantic/whyrentistoodamnhighcandidatewillneverbegovernor5481
Where's all that evidence that Iran has a nuclear weapons program, as opposed to an IAEA-monitored and inspected civilian energy program that's under 24-surveillance? Oh right, there isn't any.
This repeated propaganda by the Jewish Week is absurd.
So, essentially, what I've learned from reading the other comments posted on this article is that readers of 'The Jewish Week' demonstrate a remarkable amount of contempt for both international law and human rights. Ethnocentrism and supremacy runs rampant and an embarrassing lack of historical knowledge and acceptance abounds. How utterly shameful it is that those of you who treat the horrors of the Holocaust as some sort of justification for exceptionalism, entitlement, and vengeance have learned nothing - NOTHING - from the tragedies of the past.
The ethnic cleansing of an indigenous people, land and water theft, forced dispossession, displacement, disenfranchisement, occupation, and apartheid should be condemned, not groups that speak out against these crimes and atrocities.
"Never again" must apply equally to all people - not just Jews. It's a shame the people here on this comment board don't agree. You defame yourselves.
It's very sad that any criticism of the Israeli government's sectarian, militaristic, abusive, and expansionist policies (these are objective descriptions) is considered anti-Israeli, when it is actually trying to save Israel from descending to being another intolerant, sectarian Middle-Eastern state. The Israeli government supports the settler movement and the settlers are terroristic in the original sense of trying to get their way by frightening other people. A Jew who believes in the greatness of the liberal Jewish tradition (as opposed to believing in the closed, sectarian Jewish tradition, which is a different matter) can't sit by without pointing out the truth.
For a response from the Co-Chair of the JVP Rabbinical Council:
http://bit.ly/9OLqQn
I strongly suspect that Rick Sanchez has a huge chip on his shoulder about being a Hispanic. But when I look at him, I see a European American...not a Hispanic and not a Cuban. If looks count, and I know they do, he is of Spanish descent in my eyes. But so what? He has the distinct advantage of being male, an American and of European descent. If he thinks Jews have discriminated against him and yet run the network at which he had a great job, how does he explain the great job they gave him. Huh!?!?!?
For the record, I'm about as English American as one can get. And I'm proud of my old country that Benjamin Disraeli once served it as prime minister. So smoke that, Rick!
Obviously not thinking about the 1/3 of the NY Jewish community that is in poverty or near-poverty. Maybe we can host a book party at one of our low income senior citizen residences. How about it Abe?
Yosef,
The identical twin analogy is the point that proves the fact of genetics in sexuality. The concordance rate of homosexuality is more than 50% for monozygotic (identical) twins. This compares to less than 5% concordance form dizygotic (fraternal) twins or regular siblings. There are many genetic traits which have "incomplete penetrance" so that not everybody has the trait even though they have the gene (eg Diabetes). This high concordance is PROOF that there is a genetic component to sexuality.
As for reparative therpy... do you really think a straight person could be "corrected" into being gay? Why then should it work the other way? Your logic escapes me.
Hen he said he would let someone marry a shoe, I didn't infer that he was saying that marriages were equally odd at all. I got the impression he doesn't care one way or another about marriage.
When Judaism says ""And you shall love the stranger. ..." it doesn't mean leave your doors wide open and let the stranger slit your throat, eat you out of house and home, attack your children and destroy your country.
It seems (finally) at least half the Jews surveyed understand that.
The rest are simply the unrepentant Obamunists, who like him, simply want 20 million new "amnestied" citizens on semi-perpetual welfare, who they can depend on to vote Democrat (and keep sucking the well dry).
The same candidates who want 20 million illegals made "citizens" also want the 9/11 victory mosque next to Ground Zero, and they are the same candidates who want to cut Israel in half and hand it over to the "palestinians".
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER.
and yet you didn't say he was wrong.
now are you saying jews have no responsibility for those things, ie. high rent, slavery,etc.?
has there been no jewish slave-owners?
are there no jewish landlords?
and of those landlords from the Tribe, have any taken undue advantage of their tenants?
shoud we take the Talmud literally?
the unclean want to know