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I vividly remember that Tootsie birthday party.
Mormons can still submit names of Holocaust victims, the policy below has been the policy, the only change is the software the LDS Church uses and perhaps the steps for submitting a Holocaust victims name.
Restricted Submissions
Church members should not submit individuals that they are not related to (with the exception of close friends as described above). This includes:
* Jewish Holocaust victims. Members cannot do the ordinances for Jewish Holocaust vicitims except under the following conditions:
o They are an immediate family member of the deceased (defined as parents, spouse, or children), or
o They have permission of all living immediate family members, or
o They have permission of the closest living relative if no immediate family members are living.
I find your condescension and bias appalling, but certainly not singular in today's debased "journalistic" environment.
Pamela Geller is a great warrior for freedom, and I am proud to stand with her.
The part about our supposedly shouting people down at the community board meeting, in an action you say was reminiscent of the brown shirts, is not only false -- we shouted down no one -- but is also an outrageous smear of which you ought to be ashamed. The brown shirts, i.e., the enemies of the freedom of speech, the freedom of conscience, and the equality of rights of all people before the law are not us, but our opponents.
You should be ashamed, that is, if you were capable of shame. From the looks of this smug little attack piece, I doubt you are.
BIPOLAR?? Does he also rob banks or exhibit other social dysfunctions? Paaleeze.
Also, graduates of Chovevei ought to get a real smicha and avoid their colleagues’ snickers.
I am amazed that a publication like the Jewish Week would print speculation without any concrete facts - and so close to Rosh Hashannah as well. I know you want the "scoop" but in any of these cases, wait until there are some facts out there before you jump the gun. Mr. Rosenblatt, you wouldn't like it if there were accusations against one of your children printed in a rival paper - especially if they may not be true...
The RCA has sadly become a bunch of aging rabbis looking for notoriety and extra income. They issue statements when they think something may be in the news and their communities have told them to. I am not defending Rabbi Schneier, but when rumors abound, who is next? Maybe you?
I think that the Rabbis quoted in Stuart Ain's article highlight a point: the JCC, at least in our area, is searching for relevance in our people's lives and a reason for membership. This is ultimately about revenue to survive. The JCC charges membership just like a synagogue, but apparently people are not joining.
JCC's in small Jewish communities may still be central locations where Jews "hang out", but in areas with larger Jewish populations, this is increasingly not the case. Our JCC has a pretty decent gym (I live in Boca), but Jews work out at much nicer health clubs. The JCC has a decent kosher cafe, but Jews choose to have coffee at Starbucks. They do not feel the need to have to go to a place to do secular things with Jews because they they live in Boca Raton where they do this everyday.
My take on the situation is that we live in a free market society and the JCC has every right to do whatever they feel is necessary to see their organization survive. However, if they choose to be a synagogue and still receive communal dollars, than our synagogues should also receive dollars (or of course the opposite - no funding for anyone).
The other thing I wanted to add is that this move may actually show that synagogues offer what people want: spiritual community, Jewish education, and a religious connection to our tradition. Synagogues have to continue to do what they do best and add outreach to our portfolios as well.
This type of competition is a sign of things to come. Synagogues have to deal with the fact that they will lose people if others charge less for what people see as the same product even though they are lesser in quality. However, I do think that synagogues can be a Houses of study, prayer, and spiritual community better than any country club or JCC. The task is to show our people and hopefully turn the tide of apathy.
You sound very "passionate" about this subject, but I think your "passion" or dare I say anger towards progressive Rabbis is a little misguided. Conservative Rabbis constantly push their congregants to send their children to Ramah camps and USY youth groups/summer programs. It is not their fault that families decide not to send their kids to these wonderful programs. In the end, each family is responsible for their own children, and this has an impact on our collective Jewish future.
But let me ask you something, how does a watered-down high holiday service with no follow up serve to help "save" these Jewish families?
Gary, Don't you pray 3 times daily? In the Amidah prayer we have just these very same sentiments echoed in the belssing for the "heretics". Check your Siddur and unless you have censored it out what Rabbi Yosef has said is exactly what you yourself are reciting thrice daily.
The ADL position disgusts me. There work has been erased by this stance.
Surely you know that any Chabad Shul, Jewish Center, Student Center, etc. never charges a fee for services. A Chabad center can be found throughout the globe - check out www.chabad.org to find a location. You will be welcome to come and enjoy a Shabbat, a holiday, a talk, a class - whatever appeals to you. A kesiva v'chasima tovah!
The majority of our coreligionists who do not join an established congregation are doing so for a good reason.
Either, it is because they have not found the congregation of their liking or the right rabbi who would be capable of inspiring them.
For many, it is because of the excessive cost of joining a synagogue or just attending the High Holiday services.
Free services are offered by all Chabad congregations and a growing number of synagogues and centers everywhere. In Phoenix, AZ, the Jewish Fellowship has been offering free services for the past four years and hundreds of people have and will avail themselves of this opportunity.
Rabbis and synagogues have no monopoly on the practice of the Jewish religion. We live in a free country and no Jewish person should be coerced to attend services in a synagogue that is only interested in selling tickets.
When you call one of these synagogues, they are not interested in knowing who you are and what is on your mind, they are only interested in your money. This is quite unfortunate and contrary to the teachings of the Jewish religion.
A fellow Jew from Phoenix, AZ
To me, one who is LDS and just participated in baptisms for the dead last week in the Dallas temple, one of the most sacred ordinances we practice, it feels like being spit in the face. I don't see what is offensive about baptisms for the dead. The fact that the church submissivley buckled to this possition is a mistake. I have Jewish ancestry who moved to San Francisco in in 1800's and have done much of their work. I can't immagine telling any other faith to discontinue their sacred ordinances. It would be like demanding the jews to immediatley stop prepairing a place for Elijah during passover since we believe he has returned and by placing a cup for him it's an insult to our beleifs. We wouldn't do that. So why are we told not to practice baptims they don't believe in?
Gedaliah was actually murdered on the 1st day of Tishrei. Thus, the fast day is always pushed off from the original date.
I don't think it is correct to malign "Jewish Leadership" in the context of Schneir's inappropriate behavior. Rabbis are not leaders and have very little say in the policies that Jewish leaders--generally, the moneyed class who support the various institutions--follow. The rabbi is no more than a "figurehead" who is called upon--if he wants to keep his salary--to approve the decisions of his board.
My feelings towards Jews are such that I need to point out that they have been targeted mostly by those who called themselves "Christians" ever since the first century AC. I cannot forget the slaughter of innocent men, women and children massacred in Jerusalem by Godfrey of Bouillon in 1099 (Jews and Muslims alike) until his soldiers/knights had to walk knee-deep in blood and corpses. It was that event remembered as a massive break between Jews and Muslims that lasted until today. Never to forget is the Holocaust in WWII during which my father (a non-Jew) was murdered in a Nazi concentration camp (Kamp Erika) near the eastern border of Germany. I know what it feels like.
Since the first century, those who called themselves Christians have forced conversions upon the Jews. Ther still is a sign placed above the entrance of a church deliberately placed in front of the only entrance/exit of the Roman ghetto ordered by pope Paul IV in 1555 in Rome to warn "I spread out my hands all day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good", and issued his bull "Cum Nimis Absurdum (Enough is Enough", to place 4000 Jews in a one square mile walled enclosure. Hence, no Christian, or whatever they call themselves, has any right to convert or do otherwise convert (or in this case baptism for the dead unless asked by the Jewish person him/herself) except by the Messiah when He returns to His people in Jerusalem.
Hands off! The time is at hand for the Jews everywhere to see better things happen, even though bad times may get worse. The Temple in Jerusalem will be rebuild and the blessings of the promises given to the Jews wll all be fulfilled no matter what small and/or large nations (Muslim/Christian) may try to control Jewish destiny. For me, I will rejoice with them when it happens, and they will partake of everything and more that the world had to offer today.
I am a Mormon. My great-great-grandpa was baptized by Joseph Smith, he then spent his life in service to the church and carried out very difficult tasks in the settling of Southern Utah. He spent his last years in hiding because he was a polygamist. Each of his 4 wives were taken at the request of Brigham Young, starting at 19 when he married a middle-aged woman with a young son. Throughout his life, what he did, he did in service to his God. I want him to always be remembered as a Mormon, and as someone that gave his life for his faith.
In a day when our children will satisfy all of their curiosities through "googleing", it is easy for me to be sensitive to the concern that children of holocaust survivors have, that Jewish martyrs are documented as something other than Jewish martyrs, anywhere, especially in digital databases. Although I believe in the temple ordinances and in the freewill of the dead to choose or reject them, I cannot expect living peoples of other faiths to accept the memory of their martyrs tarnished by another church's efforts to save souls.
I am so very hopeful that Jews and Latter-day Saints can work together without such tensions.
I am impressed by your comment about how "wht the Mormons do or do not do has not effect on your murdered relatives" YOu are absolutely right. And what everyone fails to forget is that God gave each and everyone of us the most prescious gift besides life itself and that is the gift of "Free Agency" to choose for ourselves and whether or not your deceased loved one has had this ordinance performed for them, clearly does not make that individual a Mormon by membership. After all, they too were given their freedom to choose, accept or reject the work the Mormons do. THat is their priviledge and right. ANd It really is an act of love on the part of the Mormons when you think about it. But even Mormons accept that the individual has the right to choose.
AS far as you being a Holocast victum, I respect you and have deep sadness for what happened to you and your family and community. I have made sure my daughter who is 16 years old know what happened to you and your loved ones. We make it a point to watch documentaries so we don't forget what is most important in this world and that is humanity and that we need to love one another. Please know that we love you and we learn love, compassion, and heartbreak for each other no matter what religion or faith we are from.
SIOA and SIOE would not need to exist if the media did their jobs properly.
For example, every politician seems to want Turkey in the EU even though it persecutes non-Muslims, knocks down churches and has reportedly used chemical weapons on Kurds.
How is it the USA and European countries went to war with Saddam Hussein because of his supposed weapons of mass destruction, but seek to get Turkey into the EU even though it reportedly used chemical weapons against civilians?
How is it the Western media are obsessed with the Israel v Palestine conflict, yet suppress the fact that in Thailand, Muslims have murdered the same number of non-Muslims as have died in the Israel v Palestine conflict, in as many years?
If the media were truly impartial and reported all what's happening with Muslims across the world, SIOE and SIOA would not need to campaign. The whole of the people in the West would have nothing to do with Islam.
Pamela is standing up for Jews and Israel. We should keep on supporting her financially and morally.
I left the following comment on Rabbi Morris' piece:
"You can't stop intermarriage - but you CAN welcome intermarried couple & encourage them to make Jewish choices for themselves & their families. Please don't be so vain as to think that a rabbis' edict will keep interfaith couples (or Reform couples, or Reconstructionist couples, or whomever!) from getting married on Saturdays; rather, it will keep them from getting married by rabbis.If you turn them away right from the get-go ("Having your wedding on a Saturday disqualifies you from being Jewish," essentially), you'll alienate those couples from the faith right off the bat. Which is more important - one Saturday or an entire lifetime?"
Thanks for a great piece & an open mind, Rabbi Moffic.
A passionate & well-written piece, to be sure, but Rabbi Barr's comments sum up my views perfectly. You can't stop intermarriage - but you CAN welcome intermarried couple & encourage them to make Jewish choices for themselves & their families. Please don't be so vain as to think that a rabbis' edict will keep interfaith couples (or Reform couples, or Reconstructionist couples, or whomever!) from getting married on Saturdays; rather, it will keep them from getting married by rabbis.If you turn them away right from the get-go ("Having your wedding on a Saturday disqualifies you from being Jewish," essentially), you'll alienate those couples from the faith right off the bat. Which is more important - one Saturday or an entire lifetime?
R. Yosef's remarks, if they have been translated accurately, were made in the context of the Rosh Hashanah tradition of the condemning (in the abstract) of enemies of the Jews.
He should not have expressed it in terms of the named individuals but in terms of actions against Jews. While such personalized condemnations are deplorable said the way they were (if they were), there seems to have been a reckless rush to condemn him by "politically-correct" Jews at least some of whom might be expected to have some knowledge of the tradition.
After the murders of the 4 Israelis near Hebron there were the pro-forma condemnations with the hopes that the killings wouldn't interfere with the "peace" talks. I haven't heard any condemnations of the celebrations in the streets of Gaza even before Hamas claimed "credit" for this "achievement." Isn't there an antisemitic double standard at work here when R. Yosef's remarks evoke more outrage than murders and their celebration?
I read R. Lookstein's sermon earlier this week. While I disagree with his arguments, I was impressed, as always, with his thoughtful, careful, sensitive and erudite discussion of a controversial issue. Were all those opposing the cultural center/mosque as thoughtful (etc.) as R. Lookstein, the debate would be much more civilized. And included in those who are not is, unfortunately, Jonathan.
First of all good competition is a healthy thing.
If the JCC is offering something that synagogues don't have then synagogues should try to lower their dues and find dynamic Rabbis to do outreach. If the Rabbis primary concern was that Jewish families in their communities should find ANY connection to the organized Jewish community- which is what they should care about - then they shouldn't cry that people chose something other than their synagogue with their dues...
Secondly I don’t have too much sympathy for Conservative and Reform Rabbis as a single group of people they are more responsible in my opinion than any other group for the assimilation of American Jewry. Simply put the Conservative and Reform Rabbis of the past generation totally failed American Jewry.
Where were they when under their noses Hebrew School kids would have a Bar and Bat Mitzvah and then sadly NOT be recruited to Jewish summer camps, youth groups or high school trips to Israel- so that they had nothing during their formative teen years. That was the biggest crime of the 20th century committed against American Jewry - and they didn't care that Jewish teens were disenfranchised. This is what led to the assimilation of American Jewry. The Rabbis only worried about their own salaries, sounding politically correct from the pulpit, bashing the Orthodox and making sure their retirement package would be significant for their retirement in Florida or whereever. Where was their concern for the million American Jewish children who finished Hebrew School over the past 50 years and remained detached from anything Jewish from age 13 to 18? Now watch the Conservative movement implode.
By the way, when Synagogues wanted to start offering gyms and pools etc for its members under the failed initiative called STAR? (Synagogues, Transformation and Renewal) did the JCCs complain? No.
So if the JCCs didn't complain when synagogues were considering offering services traditionally offered by JCCs why should synagogues complain about JCCs offering synagogue services?
Conservative and Reform Rabbis should be happy that those families who didn’t find a place for themselves in their synagogues have found a niche in a Jewish environment elsewhere. That is if their real concern was for the Jewish People. But since they are really only concerned for themselves I am not surprised by their chuztpah.
If their synagogues are lacking in some way- which they certainly are as Conservative membership is going down every single year and more than half of those who are members are over the age of 55- so they should concentrate on improving their own institutions and not on trying to close down alternative Jewish programming which is working just because it might take away some revenue from them!
daveneil55@yahoo.com
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