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First of all, this illustrates the gulf between people from the USA (and sometimes Canada) and those from the rest of the English speaking world.
Interestingly, the advert that you complain about went down pretty well with people from Australia, South Africa and the UK (as well as Germans and Dutch). They recognised its tongue-in-cheek humour (they always say that the best humour has an element of truth in it). Perhaps it's a cultural thing: but it seems that the Americans were more offended by it than the Rest of the World.
I think it might have touched a raw nerve with people - one that they don't like to think about too much until something sends it off.
You make some interesting points about what you THINK the event might have been like. It's nice to think from time to time - and that's one of the purposes of the event. It's not just to bring people together (something that you say you've done time and again), but actually to get them to think and consider what they could be doing differently or how to present themselves differently. The two aims are what made the even different and even special.
You can knock it if you like and regard these events as "humiliating," "insulting" and all the other emotive epithets that you've used. They're not for everyone - and if they're not for you, you're not compelled to go. But for many people I think the aim was to give it a go and see what happened. With a bit of facilitation (as opposed to the random meetings you get at singles or young professional gatherings), people might exchange phone numbers and meet up.
Now, what's wrong with that?
It is your custom to post the Jewish Lunar Calendar date on the front page beside the current Gregorian Calendar date.
Friday July 30, 2010 is equivalent to 19 AV 5770 on the Jewish Lunar Calendar - not 9 AV 7670!!!!!
I don't understand the opposition to men seeking therapy to overcoming unwanted homosexuality. In a secular society that values "live and let live," what's wrong with individuals pursuing this treatment? That's their choice.
Thankfully, I have seen studies that show a positive impact on the overall well-being of men who sought therapy, and I also know a number of men who have benefited tremendously from this kind of work, in ways that reach far beyond its impact on sexuality. Aside from this: For Orthodox Jews, the Torah forbids homosexuality, and so I think it's great that rabbis and leaders in the community are given the opportunity to investigate and provide options to fellow Jews struggling with difficult challenges like this.
Regarding the controversy around Mr. Levin and Mr. Unger: I am sorry these two men did not find what they were looking for. And, in fairness, I feel the claims of these two men are insufficient to establish a consensus perspective of a therapist who has likely worked with several hundred men over the years. I doubt there's any therapist who doesn't have a few disgruntled clients. It would be a diservice to Mr. Downing, JONAH, and those they work with to reject out of hand their work on that basis, particularly in light of how many they appear to have helped. Unfortunately, given the prejudices that exist against those who feel transformation is possible, it is unlikely many of their voices will be publicly heard.
Resistance is futile.
You will be assimilated.
I believe in Chulent.
Seriously - it's a GREAT thing that Schonfeld started and kept up for over 10 years. I went once just to check it out, and saw how many people are connected to the group, and how drawn people are to the atmosphere and comraderie that it offers. It's an "anything goes" kind of place. And for so many people who grew up frum, got turned off, but still want connections with other people with the same experiences, it's a great place.
And psychologically it is VERY necessary. When you think about the emotional toll on someone who leaves the fold - they leave their family, their friends, their insulated community, and often have no tools to get by in the outside world. Chulent offers invaluable emotional support to people who would be so much worse off without it.
I wish they'd set up a Paypal account so we could donate funds. It's a worthy cause in my view.
Thank you Steve Lipman and "The Jewish Week." for sharing this incredible story with the world: "Whoever saves a single life is as if he saves the entire world." - --Talmud. I am so proud that this story was printed and that Dr. Albert Schatz's legacy will never be forgotten. So many people owe their life to this great scientist. May he continue to rest in peace in the arms of Hashem.
Hi
Mendy Sontag is the President of Seabreeze Jewish Center. Not Temple Beth Abraham as stated in the above article.
Dear Editor:
The Administrative Code noise provision protected the synagogues from intrusive noise produced by the loud rock concerts that Borough President Markowitz provided. He now intends to increase the number of noisy concerts ten-fold with the new amphitheater he plans to build in Asser Levy Park that will take up a third of the open space in the nine acre neighborhhood park. Open green space should not be replaced by a building that produces illegal noisy concerts. The quality of life of the elderly residents who live in the highrise buildings surrounding the park will be severely impacted by the increased traffic and noise. Emergency vehicles are slowed down by the heavy traffic to the area. It is a poor choice to place such a venue in a densly populated area.
As a matter of fact, the camp philosophy does include eretz yisrael as a value. There may be camps like this in EY, but given that many of our diaspora-based kids are not going to go to camp there, why is it a travesty that this camp exists here? So long as we live in galut, we need to encourage all our diaspora institutions to become more eco-aware and this camp answers a real need in our community. Hopefully, many of these kids will go on to make aliyah. And for those who don't, they will hopefully become eco-leaders in their communities in the US. I say bravo to Eden Village.
If it were a black man who did all of these same crimes, he would have been charged with all of them, instead of only a select few of the crimes committed. And not one Jew in this country would have come to his defense. But because this person is Jewish, it is called a small holocaust and an example of how dangerous the world is for Jews. What a crock of ####. If this man were a Hispanic or Native American the sentence might have been higher and not one of these posters would spend a single second concerning themselves with the non-chosen goy.
Though, as a film, "The Great Dictator" is a work of genius, it proved sadly impotent in battling Hitler. Indeed, it may have convinced enough people that Hitler was such a ridiculous figure that he needn't be taken seriously -- and thus empowered the isolationist and anti-war effort and delayed America's entry into the battle against Nazism. Which is clearly why Chaplin said after the war that, had he known that the Nazis were capable of the Shoah, he never would have made the film. This is also the problem with Mel Brooks' constant efforts to portray Hitler as a caricature -- it diminishes the horror and may well help convince people, long after the last survivor is gone, that such a figure could never have perpetrated something as catastrophic as the Holocaust.
In commenting (letter to the editor dated July 13) on Doug Chandler’s report entitled “David Weprin’s Excellent adventure” Jonathan Gold faults Mr. Chandler for reporting the well documented facts that establish Hebron as an Arab city. Yes, it is a divided city as Mr. Gold notes, but it is an Arab city divided by an occupying power for the benefit of its most nationalistic and ideological citizens. From a religious/national Zionist perspective Hebron is a spiritual fountainhead of the Jewish people. I concede that. But unlike Mr. Gold I do not view that as justification for subjugatingf a native population. Hebron is not “home to both Jews and Muslims” as Mr. Gold contends. Rather is it a militarized and segregated city with its own internal borders and checkpoints and restrictions on Arab movement. While my numbers may not be quite accurate, they are telling nevertheless by virtue of their magnitude: Jews consist of less than 1000 settlers residing in segregated colonies in the center of a city comprised of close to 170,000 Arabs. The Hebron Protocol of 1997 mandated de jure partition into 2 districts, one for Jews subject to Israeli civil law and the other for Arabs, subject to both Israeli military law and PA civil law. Four thousand soldiers are stationed to protect the settlers who have their own exclusive by-pass roads, municipal services and access to aquifers. Hebron is indeed a home for the settlers. But it is a prison for the Arabs all while remaining an Arab city.
As you all know I am one of the people who spoke out against JONAH in the recently published youtube video. I can imagine that for some of you that may discredit me, but suit yourselves.
For those of you who think that reapairative therapy can work, I pose a question for you: Would any of YOU be willing to send any of your kids into a therapy that's only PROVEN to be harmful and ineffective? In fact, it hasn't been proven that it actually works!
If the answer to this question is yes, then we obviously don't have much more to talk about, because if you choose to knowingly send your child into a dangerous therapeutic setting then it's pretty apparent that you have your own best interest in mind and not your child's.
Do people like myself really need to suffer with shame, doubt, insecurity, emotional trauma AND exposure to sexual misconduct because of something that only some in this world view as a problem? Are any of you willing to sponsor these therapies and provide scholarships for those of us that can't afford the high fees that JONAH charges for their therapy? And then if after 5 years you draw the conclusion that it doesn't work, are you willing to try and make up for those lost 5 years?
It seems as if everyone is so quick to judge, but you all know the famous saying of not judging your friend until you reach his level, please try to adhere to that a little more; you don't realize how it can effect people like me that actually had the guts to put myself out there all to prevent this abuse from happening to future generations.
Sincerely,
Chaim Levin
The author has to be corrected. Mendy Sontag is President of Sea Breeze Jewish Center & not Beth Abraham.
Secondly, the lawsiut was not to prevent the expansion of the Bandshell, it was filed to enforce the law on the books at the time called the " 500 foot rule" . It basically stated that NO AMPLIFIED SOUND can be made witin 500 feet of a Church, Synagogue, School, Court House of Hospital. BP Marty Markowitz was in violation of this law for over 19 years. Since he was giving the concerts at Seaside Park. ( Asser Levy Park).
But since the author has brought up the proposed Amphitheater, he omitted some facts. The new Amphitheater will have over 8000 seats. Take up more than 65-70% of Open Space Parkland. They will COST money to go see the concerts at the new venue. They WILL NOT be FREE anymore.
Costs for concerts if you look at Madison Square Garden, Jones Beach, PNC Bank venues range from $ 75-125 per ticket.
How would any want a concert series of 4-5 months long with over 40,000 people , 4-5 days a week right in your backyard ?
There is no parking as it is in the neighborhood, Not every neighborhood in NYC has to be converted into Times Square venue.
Peple like the Park the way it is. Active fro Kids to play in for skateboarding etc., dog lovers like it to walk their furry friends, senoir citizens like it to sit, walk & just plain chillout.
This boondoggle of a venue is just not for this bedroom community. Let's improve the Park, Let's improve the playground but le us keep the footprint of the current Park the same as it now.
When is the next conference? Where does one get info re?
i am one of "those" people.
I'm NOT a zenophobe - don't get me wrong, I have some great friends who are jews, but 'instilling a sense of pride' has never seemed to have been an issue among this race, if you ask me. I think the idea of shapes specific to their religion is very appropriate and wonderful, but to say that wearing a shaped piece of latex (which, is, by the way, essentially unrecognizable as such, while it is being worn) around their wrist is going to 'instill pride' in an already very proud nation's youth, seems a bit misplaced. JMHO.
I've seen these ones too: http://www.traditionsjewishgifts.com/jewish-silly-bands.html
Hebrew school is about to get a lot more fun this year!
If the logic is that someone is somehow to be seen 'in context' as relatively not so bad as once imagined because, 'hey look, this person went and caused the murder of 25 to 30 million other people, and that's a bigger number than 6 million' -- well, to me the conclusion would be then aren't they even much worse than you might have imagined?
All that does is show how dreadful the context really was, not less dreadful.
This isn't the first time this type of reasoning dubious beyond all absurdity appears. How in the world does it pass as logic? I guess because anyone seeking to draw such conclusions has by definition taken leave of their senses long before uttering such 'formulations' which by their pseudo-logical gloss-appeal disguise their underlying 'fulminating' character.
But maybe there is something about such pseudo-logic that can cause usually very smart people to trip up in confusion?
IF so, perhaps advise that we teach our young people more thoroughly the subject of logic and reasoning, and the numerous errors that can occur when depending on such methods to make sense of things.
While Dr. Hauptman raises interesting questions about Jewish identity in Russia, she doesn't mention the inherent conflict of bringing large numbers of non-halachic and otherwise assimilated people with semi-forgotten Jewish ties into the lifestyle and genetic demands of Chabad and other Orthodox presences in the FSU.
I don't know what, if anything, the Conservative movement has attempted in Moscow, but the Progressive (Reform) movement has synagogues with ordained Progressive rabbis in Moscow and St. Petersburg, an active camp system, and a variety of other programs that allow anyone who wants to claim a Jewish identity to do so, and to live Jewishly without giving up on modernity or personal autonomy.
Full disclosure: I serve on the FSU committee of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (www.wupj.org.il) and am proud of the work we do in rebuilding Judaism in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.
It is a sad commentary that the Jewish "leaders" are so willing to accept Stone's explanation/apology.
His comment that the Jews control the media or any other industry were not uttered in a vacuum. Why are we so afrais to admit the truth?
It was Jews who started the three biggest TV networks, Jews owned or controlled many of the biggest newspapers, etc. Movies - who frounded the largest movie studios? Who lead the list in multi-media - Bronfman, Diller, Levin, Semel, Spielberg, Redstone, Katzenberg and the list goes on.
Did the Jews control industry? Certainly to some degree. Department stores, the rag trade, Mail order, etc . . . Of course, we can not ignore, nor should we ignore, Jewish contributions to science, medicine, research, . . . Certainly in numbers grossly disproportionate to our percentage of the populace. Even today when one looks at technology there are Jews in the forefront Steve Ballmer, Sergey Brin, Michael Dell, and Lawrence Ellison to name just a few. We even extend to the world of cosmetics where Helena Rubenstein, Estee Lauder, Ronald Perlman, etc., etc.
Of course in the last who knows how many decades Jews have played a major role on Wall Street; in fact they are alleged to be major contributers/causes of the financial crisis plaguing the US.
While I join with those who resent Stone's comments, we should not continue to deny the truth of his remarks. They should be a source of pride including the fact that we, the Jews, while comprising such a small percentage of the poplulation have, as we have in other countries over the centuries, risen to positions of accomplishment and power far beyond our numbers and have learned to use our influence effectively.
If Israel/Jews have the most powerful lobby in Washington it is onlty a reflection of the justness and righteousness of the positions we advocate. Certainly we are not thwarting any other group from lobbying effectively.
Why are we so afraid of the truth? Do we really think that our accomplishments are a secret?
I suspect that in future, that symbol will be identified with Islamic jihad as it shows up more and more at their demonstrations. Remember, the big lie Gobbells promoted, well, this symbol could come to mean Islamic dominance. These forces were quite comfortable working with it during the War.
I know Arthur Abba Goldberg personally and am familiar with his work.
I have advised him, when presenting, to present data. Unfortunately, there is little data on the successes of Reparative Therapy as it has not been sufficiently studied. Goldberg does have anecdotal evidence in the men and women JONAH has helped.
I think we can all agree that Reparative Therapy deserves a Scientific Study to determine its efficacy in those with unwanted same-sex attraction.
You're spot on, Abigail, just as you are in most of your blogs. I was astonished at the District court decision, as according to their logic about 20% of sex partners (you rightly included women in this group) ought to be jailed for misleading their spouses/ friends.
Kol hakavod, Dave. The subtitle of Clay Shirky's first book, Here Comes Everybody, rings true here: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations. In addition to the quality and value of this particular gathering, the event speaks volumes about the future of Jewish communal organizing. And maybe also about the future of Jewish nonprofits.