Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on July 9, 2020

"I met antisemitism from an early age and saw the face of being a Jew in the Diaspora. I felt at home only between the four walls of my home. I understood that as a Jew, I am different.At 18, Sacha Roytman Dratwa moved to Israel from his native Belgium, served in the IDF for eight years, and then worked as director of digital advocacy for the World Jewish Congress. It was in that position, says Dratwa, that he realized that antisemitism was not limited to Belgium, but was a global phenomenon.In 2019, determined to stem the growing tide of antisemitism, Dratwa joined as the director of the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement, a US-based global grassroots movement of individuals and organizations that spans religions and faiths, in a mission to combat antisemitism. Dratwa says the battle against antisemitism cannot be won by the Jews alone. We see from history that antisemitism always begins with Jews and ends with others. This is why we want this movement to be an interfaith movement of Jews, Muslims, Christians and many others those that understand that hatred is there. We need to come together.To date, Combat Anti-Semitisms broad-based coalition includes more than 250 Jewish, Christian, and Muslim organizations dedicated to the struggle against antisemitism. The organization has also obtained the support of more than 260,000 individuals around the world who have signed a pledge to help combat antisemitism. Antisemitism, says Dratwa, is growing quickly, and he intends for Combat Anti-Semitism to be a global movement, comprised of individuals from all levels of society. If you look historically, the big changes in history were made by movements that decided to come together, not by one person or one organization.Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Sima Vaknin Gill, senior adviser at Combat Anti-Semitism Movement, who was an intelligence officer in the Israel Air Force, Israels chief censor and director-general of the Strategic Affairs Ministry, explains that the rise in antisemitism is coming from three different sources the far Left, the far Right, and radical Islam. On the one hand, you have global trends that enable antisemitism to grow, and then you have another thing closing the horseshoe the far Right and far Left, which are supposed to be on a different angle, are cooperating. Their themes and discourses are the same. Two angles of Jew-haters combine, one the far Right, which hates Jews and Judaism, and the other on the far Left, which hates Zionism and Israel. Sima Vaknin Gill (Credit: Arik Sultan/Makor Rishon)Vaknin Gill explains that classic antisemitism, which historically blamed the Jews for whatever ills have befallen the world, and modern antisemitism, which manifests itself in a form of anti-Zionism that does not accept the fact that Jews can have their own state, have merged. She cites the online attack against the former French health minister Agns Buzyn, who was accused in the language of the medieval blood libel of poisoning water wells and misleading the French public regarding the coronavirus pandemic.Vaknin Gill adds that Combat Anti-Semitism is a type of early warning system for the world on antisemitism, saying we are the canary in the coal mine...We have reached a tipping point in antisemitism in history, and when you reach this point you need to come up with something a little bit different. Combat Anti-Semitism, with its loose coalition of more than 250 partner organizations from many faiths, each with different capabilities, is an unusual type of organization. Each organizations different capabilities, says Dratwa, is one of Combats unique strengths. By utilizing and facilitating the different abilities of member organizations, Dratwa says they can counter antisemitism. Each member organization has different tools, he says. Some are strong in media others are strong in the community. We match them on any case to bring them together to utilize the uniqueness of each one to work together.Vaknin Gill adds that Combat Anti-Semitism is a type of platform that enables different organizations to join forces, and to create a synergy between different groups. The organizations list of members includes large organizations, such as the Jewish National Fund, American Jewish Committee and the Jewish Agency, as well as small and medium-sized organizations. Combat Anti-Semitism is active in engaging students as well as adults in the struggle against antisemitism. One example is a joint initiative, sponsored by Bnai Brith International and Combat Anti-Semitism, titled Students Speak Out Against Anti-Semitism a creative video production competition that awards prizes to high school and post-secondary students for the creation of videos that educate about antisemitism and the prejudice, bigotry, hatred, and violence it engenders.Dratwa says they are making progress in the Muslim world, and the organization recently honored Sheikh Dr. Mohammed al-Issa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League in Saudi Arabia, who has spoken out against Holocaust denial and acts of antisemitism, and who led the Muslim World League on a historic visit of senior Muslim leaders to Auschwitz-Birkenau in January. Combat Anti-Semitism is also working with Evangelical, Catholic and Protestant groups. The relationship between Jews and Christians is so deep and so important historically, he notes. Dratwa and Vaknin Gill point out that Combat Anti-Semitism is an apolitical movement that does not deal with defending Israel from criticism of its policies. We are talking about the fact, says Vaknin Gill, that there are a bunch of groups in the world who dont accept the fact that the Jewish state has a right to exist as other nations around the world.Dratwas vision is to see a reduction in antisemitism, which will enable Jewish communities to live in safety and to be proud of their Jewishness. To that end, he says better legislation is needed to protect Jews and Jewish identity around the world. If we can work as a movement in the Jewish world, and outside the Jewish world, we will have the first big win, he says. Like Dratwa, Vaknin Gill acknowledges that antisemitism will never completely go away, but hopes for more accountability on the part of governments as well as academic leaders, which she says, are the hubs of hate, as well as tech companies. She is confident young leaders such as Dratwa are the type of leaders needed, who understand reality, who arent afraid of what is happening online and are ready to do battle with the threat of worldwide antisemitism. These are the type of people that we need to lead the Jewish people.

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Combat Anti-Semitism: Trying to combat the haters - The Jerusalem Post

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Posted By admin on July 9, 2020

On Friday, President Trump rang in Fourth of July weekend with a speech and fireworks display at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, a stark contrast with the large number of fireworks displays that were canceled across the rest of the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. Though the Rushmore celebration attracted much attention for the lack of social distancing and masking required of attendees, commentators also noted the striking content of the presidents speech.

Joel Swanson | Artist: Noah Lubin

While most other presidents have used the occasion of the nations Independence Day to urge public unity and goodwill, Trump instead delivered a dark and divisive speech in which he warned about a new far-left fascism seeking to destroy the history and values of the United States, a left-wing cultural revolution designed to overthrow the American Revolution. A far cry from Yankee Doodle Dandy indeed.

The presidents Rushmore address was not good news for the Jews. While Trump did not, of course, mention Jews explicitly during his speech, I could not help but hear in his warnings against years of extreme indoctrination and bias in education, journalism, and other cultural institutions, echoes of the cultural Marxism conspiracy theory that has taken hold on the American far-right in recent years.

The presidents defenders at Fox News certainly heard it that way, praising Trumps attacks on cancel culture and the rise of the Marxist ideology. And this language of cultural Marxism can all too easily slide into anti-Semitism.

To understand why, we need to review a bit of history about this term, and the way it functions in American far-right mythologies. The right-wing Christian journalist William S. Lind, a key proponent of this particular conspiracy theory, defines cultural Marxism as political correctness or Marxism translated from economic into cultural terms. According to classical Marxist theory, when the Russian Revolution broke out in 1917, workers all across Europe should have joined together to overthrow capitalism and create a new socialist society. But when the more heavily industrialized nations of Western Europe failed to join in the revolution, Marxist theorists needed an explanation for this failure. And so, they turned to popular culture.

As Lind would have it, whereas classical Marxist theory was wholly focused on economic relations between classes, seeing culture as no more than an outgrowth of economics, this new brand of cultural Marxism taught that Western culture and the Christian religion had so blinded the working class to its true (Marxist) class interests that Communism was impossible in the West until traditional culture and Christianity were destroyed. Thus, Marxist theory after the Russian Revolution would have to seek cultural as well as economic transformation.

To a limited degree, Lind was correct: An array of diverse thinkers from different backgrounds were involved in this rethinking of Marxism after the Russian Revolution. And the most famous circle crystalized in Germany in the early 1920s around the newly-formed Institute for Social Research, more commonly known as the Frankfurt School. The Frankfurt School was instrumental in the development of critical theory, a school of thought that critiqued both cultural and economic structures in society with the explicitly political goal to liberate human beings from the circumstances that enslave them.

In practice, this often meant analyses of culture that integrated Marx with insights from that other great European Jewish intellectual, Freud. And significantly, nearly all of the thinkers associated with the Frankfurt School, including such famous luminaries as Theodor Adorno, Herbert Marcuse, Max Horkheimer, Erich Fromm, and Walter Benjamin, were Jewish.

Will Israel really annex the West Bank (and what happens next)? Watch the video of our June 17 Zoomversation with David Makovsky of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Khalil Shikaki of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research.

You can see where this is going. In 1933, the rise of Nazism forced the Jewish anti-fascist intellectuals of the Frankfurt School to flee Germany for New York, where they set up shop at Columbia University. And from there, as the Southern Poverty Law Center explains, the conspiracy theory took hold of a hidden group of foreign migr Jewish intellectuals who devised an unorthodox form of Marxism that took aim at American societys culture, rather than its economic system to try to convince mainstream Americans that white ethnic pride is bad, that sexual liberation is good, and that supposedly traditional American values Christianity, family values, and so on are reactionary and bigoted.

The theory was so successful because it was so adaptable. Any rapid change in American cultural norms could be blamed on these Marxist Jews seeking to undermine white Christian culture from within. The theory became especially popular in the 1960s, when students associated with left-wing movements like the anti-Vietnam War movement and the movement for sexual liberation cited the Frankfurt School thinkers as an influence. David Neiwert, who has researched cultural Marxism, writes that for those who believe in this theory, nearly all of the modern expressions of democratic culture feminism, the civil rights movement, the 60s counterculture movement, the antiwar movement, rock and roll, and the gay rights movement are eventually all products of the scheming of this cabal of Jewish elites.

Its a perfect conspiracy, really. According to Alana Lentin, cultural Marxism relies on long-time anti-Semitic tropes about a cabal of foreign Jews pulling strings behind the scenes, to advance the idea that the West is subject to manipulation from foreign forces within. And that, in turn, lets the far-right avoid confronting the real grievances driving movements for cultural change. Easier to blame the Jews for new standards of sexual morality that emerged in the 1960s, as many right-wing voices did.

Easier for President Trump to blame schools that supposedly teach our children to hate their own country as the real motivation for the movement to tear down Confederate statues across the United States. That way, he doesnt have to acknowledge the fact that most Americans in fact support removing these statues.

Thats the conspiratorial history that President Trump invokes when he blames schools and educational institutions for preaching a left-wing cultural revolution to destroy the nations history just as those who spread the cultural Marxism conspiracy theory claim that this ideology dominates both public and higher education.

Of course, its entirely possible that Trump used these words without knowing their anti-Semitic history, and most Americans will no doubt hear this rhetoric without thinking about Jews at all. But for white supremacists, these words are a clear dog whistle. It isnt coincidental that when William Lind first coined the term cultural Marxism, he did it in a speech to a Holocaust denial conference, in which he helpfully clarified that these guys were all Jewish.

And the rhetoric of cultural Marxism already has a body count. The far-right gunman who attacked a Chabad in Poway, California in April 2019 wrote before the shooting that he hated Jews for their role in cultural Marxism.

So when I hear the president of the United States go to Mount Rushmore, one of the great symbols of American culture, and warn in dark tones about a left-wing cultural revolution, I cant help but worry that such words are bad for the Jews. Trump may not have explicitly mentioned Jews at Mount Rushmore. But for a certain segment of the far-right, he may as well have.

Joel Swanson is a contributing columnist for the Forward and a Ph.D. student at the University of Chicago, studying modern Jewish intellectual history and the philosophy of religions. He identifies as culturally Marxist, but not actively practicing. Find him on Twitter @jh_swanson.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forward.

Trumps attacks on left-wing cultural revolution are an anti-Semitic dogwhistle

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Trumps attacks on left-wing cultural revolution are an anti-Semitic dogwhistle - Forward

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Posted By admin on July 9, 2020

On July 1, Germany took on the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.Of course, policy disagreements exist between Germany and Israel, not least over possible annexation. However, none of this can overshadow the deep and warm relations between the two countries, carefully nurtured over many decades. Undoubtedly, Berlin remains steadfastly committed to Israels security.Furthermore, Germany continues to work tirelessly for the continued prosperity of its Jewish community and the well-being of Jewish communities worldwide. As such, Germany is at the forefront of the global fight against antisemitism, which is worryingly rearing its ugly head with renewed vigor.As the coronavirus crisis continues to grip the world, the age-old disease of antisemitism is also rapidly infecting societies. Like COVID-19, antisemitism too easily spreads undetected. Like coronavirus, it has no respect for borders, nor does it discriminate between communities, between young and old, religious and secular, rich and poor.Shiite Iran and Sunni Pakistan have a history of disagreement and animosity toward each other. Nonetheless, they are united in Jew-hatred. Religious leaders, bloggers and ordinary individuals in both countries point the finger at Jews and the State of Israel, alleging that they are to blame for the coronavirus pandemic. The same ancient conspiracy theories have been propagated recently by the far Right in the United States and also in parts of Europe.Of course, antisemitism was already on the rise before the onset of the corona age. Figures from the Anti-Defamation League showed that antisemitic incidents in the US in 2019 reached an all-time high since tracking began in 1979. The statistics included a worrying 56% spike in antisemitic assaults. In January, the New York Police Department decided to install 100 security cameras in heavily Jewish-populated areas of Brooklyn, in an effort to deter rising antisemitic crime.Furthermore, the scapegoating of Jews for the spread of disease is nothing new. When the Black Death overran Europe in the mid-14th century, killing millions, Jews were quickly blamed for the outbreak. The allegations against Jews poisoning wells and water sources persisted from the Middle Ages onward. Of course, the idea that Jews spread disease found a welcome home in Nazi Germany. Der Sturmer populated this antisemitic trope in print, while Joseph Goebbelss infamous film The Eternal Jew depicted Jews as rats.Given this context, the increase in antisemitism since the corona outbreak is perhaps no surprise. Nonetheless, a report published last week by the Kantor Center at Tel Aviv University was stark in its assessment. It concluded that the pandemic has unleashed a unique worldwide wave of antisemitism, with social media quickly popularizing a discourse that blames Jews and the State of Israel, alleging that they created COVID-19 and are profiting from it. While coronavirus continues to cripple the world, antisemitism is clearly very much alive and well.ALL OF which gives Germany an exceptional opportunity to lead the response to this new wave of antisemitism, as it spearheads the EU agenda during the coming six months. In fact, it is a double opportunity. Germany also chairs the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, an umbrella organization of 34 countries, whose governments promote Holocaust memory and help identify contemporary antisemitism.Having met Germanys Foreign Minister Heiko Maas several times, I know that, like Chancellor Angela Merkel, he is a true friend of Israel and the Jewish people. Thanks to my familiarity with Maas in his previous role as justice minister, I have deep appreciation and admiration for his work to combat antisemitism, to fight Holocaust denial, to help Holocaust survivors and to ensure the welfare of the local Jewish community. I have no doubt that in his role as both foreign minister and a senior European leader, he will continue this critical work with determination.Germany sets a wonderful example to other European countries of how to deploy education, international cooperation and political will in the fight against antisemitism.Minister Maas, I take this opportunity to appeal to you. As you and the government you serve take the wheel of the European Union, redouble your efforts to tackle antisemitism and replicate them across the continent.The most potent weapon you have in this struggle is education. Change can come about only through knowledge. With healthy budgets for supporting Jewish schools in Europe, Holocaust studies curriculum in non-Jewish schools, serious planning and dedication, tolerance and respect can replace hatred and bigotry. Not only can the new wave of antisemitism be repelled, but perhaps the oldest hatred itself can be consigned to history.This is a historic mission. It is staring us squarely in the face today. If we work together, it can be achieved. The writer is a senior adviser to the Combat Antisemitism Movement and chairman of the board of trustees of World ORT.

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Germanys moment has arrived to tackle European antisemitism - The Jerusalem Post

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Posted By admin on July 9, 2020

Mark ZuckerbergPhotographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Advertisers are taking a stand against Facebooks stance on hate speech, and it's causing the social media giant some bruises. On 26 June, the share price nosedived 8%, costing Mark Zuckerberg $7 billion (R119 billion).

Zuckerberg has since given asomewhat flip response that the advertisers will be back "soon enough", adding that:

"We're not going to change our policies or approach on anything because of a threat to a small percent of our revenue."

But since the killing of George Floyd at the hands of the Minnesota police in May 2020, the world has been taking a very deep, introspective look at itself. Many companies are owning up to systemic racism and consumers are starting to hold companies, celebrities, and individuals to account for the things that they do and say.

Free speech or hate speech?

In the wake of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, one of the things that has really come to the fore is the argument about free speech vs. hate speech. Our view is that hate speech of any kind can simply not be tolerated. To make anybody feel less than they should be is simply abhorrent. To belittle people, or discriminate against them is not acceptable. It is globally felt that social media platforms have been complicit in giving airtime to hate speech, veiled behind the curtain of freedom of speech and a stance against the censorship of content. Whilst there is some merit in this, freedom of speech cannot ever be used to cover hate speech. But the world is now taking a stand.

Some social media platforms are listening. Twitter has taken on Donald Trump, labelling some of his tweets as a violation of their rules about abusive behaviour, or putting fact checking labels on some of his more outrageous statements. Snapchat has stopped promoting Donald Trumps account meaning it will no longer be discoverable. Snapchat said that it would not "amplify voices who incite racial violence and injustice".

Facebook, on the other hand, has been very reticent to follow suit. This has led to an internal staff revoltagainst Mark Zuckerberg, and more recently an initiative led by civil rights activists in the US to encourage advertisers to boycott the platform until reforms to Facebooks policies are made. They say Facebook has failed in a number of ways: by allowing posts that incite violence against #BLM protestors, for not removing holocaust denial content, by making right-wing website Breitbart a trusted news source, and for allowing the platform to be used to suppress voting because of fake news.

The initiative is gaining traction with some notably big global brands backing the boycott. So far, we have seen Coca-Cola, Diageo, Honda America, Levi Strauss, The North Face, Patagonia, Starbucks, Unilever, and Verizon all lending their support to this growing boycott. All in all, over 100 advertisers have joined the campaign.

But will it make a difference?

Facebook has over 8 million advertisers. The vast majority of them are small, local businesses. Big advertisers only make up a small percentage of Facebooks total ad revenue, and whilst it is admirable that these 100 advertisers are taking a stand for what is right, their spend, however, is just a drop in the big blue Facebook ocean. Also, the majority of these brands are only "pausing" their advertising in the US.

In my humble opinion, if they really wanted to make a statement, they should support the boycott on a global level that might make more of an impact. Additionally, the boycott, in most instances is only slated for the month of July. But what about after July? Are black lives only important for a month? Is there a shelf-life on hate speech, fake news, and disinformation?

The bigger question is will this actually force Facebook to make changes to their policies on hate speech and racism?

Boycotts of Facebook have come and gone remember Cambridge Analytica? Advertisers boycotted Facebook then too. Consumers threatened to delete their Facebook accounts in protest. But nobody actually did. Facebook still grew by 2% in the quarter after the scandal broke. The advertisers all came back.

Why? Because Facebook is too valuable a platform to ignore. They are big. They have millions of consumers who spend an inordinate amount of time on the platform. Advertising works. Whilst it is certainly admirable that big business is taking a stand like this, how long will it last? How long before profit trumps (not Donald) principle?

Will Facebook make the changes that everyone is campaigning for? Maybe. But if advertisers only boycott for a month, this will be a small blip on Facebooks financial statement. The share price will recover. The revenues will return. For what it is worth, Facebook have made some platitudes to advertisers about closing the "trust deficit"and Mark Zuckerberg has in recent days made promisesto do more.

Time will tell if this will an historic moment for change, or simply a small profit warning for shareholders in Q3 of 2020.

Richard Lord is Media & Operations Director at Meta Media. Views expressed are his own.

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OPINION | Zuckerberg says advertisers will be back 'soon enough'. Sadly, he might be right - News24

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Posted By admin on July 7, 2020

Luke 2:39-52

As we read scripture, it is often difficult for mere mortals to wrap our minds around the fact of eternity. We, as humans, are locked into the system known as time interval between two events. For the Son of God to leave the splendors of heaven, and dwell among fallen mankind, can boggle our sinful minds.

Most people in our society are familiar with the Christmas Story. Luke 2:1-7. The unfolding of this beautiful event is celebrated each year. The divine record tells of the puppet king attempting to destroy the Son of God. Matthew 2:13, 14. After the return of this family from Egypt, the Record is silent regarding events of the next few years of the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

Jewish history and tradition give us some hints regarding the early years of the life of the Son of God. The usual expectation was for the male children to attend school in the local synagogue. The major content of this education was focused on the Law of Moses.

The Gospel of Luke written to the Greeks summarized these first years. And the child grew, and waxed strong (i.e., increased in vigor) in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. Luke 2:40.

During these silent years, the family did not slack in the religious education of the household. This account is quite clear Now his [Jesus] parents went to Jerusalem [from Nazareth] every year at the feast of the passover. Luke 2:41.

To the casual observer, this particular journey would have held no great significance. However, this specific year was important for the Son and the family. The tradition at that time and it continues to this day is the celebration of bar mitzvah for the son reaching the age of twelve or thirteen. (Webster). This celebration indicates this young one to be a son of the Law. However, the is no indication in scripture that this ceremony was part of this event in the life of Jesus.

The celebration of the Passover was important to the family and the nation. This feast included the great Day of Atonement. At this time a lamb would be offered for the sins of the whole nation, and national sins were confessed by the high priest. Later, John the Baptist would introduce Jesus of Nazareth as the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29.

When the group of pilgrims left Jerusalem following the feast, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem: and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. Luke 2:43b. This fact was not an example of parental neglect. At the age of 12, Jesus was considered old enough for personal responsibilities. Luke points out this fact in his record But they supposing him have been in the company, went a days journey. Luke 2:44a. When the caravan stopped for the night, they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. Luke 2:44b.

One can only imagine the distress that Joseph and Mary experienced as they made their frantic search. From the context, it seems that they did not delay in their return trip And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. Luke 2:45.

There must have been a frantic search in the city. We are told, And it came to pass, that after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors (teachers), both hearing them, and asking them questions. Luke 2:46. One can only imagine how this session began. We can speculate that this Young One must have begun to ask questions regarding the matters of the Law. These wise ones might have been required to re-think some of the lessons that had been taught. The applications that had, once, glibly tripped from their lips might not have seemed so simple in the light of the questions that they met at this time.

The sessions that unfolded in the temple at that time included both hearing and asking questions. As we consider teaching sessions in our day, what is the common format? Are we willing to accept questions regarding the doctrines and principles that we teach? The Apostle Peter instructed believers that we should be ready always to give an answer to every man (one) that asketh you a reason (as one with authority) of (concerning) the hope that is in you with meekness (controlled strength) and fear (reverence). 1 Peter 3:15. This admonition leaves no room for one to show any kind of great spiritual superiority. We must all learn from the same Source. See Matthew 11:29.

Those who heard the discussions in the temple that day were astonished (amazed; astounded) at his [Jesus] understanding and answers. Luke 2:46. The observers knew the age of this One who was holding these hearers spellbound.

The parents did not expect to witness the scene, as it unfolded And when they saw him, they were amazed. Luke 2:48a. Finally, his mother said unto him, Son why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father [in the foster sense] and I have sought thee sorrowing (grieving). Luke 2:48b, c.

The answer given did not come from arrogance nor rebellion. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Wist (know) ye not that I must be about my Fathers business [implied affairs]? Luke 2:49. These are the first recorded words of Jesus. His last words on the cross were It is finished. John 19:30.

The importance of these words of the 12-year-old did not register with His earthly parents. Luke recorded that they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. Luke 2:50.

As Luke continued his record, he wrote, And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject (Note: a military term, to rank under) unto them: but his mother kept all these saying in her heart. Luke 2:51. The next eighteen years are summarized, And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. Luke 2:52. During this time, Jesus learned the trade of a carpenter. Later, this fact astonished His critics, but did not change His divine mission.

Are we faithful the mission that is our assignment? Whatever our position in life, we are all called to be witnesses for our Lord. Acts 1:8.

Rev. James C. Temples Sunday School Lesson has appeared in the Early County News each week since 1967. A native of Early County, Rev. Temples taught in public schools 32 years and 10 years at Southeastern College of Assemblies of God, in Lakeland, Fla. He also served as pastor and evangelist during those years. He can be contacted at P. O. Box 1484, Swainsboro, GA 30401; 478-299-2068. Email: temples_james@yahoo.com

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The boy Jesus in the synagogue - Early County News

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Posted By admin on July 7, 2020

RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) The bombshell news on Tuesday was ironic for some Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, one of the world leaders who has most staunchly downplayed the potential of the coronavirus pandemic, had contracted the virus.

Despite his ardent support of Israel, Bolsonaros tempered rhetoric on the virus and controversial moves to cope with the pandemic including fiercely criticizing stay-at-home measures implemented by Rio de Janeiro and other state governments, and saying that a weakened economy could kill more than the virus have raised eyebrows even among his most passionate conservative Jewish supporters.

As of June, the country of 215 million people that is home to some 120,000 Jews had the second-highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world behind the United States: nearly 1.6 million, including some 65,000 deaths.

In March, the Rio Jewish federation established its own crisis committee to advise the states 30,000 Jews. Along with being a state, Rio is Brazils second largest city and second largest Jewish community, behind Sao Paulo. Its home to some of the nations most famous landmarks, such as the Christ Redeemer statue and the Sugarloaf Mountain, and boasts some of the countrys most storied Jewish institutions, such as the Great Israelite Temple and Brazils largest Jewish day school, the 1,400-student Liessin.

Despite the governmental guideline allowing religious temples to reopen, we have told all synagogues to wait longer and our request has been met, the federations president, Arnon Velmovitsky, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. He reiterated this sentiment in a statement this week.

Heres how Jews in Rio have responded to dealing with the virus that has taken Jewish institutions online.

Online shul

Oren Boljover, cantor at the Associacao Religiosa Israelita synagogue, sings on camera. (Courtesy of Associacao Religiosa Israelita)

Rios largest synagogue, the 1,000-family Associacao Religiosa Israelita, has been garnering over 500 people on its regular Friday evening livestreamed religious services. Its so popular that the president of the Reform temple, which was founded in 1942 by German Jewish families, says it will keep streaming services online after the pandemic.

Our online religious services stem from what was a unanimous decision by our board and rabbinate, Gilberto Lamm told JTA. They are here to stay. When COVID-19 is over, well have both onsite and online.

Orthodox synagogues in the city have been holding pre-Shabbat and Havdalah celebrations, which are presented before and after the hours in which the use of electricity is prohibited by Jewish law.

Temples from all streams offer an array of live and prerecorded material, including prayers, lectures and classes. Since the pandemic started, the Israeli Independence Day, Lag bOmer and Shavuot observances were celebrated online, and Zoom, Facebook and Instagram have been the favored platforms for Jewish institutions.

The receptivity to our livestreams has been very great, said Gabriel Aboutboul, chief rabbi of the Edmond Safra Synagogue, an Orthodox temple located a few blocks from the iconic Ipanema beach. There are many people who did not have a chance to attend an event in the synagogue and now they can. Were bringing our community together.

Immigration to Israel could spike

A group of 23 Brazilians immigrated to Israel on a flight that went through Ethiopia in May. (Olim do Brasil NGO)

Brazil is regularly among the top 10 list of countries that send the most immigrants to Israel every year. In 2019, nearly 700 Brazilians moved to Israel a record that has stayed almost constant for three years in a row. Through May, 280 Brazilians had immigrated to the Jewish state this year, but that pipeline has been nearly shut down.

Most people are very frustrated because they should already be in Israel. We cant tell anything for sure now, we have no crystal ball. Its all a big question mark, said Sprintza Laim, the head of the Jewish Agencys Aliyah department in Rio. The Jewish Agency is a nonprofit that among things facilitates Jewish immigration to Israel.

Still, immigration could increase throughout the year, especially if the COVID-19 situation in Brazil worsens.

Last year, 750 Brazilian families opened aliyah files meaning they began the process of gathering personal and religious documents needed for immigration. The 2020 tally is expected to reach up to 1,200, according to the Jewish Agency.

Rio alone currently accounts for some 45%, although it is home to only half the Jewish population of Sao Paulo.

Laim said the Jewish Agency offers livestream events to introduce prospective immigrants to each other.

There is a very high level of anxiety, which is cooled down when people meet others who are experiencing the same situation, Laim added.

Danielle Tarnovsky was among the 23 Brazilians who landed in Israel on a flight via Ethiopia in May. She was quarantined in a Tel Aviv hotel for 14 days, as mandated by Israel, from which she gave a testimonial during a live broadcast on social media with Olim do Brasil, a nonprofit that helps her countrymen.

We had a thousand obstacles, many people wouldve given it up, but I was loyal to my goal, Tarnovsky said from her new home in Nahariya. Rio is not doing well in terms of health. We left the virus behind.

Jewish schools: E-learning and a Barmobile

Barilan representatives stand on the schools Barmobile at a stop in Rio. (Courtesy of TTH Barilan)

While several private schools in Rio are providing prerecorded classes, Jewish day schools have stood out for providing real-time classes. Theyre using e-learning platforms such as Google Meet and Zoom supported by the Google Classroom platform.

The result is above our expectations, said Celia Saada, the principal of Liessin, which has three campuses. All the Jewish schools in Brazil run from preschool to high school.

Junior high and high school students have responded very quickly and positively. From first to fifth grade, it was a gradual thing. Preschool was our biggest challenge.

TTH Barilan, an Orthodox school, recently posted on Facebook some numbers documenting the schools efforts to keep things running during the first three months of the pandemic. There were nearly half a million emails and files exchanged; almost 7,500 classes on Google Meet that took more than 250,000 minutes; nearly 42,000 views of class videos on social media; and more.

Our teachers reinvented their teaching practice, families found ways to organize their homes to the new reality, students took a leap of responsibility and autonomy to keep up with the new school dynamics, said TTH-Barilans principal, Andre Frank. The pandemic will pass, but the legacy will remain.

In May, the school reached out to its 400 quarantined students to celebrate Israels Independence Day with what they nicknamed the Barmobile a mashup of the schools name and Batmans Batmobile. The car paraded through the city, playing Jewish music and reading inspiring messages and tips on how to protect from the virus through a microphone.

Since students cannot come to school, our school went to them, said its president, Rafael Antaki.

Doing the hora online

Dancers from the Kineret Institute, before the pandemic. (Courtesy of Kineret)

Israeli folk dance, a passionate national pastime, has probably its biggest Diaspora fans in the land of the Samba. Dana israeli here is popular among Jewish children, youths, adults and seniors. The choreographed circle, couple and line dances are taught in Rios Jewish day schools, youth movements, synagogues and private spaces.

COVID-19 has turned this world upside down especially since holding hands is one of the key principles of Israeli dance. The 50th edition of the Hava Netze Bemachol festival, Rios largest Jewish annual event, has been postponed to the virus.

We now hold regular classes on Zoom. Weve been recording the choreographies for our pupils to rehearse at home and training our instructors during the quarantine, said Daniel Adesse, the founder of Kineret Institute, an Israeli dance school that gathers some 250 dancers who perform in Brazil and the United States.

For choreographer Sandra Libaber, who teaches at several Jewish institutions, including the Liessin and Barilan schools, the adherence to Zoom lessons is not the same.

Memorizing the steps is hard, but the joy and the sense of belonging are of great value, she told JTA. Letting Israeli dance enter our homes in this time of social isolation boosts mental health, energy and love.

WiZoom: 1,500 chaverot in action

The Womens International Zionist Organization, based in Rio, often hits the limit of 100 participants in its meetings. (Screenshot/Courtesy of Wizo)

The Womens International Zionist Organization, a group of 1,500 activists from across the country whose headquarters is in Rio, is still holding a wide range of initiatives to raise funds for educational projects.

Lectures, panels and courses around Jewish values, Israel-related topics and more are now livestreamed on Zoom, which the activists known as chaverot, the Hebrew word for female friends have nicknamed WiZoom.

We depend on fundraising events, Danielle Balassiano Ptak, vice president of the Rio chapter, told JTA. With everything closed, we must find our ways around it.

The events constantly reach the Zoom limit of 100 participants. The goal is to plan campaigns to collect funds on the calls, but also to share the tough personal challenges imposed by COVID-19.

Younger chaverot regularly call the older ones and ask how they are, what they need or simply listen to one another, Balassiano Ptak said. They just need to talk and keep mental sanity.

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Brazil's president has COVID-19 and the country is a coronavirus hot spot. Here's how Rio Jews are adapting to the pandemic. - Jewish Telegraphic...

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Posted By admin on July 7, 2020

Is there a need for anyone over 60 to fast tomorrow on Thursday, July 9, 2020

Tomorrow, Thursday is the Fast of Tammuz 17

The last fast we had during the Corona Crises was the fast of Esther on March 10, 2020.. At that time, we were new to the virus and no one knew what to do. Soon after, everyone agreed, however, that the preservation of life was more important than going to the synagogue and the synagogue was canceled.

Now we are at the new fast. Do you need to fast or not? Like everything else in the world, it depends on who you are.

Only a Jew has to keep 613 mitzvahs, a Gentile does not. A woman keeps fewer stringencies than a man about many religious practices as she is not obligated in many (some she is) time-bound mitzvah, and a Slave (though we dont have anymore) even less.

Judaism is the worlds oldest monotheistic religion, dating back nearly 4,000 years. Followers of Judaism believe in one God who revealed himself through ancient prophets. The history of Judaism is essential to understanding the Jewish faith, which has a rich heritage of law, culture, and tradition.

Over the past 4000 years, we have had many times questions about whether a fast is canceled or not either for medical conditions or over the safety of the Jewish People as other nations like to threaten us with either loss of life or property.

Judaism believes in the principle that life comes first in most instances (not all as there are three primary exceptionsviolating believes in Idolatry, Harming others, or sexual immorality may supersede life).

So when life is at stake, the fast may have to go. The Fast of Tammuz is a Rabbinic Fast, not a Torah Fast, so since it was created by the Rabbis, the Rabbis have the right to make the rules about who has to keep it.

So to answer the question, about keeping the fast we turn to history. The Place we start is about the most serious Torah Fast, Yom Kippur. If that fast, a Torah Fast can be put off, then certainly a less serious Rabbinic fast can be put off.

Rabbis and doctors have always considered the weighty issue of fasting.

Whether an elderly person should eat or drink on Yom Kippur depends on whether he is healthy or fragile.

Although religion should promote good health, sometimes the two can clash. In such cases for example, religious fasts clergymen and doctors should intervene to ensure that patients are not harmed.

The fast was initiated by the G-d (or in the case of Tannat Esther and the Fast of Tammuz the Rabbis), but it is meant for healthy adults, not for the sick or for children or pregnant or lactating women. If you cant fast for health reasons, its just as good to give charity instead.

RABBI YOSEF Zvi Rimon, the rabbi of JCT (The Jerusalem College of Technology, an Orthodox Jewish educational institution in the Givat Mordechai neighborhood) and head of its Beit Midrash, noted that medicine develops all the time. Doctors may have said something 20 years ago, and rabbis gave halachic rulings on the basis of that, but maybe the information is obsolete. The principles of Jewish law are the same, but conclusions may be wrong because doctors made statements based on medical evidence and research at the time

One has to go deeper. The rabbi produced a pamphlet with guidelines for patients on Yom Kippur fasting.It there is doubt, one must consult with a rabbi. If it is impossible and there is a real doubt [about whether the fast will cause harm], one should not fast and not endanger life, even if there is no immediate danger but only one that is distant. A patient must not risk his or her health and fast in contravention of doctors orders.

The rabbi added that if ones doctor and rabbi say the patient can fast, except to drink small amounts of water every nine (or even six) minutes, the permitted amount of water is easy to measure. Fill your mouth with as much water as you can and then spit it out into a cup. Half of that amount can be drunk every nine minutes by chronic patients who need to hydrate themselves. The average amount is 38 milliliters and should be less than 44 milliliters.

If necessary, to provide sick people with more energy, they can drink a sweet beverage or soup in intervals, Rimon continued. If a patient has to eat at intervals as well, the food should be able to fit inside an Israeli-style matchbox. A patient is allowed to take a shower on Yom Kippur to refresh himself (it is forbidden to healthy people) if he needs it to fast, and is advisable over eating and drinking if the doctor permits.

It is preferable to stay home, pray and fast, if permitted by a doctor or rabbi, rather than go to synagogue and forgo the fast. Pregnant and lactating women who are healthy usually are bound to fast (unless the new mother cannot produce enough milk for the baby), but pregnant women should consult with authorities on whether going without food and drink would harm them or the fetus. Chronically ill patients who must take pills during the fast are advised to take them without water, but if this is impossible, they should do so in a different way, such as adding a bit of salt or something bitter, the rabbi suggested.

DR. EPHRAIM Jaul, director of complex geriatric nursing at Jerusalems Herzog Hospital, said that ironically, there were many recommendations for vaccination for babies and children up to the age of 18, but only one recommended vaccination (against pneumonia) for those over 65.

Old age is the most heterogeneous condition, but it is treated as homogeneous. He urged pensioners to walk fast to improve their heart, brain, and gastrointestinal systems, as well as to do mental exercises.

CALLING A person old should not be determined by his chronological age but more exactly by his biological age, said Prof. Tzvi Dwolatzky, an expert in geriatrics and internal medicine at Haifas Rambam Medical Center. It used to be that kidney-failure patients were not sent to dialysis after the age of 75. Today, one can be 85 or more and still undergo it. The decision is made according to the biological age of the patient, he said, showing a photo of an 89-year-old woman who piloted a plane, and of Jeanne Louise Calment, a French woman who lived to the age of 122 and of a Holocaust survivor and Israeli named Yisrael Kristal, who died recently at the age of 113.

Whether an elderly person should eat or drink on Yom Kippur, said Dwolatzky, depends on whether he is healthy or fragile (living at the edge of his abilities and could fall at a slow walking speed). From my experience, most old people fast better than young persons.

DEHYDRATION FROM fasting is a significant risk in elderly patients, noted Dr. Ephraim Rimon of the Hartzfeld Geriatric Hospital in Gedera, who happens to be the older brother of Rabbi Rimon.

One should drink three liters of water during the 24 hours before a fast, but its hard for the elderly to drink so much. If a patient is dehydrated, the risk of a heart attack or stroke is higher. An elderly person who wants to fast and drink at intervals may forget to drink water and them harm himself.

He told the story of Rabbi Chaim Sonnenfeld of the Eda Haredit who learned of a blind woman who was fasting and endangered her health. He came to her and blew the shofar during the fast and told her it was night and the fast was all over.

But every case is different.DR. RABBI Mordechai Halperin, head of Jerusalems Schlesinger Institute for Medical-Halachic Research, added that a patient with irregular heartbeats can even die if he fasts.

If we make an error in our guidelines, we are spilling blood. If a person is sick and at risk, he doesnt need to drink at intervals. He should eat. If based on medical evidence, a person could be harmed by the fast, he must eat.

THE ONLY part of the body that needs carbohydrates is the brain, said Prof. David Zangen, a senior endocrinologist at Hadassah University Medical Center.When you havent eaten for hours and the blood sugar level is low, the liver will release sugar from the liver to reach the brain rather than to remain in storage.

If there isnt enough, a patient can fall and be seriously hurt.Working with observant adolescents with type-1 diabetes, Zangen asked if they intended to fast on Yom Kippur. Thirty-nine of 190 said they would fast no matter what the doctor said.

They want to be like all the others, but it could be dangerous. Those who nevertheless insist on fasting are advised to check their blood sugar every 2.5 hours and to start eating if they have nausea, vomiting or hyperglycemia. A diabetic should always consult their personal physician, as he or she knows the medical condition well.

Now let us turn to the current issue, not just of health, but of an epidemic condition (Bibi has told us enough times in the Paper that this is an epidemic Condition-good enough for me). One of the most famous cases was:

Following Shacharit on Yom Kippur of 5610, in

September 1849, Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, the famous

and pious Vilna rabbi -founder of the Mussar Movement, dedicated to injecting the pursuit of ethical excellence into traditional Jewish observance, ascended to the bimah of the Vilna synagogue.

He explained to the congregation that because of the raging cholera epidemic in Vilna, they must not spend the day gathered together in the synagogue, but should leave the building and walk outside. Fresh air was believed to prevent the spread of the disease.(My oh My nothing seems to have changed-same advice today!)

Furthermore, he said, it was imperative that everyone maintains their strength so that they would not fall, victim, to disease. And so, on that Yom Kippur, Rabbi Yisrael Salanter explained, everyone should break their fast, eat and drink so that they could protect their health and survive the disease.

Cholera is a horrific disease. It is painful, terrifying, and deadly. The Hebrew word for cholera- sounds similar to cholera but more literally can be translated as evil disease.

Over the course of the 19thcentury, modern medical science learned how to prevent the spread of cholera, and also how to effectively treat cholera.

However, in 1849, in Eastern Europe, nobody knew how the disease spread and there were no effective treatments.

Rabbi Yisrael Salanter was one of the mostfamed rabbis of Vilna.

He threw himself into the fight against the disease.He volunteered to care for the sick, and was instrumental in organizing the Jewish community to take care of the sick and to watch over orphans left behind in the wake of the disease

The Torah Tidbids tells us

Shiva Asar btamuz begins at 4:15 A.M. Ends at 18:18 pm.

Concerning Shiva Asar BTamus, a person in isolation should not fast, so as not to weaken his immune system, since there is a chance that he is infected or can infect others

Other Doctors and Rabbis have stated that anyone over 60 is at great risk from the new flue (younger people dont seem to be as affected). It is not much of a stretch than to Poskin, that even if you are in good health, anyone over 60 should not fast, and of course, if you are not in good health, no matter what your age you should not fast. Either go to the synagogue or not (some are afraid of the potential virus in crowds), but as my Grandfather who lived to a ripe old age used to tell me, Stay home, take a bath, safe money and be healthy!

Rabbi Yehuda Lave

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Is there a need for anyone over 60 to fast tomorrow on Thursday, July 9, 2020 - The Times of Israel

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Posted By admin on July 7, 2020

Gwyndolyn Riddles conversion to Judaism, taking place in the midst of once-in-a-century pandemic, has been forcing her to keep socially distant from the community and the religion she is joining.

Her Introduction to Judaism course began in person at Congregation Beth Shalom but moved online in March as COVID-19 forced synagogues and classrooms to close. The South Side resident took her oral Hebrew exam with Rabbi Seth Adelson online and completed her written exam at home.

Despite the challenges, Riddle is excited about her conversion ceremony taking place on July 14, happy to be joining the Jewish community and thrilled with how adept Beth Shalom has been in reacting to the coronavirus outbreak.

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Im very excited about it. Such incredible times, Riddle said. The beit din is first at 8:30 a.m. and then we go to the mikvah at 9:30.

Even the experience at the mikvah has been affected by the virus. Typically, before entering the water, a person would take a shower on site and remove any makeup or jewelry. Instead, Riddle is expected to arrive ready to immerse herself in the pool.

I received very specific instructions, she said. It is very strict. They are trusting me to take a very intense and good shower at home. I have to show up with no make up, nothing in my hair and I have to bring my own towel, robe and slippers. I have to do a lot more home prep than I would if I were just showing up to have that ritual bathing experience.

Riddles conversion is actually a return to the Judaism abandoned by her great-great-grandmother who converted to Christian Science in the 1920s. Despite her fathers heritage, Riddle wasnt raised Jewish nor was she considered Jewish under halacha.

Riddle recounted becoming the black sheep of her family when she pushed away from the Christian Science faith at age 18.

There were hints and clues of Judaism, she remembers, but it was purposely hidden. Like a secret cupboard that I never got a key to.

It was only after moving to New York and taking a DNA test while in her 20s that the PNC project manager confirmed her Jewish lineage.

I found out that I was 25% Jewish. It was a perfect time in my life. I was alone and had all this time on my hands and a love of the library. So, I had this incredible time of learning about my ancestors and Judaism, she said.

After discovering her Jewish heritage, Riddle met her husband, Matthew, who is Jewish, but was secular. The pair eventually decided to explore Judaism together, leading to the 32-year-olds commitment to convert.

The couple traveled to Israel with Adelson in January as part of Honeymoon Israel, after being married in September in a civil ceremony.

We had unlimited access to Rabbi Adelson for 10 days and we took advantage of it, Riddle said.

While the pandemic is preventing Riddle from celebrating with her new community in person, she and her husband are marking the occasion with another type of celebration: a Jewish wedding at Beth Shalom two days after her conversion ceremony, broadcast via Zoom to friends and family, of course.

Any kind of celebration that we would have had, that kind of takes the cake. To be able to stand next to my husband and be married under the eyes of God will be an incredible celebration, said Riddle.That ceremony is also being affected by the pandemic.

There will only be five of us in a 1,600-seat synagogue, our two witnesses, the rabbi and myself and my husband. Of course, there will be a lot of people on Zoom, she said.

Riddle has already forged relationships in the Jewish community, through both her experiences at the synagogue and during Honeymoon Israel, although there were programs and speakers she would have liked to attend in person, had she been afforded the opportunity.

As for Jewish holidays, Riddle has found ways to immerse herself in Jewish culture and tradition, organizing her familys online seder for Passover this year.

Adelson acknowledged that the conversion process had to be altered because of the pandemic but was nonplussed by the changes.

Weve been meeting by Zoom, he said. In terms of the conclusion of the process, the beit din will occur in person but were meeting in the Beth Shalom sanctuary, seated far apart and will all be wearing masks. And then we will go to the mikvah, which doesnt present as much of a problem because the person goes in alone. We do have to do the conclusion of the process in person, we just have to make sure were careful.

Temple Davids Rabbi Barbara Symons doesnt view the challenges presented by the virus as a negative, believing a robust learning process can occur through classes, online services and interactions in the digital space, including virtual seders.

The Reform rabbi said that she is working with a conversion student now.

We meet regularly on Zoom; he meets with someone else for Hebrew lessons on Zoom and he is attending worship and learning sessions online, said Symons.

Riddle is upbeat about the challenges she has faced, crediting Beth Shalom with ensuring a smooth transition to the virtual classroom. They didnt miss a beat. They changed very quickly. I havent felt that anything hindered my education. That was not sacrificed in the devastation of COVID-19.

In fact, Riddle said she was shocked when taking her final exam before her conversion ceremony about how much she had learned.

I was surprised by how much I knew compared to a year ago, she said. The education that I have received over the last year, has been life-changing for me. That is what Im going to be grateful for 20 years from now.

I will have a story to tell my children and grandchildren about my conversion and Jewish wedding and add into that it was during a once in a lifetime, once in a 100-year pandemic. I like having unique experiences. PJC

David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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COVID-19 forces Jewish conversions to adapt to once-in-a-century challenge - thejewishchronicle.net

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Posted By admin on July 7, 2020

Parishioners head into Church of the Transfiguration, 25225 Code Road, July 5. The church recently reopened after the state shutdown order was lifted.

Attendees of the service are required to wear masks, church officials said.

Photo by Deb Jacques

SOUTHFIELD Since the state shutdown order was rescinded June 1, some local houses of worship are opting to stay closed, while others are welcoming back their members.

When Gov. Gretchen Whitmers stay at home order was signed March 23, it prohibited all public and private gatherings of any number of people not part of a single household.

However, another part of the order stated that places of worship, when used for religious worship, were not subject to penalty for violating the order.

Despite this, many religious institutions in Southfield opted to close their doors and move their worship online.

Rabbi Aaron Starr, of Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 27375 Bell Road, said the synagogue is currently taking steps to resume its regular worship schedule.

Starr said the organizations congregational prayer experiences were moved online, as well as youth and adult educational programs, and social gatherings.

We are indeed taking small steps back toward regular worship in our building, though regular somehow does not seem an apt term, Starr said in an email.

When COVID-19 began to ravage Michigan, Starr said, the congregational leadership at Shaarey Zedek formed a Building Readiness Task Force, along with a Shabbat and Holiday Task Force.

Starr said the Building Readiness Task Force was formed to make sure congregation members stay safe amid the pandemic, and the Shabbat and Holiday Task Force explores how to provide the best services to synagogue members while hosting services online and with the gradual return to the building.

Everyone who enters the building or the campus is required to wear a mask and abide by social distancing regulations. Attendees must also complete a pre-registration process, and have their temperatures checked prior to entering the building, Starr said.

Starr said keeping the community safe is a core Jewish principle.

As such, while we yearn to return fully to our beautiful edifice, we proceed slowly and carefully, mindful of the law and with extreme dedication to the health and welfare of all who participate in our experiences, Starr said in an email.

The Very Rev. Chris Yaw said the doors of St. Davids Episcopal Church, 16200 W. 12 Mile Road, are going to remain closed for the foreseeable future.

Yaw said Episcopal leaders announced recently that churches can once again hold in-person services, but the Southfield parish has decided to remain closed, opting instead to hold services online.

We sent out a survey to the membership. Most of them said, You know what? Theres a deadly virus out there, Yaw said. Its the places where a large number of people come together that become mega-spreaders of the virus, and St. Davids doesnt want to be a part of that.

In lieu of in-person services, Yaw said, the church will be hosting two drive-in type services in the parking lot of the church, July 18 and Aug. 23.

Attendees will view the service from the safety of their cars while the service is held on the churchs lawn.

You can sing in your car, Yaw said. Let the Lord be with you, honk honk.

Yaw said the church does not currently have any plans to reopen soon.

Were going to wait and see how the fall goes. I think that its important we pay attention to the doctors and see what they say, Yaw said. Its pretty easy. You just follow the experts.

Father Jeff Scheeler, of the Church of the Transfiguration, 25225 Code Road, said the church recently reopened.

We are back open for public worship, but we are under some limitations. All other parish events are suspended, like our committees, celebrations and educational programs. We can have events at the pastors discretion and in small groups of under 10 people.

Scheeler said the church has also been streaming Mass online every day on the churchs Facebook page.

The parish is also taking many safety precautions, such as requiring everyone to wear a mask and to follow proper social distancing measures. Scheeler said every other pew is roped off, and ushers help seat attendees in sections designated for families, couples and individuals. Touch points inside the church are also sprayed down with disinfectant after every service.

The church hasnt run into too many problems with members following the guidelines, Scheeler said, but the biggest difficulty throughout the pandemic was not being able to connect with the congregation.

This was a terrible time for somebody to lose someone. We couldnt have the rituals to help them grieve, he said. We also couldnt visit people in hospitals or visit shut-ins or people who are stuck at home.

Scheeler said church officials are trying their best to reconnect with the community.

Were learning as we go, he said. We are just trying to maintain a connection with people. We still have a number of people who dont feel safe yet. We called every parishioner just to see how they were doing.

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Houses of worship weigh pros, cons of reopening amid pandemic in Southfield - C&G Newspapers

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When Susie and I married oh those many years ago or was it just yesterday?! we never imagined that our wedding date would become such an auspicious, global occasion, and that the third of Tamuz, which occurred this past week, would forever be memorialized as the yahrzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson.Though I never had the merit of meeting the Rebbe, he was an important person in my life.There are three rabbis, among many others, who particularly influenced me in my formative years, inspiring me not only to pursue a career in the rabbinate, but to also engage in kiruv, bringing others close to God and to Torah.One of those rabbis was Rav Herzl Kaplan, of blessed memory, my primary teacher in Skokie Yeshiva, a brilliant, soft-spoken scholar with amazing insight into the secrets of the Torah and Talmud as well as a rare sense of humor who nurtured and trained his boys until we received our semicha (rabbinical ordination). The other two sainted men were the rabbis of my synagogue, both of whom also served as the leaders of Chabad in my native Chicago. The first was Rabbi David Moshe Lieberman, who taught me for my bar mitzvah, insisting that I not only read the Torah and haftarah portion for that Shabbat, but that I also lead the prayers both Friday night and Shabbat, as well as deliver a pilpul, a complex halachic discourse, which he wrote for me. It was a daunting challenge for a 13-year-old, but he told me, A person never knows just how much he can accomplish until he pushes himself to the limits.Lieberman left Chicago to return to his native Antwerp, where, now well in his nineties, he has served since 1981 as chief rabbi. On a visit to Belgium some years ago, I called him and asked to come see him for a blessing. Of course, Stewie! he exclaimed remembering me immediately, though I hadnt been in touch with him for 45 years! We spent an hour talking, and to this day I receive a thought on the weekly parasha from him every Friday.He was succeeded in his role as synagogue leader by Rabbi Joshua Goodman, of blessed memory. Our neighborhood had changed, with most Jews moving away, and the once bustling synagogue was not much more than a minyan or two. Nevertheless, Goodman stayed on. The Rebbe said we must never desert a Jewish community, no matter how small it may become, for in fact, these are the Jews who need us most, he told me. As I was then studying for semicha and the youngest member of the shul I became his right-hand man. When he was unable to make the hour walk to the synagogue from his home, I directed the services. And when he did come, I walked home with him, talking Torah and hearing about the Rebbe, after which I was treated to the rebbetzins legendary chopped liver with gribenes.It was Goodman who first inspired me to reach out to any and every Jew, particularly those who were distanced from Jewish life.One Sukkot, he handed me a lulav (palm branch) and etrog (citron) and a list of all the Jewish patients in our local hospital and said, Make sure everyone says a blessing. I was a bit nervous, I must admit, but he told me, Remember, the strengths and gifts and knowledge which Hashem has blessed you with are tools not to glorify yourself, but to repair the world, one person at a time.THIS WAS the Rebbes credo, and it was among his most endearing qualities a profound humility rarely found in men of genius. And the Rebbe was indeed a genius; in addition to his mastery of Torah and hassidic thought, he also studied at the University of Berlin and the Sorbonne in Paris. In his philosophy class in Berlin where both the celebrated Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik and Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner also studied it was said that the Rebbe never took his head out of the Torah work he was studying, yet he scored the highest grade in the history of the university!There are those rabbis who may have significant power members of the Israeli rabbinate among them but precious little influence. And then there are those with little or no power, yet who have tremendous influence.The Rebbe held no governmental or communal office, yet he influenced and inspired millions worldwide through his discourses, writings and, most of all, towering presence.The more than 5,000 Chabad shluchim/emissaries who serve from Argentina to Zanzibar have brought the Rebbes spirit to an entire planet (indeed, this is how we know there are no Jews on the moon there is no Chabad House there!). They not only serve global Jewish tourism if it ever returns! by serving delicious, hard-to-find kosher food, they present a face of Judaism that is wise, warm and welcoming.Most of all, the Rebbe represents the all too rare ability to focus on others and motivate them to be the best neshamot (souls) they can possibly be. If you were in the presence of the Rebbe, you felt like the two of you were the only people in the world at that moment. On Sundays in Crown Heights, the Rebbe would stand for hours, giving out Rebbe dollars to be forwarded to a good cause. When asked how he then in his 80s could stand for eight to 10 hours greeting people and yet not be exhausted, the Rebbe merely replied, When you are counting diamonds, you never get tired. Stories of the Rebbes insight into others and the accuracy of his advice are legendary. When Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks was a student at Cambridge, he came to Los Angeles to visit family. Searching for direction, he decided to take a Greyhound bus for 72 hours to meet the Rebbe. After asking the Rebbe several probing, intellectual questions, the Rebbe said, Now I will ask you some questions: How many Jews are at Cambridge? How many are involved in Jewish life? And what will you be doing to bring them in? It was then and there that Sacks knew he would have to live a life of not only study but service.The great writer and thinker Elie Wiesel would send copies of his manuscripts to the Rebbe to read and comment upon. In the years just after the Shoah, these works were understandably dark and depressing. The Rebbe would read them and write at the bottom of the last page just two words: Get married. And, sure enough, when Wiesel did marry, the tone and emotional tenor of his books became significantly more optimistic and hopeful.As is well known, there has been a lot of noise since the Rebbe died in 1994 as to whether he was or is! the Messiah. On a visit to Goodman shortly after the Rebbes passing, he tearfully told me that this is a tragic error on the part of a few misguided Chabadniks who emotionally cannot accept the death of their leader. But I believe the best response to this issue is a message from the Torah portion read last week, and almost always read on the week of the Rebbes yahrzeit. In the sidra (weekly Torah portion), we discuss the eternal purifying power of the mikveh (ritual bath). What is so unique to this ritual is that once the mikveh has sufficient rainwater in it and is declared kosher, all water, even tap water, that comes into contact with the mikveh waters then itself becomes pure.So, too, any contact with the followers, the teachings or the messages of the Rebbe perpetuate his life well beyond the grave and grant him the well-deserved blessing of immortality. The writer is director of the Jewish Outreach Center of Raanana. jocmtv@netvision.net.il

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Reflections on the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson - The Jerusalem Post

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