Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on March 12, 2020

I have been writing for a long time. After a few diversions in global and national public policy-making, and in academia, I returned to writing more or less full-time over the past five or six years. I am, now, fully living the life of a struggling writer. I will deal with this briefly.

Being a struggling writer comes with its own problems. I honestly never know if I will be able to pay my medical insurance every month. Socially, you also have to accept being cast aside if youre insufficiently wealthy, or you dont behave like a good Wasp (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant), is expected to, or you act brazenly and uncouth, or if you drop words like f*** around nice people. There really are people like that. They remind me of one of Marxs outstanding passages, Sie Wissen das nicht aber sie tune es (they do not know it but they are doing it). Dont let their smiles fool you.

Nonetheless, being a struggling writer is not a comfortable space to occupy. You lose the social capital that is supposed to be abundantly available when you interact with society, but you also liberate yourself from constant competitive lying. This does not mean I am always and completely honest, and say only the things that I think ought to be said. I mean, sometimes you want to tell someone to take their spoilt, selfish princess privilege and pride, and rend and torture themselves anally, but you just walk away.

Which brings me in a circuitous way to those things that I have never written about, not in any substantial way, in recent years, or that I usually avoid writing about completely. These are the things from which I just walk away, in a literary sense. First among these is Zionism. I will never write about Zionism. While I have very firm beliefs about Zionism, I dont write about it.

Weaponising persecution

The other topics I avoid are whiteness, white privilege and race, in general. In terms of the latter (whiteness, or white privilege and race), I truly believe that there are people who know more about it than I do. I should add, in haste, that this is not to say that these things dont exist, nor am I denying the danger they pose. Its just that the more I read, the more I realise how little I know (about these and so many other things). And there is a particular kind of confusion when you are born into a Malay family the state classifies you coloured, you join the Black Consciousness Movement, you travel the world as an African, but always have to explain your fair skin and green eyes one of which turns blue sometimes and youre referred to as a BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic), in the UK, then come back to South Africa, and youre coloured again (according to the state), and a non-African (according to the populists). And so, sometimes I just walk away and dont look back.

But seriously, one of the biggest things I took away from Black Consciousness very many years ago is not to make white people, or whiteness the pre-eminent reference point in my life, or in society. I will, on the rare occasion remind people what racism is, (see here) but the term itself has become so malleable, labile, abused and manipulated, it is also expediently applied and has become a vehicle for pecuniary gain in South Africa. In this way, you can claim that you were persecuted because of your race and then use that as a weapon against everyone, and anyone. Its fine if people want to do that, I just cant see the value in it.

Anyway, let me share an anecdote. A few years ago, I had dinner with someone (a white woman). She mentioned her hatred of racism. I was intrigued. But as the night went on, I noticed how dismissive she was of the (black) waiter, and (then again) of the (black) car guard. We said our goodbyes later that evening. She was, as I would find out a few days later, a keen supporter of AfriForum, which she described as a civil rights movement. I realised that she was one of those anti-racists. I lost her number. (See what I did there? That is one of those ways of lying that I referred to above).

AfriForum must accept what they are

AfriForum is not liberal, they are not non-racial, they are not anti-racist and they are not progressive. They use black people for window dressing and as a spectacle or for performative reasons, the way some political parties wear worker uniforms in public, change into expensive clothes and accessories in private, and sleep between 600-count Egyptian cotton, or silk sheets at night.

AfriForum is more than a racist formation. They are a white Afrikaner nationalist formation (Afrikaans is my mother tongue, but they dont speak for me, they speak for a small group of whites), that rose out of dissatisfaction with their loss of power and use selective facts to state (selective) truths that they weave into grand narratives, claims and statements.

Consider the term white genocide. Their claim is based on the murder of (only) white people in a country where more than 80% of murder victims are not white. They make statements about farm murders. Without traducing claims entirely each murder is one too many the truth is that more murders are committed in urban areas and not all murders on farms (which are essentially rural spaces), are of white people. There is no white genocide. These are simply the facts.

AfriForum is part of a global rise in ethno-nationalism, which is fundamentally opposed to multiculturalism, globalism and dark-skinned others. Why, for instance, would they go and kneel at the shrine of Donald Trump? Why would they sup at the table of white supremacists in the USA? Why would organisations like the American Renaissance, and their leader, Jared Taylor (Dan Roodts BFF), fall in line to support AfriForums claims of impending anarchy, and the Suidlanders warning that a race war is just waiting to happen.

Let me go back to the top of this piece. AfriForum bores me. They are (as is Andile Mngxitama), like a dried carbuncle in the gluteal fold of a mummy that can be traced back to the late Pharaonic and Greco-Roman era in about the 6th century of the common era.

I dont usually write about them, partially because there are greater global forces that I spend my time thinking and reading about. Partially because there are people who are better informed about them than I aspire to be. And partially because I have a sense that very real conflict and a much more dangerous threat to the country will come from somewhere else.

It will come from those people who have sanctified their hatred and politics of revenge on the basis of past injustice, and profess biblical forms of punishment where the sins of the fathers (those people who arrived from 1652 onwards including my slave ancestors and indentured labourers from Asia), will be meted out on the children. It will come from the people who will initiate pogroms against people perceived to be non-Africans.

Until now, I really couldnt be arsed to write about AfriForum. DM

Ismail Lagardien is a writer, columnist and political economist with extensive exposure and experience in global political economic affairs. He was educated at the London School of Economics, and holds a PhD in International Political Economy.

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Posted By admin on March 12, 2020

German NGO PixelHelper, known for attempting to buildNorth Africas first Holocaust Memorialin Morocco, announced that it was ordered to seize its activities in Ait Faska and leave the country.

Speaking to Yabiladi, Wednesday, the founder and president of the NGO Oliver Bienkowski said that the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent on March 4 a letter to the Ait Faska-based association demanding its departure.

Denouncing the decision, delivered by the German embassy in Rabat on the same day, Bienkowski said that he is planning to bring the case to court.

The guerilla-activist, who has been living in Morocco since 2014, said that he rejects the expulsion decision. I have a three-year rent contract in addition to a purchase option for the Ait Faska property, he added.

We want to rebuild our canned bread bakery, bring investors and supporters from all over the world to Ait Faska and there is no reason for us to be expelled, the activist argued.

Linking the current decision to the Holocaust Memorial destroyed by the authorities in August for not having the needed permits, Bienkowski insisted that the PixleHelper facility in Ait Faska housed art, promising to bring to court videos proving that the association has nothing to do with Zionist activities.

Art installations to help locals in Ait Faska

On the same token, the German activist denounced the fact that he has not received yet [his] a residence permit, even though [he] has a 3-year lease contract and a company in Marrakech with all requirements to get an investor visa.

For the record, the NGOs property in Ait Faska made headlines earlier this year after its founder announced that he was building a memorial to honor Jews who died in concentration camps, including the ones who belonged to the LGBTQ+ community.

Following this announcement, the local authorities, who said that the German artist and activist did not have the permits needed for such venues, demolished PixelHelpers Holocaust memorial.

In 2019, Bienkowski tried to defend his art installations in Ait Faska after he was accused of spreading Israeli propaganda. Disappointed by the voices that linked hiswork to Israel and Zionism, the Kassel-native stressed that his organization has nothing to do with that.

Bienkowski stressed his works and campaigns are meant to defend minorities and several causes in several parts of the world, including Uyghurs, Palestinians, migrants and Jews detained in the concentration camps.

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Holocaust Memorial : Ordered to leave Morocco, PixelHelper resists expulsion - Yabiladi in English

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Posted By admin on March 12, 2020

(By Rabbi Yair Hoffman)

Centuries ago, Jews were often kidnapped and money had to be raised for their ransom. The halacha was that it was permitted even on Shabbos, as indicated in the Ramah (306:14). This is permitted even if there is no actual danger to life, but there is a spiritual danger in that the child will be raised in a non-Jewish religion where there will be constant violations.

There is a current situation that may be analogous to the case of the Ramah.

In order to understand that situation some background is necessary.

The World Zionist Congress is a body of 500 people from Israel and from Jewish communities throughout the world. These 500 people are elected every five years. The elections decide the leadership of four main organizations that control the purse strings of much funding. Some say that it is to the tune of one billion dollars a year, but it is likely that this figure is inaccurate and that the participation in the election would only impact some 800 million per year. The organizations (and the leadership positions) that will be determined by the elections are:

America has 152 delegate slots of the 500. Back in 2015, there were 57,000 votes. Arza (Reform Movement) got 22,800 votes the most. The Conservative Movement slate called Merkas USA got approximately 10,175 votes. Mizrachi got about 9800 votes.

The largest slate of the delegates is a Reform Jewish organization that supports many projects that Orthodox Jews would deem antithetical to Torah Judaism. The new slate of leaders that are proposed by some factions include supporters of J-Street. Some are supportive of the movement to take away the Kotel from Orthodox Jewish administration.

It would be particularly sad if the great talmid chochom, Rav Shmuel Rabinovitch, the Rav of the Kosel and a mechaber sefer extraordinaire, were to be replaced with Rabbi Jill.

It would also be sad if Israels public school curriculum would continue to be written by proponents of Reform Judaism rather than those who have been trained in Kiruv Rechokim. Imagine what an infusion of some four billion dollars over the next five years would do to Kiruv.

This author believes that the two cases, that which is discussed in the Ramah and the current WZO election are analogous. There are also some five different factors at play here.

TORAH WORLD HAS THE NUMBERS

And the Torah world has the numbers. Just as an aside, some two weeks ago, an article about a long lost Teshuvah from Rav Moshe Feinstein ztl on cholov yisroel was published on this website. The amount of readers of that article exceeded the total number of votes in the entire election. Thats correct. More people read a cholov yisroel article than those who bothered to vote in the WZO election. And the WZO election deals out 4 billion dollars every five years.

Those that are urging frum Jews to vote in the election are Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita the Sar haTorah and Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky shlita. Numerous Poskim have said that there is no issue in voting.

There are other Rabbonim that feel that some of the declarations made in registering to vote run counter to a Torah perspective in that it does not identify Hashem as controlling events but rather attributes everything to man. With due respect, this author believes that a careful reading of the acceptance of the Jerusalem Program merely states that this is what some of the proponents of Zionism believe which is, in fact, true. Thus, the animadversions of those that oppose signing on due to concerns of kefirah are not an issue when one carefully analyzes the wording. [As an aside, although it was reported that Rav Aharon Feldman shlita had publicly rescinded his position against voting in the election, this is incorrect. Rather, Rav Feldman did not wish to publicly argue against the position of Rav Chaim Kanievsky.]

THE REFORM ARE RUNNING SCARED

The Reform movement are well aware that all that is necessary for their agenda to be replaced is if the Torah community would wake up and vote. It is for this reason that they filed a complaint against the Eretz Hakodesh Slate and Rabbi Pesach Lerner for allegedly violating the rules of the election.

They allege that the following sentences are demeaning: 1] They set up alliances with left-wing parties in Israel and they often waged war against Torah and mitzvos. 2] They gave money to liberal anti-Torah projects and causes, in Israel and throughout the world. 3] If the American Torah community does not votethe influences and decisions will be placed in the hands of those whose policies are most often anti-Torah.

As a remedy, the Reform movement is demanding that the Eretz Hakodesh slate be subject to any and all appropriate penalties including but not limited to the reduction of mandates.

ORTHODOX ARE NON-ENTITIES

There is another issue as well. American Torah Jews are essentially non-entities when it comes to dealing with secular Israel. If Torah observant Jews voted on who would be the delegates the concerns of Torah Jewry would be taken into account more. Why should we not empower Asra Kadisha? Why should we allow for archaeological digs to trample upon Kvarim? Why cant we allow for more kavod HaMais in contemporary funerals?

Obviously, when Rav Chaim Kanievsky issues a ruling, there is no need for a Yeshiva World article to back up his position. However, we do need encouragement to make it happen. The recommended slate is for Eretz HaKodesh and voting can take place here.

https://www.zionistelection.org/election/2a3b7a80-ba00-42ec-957e-c0375167a065

The author can be reached at yairhoffman2@gmail.com

NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of YWN.

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Participation in the WZO Election: A Halachic Analysis - Yeshiva World News

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Posted By admin on March 12, 2020

We began this fight because sadly, Americans know far too little about the Holocaust and the consequences are touching communities across the country. Most states dont require Holocaust education, leaving students and sometimes teachers and administrators painfully unaware of what happened to the Jewish people and other minorities under the Nazi regime. Shocking levels of ignorance have put communities at risk, but Congress is well on its way to fighting back.

Because the U.S. does not require Holocaust education, two-thirds of American teens are unaware that Adolf Hitler came to power through a democratic political process. Two-thirds of millennials do not know what Auschwitz was. More than four in 10 millennials believe that two million or fewer Jews were killed in the Holocaust. And in that vacuum of information, bigotry and hatred have been given room to rise. This is the fuel behind deadly targeted attacks that have stricken Jewish and other minority communities across the nation.

A response is urgent and the solution must be bipartisan, unequivocal and enduring. Our organizations and our members recognize that building communities of tolerance and inclusion must begin with education, which is why we strongly support the Never Again Education Act.

School is where our understanding of the world begins to take shape. Its where we learn to thrive in a diverse society, work with others, cherish each others uniqueness and understand who we are as individuals. Local jurisdictions will have to make their own decisions about curricula, but those who teach the Holocaust and its universal lessons should position educators to offer their very best. We cannot expect educators to teach a subject as intense as the Holocaust without instructional resources and professional support.

Educators must be able to teach accurately and confidently at age appropriate levels the extreme consequences of where the evils of intolerance can bring a society and just how quickly a society can devolve into horrors.

Both Christians United for Israel and Hadassah, the Womens Zionist Organization of America the two largest pro-Israel organizations in the world are confident that even in this time of extreme partisanship (and in an election year), Congress will get the job done.

The Never Again Education Act is one of just a handful of bills that has a chance of passing both the House and Senate in a truly bipartisan fashion. The House acted on Jan. 27, passing its version with 393 affirmative votes. And since then the momentum behind the bill, led by Sens. Jacky RosenJacklyn (Jacky) Sheryl RosenOvernight Defense: Lawmakers tear into Pentagon over .8B for border wall | Dems offer bill to reverse Trump on wall funding | Senators urge UN to restore Iran sanctions Bipartisan Senate resolution would urge UN to renew Iran arms embargo, travel restrictions Schumer reminds colleagues to respect decorum at State of the Union speech MORE (D-Nev.) and Kevin CramerKevin John CramerTrump, GOP scramble to keep economy from derailing Republicans growing nervous about 2020 economy The Hill's Morning Report - Sanders takes incoming during intense SC debate MORE (R-N.D.), has steadily grown.

Members representing rural states with small Jewish populations and large states with major urban centers home to large Jewish populations have both signed up as co-sponsors, nearly doubling the number of supporters in the Senate since the House vote. Each recognizes that creating a new federal program and fund to help educators access resources and training for high quality Holocaust education will help make every community more tolerant, cohesive and peaceful. This is in Americas best interests, and were glad to have helped temporarily align offices that might otherwise never stand beside one another.

As is often the case, there are differences between the House and Senate bills. Chief among them is the authorizing body. In the bill that passed the House, the director of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is responsible for creating and distributing the resources and materials for Holocaust education programs, determining participant eligibility and reporting the programs activities annually to Congress. Under Rosens bill, the U.S. Department of Education would oversee these duties.

Rosen and her original co-sponsors have assured us that any bill the Senate passes will put the Museum in charge, aligning both chambers and allowing the bill to move to the White House for President TrumpDonald John TrumpWebb: Coronavirus, culture, economics and politics Mellman: Is there a Sanders turnout surge? The Hill's Morning Report - Biden delivers another devastating blow to Sanders MOREs signature.

The lessons of the Holocaust are universal and can help students recognize anti-Semitism, hatred, bigotry, extremism and the risk of genocide so they are empowered to prevent it when theyre grown. It is imperative that the Senate act quickly so the president can sign this urgent legislation, drawing the nation closer together and protecting America against the worlds oldest hatred.

Karen Paikin Barall is the director of government relations for Hadassah, the Womens Zionist Organization of America. Alexandria Paolozzi is the director of government affairs for Christians United for Israel Action Fund.

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Posted By admin on March 12, 2020

Yehuda Blum

Illustration of Bruriah, the Talmudic female scholar

Editors note: For Womens History Month, the Forward presents Unsung Women, a special project showcasing Jewish women from biblical times to our modern moment whose stories have rarely been told.

Who she was: Bruriah

Where and when: 1st-century CE Roman-occupied Judea

What we know: Though the Talmud numbers thousands of pages, it names perhaps only a dozen women. Of the hundreds of unnamed mothers, wives, and daughters who supported the rabbis populating the Talmuds pages, Bruriah is one of the few whose name was recorded for posterity. Hailing from a prestigious rabbinical dynasty, Bruriah was married to the renowned teacher and miracle worker Rabbi Meir. She herself was a prominent scholar, who studied 300 laws in a single day, chided the rabbis for errors, and taught her husband to pray that the wicked repent, rather than suffer. She was so knowledgeable that the rabbis would consult her on the laws of purity and took her word as authoritative. Her later life is shrouded in mystery, but it is highly likely she and Rabbi Meir fled the Roman authorities to Babylon, where he aided Jewish women fleeing slavery. Today, there are religious schools for women in the United States and Israel named for her.

What she thought: Bruriah was undoubtedly held back by the grim realities of what life was like for women in her time. Much of her family was either murdered by Romans or sold into slavery; she lost several children; she lived in an era where few women were literate, much less fluent in the intricacies of religious law; and her legacy endured accusations by commentators several centuries of unfaithfulness as the proof of flightiness of women. All this goes to further the impression of a remarkably formidable woman moving through the exclusively male sphere of rabbis with the confidence that can only come with knowing she was right.

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Posted By admin on March 12, 2020

Rabbi Nachman Kahana Rabbi Nachman Kahana is an Orthodox Rabbinic Scholar, Rav of Chazon Yechezkel Synagogue Young Israel of the Old City of Jerusalem, Founder and Director of the Center for Kohanim, and Author of the 14-volume Mei Menuchot series on Tosefot, With All Your Might: The Torah of Eretz Yisrael in the Weekly Parashah, as well as weekly parasha commentary available where he blogs at http://NachmanKahana.com

In Tractate Yoma 5b, the Talmud points out a contradiction regarding the sanctified priestly garments. In parasha Tetzaveh it appears that Aharon with his eight garments and each of his sons with their respective four garments, donned their priestly garb with the last piece of apparel, the Avnet (the waistband), put on simultaneously; whereas in Parashat Tzav (Book of Vayikra) it appears that only after Aharon donned all of his garments did his sons begin putting on theirs.

The Talmud concludes that, indeed, Aharon first finished donning his eight garments of the High Priest, and then his sons donned their four garments.

The manner in which the Kohanim dressed has implications not only for reconciling the seeming contradiction between the verses, but even for the very act of Kohanic sanctity. If Aharon dressed first, it would imply that the priesthood began with Aharon, and from Aharon it emanated to his sons. However, if they dressed together, the significance is that Aharon and his sons merited the Kehuna, priesthood, with equal sanctity, with Aharon serving as High Priest as first among equals.

And indeed, the conclusion is that Aharon dressed and was consecrated first, and his sons drew their priestly status from him. For that reason, when the Kohanim ascend to bestow the priestly blessing, they say, "Blessed are You who sanctified us with Aharons sanctity and commanded us to bless His people Israel lovingly.

From the manner in which Hashem relates to the Kohanic family we learn how the Creator relates to mankind in general. When at Mount Sinai Hashem chose the Jewish nation from the other 70 root nations and races, we did not receive the status of first among equals, but rather we attained an unprecedented, irreversible uniqueness unmatched by any other peoples in the world.

By this status the Creator relates only to his chosen nation and through us to the nine billion individuals who comprise the rest of humanity. Just as the sun is the center of our planetary system; the center of our human world is the Jewish nation around which revolves all the other peoples on the planet. As in the words of Chazal: the world was created only for the Jewish nation and our relationship with the Creator is as a king to his subjects and as a father to his children.

In Bereishiet chapter 12, due to a devastating drought and subsequent famine that fell upon the land, Avraham took his family and possessions and descended to Egypt. Rashi explains that the famine was a test of Avrahams faith in Hashems promise to guard him. Ramban states that Avraham failed the test by leaving the holy land.

There were at the time tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands of Canaanites living in the land, so according to Rashi, Ramban and others, Hashem brought upon all these innocent people the ravages of starvation in order to test the faith of one Jew.

As I read about the pandemic now facing the planet, it comes to mind that perhaps it is Hashem again sending a message to the Jewish people, even at the expense of economic, social and health issues of innocent bystanders. But be that as it may, the fact is that it is a shocking wake-up experience for many Jews in the galut.

The unthinkable has happened. Jews in the galut believe that the doors of Israel will always be open to them if the time comes when they will have to close their shuls and yeshivas, lock their homes, pack their bags and come home. Today many Jews had plans to visit the holy land for Pesach or to see their children or just to breathe a little Yiddishe nachas (pride and joy) in the Jewish homeland. However, the gates are now closed. There are almost no airlines that land here and whoever comes is placed in a 14-day quarantine. Airlines including El Al are inundated with ticket cancellations, and the sign on the sky over Tel Aviv reads Closed for The Duration.

Corona will pass some day after taking its deadly toll. But the Jews in galut must beware not to forget the feeling of helplessness when they were not welcome to the holy land.

Its just a question of time when the Jews in galut will be facing their moment of truth. It will come about when the atmosphere of antisemitism isso pervasive that there will be no choice but to return to Eretz Yisrael. The Jews will crowd the Israeli consulates in various cities to register for aliya. But they will find large notices announcing Israels inability to absorb so many people, and aliya to the holy land will cease.

Is this the message Hashem planned when sending this pandemic? Who can know? But the fact is, that there is a feeling of despair among many Jews who now find the gates to Israel sealed.

Hashem does not punish without forewarning the sinner. Anti-Semitic incidents are warning number one. The inability to enter Eretz Yisrael is the second warning. But three strikes and youre out!

Rabbi Nachman Kahana is an Orthodox Rabbinic Scholar, Rav of Chazon Yechezkel Synagogue Young Israel of the Old City of Jerusalem, Founder and Director of the Center for Kohanim, and Author of the 15-volume Mei Menuchot series on Tosefot, and 3-volume With All Your Might: The Torah of Eretz Yisrael in the Weekly Parashah, as well as weekly parasha commentary available where he blogs at http://NachmanKahana.com

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Coronavirus and the Jewish problem - Arutz Sheva

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Posted By admin on March 12, 2020

The story of Purim is a study of what appears to be a series of random acts and chance that are actually the result of divine providence.

Achasverosh, a usurper to the throne of Persia[i], marries then Princess Vashti, palming off her royal provenance[ii] by making her his Queen. The Megillah begins with an account of the grand ball he threw in the third year of his reign[iii].

At the party, he kills his first wife, Queen Vashti, at the suggestion of his best friend[iv], Haman[v]. He then kills his best friend Haman, because of his second wife[vi] Queen Esther[vii]. He was not a very loyal and reliable person and its understandable that Esther and Mordechai did not fully place their trust in him.

Haman was an Amalakite[viii] and implacable enemy of the Jewish people. Like his ancestors, he sought the utter destruction of the Jewish people[ix] and to eradicate their legacy of a Torah system of ethical values, norms and mores[x]. The Talmud notes that even before he was promoted to a position of authority under Achasverosh, the stage was set for the failure of his nefarious plan[xi]. Queen Esther and Mordechai were already well placed to frustrate his malign intentions and to save the Jewish people.

This is a key theme of the Megillah. We are guided by divine providence, the antithesis of Amaleks creed that everything is just a matter of chance[xii]. This does not mean being passive in the face of the challenges life presents. To the contrary, we are called upon to act properly and to the best of our ability. Thus, Mordechai encouraged Queen Esther to intervene, with her husband King Achasverosh, to save the Jewish people from the evil designs of Haman. This was despite the personal risks she would incur by acting so boldly. He advised, if she kept silent in this pending crisis, then relief and deliverance of the Jews would come from another source[xiii]. However, he urged she should be cognizant of the fact that perhaps she was put in this position precisely so she would have the opportunity to perform this vital role. Esther responded positively and acted decisively. She recognized the wisdom of Mordechais cogent argument that she had to act now while she enjoyed the Kings favor[xiv]. Delay was not advisable; because there was no assurance her favored position would continue[xv], especially given Achasveroshs temperament and fickle nature.

Mordechais message to Esther was that these were not random occurrences. Even Hamans figuratively throwing of the dice[xvi] to determine the most propitious date for the planned massacre of the Jews was also not just a matter of chance. Divine providence guided events so that the date picked was almost a year later to provide an adequate time period to counter Hamans efforts.

The Megillah records Esther successfully enabled the Jewish people to be saved and victorious defensive battles were fought against the forces[xvii] Haman had assembled to annihilate the Jews. Achasverosh received an interim report and the Talmud[xviii] reports he was angered by the number of fatalities suffered by his erstwhile supporters in the Haman cabal, in the capital of Shushan[xix]. He wanted to speak harshly to Esther; but was prevented from doing so by divine intervention. Instead, he asked Esther what else he might do for her[xx]. She responded asking for one more day for the Jews in Shushan to root out their enemies. This seemingly anomalous occurrence in the Megillah invites further inquiry and analysis.

Why did she ask for what amounts to additional security for the Jews in the Diaspora community of Shushan? Why not use this extraordinary opportunity to focus on another situation that was sorely in need of a solution? She might have asked for the right to rebuild Jerusalem and its walls so as to assure the security of Israel[xxi]. Interestingly, Nehemiah[xxii], when presented with a similar opening, does focus on the need to rebuild Jerusalem and is rewarded with the authority to make it so. Yet Esther didnt and the question is why?

Rabbi Yonatan Eyebeshitz[xxiii] takes up the issue and his answer is most instructive. He cites a most intriguing discussion in the Talmud[xxiv]. It reports that there is a prescribed sequence of three commandments that must be performed when the Jewish people enter the Land of Israel. First they must appoint a king; next they must subdue Amalek; and then only can they proceed with building the Beit HaMikdash. This is because there is no completion of the link to the divine unless the malign influence of Amalek is quelled. In essence, it is Amaleks propagation of its denial of divine providence that interrupts the link. This might help explain why Esther concentrated on dealing with Amalek first.

Consider, Mordechai had been designated by Achasveros to be the King of the Jews[xxv]. However, while the Jews were saved, the inimical and antithetical influence of Amalek had not been fully subdued. Haman had more progeny[xxvi] than the ten sons expressly named in the Megillah[xxvii], as well as, many followers. The center for the Amalikites was in Shushan[xxviii]. Deterring them from attacking the Jews was also of prime importance.

It is suggested the request for an additional day to deal with Shushan[xxix] was a fundamental part of Esthers plan. It was designed to militate against any assertion that somehow the defense by the Jewish people was just some unexpected spontaneous occurrence that would likely not be repeated. Hamans crew might have argued it was just the luck of the draw and mere chance that the Jews happened to defend themselves that day. As was their nature, they might have speculated, why not try again the next day? After all, they did not believe in divine providence.

Defeating this malevolent philosophy of Amalek, which had infected so many, required demonstrating that the victory was the result of divine providence and not just a quirk of fate. Obtaining a new separate mandate for Shushan helped establish that this was not some random event, but a part of an ongoing program. There was a plan and it was genuinely and determinedly being pursued in earnest by the Jewish Queen Esther and newly empowered Mordechai. It was designed to break the false narrative reliant on pronouncements that the world was governed by mere chance. Their elevation and ongoing power was proof that the divine providence guided world affairs and the destiny of the Jewish people.

It is, therefore, no accident that Esthers son Artaxerxes[xxx] (also known as Daryovish in the Megillah) becomes king and Nehemiah becomes his royal cupbearer. According to the Malbim[xxxi], Esther is there, as the Queen Mother[xxxii], when Artaxerxes asks Nehemiah whats bothering him and Nehemiah responds by voicing his concern about securing Jerusalem. Artaxerxes then authorizes Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem[xxxiii]. As noted above, by this time Amalek had been quelled. It is also interesting to note that, in addition to the special role of Mordechai described above, Artaxerxes was a Jewish king, actually and fully in power at the time. The role of divine providence in enabling the foregoing is veritably indisputable.

The hidden hand of G-d is often unnoticeable as events unfold. What might seem to be just some adversity visited upon a person by mere chance might actually be an inflexion point. The path chosen in response might yield unimagined and wonderful results. As Rabbi Akiva counseled[xxxiv], everything that occurs in this world is directed towards achieving some ultimate good, even if it doesnt appear that way, at the time. It is usually only after the fact that sometimes unmistakable patterns can be recognized.

My father-in-law, of blessed memory, was a survivor of Auschwitz. He passed away a year ago on Shabbat, Parshat Zachor. I remember him recounting how he was barely 15 at the time he arrived at Auschwitz and became separated from his mother on a line. He saw a woman he knew from his hometown on another line and he went to her. He asked if he could stay with her, but she said no. She had two infants, one in each of her arms, and said she couldnt care of him too. He went back to the other line. In that fateful moment, his life was saved. Unknowingly, he had wandered from the line where he might be selected for work to the one slated for the gas chambers and death; and, then, back again. His temporary disappointment at being rejected was ultimately rewarded with life. He next encountered the evil Dr. Mengele, who marveled at his blue eyes and selected him for work and life. A German soldier took charge of the group and asked who was a cook. My father-in-law and his uncle were the only two not to answer in the affirmative. The soldier concluded they must be the only ones actually qualified and they were assigned kitchen duty. This saved him and many in his bunk for whom he was able to obtain some rations.

When he returned home, after the war, he experienced further pain. His father had been killed in a labor camp and his mother had remarried. There was no longer any place for him at home and he was forced to leave. He was devastated by this turn of events, but undaunted, he set out for Israel. He was intercepted by the British and interned in Cyprus. He eventually reached Israel in 1948, in time to fight in the War of Independence. He then met my mother-in-law, married, became a policeman, had children, fought in the 1956 war and then came to the US with his family. Had he stayed home, he would have been stuck behind the iron curtain. Who knows what his life might have been?

My father, of blessed memory, was also a survivor of Auschwitz. He passed away on Purim, twenty-five years ago. His miraculous survival, life and philosophy testify to the to the undeniable influence of divine providence. While his arm was indelibly tattooed with his Auschwitz identity number, he didnt let it, or the inhuman treatment he was subjected to in the camps, define him. He focused his energy on what could be done in the present, in order to assure a better future. Victimhood had no place in his life and there were no excuses for doing anything less than our best. His legacy was one of accomplishment, not maudlin self-pity. He inspired us to work hard to achieve and imbued us with the strength to overcome challenges. His guiding principle was to have faith in G-d and never give up.

Both my father ZL and father-in-law ZL overcame what otherwise appeared to be insurmountable challenges; built meaningful lives and lovely families; and, thank G-d, experienced the blessings of what my father would often refer to as Yiddishe Nachas.

The story of Megillat Esther is an integral part of all our lives and its message resonates. Our very existence after thousands of years of persecution and the horrors of the Holocaust is proof of the power of divine providence. It is no random or chance occurrence that the Jewish people survive and prosper and we are witness to the miracle of Israel being rebuilt before our very eyes.

Purim is a holiday that serves to negate Amaleks philosophy of a mundane world animated only by chance; bereft of true meaning and a higher purpose. Purim celebrates the Jewish view of a world permeated by divine providence, where the good deeds people perform genuinely matter. Join in the festivities at a public reading of the Megillah. As is our tradition, send Shelach Manot to friends and give Matanot LEvyonim to those in need. Enjoy a Purim Seudah with family and friends, knowing you have made others happy, as well. Purim Sameach.

[i] See BT Megillah 11a.

[ii] See Esther Rabbah 3:14 and BT Megillah 12b.

[iii] Esther 1:3.

[iv] See Esther Rabbah, Petichta 8.

[v] Esther 1:16 and see BT Megillah 12b.

[vi] This elegant prcis of this theme in the Megillah was presented by Rabbi Steven Weil, in his Shabbat Drasha, at the recent AIPAC Policy Conference, attended by the author.

[vii] Esther 7:8-10 and see also Esther Rabbah, Petichta 8.

[viii] Esther 3:1 and see Esther Rabbah 10:13 and Mechilta DRabbi Yishmael 17:14, as well as, Malbim commentary on Esther 9:24.

[ix] Pesikta Rabbati 13:1.

[x] Esther 3:8-9 and see Esther Rabbah 7:12.

[xi] BT Megillah 13b.

[xii] See, for example, Sifrie Devarim 296, Rashi commentary on Deuteronomy 25:18 and Haemek Davar commentary on Exodus 17:14.

[xiii] Esther 4:14.

[xiv] Esther Rabbah 8:6.

[xv] Rashi commentary on Esther 4:14.

[xvi] See Esther 3:2, which describes how Haman cast lots (Pur) to determine the date. See also Rashi commentary thereon.

[xvii] Esther 9:1-10.

[xviii] BT Megillah 16b.

[xix] Esther 9:11-12.

[xx] Interestingly, he does not qualify his offer with the condition of only up to half his kingdom as he did in Esther 5:3. As BT Megillah 15b explains, the qualifier was intended to limit her ability to ask for the Temple to be rebuilt (see Maharsha commentary thereon). See also Rashi commentary on Esther 5:3, where he notes that Achasverosh had discontinued the work on the Temple, originally authorized by Cyrus.

[xxi] This insightful question and the comparison of the text cited in Nehemiah to that in Esther was presented by Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, the President of YU, at the recent AIPAC Policy Conference Shabbaton, attended by the author.

[xxii] See Nehemiah 2:1-6.

[xxiii] Yaarot Dvash I 17:7.

[xxiv] BT Sanhedrin 20b and see Rashi commentary thereon.

[xxv] See Esther Rabbah 10:12 and Pirke DRabbi Eliezer 50:12.

[xxvi] Pirke DRabbi Eliezer 50:11, which notes Haman had a total of forty sons.

[xxvii] Esther 9:7-10.

[xxviii] SeeRalbag commentary on Esther 9:13.

[xxix] See Mabim commentary on Esther 9:13. He notes that Shushan was divided into two sections, comprised of the part known as Shushan HaBirah (the Capital), where the King and his ministers were situated and the regular city of Shushan.

[xxx] Malbim commentary on Nehemiah 2:6.

[xxxi] Ibid.

[xxxii] See also Rashi commentary on Daniel 5:2, which notes the word Shagaltah means the queen in the Aramaic language like the word Shagal used in Nehemiah 2:6.

[xxxiii] As BT Megillah 15b notes, this was not something Achasverosh was willing to do and according to the Yarot Dvash it was as yet premature, as discussed above.

[xxxiv] BT Brachot 60b.

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Purim -- Not by Chance; Divine Providence Prevails | Leonard Grunstein - The Times of Israel

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Posted By admin on March 12, 2020

As the coronavirus hits countries around the world, so has a flurry of bogus claims, spreading like wildfire on social media. Speaking to Jewish News on Wednesday, televisions top GP Dr Ellie Cannon fact-checks the most widespread advice about Covid-19.

I dont think there is any evidence to say that any racial group is more likely than any other to catch coronavirus, Dr Cannon said.

The measures that have been put in place by the United Synagogue are excellent. Theyre an example of what we call social distancing, starting to prevent the contact between people which we know is how the virus spreads, and also to stop people touchingmezuzahs and siddurim is a good idea for the same reason, she said.

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There has been one case so far reported of a dog that was tested for coronavirus, and I dont think from the experts this is thought to be an issue, she said.

The early data that has come from China, looking at the first few thousand cases appears to show that children under 10 are much less likely to get the virus, and are much less likely to get seriously ill with it. What we think may be the case is that children can pick up the virus but have a very mild form of it or may even have no symptoms at all, but the jury is still out, she said.

The best way to protect children is the same as for the rest of us, so thorough hand-washing for 20 seconds with soap and water. Make sure that surfaces are kept clean, particularly door handles and the kitchen and the bathroom. Make sure that anybody who is coughing or sneezing is using a tissue that is then thrown away, she added.

Face masks have no role in preventing you getting coronavirus, which the chief medical officer has been very clear on. The only people who may be instructed to wear a mask are those people who have a confirmed case of coronavirus, and they are told to wear it because it prevents them from spreading it to somebody else, she said.

In fact face masks encourage you to touch your face a lot more than you would normally, so it is possible that actually a face mask could make matters worse, she added.

The best way to clean your hands is to wash them with soap for 20 seconds. If hand-wash is not available then using hand sanitiser is a good interim measure, she said.

If theres a cure, the chief medical officer or the chief scientific adviser will be announcing it, and so far no cure has been announced, she said.

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From kissing the mezuzah to Ashkenazi immunity: Coronavirus myths and facts - The Australian Jewish News

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Posted By admin on March 12, 2020

Shari Ungerleider is a firm believer that if a person is going to undergo genetic testing, they should also receive genetic counseling. She says the information gathered from testing is too complicated for a layman to break down, and if read incorrectly can result in a misdiagnosis.

Ungerleider is the project coordinator of Jewish Genetic Disease Consortium (JGDC) and her mission is to educate the medical community, Jewish community and Jewish clergy about genetic diseases.

Also working to get the word out are Nancy Lurie, chief operating officer of the Neuromuscular Disease Foundation (NDF), and Karen Arnovitz Grinzaid, executive director of JScreen. They teamed up with Ungerleider in Los Angeles in February to raise awareness about advancements in genetic testing and options for carriers of recessive diseases.

Theres no way that an OB-GYN or a pediatrician or any other doctor can keep up with genetic science, Ungerleider said. Our philosophy is, refer them to a genetic counselor. If you have a patient that has a problem with their heart, youre going to send them to a cardiologist. So every patient [that receives] genetic testing, [you should] send them to a genetic counselor.

According to the Los Angeles nonprofit GeneTestNow, which provides information on Jewish genetic diseases, a number of these diseases are commonly found in Jewish populations. In general, all ethnic groups have certain conditions that are passed down and if two carriers have the same condition, there is a 1 in 4 chance their child can be affected.

While Tay Sachs and Gaucher disease remain the most widely known recessive genetic diseases among Jews, Lurie said genetic testing awareness has been expanded to interfaith couples, non-Jews and Persian and Sephardic Jews because they can be carriers of various types of neuromuscular diseases. Thats why, she said, its important for everyone, not just Ashkenazi Jews, to get tested.

This generation is much more open to talking about genetic testing, Lurie said. They can learn and pass it on to the people they know best [in their community]. NDF is [educating] through the young adults. The opportunity to educate the clergy is something we really havent been able to do [until now].

Among their many visits around Los Angeles, the trio made presentations to clergy at Sinai Temple and at Wilshire Boulevard Temple.

Theres no way that an OB-GYN or a pediatrician or any other doctor can keep up with genetic science. Our philosophy is, refer them to a genetic counselor. Shari Ungerleider

Ungerleider is passionate about the cause because her son Evan died from Tay Sachs. Ungerleider was tested for Tay Sachs but got a false negative after her doctor misread her test results. Now she fights so that every couple planning for a family can gain access to their genetic information before pregnancy so they can know their options.

I would never knowingly put a child through what Evan [went through], Ungerleider said. The question I sometimes get from people is, Well, do you wish you never had Evan? and the answer is, No, I dont wish I didnt have him. Do I wish I was able to know and spare him with what he went through? Absolutely. I would have changed that in a second. Its a parents responsibility to protect them and take care of them, and that starts the moment after conception. So anything you can do to spare your childs pain if you know, my philosophy is do it. Genetic testing isnt telling you what to do, its providing you with options.

Grinzaid, who was a genetic counselor before she became JScreens executive director, told the Journal many couples are nervous about being screened.

Having to sit with a family and give them bad news, thats hard. I had to do that for many years, Grinzaid said. Sometimes I would sit down with a family and I would know that they could have had genetic testing and known about the risk ahead of time but didnt have access to the testing. If we are able to test people and give them a heads-up ahead of time, thats a gift.

JScreen tests for 226 diseases. Through saliva at home spit tests, Jewish and non-Jewish couples can get tested for $149, regardless of insurance. Then, couples can meet privately with a genetic counselor to hear their options.

We are all about prevention so they can plan ahead, Grinzaid said. We dont screen minors, but [you can get tested] whenever a couple decides to do this, as long as it is before pregnancy. If you are a high-risk couple, there are options. If you are already pregnant, there are options, but there are fewer options.

Grinzaid said that genetic advancements have grown immensely over the past eight years. However, she noted there is a misconception that if a couple is a carrier for the same disease, they have to break up because they cant have a healthy baby. Now, Grinzaid says, there are safe options that allow the couple to stay together and raise a family. Couples can choose to undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), they can use an egg or sperm from a screened noncarrier donor or they can choose to adopt children.

The main priority is to get tested early and not fear the results. Even if theyre completely healthy, everybody has a risk of being a carrier for genetic diseases. About 80% of people will be tested as a carrier because there are so many genes on the panel, so [dont] be nervous about being a carrier, Grinzaid said, noting the only problem is when both couples are a carrier for the same disease. One thing that is reassuring is only about 3% of couples in these programs are at risk. I like to reassure them that they are probably going to hear good news.

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Educating the Community About Jewish Genetic Diseases - Jewish Journal

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Posted By admin on March 12, 2020

Telling a dozen stories that range from hilarious to heartbreaking and heartwarming to shocking, Sex, Addiction & Love in the 21st Century, the latest Jewish Womens Theatre (JWT) production, examines these topics in a provocative, relatable way. Chosen from more than 200 submissions by Jewish writers, the pieces include an awkward teenagers first time, a brief sensual encounter between two female friends and the confessions of an Orthodox woman who is a sex addict.

In other stories, a hookup app comes between lovers, a woman learns to just say no to bad sex and a father experiences a roller coaster of emotions during his sons chaotic home birth.

There are funny moments and serious moments. Our last show was about mental illness, a very serious topic. I wanted to do something that had a lighter approach to life and sex and love, JWT Artistic Director Ronda Spinak told the Journal at a rehearsal. Its a show about the human desire to connect and love, and how that is accomplished or not accomplished. I think people are going to have a good time and remember their first loves, their unrequited loves, the good and the troubling things about their relationships, and reflect on their own lives as they relate to the stories on stage. That may cause them to have conversations they might not have had if they didnt come to the show.

Joshua Reuben Silverstein, a JWT veteran, comically mines his own life in the childbirth and first-time sex stories he contributed. I think a lot of men have these fantasy-like first times. Mine was not a fantasy at all, he said. It was embarrassing and eye-opening about how sexualized I had been. My world became very clear when I had a naked woman standing in it.

Silverstein, a Los Angeles native whose father is an Ashkenazi Jew and mother is an African American with Southern roots, is married to a Mexican convert. My wife converted before she met me. She grew up with Jews and loved the culture and related to asking questions, he said.

As JWT attendees will discover, Silverstein is a talented beatboxer, known for frequent appearances on Drop the Mic and The Late Late Show with James Corden. He also does a monthly comedy show with Joe Hernandez-Kolski on the second Thursday of each month at the Broadwater Stage in Santa Monica.

Sex is still something people are uncomfortable talking about, especially in public. Clearly, its a conversation we do need to have and move past that, he said. I think this show speaks to the emotion and the vulnerability of what sex is for people.

Sionne Elise, also a JWT veteran, performs in several of the stories and sings a song she composed. Each piece is so different, she said. Each piece incorporates Jewish culture without being about being Jewish. The one that speaks to me the most is about the paramedic who pulls two people apart after a car accident. Her hands are doing her job but her heart is in a different place. Its Shabbat and she reflects on the meaning of that. Its an important part of the story.

The daughter of a Russian Jewish mother from New York and a Midwestern Norwegian father, Elise wasnt raised religious, but my mom put all the fun Jewish stuff in my life, like Hanukkah and Passover. I didnt have a bat mitzvah until I went on Birthright, at Masada. That was pretty fun.

Its a show about the human desire to connect and love, and how is that accomplished or not accomplished.

Ronda Spinak

Elise, whose first name is a form of Zion, is a Bay Area native and theater kid who attended a performing arts high school and remained in Los Angeles after graduating from UCLA. Not long after, she landed the lead role in the critically acclaimed play Show Pony, about women in an ad agency. Last summer, she shot Killer Cheerleader for Lifetime, and she will spend this summer getting more training in New York with an off-Broadway theater company, The Barrow Group.

Looking to Cate Blanchett and Brie Larson as examples of the kind of career she would like to have, Elise hopes to work on stage, screen and in music in the future. Music has always been more of a hobby. Theater is my passion. But Im more interested now that the mediums are combining, she said. I want to be like those women who are versatile and work hard and are in control of their career.

Spinak is already working on the JWTs next show, AHA Moment, about wakeup calls and the decision to do something, or not do something, and the repercussions of that. It opens May 9 and will be followed by For Goodness Sake, about our moral compass and how it leads us to do good, or not, opening June 11.

Spinak believes the current show will entertain and stimulate contemplation and conversation. Given the state of our country, no matter what side of the aisle you sit on, a show like this is very welcome, she said. A show like this takes you away from politics and all that and puts you in a place to be reflective and thoughtful. Its the perfect time for a show like this.

Sex, Addiction & Love in the 21st Century runs March 14-24 at the Braid in Santa Monica and locations across Los Angeles, including the San Fernando Valley, Mid-Wilshire and the South Bay. For tickets and location information, visit the website.

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Jewish Womens Theatre Explores Sex, Addiction & Love - Jewish Journal

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