Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on January 24, 2020

As time goes on, I find that my reading is narrowing to books on Israeli and Jewish matters, including Torah commentary; with fewer novels and less general history and politics. There is only so much territory one can cover!Last January I published a list of new (2018) Jewish/Israeli books that I was reading, from an eclectic group of authors like Einat Wilf, Gil Troy, Yossi Klein Halevi, Yoram Hazony, Aviad Hacohen, Yael Ziegler, Kira Sirote and rabbis Uriel Eitam, Binyamin Tabory and Eitam Henkin.Here are my recommended 2019 books.#IsraeliJudaism: Portrait of a Cultural Revolution, by Shmuel Rosner and Camil Fuchs (JPPI). An innovative study that explains the blended Israeli-Jewish identity that is becoming the majority culture in Israel; both traditional and modern, rooted in religion but also anchored in liberal Zionist nationalism.We Stand Divided: The Rift Between American Jews and Israel, by Daniel Gordis (Ecco). The author asks: How can American Jews possibly connect on a deep level with Israeli society (where vibrant new strains of national-traditional and spiritual identity are developing, as above) when in the US they have lost a sense of peoplehood and commitment to religion, and instead assumed an identity that is focused on little but progressive politics?The New American Judaism: How Jews Practice their Religion Today, by Jack Wertheimer (Princeton). Based on 160 interviews with rabbis of all stripes, this book really should be named How American Jews Dont Practice Judaism Today. It is a requiem for a once-vibrant Jewish community, which now is running away from Jewish study, ritual and core beliefs (such as belief in God!), and replacing this with social action for gay and immigrant rights, and airy-fairy love-in meditations, intersectional-izing and tikkun olam-ing itself to death.How to Fight Anti-Semitism, by Bari Weiss (Crown). The New York Times columnist shows how antisemitism now finds a home in the US in identity politics and the reaction against identity politics, in the renewal of America First isolationism and the rise of one-world socialism, and in the spread of Islamist ideas. A powerful wake-up call against complacency, and a plea to save liberal democracy.Fight House: Rivalries in the White House, from Truman to Trump, by Tevi Troy (Regnery History). A fast and fascinating read with deep insight from a presidential historian and aide which demonstrates that good old fashioned rivalries are the norm, not the exception; that such rivalries often lead to policies contrary to presidential and national intention; and that the Trump administration isnt the worst of them in this regard.Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israels Targeted Assassinations, by Ronen Bergman (Random House). A well-researched and comprehensive review from Hagana times to the eliminations of Imad Mughniyeh in 2008 and Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh in 2010. Provides perspective on the recent US strike against Qasem Soleimani.Shadow Strike: Inside Israels Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power, by Yaakov Katz (St. Martins). This book, written by The Jerusalem Posts editor-in-chief, reads like a spy thriller and offers valuable insight into the dynamics of the US-Israel defense alliance.Exile: Portraits of the Jewish Diaspora, by Annika Henroth-Rothstein (Bombardier). This intrepid Swedish-Jewish journalist weaves together sweeping historical narratives and personal experiences to show how Jews from Iran to Finland (and Cuba, Turkey, Colombia, Tunisia, Morocco, Siberia and Uzbekistan) have persevered while preserving Jewish lore and culture.Dust and Heaven: A History of the Jewish People, by Asael Abelman (Hebrew: Dvir and The Tikvah Fund). A bold attempt to cover the grand sweep of Jewish history from Biblical times to today, with a conservative and nationalist lens that emphasizes continuous Jewish scholarship and ceaseless yearning for Zion and the Messianic era.The Ruling Party of Bagatz: How Israel Became a Legalocracy, by Simcha Rothman (Hebrew: Sela Meir). A shocking study of the Supreme Courts gross over-interventionism in setting Israeli government policy from justices Yitzhak Zamir to Esther Hayut. A call for re-balancing power between the court and the Knesset.Shalom Rav, by Shalom Rosner (Koren). Inspirational insights on the weekly Torah readings with citations from classical scholars, hassidic and modern thinkers, and current luminaries edited by Rosners student, Marc Lesnick.The Person in the Parasha, by Tzvi Hersh Weinreb (Koren). Advice for ethical and spiritual growth from a prominent community rabbi and clinical psychotherapist. Addresses a wide spectrum of human emotions and situations, including optimism, grief, integrity, bullying, conformity, conflict, envy, aging, parenting, leadership and more.Honeycombs: The Amidah, by Reuven P. Bulka and Rikki Bulka Ash (Ktav). A commentary on Jewish prayer through the lens of rabbis Yonasan Eybishitz (the Yearot Dvash) and Yosef Hayyim of Baghdad (the Ben Ish Hai). The upshot: One must give to God (good deeds and honesty) not just request things from him.Two High Priests: Rav Tzadok and Rav Kook, by Chaim Yeshayahu Hadari (Hebrew: Pri Hadar). A collection of essays by the late Yeshivat Hakotel dean on the mystical and nationalist thought of rabbis Tzadok Hacohen of Lublin and Abraham Isaac Kook of pre-state Israel. A study partner is recommended for this highbrow tome.Jacob: The Story of a Family, by Jonathan Grossman (Hebrew: Herzog/Tevunot and Yediot/Chemed). Intricate literary analysis of 27 chapters in Genesis with careful attention to story structure and key words showing that Jacobs struggles mirror those of Abraham but without direct Divine guidance along the way. (Read Grossmans superb commentary on Esther, Scroll of Secrets before Purim!)The Talmud in a Nutshell, by Uri Brilliant (Hebrew: Kinneret, Zmora, Dvir). This indeed brilliant Daf Yomi teacher, who lectures daily to thousands of students via digital apps and the telephone, teaches the first page of each Babylonian Talmud tractate, illustrating the principles in each section. A great way to taste the Talmud.I Find You Seeking Me, by Haim Sabato (Hebrew: Yediot/Chemed). Free-flowing and poetic discourse on aspects of Jewish faith by a yeshiva dean who is also a celebrated literary author. Worth reading for its elegant, soaring prose.Watch for Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times, by Rabbi Lord Dr. Jonathan Sacks (Hodder & Stoughton, forthcoming in March 2020), who is clearly the most profound expositor of Jewish thought today.The author is vice president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, jiss.org.il. His personal site is davidmweinberg.com.

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Best books of 2019 - The Jerusalem Post

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Posted By admin on January 24, 2020

Featured photo courtesy Rabbi Lazewnik

If you write a letter to Rabbi Baruch Lazewnik, be warned: He can learn personal things about your history, upbringing and personality just from looking at your handwriting.

Lazewniks interest in graphology started when he was 19. He met Rabbi Chaim Lifshitz, a noted graphologist in Israel, and was amazed at the personal insights Lifshitz offered him. He was the one who saw in me a natural curiosity about people; he suggested I go into education or psychology, he said.

Instead, Lazewnik first emulated Lifshitz, studying graphology through the International Graphoanalysis Societys correspondence school in Chicago.

When he lived in Israel, he easily found work as a graphologist. Id look in the newspaper ads; any ad that asked for handwritten applications, Id write to them and tell them, Listen, Im not an accountant; Im a graphologist, and Id love to help you find someone who would be perfect for you.

His career took off. He also worked for CO-OP, Israels largest supermarket chain, helping them weed out workers by looking for signs of laziness or dishonesty in their handwriting.In 2000, Lazewnik relocated to Farmington Hills and discovered, unlike throughout Europe, graphology is not considered a trusted science in the United States. He has been teaching Talmud fulltime at Frankel Jewish Academy ever since.

Knowing his history and that hes authored Handwriting Analysis: A Guide to Understanding Personalities (Whitford Press, 1990), Lazewniks students always beg nudnik him to analyze their handwritings.

One student, Alex Adler, 25, originally of West Bloomfield, had his handwriting analyzed before he graduated.

Rabbi Lazewnik looked at my writing and said I need more balance; in other words, I needed to become more conscious about prioritizing. He even told me to practice drawing figure 8s, because he said handwriting can influence the personality and the personality can influence the handwriting, Adler said.

How does he do it?

Its all about how the pen moves on the paper. Is it flowing and smooth, or jerky with unnecessary stops and starts? Is the writer pushing the pen hard onto the paper or not? Is it rhythmic or angular? Lazewnik explained.

Hes equally fascinated by signatures.

Trumps is very angular; he doesnt back off from confrontation; he probably even likes it. Hes tough.

Lazewnik has many unusual anecdotes. Once, some handwritten nasty graffiti was discovered in the bathroom stalls in a Jewish day school. Lazewnik was called in to find the culprit. Its not always easy with little kids, but after carefully studying handwriting samples of some possible students, I figured out who did it. I told the principal, Ill only tell you who did it if you deal with him gently because hes not a bad kid. Turned out the kid was the oldest in a large family and had been feeling neglected.

Lazewnik was also in touch with Hawaiian graphologist Kimon Iannetta and helped her write some of the biographies of criminals in her book, Danger Between the Lines: A Reference Manual for the Profiling of Violent Behavior. Lazewnik has studied handwriting samples of offenders in the prison system. You can see the violence in their writings; its frightening, he said.

These days, Lazewnik still occasionally analyzes handwriting samples and charges $100 for his time. He sees couples who are planning to get married. Some people have asked him to even analyze the prospective parents-in-laws handwriting in the hope of warding off future conflict!

In such cases, he points out where people are similar and where there may be differences in personality. Clients decide what to do with that information.

Opposites usually do better if they can respect each other, Lazewnik said. Its always more helpful in terms of growth when there are differences between people.

JN Contributing Writer Rochel Burstyn gave Rabbi Baruch Lazewnik a sample of her handwriting and a quick sketch of a tree.

His analysis: Note the clear spacing between the words and lines this suggests the writer is an organized person.

Sometimes when people write, their letters are connected to the next letter in words. Here, for example, you can see the simplified and efficient connection of the r and e in the word here in the last line. This can indicate a quick, efficient and common-sense approach to life. Theres not much wasted energy here.

This particular tree is pretty and garnished with flowers, suggesting that the person has an appreciation for aesthetics. Lack of branches and empty space can mean that the writer has lots of potential to sprout new creations.

Like the handwriting, the tree drawing is balanced and proportional. This person is reasonable, mostly agreeable and consistent.

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Graphologist and Rabbi Gives Insight by Analyzing Handwriting Detroit Jewish News - The Jewish News

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Posted By admin on January 24, 2020

Conservative

AGUDATH BNAI ISRAEL: Meister Road at Pole Ave., Lorain. Mark Jaffee, Ritual Director. SAT. 10 a.m. 440-282-3307. abitemplelorain.com

BETH EL CONGREGATION: 750 White Pond Dr., Akron. Rabbi Elyssa Austerklein, Hazzan Matthew Austerklein. SAT. 9:15 a.m.; SUN. 8:30 a.m.; WED./FRI. 7:30 a.m. 330-864-2105. bethelakron.com.

BNAI JESHURUN-Temple on the Heights: 27501 Fairmount Blvd., Pepper Pike. Rabbis Stephen Weiss and Hal Rudin-Luria; Stanley J. Schachter, Rabbi Emeritus; Cantor Aaron Shifman. FRI. Inclusion Shabbat Service 6:30 p.m.; SAT. 9 a.m., 6 p.m.; SUN. 8 a.m., 6 p.m.; MON. 6:50/7:15 a.m., 6 p.m.; TUES.-THURS. 7/7:30 a.m., 6 p.m.; FRI. 7/7:30 a.m. 216-831-6555. bnaijeshurun.org.

MONTEFIORE: One David N. Myers Parkway., Beachwood. Services in Montefiore Maltz Chapel. Rabbi Akiva Feinstein; Cantor Gary Paller. FRI. 3:30 p.m.; SAT. Service 10:30 a.m. 216-360-9080.

PARK SYNAGOGUE-Anshe Emeth Beth Tefilo Cong.: Park MAIN 3300 Mayfield Road, Cleveland Heights; Park EAST 27500 Shaker Blvd., Pepper Pike. Rabbi Joshua Hoffer Skoff, Rabbi Sharon Y. Marcus, Milton B. Rube, Rabbi-in-Residence, Cantor Misha Pisman. FRI. 6 p.m. (Park East); SAT. 9 a.m. (Park East), 5 p.m. (Park East); SUN. 8:30 a.m., 5:30 p.m. (both Park East); MON.-FRI. 7:30 a.m., 6 p.m. (both Park East). 216-371-2244; TDD# 216-371-8579. parksynagogue.org.

SHAAREY TIKVAH: 26811 Fairmount Blvd., Beachwood. Rabbi Scott B. Roland; Gary Paller, Cantor Emeritus. FRI. Kabbalat Shabbat 6 p.m.; SAT. 9 a.m.; SUN. Minyan 9 a.m. 216-765-8300. shaareytikvah.org.

BETH EL-The Heights Synagogue, an Independent Minyan: 3246 Desota Ave., Cleveland Heights. Rabbi Michael Ungar; Rabbi Moshe Adler, Rabbi Emeritus. SAT. Morning Service 9:15 a.m., Shabbat Morning for Learners 10:20 a.m. 216-320-9667. bethelheights.org.

THE SHUL-An Innovative Center for Jewish Outreach: 30799 Pinetree Road, #401, Pepper Pike. Rabbi Eddie Sukol. THURS. Toast & Torah at Corky & Lennys 8 a.m. See website or call for Shabbat and holiday service dates, times and details. 216-509-9969. rabbieddie@theshul.us. theshul.us.

AHAVAS YISROEL: 1700 S. Taylor Road, Cleveland Heights. Rabbi Boruch Hirschfeld. 216-932-6064.

BEACHWOOD KEHILLA: 25400 Fairmount Blvd., Beachwood. Rabbi Ari Spiegler, Rabbi Emeritus David S. Zlatin. FRI. Kabbalat Shabbat 5:13 p.m.; SAT. Shacharit 9 a.m., Study Group 4:15 p.m., Minchah/Maariv 5 p.m., Havdalah 6:17 p.m.; SUN. 7:30 a.m., Minchah/Maariv 5:20 p.m.; MON.-FRI. Shacharit 6:30 a.m., Minchah/Maariv 7:45 p.m. 216-556-0010.

FROMOVITZ CHABAD CENTER: 21625 Chagrin Blvd. #210, Beachwood. Rabbi Moshe Gancz. SAT. Morning service followed by kiddush lunch 10 a.m. 216-647.4884, clevelandjewishlearning.com

GREEN ROAD SYNAGOGUE: 2437 S. Green Road, Beachwood. Rabbi Binyamin Blau; Melvin Granatstein, Rabbi Emeritus. FRI. Kabbalat Shabbat 5:20 p.m.; SAT. Hashkama Minyan 7:45 a.m., Shacharit 9 a.m., Youth Minyan 9:30 a.m., Tot Shabbat 10:30 a.m., Rabbis Talmud Class 4:05 p.m., Minchah 5:05 p.m., Havdalah 6:15 p.m.; SUN. Shacharit 8 a.m., Minchah/Maariv 5:25 p.m.; MON. Shacharit 6:30 a.m., Minchah/Maariv 5:25 p.m.; TUES. Shacharit 6:40 a.m., Minchah/Maariv 5:25 p.m.; WED.-THURS. Shacharit 6:40 a.m., Minchah/Maariv 5:30 p.m.; FRI. Shacharit 6:40 a.m. 216-381-4757. GreenRoadSynagogue.org.

HEIGHTS JEWISH CENTER SYNAGOGUE: 14270 Cedar Road, University Heights. Rabbi Raphael Davidovich. FRI. 7:15 p.m.; SAT Morning Parsha Class 8:30 a.m., Morning Services 9 a.m., Minchah 30 minutes before sunset; SUN. 8 a.m., 15 minutes before sunset; MON.-THURS. 6:45 a.m., 15 minutes before sunset; FRI. 6:45 a.m. 216-382-1958, hjcs.org.

KHAL YEREIM: 1771 S. Taylor Road, Cleveland Heights. Rabbi Yehuda Blum. 216-321-5855.

MENORAH PARK: 27100 Cedar Road, Beachwood. Rabbi Howard Kutner; Associate Rabbi Joseph Kirsch. SAT. 9:30 a.m., 4:15 p.m.; SUN. Minyan & Breakfast 8 a.m. 216-831-6500.

OHEB ZEDEK CEDAR SINAI SYNAGOGUE: 23749 Cedar Road, Lyndhurst. Rabbi Noah Leavitt. FRI. Minchah 5:15 p.m.; SAT. 9 a.m., Minchah/Seudah Shlishit 5:05 p.m., Maariv 6 p.m., Havdalah 6:17 p.m.; SUN. 8 a.m.; MON.-FRI. Shacharit 7 a.m. 216-382-6566. office@oz-cedarsinai.org. oz-cedarsinai.org.

SEMACH SEDEK: 2004 S. Green Road, South Euclid. Rabbi Yossi Marozov. FRI. Kabbalat Shabbat at candlelighting; SAT. 9:30 a.m., Minchah at candlelighting. 216-235-6498.

SOLON CHABAD: 5570 Harper Road, Solon. Rabbi Zushe Greenberg. FRI. Kabbalat Shabbat 5:15 p.m.; SAT. Torah Study 9 a.m., Service 10 a.m., Minchah 1:30 p.m.; SUN. 8 a.m.; MON-FRI. 7 a.m. 440-498-9533. office@solonchabad.com. solonchabad.com.

TAYLOR ROAD SYNAGOGUE: 1970 S. Taylor Road, Cleveland Heights. FRI. Minchah 5 p.m.; SAT. Shacharit 9 a.m., Havdalah 6:23 p.m.; SUN. Shacharit 8 a.m., Minchah/Maariv 5:15 p.m.; WEEKDAYS Shacharit 7 a.m., Minchah/Maariv 5:15 p.m. 216-321-4875.

WAXMAN CHABAD CENTER: 2479 S. Green Road, Beachwood. Rabbis Shalom Ber Chaikin and Moshe Gancz. FRI. Minchah 5:20 p.m.; SAT. Shacharit 10 a.m., Minchah 5:15 p.m. Contact the synagogue for additional service times. 216-381-1770. waxmanchabadcenter@gmail.com.

YOUNG ISRAEL OF GREATER CLEVELAND: Hebrew Academy (HAC), 1860 S. Taylor Road; Beachwood (Stone), 2463 Green Road. Rabbis Naphtali Burnstein and Aharon Dovid Lebovics. FRI. Minchah 5:20 p.m.; SAT. Shacharit (Stone) 8/9 a.m., (HAC) 9 a.m., Minchah 5:05 p.m., Maariv 6:14 p.m., Motzei Shabbat 6:22 p.m.; Shacharit: (Stone) SUN. 7:15/8/8:30 a.m., MON. 6:30/7:40 a.m., TUES./WED. 6:45/7:50 a.m., THURS. 6:40/7:50 a.m., FRI. 6:45/7:50 a.m., (HAC) SUN. 7:10 a.m., MON. 6:30 a.m., TUES./WED. 6:45 a.m., THURS. 6:40 a.m., FRI. 6:45 a.m. WEEKDAYS Minchah 5:25 p.m. 216-382-5740. office@yigc.org.

ZICHRON CHAIM: 2203 S. Green Road, Beachwood. Rabbi Moshe Garfunkel. DAILY 6 a.m., 6:45 a.m. 216-291-5000.

KOL HALEV (Clevelands Reconstructionist Community): The Ratner School. 27575 Shaker Blvd., Pepper Pike. Rabbi Steve Segar. FRI. Kabbalat Shabbat 6 p.m.; SAT. Mindful Jewish Practice 9:30 a.m., Musical Shabbat Service 10:30 a.m., Zorim & Bonim Havdalah 5 p.m. 216-320-1498. kolhalev.net.

AM SHALOM of Lake County: 7599 Center St., Mentor. Spiritual Director Renee Blau; Assistant Spiritual Director Elise Aitken. 440-255-1544.

ANSHE CHESED Fairmount Temple: 23737 Fairmount Blvd., Beachwood. Rabbis Robert Nosanchuk and Joshua Caruso; Cantor Sarah Sager; Jordana Chernow-Reader, Rabbi-Educator. FRI. Shabbat Evening Service 6:15 p.m.; SAT. Torah Study 9:15 a.m., Lay-Led Shabbat Minyan 10:30 a.m., Shabbat Morning Service 11 a.m. 216-464-1330. fairmounttemple.org.

BETH ISRAEL-The West Temple: 14308 Triskett Road, Cleveland. Rabbi Enid Lader. Alan Lettofsky, Rabbi Emeritus. FRI. Service 7:30 p.m.; SAT. Torah Study 9:30 a.m., Service 11 a.m. 216-941-8882. thewesttemple.com.

BETH SHALOM: 50 Division St., Hudson. Rabbi Michael Ross. FRI. TBS Friday Night/Shabbat Retreat 6:30 p.m.; SAT. Movie Night 7 p.m. 330-656-1800. tbshudson.org

BNAI ABRAHAM-The Elyria Temple: 530 Gulf Road, Elyria. Rabbi Lauren Werber. FRI. Shabbat Service 7 p.m. 440-366-1171. tbaelyria.org

SUBURBAN TEMPLE-KOL AMI: 22401 Chagrin Blvd., Beachwood. Rabbi Allison Bergman Vann. FRI. Kol Nashim Womens Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat Service (dinner with reservations to follow services) 6 p.m.; SAT. Torah Study 9:15 a.m., Shabbat Morning Service 10:30 a.m. 216-991-0700. suburbantemple.org.

TEMPLE EMANU EL: 4545 Brainard Road, Orange. Rabbi Steven L. Denker; Cantor David R. Malecki; Daniel A. Roberts, Rabbi Emeritus. FRI. Shabbat Service 6:15 p.m.; SAT. Parshat HaShavuah 9 a.m., Service 10:30 a.m. 216-454-1300. teecleve.org.

TEMPLE ISRAEL: 91 Springside Drive, Akron. Rabbi Josh Brown. Cantor Kathy Fromson. FRI. Service 6:15 p.m.; SAT. Torah Study 9 a.m., Morning Service 10:30 a.m. 330-665-2000 templeisraelakron.org.

TEMPLE ISRAEL NER TAMID: 1732 Lander Road, Mayfield Heights. Rabbi Matthew J. Eisenberg, D.D.; Frederick A. Eisenberg, D.D., Founding Rabbi Emeritus; Cantorial Soloist Rachel Eisenberg. FRI. 7:30 p.m. 440-473-5120. tintcleveland.org.

THE TEMPLE-TIFERETH ISRAEL: 26000 Shaker Blvd., Beachwood. Senior Rabbi Jonathan Cohen; Rabbi Roger C. Klein and Rabbi Stacy Schlein; Cantor Kathryn Wolfe Sebo. FRI. Kabbalat Shabbat 6 p.m.; SAT. Torah Study 9:15 a.m. 216-831-3233. ttti.org.

JEWISH SECULAR COMMUNITY: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cleveland, 21600 Shaker Blvd., Shaker Heights. jewishsecularcommunity.org.

THE CHARLOTTE GOLDBERG COMMUNITY MIKVAH: Park Synagogue, 3300 Mayfield Road, Cleveland Heights. By appointment only: 216-371-2244, ext. 135.

THE STANLEY AND ESTHER WAXMAN COMMUNITY MIKVAH: Waxman Chabad House, 2479 South Green Road, Beachwood. 216-381-3170.

This is a paid listing with information provided by congregations.

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Synagogue service times - Week of January 24 | Synagogues - Cleveland Jewish News

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Posted By admin on January 24, 2020

Photo Credit: Jewish Press

Behold, Bnei Yisrael have not listened to me, so how will Pharaoh listen to me? And I have blocked lips (Shemos 6:12).

Rashi writes that Moshe Rabbeinu presented a kal vchomer argument (one of 10 in the Torah) to Hashem. If the Jewish people didnt believe him that the redemption was coming, despite it being good news for them, why would Pharaoh, to whom the redemption was bad news, believe him?

The Zera Shimshon asks: How is this a kal vchomer? The Jewish people didnt believe Moshe because of the burdens of their bondage (Shemos 6:9). This reason didnt apply to Pharaoh, so it would make sense if he believed Moshe but the Jewish people didnt.

The Zera Shimshon elucidates the matter in the following way:

He notes that whenever the Torah mentions that Hashem will redeem the Jewish nation, it also speaks of their suffering. Hashem promised Avraham at the Bris Bein HaBesarim that Bnei Yisrael would be enslaved for 400 years. The assumption was that they would be enslaved for this period of time no matter how much they suffered.

However, observes the Zera Shimshon, this assumption was predicated on the theory that Hashem operates based on middas hadin the divine attribute of strict justice. Hashem, however, does not govern the world solely with strict justice because man could not survive if He did. Hashem tempers strict justice with middas harachim, the divine attribute of mercy, and only He can synthesize the two.

The Talmud (Berachos 7a) quotes R Yishmael ben Elisha saying the following: I once entered the innermost part of the heichal to offer the ketores and I saw Hashem seated upon a high and exalted throne. He said to me: Yishmael, My son, bless Me!

I replied: May it be Your will that Your mercy suppress Your anger, and Your mercy prevail over Your other attributes so that You deal with Your children according to the divine attribute of mercy, and may You, on their behalf, stop short of the limit of strict justice! And He nodded to me with His head.

Middas harachamim contended that the Jews enslavement of 400 years should be reduced because of their arduous suffering. The Jewish people, however, had not seen any relief from their suffering for 210 years, so they had come to believe that their redemption would not come until they had been in servitude for the complete 400 years.

Moshes kal vchomer therefore ran as follows: If Bnei Yisrael didnt believe that Hashem would show them middas harachamim, surely Pharaoh wouldnt. If they didnt believe they were leaving before a full 400 years had passed, why would Pharaoh believe this when he had even more reason than them not to?

Our main task in this world is to advance in our faith in Hashem, regardless of which attribute He is showing us. R Nachman of Breslov notes that the day will come when our faith will be severely challenged. On that day, The righteous person shall live through his faith (Chabakuk 2:4) even the tzaddik will need to strengthen his emunah.

A terribly destitute man chanced upon a very valuable stone while digging one day. He quickly ran to a jeweler to sell it.

The jeweler confirmed that the stone was extremely precious and told the poor man, I want you to know that no one in this kingdom can possibly pay you the value of this gem. He suggested that he travel to London where well-to-do merchants could afford to buy the priceless gem from him.

The man didnt have a cent to pay for the journey. He sold all his belongings and then collected money to finance his trip. Finding he was still short of the amount needed, he requested a meeting with the captain of the ship he hoped to board. He showed the captain the exquisite gem and explained that he would pay him the balance of his fair once he sold the gem in London. The captain gave him great honor, showed him to a first-class cabin, and provided him with the service of his waitstaff.

Every once in a while, the poor man would take out the gem, place it on his table, and joyfully rest his gaze on it. One day, as the man ate his meal in his cabin, with the gem on the table in front of him, he dozed off. While he was still asleep, the waiter came in to clear off the table. He took off the dishes, and then not seeing the gem on the table threw whatever remained on the tablecloth (mostly crumbs) into the sea.

When the poor man awoke and saw that his gem was gone, he was overcome with grief. Aware that the captain was a violent man who would think nothing of killing him for not paying his fare, the man realized he would have to pretend that nothing untoward had happened. And thats what he did.

One day, the captain asked him for a favor. He explained that he wanted to avoid paying taxes on a cargo full of wheat that was in the hold of the ship. He therefore suggested transferring ownership of the cargo to the poor man, and after they passed through customs, the poor man could transfer the wheat back to him.

He agreed, and ownership of the wheat was transferred. Shortly after the ship docked, the captain suddenly died. All the wheat remained in the poor mans name, and the profit from its sale sustained him for the rest of his life.

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Hashem Has Other Plans - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com

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Posted By admin on January 24, 2020

The correct Hebrew verb for traveling to Jerusalem is laalot to ascend. It is physically and spiritually a journey that requires going up. Nonetheless, this week, the words descended on Jerusalem were more appropriate. Some 50 top dignitaries including presidents, prime ministers, princes and politicians made their way to the holy city for the Fifth World Holocaust Forum, marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the Nazi death camp that came to symbolize all that is evil.The gathering of so many distinguished guests hosted by President Reuven Rivlin and Yad Vashem is truly impressive. Less than a decade ago, former prime minister Ehud Barak warned that Israel faced a diplomatic tsunami that would bring the country down if it did not agree to major concessions with the Palestinians, who even as the forum took place launched clusters of balloons carrying explosive devices. This week, we were flooded with diplomats. But still I worry. I cant help it: Its in my Jewish genes.While its true that Israel is thriving and is not under existential threat (Irans nuclear plans notwithstanding), one of the most salient lessons of the Holocaust is that the future for better or for worse is unpredictable.Could the survivors who struggled out of death camps have imagined the establishment of the State of Israel just three years later? No. But a few years before the war could Jewish families the assimilated who rubbed shoulders with high society or the ultra-Orthodox and those eking out lives in shtetls have imagined the torture and tragedy that was about to befall them?For this weeks forum to have any lasting impact the leaders must internalize the message from their brief visits to the Jewish state and all the Never again! speeches. And Israelis, too, cannot be complacent. The arrival of so many heads of states some 42 countries are represented is an acknowledgment of a terrible historical wrong, but each leader has their own reason for coming. Making universal declarations against racism and hatred is a good thing and its good for publicity and politics.This has to be more than a glorified photo opportunity.One very obvious absentee was Polish President Andrzej Duda. He reportedly took offense at not being invited to address the gathering. It seems equally likely that this is part of Polands fight with Russia over their roles in World War II and after: Poland sees itself as a victim of both the Nazis and the Soviets, and focuses on the fact that the Germans built and operated the notorious death camps like Auschwitz-Birkenau and Treblinka on Polish soil while the Soviet Union was at first Hitlers willing partner in crime.The Polish government seems upset that such an illustrious Holocaust remembrance event is being held in Israel just a few days before Poland will host its annual commemorative event at the site of Auschwitz itself. Increasingly, Poland is trying to take the lead as the main victim of the war, hence the law passed in 2018 with stiff penalties for those who refer to the concentrations camps as Polish based on their location rather than German or Nazi.Polands figures of its dead do not distinguish between Jews (about three million) and non-Jews (some 1.9 m.). Nor do the Poles care to recognize that the Jews were singled out by the Nazis to be killed simply for being Jews; there was no equivalent systematic effort to eradicate any other race (with, the possible exception of the Roma.) RESEARCHER AND journalist Shmuel Rosner pointed out this week the gathering in Jerusalem, attended by so many foreign dignitaries, indicates that increasingly Israel is being seen as the representative of the Jewish people. International Holocaust Day is not as meaningful to me as the Hebrew date in the spring when Israel marks Holocaust Remembrance Day. That comes pertinently just after Passover celebrating the Exodus from Egypt in biblical times and a week before the back-to-back Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers and Independence Day. It seems to be a natural progression.As we proclaim at the Seder at the start of Passover, In each and every generation they rise up against us to destroy us. And the Holy One, blessed be He, rescues us from their hands.We are also commanded to remember what Amalek did to us as we left Egypt he tried to destroy us.I have frequently pointed out that Jewish history did not start with the Holocaust. Among the what ifs of history, is the question of how many of the six million Jews who perished in the Shoah could have been saved had Israel existed before WWII as a sovereign state able to offer a home and refuge. The time has come for all schools, communities and synagogues to amend their Yizkor memorial prayers which for too many years have referred to the Holocaust in Europe. The Holocaust was not a European phenomenon: Jews in Iraq, Tunisia, Libya and elsewhere were also victims. Hitler did not differentiate between religious and secular, Ashkenazi and Sephardi. There is no question about what would have happened to the Jews wherever the Third Reich took control.So many countries have so little to be proud of from that period and after. As Poland tries to change perceptions of its past, Duda would undoubtedly prefer to skip over the deadly pogroms that took place in places like Jedwabne during the war and Kielce and elsewhere after it had ended, when Jewish survivors struggled back to what had been their homes. Amalek, indeed.Britain, under pressure from the Arab world, infamously not only denied Jews entrance to the Land of Israel during the war, but even afterwards when the scale of the Holocaust was known it kept out the Jewish refugees who literally had nowhere else to go.It has been said that two contrasting lessons were learned from the Holocaust: While in the world at large there was a backlash against the idea of nation states, the Jewish people represented by Israel realized that they could rely on no one but themselves, in their own country, protected by their own army.The forum is being held under the title Remembering the Holocaust, fighting antisemitism. For the fight to be anything other than a losing battle, that means recognizing what the Holocaust was, how it was carried out and what forms antisemitism takes. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, drawn up in 2016, serves as a good guideline. It should be unthinkable that 75 years after the Holocaust, Jews are being attacked on the streets and in synagogues in Europe and the US. The assailants range from far-Right nationalists to Islamists supported, incredibly, by the far-Left. Todays antisemitism also manifests itself in attacks on Israel. The leaders who made their way to Jerusalem need to set the tone by supporting Israel in international bodies like the United Nations where hypocrisy abounds and the Jewish state is singled out for condemnation as a matter of course. The late historian Robert S. Wistrich warned against institutionalizing the Holocaust as a kind of civil religion. Focusing on the Shoah, stands in opposition to classical Zionism which aimed at normalizing the status of the Jews, not as a nation that dwells alone, Wistrich wrote.This week, it was Holocaust remembrance that brought the nations together in Israel. For the gathering to have any real meaning, it must not stop at remembrance but should take steps against modern antisemitism, be it through education, enforcement of anti-hatred laws, and prevention of incitement in the press and social media. Those leaders who ascended to and descended on Jerusalem need to spread the word from Zion: Not for the sake of the worlds 14 million Jews, but for the sake of all humanity. liat@jpost.com

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Holocaust remembrance beyond the photo opportunity - The Jerusalem Post

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Posted By admin on January 24, 2020

The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is the worlds preeminent center for the study of Yiddish language and culture. Founded in Vilna in 1925, YIVO is now based in New York and includes an academic center, an archive with 23 million item, and a library with 400,000 books.

On Monday, that YIVOs board, facing a shortfall of $550,000 in its general operating budget, had laid off all four of its librarians. Some 1,200 scholars and students have since signed a letter urging the board whose 15 members include two who also sit on the board of the Forward to reinstate the librarians.

We asked some of the people who know YIVO best to share a personal story about its beloved library. (If you have an anecdote to add, please do so in the comments.)

YIVO Institute for Jewish...

The first time I visited the YIVO library was in 1967. It was a dreary winter day, with pale sunlight drifting through the windows of a ballroom of the Vanderbilt mansion at 86th Street. With a bank of card catalogues at one end of the room, walls lined with shelves of reference works, and readers at tables in the rest of the space, I had the feeling I was in Europe, not New York.

The doyenne of this domain was Dina Abramowicz, a petite and modest woman of inestimable knowledge of the greatest collection of books in Yiddish and other languages on the history and culture of East European Jews. She had been part of YIVO in Vilnius, survived the Holocaust, and carried on the great YIVO tradition of supporting scholarship.

Neither the card catalogue nor the electronic databases that supplanted it could offer what Dina could give to the researcher, novice and experienced alike. She not only knew what was in the collection and where to find it, but also she would bring you material you knew nothing about and she did so with utmost generosity of spirit. I would arrive to the library, and there would be Dina, with something in hand that she knew would interest me without my even asking.

Barbara Kirshenblatt-GimblettProfessor emerita, New York UniversityChief Curator, Core Exhibition, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews

For the last five or so years, I have taught a summer course on Research Methods in Yiddish Studies, where I introduce students to the treasures of the YIVO collections. I would request a long list of reference books from Lyudmila Sholokhova rare Soviet Yiddish publications, obscure dictionaries of Yiddish place names, unpublished bibliographies found only at YIVO. No matter how busy she was with her many other duties, Sholokova known as Mila would run from her office to the reading room to the stacks gathering the materials and present them to me, ready and waiting on a library cart, with a smile.

Fruma Mohrer, an archivist, would sometimes come with a cart of items, including Herzls diary, letters from Einstein, and humble notebooks from schoolchildren studying math in Yiddish. She would say to the students, You are going to see something amazing and they did. But I also told my students that of all the resources at YIVO, the most important were the staff members with their decades worth of knowledge that cannot be found in any book or website.

Cecile E. KuznitzAssociate Professor, Bard College and Senior Academic Advisor, Max Weinreich Center for Advanced Jewish Studies, YIVO

Deborah Lipstadt

Librarian Lara Lempertien.

I visited Vilnius with a group of scholars for a conference about 18 months. The most exciting and memorable part of the conference was not the paper, but our visit to the Vilnius national library, which is in possession of a number of documents from YIVOs earliest collection. The amazing librarian there, Lara Lempertien, organized a small exhibit for us and among the papers was Marc Chagalls letter (in Russian) agreeing to be on the board of the newly formed YIVO. A YIVO without librarians is hardly a YIVO at all.

Deborah LipstadtDorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust StudiesEmory University(Lipstadt is a contributing columnist at the Forward)

Except for a few spans during summers, my career has not been based in New York. YIVOs librarians have made the archive a national and indeed global resource. Not only does my email archive show how helpful they have been to me from afar over the years, but their knowledge base has made time spent on-site in the reading room far more efficient.

On a trip to YIVO in 2015, I was looking for a needle in a haystack: I knew that Zuni Maud had drawn a magnificent cartoon to accompany a Chelm story in some issue of Kinder zhurnal, and I wanted the image for the cover of my first book. But the periodical started publishing in 1920 and continued for more than five decades, and Maud lived until 1956.

There was now way to do it but to start in 1920 and flip through issue after issue, until I found the drawing in question. The librarian on duty mentioned that while touring in Europe and the Soviet Union (1929-31), Maud was unlikely to have contributed. In an instant and through expert librarianship, three years were shaved off the haystack.

Miriam UdelAssociate Profesor of Yiddish Language, Literature and CultureEmory University

The Decline of Bismarcks European Order

I was in the reading room of the old YIVO Library on Fifth Avenue when the legendary American diplomat and historian George Kennan paid a visit circa 1978.

He was working on his book The Decline of Bismarcks European Order: Franco-Russian Relations, 1875-1890 (1979), and was looking for sources on a very conservative, Jewish-born convert (and physiologist) lie de Cyon (1843-1912), a native of Teliai (Telz, Lithuania), whose name he had come across in his research.

Kennan sat for at least half an hour with Dina Abramowicz, YIVOs Head Librarian from 1962 to 1987. She referred him to Yiddish books by Saul M. Ginsburg and Samuel Leib Zitron about Jewish apostates in Tsarist Russia, and offered to translate passages where Cyon was mentioned. That Dina was able, off the top of her head, to cite these works testified to her extraordinary expertise and memory.

I like to think that Kennan must have been intrigued by his encounter with Dina, a contemporary of his who was raised in the Russian-speaking home of Jewish intellectuals in Vilna, during the same years that he was studying Russian while serving as a junior diplomat in Riga (not far away).

Zachary BakerRetired in 2018 from Stanford University Libraries(Worked at YIVO, including as head librarian, 1976-1999)

It is hard for me to provide one particular anecdote or one particular date. I have been using the YIVO library for 40 years. The YIVO library has always been different from some other major research libraries in the area in that the staff actually knew not only the holdings but also the subject matter. They were able, therefore, not only to retrieve items, but to guide researchers in the right direction. Daniel SoyerProfessor of HistoryFordham University(former YIVO student and staff member)

I had the idea of having a small exhibit of Bais-Yaakov-related material from YIVO in the lobby at my book talk at the Center for Jewish History. Eddy Portnoy, who worked in the education department, introduced me to Lyudmila Shokolova, the librarys director and YIVOs associate director for external relations with Eastern Europe and Russia. .

In her crowded office, Lyudmila worked for me, over the course of weeks, to select material from the library and archive, write captions, and arrange the exhibit. After years spent writing more-or-less alone (though always with the support of YIVOs archivists and librarians), this collaboration was enormously rewarding.

Lyudmila showed me journals I had only seen in microfiche, found books I had missed in my research, and taught me what my exhibit could be. Just as my book was entering the world, she helped me see clearly how much of it depended on the generosity and knowledge of librarians like Lyudmila, who get so little credit for the scholarly enterprise they make possible. Naomi SeidmanChancellor Jackman Professor of the Arts University of Toronto

Rather than a musty interaction involving a tome or two or three, my love, admiration and respect for YIVOs (suddenly former) library director, Lyudmilla Mila Sholokhova, covers two decades of mostly emails. A digital trail flowed between us, routinely, the way telephone calls and telegrams used to. To peek inside them is to hear me claiming Im doing my best to be honest about why we need permission to publish a YIVO image, or how we need to flip through an archival file box or two and publish our findings, immediately, and with limited funds.

The emails express deadline panicand my desperation at trying to act as un-barbarian as possible in the face of my utterly cultivated Kievian colleague.

Sholokhova is among the worlds experts on the Ansky expedition, that pioneering Ashkenazi Jewish ethnographic moment. Without it, maybe Yiddishists and Yiddishland wouldnt exist. Her generosity of spirit, collegiality and low-pitched but strong networking skills extend around the globe to other research facilities I wouldnt necessarily have relationships with if not for her. She shares what and whom she knows.

Researchers such as Sholokhova dont blow in everyday. Theyve given their lives in service of Jewish literacy. Sholokhova forever.

Chana PollackArchivist, the Forward(Pollack worked part-time at YIVO for several years)

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Of Herzl, Einstein, Chagall and George Kennan: Memories of working with YIVOs librarians - Forward

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Posted By admin on January 24, 2020

Id always considered pickles, particularly pickled cucumbers, a Jewish food. They were ever-present on my grandmothers Shabbat table alongside chopped liver and egg and onion, a permanent chaperone to the pastrami sandwich at Jewish delis, and packed into self-serve containers at falafel and sabich shops in Israel. I could never resist going to town, filling myself on their sharp crunch until my stomach began to hurt.

Over the years, as fermentation and pickling enjoyed a hipster-led revival, I realized how wrong I was pickles are universal, from Japanese tsukemono to Indian achar. But in certain parts of the world particularly North America pickles have become associated, some might say synonymous, with Jewish cuisine.

Take the Kosher Dill Pickle, which was popularized by Jewish immigrants in New Yorks Lower East Side in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Initially, their kosher label came from the Jewish Orthodox Congregations of America. Nowadays, kosher has little to do with Jewish dietary law, and instead refers to the pickles characteristics: pickled in a salt brine, flavored with garlic and dill.

Non-Jewish or Non-Kosher pickles, in contrast, are pickled with vinegar, and often flavored with sugar and pickling spices. Vinegar, made from wine, was too expensive for most Jews to use back in Eastern Europe, hence the simple salt brine they brought with them when they immigrated to the U.S.

We now know that this method, called lacto-fermentation, enhances the nutritional aspects of a vegetable and preserves many of its vitamins and minerals, as well as significantly extending their shelf life. For Eastern European Jews, this was essential, as pickled veggies were the only kind available/affordable in cold winter months.

New Yorks Jewish pickle hawkers also popularized the Half-Sour Pickle, which similarly relied on lacto-fermentation, but did not include dill. These pickles are only brined for a week or two, so theyre not fully fermented. This explains their bright green color, ensures they stay crisp, and results in a more subtle pickle flavor.

Leave that half-sour for three months and it becomes a Full-Sour Pickle: darker in color, with a more intense flavor.

While this was another specialty of New Yorks pickle hawkers, I personally prefer the gutsier Sour Israeli Pickle. Israelis use Persian cucumbers, whose skins are thinner and smoother than the classic American Kirby. They also add more salt to their brine, and sometimes hot pepper, for a slightly spicy hit. My love for Israeli pickles knows no bounds, and is responsible for more than a couple of pregnancy rumors.

Jewish pickles range far beyond cucumbers, however. Israelis are also partial to Turshi Left, pickled turnips introduced by Egyptian, Syrian and Lebanese immigrants. They have become an integral part of any Israeli mezze, easily identified by their bright pink hue. The color is due to the inclusion of beets, which also add sweetness to the brine.

And lets not forget Amba a spiced pickled mango condiment with Indian roots that has become an Israeli street food staple, thanks to Iraqi immigrants.

Heading back over to the U.S. (via Eastern Europe), what could be more Jewish-adjacent than Sauerkraut? Another lacto-fermentation superstar, this mix of cabbage and salt was a valuable source of vitamin C to Ashkenazi families in the shtetl, who ate it with basically everything on black bread, or mixed with potatoes, noodles, or meat. Nowadays, its a staple of the Jewish deli, and an integral part of the classic Reuben sandwich.

Another Jewish deli staple, Pickled Green Tomatoes, perform the same function as a pickled cucumber: The acidity in these underripe tomatoes cleanses the palette between bites of fatty food, cutting through the richness to allow you to enjoy your packed sandwich to the very end!

Whether you like sauerkraut, half-sours, or Russian pickled watermelon, be sure to make the most of your pickles and save the brine. Leftover pickle juice is an invaluable hangover cure, an easy way to flavor meat, and excellent in a dirty martini lchaim!

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The Official Guide to Jewish Pickles | The Nosher - My Jewish Learning

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Posted By admin on January 24, 2020

Benny Gantz (left) and Moshe Yaalon (right)

Elad Malka

The Blue and White party is considering rejecting President Donald Trumps invitation to Blue and White chief Benny Gantz to visit the White House next week, Israeli media outlets reported Friday afternoon.

According to reports by Amit Segal on Channel 12 and Barak Ravid on Channel 13, the center-left Blue and White party has not yet decided whether it will accept President Trumps invitation to the White House, during which the much-anticipated Middle East peace plan is expected to be presented to party chairman Benny Gantz.

The partys four leaders Benny Gantz, Yair Lapid, Moshe Yaalon, and Gabi Ashkenazi are reportedly debating whether to accept or reject the invitation, and are planning to announce their decision at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night.

On Thursday, it was reported that the Trump administration had invited Gantz and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to the White House for a meeting next Tuesday, apparently to disclose the details of the soon-to-be-released Middle East peace plan, dubbed the Deal of the Century.

Trump tweeted Thursday that he will unveil the plan next week, possibly before the two Israeli leaders visit to Washington.

A report by Channel 13 claimed that the deal would allow Israel to apply sovereignty to more than 30% of the territory in Judea and Samaria, including all Israeli towns in the area. All but 15 of the towns would be annexed as part of a territorially continuous bloc, while the remaining 15 towns would be annexed as enclaves surrounded by Palestinian territory.

Israel would be asked to accept the establishment of a Palestinian State if the Palestinian Authority agrees to disarm Hamas, demilitarize the Gaza Strip, recognize Israel as the Jewish state, and to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital city.

Trump later called media reports on the details of the plan speculation.

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Report: Blue & White considering rejecting Trump's invitation to the White House - Arutz Sheva

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Posted By admin on January 23, 2020

In the midst of President Donald Trumps inauguration three years ago, well-groomed white supremacist spokesman and coiner of the term alt-right Richard Spencer was standing on a street corner explaining to a skeptical detractor that he is not a Nazi when an anonymous hero ran up and punched Spencer in the face.

Video of the incident went viral after it was shared on Twitter, and a still-ongoing debate between delighted leftists and scandalized centrists was born: Is it OK to punch a Nazi in the face? Naturally, the Jews got in on it, and things got positively Talmudic.

Earlier this month, the debate continued in the well-appointed conference room of a downtown San Francisco law firm during a lunchtime study session organized by Rabbi Dan Ain of Congregation Beth Sholom.

Ain brought to the Jan. 8 session copies of a study sheet titled Is One Permitted to Punch a White Supremacist in the Face? This collection of texts can be found on Sefaria, a free, user-friendly online compendium of any Jewish text you could want: Torah, Talmud, liturgy, Kabbalah and so on.

Click on a verse or passage and a sidebar appears, providing links to relevant classical commentaries, midrash, philosophical texts and more. Im not exaggerating when I say it is the most important Jewish resource on the internet.

Sefaria also provides a truly transformational tool: the ability to build and share source sheets. Users can build a clickable, printable collection of pieces of any text on Sefaria and add their own commentary. These sheets have become ubiquitous in Jewish study sessions; you may have already used one without knowing it. The source sheets can be made public so that anyone may look at them on Sefaria and add more texts.

Like the Talmud, the source sheet is a living, breathing document, with people adding and finding new sources as they go, Ain told the seven attendees.

The sheet on which Ain based the session was created three years ago by Rabbi Josh Bolton (currently at Hillel at Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design), but people have continued adding relevant texts since then.

It begins with an excerpt from a 2005 post on jewschool.com, which recounts the story of an Orthodox rabbi who threw a cup of coffee at and then punched a belligerent anti-Semite who confronted him in an airport. Its never okay to throw the first punch unless yer schoolin a Nazi scumf*ck. Amen, the post concluded.

Our little gathering immediately got to dissecting the incident. Some held that the punch was unjustified, while others (myself included) felt that the Nazi scumf*ck had been asking for it by initiating the verbally aggressive encounter.

Asked the lawyer whose firm we met at: What does it accomplish?

To which I replied: It reinforces that there are consequences to bringing the Nazi scumf*cks hate into the public sphere.

Ains wife, writer Alana Joblin Ain, offered: It can boost morale. Maybe an individual act of resistance doesnt matter on its own, but it creates an atmosphere that leads to more action.

Said another attendee who had seemed on the fence at the beginning of the session, It wasnt out of the blue. It came after an exchange of hateful words. So I think its OK.

Asked another person: What was gained? Me: What was lost?

While one attendee was avidly anti-punch, most in the room were conflicted. I was the only person unequivocally on the side of punching Nazis.

As we talked, a record of the still-ongoing online discussion played out on the printout in front of us: Bolton discussing the texts with the Jews of the internet who were freely adding texts to his sheet.

A rabbi contributed a passage from Pirkei Avot 4:1: Who is the mighty one? He who overpowers his inclination slowness to anger is better than a mighty person.

When queried by Bolton, the rabbi explains: I think this text represents the stance of What I WANT to do is sock this guy in the face. But what Im GOING to do is respond nonviolently, protest, and elect officials that see to it that scumbags like him never become a legitimate threat.

An elderly Russian at the study session mentioned the example of Esther: She solved the problem peacefully, convinced the king to stop Haman. But that ended in the murder of Haman, Ain pointed out. She shrugged.

Then she said, What if Russia didnt stand up [during World War II]? Like Eastern Europe, we wouldnt have had peace.

But a Jew in the throes of text study can hold multiple opinions.

The woman then told the story of a Jewish boss she had at a Soviet-era factory. He once refused to shake the hand of an anti-Semitic Communist official. We never saw him again, she said. Was it worth it? Ain asked. No, she said. He didnt do any good for himself or anyone.

You cant make peace with someone who wants to kill you.

Throughout the session, Ain remained conflicted, acknowledging that true violence cant be countered by sitting on our hands but he also said, We are Beth Sholom beit shalom, a house of peace. How do we set the example of making peace? Is it impossible to dialog with these people?

To which I responded, You cant make peace with someone who wants to kill you. Consider the rodef law. Rodef means pursuer; in Jewish law, if someone is coming after you with the intention of killing you, you are required to attempt to kill them first.

As in so many Jewish debates, there was no resolution to be had, though I remained resolute in my convictions. Ain and I have continued the conversation in recent days over email and in person.

Beyond the subject matter, I was struck by the technology that facilitated it. Once upon a time, the Talmud was a real-life discussion. Then it was written down. Its distinctive style was standardized after the invention of the printing press, and a codified set of commentators was added to the margins of the pages.

Now, with tools like Sefaria, were dealing once again with a living Talmud.

Whether you agree or disagree with me about punching Nazis, you have to admit that Sefaria, with its unprecedented ease of access to Jewish text study and new tools for collaborative commentary, is good for the Jews.

Originally posted here:

Is it permitted to punch a Nazi? Consult the internet Talmud. - The Jewish News of Northern California

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Posted By admin on January 23, 2020

One of the two young cousins who jumped to their deaths from the top of a Jerusalem building overnight Sunday may have been sexually abused by a relative, Channel 12 reported Tuesday.Hani Solish, 19, from Netanya, and Sarah Klapman, 24, from Jerusalem, jumped from the top of the Mercaz Sapir building in Givat Shaul. The young women, both members of the Chabad movement, were found by Magen David Adom paramedics.They left behind a suicide note explaining why they wanted to die.Channel 12 said that the relative who had abused one of the girls was arrested and convicted for abuse, and sentenced to service. He was released on parole a decade ago. It was also reported that the young woman had sought therapy but stopped going for treatment due to family pressure shortly after the incident.Also, one of the two women had recently been struggling with commitment to her faith, according to news reports. The suicide note allegedly included that one of the girls feared disappointing her parents.Investigators determined that the two young women were in a WhatsApp group with three other friends, in which they discussed their struggles with religion, according to Channel 12.One of the women posted in the WhatsApp group shortly after the suicide: "I understand what you did."As such, Channel 12 reported, investigators visited the homes of the three friends overnight and met with their parents to help ensure they would not also hurt themselves.Klapmans family lives in the Crown Heights neighborhood of New York. She had been living with her grandmother in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem. The women had met up at their grandmothers house on Sunday and allegedly left from there to Mercaz Sapir.The mother of a student learning at the Esh Ha-Talmud Yeshiva, which is adjacent to Mercaz Sapir, wrote on Facebook that her son called at 2:24 a.m. in a panic: Mom, he said, You will not believe what just happened at our yeshiva. The Facebook post was reported by the Orthodox Hebrew website Kol HaIr.

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Two ultra-Orthodox young women jump to their deaths in Jerusalem - The Jerusalem Post

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