Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on August 3, 2017

Terror expert Greg Barton says the device found in Syd Terror raids may have been 'days away from going off'

Rabbi Yehoram Ulman with local MP and now Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2006.

A LOCAL council has banned the construction of a synagogue in Bondi because it could be a terrorist target, in a shock move that religious leaders say has caved in to Islamic extremism and created a dangerous precedent.

The decision, which has rocked the longstanding Jewish community in the iconic suburb, was upheld in court this week as the nation reeled from the alleged airline terror threat and debate raged over increased security measures at airports and other public places.

The Land and Environment Court backed the decision by Waverley Council to prohibit the construction of the synagogue in Wellington St, Bondi just a few hundred metres from Australias most famous beach because it was too much of a security risk for users and local residents.

Jewish leaders are shocked the decision appears to suggest they cannot freely practice their religion because they are the target of hate by Islamist extremists and that the council has used their own risk assessment of the threat posed by IS against it.

The head of the local Jewish community said the council and the court had effectively stifled freedom of religion and rewarded terrorism.

The decision is unprecedented, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman told news.com.au.

Its implications are enormous. It basically implies that no Jewish organisation should be allowed to exist in residential areas. It stands to stifle Jewish existence and activity in Sydney and indeed, by creating a precedent, the whole of Australia, and by extension rewarding terrorism.

The synagogue is in the heart of Australias most iconic suburb and just a few hundred metres from the world famous Bondi Beach. Photo: Dylan RobinsonSource:News Corp Australia

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive Vic Alhadeff told news.com.au he had never heard of any other religious group being denied a place of worship just because they were targeted by outside extremists and that the move was a dangerous precedent.

Its a very sad day for Australia if an established community, which needs a house of worship, is refused permission to build it because of fear that others may pose a threat, he said.

This simply shows how were all losing our freedoms. Those who want us to be afraid are winning, and this ill-conceived judgment represents a dangerous precedent.

Ironically, the council and the Land and Environment Court appeared to use the proposals own risk assessment and security measures in the proposed design including using setback buildings and blast walls as evidence the site was too much of a security risk.

Yet in a classic catch-22, the council also said if the design was changed to boost security this would be unacceptable because it would be too unsightly.

The proposed development should be refused as the site is not suitable for the proposed synagogue use as the Preliminary Threat and Risk Analysis relied on by the Applicant raises concerns as to the safety and security of future users of the Synagogue, nearby residents, motorists and pedestrians in Wellington Street and the physical measures proposed to deal with the identified threats will have an unacceptable impact on the streetscape and adjoining properties.

An artists impression of the synagogue development in Wellington Street, Bondi.Source:Supplied

The Friends of Refugees from Eastern Europe, the Jewish group that appealed the council decision in the Land and Environment Court, argued the Preliminary Threat and Risk Analysis it commissioned from a terrorism expert did not indicate any risk to local residents or passers-by and was only about the security of those using the synagogue who were used to the threat of violence.

Its evidence, as summarised by the court decision, was:

The PTRA concludes nothing more than stating:

western countries face a security threat, currently primarily from ISIS;

the threat level in Australia is probable;

Jewish communities across the world are no stranger to the threat of violence and as such will generally take security measures into account when planning, constructing or renovating buildings;

the CITED design considers potential possible threats that are relevant to Australia; and

the design measures focus on the persons inside the buildings only

The PTRA does not raise concerns as to the safety and security of future particularly users of the synagogue, nearby residents, motorists; or pedestrians in Wellington Street.

Rabbi Yehoram Ulman with local MP and now Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2006.Source:News Limited

But in the judgment handed down by the Land and Environment Court on Wednesday, Commissioner Graham Brown said the risk assessment was inadequate and upheld the councils decision.

It would seem that a more sophisticated risk assessment process could be required for matters such as a potential terrorist threat, he found.

Rabbi Ulman said the decision came as surprise and shock to the entire Jewish community but was even more scathing about the council, warning it had threatened the future of Jewish life in Australia.

By pulling the terror threat argument they have shown that they are completely out of touch both with the reality and with needs of their constituency, he told news.com.au.

They have effectively placed in jeopardy the future of Jewish life in Australia.

A Waverley Council spokesperson noted the court had supported the councils position, which was supported by several residents concerns.

The ruling follows Councils presentation of evidence to the court in support of refusal of the application, based on:

The proposal does not respond to the context, character and streetscape of the area or provide sufficient residential amenity

Unacceptable amenity impacts such as adequate solar access, noise and loss of privacy; and

The site is unsuitable for a synagogue because of the potential risk to users and other members of the general public.

A number of residents agreed with the contentions raised by the Council and provided additional evidence against the development of the site.

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Bondi synagogue ban over terrorism risk leaves Jewish community shocked and furious - NEWS.com.au

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Posted By richards on August 3, 2017

Thirty five years in prison. Thirty of them without parole.

Thats the price Anthony Graziano and Aakash Dalal will have to pay for the series of attacks on Bergen County synagogues they undertook in December 2011 and January 2012.

Judge Joseph Isabella handed down the sentences, five years more than the minimum, in a packed Hackensack courtroom last Friday. An overflow crowd watched the proceedings on video in a second courtroom.

Before the sentence, attorneys for the defendants made their case for leniency which meant the minimum 30 years allowed by the state terrorism statute.

Mr. Graziano read an apology and plea for leniency.

The hatred I had for the Jewish faith was unacceptable, he read. I hope the Jewish community can find peace after tragedy.

His mother, Denise Rivas, also read a speech. She apologized emotionally to the Jewish community. My son has a heart of gold, she said. I am so, so sorry for my sons actions. Not a day goes by when I dont ask myself what happened.

This is not the way he was taught.

She said that her son only reconnected with Mr. Dalal, whom he had known in elementary school, at her suggestion, because Mr. Graziano needed help with an algebra class at Bergen Community College. Anthony looked up to him because he was a better student, she said. I told my son to call him.

Your honor, in that short time something bad happened to my son, something very bad and wrong. My son was brainwashed and taught to hate.

He did something incomprehensible and not so easy for the victims to forgive. Your honor, Im pleading with you. Please dont send him away forever.

Mr. Dalals family were present in the courtroom, but they and their son declined to speak.

Later on, assistant prosecutor Brian Sinclair used Mr. Dalals silence against him.

Today he had an opportunity to address the people who are here, Mr. Sinclair said. But he didnt. No sorrow, no contrition. No sorrow for saying Some day Ill be the fuhrer. a remark presented at the trial from the text messages exchanged between Mr. Dalal and Mr. Graziano. Thats not offensive? Not something youll say to the community, That was wrong? Silence.

Mr. Sinclair compared the statement Mr. Graziano made in the courtroom that day to something he said in his pre-sentencing interview: I dont owe someone a fake apology.

Those are his words, Mr. Sinclair said.

The prosecution argued for a sentence of 45 years. The maximum term available was life.

These are two men that saw the Jewish community as not humanlike, Mr. Sinclair said, As reptiles. They were partners in hate, intimidation, and ultimately in criminality.

He noted their pattern of escalating behavior that ended only when they got caught.

Rabbi Arthur Weiner of the Jewish Community Center of Paramus/Congregation Beth Tikvah spoke at the hearing; Graziano and Dalal planned but aborted an arson attack on his synagogue.

My young people thought these were crimes of a bygone era, he said. Sadly, I had to teach them that even here in Bergen County this can occur. The difference is that when they do occur, we will be assisted by every level of law enforcement.

Pessy Schuman, who was rebbetzin of Congregation Beth El in Rutherford when firebombs were thrown through her window, also spoke.

Before announcing the sentence, Judge Isabella acknowledged that in the attacks, No one was hurt, thank God. And I mean that in whatever faith you practice Christianity, Judaism, Hindu, Islam thank God no one was hurt.

The sentences included 32 years for the terrorism charges, to be served concurrently with 15 years for the arson attacks, including the one against Khal Adas Yeshurun of Paramus, and 20 years for bias crimes in connection with the three arsons. Three years were added on for the two graffiti attacks, against Temple Beth Israel in Maywood and Temple Beth El in Hackensack, which were not included in the terrorism charges.

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Synagogue bombers get 35 years - The Jewish Standard

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Posted By admin on August 3, 2017

Over the course of just a few days, the tiny Jewish community in Nicaragua more than doubled when 114 people converted to Judaism.

Last month, community members answered questions before a beit din, or religious court, of three Orthodox rabbis from Israel and the United States and immersed in a newly built mikvah in Managua, the Central American countrys capital. Male converts underwent circumcisions or symbolic circumcisions if they already had been circumcised.

On July 23, following the conversions conducted at the Managua home of a community leader, 22 couples wed according to Jewish tradition in a Managua social hall rented for the occasion. Kulanu, a New York-based nonprofit group that supports communities around the world that are seeking to learn about Judaism, had facilitated the conversions.

There was a great amount of trepidation in their faces and anxiousness because it was so important to them, and when they emerged from the mikvah the glow on their faces was amazing, said beit din member Rabbi Mark Kunis, who was ordained at Yeshiva Universitys Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and works at the Shaarei Shamayim synagogue in Atlanta. Its inspiring. The excitement that it engendered was phenomenal.

At least half the candidates claimed Jewish ancestry, and most had been studying Judaism for at least five years with some pursuing Judaism almost their entire lives, Kunis said. All the candidates except one family were accepted for conversion, and one of the beit din rabbis served as a Spanish translator, since most of the candidates could not communicate in English, he said.

Some young Nicaraguans who converted to Judaism in July with the help of Kulanu. (Photos by Bonita Susan)

I feel at home, Even Centeno, 21, said about becoming Jewish. This was for me like a dream. He is among the converts who trace their ancestry to Sephardic Jews forced to convert to Christianity during the Inquisition.

Centeno, who converted along with his parents and sister, said that he had been aware of his familys Jewish ancestry since he was a young child and started learning about Judaism when he was 11.

The conversions bring a significant influx of Jews to Nicaragua. Jews have been living there since the 18th century, but the community numbered only about 50 in 2012 and comprised mostly American retirees, according to the Nicaraguan Israelite Congregation. That year, Kulanu helped facilitate the conversions of 14 people, most of whom claimed ancestry to Jewish men who had married non-Jewish Nicaraguan women. Another 14 converted in 2015, but the recent group is the largest to date.

Though the Nicaraguans converted together, they follow two different leaders, said Bonita Sussman, vice president of Kulanu.

The majority, including Centeno, are inspired by chasidism and follow a local leader named Akiva Simja Fernandez, who converted to Judaism in 2012 with the help of Kulanu. Fernandez follows some Jewish customs that he learned from the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, which does not have a presence in Managua but caters to Israeli tourists in the beach town of San Juan del Sur.

This woman and her young daughter were among the 114 people who converted to Judaism in Nicaragua last month.

Fernandez and many of his followers some of whom claim Jewish ancestry wear black velvet kippahs and wide-brimmed black hats, and sing and dance to chasidic music during celebrations.

A second group, which has 38 members of one extended family, heeds Moshe Omar Cohen-Henriquez, who traces his ancestry to Jews from Curacao who were forced to convert to Christianity. The group adheres to Sephardi customs and has access to a mikvah, or ritual pool, adjacent to Henriquezs home. The men wear big crocheted kippahs.

Before they decided to become Jewish, Sussman said, the converts identified with Christianity or messianism, a movement that infuses Christian belief with some elements of Jewish ritual practice.

This isnt the first mass conversion facilitated by Kulanu. Last year, the group brought rabbis to Madagascar to convert 121 people, building a Jewish community where none had existed.

Sussman noted the ways in which the members of the Nicaraguan community relate to their Judaism.

Nicaraguan men who converted to Judaism wait for their brides before a traditional Jewish wedding for the 22 couples on July 23.

These two are unique in that one is Sephardic and descendants of anousim and the other tends towards chasidic kabbalistic practice, she said. Anousim is a Hebrew term for Jews who were forced to abandon Judaism against their will.

Though the Madagascar community also follows chasidic traditions, the Nicaragua group that follows Simja is distinctive in the fact that it follows customs learned from Chabad, Sussman added. (Chabad has no official ties to the converts or Kulanu.)

Sussman sees the conversions as part of a larger phenomenon.

This is a new trend in Jewish history, she said. In the last 100 years we have seen the Holocaust, the destruction of all Jewish communities in Arab lands, and the rebuilding of a Jewish homeland. We are now entering an era of rebuilding the Jewish people.

In general, while there may be some hot spots of interest in Judaism in the Western countries, for the most part serious interest in religion is a thing of the past, she said. Today, however, the interest lies in Africa, South America, and India. As Jews, we must be part of this exciting new development.

A young Nicaraguan girl is among a growing Jewish community in Managua.

Kulanu is planning to send equipment to the Nicaraguans to perform kosher ritual slaughter. The big need is for kosher meat. Were planning to get them shechitah knives, Sussman said. They havent eaten meat, some of them for years. They eat vegetarian and fish.

The dietary restrictions didnt seem to be a problem for Centeno, who was getting ready to cook for Shabbat, when he would be hosting 70 community members.

All the community will be in my house, he said. Well do a Shabbaton. Today, Im preparing all the food.

JTA Wire Service

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114 people just converted to Judaism in Nicaragua - The Jewish Standard

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Posted By richards on August 3, 2017

Spread the word! Rav Shlomo Amar is coming for Shabbat to Congregation Shaarei Orah in Teaneck. We are incredibly excited to host one of the great chachamim of our generation and eagerly look forward to hearing his divrei Torah and words of inspiration. Rav Amar currently serves as the rav roshi of Jerusalem and is the prior Rishon LeTzion (Sephardic chief rabbi). In preparation for this exciting visit, we shall share a very important ruling issued by Rav Amar while he served as a dayan on the Israeli Supreme Rabbinical Court of Appeals beit din.

Rav Amars ruling introduces us to the debate as to whether a kohen may marry the daughter of a Jewish woman and a non-Jewish man. It deals with a specific instance in which the district beit din of Rechovot ruled strictly regarding this question, but Rav Amar, while sitting on the State of Israel Supreme Rabbinical Court of Appeals, overturned this decision and ruled leniently due to a special circumstance.

The Gemara (Yevamot 45b) presents that established Halacha regards the child of a non-Jewish man and a Jewish woman as Jewish and legitimate. No mention is made, though, of the daughters possible ineligibility to marry a kohen.

The Rishonim debate how to interpret the Gemaras silence regarding the daughters disqualification to marry a kohen. The Rambam (Hilchot Issurei Biah 15:3) permits the daughter to marry a kohen, the Rosh (Yevamot 4:30) forbids her to marry a kohen, and the Rif (Yevamot 15a) is uncertain about this matter. The Ramban (Yevamot 45a) is similarly uncertain but adds that if a kohen marries such a woman we do not require that they divorce.

The Shulchan Aruch (E.H. 4:5 and 7:17) rules that the daughter may not marry a kohen, in accordance with the view of the Rosh. However, the two premier commentaries to the Even HaEzer section of the Shulchan Aruch, the Beit Shmuel (4:2 and 7:39) and the Chelkat Mechokeik (7:26), rule in accordance with the Ramban that if the couple is already married, we do not require that they divorce.

The Acharonim debate whether the strict opinions in the machloket cited above believe that it is a biblical prohibition or a rabbinic prohibition for a kohen to marry such a woman. The Mishneh LaMelech (Hilchot Issurei Biah 17:7) and Shaar HaMelech (Hilchot Issurei Biah 15:3) believe that it is a biblical prohibition. On the other hand, the Chelkat Mechokeik (ad. loc.), Rabi Akiva Eiger (Teshuvot Rabi Akiva Eiger no. 91), the Maharshal (Teshuvot Maharshal n. 17), the Beit Meir (4:5), and the Rama MiPano (Teshuvot Rama MiPano no. 124) rule that the prohibition is rabbinic in nature. Among 20th-century authorities, Rav Moshe Feinstein (Teshuvot Igrot Moshe E.H. 1:5) rules that it is a biblical prohibition, while Rav Ovadia Yosef (Teshuvot Yabia Omer 7 E.H. 9) and Rav Shalom Messas (Teshuvot Shemesh UMagen 3 E.H. 58) rule that it is a rabbinic prohibition.

This debate carries serious ramifications, as it impacts whether one should be lenient or strict regarding the implementation of this halacha. The opinion that it is only a rabbinic prohibition fits well with the fact that we do not compel the couple to separate if already married. Since it is only a rabbinic prohibition, we do not impose the hardship of separating a couple that is already married.

One ramification of this dispute is the debate that rages between Rav Moshe Feinstein and Rav Messas as to whether a rabbi may officiate at a wedding of a kohen to a daughter of a Jewish woman and a non-Jewish man if the couple already had been married civilly and had been living together for an extended period of time. Rav Moshe (ad loc.) forbids a rabbi to conduct such a ceremony, whereas Rav Messas permits it.

This question depends on what circumstances allow the couple to remain together based on the Rambans ruling. Rav Moshes approach is based on the fact that the overwhelming consensus of rabbinic opinions regards a couple that is married in a civil ceremony as unmarried according to Halacha. Since the couple halachically is not married, Rav Moshe forbids a rabbi to conduct a ceremony that will facilitate a sinful marriage.

Rav Messas, on the other hand, believes that since only a rabbinic prohibition is involved, Halacha does not require the husband and wife to separate since it is difficult for them to do so. He understands the Rambans ruling as permitting the couple to remain together if it is difficult to separate. Rav Messas goes as far as to permit a rabbi to officiate at the wedding if the couple is already living together in sin, even if they have not married civilly. Rav Shlomo Amar rules (Teshuvot Shema Shlomo 5 E.H. 8) in accordance with Rav Messas.

In 2006, a kohen wished to marry a woman whose mother was Jewish but whose father was not Jewish. The couple had been living together (in sin) for approximately one and a half years. The district beit din of Rechovot denied the couple a marriage license, in accordance with the ruling of Rav Moshe Feinstein. Rav Amar, however, sitting on the Supreme Rabbinic Court of Appeals, overturned the ruling and permitted the couple to marry.

Rav J. David Bleich concludes (Tradition Summer 2007) that the ruling of the Court of Appeals strikes this writer as an abuse of appellate power, since it ruled simply that Rav Messas and Rav Amars rulings should be followed instead of Rav Moshes. He writes that Halacha bars exercise of purely subjective discretion in choosing one set of precedents over another as considerations for a higher authority to reverse a decision of a lower authority.

Torah Academy of Bergen County alumnus Avi Levinson defends Rav Amar. He reasons that presumably the couple in this case was Sephardic. Hence, there is no compelling reason for them to abandon the rulings of the leading contemporary Sephardic rabbis in favor of that of Rav Moshe.

What a privilege it is for Shaarei Orah to be hosting Rav Amar. If you will be in Teaneck this coming Shabbat, please join the tefillot at Shaarei Orah and enjoy listening to one of the gedolei hador! So please spread the wordShaarei Orah welcomes you!

By Rabbi Haim Jachter

Rabbi Haim Jachter is the spiritual leader of Congregation Shaarei Orah, the Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck. He also serves as a rebbe at Torah Academy of Bergen County and a dayan on the Beth Din of Elizabeth.

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Rav Shlomo Amar Visiting Shaarei Orah in Teaneck This Shabbat - Jewish Link of New Jersey

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Posted By simmons on August 3, 2017

As every working mum (or dad) will tell you, modern families lead busy lives. Parents find themselves juggling work presentations with spelling tests, interview preparation with school plays and client calls with science projects.

Just as the free market economy has created ways to ease hectic lives (I may see my Amazon delivery driver more than my own mother) and smartphones mean your weekly shop can be done on the bus to work, parents still struggle with the question of whether they are giving enough time to their children. Jewish parents, whose guilt levels always reach that extra level, often have that additional worry: Am I teaching my kids about their Jewish heritage and traditions? Yes, we are taking them to shul on the high holy days and lighting the candles at Chanukah, but is that enough?

In the UK, around two-thirds of Jewish children go to Jewish primary schools. Many communal leaders are proud of this figure, but it often means those parents who didnt have a strong Jewish educational foundation themselves struggle to understand what their children are learning. Many parents may readily admit Jewish studies homework quickly goes beyond them and cheders often have limited time and resources to inspire those children at non-Jewish schools. More importantly, being Jewish is not just about learning things in a classroom.

If Judaism is to be passed on successfully to the next generation, there needs to be a deep-rooted love and respect for our heritage and traditions, coupled with an understanding of why we bother doing these often strange or amusing rituals.

There seems to be two ways to achieve this. First by inspiring families outside the home at communal events, such as inviting children to eat inside JW3s succah or packaging toys at a local Mitzvah Day project.

The other option is to inspire them in the home. In our digital world, where screen time is often a reward for both parents and children, families still protect the 10-minute bedtime story slot. Currently, more than 4,000 children and their parents in the UK invite PJ Library into their homes each month to provide Jewish books for children aged eight and under. These stories enable families to learn about Jewish values and festivals together, in the comfort of their homes. A recent survey of more than 650 Jewish families in the UK showed 93 percent of parents felt the programme had supported their families in having conversations about Jewish life and 86 percent said PJ Library had been a valuable parenting tool.

Bedtime stories are a precious moment that parents still try to deliver in person even if the rest of the day has had to be outsourced to nursery, schools and playgroups.

It may lead to near-insanity when the same book is demanded for the fifth night (or week) in a row, but it also means a repeated story has created a precious memory for both child and parent.

By reading Jewish bedtime stories such as Shais Shabbat Walk or Bagels from Benny, we can introduce and foster a love for Jewish values when children are at their most receptive, help parents to feel a little more confident in their own Jewish knowledge and put those 10 minutes to good use.

Efficient Jewish parenting at its finest.

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Bagels from Benny and the joy of learning to be Jewish - Jewish News (blog)

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Posted By admin on August 3, 2017

2 August 2017, 14:13

James O'Brien: This Is Why Holocaust Denial Is On The Rise

00:01:15

A leading campaigner has warned Holocaust denial could rise in the next 20 years, and James OBrien has a theory why this is worryingly true.

Sir Peter Bazalgette, chair of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation, believes Holocaust denial may well grow rather than diminish over the next two decades.

Its a concern James himself has raised and today during his LBC show the penny dropped as to why Holocaust denial is next in a post-truth era.

What you have is the desire to other a population, James said.

On this occasion as Britain and America are at the moment its Muslims and the desire is to portray them all as terrorists or paedophiles or members of grooming gangs.

He continued: They want to do the most textbook sort of style of othering, treat people differently, restrict their laws according to their ethnicity or background.

For example you cant come into this country if you were born into a certain background. You cant access this service if you were born somewhere else.

That kind of politics, and what they cant do is admit that leads to the Holocaust.

So if youre buying into the idea of othering Muslims or Irish people from the NHS or having having some kind of colour bar If you subscribe to that set then you have to deny the Holocaust.

Watch James full analysis in the video at the top of this page.

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James O'Brien's Worrying Theory On The Rise Of Holocaust Denial - LBC

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Posted By richards on August 3, 2017

The titular schlubby hero of Menashe might, with a few tweaks, be a perfect fit for the lead of a Judd Apatow comedy about a wayward man-child. He works a fairly menial job at a supermarket stocking shelves, but still manages to be bad at it; hes well-liked by his co-workers, but irritating to his boss and his family, all of whom wish hed stop cracking jokes and iron his shirts once in a while. Though Menashe (played by Menashe Lustig) is quite a relatable neer-do-well, his story is set in Hasidic Jewish Brooklyn, one of Americas most insular communities.

Joshua Z. Weinsteins debut fiction film (he has directed several documentaries) is heavily indebted to the classic neorealism of the 60s but is delivered entirely in Yiddish. Its a quiet, poignantly told tale of a man whos not exactly an outcast, yet who struggles to fit into a very ordered society. At times sweet, but never patronizing, Menashe examines a world that might seem foreign or oppressive even to other Brooklynites who live alongside the Hasidimwithout ever turning its inhabitants into either caricatures or figures of fun.

Oy Vey: Yiddish Has a Problem

Weinstein has accomplished that by rooting his story (co-written with Alex Lipschultz and Musa Syeed) squarely in reality. Menashes story is based on the real-life struggles of Lustig, a Hasidic actor who has long clashed with some of the more conservative elements of his community. Like Lustig, Menashe is a widower with a young son hes not allowed to live with, since Hasidic tradition forbids a man without a wife from raising a child. The simple solution is to remarry, but Menashe refuses to, finding excuses to object to everyone the community tries to set him up with.

Menashe is not about a bitter custody battle, or even a principled stand taken against an unfair society. Menashes love for his son Rieven (played by Ruben Niborski, the only non-Hasidic actor in the film) is not in doubt, although theres a childish clumsiness to their times together. Menashe, critiqued by his strict and disapproving brother-in-law Eizik (Yoel Weisshaus) as a schlimazel, is certainly a sloppy caregiver, feeding his son potato chips and soda for breakfast, and unsure of how to win his affection other than by buying him presents or taking him out for ice cream.

Even as Rieven is embarrassed by his dad, the two clearly share a deep bond. If theres any religious conflict between Menashe and his late wifes pious brother, its over the godliness of raising a child without a mother, and Menashes willingness to defy the instructions of his rabbi (Meyer Schwartz). The movie never develops into a Kramer vs. Kramer-style drama in its 82-minute running time: This is still a society where Talmudic law is absolute, and theres little chance of bending it to accommodate Menashes unorthodox wishes.

The films most telling scene is one of the abortive dates Menashe goes on with a woman in a similar situation to himwidowed, with children, looking to make a new home. His potential partner grows quickly frustrated with Menashes unwillingness to join a marriage of convenience and with his inability to articulate the reasons for his stubbornness. She goes on to critique the men of her community as perpetually locked in childhood, cared for first by their mothers and then their wives.

Its the one truly critical look at the rigid structure of Hasidic life that Weinstein allows the film, and its rightly offered by a woman, the most marginalized figure in Menashes world. His date is the only woman with a major role in the movie, but the biggest female presence is Menashes late wife, whose connection with her husband was obviously strong enough to linger after she died; that, to the people around him, is the most puzzling mystery.

But Menashe is wise not to be preachy, or to make sweeping judgments about Hasidic life. Weinsteins workmanlike camera style allows him to act as a bystander who has gotten closer to a world thats still sealed-off (the director struggled to convince Hasidic actors to participate in the project). In grounding the story in a particular personality, and the familiar connection between a father and son, Weinstein has created a subtly powerful work of human drama, driven by the charismatic, if frustrating, man at its center. Menashe bodes well for Weinsteins future as a storyteller; it succeeds at taking older cinematic traditions of everyday storytelling and using them to help illuminate a world most viewers know little about.

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Menashe Is a Moving Drama of Hasidic Life - The Atlantic

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Posted By simmons on August 3, 2017

Q: You once told a sad and poignant story about a goat whose magnificent horns were given away, piece by piece. I think you attributed it to a particular Hasidic rabbi. Would you please remind me where that story comes from, perhaps point me to a source? S from Melville, N.Y.

A: I often say about different stories, "This is my favorite story." How can that be true? Well, it is true that the story I am telling is my favorite story that day. So the story of the sacred goat is my favorite story today. It is a story recorded by the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber in his edited compilation, "Tales of the Hasidim." It is attributed to Rabbi Menahem Mendel of Kotsk (1787-1859), who was called "the Kotsker Rebbe."

Hasidism is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that emphasized joyous worship over scholarly rigor. Hasidism is itself divided around the teachings of various charismatic rabbis,affectionatelycalled "Rebbes." The followers of a Rebbe are his "Hasidim."

Of all the early Hasidic Rebbes, the Kotsker was the most troubled. He spent the last 20 years of his life in seclusion, seeing only a few Hasidim. One of his visitors was Rabbi Yitzhak of Vorki, who said upon entering his room, "Peace be with you, Rebbe." The Kotsker angrily said, "Why do you say Rebbe to me? I'm the goat! I'm the sacred goat." Then he told this story:

"An old Jew once lost his snuffbox made of horn on his way to the House of Study. He wailed: 'Just as if the dreadful exile weren't enough, this must happen to me! Oh me, oh my, I've lost my snuffbox made of horn!' And then he came upon the sacred goat. The sacred goat was pacing the Earth, and the tips of his black horns touched the stars. When he heard the old Jew lamenting, he leaned down to him, and said, 'Cut a piece from my horns, whatever you need to make a new snuffbox.' The old Jew did this, made a new snuffbox and filled it with tobacco. Then he went to the House of Study and offered everyone a pinch. They snuffed and snuffed, and everyone who snuffed it cried: 'Oh, what wonderful tobacco! It must be because of the box. Oh, what a wonderful box! Wherever did you get it?' So the old man told them about the good sacred goat. And then one after another they went out into the forest and looked for the sacred goat. The sacred goat was pacing the Earth and the tips of his black horns touched the stars. One after another the people went up to him and begged permission to cut off a bit of his horns. Time after time the sacred goat leaned down to grant the request. Box after box was made and filled with tobacco. The fame of the boxes spread far and wide. At every step he took, the sacred goat met someone who asked for a piece of his horns. Now the sacred goat still paces the Earth but he has no horns."

Now, I normally do not interpret the stories I tell. Telling them is enough for me. After all, there are many meanings in every great story, and the Kotsker Rebbe's story of the sacred goat is an exceedingly great story. It raises the question in the minds and hearts of all teachers and parents, all healers and caregivers everyone who willingly cuts off their horns to give to others is my sacrifice worth it?

The goat was undeniably giving and gracious, but it gave away its sacred horns to make snuff boxes! What a waste of good horns. On the other hand, we worship a God who gives us salvation even though we neither deserve nor appreciate it sufficiently. There is a wonderful children's book by Shel Silverstein, "The Giving Tree," that bears a striking resemblance to the story of the sacred goat. It is about a tree that allows herself to be cut down to a stump because of the incessant demands of an ungrateful boy. Is this the act of a loving parent or is this the foolish confusion of self-sacrifice with self-destruction? My view of the goat and the tree is that they are noble gifts of one's substance to help others. Remember, the goat is still called the sacred goat even after its horns have been cut off.

When I see the sacrifices parents and grandparents and siblings and caregivers and healers and clergy and physicians and teachers make every day, I am overwhelmed by the number of sacred goats who still pace the Earth. We are all here because we have been given pieces of sacred horns that remind us always to reach for the heavens and to freely give what we have been given.

Send all questions and comments to the God Squad via email at godsquadquestion@aol.com.

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Thankfully, sacred goats still pace Earth in droves - Plattsburgh Press Republican

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Posted By simmons on August 3, 2017

Jewish liturgy is the expression of the hopes, fears, joys and sorrows of the Jewish people, and the Aleinu, the best-known concluding prayer, is a very good example.

Composed when the Temple still stood in Jerusalem, and originally recited only on the High Holy Days, it became part of the daily liturgy after the blood libel massacre of the Jews of Blois, France, in 1171.

From that date, and following repeated expulsions and massacres, the Ashkenazim began to understand the phrase for they bow down to vanity and emptiness as referring to their Christian neighbours.

Further the word emptiness was identified with Jesus, since in Hebrew the word emptiness and Jesus name have the same (gematria) numerical value. At those words, the praying Jew would spit on the ground.

It was not until the decree of Frederick I, Emperor of Prussia, that this offending phrase was removed from Ashkenazi prayer books in 1703. It only returned recently.

With the establishment of the state of Israel, some modern Ashkenazi rites have reintroduced the phrase.

Indeed it was cited in defence of those who attempted to burn down the Christian pilgrim site, the Church of the Loaves and the Fishes in the Galilee.

Liberal Judaism has been a champion of interfaith dialogue and affirms the value of living in a multi-faith community amid diverse people. In modern Liberal liturgy, the Jewish people are perceived to have a role, but not a superior one.

Thus the Jewish people are called to guard the Land or teach Torah, but as far as Liberal Judaism is concerned, it does so as part of Gods plan for a diverse humanity all of whom have an integral and important role to play.

Danny Rich is senior rabbi of Liberal Judaism

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The Bible Says What? Is Aleinu an anti-Christian prayer? - Jewish News

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Posted By simmons on August 3, 2017

While the commemoration ran from Monday evening to Tuesday evening, it's not too late to tie Tisha BAv (literally, the ninth day of the Hebrew calendars month of Av) to the current state of affairs. You might want to refer to this handy Religion News Service Splainer."

I'm not qualified to speak definitively about just how the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif dispute breaks down along religious, nationalistic and political lines among ordinary Palestinians and other Muslims that support them -- as opposed to the statements of Palestinian leaders who always stress religious claims in rallying global Muslim support.

Suffice it to say that traditional Islam, far more than do contemporary Christianity or rabbinic Judaism (rabbinic, meaning post-Temple), makes little differentiation between the religious and political realms, and that for many Muslims living under undemocratic governments religion is the only outlet for political expression on any level.

However, I do know enough about the Jewish side to suggest that reporters consider the following.

For doctrinally non-Orthodox Jews who remain religiously connected to their heritage -- I'm referring to members of Judaisms Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist synagogues, most of which are in North America -- the Temple Mount is, doctrinally speaking, not so much a religious issues as it is a political one.

What do I mean? Why might theologically liberal American Jews say the Temple Mount isn't really an important religious issue for them?

Because while Orthodox Jews continue to pray daily for construction of a third temple on the mount -- not to mention restoration of the animal sacrifices that once occurred there -- the liberal movements have largely removed such language from their prayers and, hence, their thinking. (A tip of the hat to Rabbi Philip Pohl of Annapolis, Maryland, for pointing this out to me, though any errors here are wholly mine.)

When I say the Temple Mount is not a religious hot button for liberal Jews, I do not mean that control of the site is also of no importance to them. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict still resonates deeply for the majority of American Jews, even if they're secular, and despite repeated surveys showing that support for Israeli government policies is continually dropping among liberal Jews. (The liberal Jewish denominations account for all but about 10 percent of all synagogue-aligned American Jews.)

For these Jews, it's about Jewish pride and tribal history, and perhaps most importantly, the memory of the Holocaust and the psychological safe space from anti-Semitic forces that Zionism promised, though that's certainly not how it's played out so far.

Religion-beat scribes: If you interview liberal synagogue-affiliated Jews on the Temple Mounts significance to them, be sure to ask specifically whether the issue is political or nationalistic or simply religious for them. Remind them what their denominations say about this. I bet many won't be clear on it

This latest flare up over new Israeli security arrangements for the Jerusalem site ended in what appeared to most observers as a political defeat for Israel and, in particular, the current Israeli prime minister, Benyamin Netanyahu.

The Israeli press was highly critical of the Netanyahu government's actions, and so was the general Israeli population, one TV poll found.

Palestinians and the Arab and Muslim worlds considered Netanyahus removal of all the newly installed security technology a great victory.

But as I said, it's all another temporary state affairs, to be upended the next time violence intrudes on the site -- as it almost surely will the next time Palestinian leadership senses the Israeli government is seeking to assert any new authority over what is considered Islams third holiest site, even if it's a defensive move, as was the one that set off this latest uproar.

This Wall Street Journal analysis lays out why creating upheaval on and around the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif seems to work for the Palestinians. The writer often takes hardline right-wing positions on the conflict that I do not agree with, but I think hes nailed the main points in this piece.

Stay tuned for the next turn of this exasperating screw.

FIRST IMAGE: Artistic rendering of Herod's Temple.

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Temple Mount wrap up: Where religion, nationalism and politics keep colliding - GetReligion (blog)

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