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Talmud – Jewish Virtual Library

Posted By on August 1, 2022

TALMUD (Heb. ). The word "Talmud" means primarily "study" or "learning" and is employed in various senses. One refers to the opinions and teachings which disciples acquire from their predecessors in order to expound and explain them (Seder Tanna'im ve-Amora'im; cf. Rashi to Suk. 28b; BM 32ab, et al.). Another sense comprises the whole body of one's learning; e.g., "He from whom one has acquired the greater part of his Talmud is to be regarded as one's teacher" (BM 33a). A third meaning is in the technical phrase talmud lomar, which is used to indicate a teaching derived from the exegesis of a biblical text. A fourth meaning is the analytical aspect of the commandment of Torah study (cf. Maim., Yad, The Laws of Torah Study 1:11). The word "Talmud" is most commonly used, however, to denote the bodies of teaching consisting largely of the traditions and discussions of the amoraim organized around the text of the *Mishnah of R. *Judah ha-Nasi (see *Talmud, Babylonian, and *Talmud, Jerusalem).

In popular parlance two other phrases are used as alternative names for the Talmud. The first is *Shas, an abbreviation consisting of the initial letters of Shishah Sidrei (Mishnah), i.e., the "Six Orders" (of the Mishnah) which serve as the literary foundation for the talmudim. The second is *Gemara (for a full discussion see Albeck, Mevo ha-Talmud (1969), ch. 1).

Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. 2008 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.

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Talmud - Jewish Virtual Library

Lufthansa will create a position to fight antisemitism after kicking more than 100 Hasidic passengers off a flight – JTA News – Jewish Telegraphic…

Posted By on July 31, 2022

(JTA) The Lufthansa airline is creating a senior management role dedicated to preventing discrimination and antisemitism two months after it barred a large group of Orthodox Jewish passengers from boarding a flight.

However, an independent investigation commissioned by the airline said there was no evidence of institutional antisemitism behind the incident, which the companys CEO deemed categorically inappropriate.

In a letter to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Lufthansa Airlines CEO Jens Ritter said the airline had established an internal task force to investigate the May 4 incident in which more than 100 Hasidic passengers were kicked off a connecting flight from New York to Budapest because some of them had not worn masks and committed other flight violations, such as gathering in the aisles.

The incident had outraged Jews in the United States and Europe, some of whom alleged that the crew had been discriminating against all visible Jewish passengers, even those who had complied with the rules. The Conference of Presidents was one of several Jewish groups to criticize Lufthansa in the aftermath and demand a full accounting of the incident.

Most of the passengers were traveling to a pilgrimage and did not know each other; a Lufthansa supervisor was caught on video remarking, Everyone has to pay for a couple, and, Its Jews coming from JFK. Jewish people who were the mess, who made the problems.

The incident also attracted the attention of Deborah Lipstadt, the U.S. State Departments special envoy for antisemitism, who said this week that she would be meeting with the head of the worldwide Lufthansa Group, as well as the head of the airline in North America,to discuss allegations of antisemitism against the airline.

Its hard to believe but often its ignorance rooted in certain perceptions, and ignorance that stems from an antisemitic nature, she said during a webinar hosted by the Anti-Defamation League, speculating as to the Lufthansa crews motives for kicking off all Hasidic passengers.

In the Lufthansa letter, dated July 22 and first obtained by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the airlines task force acknowledged that some of its crew members had been insensitive and unprofessional in dealing with the passengers. But the report concluded, The thorough investigation did not reveal any sentiments of antisemitism, prejudice or premeditated behavior by Lufthansa representatives.

Ritter also blamed an unfortunate chain of inaccurate communication, misinterpretation and unintended misjudgments on the final result, while pointing out that the several Orthodox Jewish passengers who were not complying with regulations had created a tenuous situation and prompted several announcements from the captain.

The CEO promised that the German airline would take further action, including establishing a senior management role for the prevention of discrimination and antisemitism, creating new staff training around issues of antisemitism and adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances definition of antisemitism.

It had also run the reports methodology by Felix Klein, Germanys top commissioner on antisemitism. The connecting flight in May was in Frankfurt, Germany.

Lufthansa deeply regrets the denied boarding and the impact it had on our passengers, Ritter said.

The airline had previously apologized to the passengers for failing to limit its denial of boarding to non-compliant guests.

On Wednesday, Lufthansa cancelled nearly all flights leaving Frankfurt and Munich, stranding 130,000 people, after thousands of employees staged a walkout for better wages.

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Lufthansa will create a position to fight antisemitism after kicking more than 100 Hasidic passengers off a flight - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic...

What sort of Yiddish did Jews in Hungary speak? – Forward

Posted By on July 31, 2022

Uriel Weinreich, "Western Traits in Transcarpathian Yiddish," 1964 Image by the Language and Culture Archive of Ashkenazic Jewry

By Leyzer BurkoJuly 26, 2022

This article originally appeared in Yiddish here.

When you hear Yiddish on the streets of Brooklyn these days, the likelihood is its Hungarian Yiddish. Even Galician, Polish, and Lithuanian Hasidim use the Hungarian dialect today. One reason could be that the Hungarian-descended Satmar Hasidim have been more successful at maintaining Yiddish as its daily vernacular. Most Hungarian-Hasidic women, for example, speak Yiddish among themselves, while women from other Hasidic groups tend to speak English.

But calling these Hasidim Hungarian doesnt mean that they immigrated from present-day Hungary, a relatively small country (although its four times the size of Israel). The Jewish geography of Hungary is the once vast Hungarian kingdom that existed before World War I, which included large expanses of todays Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, Croatia and Austria. In this respect, when speaking of the pre-World War I Jewish community in Hungary, you can compare it with Jewish Lithuania, which is exponentially larger than the contemporary State of Lithuania, and also includes Belarus, large parts of Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, and Poland. Jewish Lithuania covers mostly the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the Middle Ages, one of the largest nations in European history.

When the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed and new nations emerged from former Hungarian territories, many ethnic Hungarians remained on the other side of the new borders, while Jews in the territory of modern Romania, Ukraine, and Slovakia continued living in a culturally Hungarian environment, which includes the historical centers of Hungarian Hasidism: Satmar and Klausenburg are both cities in present-day Romania (Satu Mare and Cluj-Napoca, respectively); Munkacs (Mukachevko) is in Ukraine; and Nyitra (Nitra) is in Slovakia.

There is a historical irony in the fact that Hungarian Hasidim speak more Yiddish today than other groups: in the old country, Hungarian Jews more often spoke Hungarian than Yiddish, and in western Hungary some even spoke German, or a mix of German and Yiddish. Among the generation of Hungarian-Jewish immigrants that arrived in the United States after World War II, and helped established the current Hasidic dynasties, many spoke Yiddish with a strong Hungarian accent. On the streets of Williamsburg many Jews of the older generation continued to speak Hungarian.

So what kind of Yiddish did the Hungarian Jews speak in the old country? Samples of this can be heard in a handful of old recordings, as in the interviews conducted by the Language and Culture Atlas of Ashkenazic Jewry at Columbia University. Linguist Uriel Weinreich, who devised the Atlas project, and his assistants, interviewed many native-informant speakers of Hungarian Yiddish in the 1960s. He was particularly interested in Hungarian Yiddish because until that time linguists had spent very little time studying it since the Yiddish language, culture, and literature played a smaller role in Hungary than in Galicia, Poland and Russia.

Thanks to Weinreichs interviews we can reconstruct a relatively precise picture of Hungarian Yiddish before the War. The old Hungarian territories were separated into two primary Jewish cultural settlements: Upper Hungary (Oberland) in the west and the Underland (Unterland) in the east. The two regions were sharply divided in terms of language, culture, and religion. The Underlanders for the most part only spoke Yiddish and were mostly Hasidim. The Orthodox Jewish Oberlanders were, for the most part, anti-Hasidic they were known as Ashkenazim and they spoke a different dialect, a kind of Western-Yiddish that is now extinct. The vast majority of Hungarian Jews were Reform or completely assimilated, who spoke Hungarian or German.

Nonetheless, there is no set border between Upper Hungary and the Underland. Hasidim and Ashkenazim lived in the same shtetls, and in a larger settlement people spoke a mixed dialect, neither upper nor lower. Weinreich came to the conclusion that in previous times the Underlanders had spoken Western Yiddish like the Oberlanders, but that dialect was diluted by the large masses of Galician Jews who migrated from the north during the nineteenth century.

For many places in Upper Hungary, Weinreich was unable to find any Yiddish language-informants because the language in those places was already extinct. From the Slovakian capital Bratislava (Pressburg), home to a famous yeshiva founded by the Chasam Sofer, Weinreich had to make do with one Jew who could recall only select Yiddish words and sayings in Yiddish from earlier generations. Before World War II the Bratislavan Jews were already speaking mostly German. This was also the case in the Burgenland, which belongs to Austria today: the language informants could dimly recall how their grandparents spoke, but they themselves spoke only German.

Weinreich found a group of reliable native informants from smaller shtetls in the Oberland, where Yiddish was still spoken. Nonetheless, the influence of German and Hungarian on their speech was recognizable: for certain terms they had already forgotten the Yiddish words and used a German or Hungarian word instead. It turns out that the Oberland dialect had already begun to disappear even before the war began. In their dialect, you could hear a simplification of the grammatical system, so that instead of the different definite articles signifying masculine, feminine, or neutral grammatical genders (der, di, and dos, respectively), these speakers usually only said de, similar to contemporary Hasidic Yiddish. Its possible that this particular detail of contemporary Hasidic Yiddish derived from the Oberlanders, who in part became Hasidim only after they came to the United States. But this isnt certain, because the Oberlanders didnt have a significant influence on the development of Hasidic Yiddish.

Even among the Underland native-informants, certain speakers were more fluent in Hungarian than Yiddish, and their grammar was uncertain. Such uncertainty was probably very widespread among Hasidim, whose first language was Hungarian, and perhaps this alone explains the contemporary universality of the article de. There might be several reasons for this phenomenon, and no doubt the fact that English only uses one article the gender-neutral article the plays a role as well.

Although the Hungarian Hasidim are the predominant Yiddish speakers in the world today, this hasnt resulted in an influx of Hungarian words into the language. In fact, they use very few words from Hungarian, but do use many German words. This is probably because enough Hasidim from German-speaking areas, particularly from Galicia, migrated to Hungary with a Germanic vocabulary, but without any knowledge of Hungarian.

Whats clear is that Hasidic Yiddish developed from various European dialects, not only from Hungarian Yiddish. You could say its a child with many fathers!

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What sort of Yiddish did Jews in Hungary speak? - Forward

What the Polio Case in New York Tells Us About the End of Polio – Kaiser Health News

Posted By on July 31, 2022

Arthur Allen

No one studying polio knew more than Albert Sabin, the Polish-American scientist whose vaccine against the crippling disease has been used worldwide since 1959. Sabins oral vaccine provides lifelong immunity. It has one drawback, which Sabin, who died in 1993, fiercely disputed: In rare cases, the weakened live poliovirus in the vaccine can mutate, regain virulence, and cause polio.

Those rare mutations one of which appears to have paralyzed a young man in Rockland County, New York, who belongs to a vaccine-resistant Hasidic Jewish community, officials there reported July 21 have taken center stage in the global campaign to eradicate polio, the largest international public health effort in history.

When the World Health Organization-led campaign started in 1988, its goal was to rid the world of polio by 2000.

By 2015, polio was nearly eradicated everywhere but Pakistan and Afghanistan. But by 2020, cases had been reported in 34 countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Although the numbers have declined in the past 18 months, a few cases have cropped up in Ukraine and Israel, poliovirus was detected in sewage in London last month, and now theres the case north of New York City, the first U.S. case since 1993.

But the nature of the polio threat has shifted. Natural or wild polio circulates in only a few war-torn areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, where gunmen have killed scores of polio vaccinators.

Nearly all the worlds other cases, paradoxically, derive from mutations in the weakened virus that constitutes the vaccine. Sabin designed the vaccine virus to infect peoples intestines without making them sick, but in rare cases the vaccine virus mutates into a dangerous form while passing through the vaccinated persons gut.

In these instances, it goes in like a lamb but comes out like a lion, capable of paralyzing unprotected people who ingest the virus as a result of imperfect hygiene, after contact with things like diapers or bath towels that contain traces of an infected persons feces.

Poliovirus has three types. Type 2, the version that causes nearly all vaccine-associated polio cases, paralyzes as few as 1 in 1,000 people it infects. Others might not get sick at all or have typical viral symptoms like a runny nose or diarrhea.

Rockland County officials say their polio case may have been infected in the United States, but the virus must have originated from a country where the oral polio vaccine is still given generally in Asia or Africa. In the United States, since 2000 doctors have administered a different vaccine, a shot, invented by Dr. Jonas Salk in 1955, that contains killed, or inactivated, polio viruses.

Given how rarely a polio infection results in paralysis, the Rockland County case suggests other people in the community may be carrying the virus. How many is under investigation, said county health department spokesperson Beth Cefalu. Scientists have detected poliovirus in county wastewater but have no idea how many others are infected, Cefalu said in a news release July 26.

If the patient acquired the virus in the United States, it would suggest there could be substantial transmission at least in that area, said Dr. Walter Orenstein, an Emory University professor who headed the U.S. vaccination program from 1988 to 2004. That puts the pressure on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to figure out the best way to stop any chains of infection, he said.

As of July 22, county health officials had set up inactivated polio vaccine clinics and sent 3,000 letters to parents of children in the county whose routine vaccinations including for polio were not up to date.

However, while the Salk vaccine prevents paralysis, and is very effective at protecting a community from infection, in situations where polio is widely circulating a Salk-vaccinated person could still carry polio germs in their intestines and spread them to others.

Depending on the number of people infected in the community, the CDC might consider bringing in a newer live vaccine product, known as novel oral polio vaccine Type 2, or nOPV2, that is less likely to mutate into a virulent form, Orenstein said.

However, the new oral vaccine is not licensed in the United States and would require considerable bureaucratic movement to be approved under an emergency authorization, Orenstein said.

To complicate matters further, outbreaks of vaccine virus-derived polio increased, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, after global health leaders declared that Type 2 poliovirus had been eradicated in the wild and they removed that virus type from the vaccine. Unfortunately, mutant forms of Type 2 originating in the vaccine continued to circulate, and outbreaks mushroomed, Orenstein said. Although nearly 500 million doses of the new vaccine have been administered, according to Dr. Ananda Bandyopadhyay, a polio program leader at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, some areas with circulating mutant viruses havent started using the new vaccine yet.

The chances of a major outbreak tied to the Rockland County case are slim. The virus can spread widely only where there is low vaccine coverage and poor surveillance of polio cases, said Dr. David Heymann, a professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and former director of the worlds polio eradication effort.

Rockland County has ample experience battling vaccine-preventable outbreaks. In 2018 and 2019, the county fought a measles epidemic of 312 cases among followers of anti-vaccine Hasidic rabbis.

Our people defeated measles, and Im sure well eliminate the latest health concern as well, County Executive Ed Daly told a news conference July 21.

Scientists think polio can be eradicated from the world by 2026, said Bandyopadhyay, but at a price of $4.8 billion and much of that sum remains to be raised from donor countries and charities.

The U.S. polio case offers an unsubtle reminder, he said, that polio is potentially a plane ride away as long as the virus still exists in some corner of the world.

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

This story can be republished for free (details).

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What the Polio Case in New York Tells Us About the End of Polio - Kaiser Health News

Three faiths converge on St Kilda synagogue – The Age

Posted By on July 31, 2022

In 2016, I travelled to Parliament House from Melbourne at the invitation of Canberras small Jewish community, stood in front of federal members from across the political spectrum and told them: If my grandparents were standing here now, theyd be crying tears of joy.

StateDeputy Opposition Leader David Southwick,Imam Wadood Janud, Catholic Archbishop Peter Comensoli, Rabbi Yaakov Glasman and Opposition LeaderMatthew Guy looking at the Torah scroll at St Kilda Synagogue.Credit:Paul Topol

My speech coincided with the festival of Chanukah and culminated in a candle-lighting ceremony symbolising the triumph of light over darkness. For my grandparents, darkness carried a uniquely disturbing meaning. All four of them were born in Poland and experienced the horror and inhumanity perpetrated by the Nazis during the Holocaust. They suffered their parents and siblings were brutally murdered, rendering them orphans and the lone survivors of their families.

My grandparents saw their own government transform its military into a killing machine and annihilate two-thirds of European Jewry, inflicting unbridled hatred and cruelty on Jews, Jehovahs Witnesses, gays, gypsies, people with disabilities, and others who were not part of the Aryan race.

Yet 70 years later, their grandson stood and spoke proudly as a Jew in the corridors of power of this incredible country a country which took in four people whose sole desire was to move as far away as possible from the carnage that robbed them of their childhood. They worked tirelessly to contribute to Australian society and to raise their families in the safety and security which successive Australian governments provided.

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It was my grandparents story and my studies of the Holocaust and other genocides that inspired me to actively build bridges with other faiths. History illustrates that one of the primary causes of hatred is ignorance. Without developing relationships with those we consider to be different, our perceptions of those people are too easily defined by stereotypes born out of prejudice. The more we engage with people who are different from us, the more we realise how un-different those people really are.

Last month, this truth was laid bare for me when I drove to the Ahmadiyya Muslim community mosque in Langwarrin. It had been disgracefully desecrated only a few days earlier. I met with their Imam, Wadood Janud, whose beautiful words filled this column last Sunday. I listened to his story and shared with him some of mine. I invited him to visit my synagogue in reciprocity, an invitation he graciously accepted.

We came full circle last week when the Imam and Catholic Archbishop Peter Comensoli converged in our iconic synagogue in St Kilda.

We representatives of the three Abrahamic faiths Judaism, Christianity and Islam talked faith, community and politics and thoroughly enjoyed each others company. We quickly realised just how much we all have in common.

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Three faiths converge on St Kilda synagogue - The Age

How this Tunisian Island brings Muslims and Jews Together – Informed Comment

Posted By on July 31, 2022

By Imen Boudali | Raseef22 |

This article by Imen Boudali was first published by Raseef22, and is being republished as part of a content-sharing partnership with Global Voices.

( Globalvoices.org ) In May of each year, Tunisia hosts a unique and extraordinary event. The north African country, home to the oldest synagogue in Africa, celebrates and revives its Jewish roots through the pilgrimage of La Ghriba, an event bringing together different religions on the tranquil island of Djerba.

Home to Africas oldest synagogue, Djerba celebrates its Jewish roots annually

As soon as the ferry approaches the coast, Djerba welcomes you with serenity. This island, the historical home of Tunisians of all three major monotheistic faiths and the site of an annual Jewish pilgrimage, is often called the island of dreams. It gives visitors a sense of belonging and embraces them like no other place. Palm trees as far as the eye can see, all along the occasionally rudimentary roads, you quickly start seeing Djerbas signature houses or houche, the islands small, colourful shops, men in grey jebbas, women in beskris, malhfas (traditional outfits worn only by women of that island) and dhallalas (traditional straw hats) everywhere.

La Ghriba is an event bringing together different religions on the tranquil island of Djerba. Image by Imen Boudali, used with permission.

This scenery is complemented by the smell of the beautiful blue sea, the fishermen and their boats scattered here and there, the vendors of jasmine flower bouquets, the groups of old men playing checkers and the women driving motorbikes. In essence, when you are here, you absorb colours, hues, and shapes, sometimes basic and minimalist, but never dull or wearisome.

But it is not only the heavenly coasts or the incomparable sunsets that make this place unique and beautiful; its the people, and, for this, Djerba is not only adored by Tunisians, but by countless visitors from all over the world.

Djerbas inhabitants have succeeded over the course of the islands history in maintaining a peaceful coexistence between its Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities that has become exceedingly rare, not just in the Arab region, but also around the world.

Before the creation of Israel in 1948, Tunisia was home to more than 100,000 Jews, but, as years passed, and with the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, many left. However, the country is home to one of the MENA regions largest Jewish communities with 2,000 Jews, including 1,200 living in Djerba.

To this day, and despite their not very large number, Jewish Tunisians continue to hold an important place in Djerbian society and are, like their non-Jewish neighbors, active in the islands tourism industry.

Djerba is home to one Jewish school (yeshiva), which offers both secular and religious education for five- and six-year-olds as well as teenagers aged 14 years old. Going through the classrooms, one hears students discussing Torah verses, switching between Tunisian Arabic and the biblical Hebrew of the texts. In another of the islands schools, Souani Primary School, Muslim and Jewish students study together in the same classrooms, sharing in secular academic pursuit and anchoring the future of their society in principles of inter-religious harmony.

Djerbas Jewish legacy, as well as the legacy of Tunisias religious diversity, is on full display each year during the Ghriba pilgrimage. This annual rendezvous took place this year from May 14 to 22 with various events, including visiting the synagogue, giving alms and doing charity, prayers, and other local traditions.

Non-Jewish Tunisians frequently participate in some of the synagogues traditions. For instance, many local women and visitors bring eggs marked with the names of young girls of their families, and leave them in a particular spot at the synagogue. Once the pilgrimage is over, the eggs are taken back to the young girls who then eat them in the hope of boosting their marriage prospects.

As you walk towards the synagogue, the security presence is certainly noteworthy. Hundreds of police, special forces and armored vehicles are stationed along the street and around the place of worship to ensure the smooth running of the festivities. Before entering the premises, visitors go through a scanner, and their belongings are thoroughly searched.

When you pass the security apparatus, hundreds of Tunisian flags and the characteristic blue and white of the buildings welcome you.

Music plays in the background. Everyone feels the atmosphere of festivity. Young and old, you can see that everyone dresses in their finest clothing. Under the sun of an April afternoon, groups of visitors flock in festive clothing, quickening their steps to find a seat in the Oukala (a sort of very traditional and cheap hotel in popular Tunisian neighbourhoods) where a music party is organized.

My mom bought new clothes so I can wear them today. Now I am waiting for my friends to come so we can play together. I am very excited!, said Ishmail, 8, smiling wholeheartedly alongside his parents and other family members.

Other attendees, more focused on the religious aspect of the event, choose to go directly to the synagogue. Despite its relatively small size, the buildings interior is astoundingly beautiful. The blue earthenware tiles, embracing the four walls up to the ceiling, are striking. The room is teeming with people.

Under the arcades and the eternal lamps, some attendees are seated to read the Torah, others are lighting candles and whispering, discreetly with eyes closed, their long-held wishes.

I came to deposit this egg in the name of my single niece, Eliana, a Franco-Tunisian septuagenarian said. I know she doesnt really believe in these stories, but since I was little, I used to come to this synagogue and see my mother and my aunts do this. Its part of our history and our identity, and Im keeping the heritage alive.

This annual pilgrimage is not only important for the local community, but for the whole country, from an economic perspective, through reviving the islands touristic sector, and politically, since it helps to forge the peaceful and multicultural identity of Tunisia. The event is prepared months in advance, with the participation of various stakeholders, including the Ministry of the Interior all to avoid any bad surprises.

In recent memory, Tunisia has experienced two tragic attacks on Djerbas Jewish community. The first was in 1985, when a soldier in charge of maintaining order opened fire inside the Ghriba Synagogue, killing five people. Then, in 2002, a 25-year-old Franco-Tunisian linked to the Al-Qaeda killed 21 people.

With these incidents in mind, the Tunisian authorities sought to make this annual event more secure. Head of Government Najla Bouden, Minister of Tourism Mohamed Moez Belhassine, Governor of Mdenine Said Ben Zayed, Chief Rabbi of Tunisia Ham Bittan, as well as several ambassadors and diplomats from countries like France, Belgium, Germany, Italy and the USA attended the launch of this years pilgrimage.

Djerba remains a melting pot of civilizations and a land of peace and tolerance for all, from which emanates a message of love and peace, said Bouden.

For his part, Tourism Minister Belhassine said that the pilgrimage of La Ghriba is an important event that kicks off the tourist and summer season and sends multiple messages to the world about peaceful coexistence and tolerance for a better and more open community.

He added that this important event, which, according to him, gathered about 3,000 visitors, 50 journalists and dignitaries from 14 nationalities, is an occasion to not only discover the multi-cultural aspect of the island, but to dive into a rich destination offering endless advantages.

As for the organizers of the pilgrimage, led by Perez Trabelsi (chairman of the Jewish Ghriba Committee and leader of the Jewish community in Djerba), they considered that this years visit was exceptional and distinct on several levels. For them, after two years of pandemic, sending a message of peace and coexistence from Tunisia for the rest of the world was crucial in these tumultuous times.

The Bridge features personal essays, commentary, and creative non-fiction that illuminate differences in perception between local and international coverage of news events, from the unique perspective of members of the Global Voices community. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the opinion of the community as a whole. All Posts

By Imen Boudali is a Tunisian journalist who has worked in Tunisia and across the MENA region, contributing in media outlets like Al-Ahram and the Arab Weekly. This article first appeared in Raseef22.

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How this Tunisian Island brings Muslims and Jews Together - Informed Comment

Religion events in the San Fernando Valley area, July 30-Aug. 6 – LA Daily News

Posted By on July 31, 2022

Here is a sampling of upcoming faith gatherings in the San Fernando Valley area.

Sherman Oaks Lutheran Church: The church holds a contemporary service at 5 p.m. Also, a traditional/blended service, 10 a.m. on Sunday. Rev. Titus Utecht is the pastor. The churchs July newsletter, the Oakleaves: bit.ly/3uf5Na0. The church is located at 14847 Dickens St. 818-789-0215. http://www.facebook.com/ShermanOaksLutheran. shermanoakslutheran.org

The Sweet Sorrows: The duo, based in County Wexford, Ireland, perform a musical fusion program of acoustic/folk/Americana songs, 6:30 p.m. An offering will be taken. First Presbyterian Church, 4963 Balboa Blvd., Encino. 818-788-1147. Email: pastorhenryk@gmail.com.

Vida Church LA: Services in Spanish at 8 and 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and in English at 11 a.m. Meeting at the Onion, 9550 Haskell Ave., North Hills. 818-949-1200. Email: info@vidachurch.org. vidachurch.org/

Hope Your Despair: The Rev. Rob Denton explains the message, based on Romans 8:28-39, and 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, at the 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services. The current sermon series is based on the book Grace Is Greater: Gods Plan to Overcome Your Past, Redeem Your Pain and Rewrite Your Story by Kyle Idlemen. West Valley Christian Church, 22450 Sherman Way, West Hills. 818-884-6480. http://www.facebook.com/westvalley.christianchurch. http://www.wvcch.org

I Am Joyful in the Joy of God: The Rev. Nancy Woods delivers the message at the 9 a.m. service, and the Rev. Maureen Hoyt delivers the message at the 10:30 a.m. service. Center for Spiritual Living Granada Hills, 17622 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills. 818-363-8136. http://www.facebook.com/csl.granadahills. Check here for this Sundays updates: conta.cc/3PsnQSx

Sunday with First Presbyterian Church of Granada Hills: The Rev. Christina Chambers delivers the message, 9 and 11 a.m. The churchs July newsletter The Spire: bit.ly/3I4DbpH. 10400 Zelzah Ave., Northridge. 818-360-1831. http://www.fpcgh.org

Set Your Sights: Pastor Timothy Jenks explains the message, based on Colossians 3:1-11, at 9:30 a.m. Sermons also available to watch on the churchs Facebook and website. Canoga Park Lutheran Church, 7357 Jordan Ave. 818-348-5714. http://www.facebook.com/canoga.park.lutheran.church; http://www.cplchurch.org

Eighth Sunday in Pentecost: Johnny Wennstrom, a lay leader in the congregation, delivers the message, 9:30 a.m. Check here for the weekly newsletter: (www.stlukelutheran.com/events-1) and also the Sunday bulletin here: bit.ly/3PHSiZb. St. Luke Lutheran Church, 5312 Comercio Way, Woodland Hills. 818-346-3070. http://www.stlukelutheran.com

This Is All There Is: The Rev. Douglas Dickson delivers the message, based on 1 John 4:7-21, at the 10 a.m. (English-language) and the Rev. Ralph Kwon delivers the message at the 11:30 a.m. (Korean-language) service. The churchs newsletter for July: bit.ly/3AhXttO. Northridge United Methodist Church, 9650 Reseda Blvd. 818-886-1555. http://www.facebook.com/northridgeumc. http://www.northridgeumc.org

Why I Love the First Principle: Todd Covert, a lay leader in the congregation, discusses the topic in relation to the other six principles that Unitarian Universalist follow, 10:30 a.m. The talk is part three of a four-part series on frequently asked questions about Unitarian Universalism. Check the website for how to watch online. Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church, 7304 Jordan Ave., Canoga Park. Voice mail, 818-887-6101. emersonuuc.org.

The Power of Good: The Rev. Stephen Rambo discusses the topic with Brad Wethern (portraying Ernest Holmes, 1887-1960, the American New Thought writer and founder of Religious Science), 10:30 a.m. Also available to watch on Facebook here: bit.ly/3zGLi92. Center for Spiritual Living Simi Valley, 1756 Erringer Road. 805-527-0870. http://www.facebook.com/cslsimi; http://www.cslsimi.org

Guarding Against Greed: The Rev. Steve Peralta discusses the topic, based on Colossians 3:1-11, at the 10:30 a.m. service. North Hollywood United Methodist Church, 4832 Tujunga Ave. 818-763-8231. Details:

I Embrace Forgiveness: Niki Elliott gives her thoughts on Unity Burbank Center for Spiritual Awarenesss July theme, 11 a.m. Unity Burbank, 637 S. Victory Blvd., Burbank. 818-841-4037. Watch the service on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/unityburbank. Details on the church and services in the Words of Light newsletter: bit.ly/3OOOGUs

Relic of St. Bernadette Soubirous Tour in Los Angeles: The Order of Malta sponsors the first United States tour of a relic from the saint who saw the image of the Virgin Mary in 1858 in Lourdes, France. Three parishes in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles host the relic, July 31-Aug. 3. Information of the tour: http://www.stbernadetteusa.org. Los Angeles parishes on the tour: lacatholics.org/relic-tour

Shabbat at Temple Judea: A service, 6:15 p.m. 5429 Lindley Ave., Tarzana. 818-758-3800. portal.templejudea.com. Details: bit.ly/3u20TvJ

Tisha BAv Shabbat at Kol Tikvah: A service, 6:30 p.m. 20400 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills. 818-348-0670. http://www.facebook.com/koltikvahtemple. Details: bit.ly/3OGohro

Tisha BAv Shabbat at Temple Ahavat Shalom: A service, 7 p.m. 18200 Rinaldi Place, Northridge. 818-360-2258. Email: info@tasnorthridge.org. http://www.facebook.com/TASnorthridge. http://www.tasnorthridge.org/calendar

Tisha BAv: Teaching and discussion by Rabbinic Intern David Mendelson, 8 p.m.; followed by a Maariv service led by Cantor David Childs (from Shomrei Torah Synagogue), at 8:20 p.m.; Havdalah service, 8:31 p.m.; reading of Eichah (Lamentations) at 8:35 p.m.; followed by songs and readings by clergy. Program will be in-person and live stream. The program is co-presented with Shomrei Torah Synagogue in West Hills. Temple Aliyah, Valley Circle Blvd., Woodland Hills. 818-346-3545. http://www.templealiyah.org. Details on the calendar page: http://www.templealiyah.org/calendar

Tisha BAv: Morning service, 9 a.m. Mincha service, 1 p.m. Services are in-person and also online at stslive.org. Shomrei Torah Synagogue, 7353 Valley Circle Blvd., West Hills. 818-854-7650. Details: bit.ly/3JfbJpJ

Send information at least two weeks ahead. holly.andres@dailynews.com. 818-713-3708.

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Religion events in the San Fernando Valley area, July 30-Aug. 6 - LA Daily News

I had sex with a rabbi. There were big red flags. – Los Angeles Times

Posted By on July 31, 2022

Im a nice Jewish girl, but I lost my religious compass during my divorce. I knew I needed to rekindle my relationship with G-d before I could spark something new with a man. After three months of secular dating, I needed a break or a Jew. I was willing to take either.

One by one, I went on my dating apps and paused them. As I was about to pause Facebook Dating, I got a match. I was skeptical. Should I even look? I did, and there he was, handsome, Jewish, divorced; he seemed to check off the boxes.

I took the bait. We had a friend in common, so the big question was: How do you know her? I met her when she accepted her last job. Im a rabbi too, he said. A rabbi! G-d was messing with me.

From the beginning, I knew things would be complicated. I had to entice him to meet in person. I drove to make it easier, and he called me a few minutes before our meeting time to say he was too tired to drive 40 minutes to see me. I had shared my location with him an hour before. I was 15 minutes away from his house. While he was canceling on me, I explained, and he quickly changed his mind.

He showed up at Urth Caff 20 minutes later. Aside from him beginning our conversation with, I wasnt wanting a divorce, the biggest red flag was hearing him say, I find you deeply troublesome. On the one hand, you check off a lot of boxes; on the other hand, I just ended something recently and Im not sure Im ready.

I took the gamble. That night, I made out with him in all the dark corners. We sat on a city bench and I let him unleash his passion on me. He was adamant about me saying the word f. He grabbed me tightly by the hair and almost demanded I say it. I didnt. It felt weird. I only use the word during sex and usually in context. I liked the kink, though, so I played along. He asked if I would drink a little too much with him. I said yes, but the answer was no. This rabbi had a bit of a dark side. However, I was sold when he said he would tie me up and have his way with me.

I left feeling elated, high on the new connection and the fantasy. If only there had been fewer red flags.

Our second date was at Riverside Food Lab. He bought me an Impossible Burger at Montys, and we shared an order of fries. We tried to go for a short walk, but it was so cold outside that we gave up immediately. I suggested we hang out at my apartment. We sat on my couch, and he held me close as our feet gently caressed each others. I had this feeling of peace inside my heart as I saw him close his eyes and enjoy the moment.

It had never been my intention to bring him home. I was trying not to rush into sex, but the weather had other plans. It wasnt long before we were wrapped in passion, and he carried my naked body into the bedroom. I cant believe I had sex with a rabbi.

On our next date, he held me while we played pinball. Again, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment; it felt sweet. We had dinner, but he forgot I was vegetarian. Then he asked me if I would ever consider eating meat, at least occasionally. I didnt order a drink, and he pressured me to order one so he wouldnt drink alone. The red flags were piling up.

After dinner, we went to his house, and I forgot about the red flags. I loved his home. It was so Jewish, from the little embroidered Shalom on the door to the art on the walls. It felt nice. We had a passionate evening, and he was a generous lover. He was a little drunk, and after we finished, he stepped outside to smoke weed. Drunk and high. Was I that troublesome?

The fourth date didnt happen. He told me he was in a bad place and needed to be alone. I accepted it and began my own break. I rekindled my relationship with G-d, and after three months, I decided to try the dating thing again. I opened my apps one by one. Every single app brought up his profile. Was G-d telling me to try again? I wasnt sure.

Despite my better judgment, I reached out. I accidentally scheduled a booty call. Maybe it was my naive, positive outlook, but I really wanted it to be more than that. And it wasnt.

I met him on a Friday night. I almost hit a peacock on my way there. He made me dinner. We had a passionate evening that extended into the early hours of the morning. I slept in his arms, and eventually, we parted ways.

Before I left, I looked out his bedroom window and noticed the bright yellow flowers in his yard. Your sunflowers are still alive, I said. I had met him in April right as they were beginning to blossom. He looked at me and said the squirrels had ruined his seed harvest. He was angry at the squirrels. I could feel it. It took all my willpower not to say, You may hate the squirrels for eating your seeds, but I bet they love you for planting those flowers.

In the end, we had very different ways of looking at the world.

He didnt say a word after I left. No texts, calls or any hint of desire to reengage. Ultimately, it was for the best that it ended. He had more healing to do. It was a short romance, a gust of wind that brought about some necessary upheaval in my life. Despite our unfortunate ending, I am grateful to have met him.

The author is a divorce and romance blogger who lives in Riverside. You can find her at jackelins4amflex.com.

L.A. Affairs chronicles the search for romantic love in all its glorious expressions in the L.A. area, and we want to hear your true story. We pay $300 for a published essay. Email LAAffairs@latimes.com. You can find submission guidelines here. You can find past columns here.

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I had sex with a rabbi. There were big red flags. - Los Angeles Times

Married Rabbis Take Over the Pulpit at Tamaracs Temple Beth Torah Shaaray Tzedek Tamarac Talk – Tamarac Talk

Posted By on July 31, 2022

Rabbis Rami Pavolotzky and Daniela Szuster {courtesy}

By Agrippina Fadel

Rabbis Rami Pavolotzky and Daniela Szuster will share a job - and bimah at Tamaracs Temple Beth Torah Shaaray Tzedek starting August 1.

Jewish theological seminaries and rabbinical associations dont have an exact record of how many married rabbis share a synagogue but say the practice is rare.

We had not even thought about a married couple, said Elise Leonard, TBTSTs rabbinical search committee co-chair. We were looking forward to finding someone to lead us into the next chapter after the retirement of Rabbi Michael Gold, who had served the temple for 32 years. We wanted to find someone younger who could reach our younger congregants.

TBTST President Alan Dubrow said the arrival of the new rabbis is a change the congregation embraces as it moves forward into the future.

Pavolotzky and Szuster are a married rabbinic couple who share one job, household, and childcare tasks, allowing them to nurture congregants and their families.

The couple met in the rabbinical school Seminario Rabbinico Latinoamericano in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and in 2002 were married in the same building where they studied and received their degrees.

It is wonderful to find someone to share your love and passion, Rabbi Szuster said.

It was natural, Rabbi Pavolotzky added. We spent so much time together. I wasnt looking for someone who was a rabbi. It just happened.

The pair later lived in Israel for two years to finish their rabbinical studies and obtain their masters degrees in Jewish Studies. They led a temple in Costa Rica before relocating to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as rabbis for its 80-family congregation Temple Beth-El where they served until July 2022.

For Szuster and Pavolotzky, sharing a pulpit is a necessity. Like many Conservative Jews, the rabbis do not drive on the Sabbath or Jewish holidays. They soon realized that the odds of securing rabbinical posts at two congregations within walking distance of one home would be close to impossible.

Temple Beth Torah Shaaray Tzedek is located at 5700 NW 94 Avenue. It has an Early Childhood Center, Hebrew School, and Youth Group.

Got News? Send it to Tamarac Talk. Dont miss reading Margate Talk, Coral Springs Talk, and Parkland Talk,

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Married Rabbis Take Over the Pulpit at Tamaracs Temple Beth Torah Shaaray Tzedek Tamarac Talk - Tamarac Talk

Rangers new boy Rabbi Matondo: The rapid winger ready to ignite World Cup dream – The Athletic

Posted By on July 31, 2022

When Rabbi Matondo sat down on the call with Ross Wilson, there was one question the Rangers sporting director had for the Wales winger.

Youre not going to reject me for a second time, are you? he asked.

It was a light-hearted jibe as in 2019, Wilson had wanted to sign Matondo for Southampton but the then-Manchester City winger opted for Bundesliga side Schalke instead.

Wilson has been a long-term admirer and he has finally got his man, now a 21-year-old starting to fulfil his potential rather than the 18-year-old whose trajectory was thought to be on the same path as Jadon Sancho and Phil Foden.

Matondo has been a name familiar to those within the game for such a long time that his youth can be flummoxing. He has experienced the high of an 11million ($13.3m) move to a German giant, the low of a turbulent time in a foreign country with a managerial merry-go-round that ended in an acrimonious relegation and, last year, the rebound at Cercle Bruges as he got his career back on track.

Rangers acquiring a player of Matondos potential for around 2.5million has surprised some observers.

He had Premier League interest, but meeting Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Rangers camp in Portugal had a big say in his decision. He was struck by how much the Rangers manager wants to develop young players, convincing him that Ibrox is the right place to push for his dream of playing in the World Cup this year.

A reputation built from such a young age like Matondos, who moved to Manchester City from Cardiff City at 16 in a deal worth 500,000 under competition from Liverpool and Manchester United, does not fade away after one misstep.

Thats why Wilson has retained a watchful eye on his progress and why sporting director Paul Mitchell played a role in his previous move to Belgium. Mitchell had tried to sign him when he was the strategist at RB Leipzig in 2019, but the plan was to send him to their sister club New York Red Bulls for the first season and, given Schalkes interest, he decided against the move.

Mitchell is now at Monaco, whose owners are also in charge of Cercle Bruges. The recruitment at both clubs overlaps in certain cases as they decide which side is best suited to each player, but the faith shown in him by Cercle sporting director Carlos Avina Ibarrola was crucial in persuading Matondo to move to Belgium.

He had been left out of Wales European Championship squad and had injured his knee on the last day of camp. His career trajectory wasnt going to plan, until his loan at Cercle, in which he registered nine goals and two assists in 26 games and was named in the top three young players in the division.

It was a long discussion that we had but Rabbi is a special story. Im super happy for him that he went to Rangers, it was just a pity he couldnt stay with us, Ibarrola tells The Athletic.

We first spoke to Rabbi in May last year but we only finalised the signing in August.

We had to get it right as he hadnt done pre-season and was working on an individual basis at home. We put together a special programme for him at home and his first game was in September. You could see he was a special talent.

I got a good feeling from the first minute I spoke to him. Hes a fantastic boy and he was important to our dressing room, so that is a big loss. There is a saying here in Belgium he is like the mayonnaise as he brings everything together, and that was definitely the case with him.

Matondo rose to prominence from an early age in the Cardiff youth set-up. His parents are from DR Congo but he grew up in the Welsh capital. He was playing at under-18 level from the age of 13 and, after scoring the winning goal as Wales won the Victory Shield in 2015, he was snapped up by Manchester City.

City were signing so many high potential players and Rabbi was one of them, says his former City under-23s coach Aaron Briggs.

Briggs is now at Wolfsburg, but he worked as head of methodology at Cercle from January until this summer and was pleased to see how his former protege had developed.

His upper body has definitely grown. He was light in the academy but hes not as easily pushed off the ball now and you can see the work he has put in at the gym.

He is willing to take on information so thats why, although he has had a dip, he has revived his career.

Every player City sign has the potential to make the first-team but pathways are never in a straight line Phil Foden is in the one per cent. Its a more complicated path into a Premier League team than it was 20 years ago as you need to go out on loan or go to another league.

Harry Kane had loans at four clubs before he broke through at Spurs, so its not always the first or second move that works.

Pace has always been Matondos strength, but learning to use it efficiently is the key for young players.

Its acceleration as well as top speed, says Briggs.

I saw him learn how to use his speed to his advantage. He had an eye for goal, too, but at 18, he was just putting those two together and had to learn the other parts of the game.

When Rabbi was in the academy, he was so quick he could just knock it and go but as you get older and your speed is not so much quicker than the rest, you have to find other ways. He had to find different ways to use his speed, like receiving to feet and then spinning in behind.

We were coaching him to let the pass beat the man. He wouldnt score the easy goals, hed always want the curlers from the left, but we were telling him to use his speed to break past the full-back at the back post for a tap-in.

One of Matondos most memorable moments in a City shirt is a bittersweet memory for Briggs, as it came in a UEFA Youth League defeat to Barcelona in 2018. They were trailing 5-2 at half-time but Matondos introduction changed the game and he scored a mazy goal from the halfway line that got them back to 5-4.

Playing so many levels above his age group helped him develop the streetwise aspect of his game, but it came at a cost. The first was that his slightness meant he was in for rough treatment and he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which kept him out for close to a year.

Matondo found himself at the top of Citys academy food chain not long after joining as a 16-year-old. Within six months, he was playing for the under-23s, leading to his full Wales debut in November 2018, aged 18. He had switched allegiance from England to Wales at under-17 level, but the call-up by Ryan Giggs was the catalyst for him leaving for Schalke.

City had offered a new contract but it was felt his debut was not coming any time soon with Riyad Mahrez joining for 60million, he also had Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus to compete with.

He had witnessed Sancho start to flourish after leaving for Borussia Dortmund and wanted the same. Former Schalke winger Sane, with whom he became friends at a camp in the US, and Schalkes manager Domenico Tedesco convinced him to move.

But he was signing for a team that was about to hit a period of turbulence. Tedesco was sacked and in one season there were five managers, two of whom barely spoke English.

He only managed 29 Bundesliga appearances in his three years as a player there. The club was relegated with just 16 points while Matondo was on loan at Stoke City, and it was felt another temporary spell away from the club was the best option for both parties for 2021-22.

Ibarrola knew he was going to be getting the fastest player in the Belgian league. He had heard he set a record at City as the quickest player on their books ahead of Kyle Walker, Sane and Sterling, but Matondo was too shy to admit it.

He said he couldnt really remember but you could tell in his eyes he was the fastest, says Ibarrola.

Cercle had extensive reports on him and, through their partnership with Skills Corner, knew his data was outstanding.

He looked like a player who needed a little bit of love and care, a little bit of confidence, he says.

Giving him the belief and saying to him, Listen, mate, you are the best player in the team, were relying on you and we want you to be free to play. After he scored his first goal, he kept going.

Rangers have signed him to primarily fill the right-wing position, but he is capable of playing across all three front positions. With pace his key strength, how Van Bronckhorst uses him compared to Cercle coach Dominik Thalhammer could be key to his success.

He is most comfortable coming inside off the left but he can adapt, says Ibarrola. If you are putting him on the right, you will expect him to reach the goal line and deliver crosses and cut-backs, but he can adapt.

When we were playing against the best teams, we used him as a No 9 to attack the spaces, as there arent too many players like him. He played a cheating role at times as he was allowed not to be the most aggressive so he was fresh for when we won possession.

He was grateful for us. We did a farewell meal with all the team at a restaurant. Even the people from the offices he had never met or didnt have a strong relationship with. I got the feeling he wanted to stay but he got other good options so, as we say in Spanish, he left through the big gates.

I dont think he will finish at Rangers, he will take another step to a top league.

(Top photo: Craig Foy/SNS Group via Getty Images)

Originally posted here:

Rangers new boy Rabbi Matondo: The rapid winger ready to ignite World Cup dream - The Athletic


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