Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on May 8, 2022

Title: The First Ten LettersBy Rabbi Raffi BillekMosaica Press, 213 pages

When I was asked to review the book The First Ten Letters of the Aleph Bais by Rabbi Billek, I was quite excited. The study of the letters is fascinating. The Gemara in Shabbos describes what the shape of the letters means, and gematria is one of the classic ways of learning.

Two rabbanim who devoted time to this study are the Radvaz, one of the leading rabbanim in Egypt and Eretz Yisrael in the late 1400s-early 1500s, and the Arizal, Rabbi Isaac Luria. The Radvaz wrote the book Magen David, a Kabbalistic explanation of all the letters. The Arizal in the Eitz Chayim has an entire shaar on the letters and their shape.

This book is an important introduction to the topic. It is written in a fascinating format in the form of a conversation. This style is the basis of the Kuzari, which relates a conversation between the Khazar king and the Jewish chacham. Using an interchange between a student and rebbe to teach an idea is probably best known in Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirschs book, Nineteen Letters.

This book joins the two genres together. It is set as a conversation like the Kuzari, but between a teacher and student, like Rav Hirschs volume. However, the author adds a modern motif. The conversation takes place on a flight from the USA to Israel and the two use the time to engage in a fascinating dialogue.

I will pick one short example of the depth in which the author explains one letter. The letter vav, when used as a prefix, means and. The author shows how the various concepts included in the letter, including its shape, numerical value, and place in the aleph bais share this central idea. Its shape is a hook; the number six refers to the days of the physical creation and is used to connect to the physical. This is just a short synopsis of the beautiful ideas presented in one chapter.

The book ends in the middle of the aleph bais. It only goes until the letter yud. This leaves us with a desire to see volume two, all the way to tav.

But there is an issue that I think is not only relevant to this sefer but is a general issue that needs to be thought about.

Baruch Hashem, we live in a world where many people desire to be exposed to the depths of the Torah. But there is a difficulty to surmount. How do you teach deep concepts to a student who does not yet have the background as a foundation to understand them? Shlomo HaMelech taught us that one uses meshalim parables or metaphors. But allegories need to be relevant to the person who hears them. For someone from a secular culture, what comparisons do you use?

This is a general question in kiruv. Do you descend into the morass of secular culture to mine the diamonds? Or do you create a magnet of kedusha that attracts the souls that are seeking? Rav Eliyahu Desslers approach is that the latter approach is correct.

Why is this relevant here?

As I was reading, I began to see a pattern. First, there was a reference to a well-known movie, with a quasi-Jewish theme. Then there was a comparison to a popular entertainer who is known for his lack of delicacy, to put it delicately. And I stopped when there was a usage of an example of a relationship described in a way that I (and many others I consulted with) found completely inappropriate.

I can imagine in certain informal circumstances when one might decide that these usages are needed. That itself could be debated among the gedolim of the kiruv world. But in a mainstream sefer of ideas verging on the pnimiyus the inner dimension of the Torah, I would think that this is incorrect.

I look forward to the next volume with the rest of the aleph bais in a format that avoids these downsides and that fully gives kavod to the Torah.

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Exploring The Mystery Of The Hebrew Letters - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com

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Posted By admin on May 8, 2022

Rev. Timothy L. Melton, Pastor

(Transcribed by Myra D. Colgate)

Cherokee Pentecostal Holiness Church

This week the Lord led me to the place of the first Passover in the Scriptures. Many know that in the Old Testament Covenant, while the Hebrew children were locked away in slavery in a place called Egypt, God had a plan to set them free. Amen. In the final scroll, instructions were to take a lamb that was perfect, without, spot, wrinkle or blemish. Each family grouping were to slay their lamb, take the blood of the lamb and smear the blood on the doorposts of their own dwelling.

Because God was about to send the death angel. The Bible tells me that when the death angel came to their door and saw the blood, he was blocked. There was a barrier, a separation, between those on the inside and the entity on the outside, so that he would pass by that place and then he would move on to the next dwelling.

Yes, all of this took place so Pharaoh would finally realize that God was God (and that he was not) and that he would have to let the Israelites go. However, I submit to you that God was also sending a message to the Hebrew families, and to us, that one day, that there is another Lamb coming, One without spot, wrinkle or blemish. When He comes, the Blood thats applied to the doorposts of our lives, will ensure that the death angel will have to pass over all of us as believers, in Him, including the Jewish and gentile believers, too.

In the sixth chapter of John, Jesus has already come on the scene. His disciples are nearby, and He is going to teach them all a lesson. Its amazing to me that He begins it with the five small loaves and two fish with which He plans to feed such a huge multitude of people. God never does anything without a reason. It is because He always has a purpose.

So, He began by feeding the 5,000 men, plus their wives and children, supernaturally. After that, the Bible tells us Jesus went walkingon the water. He took a stroll as He walked on the sea. Then, a group of people gathered around Him as He began to teach them.

Its always been a truth, anytime were in Church and God shows up in a Mighty way, that hell has tried to break it all up at the end. Every time Ive seen God move, and I mean move, in the House of God, its afterward that somebody will get offended or somebody gets their feelings hurt, or somebody has a complaint, an argument or an issue.

I believe its because the very move of God always elicits a response. Amen? If one misses the responsecome on, this is a conversationand heaven isnt here just to bless one individual. We are all called here to also bless Him. Yes, all are called to bless Him. Yes, He is from Heaven and is not here just to minister to only you. We are called to minister to Him! How many realize that? Were here to give to Heaven. Its to be a give and a take, as it works both ways. Amen.

Jesus begins to teach, and after they found Him (Verse 25) on the other side of the sea, they couldnt figure out how He got there, so they asked. He told them. Verily, Verily, I say unto you, you seek Me not because you saw the miracles, but because you saw the miracles and because you did eat of the loaves and were filled. You didnt seek me because the people got healed, set free and delivered at Bethsaida. You didnt come to seek Me because of the great miracle of the Word of the Living God that I was breaking for you from the boat. He said this is what you came for, you came for lunch, (in Verse 27).

In the Name of Jesus, Father, I pray that You would just speak into every heart and mind of every person hearing this today. Father, I pray that You would literally teach us something we didnt know. Let there be callings that break us free to walk victorious in them, that You would give us the keys to the Kingdom this day, that we can be more like You than ever before.

Today, we wear it proudly, declaring to the whole Earth, You will fall in line for we are here, O God, to make sure of it. Lord, I thank You for the Power over enemies, the devils, and I thank You for the ability to speak and teach today.

Yes, Lord, so, Father, we thank You for Thy Son, Jesus, for His Life, His Blood and sacrifice. Yes, we give You Praise, in Jesus Name.

To be continued next week

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SPEAKING OF FAITH: The Lamb of Sacrifice Speaks - Cherokee One Feather

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Posted By admin on May 8, 2022

If you go

Minyan on the Hill meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second Friday of the month and at 9 a.m. on the fourth Saturday of the month. The group meets at First United Presbyterian Church, 695 E. Calvin St., Fayetteville.

With the help of a Fayetteville church, a group of Northwest Arkansas Jews have begun gathering each month for a time of "ecstatic prayer and friendship."

Minyan on the Hill, organized by Rabbi Jacob Adler, has been meeting at First United Presbyterian Church on the second Friday of the month.

Starting this month, they'll be congregating there on the fourth Saturday as well.

"We do traditional egalitarian prayer, which hasn't been available in Northwest Arkansas," he said. "We use traditional liturgy, but men and women participate equally."

"We're hoping to get a Torah scroll so we can do a complete Saturday service," he said.

"Minyan," in Hebrew, means "number" or "count." It also refers to the quorum that is necessary to have proper communal worship, Adler said.

In Orthodox Judaism, at least 10 Jewish male adults must be present. In non-Orthodox circles, 10 adult Jews are sufficient, regardless of sex.

Minyan can also refer to a prayer group, regardless of size, Adler said.

At Minyan on the Hill, people praise God with their feet as well as their voices. They worship not only with words but with movement as well.

"With covid limitations, we don't get too ecstatic but we dance," Adler said.

Participants stand in a circle and sometimes jump, skip or leap for joy.

In a pre-covid world, worshippers would have held hands as well. These days, social distancing has made that impractical.

"Now, we try to be kind of separated and dance in a circle, but it's still definitely a group activity," he said.

Dancing, for Jews, isn't a new spiritual innovation.

"It's a very long tradition and many of the Psalms mention it," he said.

Psalm 149 declares: "Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise His name in the dance; let them sing praises unto Him with the timbrel and harp."

Similar commands are found elsewhere, including in Psalm 150.

King David, described in the Scriptures as "a man after God's own heart," was known to "dance before the Lord," the Hebrew Bible says.

Hasidic Jews have long used dancing in their religious practices, though it is less common in other Jewish traditions, Adler said.

In the orthodox community, men and women traditionally dance separately.

The Fayetteville prayer group does not segregate worshippers by sex.

Adler, an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Arkansas, moved to Fayetteville in 1984 to teach after earning undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harvard University.

Later in life, he returned to school, securing a master of arts in Hebrew Letters and ordination in 2006 from Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.

From 2002-2003, he served as a part-time student rabbi for United Hebrew Congregation in Fort Smith. From 2004-2006, he was a student rabbi at Temple Shalom of Northwest Arkansas in Fayetteville.

He remained at Temple Shalom after receiving his ordination, serving as its rabbi from 2006 until his retirement from the pulpit in 2019 or 2020. He is now the temple's rabbi emeritus.

Rather than meeting in a temple or synagogue, the prayer group meets in the Presbyterian congregation's Witherspoon building. Typically, 15 or 20 people participate.

"We're very, very grateful to the church for letting us use the space," Adler said.

Russell Ashley said he enjoys the prayers and the opportunity to visit that follows.

"Afterward, we'll ... [eat] and enjoy a little fellowship before we disband," he said.

"It's important that we have those times together," he said. "If we don't, we just draw further and further apart -- and that's not good."

More information is available at minyanonthehill.org.

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Minyan on the Hill finding its groove in Northwest Arkansas - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

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Posted By admin on May 8, 2022

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Fern Creson poses for a photograph during a rally in the capitol rotunda in Salt Lake City on May 21. This rally was part of a nationwide series of protests to bring attention as a number of conservative states pass laws aimed at getting abortion before the U.S. Supreme Court.

By Ellen Brady | Special to The Tribune

| May 6, 2022, 1:37 p.m.

| Updated: 1:38 p.m.

The leaked draft of the U.S. Supreme Court opinion on a Mississippi abortion case turned the worst nightmare of women into stark reality, robbing us of the ability to make profoundly personal choices about our bodies, our families and our lives.

This decision would overturn 50 years of precedent, the 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade, set by a 7-2 decision. If the leaked opinion stands, two of the votes for it would apparently be cast by justices credibly accused of sexual misconduct and ethical lapses; three votes from justices appointed in a precedent-breaking manner by a lawless president who was elected without a majority of the popular vote.

I urge Utahs congressional delegation to right this wrong by passing the Womens Health Act. I do so as someone who is profoundly pro-life and pro-choice. Let me explain.

As a woman and a mother, I understand that pregnancy and parenting are not nine-month deals, but lifetime commitments. Done well, they come with joy, worry and, too often, pain. Thus, they are not choices made lightly, both for the well-being of the mother and the child.

As a person of faith, I recognize the sacred nature of life but also recognize that religious traditions do not universally oppose abortion. The Hebrew scriptures in Genesis The Beginning declare that humanity began with the breath of life. Hebrew Judges attempted to induce abortion as a test for infidelity. When someone injured a pregnant woman, Hebrew law clearly placed a higher value on the womans life vs that of the fetus.

Christian scriptures are silent on the issue and opposition to abortion did not develop until the Moral Majority drove it as a wedge issue. Accordingly, law needs to respect this diversity of belief.

As someone married to an ethicist and who, both by nature and osmosis, has thought deeply about broader ethical constructs, I note that respect for choice autonomy/agency/free will is a bedrock of all ethical systems. Likewise, the need to choose calls for the weighing of benefit vs harm.

It seems intuitive that, in any such hierarchy, the needs and well-being of the fully formed, living, breathing, adult woman in community with others take precedence over a fertilized egg, embryo or fetus still dependent on anothers body for life. This seems especially relevant in cases where the mothers life is endangered by continuing the pregnancy or in instances where the fetus is non-viable.

As a physician with a public health degree, I am all too aware of the physical and medical risks of pregnancy and childbirth. Globally, they are a leading cause of death among women and girls of childbearing age. Notably, the United States doesnt compare well to other developed nations. Further, before Roe v. Wade, complications of self-induced abortions filled OB-GYN wards and killed many. The lives and health of women matter.

As an actively engaged citizen, I note that unplanned pregnancies profoundly impact our society. Lack of adequate child care keeps women out of the work force. Teen and unplanned pregnancies interrupt education and life goals for far too many. Single parenting is a well-trodden pathway to poverty and dependence on public safety nets. Unwanted children often become victims of abuse.

My circle of acquaintances, friends and family profoundly illustrates the reasons I believe that choice is essential. Too many have been victims of abuse, rape and incest; two bore children as a result. Others bore children with no chance of survival after birth or who led extended lives in a perpetual state of developmental infancy. Others were struggling to get by when they became pregnant again putting their dreams on indefinite hold. One died in childbirth. Their scars are real and lifelong. I fight for them.

If we truly value the lives of women and their families, and if we truly want to reduce abortions, we will provide comprehensive sex education, affordable access to effective contraception, pregnancy care, support for children and families and yes, we will find a way to ensure unobstructed access to affordable abortion services. The latter will facilitate early, safe termination before the fetus nears viability, leaving late-term abortions to those much rarer and heart-wrenching circumstances where the pregnancy has gone awry, threatening the life of mother and/or child.

It is past time to respect the agency and autonomy of women, leaving these deeply personal decisions to them, without government intrusion.

Ellen Brady, M.D., MPH, is a retired physician and issues director for the Womens Democratic Club of Utah.

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Posted By admin on May 8, 2022

Bergen County runner makes trek from LA to NYC

Hellah "Good" Sidibe, of Rochelle Park talks about his run from LA to NYC on the eve of his final run to complete the 3,000 plus mile run. May 22-23, 2021

Kevin R. Wexler, NorthJersey.com

After just over an hour, Ilana Eden Matteson and her mother, Beryl Eden, crossed the finish line at the Rubin Run, a Kaplen JCC event in Tenafly. The mother-daughter team walked the entire 5K roughly 3 miles finishing last.

"It's not about competition," said Matteson, 53, of Tenafly, as she celebrated her 73-year-old mother, who just had hip replacement surgery. "It's being with your mom on Mother's Day."

On this gray, overcast Sunday, over 750 people came out forthe Rubin Run, which celebrates family and fitnesswhile raising funds for programs that help disabled people. This is the first time in two years that the event fully resumed; KaplenJCC held a virtual event in 2020and a hybrid event in 2021.

The run is aMother's Day tradition, withoptions for 10K,5K and family run events through the streets of Tenafly, Englewood and Englewood Cliffs. Each mother was handed a red rose at the finish line, and top finishers of all races received trophies.

Englewood Cliffs resident Steve Jacobs, 63, received a trophy for finishing third in his division. He ran with his wife,Clarice, 62. Theirdaughter Leah, 22, returned home from college in Boston for the weekend for the event.

"We did this to support the JCC and to celebrate my day," Clarice Jacobs said of Mother's Day.

The event is open to all and brings together a wide range of runners and non-runnersfrom the Jewish and non-Jewish communities around the region, said Miriam Chilton, chief operating officer of Kaplen JCC.

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The month of May has been about making a difference at the center, with events such as a sports night with Eli Manning, she added.

The run provides a range of experiences, from those who just want to share in a healthy walk to those who are looking to push themselves, Chilton said.

The Rubin Run, one of the largest fundraisers at Kaplen JCC, according to incoming board chair Arthur Sinesky,is named for the late Leonard Rubin, a past president and founder of the JCC, who established theevent to encourage and promote healthy living.It specifically raises money forJCCs Guttenberg Center for Special Services, which improves the quality of life for people with disabilities. It brought in about $140,000 this year.

In Hebrew, giving back to the community is called tikkun olam.

"It means 'improve the world,' " Sinesky said. "We improve people's lives."

For Englewood resident Thomas Leung, 53, healthy living is what the race is all about.

"We do it every year," said Leung, who was with his wife, Stacey, and children Wesley, 13, Lisbon, 10, and Russell, 10. "It's part of our family tradition."

Mary Chao covers the Asian community andreal estate for NorthJersey.com.To get unlimited access to the latest news out of North Jersey,please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

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Rubin Run in Tenafly returns with more than 700 attendees - NorthJersey.com

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Posted By admin on May 8, 2022

Nearly 6 million Americans, more than 40,000 here in the Hudson Valley, suffer from Alzheimers disease and related dementias. Both affect memory, language, and thought and cause moments of disorientation, disconnection, and confusion for sufferers.

Therapeutic arts activities can help sufferers manage those symptoms and help them reconnect with the world. Studies show that art and music can help people with dementia communicate and feel more focused, creating a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

Willow Gardens Memory Care at United Hebrew of New Rochelle strives to provide these experiences for its residents. As Westchesters first nonprofit facility dedicated to Alzheimers and dementia care, Willow Gardens has included these activities as key elements of its philosophy of care.

As Alzheimers disease and dementias progress, language, logic, writing, and reasoning are impaired because of damage to brain cells. Arts therapy stimulates the brain creatively and provides non-verbal means of communication.

Communication can be difficult for a person with Alzheimers disease, says Nora OBrien, Executive Director at Willow Gardens Memory Care. Drawing, painting, or playing a musical instrument provides a way for them to share how they are feeling and express their emotions.

Licensed and certified art therapists work with Willow Gardens residents on a variety of customized activities designed for physical, cognitive, and social stimulation. One example is collage work. Residents assemble images and words from magazines based on how they feel that moment, something theyre nostalgic about, or anything theyre interested in lately.

Whats great about collages and other art therapy activities is that we can use them to help residents feel connected to their past, notes OBrien. Our staff, all trained by the Alzheimers Foundation of America, work with family members closely to learn about our residents previous lives their careers, hobbies, children, and community. That helps to spark conversation around what they are creating. We see the benefits in their smiles.

The connection between music and memory is well-documented. Research shows that music can reduce the agitation associated with Alzheimers disease and the use of antipsychotic medication as a form of treatment.

Long an essential part of memory care at Willow Gardens, music helps those with Alzheimers and dementia manage their emotions, explains Grace Ferri, Chief Marketing Officer of United Hebrew at New Rochelle.

Singing, playing chimes, or just listening to someone perform brings a sense of calm and enjoyment to our residents. It can be enjoyed in social settings or in one-on-one therapy sessions. Music provides another way to help our residents connect to their past and to the world around them.

Additionally, Willow Gardens is a Music & Memory certified community. Staff are trained to work with resident families to create personalized playlists filled with music from their past, loaded onto MP3 players for individual use. For families looking for supportive memory care, thats good news.

All of the creative activities we offer are designed to help our residents keep their passions alive and experience the best possible quality of life, says Ferri. Our goal is to help our residents live in the moment and to continue to experience joy. The arts are a powerful way to do that.

For more information:

Grace Ferri, Chief Marketing OfficerUnited Hebrew of New Rochelleuhgc.org | 914.632.2804 x1190gferri@uhgc.org

Whats this?This content is made possible by our partner. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the attitude, views, or opinions of theWestchester Magazine/Hudson Valley Magazineeditorial staff.

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The Healing Power of the Arts in Alzheimers and Dementia Care - Westchester Magazine

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Posted By admin on May 8, 2022

I grew up in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, a lovely New England town famous for being ranked as one of the preppiest suburbs in America, according to The Official Preppy Handbook.

Longmeadow wasnt snobby, per se, but it was WASPy: lacrosse sticks, J.Crew sweaters, gin and tonics, summers in Nantucket ya know, the whole Ritz Crackers n Bacon Bits scene.

There were some Jews, mostly Reform, but my family stood out given that we were religious-ish. Coverservadox, as people said back then. We had Shabbat dinner, we kept two sets of dishes (three, if you include Passover). We rescued a dog named Shep, but because it sounded so aggressively German, we renamed him Shlep. We werent pious people, and I certainly was no saint, but we were heimish.

Every Saturday morning, my family and I would walk to synagogue a two-mile hike up the main road in town. Inevitably, one of my friends would always drive by in their Jeep Cherokee or Saab, blasting Pearl Jam or Janis Joplin, beeping exuberantly while waving from their brown leather seats that reeked of last nights cigarettes and beer (drank and smoked, in part, by me).

In my long-sleeved dress and vintage Chanel flats, both of which Id stolen from a Northampton thrift shop, Id blow kisses or affectionately give them the finger, and wed all go our merry ways.

Then my sister and I would sit on the womens side at shul for hours, bored out of our minds but very well-behaved. I didnt love going, but I didnt hate it either. Those Saturday mornings at temple a ritual my mother insisted on from childbirth until college taught me the most valuable life skills, things I still rely on today: I know how to pray. I have nice posture. I am extremely disciplined when I need to be. I have strong, unwavering, rock-solid faith.

After services, wed walk back home, have lunch, and then Id call my friends to see where everyone was. I didnt have to wait until sunset. My mother didnt blink an eye when wed run off post-dessert (pareve babka or homemade rugelach) and go see our crazy friends who were usually chasing guys, mixing drinks, smoking pot or preparing for our favorite nightly activity: trudging deep into the woods with grand plans to flirt or, in my case, flash the boys my big bodacious ta-tas and sometimes even give out motor boats. Shavuah tov!

From a very young age, I knew that it was OK to live with religious contradictions. My observance could be relaxed. I could strictly say no to my friends ham sandwiches because I was a proud kosher jew, and an hour later, get loose with a guy named Christian McChristianand feel no inner conflict about either one.

It was only when I decided to enroll in a Jewish college that I started to struggle with my identity. In 1995, I matriculated in the joint program with Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. I knew it wasnt the right fit; I was mischievous and horny and writerly, and while Jewish culture was cool, I had absolutely no interest in Jewish studies. The only reason I chose that school was because I desperately wanted to go to Columbia, and that was my backdoor in. Its embarrassing to admit that, but its the truth.

The joint program meant I lived in Jewish housing and studied topics like Talmud and Yiddish.The program was rigorous and intellectual, and though the JTS crowd was spirited, smart and fun in many ways, it was not Longmeadow.The kids in my dorm delighted in learning about Torah and halacha, Jewish law; some were future rabbis who Ive come to greatly admire. Hanging out at night, some of them would belt out Hebrew songs while others compared schnitzel recipes. They all dated and fell in love at Jewish day school or USY. None of them were I guess the term wed use now is slut-positive, like me. They were really good kids, but they were all kind of the same (in my eyes, at least), and I had no interest in conforming. I missed my naughty Massholes, now at Villanova or Boston College, who liked to steal, hook up and make hilariously inappropriate jokes. Feeling more rebellious than ever before, I felt utterly suffocated by Jewish life, and I dreaded the next four years.

Though I made it through the joint program with two degrees in sociology and modern Jewish studies it wasnt always pretty. JTS is unquestionably a force of goodness and positivity in the world and many of the staff and students are rockstars it was me, not them but those formative years werent my favorite. And I resented my Jewishness for all of it. So the minute I graduated, I ran as far away from it as possible.

I got a copywriting job at a downtown advertising agency owned by bonafide WASPs and went back to my Longmeadow-like comfort zone: dirty martinis, dirty jokes, no David Broza, and baruch hashem not a lick of schnitzel. While I did have a Jewish boyfriend, I cheated on him constantly with non-Jewish men. It was as if our relationship was a metaphor for my Jewishness; I still subscribed to it, but I got off on abusing it.

Anything involving synagogue or holidays, I participated in simply out of respect for my parents, who had followed me from Longmeadow to the Upper West Side. Id leave the Passover seder and get a slice of pepperoni pizza just because I could.Id go to synagogue, but sneak into the bathroom and text with some guy about what I wanted to do to him later that night.

At one point, I fell so madly in love with a Greek Orthodox man that I actually tried to convert to his religion so that his parents would accept me. I cant pretend that the thought of officially abandoning my Jewishness didnt hurt like hell, but I was willing to walk away from everything for him. I told myself that Id always have my neshama, my Jewish soul, and no one could take that away from me, so if there was a cross above my bed, so be it.

That relationship didnt last either.

Everything changed in 2015, when I decided to become a single mom by choice at 38 years old.Though I loved men (possibly too much), I hadnt found the right person to start a family with, but I was ready.With the abundant support of my family,I started looking for an anonymous sperm donor.

My fertility doctor at NYU advised against choosing a Jewish donor because of genetic risks and I didnt feel too strongly about it one way or another so I started looking at non-Jewish donors exclusively. Thats when I felt a certain unexpected pang in my heart.I needed to be assured that my child would be Jewish, no matter who the sperm donor was. Sure, Id heard the whole if the mothers Jewish, the child is Jewish! thing forever, but at that moment, given the unusual circumstances, I needed to know for sure.

Thats when I started talking to a rabbi and his wife at my local Chabad.

Without any judgment, without any suggestion that I abandon ship and find a nice Jewish boy, without anything but love and cheer, they promised me that my baby would be Jewish. They gave me permission to choose a sperm donor that felt right to me, no matter what his background was. I was profoundly thankful for not only this validation, but for the way it somehow, organically, shifted me back in touch with my Jewish heart. Suddenly everything clicked. I felt like I could be Jewish on my own terms again, as nuanced and unique as those terms were.

And clearly, I chose the perfect donor, because six years ago, I gave birth to the perfect daughter.Her English name is Hazel, but her Hebrew name is Yael Devorah, and I call her that all the time.As a single mom, I started strolling Hazel to synagogue on Shabbat right away. Wed go to Chabad for Purim carnivals and Sukkah parties and big Shabbat dinners with other interesting, and often offbeat, Brooklynites.We kissed our mezuzah every day, and said our Shema every night, and my soul felt happier than ever.

And then I started dating someone wonderful named Sam, a guy who reminded me of home, of Longmeadow, in all the best ways.But that also meant he was not Jewish. So on our first date, with my 7-month-old daughter at home with my parents, I was as straightforward as possible with him: Im very Jewish, and Im raising my daughter very Jewish, and it is completely non-negotiable. Are you OK with that? He promised that he heard me and understood me and that everything was fine with him.

Six years later, Sam has legally adopted Hazel and we have a second child together, River (Mordechai Sholom). Our kids go to Chabad for Hebrew school and preschool, respectfully.We worship all the holidays. We dont eat pork or shellfish. We talk about God a lot. We FaceTime our kids morahs, teachers, constantly with existential questions like, Does Hashem eat M&Ms? and, Remind us again, who are the Maccabees?

But my daughters favorite question is something she always asks me: Mama, tell me something you did that was bad when you were a little girl? My first thought is always: Good God, where do I begin? And thats when I remember walking to synagogue in my stolen Chanels. It makes me want to cry remembering how sweet it all was.

Alyssa Shelasky, editor of New York Magazines Sex Diaries, is the author of the essay collection This Might Be Too Personal: And Other Intimate Stories, coming out May 17, 2022.

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Walking to Synagogue in Stolen Chanel (and Other True Stories I Tell My Daughter) Kveller - Kveller.com

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Posted By admin on May 8, 2022

I said in my first article in this series that the Hebrew word used for glory in the Old Testament means heaviness or weight. The word is used to express the worth of a person in the material sense, and also to express importance, greatness, honour, splendour, power, among others.

The book of 1 Corinthians 15:41 reveals that there are varieties of glory. It talks about the glory of the sun being different from the glory of the moon and the stars. Even among the stars, one glory is different from the other. There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. (1 Corinthians 15:40-41 NKJV).

Some people saw glimpses of Gods glory in the Old Testament. Moses was one of them; he lived and operated in the realm of Gods glory. He saw the Shekinah glory of God several times, and still desired more (Ex. 16:10; 24: 16; Num.16:19; Lev.9:6, 22-24). On one occasion, he audaciously said to God: Please show me your glory, (Exodus 33:18).

Responding in the affirmative to Moses request, God allowed His goodness to pass by him and he saw Gods backside. This means, as someone said that: Gods glory is the display, or parade of Gods goodness. It also means that there are aspects of Gods glory, which are not visible to man.

Exodus 24:9-18 pictures one of such experiences that Moses had. On Gods invitation, Moses ascended the Mountain of God with Joshua and the elders of Israel. They had a meal with God. Then, God invited Moses alone to come up the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, which he was to use to teach the children of Israel. While on the mountain, the glory of God descended. Moses remained on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights. Now the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. And on the seventh day, He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire at the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights, (Exodus 24:16-18 NKJV).

Solomon also experienced the glory of God in the Old Testament. He had the material glory, which Jesus referred to in Matthew 6:29, and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these, (Matthew 6:29 NKJV). At the dedication of the temple, fire fell and the glory of God appeared, when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord s house. When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying: For He is good, For His mercy endures forever, (2 Chronicles 7:1-3 -NKJV).

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Varieties and dimensions of God's glory - Part 2 | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News Sunday Magazine The Guardian Nigeria News ...

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Posted By admin on May 6, 2022

I read the recent essay Torah Umammon by my friend Rabbi Yitzchak Blau with great interest, as I do his writings in general. In fact, I have been enthusiastically sharing one of his previous articles, Rabbinic Responses to Communism (Tradition, Winter 2007), with my students at the Sy Syms School of Business for more than 12 years.

Part of the beauty of that richly researched and greatly valuable article is how it was able to take an issue that to many is a matter of money, income, labor and capital, and display how beneath the surface, major principles of our worldview were at stake, being honored or breached.

I am privileged to have the opportunity to attempt something similar (if not as skillfully) several times a week, in teaching multiple courses at Syms. It is true that Syms is different in many ways from Yeshiva College. However, the differences do not reflect negatively on either school; Syms is structured to best accomplish its particular mission, which is unique in the world.

The students at Syms are indeed largely headed for a world that is defined by a goal to succeed financially at all costs, as quickly and as single-mindedly as possible. Recognizing that, the leadership of the school has created a framework that is dedicated to preparing these students to encounter that world equipped with the values to navigate its challenges, the moral grounding to appreciate its implications and the internal fortitude to maintain their character throughout.

Yeshiva University as a whole is committed to both protecting and projecting its traditions and its values within the modern world. Every division of YU ideally seeks to accomplish those directives in the fashion best suited to its particular aspects. For students who will eventually be told that the dollar is everything, a program must first be provided that will teach them what it is and what it is not, what it can accomplish and what it cannot, and what must not be sacrificed in its pursuit.

Over the course of many years and with much careful attention, focus, collaboration and creativity, the Syms administration has created and recreated, refined and then refined again, a program that surrounds its top-notch preparation for business success with a deep and broad grounding in Jewish values. Courses are crafted with a deliberate, tailored approach to best fit the specific needs of the bnei Torah who will confront the modern marketplace.

Further, it is not only the Jewish Values Program that is harnessed to this purpose. The class in which I teach Rabbi Blaus communism article is The Ethical and Legal Environment of Business. It is a secular class with a secular textbook. Still, on the first day, I tell the students, a class such as this in Yeshiva University must be different than this class in any other university.

The Yeshiva this year is learning Masechet Bava Basra, and when I gave the first shiur in Elul to my students in MYP/RIETS, we introduced the first mishnah with an explanation of the foundations of halakhic ethics. It was exhilarating to realize how much overlap there was with what I would be teaching a few hours later, in the introductory Ethical and Legal class. It was of further inspiration to me that I was able to share that realization with Dean Wasserman (along with the recording of the shiur) and know just how meaningful that would be to him as well.

The Talmud teaches that a professional gambler is disqualified from testimony because he is disconnected from any productive employment (eino osek byishuvo shel olam; Sanhedrin 24b). It follows that, conversely, one who is actively involved in building up the settlement of society and does so with honesty and integrity is accorded affirmative credibility. It is not merely that he is fulfilling the imperative of supporting his family in dignity; he is making contributions to the advancement of society that ideally reflect his value system, and, through implementation, expand it further.

Rabbi Blau makes reference to the high cost of Orthodox Jewish practice, due to tuition and other expenses. This is undeniably true, and it is relevant to Syms for more than just the school's ability to train financially successful professionals. The ever-increasing problem of the affordability of Jewish life is an existential challenge practically, and a profound and underappreciated moral challenge in the priorities it creates and the decisions it provokes.

Syms did not create this problem, but perhaps it will be some of our schools students who will solve it. Perhaps our students, proficient in both the principles of business efficiency and the values of a Jewish community that cherishes family harmony, genuine spirituality and broad educational opportunity (and knowledgeable that this, too, is a sugya in Bava Basra) will have the initiative, insight and inspiration to positively remake our society.

Rabbi Blau wishes that Syms students would take a class with Rabbi Shalom Carmy. As a grateful student and tremendous admirer of Rabbi Carmy, I share that wish. However, college requirements are not the only or even the most effective way to encourage exposure to great teachers. The overall impact of the Syms educational message is to instill the students with an appreciation for Jewish practice, ideals and learning so that they will seek out inspiration and instruction throughout their lives, in and out of the classroom, during and after their college years.

I know this to be true because I see it every day. I see it in the questions I get from current students, that are not only about their final requirements or attendance records but about navigating the demands of their internships and interviews while maintaining their integrity and intensity. And I know it because so many of these questions come a year, five years, 10 years after graduation.

This past week, the yeshiva hosted a conference in which fellows of the Post-Semicha Kollel Elyon presented to the public on the themes of the values of Shemittah. I take some pride in the fact that a number of these fine young rabbis were my students in courses at the Syms School. And all of them were taught Rabbi Blaus communism article in preparation for their presentations. Together, this deepened the message that while to too many in today's world, the dollar is the goal, we know it to be a tool: a tool of kindness, to establish one's integrity and to build and perfect the world in G-ds Majesty.

It is an unavoidable reality that the demands of the business world will govern the circumstances of our students lives. A YU/Syms education can, nonetheless, govern their minds, and, most importantly, their souls. For that, we can all be grateful.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

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Mammon In Light of Torah - The Commentator - The Commentator

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Posted By admin on May 6, 2022

(JTA) Shira Berkowitz was building a career in Jewish camping when a camp told them not to return.

It got around that I was that was queer, and that that wasnt appropriate for me to be a program director for girls, Berkowitz said. And that was really harmful to my identity. I went back in the closet for a few years.

Berkowitzs career and personal identity recovered, and they went on to work at Camp Sabra, Missouris biggest Jewish overnight camp, which they described as far more accepting.

But I was also very aware that there was almost no queer staff, except for myself and one or two other people, Berkowitz said.

Now, Berkowitz is working to create a different kind of summer camp experience for children and staff who are LGBTQ. The senior director of public policy and advocacy at PROMO Missouri, an LGBTQ advocacy group, Berkowitz is one of multiple veterans of Jewish summer camps on the founding team of Camp Indigo Point, a new camp that caters to trans children at a time when many children who are gender non-conforming are facing fierce attacks by conservatives in their own communities.

Berkowitz and longtime camp friend Daniel Bogard, a St. Louis rabbi who is raising a transgender child, dreamed up the camp late last year, as the Missouri legislature was gearing up for a session in which three anti-trans bills were introduced within the first month. Another three were added in February, and last week, the Missouri House of Representatives passed two bills that would limit trans childrens participation in sports.

This year has already seen a record amount of anti-LGBTQ legislation nationwide. Republicans in at least 30 states have specifically introduced bills to bar trans children from school sports; more than 300 introduced bills would constrain how gender and sexuality are taught in schools and prevent access to gender-affirming medical care for trans children.

The climate has made Camp Indigo Point a hot destination, and its one-week session in June filled with 93 kids from 27 states in just weeks.

More than 50 children are on a wait list, and 135 people have applied for the 29 staff positions, according to Bogard. Meanwhile, trans comic book artist and writer Lilah Sturges offered to give the camp signed copies of one of her comics.

Its just really cool to see the response. Its magical, Bogard said, adding, Next year clearly we are going to have to expand.

Like Berkowitz, Bogard went to Camp Ramot Amoona for much of his adolescence, which he credits with setting him on the path that led him to become a rabbi. As a young adult, he became a song leader there and later took a job as assistant director at Camp Sabra. He is the only non-LGBTQ member of Camp Indigo Points leadership team, a role that hes taken on in addition to his work as a rabbi at Central Reform Synagogue in St. Louis.

The parent of a trans grade-schooler, Bogard has become a prominent trans rights activist in Missouri, frequently testifying at the state capitol in Jefferson City. His Twitter threads about the legislative threats facing trans children in his state have gained him a national platform.

Theres not a family of a trans kid in a red state in this whole country whos sleeping well at night, Bogard said. This is not hyperbole. Im having panic attacks at night, like, do we need to flee the state?

Rabbi Daniel Bogard (corner left) and Shira Berkowitz (right, wearing backpack) lead a teen advocacy group to Washington, D.C. (Courtesy Berkowitz)

Despite it not actually being a Jewish camp, the staff and incoming campers at Indigo Point are largely Jewish and steeped in Jewish camp experience. Its host space, Camp Manitowa in Southern Illinois, was also founded by two veterans of the Jewish camping movement seeking to create an inclusive camp environment. After the 2014 murder of Michael Brown Jr. by police in Ferguson, Missouri, Camp Manitowa opened Camp Ferguson to host children affected by school closures in the area.

Its no surprise that alumni of Jewish camps are leaders in the effort to create inclusive camps, said Jeremy Fingerman, CEO of the Foundation for Jewish Camp.

Jewish camp has long been recognized for the leadership skills problem solving, communication, creativity, independence, critical thinking which are developed and refined as a camper or as a counselor, he wrote in an email.

In the last decade, weve seen tremendous growth in the field of specialty camps opportunities for meaningful Jewish experiences and community building for campers of specific demographics or with interests in specific skill development, Fingerman added.

Meanwhile, many Jewish camps are making efforts to accommodate LGBTQ campers. In New York, Camp Eden Village, an environment-focused camp, launched an all-gender cabin three years ago for children who are gender non-conforming and their allies. So did Camp Tawonga, a 90-year-old Jewish camp in California. A day camp on Long Island, also in New York, caters to LGBTQ children.

The Foundation for Jewish Camp recently hosted a day of learning for more than 100 Jewish camp professionals focused on mental health, gender identity and sexual orientation.

The efforts could yield a different experience for todays campers from that of Berkowitz and others whose own Jewish camping experience was inspiring but not gender-affirming.

For a lot of us millennials who went to summer camp and struggled with being transgender, gender non-conforming kids in such a binary Jewish summer camp structure, we wanted to be able to provide something else, Berkowitz said.

At Camp Indigo Point, campers will experience traditional camp activities such as archery, canoeing, arts and crafts, and sports. But there will also be special programming for LGBTQ community-building, as well as attentiveness to the medical issues children might be bringing with them.

Campers at Camp Indigo Point will participate in traditional camp activities such as canoeing, and will also have special programming catered to LGBTQ community-building. (Courtesy Dan Grabel)

Campers may be pre-surgery or pre-hormone therapy or on hormone blockers, and may need privacy and a safe environment to remove their binders or undergarments, as well as nursing staff capable of providing hormone therapy and support for the needs specific to trans kids.

The camp aims to serve children who might not otherwise be headed to camp this summer. Priced at $575 for one week, the camp is less expensive than many summer camps but still unaffordable for many families, and Bogard said it had doled out $12,000 in scholarships already.

Berkowitz said they want Camp Indigo Point to be a place where kids can find some of the support and the love and the likeness around their peers, where they can just have a really awesome, fun summer camp experience.

They added, I think a lot of kids want to know that theyre going to be accepted in their cabins.

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Jewish summer camp veterans are opening a camp for trans kids. It was filled within weeks. - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency

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