Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on June 18, 2021

Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Robert Morgan, says the Government is implementing a zero tolerance policy in treating with confirmed cases of child abuse and bringing perpetrators to justice.

We are implementing a zero tolerance policy where, if somebody reports child abuse and we investigate and there are charges laid, then the police, the Government and the legal system are going to work hard to ensure that those who are abusing children are held to account, he said.

The State Minister was addressing day two of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trades virtual Jamaica Diaspora Sustainability Symposium on Thursday (June 17) held under the theme Sustainability and Youth: Our Future, Our Vision.

Our position at the Ministry of Education is to create an environment where young people can strive and shine. We are trying as best as possible to put in place the necessary reforms so that not only young people outside of the Governments [ambit] can strive but also those in State care, he noted.

The State Minister outlined pieces of legislation that are being reviewed to safeguard the welfare of children.

These include the Child Care and Protection Act to facilitate improved protection mechanisms, and the Adoption Act, which seeks to make the adoption process easier and more transparent.

Also being looked at is the zero-to-three policy, which seeks to ensure that no child under the age of three is placed in a State care institution, but is, instead, adopted or placed with foster parents in a safe, nurturing environment.

These are just some of the things we are doing as a Government to protect our young people, Mr. Morgan said.

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Gov't Taking Zero Tolerance Approach To Child Abuse Jamaica Information Service - Government of Jamaica, Jamaica Information Service

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Posted By admin on June 18, 2021

In Pittsburgh, architect Daniel Libeskind is beginning his latest project. Like so much of his other work, this one too is rooted in devastation.

"You walk through a site of murder, of a mass murder of the greatest attack on Jews in this country," Libeskind told CBS News' Jim Axelrod.

Libeskind, who navigated complex emotional terrain designing the Ground Zero site and the Jewish Museum in Berlin, will now lead the rebuilding of the Tree of Life campus. It has been closed since the shooting on October 27, 2018, when a hate-filled gunman murdered 11 and injured six during Shabbat services.

"It's not just a walk through a disaster. You walk through the memory of what happened. And you think of the significance. What will this mean? What does it tell us?" Libeskind said.

The son of Holocaust survivors recently made his first trip to Pittsburgh to meet with Rabbi Jeffrey Myers and members of the congregation to examine the artifacts of the day and begin to consider a way forward.

"You have to walk through and imagine, 'Where are traces of importance of this site? What is not just salvageable but inspires us still?" And how do we document the past as it folds, unfolds to a brighter future?'" Libeskind said.

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It's a delicate balancing act marking trauma while wrestling hope from the pain.

"Light has to be the message of the place. Because we do live in darkness a lot of the time. And we saw the darkness and the evil of the events that befell on this congregation. But I think a building has to do something else. Has to give you a sense of inspiration, a breath of life," Libeskind said.

"And there's an excitement of wow, we can't wait to see what this will become," Myers said.

Pointing to artwork sent from around the world, including students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Rabbi Myers said hope could come out of horror. That thought has inspired a direction for the project.

"I've come to learn that through two and a half years, through letters, emails, cards, phone calls, from people around the world, complete strangers. There's this vast silent majority out there in the world who are good, decent people," Myers said. "The time has come that the silent majority become a vocal majority to say to the rest of the world, "This is unacceptable."

"You cannot deny what happened on that site. You have to be able to integrate it in a meaningful way," Libeskind said.

While it's early in the process, Liebskind, Myers, and the Tree of Life community are beginning to frame a mission, building a beachhead in the battle between tolerance and hate.

"The Tree of Life will not be my story. It will be the story of the people who were there on that day. It'll be the story of beauty, of fatality, of death but also of rebirth, of renewal, of inspiration," Libeskind said.

The design project is expected to be completed early next year.

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Architect helps rebuild Tree of Life Synagogue: "Light has to be the message of the place" - CBS News

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Posted By admin on June 18, 2021

Jun. 17EAST COBB Rabbi Ephraim Silverman has a line he's been sharing with congregants who ask about Chabad of Cobb, the Jewish community center and synagogue off Lower Roswell Road he co-directs with his wife, Chani.

"People keep asking us, when are things going to get back to normal here, and our answer is 'never,'" Silverman said, "because we're not going back. It's going to be better going forward."

The Chabad is a multipurpose religious community center. Silverman said it is difficult to estimate the size of its congregation, as it does not require membership, but guessed some 700 families participate in its programs or attend its synagogue.

Like other organizations, Chabad of Cobb saw the pandemic as an opportunity to act on long-discussed changes. Ongoing renovations will likely be completed in two to three months, according to Silverman. When construction is finished, the center will have doubled in size, to 40,000 square feet.

Additions include a large, outdoor patio overlooking the property's small lake; four new classrooms for adult and youth education; new kitchens; an elevator; a teen recreation room featuring billiard and ping pong tables; additional office space; and a massive, multipurpose room for weddings, parties and other events, featuring ambient lighting, panoramic, floor-to-ceiling windows and a trio of descending screens for virtual events.

All told, the renovations are expected to cost $5 million, of which the center has already raised $4 million. Roni Wolk, a member of the congregation with a background in marketing, took it upon herself to help spread the word about Silverman's plans and help solicit donations.

"One of the things that I said to him was, 'Do not call this a building campaign,' because I listen to what he wanted to accomplish and his vision," she said. A "building campaign" would have been more appropriate nomenclature for a mall in Buckhead, she added. "His vision is, he wants to be able to accommodate a broader community (where) everybody in the community is welcome to come and study and learn and pray and socialize."

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And some facilities will be available beyond just Cobb's Jewish community. Wolk said Jewish organizations around the metro area will be welcome to use the multipurpose room, for example.

"They don't believe that this is just a synagogue for members only. It's for the broader Jewish community," she said. With the new facility, "they can just do more of what they're trying to do, and accommodate more people and more programming."

Some changes would not have happened at all if not for the pandemic, Silverman said. Those include an already-completed nature trail the center owns seven acres, much of it forested and a rooftop terrace and community garden, where it will host outdoor gatherings.

People have grown comfortable spending time outdoors during the pandemic, Silverman said, something he does not expect to go away entirely as the pandemic recedes in the United States.

Chabad of Cobb has offered outdoor services since winter, and began offering indoor services in May. Silverman estimated some 80% of the congregation has been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

When asked what he most looked forward to doing when the renovations were complete, Silverman said, "Just being able to see people come together and enjoy each other, enjoy the community enjoy the inspiration that we can offer."

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Chabad of Cobb undergoes massive renovation - Yahoo News

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Posted By admin on June 18, 2021

A Prince William County commission tasked with taking a close look at county policies when it comes to race and social issues and reporting back to the board of supervisors, held another listening session for members of the community.

A Prince William County, Virginia, commission tasked with taking a closer look at county policies regarding race and social issues and reporting back to the board of supervisors held another listening session with community members Thursday evening.

From calls for more police involvement with young people to schools helping children from minority communities improve in school, the Racial and Social Justice Commission got input from residents on various topics.

Rabbi Lizz Goldstein, of the Congregation Ner Shalom synagogue, said including Jewish holidays on the school calendar is a step in the right direction, but she believes schools can do more to be more inclusive for Jewish students.

If your spring basket has bunnies and eggs, thats very associated with Easter. Our spring baskets would have matza in them, Goldstein said.

Carlos Castro, the owner of Todos Supermarkets, urged the police department to connect more with young people in the community.

That might be an attraction for minorities to join the police when they actually know how it works, Castro said.

He also called on the county to take more steps to help students from minority communities who have fallen behind in school by setting up mentoring programs for those who may be struggling.

Its not uncommon to feel discouraged when you dont understand whats going on, Castro said.

Also, during the discussion, Frank Washington, with the Coalition to Save Historic Thoroughfare, called on the county to do more to protect historically Black communities and cemeteries.

His comments come after a cemetery in Thoroughfare, founded by enslaved Americans who were freed and Native Americans, was destroyed, and another is threatened by proposed development.

My great grandparents on this property; they worked this land; they treasured that land. And now it is being torn away from us, without any resolve, Washington said.

After collecting community input and reviewing county policies, the commission will deliver its recommendations to the board of supervisors in December.

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Prince William County commission hears from community on racial, social justice - WTOP

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Posted By admin on June 18, 2021

Question: Where I live, in a small out of town community, we have only one Orthodox synagogue, but the bimah is in the front on the stage with the Aron HaKodesh. My question: May one daven in a synagogue in which the bimah is not in the center?

Y.S.Via email

Answer: The Gemara (Sukkah 51b) describes the great synagogue in Alexandria, Egypt, where the bimah, the almemar, was located in the center of the synagogue.

The Tur (Orach Chayim 150) explains that the bimah was placed in the center so that everyone could hear the cantor pray. The Rambam (Hilchot Tefilla 11:3) concurs and explains that the bimah was specifically placed in the center for that reason, since the great synagogue in Alexandria was so large.

Therefore, Rabbeinu Caro (bid., Kesef Mishneh) expresses the view that in our times, when synagogues are small, it is not necessary that the bimah be placed in the center and one may follow the custom of each place.

The Rema, however, states that it should be in the center of the synagogue with all the congregants facing forward toward the Aron HaKodesh, except the elders, who face the congregation (Orach Chayim 150:5).

The Chatam Sofer (Responsa, Orach Chayim, 26) explains that the bimah is compared to the altar on which we offered the incense, which was located in the center of the Temple. Today we offer our prayers on the bimah and we march around it on Sukkot. Therefore, we must place it in the center and must not change its location.

The Aruch HaShulchan (Orach Chayim 150:9) considers it a grave sin to change the customs of old. The Chofetz Chaim (ibid., Biur Halacha) claims that those who change the location of the bimah are trying to follow the gentiles who place their altar in the front. When a Reform group built a synagogue in 1810 with the bimah near the Ark, it raised a furor among the rabbis of that generation. Rabbi Akiva Joseph Schlesinger, author of Lev Ivri, a follower of the Chatam Sofer, convened an assembly of 71 rabbis who placed a ban (excommunication) upon that synagogue.

In short, we present his very sharp argument: Those people who change the customs of our fathers, who for thousands of years have placed the bimah in the center of the synagogue, are considered as apostates who intend to provoke.

Today we see more and more synagogues that originally had the bimah in the front on a platform with the Aron HaKodesh move the bimah to the center. I remember growing up in Boro Park where many of the larger synagogues all had the bimah either on the pulpit platform right in front of the Aron HaKodesh or adjacent to it in the front of the sanctuary. Over time these larger congregations [some at great expense] moved their bimah back to the center of their sanctuary.

Yet if the synagogue is otherwise strict in its practice regarding matters such as separate sections for men and women and strict adherence to the proper Orthodox liturgy without any deviations, then by all means, by joining such a synagogue you and others will hasten the completion of their conformity to tradition.

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Q & A: Should The Bimah Be In The Center Of The Synagogue? - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com

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Posted By admin on June 18, 2021

Abu Dhabi has revealed the names of its upcoming Abrahamic Family House, a multi-faith complex coming to Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi.

The names of the houses of worship have been announced as the Imam Al-Tayeb Mosque, St. Francis Church, and Moses ben Maimon Synagogue.

The Church naming is a direct reference to Pope Francis, who came to Abu Dhabi two years ago in a very significant visit.

The project, which also includes a cultural centre, will welcome visitors to worship, learn and engage in dialogue.

Construction is being closely followed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, according to the AD Media Office.

Inspired by the Document on Human Fraternity, which was signed in Abu Dhabi in February 2019, the Abrahamic Family House embodies the UAEs values of peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding. It is due for completion in 2022.

The Abrahamic Family Houses design, by architect Sir David Adjaye, captures the values shared between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, through three main buildings, including a mosque, a church, and a synagogue in one place. As such, the complex recounts the history and builds bridges between human civilizations and religious messages.

The design of the project was first unveiled by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, at a global gathering in New York in 2019, during the 2nd meeting of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF). The design was presented to Pope Francis and the Grand Imam during a meeting in November 2019.

The Abrahamic Family House epitomizes interfaith harmonious coexistence and preserves the unique character of each religion. It personifies Abu Dhabis vision for human fraternity and embeds coexistence into the already diverse cultural fabric of the UAE. Overseeing the development of this iconic project is inspiring and reflective of the UAE efforts in realizing the values of the Document on Human Fraternity and fostering its lofty principles. The naming of the three houses of worship recognises the work of His Eminence Grand Imam Al Tayeb, His Holiness Pope Francis, and Moses Ben Maimon, and harnesses their teachings to forge a message of goodwill for future generations around the world, said H.E Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture Abu Dhabi and a member of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity.

As a place for learning, dialogue and worship, the Abrahamic Family House is intended to be a cultural landmark and an inspiring global symbol that epitomises the shared values of harmonious coexistence and understanding among the three Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The design is very intentional as well, characterized by an iconic geometric architecture of three cubes.

The structures are intended to represent the unified commonality and mutual coexistence between the three religions whilst evoking the traditional architecture and retaining the individualism of each of the three faiths.

During the design phases of the houses of worship, members of religious communities worldwide have been engaged and consulted to ensure consistency with and adherence to the respective religions requirements and teachings, according to Abu Dhabis media office.

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These are the names of Abu Dhabi's new mosque, church, and synagogue opening next year! - Masala.com

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Posted By admin on June 18, 2021

Louis Gohmert, the Texas congressman on the GOPs far right, said he wanted to pay Steve Amerson, who sings gospel.

Instead, federal documents show, the money went to Steve Anderson, who spews antisemitism.

A staffer botched an internet search in making the filing to the Federal Election Commission, Gohmerts chief of staff told The Daily Beast this week. Connie Hair said the $5,500 that Gohmerts campaign paid indeed went to Amerson, a California-based Christian singer, for performing at a fundraiser in December.

But a staffer entered the amount on the FEC forms as going to Steve Anderson, the pastor who helms the Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona. Hair said the staffer is amending the form.

The Daily Beast listed a number of statements in which Anderson celebrated the deaths of gay people, and sermons with titles like The Jews Are Our Enemies, The Jews Killed Jesus and Jewish Synagogue = Synagogue of Satan.

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Texas Rep. paid a gospel singer. Records show the money went to an antisemite - The Jerusalem Post

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World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder joined Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban last Thursday for a reopening ceremony of Rumbach Street Synagogue in Budapest. The syangogue reopened for the first time following its destruction by the Nazis during the Holocaust.

World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met to discuss antisemitism and the revitalization of Jewish life in Hungary

Nestled in what used to be the Jewish ghetto in Budapest, the Rumbach Street Synagogue will reopen for public education and use, many decades after the historic building was destroyed by the Nazis during their occupation of Hungary in the 1940s.

Lauderjoined MAZSIHISZ, the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities and the Hungarian affiliate of the WJC, to celebrate the reopening of the synagogue, originally built in 1872 to serve Hungarian Jews in the eastern part of Budapest.

The celebration came immediately before a meeting between Amb. Lauder and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, during which Lauder personally thanked Orban for the Hungarian governments financial support of the renovation and restoration of the synagogue building. The building is also the new home of the WJCs Hungary office.

Without this synagogue, I would not be here, Lauder said. My grandparents moved to Budapest to get married and had their wedding in the very space we are currently celebrating. They eventually moved to Vienna, and then to New York as antisemitism grew throughout Hungary. And if they did not make that move, I wouldnt be here today, let alone part of this historic celebration commemorating a very positive step forward for Hungarys Jewish community.

Lauder displayed a stone that was part of the original Rumbach synagogue, which he has carried throughout his travels as WJC president. It was passed down by his grandparents to his mother, and then to him. He shared how that stone has represented a symbol of good luck as the WJC works to combat the rise in antisemitism around the world.

The synagogue buildings renovation was made possible thanks to a 3.2 billion Hungarian forint ($11,254.53 USD) grant from the Hungarian government, disbursed through a series of payments to recognize the fact that more than half of the Hungarian Jewish community, representing nearly 450,000 people, were murdered in the Holocaust. Due to the decimation of Hungarys Jewish population, the congregation and its physical space were never fully restored after World War II. Now complete, the modern-era renovation will help support and revitalize the largest Jewish population in East Central Europe.

During his meeting with Prime Minister Orban, Lauder praised the governments support for the Jewish community, particularly amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as its support to health, social and cultural institutions that improve the quality of life for Hungarian Jewry.

Lauder also thanked Prime Minister Orban for his recent visit to Israel and his ongoing support for the Jewish state on the international floor.

The reopening celebration also included a commemorative march around the Jewish neighborhood as community members danced with Torah scrolls, and a religious ceremony to place the Torah scrolls back in the ark and light the eternal candles. The chief rabbi of Hungary, Robert Frlich, and Israeli Ambassador to Hungary, Yacov Hadas-Handelsman, also participated in todays gathering.

The synagogue building will now serve as an open synagogue, welcoming those representing all branches of Judaism with a moveable Bimah. The space will also host concerts and other events, serving as a space to educate all visitors about Jewish life.

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Hungarian Synagogue reopens for the first time since its destruction by the Nazis - European Jewish Press

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Zionism"Finally, my own country."Notable theorists

Theodor Herzl (1860-1904) Leon Pinsker Max Nordau

Nazis Anti-Semites Hamas Anti-Israel Arabs

Zionism was proposed as a solution to the Jewish Question and as an escape from Anti-Antisemitism. The idea is that the only way to escape persecution from countries within the diaspora was to create a land that was specifically Jewish that would be safe for Jews.

Political Zionism started in the late 1800s with Theodor Herzl publishing his book: Der Judenstaat (The Jewish State) and later Altneuland (The Old New Land), but the Jewish sentiment of returning to Zion has existed far longer, since the land of Israel was taken over by the Roman Empire.

Zionism started as a fringe ideology within the Jewish community, with many voicing their disapproval for the idea, but in 1917, during the First World War, Britain was in dire need of support, so they turned to the Jewish community, and in return they created the Balfour Declaration which was a public statement promising a homeland for Jews located in Palestine, which at the time was under the Ottoman Empire's rule.

Zionism is usually portrayed as a mixture of Jewish stereotypes, meaning he likes money, power and being behind conspiracies.

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Posted By admin on June 18, 2021

What makes us move to Israel? Love, need, fate?Its a subject Im exploring these days while the Jewish world seems fractured between those who are proud of or angry at our Jewish state.The answer isnt obvious.I know folks who grew up without knowing who Theodor Herzl or David Ben-Gurion are, who didnt know the difference between Tu Bshvat and Lag Bomer (and didnt care), who came to Israel on a fluke because someone told them volunteering on a kibbutz was a cheap way of travel. Nonetheless, they wound up making aliyah and becoming devoted Israelis.On the other hand, there are others who grew up loving Israel but never moved here. Decades ago, I had a job selling tax-free goods to new immigrants in the Murray Greenfield Agency in Jerusalem. We helped newcomers wisely choose everything from toasters to vehicles. There were intriguing products: clothes dryers that also heated small apartments and twin beds that zipped together. Id already been working there for several years when a luminary of my own Zionist youth movement came into our office while finally making aliyah. I sold him a Peugeot sedan. For whatever reason, he and his family didnt wind up staying.I like to recall my own epiphany: that moment when I knew I would live in Israel. I was a high school senior, just turned 18, on a Young Judaea study weekend, challenged by the Israeli emissary near Connecticuts Salmon River with its covered bridge. But that decision didnt happen in a vacuum. Id already been active in Young Judaea since I was 10 and I grew up in a home where my mother ordered any Book-of-the-Month Club selections with a Jewish theme. My father redirected our summer vacation money to the emergency funds for the Six Day War. They didnt object to my moving to Israel, indeed they came after me, as did my sister.I RECENTLY learned of the Gold family, former Americans who gathered at Kibbutz Nir Etzion south of Haifa for the four-day Shabbat-Shavuot weekend. The fragile ceasefire of Operation Guardian of the Walls had just been announced. They didnt have to worry about airports closing because nearly all 270 cousins live in Israel. A gold standard for aliyah.

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'A gold standard for aliyah' Zionism in the face of Israel-hatred today - The Jerusalem Post

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