April 27-May 5, 2007– Iyar 10-17, 5767
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Contents of the Shabbat O Gram:
(Click to scroll down)
Just the Facts (service schedule)
The (Occasionally) Ranting Rabbi
Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunities
The Beth El Bar/Bat Mitzvah Commentary
Required Reading and Action Items (links to key articles on Israel and Jewish life)
Announcements (goings on in and around TBE)
See photos of our TBE teens at our new USY website:
Check out www.tbe.org for photos from our recent Cantors’ Concert,
Plus Purim photos and our extensive library of photo albums,
articles, sermons, info about the temple,
Shabbat-O-Grams and links to the Jewish world.
Quote for the Week
Pessimism is a luxury that a Jew can never allow himself.
-- Golda Meir
DID YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE 15 TEENS GOING FROM
MORE THAN FROM ANY CHAPTER!!!!
Candle lighting: 7:28 pm on Friday, 27 April 2007. For Havdalah times, other Jewish calendar information, and to download a Jewish calendar to your PDA, click on http://www.hebcal.com/. To see the festivals of other faiths as well, go to http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/. The United Synagogue has updated its candlelighting information. To learn more, click here.
Friday Evening:
Kabbalat Shabbat: 6:30 PM – in the LOBBY
Tot Shabbat: 6:45 PM – in the CHAPEL
Shabbat Morning:
Service begins at 9:30 AM
MAZAL TOV TO KYLE TUCKMAN, WHO BECOMES BAR MITZVAH THIS SHABBAT MORNING!
Children’s Services: 10:30 AM
Our Torah Portion for Shabbat Morning
פרשת אחרי מות־קדשים
1: 19:15-18
2: 19:19-22
3: 19:23-32
4: 19:33-37
5: 20:1-7
6: 20:8-22
7: 20:23-27
maf: 20:25-27
Haftarah for Ashkenazim: Amos 9:7 - 9:15
If you liked Storahtelling, Storahtelling’s new weekly blog about the Torah portion is at http://storahtelling.blogspot.com/. Also check out Torahquest at http://www.torahquest.org/commentary_list.php ORT Navigating the Bible; Rashi in English; BibleGateway: Useful for comparing different translations: Note- this is a Christian site.What’s Bothering Rashi
(Bonchek) Each week, one example from the parashah is deconstructed. See a weekly commentary from the UJC Rabbinic Cabinet, at www.ujc.org/mekorchaim. Read the Masorti commentary at http://www.masorti.org/mason/torah/index.asp. University of Judaism, JTS commentary is at: http://www.jtsa.edu/community/parashah/. USCJ Torah
THE ENTIRE HEBREW BIBLE (AS WELL AS OTHER JEWISH SOURCES) CAN BE FOUND WITH SIDE-BY-SIDE TRANSLATION AT http://www.mechon-mamre.org/
100 Blessings: Download information about the grace after meals (see Birkat Ha-mazon explained in Wikipedia and in the Jewish Virtual Library) The actual prayer can be downloaded at Birkat Hamazon [pdf]
Morning Minyan
7:30 Weekdays, 9:30 Sundays
TO ENSURE A “GUARANTEED MINYAN” FOR THE DAY OF YOUR YAHRZEIT – GO TO THE ROSNER MINYAN MAKER AT WWW.TBE.ORG AND ALSO CONTACT ME AT RABBI@TBE.ORG.
The
(occasionally)
Holocaust and Hip Hop
“God Almighty When Will it End.”
This year, Grammy award winning Israeli violinist Miri Ben-Ari and Israeli rap/hip-hop star Kobi "Subliminal" Shimoni co-produced this hip-hop music video expressing their sentiments on the Shoah. It is called “God Almighty When Will it End.”
Check it out at – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVYanQ5r6rw
This video is an attempt by
Before you click and watch “God Almighty…” prepare to see something that is quite non-traditional, which may be disturbing to some, especially to Holocaust survivors. Know that in Israel this video was distributed by the thousands to students in schools, by recommendation, approval and blessing of -- amongst others -- Professor Yehuda Bauer (Israel's leading historian on the Holocaust) and Rabbi Benny Lau (son of Holocaust survivor and former Israeli Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau).
Devra Jaffe Berkowitz, who forwarded me the video link to “God Almighty When Will it End,” commented, “At first the use of rap to convey the Holocaust was a bit unsettling to me (seemed to not capture the gravity of the events). However, given that so many young people feel so unmoved by traditional ways of depicting the Shoah, I truly feel that anything that can connect people to what happened is welcome and needed. I am interested to see what others think.”
I sent the link out to our college students yesterday and a few have already responded – and here’s what some of them had to say:
At first, I was shocked at the arrangement of the Bodies in the first scene. However, I think how they come to life is very interesting and it shows that Jews who died had lives and stories that made them stand out.
I also noticed the translation of part of Hatikvah, "Looking Towards
Overall, I think it was neat that "Subliminal" chose to do this and I thought the violin part by Miri Ben-Ari was well done.
So, those are my thoughts. I hope all is well.
Sincerely,
Andy Bailer
-----------------------------------------
I saw the video. The combination of the violin and the woman's voice were really powerful. The song reminds me of another song about the Holocaust, "Never Again" by the Wu Tang Clan. They're both incredible songs and they show that our generation still remembers the atrocities of the Holocaust and we will never forget. Though sadly there will soon no longer be survivors alive to tell their stories, their stories will still live on through us. We are the link between them and the next generation, and we will make sure that the next generation knows to never forget as well. Thanks for the video.
Rachel Maimon
So what do you think?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVYanQ5r6rw
Conservative Judaism at a Crossroads
Next week I’ll be attending the rabbinical assembly convention in
And see the following article by the new jts chancellor on Jews and the
Exuding Holiness, By Arnold M. Eisen
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Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunties
Beth El Cares
Cathy Satz (968-9191; csscounsel@yahoo.com)Cheryl Wolff (968-6361; cwolff@optonline.net)BETH EL CARES co-chairs
SUNDAY MAY 6 8:30 AM - 1:15PM
“Give the ‘Gift of Life”. Get involved in a short term mitzvah project that will save lives.
Call Cheryl Wolff today at 203-968-6361 to schedule a donation time.
The Children of Sderot
This was passed along to me by Ilana ginsberg,
who is studying in
Dear Friends,
We are turning to you for help in supporting the charitable project that the
Sderot is a small city with a population of 25,000 people. It is nearly on the border of
Right now the situation in the city is simply tragic. The timeframe from when a rocket is sent from
We want to help these children, to do something for them. Even if it’s just a little bit of help - we will do what we can. Our project is already under way. My daughter, Masha, a student in
The
Now it is necessary to raise money for transportation and associated expenses (note that the camps are free for these kids) .
Our goal is to raise $36,000. The Russian Jewish Community Foundation has made a special fund for this.
Checks can be made payable to: RJCF Children of Sderot Fund Mail to: Russian Jewish Communtiy Foundation 800 South Street, Ste. 600 Waltham, MA 02453 Please forward this letter to your friends and colleagues.
Please do not delay. We have only a month to do it.
We have the ability to take away fear for 20 children of Sderot, if only for a part of a summer.
To give them 30 days without a bomb exploding and the sound of a siren – But we need your help!
Thank you for your support.
Inna Rifkin
Jeremy Simon’s Mitzvah Project
Jeremy Simon’s mitzvah project is collecting toys/games for children in the pediatric unit at
A message from Bat Mitzvah student Emily katz
The holocaust was to "never happen again". Yet today a genocide continues unnoticed in Dafur. As we speak over 3.5 million men,women and children are left starving and homeless everyday. That is the reason I, have started to raise money for the people of
Click on
http://www.savedarfur.org/page/outreach/view/dollarsfordarfur/EmilyK
Sunday, June 3, 2007
The
The Walk, Run & Ride will be on June 3, 2007 in the morning. Each year, more than 50 TBE members participate together to raise money for local cancer patients and their families. Please join our team for 2007!
We welcome ALL new and past walkers to the Sisterhood’s TBE Walk Team. We always have a great time for a great cause. You can walk at your own pace and you will have other TBE members to walk with! Although there is no set amount for personal fundraising, please try to raise $100 in sponsorships.
2007 - New Start Location and Route: We will gather at
Important Information: To participate please do the following:
§ Register on-line: go to the new web-site www.hopeinmotion.org. Follow the instructions to “register with an existing team”.
§ Register by mail: call Beth Silver for a participation form.
§ All participants receive an event t-shirt. If you would like the TBE logo on the event t-shirt, you MUST contact Beth Silver before May 15 to place your order (even if you marked a t-shirt size on-line or by paper registration. Beth doesn’t receive information about your TBE logo t-shirt order unless you contact her).
Call or email Beth Silver for details at 967-8852, or beth@silverconsulting.net. If you are unable to join the team this year, please consider donating or sponsoring the TBE team. We will walk on your behalf!
Looking forward to having YOU on the team!
Thank you!
Sisterhood of TBE
The Friendly Visitor and Friendly Shopper programs of Senior Services of Stamford endeavor to match enthusiastic and caring volunteers with homebound seniors.
DO YOU HAVE AN HOUR OR SO?
One hour every week or so is all you need to visit with or food shop for one of our community’s homebound seniors. The schedule is mutually agreed upon with the senior. The individuals we serve are grateful and responsive to those who reach out to them for a visit, a chat, a card game; or to food shop for them, since they are not mobile anymore.
With the help of volunteers we strive to enable seniors to live independent and fulfilled lives of dignity. We currently have many seniors waiting.
WHO? YOU!!!
Won't you consider volunteering? You will gain great personal satisfaction by seeing how your assistance and friendship immediately impacts the life of a local senior.
Anyone 16 years of age and older may volunteer, no driving is required. Seniors are homebound for the most part. Shoppers pick up groceries, take them back to the senior’s home, and usually stay for a short visit. Visitors spend an hour sharing conversation, looking at photographs, playing cards or board games, or assisting in letter writing; basically participating in the activities that good friends typically share when they are together. Many seniors especially love to have visitors with babies and young children, so bring them along!
For more information, contact Juli Harris, Program Director, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at (203) 324-6584, or via email:
jharris@seniorservicesofstamford.org.
Friendly Visitor and Friendly Shopper Programs
945 Summer Street w
Free Them Now
Ehud Goldwasser Eldad Regev Gilad Schalit
Kidnapped Israeli Soldiers
• Sign the petition at www.freethesoldiers.org
Vol. 1, Number 8
April 2007
Why is it Customary to Mourn Between Pesah and Shavuot?1
By Rabbi
(Orah Hayyim 493)
Here is a fascinating new responsum by Rabbi David Golinkin, the prime halakhic authority among Masorti Jews in
Note that it is my practice to perform weddings at various times during the Omer season, and rabbis’ practices vary widely. Here is Rabbi Golinkin’s response. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Question: It is customary not to get married and not to shave or cut one’s hair between Pesah and Lag Ba’omer or Pesah and Shavuot. Why do we mourn during the period of Sefirat Ha’omer (the counting of the omer)? Is there any point in maintaining these mourning customs today?
Responsum:
I) The Rabbi Akiva Theory
This question was first asked of Rav Natronai Gaon (ca. 719 c.e. or 859 c.e.) or of Rav Hai Gaon (cl. 1038):2
And regarding your question, why don’t we betroth or marry between Pesah and Atzeret (Shavuot) – is it because of an actual prohibition or not?
You should know that this does not stem from a prohibition but from a mourning custom, for so said our Sages: “Rabbi Akiva had 12,000 pairs of disciples and they all died between Pesah and Atzeret because they didn’t treat each other with respect” and they further taught “and they all died a cruel death from diphtheria” (Yevamot 62b). And from that time forward the Rishonim (early sages) had the custom not to marry on these days, but he who jumps and marries, we do not punish him by punishment or lashes, but if he comes to ask before the fact, we do not instruct him to marry. And as for betrothal, he who wants to betroth between Pesah and Atzeret betroths, because the main joy is the [marriage] huppah (canopy). (Otzar Hageonim to Yevamot p. 141, parag. 327).
As Rabbi David Feldman has pointed out (Feldman, 1962, note 3) the Gaon’s opinion was quoted and/or accepted by many medieval codifiers including R. Yitzhak ibn Ghayat (Spain, 11th Century), R. Avraham Hayarhi (Toledo, 13th Century), R. Zidkiyahu ben Avraham Harofe (Italy, 13th Century), and R. Joshua Ibn Shuib, R. Shimon ben Zemah Duran and Rabbeinu Yeruham (14th Century)
The Gaon in his Responsum was referring to a famous passage found in Yevamot 62b:
It was said that R. Akiva had twelve thousand pairs of disciples, from Gabbat to Antipatris; and all of them died at the same time because they did not treat each other with respect. The world remained desolate until R. Akiva came to our Masters in the South and taught the Torah to them. These were R. Meir, R. Judah, R. Yossi, R. Shimon and R. Elazar b. Shammua; and it was they who revived the Torah at that time. A Tanna taught: All of them died between Pesah and Shavuot. R. Hamma ben Abba or, it might be said, R. Hiyya b. Abin said: All of them died a cruel death. What was it? R. Nahman replied: Diphtheria.
Quite a few modern scholars took this passage as a veiled reference to the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132-135 c.e.) since Rabbi Akiva was an avid supporter of Bar Kokhba, who considered him the Messiah (Yerushalmi Ta’anit 4:8, fol. 68d). They maintained that 24,000 Jewish soldiers were killed by the Romans between Pesah and Shavuot, except on Lag Ba’omer which was a military victory. This was the opinion of R. Nahaman Krochmal, Joseph Derenbourg, R. Yitzhak Nissenbaum, and Professors
Nonetheless, the Rabbi Akiva theory is extremely problematic for a number of reasons:
a) 12 and 12,000 are round numbers in rabbinic literature;4
b) In the parallel passages, there are other round numbers;5
c) Most of the parallel passages do not mention when the tragedy occurred;6
d) The tone is legendary: “because they did not treat each other with respect”;
e) The Talmud itself says nothing about mourning customs to commemorate this tragedy.
Indeed, Dr. Aaron Amit of
II) The Lemuralia Theory
In 1869, Dr. Julius Landsberger explained that the Jewish period of mourning from Pesah until Lag Ba’omer was borrowed from the Romans. According to Ovid (43 b.c.e.-18 c.e.), the Romans did not marry during the 31 days of May which is called Lemuralia. These are funeral rites honoring the souls of the departed which return to wander over the earth, disturbing the peace of the living. Lemuralia rites were held during this season and no Roman maiden would risk her happiness by marrying in May. This superstition later migrated from
III) The Gehinom Theory
R. Zidkiyah ben Avraham Harofe (Italy, 13th Century) refers in the name of his brother Binyamin to Seder Olam Rabbah, Chapter 3 (ed. Ratner, p. 16; cf. Mishnah Eduyot 2:10 and other parallels). Rabbi Akiva says there that the sentence of the wicked in Gehinom (Hell) is 12 months, but Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri says that the sentence of the wicked in Gehinom is from Pesah to Atzeret. Therefore, we mourn between Pesah and Shavuot for the wicked who are suffering in Gehinom (Shiboley Haleket, ed. Buber, par. 235, p. 218)
IV) The Agriculture Anxiety Theory
Rabbi David Abudraham (
These Rabbis were influenced by many rabbinic sources, which say that the crops are judged between Pesah and Shavuot:
1. “On Pesah the grain is judged and on Atzeret – the fruit of the trees” (Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:2).
2. [How is the Omer waved?] He waves it from side to side in order to stop the evil winds; he waves it up and down in order to stop evil dew (Sukkah 37b = Menahot 62a = Vayikra Rabbah 28:5, ed. Margaliyot pp. 658-659).7
Theodore Gaster (p. 52) summarized this explanation as follows: “The days or weeks preceding the harvest and opening of the agricultural year, [are] a time when the corporate life of the community is, so to speak, in eclipse”.
V) Reinterpretation of the Custom
The result of this uncertainty regarding the reasons for mourning during the Sefirah season has been that many Jews no longer observe these customs. Indeed, it is very difficult for rabbis to justify such an observance to their congregants on the basis of the reasons cited above. As a result, the Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards has, over the years, relaxed many of the restrictions connected with the Sefirah season.8 However, if one examines medieval Jewish history, one concludes that the appropriate action is not to abolish the customs of mourning during the Sefirah season but rather to reinterpret them. This is what happened in 1096 after the First Crusade, as Salo Baron explained:
…Since most of the massacres had taken place in the spring months of Iyyar and Sivan, a heavy pall fell on the traditional period of the Sefirat HaOmer… this entire seven week interval… was now reemphasized as a protected period of national mourning.9
Indeed, this is the explanation given by Sefer Minhag Tov which was written in
Similarly, after the Chmielnicki massacres which took place in the spring of 1648, the Sefirah season was reemphasized as a period of mourning for the martyrs of that time. As Rabbi Yaakov
Thus we see that the restrictions of the Sefirah season were continuously reinterpreted. The Geonim took a group of already existing customs and explained them as signs of mourning for R. Akiva’s students. Medieval halakhic authorities took an already existing period of mourning and reinterpreted it to commemorate the massacres of the Crusades. Rabbi Ya’akov Emden did the same regarding the Chmielnicki massacres. We can and should continue this process. We should re-designate this traditional period of mourning - which also coincides with the Warsaw Ghetto uprising of Nissan-Sivan 5703 - as a period of mourning for the Six Million. The halakhic restrictions have existed for over a thousand years; all we need do is reapply them and reinterpret them in light of the tragedy confronting us.
By declaring the Sefirah season a period of mourning for the martyrs of the Shoah, we will achieve two objectives:
1) We will be following in the footsteps of the Men of the Great Assembly shehehziru attarah leyoshnah (Yoma 69b). They revitalized ancient customs that had fallen into disuse.
2) We will be commemorating the Holocaust in a manner befitting the magnitude of the tragedy. Yom Hashoah will not be just a one-day event, but will become part of the Sefirah season dedicated to mourning for the Six Million.10
The 22nd day of the Omer 5767
Notes
1. This responsum is an expanded version of Golinkin, 1984 and Golinkin 1991 (see the Bibliography below). In this teshuvah, we have quoted the major primary sources and added recent scholarship on the subject.
2. Halakhot Pesukot Min Hageonim, ed. J. Muller,
3. R. Nahman Krochmal is quoted by Feldman, EJ, col. 1388. The other scholars are listed in the Bibliography below.
4. See Binyamin Kosovsky, Otzar Leshon Hatalmud, Volume 30, Jerusalem, 5733, pp. 1208-1211; Boaz Cohen's Index to Louis Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews, Vol. 7, Philadelphia, 1938, p. 483; and Rashi to Shabbat 119a and Hullin 95b.
5. Yevamot 62b: 12,000 pairs; Kohelet Rabbah to 11:6, ed. Vilna, fol. 29b: 12,000; Bereshit Rabbah 61:3, ed. Theodore-Albeck, p. 660: 12,000; Tanhuma Haye Sarah 6 and Tanhuma Buber, ibid, p. 122: 300; Arugot Habosem, ed. Urbach, Vol. 1, Jerusalem, 1939, p. 75: 80,000; and cf. Silberman, p. 222
6. See Bereshit Rabbah; Tanhuma and Tanhuma Buber; Arugot Habosem.
7. Regarding this theory, see Akiva Ben Ezra at length and cf. Shabbat 129b and Megillah 31b quoted by Rabbi Feldman, 1962, note 8.
8. See the summary in Rabbi Isaac Klein, A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice,
9. Salo Baron, A Social and Religious History of the Jews, second edition, Vol. IV,
10. I have purposely omitted two important topics in this responsum. Regarding the different periods of mourning during Sefirah (from Pesah until Lag Baomer or from Rosh Hodesh Iyar until Shavuot etc. etc.) see Rabbi Adler and Rabbi Sperber. Regarding exactly why we rejoice on Lag Ba’omer, see Ben Ezra, Feldman, Gaster, Goren, Kafih, Lieberman and Morgenstern.
The Best Jewish Blogs
Online journals and commentaries called “blogs” (weblogs) have become an important part of the culture in a very brief time. Ask any politician or journalist about that! One might say that the Shabbat-O-Gram is a blog of sorts (and would be considered a big one, given the hundreds of visits we receive each week). But alas, the O gram is not in the running for any awards this year. Go to http://www.jibawards.com/ and vote for the third annual Jewish and Israeli Blog Awards. There are several categories and some fascinating new blogs. See all the nominees here. And there are lots of them. I am personally fond of old friend Nigel Savage’s work with Hazon, and his marvelous new blog, “The Jew and the Carrot,” http://jcarrot.org/, dealing with “Jews, food and contemporary issues.”
It’s customary during the period between Passover and Shavuot to study that classic of our tradition, the Ethics of our Ancestors, or Pirke Avot. See the text at http://www.jrf.org/pirke-avot/chap1-text.htm and some commentaries at http://www.jrf.org/pirke-avot/index.html
I’d love to know which of these timeless maxims you find especially relevant!
The Beth El Bar/Bat Mitzvah Commentary
Excerpts from Alex Rosenberg’s D’var Torah on Tazria-Metzora
Those of you, who know me, know that I am fascinated by pop culture. One reason for this fascination is the Jewish influence on our culture. For example, I find it interesting that Leonardo DiCaprio, who happens to be Jonathan’s idol, is going out with an Israeli swimsuit model by the name of Bar Refaeli, who happens to be one of my idols.
In fact, in mid March, Leonardo and Refaeli visited
As you can see, it’s not easy being a celebrity, although I wouldn’t mind trying. In our society, celebrities often become outcasts, worshipped from afar, but harassed from up close, to the point where they lose all privacy and are forced to live outside their communities. In some ways, it is similar to the people with leprosy described in my torah portion.
Try to think of Britney Spears, as I often do. She’s become such an outcast that not only can’t she appear in public, but she can’t even watch TV for fear of seeing herself being humiliated. It’s enough to make me feel a little sympathy for her, even though she brought much of it on herself.
Many celebrities have spoken about the burden of being famous. Aside from the loss of privacy, celebrities are the primary target of gossip. The rabbis have compared gossip to leprosy, because like leprosy and other diseases, gossip spreads very quickly and can ruin lives.
There is a story about a person who told an ugly rumor about a rabbi which led to the rabbi becoming an outcast. One day, the person spreading the rumor went to the rabbi to apologize. The rabbi took him to a roof where he took a large pillow and cut it in half, causing all of the feathers to scatter in the wind. The rabbi then instructed the person to gather all the feathers.
“That’s impossible,” he said.
“Exactly,” the rabbi replied. “And it is also impossible to take back all the words you’ve said. Cruel words like feathers fly.”
Getting back to my torah portion, there is a description in the section describing how, after seven days of quarantine, the Kohen – or priest – would personally bring the leper back into the community. There’s an important lesson here – that each of us has a responsibility to make sure that no one feels left out, and that no one’s life is allowed to be ruined by disease, including the disease of gossip.
Pop culture can be very dangerous but we can also use it for good. For example, for my mitzvah project, I’ve been designing buttons with popular logos and sayings, such as “Kiss me, I’m Jewish.” The money I raise will go toward the Ronald McDonald House and the Smile Train. So, while words can hurt, in this particular project they can heal.
it’s not an easy life, being Leo or Britney. As a Bar Mitzvah, I sort of know how it feels. I’ve got paparazzi here as well, although we’re not supposed to notice them on Shabbat. And everyone is watching my every move, listening to my every syllable. But I guarantee you I wont be shaving my head. There is also another difference. Instead of being sent away from the community, today I am being accepted into it!
And so today I’m a celebrity for a day – but I’ll be a Bar Mitzvah for life!
· So – do you think Leonardo will convert? (I would NOT want to do THAT conversion). But think of it – if he converted and then married Bar Rafaeli, it would be the first time a Jewish wedding was also a Bar Mitzvah.
· In essence we ALL are celebrities. Your portion shows that everyone is subject to potential impurity – we all can be corrupted, whether by success or fame or greed or – Or we can be purified by it. And for every person, that moment comes – we call it our “15 minutes of fame.” But Pirke Avot put it differently in chapter 4 (we study it at this time of year)
Ben Azzai said, “Despise no person and deem nothing impossible; for there is no person who does not have his day and there is no thing that does not have its place.”
· Virginia Tech Professor Liviu Librescu had his 15 minutes this week – actually it was just one minute, or maybe less – the time it took for him to decide to bar the door to his classroom and sacrifice himself to save his students
· His funeral in Ra'anana yesterday morning was attended by some 200 friends, family members, foreign diplomats and others who came to pay their respects.
· Speaking at the ceremony, Librescu's son Joe lamented the questions he had never asked his father. "They're asking me today about your past, and I don't
· know what to tell them," he said. "I'm proud of you. I walk today with [my] head held high. Sometimes I didn't hear you, but my ears are now wide open to your legacy," he went on. "I'm doing my best, reaching to the moon - I know I can reach it because of you."
· The professor's other son, Arie, said his father had "always said to be strong."
"Father, I believe that at this moment you're looking down on us from above and saying, what is all this crowing around? I only did what I had to do. From our childhood, you taught us to care for people, to work hard, to succeed, but you never taught us to be heroes. It is more theoretical a lesson than aerodynamics," he said. "A hero must have the right combination of certain attributes, and you had them."
· According to Arie, his father "used every spare minute to do what he loved." Speaking of his father's teaching, Librescu said that "the courses in aerodynamics have ended. On the 16th of the month, you started a new career, teaching a new subject - heroism - [which] millions of students are learning."
· YOUR name, Alex, is Ariel – lion of God. We never know when our 15 minutes will come – perhaps this is yours right now – though I suspect that you will have many more opportunities to change the world – like perhaps EVERY DAY of your life – with everything you do and every word you say.
· So I hope you will recall the true essence of fame in Jewish tradition – also expressed in chapter 5 of Pirke Avot:
“Who is honored? He that honors his fellow human being”
Some GOOD NEWS from
and other sources
Israel’s Independence Day Bloc Party
So,
Well if the following couple of articles are anything to go by, the answer is plainly: with meat!
I guess it is not so different from your typical American Fourth of July celebrations. People have a day off from work, the weather is perfectly warm, so they grab some friends, head to the nearest park and make a barbeque, or “Al ha esh” (meaning, literally, “on the fire”).
So in preparation for the great day of smoky fun, this article in Haaretz lists the seven top sources for quality gourmet meats in
While the Jerusalem Post’s Independence Day round-up is a little broader, there is certainly a listing for where to find great steaks, as well as details of a Bloc Party that was thrown by Arcady Gaydamak, the country’s Russian-born billionaire and perhaps most importantly, an all-day bash at one of Israel’s most popular clubs Haoman 17.
Take a look at the full listings, and you’ll wish you had been there to celebrate too!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
How do You Mend a Broken Heart?
We have written about Save a Child’s Heart before at isrealli.org. Come to think of it, we have also written about Idan Raichel .
But the following diary entry, which was published on Ynet News was so moving, we figured you would want to revisit both of these Israeli entities again. In the following article, Raichel documents the events of a mercy mission that he takes part in together with child cardiologists, traveling to
now for the rest
Prime source: Daily Alert of the
See also http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/c.hsJPK0PIJpH/b.672581/k.CB99/Home.htm
Israel at the UN: There Is a Limit to Israel's Restraint - Yitzhak Benhorin
The world must not interpret Israel's restraint as an acceptance of the situation,
"Later in the day, we learned that Hamas' fierce rocket fire was just a front, to divert attention away from its truly evil plans, to kidnap an Israeli soldier. Thankfully, the IDF thwarted the kidnapping....Since the ceasefire began at the end of November 2006, Israel has continually exhibited restraint to the more than 200 rockets fired at it by Palestinian terrorists....Israel needs no further evidence to know that Hamas' ways are not the ways of peace. Hamas has shown it will not stop its campaign of terror until its unholy ambitions of destroying
See also Israel's Statement to the UN Security Council - Ambassador Dan Gillerman (United Nations)
No Gaza Operation for Now - Ron Ben-Yishai
Hamas' Independence Day attack was a highly calculated strategic move meant to achieve far-reaching military and diplomatic objectives, based on the Hizbullah model of July 12, 2006, when two IDF soldiers were kidnapped. The objective was to fan the flames of conflict in
The Independence Day offensive was a Hamas initiative undertaken without any substantive cause in order to undermine diplomatic peace efforts. The IDF is able and ready to carry out a wide-scale operation in
Palestinian Rocket Fire Continues
Palestinians in
Stopping Hamas - Editorial
On Wednesday, the Israeli cabinet decided against launching a major ground operation in
Third,
Palestinian Suffering - Tulin Daloglu
Hamas' charter quotes a forged hadith (a traditional account of things said or done by Prophet Muhammad), saying that "there will come a time when the stone will call to a Muslim there is a Jew behind me" - widely interpreted as sanctioning violence against Jews. The Arab-Muslim world believes that the
Al-Qaeda Strikes Back - Bruce Riedel (Foreign Affairs)
- Al-Qaeda is a more dangerous enemy today than it has ever been before. Al-Qaeda moved swiftly to develop a capability in Iraq, where it had little or no presence before 9/11. On February 11, 2003, bin Laden sent a letter to the Iraqi people, broadcast via the satellite network al Jazeera, warning them to prepare for the "Crusaders' war to occupy one of Islam's former capitals."
- Thousands of Arab volunteers, many of them inspired by bin Laden's words, went to
- Al-Qaeda's relocation to Pakistan has also provided new opportunities for the group to expand its reach in the West, especially the
- One appealing option for al-Qaeda in the near future may be
The writer, a Senior Fellow at the
Ahmadinejad Was a Loser in the British Hostage Crisis - Dennis Ross
(New Republic/Washington Institute for Near East Policy)
- The non-IRGC segments are mindful of the costs of isolation, and they don't seek nuclear arms at any price. That is the meaning of pragmatism - recognizing
- The Iranian press did not even mention the crisis for several days after the British sailors were seized: This was hardly a case in which the regime was trying to whip the public into a frenzy. After the release of the sailors, Ahmadinejad was roundly criticized in many Iranian newspapers, which noted that the crisis cost
- What does this tell us about the Iranian nukes? - that the issue of
A Letter from
Here’s a letter I received this week from Nigel Savage of Hazon – who spoke here a few years ago. He captures the Independence Day mood so perfectly. I’ve heard from several Israeli friends and relatives lately of how gloomy things seem and how a war is expected this summer. Nigel takes those sentiments and places them into the perspective of Israeli life in a magnificent way…read!
Dear All,
I’m in
The backdrop to this is a very deep sense of anomie in the country. I had two friends, late one night, tell me that “
But sometimes as a visitor you see things that Israeli media coverage obscures: and I felt this strongly, last night, at the Yom Ha’Atsma’ut celebrations in Gan Ra’anana, the park in the center of Ra’anana.
I’m staying with my friends Stef & Josh. Their (rather great) kids, Eytan, Noam and Arielle are 14, 12 and 8. We go over to friends of theirs for dinner, first. The day before Yom Ha’Atsma’ut is Yom Hazikaron, Israeli Remembrance day. It’s the equivalent of Tisha B’Av for the Jewish community of
On TV, after the ceremony that inaugurates Yom Hazikaron, there’s a documentary in which they remember those who have died in the previous year, and interview their friends and family members. It’s heartwrenching, and it includes – invariably – lots of smiling photographs from earlier days. A friend’s 12-year old says to her mother, talking about her 17-year old brother who goes to the army next year: “We’d better take lots of photographs of [Ploni]” The mother is telling me this as we’re walking into the Yom Ha’Atsma’ut celebrations, and her eyes welled-up as she told me, as she had quietly cried when her daughter made the comment originally. What can you say?
And we’re having this conversation while I’m walking amidst the largest crowd I’ve been in since I saw Man Utd and Chelsea in the FA Cup Final in 1994. (Ah yes: what goes around, comes around...). I’m guessing somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000. People are converging on the park from every direction.
Once there, we spend the evening wandering through it. There are food stalls; people lying or sitting, chatting, eating. Red toffee apples on sticks. In one part, food stands: An ice cream stand. A Domino’s Pizza, absolutely mobbed out when fresh pizza arrives. Big balloons with helium. Kids spraying fake foam on each other. There’s a sort of “Jewish music” stage, and people listening and a few dancing. There are fireworks over the lake; I love fireworks. There’s a huge amphitheater where there’s the main music stage. In every direction people are walking, chatting, sitting, eating, bumping into friends. I’d say maybe 10 or 15% of the crowd are orthodox, the men wearing kippot, the women with hair covered. We were there from about 8.30pm till just after midnight, when we left, but at that point things were just warming up, and the park was as full as when we arrived. Last year Idan Reichel performed at 2am. This year local teen bands took the stage from 1am onwards.
It was a lovely evening out, and for my friends, and I’d guess for most of the Israelis there, just what they expect on Yom Ha’Atsma’ut. For Eytan and Noam and Arielle, this is just how it is, each year. But here are some of the things that to me were fascinating.
There was no alcohol. It didn’t seem to be banned – when I asked my friends why there was no alcohol they were taken aback by the question. If it were July 4th in the
And there was almost no police presence. There was the standard check of your bag at the entrances to the park – that was it. A huge huge crowd, and just no police. I don’t mean, “no police in relation to potential terrorist threats” – I mean “no police and when have you ever been in a huge crowd in the
There was an enormously wide range of ages. Toddlers in strollers, little kids running around, groups of 13-year olds, groups of 17-year olds, young couples, older couples, big families with tons of kids. And an enormous number of kids were with their friends rather than their parents. By midnight I think that some of the older folk had left and more teenagers had arrived; it looked like the median age was about 20, and kids aged 12 – 25 accounted for ¾ of the crowd. (And, even at midnight, tons of strollers with babies or little ones fast asleep, still being pushed along by their parents, happy and engaged.) Eytan had gone off with friends, and was staying over at a friend's. Arielle left earlier with some family friends. Aviv, Dov & Bryn’s 15 year-old, had come home the previous year by himself at 4 am.
Where in the world, nowadays, are adults happy to be out with huge numbers of teenagers? Where do you see families with little kids out at midnight, in enormous numbers? Where do parents live where they can have their kids wander off with friends, or walk home at night alone?
It’s very hard to describe what an unusual experience it is to be in such a large crowd, for so long, till fairly late at night, and have the entire experience be so easy, fun and good-humored. It wasn’t very nationalistic – not many Israeli flags in evidence. It didn’t have any speeches. It was essentially the largest and most delightful neighborhood party I’ve ever been to – or ever expect to.
What I think it reveals is that many of the people of this country, and thus the country itself, are in better shape than they realize. The divisions of
Yom Ha’Atsma’ut is a contemporary “chag” (holiday, understood in a semi-religious sense), and people walk around saying “chag sameach,” just as they would on Pesach or Succot. Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks, the British orthodox chief rabbi, somewhere writes that the word “simchah” should properly be translated as something like “that joy which arises through celebration with others.” The smiles on people’s faces last night, the casual interaction of parents and kids, the interweaving of literally millions of different skeins of social connection, the easy commonality of shared history and experience, made last night a rather deep experience of simchah – and, using the word in its other sense, the largest “simchah” (ie festive wedding or bar mitzvah party) I’ve ever been to.
When you step back, the world is in a darker place than it was in the ‘80s and ‘90s. There’s the war in
But the Jewish roots of
And of course, the celebration doesn’t mean the challenges and problems don’t exist. By next Monday, 175 riders and more than 50 crew will gather in
But celebration is important, and for one night of the year, it’s good and proper that
I want to end with something about the counting of the omer. People who know me know that I love counting the omer. I love how a biblical agricultural harvest has accreted new levels of meaning, and continues to do so – much like the rest of Jewish tradition. Last night and today is the 21st day of the omer: Malchut she’b’tiferet. This is the last day of the week of tiferet, which is about that sense of beauty that arises from balance. And malchut is about sovereignty; it’s about taking all that precedes it, loftier and more ethereal stuff, and making it real in the world. So malchut she’b’tiferet is about beauty and balance – and taking it out into the world, in practical ways; even literally, in an actual sovereign state.
So my hope and my prayer, for all Israel’s disparate inhabitants, is that the start of the 60th year of the State of Israel should herald an ability to see the beauty and balance that already exists in our lives; and that the State itself, in its leaders and institutions, should rise to match some of the best qualities of the people who live here.
Chag sameach
Nigel
Nigel Savage
Hazon /
Hazon works to create a more healthy and sustainable Jewish world - as a step towards a more healthy and sustainable world for all. We gratefully acknowledge support from Bikkurim, the Dorot Foundation, FJC, Natan, UJA-Federation of
MYTH #260
"The Jews started the first war with the Arabs."
FACT
The chairman of the Arab Higher Committee said the Arabs would “fight for every inch of their country.” 1 Two days later, the holy men of
Husseini’s prediction began to come true almost immediately after the UN adopted the partition resolution on November 29, 1947. The Arabs declared a protest strike and instigated riots that claimed the lives of 62 Jews and 32 Arabs. Violence continued to escalate through the end of the year. 4
The first large-scale assaults began on January 9, 1948, when approximately 1,000 Arabs attacked Jewish communities in northern
In the first phase of the war, lasting from November 29, 1947 until April 1, 1948, the Palestinian Arabs took the offensive, with help from volunteers from neighboring countries. The Jews suffered severe casualties and passage along most of their major roadways was disrupted.
On April 26, 1948,
All our efforts to find a peaceful solution to the
On May 4, 1948, the Arab Legion attacked Kfar Etzion. The defenders drove them back, but the Legion returned a week later. After two days, the ill-equipped and outnumbered settlers were overwhelmed. Many defenders were massacred after they had surrendered. 7 This was prior to the invasion by the regular Arab armies that followed
The UN blamed the Arabs for the violence. The UN Palestine Commission, which was never permitted by the Arabs or British to go to Palestine to implement the resolution, reported to the Security Council on February 16, 1948, that “powerful Arab interests, both inside and outside Palestine, are defying the resolution of the General Assembly and are engaged in a deliberate effort to alter by force the settlement envisaged therein.” 8
The representative of the Jewish Agency told us yesterday that they were not the attackers, that the Arabs had begun the fighting. We did not deny this. We told the whole world that we were going to fight. 9
The British commander of
Early in January, the first detachments of the Arab Liberation Army began to infiltrate into
Despite the disadvantages in numbers, organization and weapons, the Jews began to take the initiative in the weeks from April 1 until the declaration of independence on May 14. The Haganah captured several major towns including Tiberias and Haifa, and temporarily opened the road to Jerusalem.
The partition resolution was never suspended or rescinded. Thus,
Notes
1New York Times, ( December 1, 1947).
2Facts on File Yearbook, (NY: Facts on File, Inc., 1948), p. 48.
3J.C. Hurewitz, The Struggle For Palestine, (NY: Shocken Books, 1976), p. 308.
4Facts on File 1948, p. 231.
5Facts on File 1947, p. 231.
6Howard Sachar, A History of Israel: From the Rise of Zionism to Our Time, (NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1979), p. 322.
7Netanel Lorch, One Long War, (Jerusalem: Keter Books, 1976), p. 47; Ralph Patai, ed., Encyclopedia of Zionism and Israel, (NY: McGraw Hill, 1971), pp. 307-308.
8Security Council Official Records, Special Supplement, (1948), p. 20.
9Security Council Official Records, S/Agenda/58, (April 16, 1948), p. 19.
10John Bagot Glubb, A Soldier with the Arabs, (London: Staughton and Hodder, 1957), p. 79.
11Isi Leibler, The Case For
This article can be found at http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths/mf24.html#a51
Source: Myths & Facts Online -- A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict by Mitchell G. Bard.
The Conference of Presidents has launched a new website, www.IranAlert.org. IranAlert features:
- the latest news, updated daily, on the Iranian nuclear threat, missile program, and
- recent analysis and commentary, as well as a collection of "must reads";
- key documents from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations, the
- background information on
- links to
FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE,
ONLINE SIGNUP IS AVAILABLE FOR NEXT WEEK’S
Shabbat Across America DINNER!
http://www.tbe.org/site/Synaplex/upcoming_events.htm
SISTERHOOD MEMBERS
BECOME FRINGE GROUP FANATICS!
Learn How and Why To Wear Tallit and Tefillin
Guest Speaker, Cantor Rachael Littman
April 29, 2007 at 1:00pm, at the home of Cantor Littman
$25 Minimum Donation to Benefit Torah Fund* Open to Paid-Up Sisterhood Members Only**
*Free to Purchasers of 2006-07 Torah Fund Pin **Dues Paid Now Will Be Applied to 2007-2008
Space Limited to First 50, So Reserve Now!
RSVP to Ellen Gottfried, 322-6901, x308
Karen Hainbach, Chair, 322-8842
SAVE THE DATE! PARTICIPATE!
PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR:
FOR CHILDREN ENTERING KINDERGARTEN IN FALL 2007
SUNDAY MAY 20TH , 2007
Our kindergarteners and their wonderful teacher, Marlyn Agatstein, would like to invite you to visit their class. On Sunday, May 20, 2007, we will be opening our classroom and welcoming your family to come and share our classroom experiences with us. You will have the opportunity to explore our curriculum, sing with Nurit Avigdor, our music teacher, meet Karen Tobias, our creative art teacher, and cook delicious food for the holiday of Shavuot. This open house event will take place in the kindergarten room (lower level) at
We look forward to your joining us at 10:00 a.m. for two hours chock-full of fun activities. Feel free to bring the entire family with you!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call/e-mail
Eran Vaisben, our Education Director: eddir@tbe.org; 203-322-6901, ext.305
or Sheryl Young, our
Learning and Latte at Borders
featuring
This year’s topic:
“Moral Dilemmas for a World in Crisis”
Join us as we engage in friendly dialogue about some of the hot-button issues of the day.
Meets on the second Tuesday of each month from 7:30-8:30 PM, October-May
Topics (subject to last-minute adjustment to keep up with the headlines)
May 8 – What is the future of religion in
Support our
_____
Ready to renew or reinvent yourself?
Join us at
ALL NEW LADIES NITE OUT!
May 3, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.
You are invited to this special event where you can get valuable tips on how to live healthier and feel great. You will hear from:
A personal shopper on fashion
A personal trainer on fitness
Weight Watchers representatives
Also, you’ll see makeup (before and after) done by Sue Berkoff as well as spring hair ideas.
Enjoy the vendor boutique and snacks.
Come relax with friends and take time for YOURSELF!
Bring a friend or two! The first 100 to respond will receive a special “Feel Beautiful” goody bag from Dove, along with other coupons and treats.
And to help you on your road to good health, the JCC is offering a 20% discount to all new JCC members plus a donation to TBE Sisterhood for all new members.
Patron $20 ($25 at door)
Non-Member $25
Sponsor $36
Benefactor $54
Juniors (9-18) $15
RSVP by April 20, 2007
Make checks payable to Sisterhood and send to Eileen H. Rosner, c/o
Co-chairs: Mindy Fishman 203-594-9171 or mindyfishman@otponline.net and Maureen Leffand 203-569-7024 or leffandfamily@optonline.net
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Sisterhood of
Ladies’ Nite Out – May 3, 2007
Name of Guest(s) ____________________________________
Number Attending ______________ Amount Enclosed _____________
Please make checks payable
to Sisterhood and send to: Check one:
Eileen H. Rosner ___ Patron ($20 Sisterhood member $25
c/o
___ Junior – ages 9-18 ($15)
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From JFS
DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING FOR AN EVENING WITH JFS- SUNDAY – MAY 6 – 5:00 PM: Honoring Mitzvah Award Recipients Linda B. Gornitsky and Nancy Zinbarg Mimoun and Young Leadership Award Recipient LaurieAnn Scher. Reception and dinner at Congregation Agudath Sholom,
NOTE OUR NEW
Jewish Family Service
733 Summer Street, 6th floor
The Fairfield County
Meet other local Jewish couples. It is always nice to have one thing already in common. We are not religion pushers or ultra-religous people. We are just a group of couples looking to find a social network in
You know that stage, college is over, the real world began. Yet you aren't in the children phases yet. How do you meet people? Dinner parties, Drinks, Friends to share and celebrate your birthday with...
When:
Saturday, June 16, 2007, 7:00 PM 2007
Where:
(A location for this event hasn't been chosen yet)
Description:
Join Us for our very first Meetup! We are thinking of having everyone over to our house. A BBQ just to get to know everyone. No specific activities. Nothing is set in stone-so if you have any ideas bring them on!
Looking forward to meeting everyone!
RSVPs - http://couples.meetup.com/307/calendar/5595267/
The InterFaith Council of
Our Spring General Assembly
Thursday, May 17th, at 7:00 PM
at
in
With a panel discussion focused on "Changing Perspectives on God in an Age of Terrorism." Christian, Muslim and Jewish panelists--Rev. Elizabeth Krentz-Wee of St. Michael's Lutheran Church in New Canaan, Dr. Kareem Adeeb, President and Imam of the American Institute for Islamic and Arabic Studies, and Rabbi Josh Hammerman of Temple Beth El in Stamford--will address this topic with Q&A to follow. Also Reverends Ron Evans and Gary Brown will be presented with Interfaith Council Distinguished Service Awards for years of valuable interfaith contributions to our region. Some very brief Council business will also be conducted.
Thanks to Elizabeth Libner for this one:
BOARD OF RABBIS
"Hello. You have reached the office of the Board of Rabbis. If you are Orthodox, press 1. If you are Conservative, press 1 or 2. If you are Reform, press any button you like. If you are Reconstructionist, press all the buttons. Please hold while I transfer your call."
(1) Hello. You have reached the Orthodox rabbi. The answer to your question is that it is forbidden by the Torah.
(2) Hello. You have reached the Conservative rabbi. The answer to your question is that we have ruled that either answer is acceptable to some of us and neither answer is acceptable to all of us. We hope this has been helpful.
(3) Hello. You have reached the Reform rabbi. The answer to your question is: if you want to, sure, why not? Who are we to say?
(4) Hello. You have reached the Reconstructionist rabbi. The answer to your question presumes there is an answer to your question. However, my role is to empower you to answer your own question. To answer your own question, please hang up now.
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