On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog

Author of "Embracing Auschwitz" and "Mensch•Marks: Life Lessons of a Human Rabbi - Wisdom for Untethered Times." Winner of the Rockower Award, the highest honor in Jewish journalism and 2019 Religion News Association Award for Excellence in Commentary. Musings of a rabbi, journalist, father, husband, poodle-owner, Red Sox fan and self-proclaimed mensch, taken from essays, columns, sermons and thin air. Writes regularly in the New York Jewish Week and Times of Israel.

Thursday, January 26, 2023

In This Moment: "Status Quo," "Transgender" and Other Borrowed Words. International Holocaust Remembrance Day, More A.I., Women of the Wall

In This Moment

Click on the photo to hear the service held by the Women of the Wall this week at the Kotel for Rosh Hodesh Shevat. Assisted by an all-women's choir, as you can read in the article below (see the full article here). You'll note a familiar name in the article, Cantor Deborah Katchko-Gray. If you listen to the video, you'll hear the intentionally disruptive loudspeaker nearby, attempting to drown the women out.

Shabbat Shalom

Last week's conversation about A.I.generated a good deal of interest. You can see some of the sermons generated for last week's portion by ChatGPT here and others here. And click on the icon below to listen "live" to my first-ever A.I. assisted sermon delivered here.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Friday is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This year, Yad Vashem is involved in two significant exhibitions, One is at the U.N., where a Book of Names will be dedicated, a literal book with tangible, searchable pages containing the alphabetically arranged names of 4,800,000 Jewish men, women and children murdered by the Nazi Germans and their collaborators during the Holocaust. The names in the Book have been meticulously gathered over the past 70 years by Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, from a range of sources, including Pages of Testimony. Empty pages at the end of the Book leave room for over a million names of Holocaust victims still to be recovered.

I'm especially excited about the "16 Objects" exhibit that will be opening in Berlin. It features unique Holocaust-era items, one from each of the Federal States of Germany, whose stories are intertwined with individual Jews hailing from across that country. The objects range from this toy kitchen to a piano, all of which were sacred to a Jewish family. See the artifacts.

Almost Paradise?

The Garden of Eden in Christianity and Judaism

Join me and our interfaith partners for another of our sessoins based on the new book, "The Bible With and Without Jesus," tonight (Thurs) at 6:30 (note the time - check the flyer for the Zoom link). This week's topic is "Adam and Eve." You can find the chapter here. Join us as we discuss the very different ways Jews and Christians understand the concepts of "Original Sin," "Paradise," and the status of women as reflected in the Genesis account. Are men and women equals in both Creation stories or is the woman "cursed" to be subservient? Is Eden supposed to be a reflection of heaven, or simply a place of where humanity and nature coexist in perfect harmony? Is THAT heaven (or is it Iowa)? Is death a curse? Is the knowledge of good and evil a bad thing? Was the forbidden fruit an apple? Or maybe a fig? Lots to chew on.

How do you say "Status Quo" in Hebrew?

"Statoos K'vo"

Transgender? "Trens-g'endair"

Both are loanwords from English.

What does that say about our sacred language?

Plus, a word about Fauda,

a Hebrew show with an Arabic name

This week's Hebrew Front Page (below) has an English front page right beneath it. Both are from Wednesday's Ha'aretz. Note that in the headline highlighted in yellow, the English term status quo, is transliterated directly into Hebrew (second line, middle). "Netanyahu Promises Jordanian King to Preserve the Status Quo on the Temple Mount." It's odd and a little disconcerting that there is no Hebrew term for "status quo." The status quo on the Temple Mount has been sacrosanct since the 6-Day War, and it is under threat right now, as this article attests (and Jordan's king fears). Preserving the status quo with regard to holy places enables the Muslim authorities to supervise worship while Israel maintains security while (usually) respecting the sanctity of the place for Muslims. That arrangement has allowed for an uneasy but stable peace to prevail for over half a century. By resolving not to resolve the conflict unilaterally, the parties allow the status quo to become a baseline, albeit an imperfect one, forged in compromise, but durable enough to hold things in place until the time is right to address prevailing issues constructively and incrementally. Status quo is so important to Israel's continued survival that it's hard to believe there is no Hebrew word for it. There are six Hebrew words for peace, but not a single one for the time-tested method for preserving it.

Acceptance of the status quo has not only kept peace between Israel and Muslim authorities, but it has also allowed Israel to preserve its own fragile balance between religion and state among the Jewish population, particularly in areas of Shabbat and holiday observances, kashrut, family status, education and the military. So, for example, in some cities buses run on Shabbat and in some they don't. Compromises were made back in the early years, and once that happened, things were kept basically the same, for the sake of peace. It was all about finding some middle ground that everyone could live with, even if no one was completely happy with the arrangement. At its best, status quo allows the pot to simmer just long enough for fresh ideas to germinate. It should not be a prescription for eternal ossification. In some cases adjustments to status quo policies need to be made for compelling moral reasons, especially regarding basic human rights, but allowing Jewish prayer atop the Temple Mount has never been cause to upset the status quo - until now.

Prime Minister Netanyahu traveled all the way to Jordan to assure King Abdullah that he would preserve the status quo, but will he? Watch out for what happens on Passover, when right wing extremists will undoubtedly try to stir the pot by sacrificing a goat in the shadow of Al Aqsa. It's been tried before, just last year, in fact. The police have stopped these attempts in the past, But now the inmates are running the asylum. The police are supervised by Itamar Ben Gvir, the right wing zealot who has already made his first official visit atop the Mount, and the Temple Mount movement is planning for a robust return of Jews to the site. And this year, Passover, Easter and Ramadan all coincide. Circle the first week of April on your calendars and stock up on canned goods. Things could get very tense around the world.

Still, there is no Hebrew word for "status quo."

And on the very same front page, another word lacks an authentic Hebrew translation.

In the red-highlighted story, about a transgender child being removed from a religious school because of parental pressure, you can see that the term "transgender" is also transliterated directly from English to Hebrew. (Read the entire sorry Ha'aretz story here). There is no Hebrew word yet for "transgender," just an English loanword, like טלפון, ג’ינס and ביי ("telephone," "jeans" and "bye") and like "status quo."

In this situation, though, I think I'd rather not see the Israeli language authorities take a crack at creating an organic Hebrew word for trans, considering that the best they've been able to do with LGBTQ is "homo." I'm happy just keeping things as they are. Let English carry the loan-load on this one.

The fact that the Hebrew language can't handle either gender fluidity or historical flexibility, (which maintaining the status quo ironically requires), suggests that Judaism's sacred language might have a problem with fluidity in general. The Hebrew word for fluidity is נְזִילוּת ("n'zilut"), which comes from "nazal," "to ooze." There's another word as well: זרימה, ("zrima,"), which comes from the word "zerem," a biblical term for downpour (see Psalm 77:18). Somewhere in between those two words, in between the oozing and the gushing, between stagnation and revolution, there is a simple, flowing stream - a fluidity that recognizes that nothing is static and unchanging, not regarding gender nor ownership of sacred spaces. Because of that, we need to be respectful of people who pray in different ways, for whom the very same location might have a very different history - different but also holy.

Fluidity is a key to understanding how, over the coming few weeks, the Torah cycle takes us from the blood-soaked banks of the Nile to the rising and ebbing tides of the Red Sea, and from the depths of winter's frost to the first oozing of sap on Tu B'Shevat.

In some ways, Israelis have always been very good at going with the flow. But with the current government's approach to both the Temple Mount and LGBTQ, and so many other areas, there has been a considerable hardening of the arteries. That needs to change quickly. As Pharaoh discovered, nothing good comes from a hardened heart.

Which brings me to Fauda, a show that thrives on fluidity. Having binge-watched the fourth season this week, I come away amazed at how interchangeable the Jewish and Arab characters are, as they flow from language to language, from tragedy to tragedy, from love to revenge and back to love again. The great tragedy is that the the fighting protagonists can never see, just for a second, just how similar they are to those they are killing, and in those fleeting moments when they might see it, they are betrayed by those who don't, whose hearts have been hardened beyond repair. The way the show flows from hatred to love, from enemy to friend, and from death to birth, might present the illusion of hope that the cycle can be broken. But the only ones broken in the end are the people themselves,exhausted from their endless battles. Even the births seem tragic because there is little hope but for a repetition of the cycle of stuck-ness, of an eternal, unending, unbending status-quo, and not the good kind of status quo, the one borne of inertia rather than compromise. As if we needed more proof, art imitated life last night in the streets of Jenin, where an israeli raid resulted in the deaths of nine Palestinians.

But transcending a plot that is replete with tragedy, there is one glimmer of hope. This Israeli show that glides effortlessly from Arabic to Hebrew, from Beirut to Tel Aviv, is Netflix's number one show in Lebanon and highly rated throughout the Arab world.

Everyone is watching. and that counts for something. On some level, we're all speaking the same language.

That portends a fluidity that just might upend the "statoos quo" some day, And it just might save us all.

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Ha'aretz: State Orders Midyear School Transfer for Transgender Boy

Article in Ha'aretz on pressure by parents to remove a transgender student from a school in Israel.

ChatGPT Sermons on Va'Era

Note the factual error in the very first sentence. Vaera is the second portion in Exodus, not the first.

ChatGP-Generated Sermon on Vaera and Dangers of Artificial Intelligence

Sermon on Vaera and the New Israeli Government

The Torah portion of Vaera, which tells the story of the God's revelation to Moses and the Israelites in Egypt, teaches us important lessons about the power of faith and the importance of standing up for what is right. In these troubled times, as we see a new government being formed in Israel, it is important for us to remember these lessons and to hold fast to our beliefs.

As we read in the story of Vaera, Moses was called upon by God to stand up against the oppression of the Pharaoh and to lead the Israelites out of slavery. Despite the challenges and obstacles that he faced, Moses remained steadfast in his faith and his belief in the power of God to guide and protect him.

In the same way, as we witness the formation of a new government in Israel, we must remember that it is not enough to simply hope for change. We must actively work for change, using our voices and our actions to speak out against injustice and to stand up for what is right.

As we read in the Torah, "I will be with you" (Exodus 3:12), God is with us always, guiding and protecting us as we work for a better future. May we all be inspired by the story of Vaera and the courage of Moses, to stand up for what we believe in and to work for a just and peaceful society.May God bless the new government of Israel and guide them in the path of righteousness, May God guide the leaders of Israel to make the right decisions, protect the citizens and bring peace to the land. May we all work together to bring about a better future for all people in Israel, and may we find strength and guidance in the Torah and our faith in God. Amen.

Sunday, January 22, 2023

Women’s Choir Joins Battle for Pluralism at Kotel (Ha’aretz)

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

In This Moment: Guest Sermon from the Bot Rabbi; More on Israel

In This Moment

"Plaza of Protest!"

"80,000 in the rain cry out against the judicial revolution"

Shabbat Shalom

My special email last week explaining the stakes of the current crisis in Israel generated questions, concern, and some gratitude for wading into such a complex subject. As you can see from the photo above, approximately 80,000 people - and nearly as many umbrellas - came out to protest last Saturday night in Tel Aviv, and other protests were held around the country.

Conservative commentator Daniel Gordis tried to navigate a nuanced approach in his columns this week, the first entitled Iran is not here: and if we're smart, it won't be. He starts out by saying that, no, Israel is not becoming Iran. No beheadings of opposition leaders in the streets - yet. But then he goes on show how Israel 'aint far behind, when sharing this quote from Avi Maoz, one of the most extreme voices in the current government and new "overseer of external programming" in Israeli schools for the ministry of education.

Our [party’s] flag is an unequivocal war against progressivism. The status quo needs to change, we need to make sure that Judaism is reflected in every corner of the country's life. Israel will be a country that observes and keeps the Sabbath in public spaces, LGBT families will not be recognized, and women will not serve in the army. Their contribution will be that they marry and raise a family.

Oh yes, and Gordis mentions that Maoz also "notes that women should not be permitted to serve in the Knesset; they can have political influence “through their husbands”. He wants to shut down all non-Orthodox prayer at the Kotel—about that, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, also in the government thanks only to Bibi, agree. Maoz has got a long list."

Gordis goes on to write:

That does, actually sound like Iran, though there’s close to zero chance that Maoz can make that happen. But what should scare you is that he wants to. He’s proud of that stance, and he’s in the government, responsible for the “Office of Jewish Identity” thanks to one man, and one man only. Benjamin Netanyahu.

So much for nuance.

As Thomas Friedman wrote in the NY Times, trusting Bibi to hold back the very forces he himself has unleashed is a fool's errand. The only one who can save Israel from itself is President Biden, with the support of a concerned Congress, and in turn with the support of American Jewry.

And the showdown with the judiciary could be coming very soon, with Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling that convicted criminal Arye Deri was not fit to serve as a senior minister in the new government.

A legitimate claim could be made that judiciary reform is needed, must as immigration reform is very much needed in the US. Danny Gordis said as much recently while also openly acknowledging the elephant in the room at the recent AIPAC confab, shocking the participants. But what is being proposed is much more than a little tinkering. Dahlia Scheindlin's op ed in Ha'aretz, The Big Lies at the Heart of Netanyahu’s Extremist Government, succinctly debunks Netanyahu's claim that the proposed changes to the judiciary system are "necessary reforms." The Israeli system is not analogous to American or European governments to which it is often compared. Here are some of Sheindlin's more salient points:

One of big lies is the need to “restore the balance” between the branches of government. There never has been balance in Israel without the Court: the Knesset is almost entirely unconstrained, with a single chamber, no regional representation, no presidential veto. Only the executive stands above the legislature – because the executive controls a majority in the Knesset. Between the two of them, the citizen essentially has no protection against the party (and the party leader) leading the coalition and against the state itself. The judiciary, flawed as it may be, is all we have.

Another lie is the myth of the “self-appointed justices.” The judicial committee has nine members, and three of them are justices; a minority last time I checked. There are already four politicians and Levin wants a majority of members to be politically aligned with the government. In other words, unrestrained majority rule, with no checks and balances. That’s not democracy – it’s just another lie.

Another favorite lie that Levin reiterated is the myth of an overly interventionist Supreme Court that constantly strikes down legislation. This has happened only 22 times since 1995 when judicial review began; a modest record compared to other countries. The pace has in fact quickened in recent years, and the reason is that Netanyahu’s extreme-right wing governments have accelerated attempts to pass undemocratic legislation. In many of these cases, the Court ruled against just one article or clause, not the whole law. The “reasonability” basis is a complex issue, and many think the notion is too vague. But the argument that canceling it now is somehow for the good of the country is a lie; the government simply wants to legitimize ministers convicted of corruption, or any other executive decisions the court might find unreasonable. Let’s be honest.

But one big lie towers above all others for me personally: That the Israeli public wants these reforms....Evidence that the public is not behind these reforms is overwhelming.

Just recently, the Israeli Democracy Institute published a survey showing that the majority of Israelis think that the Supreme Court should retain its ability to strike down legislation that contravenes the country’s Basic Laws – and only 16% said that the Judicial Selection Committee that appoints justices should be politicized by increasing the number of elected officials serving on it.

A Message From This Week's Virtual Guest Rabbi

"You can call me Hal!"

This Shabbat's guest rabbi will be the noted scholar, Avirtual Ibn Intel, otherwise known as the A.I. But, especially if you are into old sci-fi movies, you can call him Hal. Yes, this Friday and Shabbat morning I am sharing the pulpit with the latest sensation on the sermonic scene, Artificial Intelligence, presented by Chat CPT, So this Shabbat, your rabbis will hail from Bot to Boston. And we can truly have a Sha-BOT shalom!

Referencing this week's portion of Vaera, I asked Rabbi Hal to write sermons on various topics for me to preview. Here's one Hal wrote introducing the plague of frogs.

In the portion of Vaera in the book of Exodus, one of the plagues that God brings upon Egypt is the plague of frogs. The account of this plague can be found in Exodus 8:1-15. According to the story, God commands Moses to tell Aaron to stretch out his staff and strike the Nile, which will cause a great number of frogs to come out of the river and cover the land. The frogs will also go into the houses, into the beds, and into the ovens of the Egyptians.

Pharaoh's magicians were able to replicate this plague through their magic, but they were unable to remove the frogs. Pharaoh then asked Moses to pray to God to remove the frogs, and God did so, but Pharaoh still refused to release the Israelites. This plague was one of the many signs and wonders that God performed through Moses and Aaron to demonstrate his power to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and to ultimately bring about the release of the Israelites from slavery.

Not bad for a beginner. But it lacked oomph, imagination...star power!

Still, I wondered, should I feel threatened? Should all rabbis? Shold congregations? After all, virtual rabbis might be a lot cheaper than real ones, and they can even play guitar. Still, it is common knowledge that robots make bad fundraisers.

Not satisfied with this first attempt at a frog sermon on Vaera, and trying to gently nurture my new student, I asked Rabbi Hal A.I to amplify on the symbolism of frogs. A few years ago I prepared an entire parsha packet on frogs, so I might be considered a rib-bit of an expert. You can click on it to judge for yourself: How could Hal would match up to that!

"It's not easy being a machine," Hal ribbited back.And then Hal churned out this:

In a Jewish sermon on Vaera and the symbolism of frogs, one could explore the meaning and significance of the plague of frogs in the context of Jewish thought and tradition.

One interpretation could be that the frogs symbolize the impurities and sins that are present in the world, and the plague of frogs could be seen as a reminder of the need to constantly work towards purifying ourselves and our surroundings. The frogs are seen as a reminder of the constant battle between good and evil, light and darkness.

Another interpretation could be that the frogs represent the Egyptians' idol worship, as the frogs were associated with the goddess Hekt, and the plague of frogs could be seen as a demonstration of God's power over the false gods of Egypt.

Additionally, the plague could also be seen as a symbol of God's mercy. The frogs were only sent to the Egyptians, not to the Israelites, demonstrating that God was punishing the oppressors and not the oppressed.

Overall, the plague of frogs in the portion of Vaera can serve as a reminder of the need for personal and societal transformation, the power of God and his mercy, and the constant battle between good and evil.

Not bad, actually, but what of the resistance to change? What about that old frog-in-boiling-water metaphor, which I reference in my parsha packet. i consider that an unforced error. Me -1, Hal - 0.

So then I asked Hal to sermonize about Vaera in light of the new Israeli government.

Heh heh.

This would get him in hot water for sure (to keep with the frog metaphor). He would be summoned before the board before he could even unpack his Spacely Sprocket gift bag. Mr.Space Odyssey would be past tense - like his movie with the futuristic title whose time actually past 20 years ago. Here's what Hal spat out as result of my hazing.

May God bless the new government of Israel and guide them in the path of righteousness, May God guide the leaders of Israel to make the right decisions, protect the citizens and bring peace to the land. May we all work together to bring about a better future for all people in Israel, and may we find strength and guidance in the Torah and our faith in God. Amen

Interesting. Hal may appear tone deaf to the details of the current crisis in Israel, but he is spot-on in finding a way to say something that will appeal on some level to every listener. He found the most moving and profound way to say absolutely nothing. Perfectly rabbinic! This experiment just might work out. He might become a real rabbi after all.

On Friday night I'll share some other insights gained from my new protege (or competitor, depending how you look at it). Hal will deliver a couple of sermonettes and I'll critique them on the spot.

For Shabbat morning, you'll have the chance to try it yourself. Go to the website, https://chat.openai.com/ (it may take you a while to get in), and plug in the instructions "Jewish sermon on Vaera" and then add your own theme, like "love," "hatred," "weather" - try anything you want. The bot will tell you if it doesn't work. More often than not, it will make it work. Then, print out your sermon and bring it on Shabbat (those on Zoom can do this as well) and we'll create the first ever A.I Yeshiva.

Now, everyone can be a rabbi! Virtually.

I'm not the first rabbi to employ AI for a weekly sermon. See how this one fared in the Hamptons. He later said of the experience, “I really do think that were someone to get their Jewish content exclusively through ChatGPT, there would be an X-factor lacking. The human soul, the spirituality, the love, the compassion, all of that would be lacking. And I think they would be doing themselves a disservice to learn Judaism exclusively from artificial intelligence.”

I couldn't have put it better. But I wonder if that quote came from the rabbi...or the bot? In the end, A.I will help more for research, as an extension of Google or other search engines, than for actually sermon or essay writing. Nothing can replace the human touch. And nothing should replace the human element, in religion and in so many other areas of life.

The Washington Post asked some ethicists for guidance. They suggested that we not trust A.I to take the reins on things like breakup texts or eulogies for a good long time. "It’s tough to make blanket statements about when it’s okay to use AI to compose personal messages," an AI ethicist said. "For people who struggle with written or spoken communication, for example, ChatGPT can be a life-changing tool. Consider your intentions before you proceed," she advised. "Are you enhancing your communication, or deceiving and shortchanging?"

But it's good to stretch this tool and test its limits.

So I decided to ask Hal to write a sermon about Vaera and... poodles. Hal told me, in no uncertain terms, that the request was ridiculous.

I'm sorry, I'm not sure how a sermon on the Book of Exodus and poodles would be related. Could you please provide more context or clarify what you are asking?

I said...OK. How about comparing Moses to a poodle?

Hal hesitated for about ten seconds, and then, like the best good-boy ever to graduate obedience school, he summoned these words:

Poodles are known for being intelligent, trainable, and obedient. Moses, as depicted in the Book of Exodus, is also known for being intelligent and able to lead and guide the Israelites. Additionally, both poodles and Moses are known for their ability to adapt to new situations. Poodles are a versatile breed that excels in many different roles, such as obedience and agility competitions, service and therapy work, and as beloved family pets. Similarly, Moses was able to adapt to his role as leader of the Israelites and guide them through their journey to the Promised Land.

That would have been perfect. Thanks, Hal. Here's your treat.

But no, after a moment's deliberation, Hal continued.

However, I must point out that this analogy is not a common one and might be not very useful for a sermon. The Bible and the story of Moses have a very different context than that of a breed of dog, and it's important to keep that in mind when discussing them.

Duly noted, Hal. Always looking out for me, I'll make sure not to deliver this sermon. Not even to my poodles. No, Moses was not anyone's lapdog; and as God will certainly tell you, he was not the most obedient pup in the shed.

But the most important message to send to all the non virtual human-type beings out there is this: A.I. is a tool, like all of technology, whose impact can be both positive and negative. Technology is inherently neutral.

But a rabbi is and must be inherently and absolutely - and always - HUMAN. Rabbis need to be the antithesis of machines, the antidote to our increasingly robotic civilization. But that's not what's happening in a culture where rabbis are expected to be: mature yet youthful, serious yet funny, principled yet conciliatory, sophisticated yet homespun, friendly yet firm, and all of that 24/7. Who needs Hal? We're already bots, or expected to be.

Hal and me, we're gonna be fine together. But sooner or later, as the program is continually refined, Hal's going to start checkmating the grandmasters. The bot will soon have the clarion voice of MLK, the conscience of Heschel, the patience of Gandhi and the gumption of RBG. And be a darned good writer too.

And the people will choose Hal over a real person.

And that will be the end.