From the Jewish Week
Q – The recent police detainment of prominent right wing Israeli rabbis accused of incitement has been in the news lately. At issue is the halachic tract “Torat Hamelech," (the “Torah of Kings”) which allegedly condones the murder of non Jews in some circumstances. This is horrible, but how is it different from any artist or politician making an outlandish statement? Certainly those on the left have said equally inflammatory things. Are we discriminating against the rabbis? Aren’t they entitled to freedom of speech?
A – If only Israel had a Bill of Rights entitling those rabbis to freedom of speech. Rabbi Dov Lior, whose recent arrest led to widespread rioting, waxed Jeffersonian in defending his right to share his views. But were the Knesset to suddenly adopt something akin to a First Amendment, alas for Lior, it would be inconveniently accompanied by a declaration of universal human rights that would undercut the political authority of these very rabbis. I suspect there is little chance that Rabbi Lior will be taking this Jeffersonian thing to its natural conclusion, a separation of religion and state – something Israel desperately needs.
Last week in Ha’aretz, a columnist quoted verbatim from the “Torah of Kings,” demonstrating why these passages would have trouble standing up as free speech even in an American court. Someone disseminating literature stating that “every place the presence of a non-Jew endangers a Jewish life - it is permitted to kill him (even if he is one of the righteous among the gentiles and bears no guilt for the situation that had been created)," would likely be accused of a hate crime. Another passage cited includes a bizarre opinion that “when it is certain that children or infants are being raised with the objective of harming Jews, it would be doing them a favor to kill them to prevent them from growing up into evil adults.”
Makes me wonder whether Casey Anthony might have studied in Rabbi Lior’s yeshiva.
Rabbi Lior’s defenders write that he is a Holocaust survivor being humiliated by the government and that Israel’s judicial system needs to be reoriented toward Torah values. They see this controversy as ”a struggle about the future of Israel.” Indeed it is.
Fortunately, many Orthodox Israelis are uncomfortable with the extremism of “Torah of Kings.” Various groups, including “12th of Heshvan” and “Brit Hoshech Legaresh” (Alliance to Banish the Darkness), a coalition of 16 organizations from across the denominational spectrum, have taken up that battle against “Torat Hamelech” and its proponents. Their position paper claims that the book’s assertion that all gentile children are raised to hate and will therefore act against Israel, is a racist claim. I wouldn’t call it racist, since a person of any racial background can convert to Judaism, but it’s hard to characterize the authorization of killing children for revenge as anything but vile and immoral.
As horrible and inflammatory as “King’s Torah” is, Israeli artists, writers and politicians (of the left and the right) have been known to say outlandish things, some deemed by opponents to be dangerous to the state. Why should rabbis suddenly be arrested for doing precisely the same thing that novelists and filmmakers do all the time?
The problem with that argument is that rabbis ARE different from artists and writers. In Israel (and occasionally here in America) people actually listen to their rabbis - and that can be a dangerous thing. People might listen attentively to novelists like David Grossman too, but they will often obey the dictates of their chosen rabbinic leader. No one obeys Grossman. A controversial halachic ruling carries far greater potential to lead to destructive action, at least among a segment of the Jewish community, than even the most subversive op-ed or film.
In an ideal world, Rabbi Lior should have the right to speak freely, and the “King’s Torah” should not be banned. But that ideal world would be a place where the Israeli Declaration of Independence, guaranteeing “freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture” has been codified into Basic Laws and a formal Constitution. For now, it is up to the political, cultural and judicial mainstream of the country to unite in their strong condemnation of those abhorrent ideas. Then, while they are in a unified mood, they can begin to unravel the toxic entanglement of religion and state that, as much as any external enemy, threatens the very future of the Jewish state.
Friday, July 29, 2011
A Thousand Terrorists for Shalit? (Hammerman on Ethics)
A Thousand Terrorists for Shalit?
Q – Is the release of Gilad Shalit worth an exchange of a thousand Hamas prisoners, including some who have blood on their hands and could well kill more innocent Israelis (and others)?
A- For Jews, this is a classic search for the lesser of the evils, a choice we’re quite experienced at making. This ethical quandary is a classic example of the age-old concept of “Pidyon Shvuyim,” the rescue of captives. The Talmud considers it to be among the highest of priorities (Bava Batra 8b) and later legal authorities concur.
Medieval Jewish communities often were called upon to pony up big bucks to redeem kidnapped kin. In contemporary Israel, it has become standard practice to swap busloads of prisoners for one captive soldier, or even for his remains.
There are limits. In a detailed responsum on the subject that predates Shalit’s capture, Rabbi David Golinkin concludes, “We do not pay excessive ransom… In other words, the public takes precedence over the individual, even if this endangers the individual. Exchanging hundreds or thousands of terrorists for one Israeli encourages kidnapping of Israelis, and frees hundreds or thousands of terrorists who will pick up their weapons and attack Israel. In other words, it endangers the public and should not be done.”
But it’s more complicated with regard to Shalit. The destinies of individual and group have merged, as Gilad has become everybody’s child – and a poster child for Israel’s vulnerability (and a neat counterpoint to the media’s portrayals of suffering Gazans). The “Free Gilad” movement has united all factions of Israeli society, even as they differ on what to do about it. World leaders have rallied behind Shalit and American politicians routinely invoke his name.
Strangely, time may be on Shalit’s side – that is, if he is in reasonably good health. His family has succeeded in keeping Gilad’s fate on the front burner, just as Jews succeeded at doing for Soviet Jewish Prisoners of Conscience a generation ago. That human rights campaign arguably helped to bring down the Soviet empire, leading to human rights based policies like the Jackson – Vanick Amendment that weakened the Soviet gulag.
Here, Shalit has become living proof of Hamas’s ruthlessness. The International Red Cross has spoken out forcefully that the two year absence of any first-hand information on Shalit’s condition goes beyond the pale. That message is seeping through, especially among the Europeans who will have much to say about Palestinian aspirations for statehood this coming September (significantly, Gilad Shalit also has French citizenship). While Hamas will still hold out for the best deal, Noam Shalit has succeeded in turning his son’s captivity into a moral albatross for the Gazan rulers. Gilad has become a latter-day Natan Sharansky, exposing the corrupt moral underpinnings of Hamas.
Still Gilad’s father feels that Prime Minister Netanyahu should pay the asking price, “not out of weakness but out of strength.” In his mind, Israel is secure enough to keep the released terrorists from harming its citizens, as evidenced by the success of the Security Barrier and the dramatic reduction in the number of terror victims over the past few years.
It’s an argument worth considering, but I agree with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Even if the released terrorists may not be able to attack Israelis with impunity, every Israeli – and every Jew – will face an intensified campaign of kidnapping once it is revealed just how much it pays. A thousand terrorists is too many to exchange. But five hundred may not be.
Meanwhile, if I were Netanyahu, I’d pay for the Shalit tent to be temporarily relocated to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, just outside the U.N., for the month of September. That way the world we become better acquainted with the evil Israel confronts daily, as well as the infinite value that Jews have always placed on every human life.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Laugh. Cry. Love: Liberal Judaism Lives (Jewish Week)
Laugh. Cry. Love: Liberal Judaism Lives
Joshua Hammerman
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Special To The Jewish Week
Joshua Hammerman
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Special To The Jewish Week
I suspect that nearly every American seminary student of the past generation has heard a variant of this sage advice attributed to the preacher Henry Fosdick:
“Make ‘em laugh, make ‘em cry; 20 minutes, say goodbye.”
What’s true for preaching is true for services as a whole. The words, music, movement and setting for collective prayer must combine to trigger an instinctive, deeply rooted emotional response. Unfortunately, rather than heightening the emotions, all too many congregations are simply going through the motions. And in this Darwinian environment where only the most adaptable synagogues survive, “good enough” is no longer good enough.
I was also told in rabbinical school that our services couldn’t hope to be as stirring as Broadway or as moving as the Met, so we shouldn’t try to compete. But that’s not true. Done properly, a single Shabbat service has the potential to evoke more laughter and tears than a week of Neil Simon and “Aida”.
I’m pleased to say that my own congregation “gets it.” While our locale in suburbia gives us neither the media attention nor the enormous pool of attendees from which big city shuls draw, we’re doing something special here in Stamford, especially on Friday nights.
How special? Increased attendance of 500 percent special. Amazing buzz special. If we were in Manhattan it might be considered Next Big Thing special. Our cantor, George Mordecai, is redefining the role with a new musical synthesis – some call it “Jew-sion” – blending his Sephardic roots with contemporary rock, folk, Israeli and classical religious piyyut (poetry). Sometimes it seems more jam session than service, borrowing from traditions as diverse as Kirtan, Sufi, Gregorian, Naomi Shemer and Bob Dylan.
The service is inclusive, real, joyous, accessible, intimate, musical, serious and funny. It touches people deeply, it teaches without preaching, it is communal, it is intensely personal, it resonates for all ages, for all backgrounds, for agnostics, too. It is warm and welcoming. It is multicultural, taking us on a journey throughout the Jewish world and beyond. It is deeply connected to Israel, Hebrew language and traditional prayer. But it is utterly new. It is a shir chadash, a song both new and ancient.
A few weeks ago, with hundreds filling our sanctuary, a congregant looked over at a guest’s face glowing in wonderment and thought of a cute marketing slogan: “Sing. Pray. Love.”
Oh, and one other thing about our service. It is Conservative.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, non-Orthodox Judaism is alive and well. Are you listening, Michael Steinhardt? Far from Manhattan, Brooklyn and Beverly Hills, in the land of Target and Wal-mart, dusty synagogues are being recast as innovative start-ups and garage band minyans. Slowly, and with only limited help from fractured national leadership, the ‘burbs are birthing an authentic Judaism that speaks to the needs and desires of the vast majority of American Jews – connecting them to our shrinking, wireless world rather than building walls to keep the Other out; demonstrating inclusivity rather than fearful chauvinism; championing bold vision over knee-jerk nostalgia and honest questioning over fearful silence, and modeling an unconditional love for Israel while reserving the right to question its policies.
Out here in the ‘burbs, Millennials and Baby Boomers join hands and raise voices together, providing instant grandparents for the 20-somethings and an invigorating youthful edginess for the older folk.
While I’m proud of what my congregation is doing, I’m no blind shul shill. Truth be told, it’s taken a long time for us to reach this point. I’ve been here nearly a quarter of a century (oy) and culture change has not come easily. But it has come, and with great enthusiasm. And what we are doing is happening in lots of communities. You just don’t read about them because The Story out there is that liberal Judaism is dying. I’m telling you that it’s alive and well. Who are you going to believe? Demographers or me?
So how can your community move to the next level? Some tips:
♦ Cultivate gentleness and non-judgmentalism in your culture, beginning at the board level. Wean your leadership of negativity and mistrust.
♦ Your leaders and major donors must buy into the fact that in this environment it is “change or die.” Never be afraid to try something different, even if it means the occasional failure.
♦ Grow with your rabbi - and cantor too. And nurture their partnership.
♦ Most of all, the service is the thing. The prayer experience must be authentic yet accessible; connecting us to our deepest, most human feelings. Make it real.
♦ It’s OK to pump up attendance with meals and guest speakers, but if your service isn’t carrying the day, fix it.
♦ Aim for the emotional jugular, always:
Laugh. Cry. Love.
Our most powerful human drives and instincts (along with “eat,” which we save for the Kiddush) are also the most contagious. When there is laughter there is a potent unity. Even the worst pun imaginable evokes an instantaneous “Aw!” so forceful that it sounds like awe and feels like a prayer. When we are all singing together, even our breathing becomes synchronized, as the inspiration drawn from the prayers transcends their literal meaning, even among those who do not understand Hebrew (my congregation also distributes a comprehensive English guide to the service to placate the incurably left brained, but in truth the goal is less to comprehend the prayers than to actualize them).
Throughout the service, as we laugh, cry, sing and breathe, those involuntary biological reactions build upon themselves until they generate the most human response of all, compassion. Then, with our empathetic centrifuges spinning at maximum capacity, we project that regenerated love out into the world. As the love simply radiates from the room, the service then becomes both an expression of our collective conscience and a catalyst for communal action.
Sing. Pray. Love. The magic of prayer can transform any community. Even one living in the shadow of the nearby strip mall.
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman is spiritual leader of Temple Beth El in Stamford, Conn.
Africa Photos
We just returned from an unforgettable visit to South Africa and Zimbabwe. The natural wonders that we witnessed were so vast that I had to try my hand at a little amateur nature photography. To see a small sampling of the over 3,000 photos I shot at Victorian Falls, Soweto, Cape Town and on Safari, click on the baboon below. Mara has also shared a number of the photos on her Facebook page, with some narrative.
It's not easy to leave the bush. When driving home from JFK on the Van Wyck this morning, I saw a large construction crane and instinctively thought it was a giraffe!
There is so much to share of what we saw. Each picture tells a story, some of them of incredible courage and love. Those stories need to be told, and some will be, beginning next week when I return from vacation. But for now, enjoy the photos. I hope you are enjoying your summer. Click below for thumbnails, and then click on the individual photos to enlarge.
See slideshow below:
It's not easy to leave the bush. When driving home from JFK on the Van Wyck this morning, I saw a large construction crane and instinctively thought it was a giraffe!
There is so much to share of what we saw. Each picture tells a story, some of them of incredible courage and love. Those stories need to be told, and some will be, beginning next week when I return from vacation. But for now, enjoy the photos. I hope you are enjoying your summer. Click below for thumbnails, and then click on the individual photos to enlarge.
See slideshow below:
Friday, July 8, 2011
Punching Your Ticket - Hammerman on Ethics (Jewish Week)
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman
Friday, July 8, 2011
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman
Q - I frequently use a 10-trip punch card on the LIRR. Often the conductor fails to appear to punch the card before I get off. What is my obligation here? Should I tear up the card before it runs out to make up the difference or am I free to use it again as it is the responsibility of the railroad to collect the fare? This does not involve deception since I am ready to pay the fare. I think this falls into the category of an uncollected debt. How much trouble is the borrower required to go through to repay if he makes a good faith effort and the lender for whatever reason isn't seeking it. I have been doing "the right thing" and throwing it away early. Lately I have been thinking it might be OK to use it and give the equivalent sum to charity, as if it is "found money."
A – True, you did not deceive anyone, but that is no reason to pat yourself on the back. It’s not that different from a guy who sneaks into a second movie at the Cineplex on a single ticket and then puts a few guilt-assuaging bucks in the charity basket when they pass it around. The only difference here is that you are being a little more passive in accepting the freebie.
The Shulchan Aruch (Choshen Mishpat 232:2) states that if you are given excess change in error, it must be returned. Sometimes it is not easy to locate the owner, but in this case there’s no problem in locating the true owner of that money – the railroad. The free trip is not the conductor’s to give away. This is similar to a prior “Hammerman on Ethics” case in which an employee at a coffee shop gave a customer free coffee at her boss’s expense.The coffee was not hers to give away. In this case, it is possible that the conductor is lazy, but more likely he is frazzled, overwhelmed at rush hour.
You might want to express some empathy next time around and hold up your ticket and say, “I know things are crazy right now and wanted to be sure you don’t forget me.” Who knows, his supervisor might be sitting a few rows away, counting heads. You could save his job.
Your charity idea is an interesting one, but here it would not be your donation. The LIRR would be donating the cost of a single fare to charity, not you. So if you did it, make sure to send them a tax receipt.
In the future, simply throw the ticket away after all the trips are legitimately used up and buy a new one for your next trip.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman
Q - I frequently use a 10-trip punch card on the LIRR. Often the conductor fails to appear to punch the card before I get off. What is my obligation here? Should I tear up the card before it runs out to make up the difference or am I free to use it again as it is the responsibility of the railroad to collect the fare? This does not involve deception since I am ready to pay the fare. I think this falls into the category of an uncollected debt. How much trouble is the borrower required to go through to repay if he makes a good faith effort and the lender for whatever reason isn't seeking it. I have been doing "the right thing" and throwing it away early. Lately I have been thinking it might be OK to use it and give the equivalent sum to charity, as if it is "found money."
A – True, you did not deceive anyone, but that is no reason to pat yourself on the back. It’s not that different from a guy who sneaks into a second movie at the Cineplex on a single ticket and then puts a few guilt-assuaging bucks in the charity basket when they pass it around. The only difference here is that you are being a little more passive in accepting the freebie.
The Shulchan Aruch (Choshen Mishpat 232:2) states that if you are given excess change in error, it must be returned. Sometimes it is not easy to locate the owner, but in this case there’s no problem in locating the true owner of that money – the railroad. The free trip is not the conductor’s to give away. This is similar to a prior “Hammerman on Ethics” case in which an employee at a coffee shop gave a customer free coffee at her boss’s expense.The coffee was not hers to give away. In this case, it is possible that the conductor is lazy, but more likely he is frazzled, overwhelmed at rush hour.
You might want to express some empathy next time around and hold up your ticket and say, “I know things are crazy right now and wanted to be sure you don’t forget me.” Who knows, his supervisor might be sitting a few rows away, counting heads. You could save his job.
Your charity idea is an interesting one, but here it would not be your donation. The LIRR would be donating the cost of a single fare to charity, not you. So if you did it, make sure to send them a tax receipt.
In the future, simply throw the ticket away after all the trips are legitimately used up and buy a new one for your next trip.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Shabbat-O-Gram for July 1
Today is the first of July and tomorrow is Rosh Hodesh Tammuz. The Hebrew and secular calendars synchronize as all nature seems to be harmonizing on this beautiful day. Join us for our first Outdoor Service to actually be held outdoors, this evening at 6:30, here at TBE. We'll be missing Cantor Mordecai this Shabbat, and next week our places will be reversed, as I'll be embarking on a vacation that will take me, among other locales, to South Africa.
So, you ask, what do rabbis do on vacation? Read this entertaining response, "For rabbis on vacation, it's not easy to get away from it all." Anyway, I'll do my best to get away and in doing so conceal my secret identity. Meanwhile, I'm leaving the store in excellent hands. As of today, all hands are on deck, in fact, as we welcome our new Director of Community Engagement, Rabbi Michelle Dardashti. We'll officially welcome her at our "Borechu and Barbecue" service next month, but you'll have ample opportunity to welcome her less formally between now and then.
But this is the last you'll be hearing from me for a while, unless you are one of the many who have friended me on Facebook. If you haven't, I want to be your friend! Really! My Facebook and Twitter buddies will get the inside scoop on my comings, goings and reflections over the summer, and maybe some photos as well.
This week, I've been reflecting a lot on New York State's passage of the Gay Marriage bill. See my thoughts on the Jewish Week site, Gay Marriage: A Moral Choice? In the few hours since it was originally posted, it has already been generating significant interest.
I've also been reflecting on other serious matters including the ethics of rabbis offering college students alcohol at Shabbat dinners (see Shots on Shabbat: Hammerman on Ethics).
Last week marked five years in captivity for Gilad Shalit and there was much coverage of the anniversary. Some focused on the International Red Cross's assertive protest against the Hamas government in Gaza for not allowing single visitation. In Israel, two dozen celebrities secluded themselves in a mock jail cell for one hour each in sympathy with the Israeli captive. What may have slipped you is the increasingly strident tone Shalit's father has adopted in his criticism of Prime Minister Netanyahu.
A little excursus: The Prime Minister, who has done many positive things, has now become untouchable in the eyes of many in the American Jewish establishment, where criticism of the Israeli government is sometimes equated with a lack of support for Israel. A prime example of this is the Connecticut Jewish Ledger, whose vilification of all things J-Street has lately been extended to those who associate with them and other dovish Jewish groups, from the new head of the Reform movement, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, to most recently, the Hartford JCRC, which recently hosted Israeli politician and diplomat Colette Avital in partnership with J-Street. See the relevant articles on that topic here, here, here, here,here and for an opposing view, here. Fortunately, we now have numerous alternative ways of gaining information about Israel, with a diversity of views, and we don't have to rely on our only in state Jewish newspaper.
End of excursus.
Back to Noam Shalit, who should be heard if we are to take the "Free Gilad" efforts seriously. Israelis have agonized over the fact that the current price for Gilad's freedom would be the release of many terrorists who could potentially strike again. A valid point. Noam Shalit's response is that releasing terrorists will not alter Israel's strategic position one iota. He is claiming that it is disingenuous for Netanyahu to say, on the one hand, that Israel is capable of defending itself, with a security fence that has successfully all but ended the danger of suicide attacks, and on the other hand, be claiming that a few exiled terrorists pose a mortal threat. It's interesting to see how the Israeli right wing now is beginning to vilify him as he loses his sacred cow status over there. I'm not saying that Noam Shalit is right. I'm just saying that his views are worthy of dialogue.
That dialogue exists in Israel, every day. It needs to happen here, without fear and recrimination. We've managed to do that here this year, and I'm exceedingly proud of the wide window of programming we've offered on the subject of Israel and the changing Middle East. What other congregation could boast that it brought in Alan Dershowitz, Jeremy Ben-Ami and Ari Fleischer, all in the same year? Plus, we had a nice group join us at the AIPAC Policy Conference (a number that we want to grow next year) and we've heard from other speakers as well. On that subject, mark your calendars for Thursday, Sept. 22, when the Hoffman Lecture special guest will be Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, with topic: "Revolution and Turmoil in the Middle East: What's Changed? What Hasn't? And What Does it Mean?"
Israel will be even more of a priority for us this coming year, as I hope to and we are now sketching out plans for a congregational trip next summer. Let me know if your family is interested.
As we all depart for summer climes, a special thank you to Eileen Rosner, whose presidential term expires this week. She has been a fantastic president, beloved by all. No one is more dedicated to this congregation. I also congratulate Peter Kempner as he steps up to the presidency, offering tremendous leadership and energy. Thank you to my fellow professionals here, a true "Dream Team" that has just gotten dreamier. I hear whispers, BTW, that the first two year-old class of our Shorashim program, set to open this fall, is now just about at capacity. The expression "waiting list" is music to my ears. Special thanks to Ronnie Brockman, Al Treidel, Steve Lander and the early childhood committee for all their hard work (and see Ronnie's new blog entry My Alll Time Favorite Thing to Plant with Children). Thanks also to Cantor Mordecai for a spectacular first year. And I welcome new board members who are now beginning their terms. They - and you - are what makes Temple Beth El a very special place.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Fourth!
So, you ask, what do rabbis do on vacation? Read this entertaining response, "For rabbis on vacation, it's not easy to get away from it all." Anyway, I'll do my best to get away and in doing so conceal my secret identity. Meanwhile, I'm leaving the store in excellent hands. As of today, all hands are on deck, in fact, as we welcome our new Director of Community Engagement, Rabbi Michelle Dardashti. We'll officially welcome her at our "Borechu and Barbecue" service next month, but you'll have ample opportunity to welcome her less formally between now and then.
But this is the last you'll be hearing from me for a while, unless you are one of the many who have friended me on Facebook. If you haven't, I want to be your friend! Really! My Facebook and Twitter buddies will get the inside scoop on my comings, goings and reflections over the summer, and maybe some photos as well.
This week, I've been reflecting a lot on New York State's passage of the Gay Marriage bill. See my thoughts on the Jewish Week site, Gay Marriage: A Moral Choice? In the few hours since it was originally posted, it has already been generating significant interest.
I've also been reflecting on other serious matters including the ethics of rabbis offering college students alcohol at Shabbat dinners (see Shots on Shabbat: Hammerman on Ethics).
Last week marked five years in captivity for Gilad Shalit and there was much coverage of the anniversary. Some focused on the International Red Cross's assertive protest against the Hamas government in Gaza for not allowing single visitation. In Israel, two dozen celebrities secluded themselves in a mock jail cell for one hour each in sympathy with the Israeli captive. What may have slipped you is the increasingly strident tone Shalit's father has adopted in his criticism of Prime Minister Netanyahu.
A little excursus: The Prime Minister, who has done many positive things, has now become untouchable in the eyes of many in the American Jewish establishment, where criticism of the Israeli government is sometimes equated with a lack of support for Israel. A prime example of this is the Connecticut Jewish Ledger, whose vilification of all things J-Street has lately been extended to those who associate with them and other dovish Jewish groups, from the new head of the Reform movement, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, to most recently, the Hartford JCRC, which recently hosted Israeli politician and diplomat Colette Avital in partnership with J-Street. See the relevant articles on that topic here, here, here, here,here and for an opposing view, here. Fortunately, we now have numerous alternative ways of gaining information about Israel, with a diversity of views, and we don't have to rely on our only in state Jewish newspaper.
End of excursus.
Back to Noam Shalit, who should be heard if we are to take the "Free Gilad" efforts seriously. Israelis have agonized over the fact that the current price for Gilad's freedom would be the release of many terrorists who could potentially strike again. A valid point. Noam Shalit's response is that releasing terrorists will not alter Israel's strategic position one iota. He is claiming that it is disingenuous for Netanyahu to say, on the one hand, that Israel is capable of defending itself, with a security fence that has successfully all but ended the danger of suicide attacks, and on the other hand, be claiming that a few exiled terrorists pose a mortal threat. It's interesting to see how the Israeli right wing now is beginning to vilify him as he loses his sacred cow status over there. I'm not saying that Noam Shalit is right. I'm just saying that his views are worthy of dialogue.
That dialogue exists in Israel, every day. It needs to happen here, without fear and recrimination. We've managed to do that here this year, and I'm exceedingly proud of the wide window of programming we've offered on the subject of Israel and the changing Middle East. What other congregation could boast that it brought in Alan Dershowitz, Jeremy Ben-Ami and Ari Fleischer, all in the same year? Plus, we had a nice group join us at the AIPAC Policy Conference (a number that we want to grow next year) and we've heard from other speakers as well. On that subject, mark your calendars for Thursday, Sept. 22, when the Hoffman Lecture special guest will be Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, with topic: "Revolution and Turmoil in the Middle East: What's Changed? What Hasn't? And What Does it Mean?"
Israel will be even more of a priority for us this coming year, as I hope to and we are now sketching out plans for a congregational trip next summer. Let me know if your family is interested.
As we all depart for summer climes, a special thank you to Eileen Rosner, whose presidential term expires this week. She has been a fantastic president, beloved by all. No one is more dedicated to this congregation. I also congratulate Peter Kempner as he steps up to the presidency, offering tremendous leadership and energy. Thank you to my fellow professionals here, a true "Dream Team" that has just gotten dreamier. I hear whispers, BTW, that the first two year-old class of our Shorashim program, set to open this fall, is now just about at capacity. The expression "waiting list" is music to my ears. Special thanks to Ronnie Brockman, Al Treidel, Steve Lander and the early childhood committee for all their hard work (and see Ronnie's new blog entry My Alll Time Favorite Thing to Plant with Children). Thanks also to Cantor Mordecai for a spectacular first year. And I welcome new board members who are now beginning their terms. They - and you - are what makes Temple Beth El a very special place.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Fourth!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Another triumph for Israeli wine | culture
Thanks to Assad's ruthlessness, effectively ending any chances of a negotiated agreement with Israel, it looks like the Golan Heights wine industry will have plenty of time to ferment. Another triumph for Israeli wine culture
Friday, June 24, 2011
Shots on Shabbat: Hammerman on Ethics
Q - My daughter, a freshman on a large college campus, was invited to the home of a local rabbi for Friday night dinner. The rabbi is not affiliated with Hillel or any synagogue, but has gotten deeply involved in college life and invites groups of students to his home nearly every week. The kids seem to really enjoy it. Last weekend I found out one reason. The liquid refreshment flows freely, and I'm not just talking about Kiddush wine. On the one hand I'm glad my kid is doing something Jewish, but serving liquor to minors scares me. My child tells me to "chill," but I am thinking of reporting this to the authorities.
Should I?
A – First, I would confront the rabbi directly. If the practice persists, then go to the police.
Serving alcohol to underage students is a criminal offense. More to the point, it’s dangerous, especially when those students then have to take an inebriated late night trek back to campus. Recently, attention has been drawn to alleged Chabad involvement in this practice, on Shabbat and especially on Purim. But it is not exclusive to Chabad. In an obsessive desire to attract young Jews to their programs by appearing “cool,” organizations resort to the allure of drinking. Even when the practice is legal and the targets are all over 21, it’s a cheap and self destructive path that subverts what might be an otherwise worthy goal.
True, Judaism and alcohol go way back together, especially when it comes to the production and consumption of wine. The Talmud exemplifies a sort of love-hate relationship, with dueling aphorisms like “Avoid wine, avoid sin” (Berakhot 29a) and “The Levites only sing when wine is poured” (Berahhot 35b). The same rabbis who state plainly that one cannot experience true joy on festivals without wine (Pesachim 109a) also state that nothing brings lamentation to the human race like wine (Brachot 40a). Add to this a widespread association of alcohol with spiritual highs, plus the connections to Jewish ritual, and one could see how rabbis might justify offering students a little sip from time to time. But there’s a big difference between a little syrupy Kiddush wine and offering shots. The commandment to sanctify the Sabbath can just as easily be fulfilled with grape juice.
Plus, Jewish law states clearly that Jewish law must comply with the law of the land. So tell your kid to let the rabbi know that he is disobeying Jewish law by serving alcohol to minors.
The facts tell us that binge drinking is up on college campuses. More than 25,000 lives have been saved in the U.S. thanks to the 21 Minimum Drinking Age.
There are better ways to attract Jewish youth to the beauties of our tradition than by lowering ourselves to the mentality of a Bud Light commercial. Given the dangers, it is time to blow the whistle on whetting the whistle of underage students.
Sources:
http://www.thejewishweek.com/editorial_opinion/gary_rosenblatt/back_bacchanalia
http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/
http://www.madd.org/underage-drinking/why21/
Should I?
A – First, I would confront the rabbi directly. If the practice persists, then go to the police.
Serving alcohol to underage students is a criminal offense. More to the point, it’s dangerous, especially when those students then have to take an inebriated late night trek back to campus. Recently, attention has been drawn to alleged Chabad involvement in this practice, on Shabbat and especially on Purim. But it is not exclusive to Chabad. In an obsessive desire to attract young Jews to their programs by appearing “cool,” organizations resort to the allure of drinking. Even when the practice is legal and the targets are all over 21, it’s a cheap and self destructive path that subverts what might be an otherwise worthy goal.
True, Judaism and alcohol go way back together, especially when it comes to the production and consumption of wine. The Talmud exemplifies a sort of love-hate relationship, with dueling aphorisms like “Avoid wine, avoid sin” (Berakhot 29a) and “The Levites only sing when wine is poured” (Berahhot 35b). The same rabbis who state plainly that one cannot experience true joy on festivals without wine (Pesachim 109a) also state that nothing brings lamentation to the human race like wine (Brachot 40a). Add to this a widespread association of alcohol with spiritual highs, plus the connections to Jewish ritual, and one could see how rabbis might justify offering students a little sip from time to time. But there’s a big difference between a little syrupy Kiddush wine and offering shots. The commandment to sanctify the Sabbath can just as easily be fulfilled with grape juice.
Plus, Jewish law states clearly that Jewish law must comply with the law of the land. So tell your kid to let the rabbi know that he is disobeying Jewish law by serving alcohol to minors.
The facts tell us that binge drinking is up on college campuses. More than 25,000 lives have been saved in the U.S. thanks to the 21 Minimum Drinking Age.
There are better ways to attract Jewish youth to the beauties of our tradition than by lowering ourselves to the mentality of a Bud Light commercial. Given the dangers, it is time to blow the whistle on whetting the whistle of underage students.
Sources:
http://www.thejewishweek.com/editorial_opinion/gary_rosenblatt/back_bacchanalia
http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/
http://www.madd.org/underage-drinking/why21/
Thursday, June 23, 2011
7th grade graduation yearbook
Click below to see the booklet produced for our recent 7th grade graduation. This class belies the canard that kids hate Hebrew School and that in fact, being rotifer at Hebrew School is a veritable rite of passage for American Jews. Well, I hate to burst that bubble, but our 7th grade students did not want to leave. In fact, they came back for a party at my house THE VERY NEXT DAY!
"Who is A Jew??" AGAIN! Coping With the Shifting Nature of Jewish Identity
This week's CHUTZPAH Award goes to Interior Minister Eli Yishai, who is trying to restore the "Jewish" label to Israel identity cards, thereby dredging up the old "Who is a Jew" controversy. Read about that, see the tie to this week's portion and read a new responsum just passed by the Law Committee (Conservative Judaism's halachic arbiter) on whether congregations should take people at their word when they identify themselves as being Jewish.
We'll be talking about all of these at services this Shabbat. See the discussion materials by clicking here.
We'll be talking about all of these at services this Shabbat. See the discussion materials by clicking here.
Whining and Wine-ing - Parsha Packet for Shelach
Here's the source material on last week's discussion for parashat Shelach, where we discussed the significance of wine and Jewish (and Israeli) culture. See it here.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Hammerman on Ethics: Is Test Tube Meat Kosher?
Q - I recently heard reports about the creation of artificial meat, using with animal stem cells. To this point, it exists only in a Petri dish, but it's time to start asking the tough questions. As one who keeps kosher and who is a vegetarian, would this kind of meat would be kosher - and would that be true even for pork? And since no killing would be involved, could a vegetarian eat this meat with a clear conscience?
A- As they say at Citi Field, it’s time to “Meet the Meats.”
As a “Glatt” vegetarian (no fish or chicken), I’m torn. I even avoid many of the meat substitutes on the market because they have become so life like. But Soya is still Soya and this will be real meat, only grown and harvested from animal stem cells rather than being killed. The current discussion was prompted by a recent New Yorker article by Michael Specter, “Test Tube Burgers” and the author’s subsequent interview on public radio. I’ve collected dozens of links to recent articles on the topic for those who are interested.
It doesn’t take a vegan to see the strong moral argument for fake meat. As Specter writes, "There is something inherently creepy about [growing meat in labs], But there is something more inherently creepy about the way we deal with the animals that we eat. ... They live a horrible life, and they often die quite cruelly. So the idea of being able to eliminate some of that is extremely exciting for a lot of people." Add to that the serious overcrowding of the planet, leading to environmental concerns like global warming and reduced arable land, this seems like a winning proposition.
But is it a kosher one?
Kashrut teaches us to respect all life and to be sensitive to suffering. An animal needs to be killed painlessly in order to be kosher. This process will be as painless as your basic biopsy, so it would seem as kosher as kosher can be. Not even PETA could complain if, say, fur coats were harvested this way. Some speak of having “free range” Petri dishes, but these are the people who believe a carrot screams when you pick it from the ground.
What about pork? While the fact that the pork stem cells would have to come from a pig, an argument could be made that the process of converting those cells into meat would be so complex, and the transformation from the original so complete, that it would be OK (much as Conservative rabbis have ruled for cheeses ). I disagree with that.
Kashrut is not simply about sensitizing ourselves to pain. It is also about living a life of discipline and holiness. Some foods are designated unkosher for what seem like purely arbitrary reasons. Part of being more humane – and more human – comes from pausing before we select and eat our food, to look at the label and know that not every creature is available to us to use for our instant gratification.
The same goes for sex partners, incidentally, which is why sexuality is covered in the same “holiness” section of Leviticus as kashrut. We can’t just shack up with anyone we see - unless you are governor of California, of course. Standards of who is an acceptable sex partner may change (as has happened in the liberal movements with homosexuality and long ago with bigamy), but the principle of setting boundaries remains, and will continue to even when we begin to grow entire human beings in a test tube.
Oh….we already do? Forgot.
There’s one other factor to consider. The rabbis called it Mar’it Ayin . There is a prohibition against doing things that look like they are prohibited. So eating a cheeseburger made out of Petri dish meat, or even Soya, could possibly fall under this category (though veggie burgers are now so prevalent they shouldn’t cause a problem).
Simple answer? It ‘aint so simple. Fortunately, we’ll have time to figure it out before this stuff hits the market.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/05/23/110523fa_fact_specter
http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=136402034
http://tbe.org/uploadedFiles/site/Rabbis_Corner/Rabbi_Study_Materials/Meat_blog 06_17_11.pdf
http://io9.com/5458425/is-vat+grown-meat-kosher-we-asked-a-rabbi
http://www.jacksonsnyder.com/arc/Midrash/dairyteshuvav3.htm
http://www.nishmat.net/article.php?id=4&heading=0
A- As they say at Citi Field, it’s time to “Meet the Meats.”
As a “Glatt” vegetarian (no fish or chicken), I’m torn. I even avoid many of the meat substitutes on the market because they have become so life like. But Soya is still Soya and this will be real meat, only grown and harvested from animal stem cells rather than being killed. The current discussion was prompted by a recent New Yorker article by Michael Specter, “Test Tube Burgers” and the author’s subsequent interview on public radio. I’ve collected dozens of links to recent articles on the topic for those who are interested.
It doesn’t take a vegan to see the strong moral argument for fake meat. As Specter writes, "There is something inherently creepy about [growing meat in labs], But there is something more inherently creepy about the way we deal with the animals that we eat. ... They live a horrible life, and they often die quite cruelly. So the idea of being able to eliminate some of that is extremely exciting for a lot of people." Add to that the serious overcrowding of the planet, leading to environmental concerns like global warming and reduced arable land, this seems like a winning proposition.
But is it a kosher one?
Kashrut teaches us to respect all life and to be sensitive to suffering. An animal needs to be killed painlessly in order to be kosher. This process will be as painless as your basic biopsy, so it would seem as kosher as kosher can be. Not even PETA could complain if, say, fur coats were harvested this way. Some speak of having “free range” Petri dishes, but these are the people who believe a carrot screams when you pick it from the ground.
What about pork? While the fact that the pork stem cells would have to come from a pig, an argument could be made that the process of converting those cells into meat would be so complex, and the transformation from the original so complete, that it would be OK (much as Conservative rabbis have ruled for cheeses ). I disagree with that.
Kashrut is not simply about sensitizing ourselves to pain. It is also about living a life of discipline and holiness. Some foods are designated unkosher for what seem like purely arbitrary reasons. Part of being more humane – and more human – comes from pausing before we select and eat our food, to look at the label and know that not every creature is available to us to use for our instant gratification.
The same goes for sex partners, incidentally, which is why sexuality is covered in the same “holiness” section of Leviticus as kashrut. We can’t just shack up with anyone we see - unless you are governor of California, of course. Standards of who is an acceptable sex partner may change (as has happened in the liberal movements with homosexuality and long ago with bigamy), but the principle of setting boundaries remains, and will continue to even when we begin to grow entire human beings in a test tube.
Oh….we already do? Forgot.
There’s one other factor to consider. The rabbis called it Mar’it Ayin . There is a prohibition against doing things that look like they are prohibited. So eating a cheeseburger made out of Petri dish meat, or even Soya, could possibly fall under this category (though veggie burgers are now so prevalent they shouldn’t cause a problem).
Simple answer? It ‘aint so simple. Fortunately, we’ll have time to figure it out before this stuff hits the market.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/05/23/110523fa_fact_specter
http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=136402034
http://tbe.org/uploadedFiles/site/Rabbis_Corner/Rabbi_Study_Materials/Meat_blog 06_17_11.pdf
http://io9.com/5458425/is-vat+grown-meat-kosher-we-asked-a-rabbi
http://www.jacksonsnyder.com/arc/Midrash/dairyteshuvav3.htm
http://www.nishmat.net/article.php?id=4&heading=0
Saturday, June 11, 2011
TBE Bar/Bat Mitzvah Commentary: Sean Rose on Beha'alotcha
Shabbat Shalom
I am a big fan of Jewish holidays; I love them so much that I actually have three favorites: Hanukkah, Passover and Purim.
Of those three, two have a connection to my portion…sort of.
My haftarah is the same one recited on the Shabbat of Hanukkah, because it deals with the symbol of the menorah, something also found at the beginning of my Torah portion. At the end of the haftarah, we find that famous line “Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
In Judaism, the focus is always on spiritual strength, rather than physical power. So what is it that makes you strong? The answer is: discipline and self control.
So why is Passover one of my favorite holidays? Because it’s the only time my mom will let junk food in the house. It’s ironic that Passover is meant to be a time when we use self discipline to avoid foods that we like, like bread. But for me, Passover is my reward for the discipline I show all year long.
My portion speaks about that too. No, not about junk food, but about cravings. The people were sick and tired of just eating mannah all the time and they complained. They even talked about wanting to go back to Egypt. They wanted meat!
So God provided quail. Lots of quail. And they ate and ate and ate until they weren’t sick-and-tired any more – just plain sick! They were hit by a plague and because of that, the place was named “The Graves of Craving.”
After that, my portion contains another case where the lack of discipline ended up being costly. Miriam and Aaron gossiped about Moses, and Miriam came down with leprosy as a result.
The lesson is that we need to be very careful to control our cravings, or they will take control of us.
How do I control my desires and impulses?
Sometimes when I’m in a candy store, I have a yen to spend all my money on Gummy Bears. The way I stop myself is by imagining how sick I would get if I ate too many.
The key here is not just to live in the moment, but to be able to look ahead at the consequences of everything you do.
Of course, you can also look ahead to the good consequences of things you do. For my mitzvah project, for the past 3 months I’ve been collecting comforters, blankets and food for cats and dogs. If you are still interested in donating, you can still contribute. The information is in my booklet. I’m doing this because I love animals so much. I know that the things I do now will benefit them down the road.
The moral of the story – don’t eat too much quail, or too much of anything. Everything should be done in moderation. Control your desires and look to the future. That’s what it means to be a Jew and that’s also what it means to be a Bar Mitzvah.
I am a big fan of Jewish holidays; I love them so much that I actually have three favorites: Hanukkah, Passover and Purim.
Of those three, two have a connection to my portion…sort of.
My haftarah is the same one recited on the Shabbat of Hanukkah, because it deals with the symbol of the menorah, something also found at the beginning of my Torah portion. At the end of the haftarah, we find that famous line “Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
In Judaism, the focus is always on spiritual strength, rather than physical power. So what is it that makes you strong? The answer is: discipline and self control.
So why is Passover one of my favorite holidays? Because it’s the only time my mom will let junk food in the house. It’s ironic that Passover is meant to be a time when we use self discipline to avoid foods that we like, like bread. But for me, Passover is my reward for the discipline I show all year long.
My portion speaks about that too. No, not about junk food, but about cravings. The people were sick and tired of just eating mannah all the time and they complained. They even talked about wanting to go back to Egypt. They wanted meat!
So God provided quail. Lots of quail. And they ate and ate and ate until they weren’t sick-and-tired any more – just plain sick! They were hit by a plague and because of that, the place was named “The Graves of Craving.”
After that, my portion contains another case where the lack of discipline ended up being costly. Miriam and Aaron gossiped about Moses, and Miriam came down with leprosy as a result.
The lesson is that we need to be very careful to control our cravings, or they will take control of us.
How do I control my desires and impulses?
Sometimes when I’m in a candy store, I have a yen to spend all my money on Gummy Bears. The way I stop myself is by imagining how sick I would get if I ate too many.
The key here is not just to live in the moment, but to be able to look ahead at the consequences of everything you do.
Of course, you can also look ahead to the good consequences of things you do. For my mitzvah project, for the past 3 months I’ve been collecting comforters, blankets and food for cats and dogs. If you are still interested in donating, you can still contribute. The information is in my booklet. I’m doing this because I love animals so much. I know that the things I do now will benefit them down the road.
The moral of the story – don’t eat too much quail, or too much of anything. Everything should be done in moderation. Control your desires and look to the future. That’s what it means to be a Jew and that’s also what it means to be a Bar Mitzvah.
Friday, June 10, 2011
TBE Bar/Bat Mitzvah Commentary: Ilana Olin on Naso
Let me tell you about a typical day in the life of Ilana Olin.
Mom wakes me at 7:00
. Mom wakes me at 7:05. Mom screams at me and I get out of bed at 7:15, get dressed, eat breakfast, pack all my stuff, and I’m out the door at 7:42. I arrive at school at 8:02, go through my school day and then take the bus home. I get home at 3:20 and then, on a Hebrew School day, leave the house at 3:35 to arrive by 4:00
. I leave just as we start tefillah, eat dinner in the car on the way to the gym, and then practice with my gymnastics team until 9:00. Then, I eat dinner again on the way home, get home around 9:30, do homework, shower and go to sleep.
Aside from the Hebrew school part, I do this three times a week, which includes about 12 hours at the gym. Oh, and did I mention bat mitzvah lessons and practice? Throw in another half hour each day of that, plus lessons. You might say that I’m pretty busy.
And, yes, I am driven. I have high expectations of myself and work very hard to live up to them. In a particular event or exercise, I won’t stop for the day until I can do everything perfectly three times. For me, this means no wobbles. This hard work has paid off to get me to where I am in gymnastics today. And my hard work in studying for my bat mitzvah has also paid off, because here I am!
By now you should be able to tell a few key things about me: 1) that I love gymnastics, and have since my first “Mommy and Me” class when I was 18 months old, and 2) that I’m a perfectionist.
You might be relieved to know that I am not completely insane. I do have my limits. Perfectionism is only a good thing to a degree. It has its limits.
I’ve discovered that perfectionism is for the imperfect. I believe in doing everything to the best of my ability, no matter what it takes – but then being able to know my limitations and to accept them.
My Torah portion begins with the word “NaSO” – which literally means “lift up.” That makes sense to me as a gymnast, because we do a lot of heavy lifting. The burden is very physical - I need to lift myself up onto the bar or the beam, and sometimes off the floor.
But it’s also psychological burden – to lift yourself up to higher and higher levels. It takes an incredible amount of focus and determination. And even more, you have to control your fear. It takes courage to try something new, something you’ve never done before, especially if you are doing it on a beam that’s only a few inches wide.
And you also need self discipline. My portion gives the example of the Nazerite, and my haftarah details the birth of the most famous Nazerite, Samson. A Nazerite was someone who took a special vow to lead a very disciplined life, never drinking wine or cutting their hair.
But it’s important to note that very few people took those vows and there are no Nazerites anymore. Jews have always struggled with perfectionism. We are always looking for role models who go above and beyond, but the Jewish message is that we should also do things in moderation. It’s OK to make mistakes, as long we always try to improve. That’s why we have the High Holidays, a time when Jews get it right on the balance beam, making up for the times when we fall. Too bad we don’t get a High Holidays at our meets!
Self discipline is important to me, like it was for the Nazerites. I only watch a couple of programs on TV a week: “Glee” and “Modern Family.” That’s it.
The most important thing for a perfectionist is to know your strengths and weaknesses. I’ve learned to recognize them and improve myself based upon them. As a person I’ve changed as I’ve grown. I have learned that one mistake won’t change my whole life. I’ve learned to go with the flow, too. There have certainly been times when I’ve made a mistake in a routine, but then collected myself and done my personal best for the rest of the routine.
Now that I’m a bat mitzvah, I’ve learned to never give up, that practice makes perfect… or almost perfect – because perfectionism itself is imperfect!
For my mitzvah project, I raised awareness about heart disease and collected money to donate to the American Heart Association. Remember, 1 in 3 women will die of heart disease. Thanks to the support of everyone here, I have already raised over $1,500 for this cause.
Mom wakes me at 7:00
. Mom wakes me at 7:05. Mom screams at me and I get out of bed at 7:15, get dressed, eat breakfast, pack all my stuff, and I’m out the door at 7:42. I arrive at school at 8:02, go through my school day and then take the bus home. I get home at 3:20 and then, on a Hebrew School day, leave the house at 3:35 to arrive by 4:00
. I leave just as we start tefillah, eat dinner in the car on the way to the gym, and then practice with my gymnastics team until 9:00. Then, I eat dinner again on the way home, get home around 9:30, do homework, shower and go to sleep.
Aside from the Hebrew school part, I do this three times a week, which includes about 12 hours at the gym. Oh, and did I mention bat mitzvah lessons and practice? Throw in another half hour each day of that, plus lessons. You might say that I’m pretty busy.
And, yes, I am driven. I have high expectations of myself and work very hard to live up to them. In a particular event or exercise, I won’t stop for the day until I can do everything perfectly three times. For me, this means no wobbles. This hard work has paid off to get me to where I am in gymnastics today. And my hard work in studying for my bat mitzvah has also paid off, because here I am!
By now you should be able to tell a few key things about me: 1) that I love gymnastics, and have since my first “Mommy and Me” class when I was 18 months old, and 2) that I’m a perfectionist.
You might be relieved to know that I am not completely insane. I do have my limits. Perfectionism is only a good thing to a degree. It has its limits.
I’ve discovered that perfectionism is for the imperfect. I believe in doing everything to the best of my ability, no matter what it takes – but then being able to know my limitations and to accept them.
My Torah portion begins with the word “NaSO” – which literally means “lift up.” That makes sense to me as a gymnast, because we do a lot of heavy lifting. The burden is very physical - I need to lift myself up onto the bar or the beam, and sometimes off the floor.
But it’s also psychological burden – to lift yourself up to higher and higher levels. It takes an incredible amount of focus and determination. And even more, you have to control your fear. It takes courage to try something new, something you’ve never done before, especially if you are doing it on a beam that’s only a few inches wide.
And you also need self discipline. My portion gives the example of the Nazerite, and my haftarah details the birth of the most famous Nazerite, Samson. A Nazerite was someone who took a special vow to lead a very disciplined life, never drinking wine or cutting their hair.
But it’s important to note that very few people took those vows and there are no Nazerites anymore. Jews have always struggled with perfectionism. We are always looking for role models who go above and beyond, but the Jewish message is that we should also do things in moderation. It’s OK to make mistakes, as long we always try to improve. That’s why we have the High Holidays, a time when Jews get it right on the balance beam, making up for the times when we fall. Too bad we don’t get a High Holidays at our meets!
Self discipline is important to me, like it was for the Nazerites. I only watch a couple of programs on TV a week: “Glee” and “Modern Family.” That’s it.
The most important thing for a perfectionist is to know your strengths and weaknesses. I’ve learned to recognize them and improve myself based upon them. As a person I’ve changed as I’ve grown. I have learned that one mistake won’t change my whole life. I’ve learned to go with the flow, too. There have certainly been times when I’ve made a mistake in a routine, but then collected myself and done my personal best for the rest of the routine.
Now that I’m a bat mitzvah, I’ve learned to never give up, that practice makes perfect… or almost perfect – because perfectionism itself is imperfect!
For my mitzvah project, I raised awareness about heart disease and collected money to donate to the American Heart Association. Remember, 1 in 3 women will die of heart disease. Thanks to the support of everyone here, I have already raised over $1,500 for this cause.
Jewish Ethics and Anthony Weiner's Very Bad Week: Hammerman on Ethics
Jewish Ethics and Anthony Weiner's Very Bad Week
Q - Does Rep. Weiner's admitted act of sending out explicit photos of himself disqualify him from public office? Is this a new form of adultery? Given the fact that "sexting" is so common these days among young people, will it become a political albatross comparable to pot smoking for aspiring pols who came of age in the '60s? After all, isn't this just a byproduct of the Internet revolution in the way that drug use was the byproduct of the counter culture? Eventually, won't the culture simply catch up to these new freedoms and no one will care that he did this?
A - I see what you are getting it. "I took the photo but did not send it" comes perilously close to "I didn't inhale." And now, having inhaled pot in one's youth does not even raise an eyebrow, much less disqualify one from office, as President Obama has proven. So will the same be said for "sexting" a few years from now?
I doubt it, at least in the case of Rep. Wiener. Politicians may get a pass for other recklessness, but our tolerance for sexual indiscretion while in office has been decreasing with each shocking new revelation (see my recent diatribe on "Men Behaving Badly") .
The analogy to Clinton that works best here is less his alleged use of marijuana and more his exploitation of Monica Lewinsky. The use of an illegal drug potentially harms only the individual using it, but the exploiting of another human being as an object for instant sexual gratification harms at least three parties: the user, the sex object and the user's betrayed family.
If Weiner were not married, the act of sexting probably would not disqualify him permanently from public trust, just as, in a more quaint age, he wouldn't have been eternally scarred for passing around issues of "Playboy" or contraband copies of "Lady Chatterly." I'm not thrilled that sexting, which had become shockingly common among teens over the past few years, has now spread to adults. But while the scale has increased exponentially, titillation is still titillation, the human body is still the human body and boys will be boys. We're not going to stop it, so it's best to focus on those cases where there are clear victims.
There are all types of infidelity, and as President Clinton discovered, many transcend the narrow definitions of sexual contact. Even physical proximity is not a prerequisite. Close office friendships involving the exchange of intimate marital details could be considered "emotional infidelity." Lawyers consider sexting to be a form of infidelity but not grounds for divorce, because, as one lawyer said to Fox news, "In this day and age, cheating is as prevalent as breathing."
I would have trouble trusting the type of person who can't keep his privates private, whether in person or on camera. Personally, I prefer self portraits to be above the waist. Weiner can repair the damage, though, by following the path of teshuvah (repentance) laid out in Jewish tradition, by relinquishing the sin, confessing with a broken heart, and demonstrating sincere remorse. And it wouldn't hurt if he began by telling the truth.
Eventually we'll figure out how to rein in these new freedoms, much as happened with the Pill. After unleashing a national orgy that lasted well into the '70s, we began to figure out how to use this new freedom responsibly. That is beginning to happen right now with social networking, and the Weiner case, for all its humorous overtones, is sending a key message to all those young and married Beltway wannabees considering zapping lewd photos of their private parts:
Keep your zip drive zipped.
http://www.thejewishweek.com/features/hammerman_ethics/men_behaving_badly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexting
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/15/national/main4723161.shtml
http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20110609/ARTICLES/306099998/1004?Title=Sexting-mishaps-Not-just-for-teens-anymore
http://www.askmaple.com/emotional_infidelity.html
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/07/sexting-could-be-legal-grounds-for-divorce-say-legal-experts/
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Yom_Kippur/Themes_and_Theology/Repentance.shtml
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman is spiritual leader of Temple Beth El in Stamford, CT. Read more Hammerman on Ethics here. Read his blog here
Q - Does Rep. Weiner's admitted act of sending out explicit photos of himself disqualify him from public office? Is this a new form of adultery? Given the fact that "sexting" is so common these days among young people, will it become a political albatross comparable to pot smoking for aspiring pols who came of age in the '60s? After all, isn't this just a byproduct of the Internet revolution in the way that drug use was the byproduct of the counter culture? Eventually, won't the culture simply catch up to these new freedoms and no one will care that he did this?
A - I see what you are getting it. "I took the photo but did not send it" comes perilously close to "I didn't inhale." And now, having inhaled pot in one's youth does not even raise an eyebrow, much less disqualify one from office, as President Obama has proven. So will the same be said for "sexting" a few years from now?
I doubt it, at least in the case of Rep. Wiener. Politicians may get a pass for other recklessness, but our tolerance for sexual indiscretion while in office has been decreasing with each shocking new revelation (see my recent diatribe on "Men Behaving Badly") .
The analogy to Clinton that works best here is less his alleged use of marijuana and more his exploitation of Monica Lewinsky. The use of an illegal drug potentially harms only the individual using it, but the exploiting of another human being as an object for instant sexual gratification harms at least three parties: the user, the sex object and the user's betrayed family.
If Weiner were not married, the act of sexting probably would not disqualify him permanently from public trust, just as, in a more quaint age, he wouldn't have been eternally scarred for passing around issues of "Playboy" or contraband copies of "Lady Chatterly." I'm not thrilled that sexting, which had become shockingly common among teens over the past few years, has now spread to adults. But while the scale has increased exponentially, titillation is still titillation, the human body is still the human body and boys will be boys. We're not going to stop it, so it's best to focus on those cases where there are clear victims.
There are all types of infidelity, and as President Clinton discovered, many transcend the narrow definitions of sexual contact. Even physical proximity is not a prerequisite. Close office friendships involving the exchange of intimate marital details could be considered "emotional infidelity." Lawyers consider sexting to be a form of infidelity but not grounds for divorce, because, as one lawyer said to Fox news, "In this day and age, cheating is as prevalent as breathing."
I would have trouble trusting the type of person who can't keep his privates private, whether in person or on camera. Personally, I prefer self portraits to be above the waist. Weiner can repair the damage, though, by following the path of teshuvah (repentance) laid out in Jewish tradition, by relinquishing the sin, confessing with a broken heart, and demonstrating sincere remorse. And it wouldn't hurt if he began by telling the truth.
Eventually we'll figure out how to rein in these new freedoms, much as happened with the Pill. After unleashing a national orgy that lasted well into the '70s, we began to figure out how to use this new freedom responsibly. That is beginning to happen right now with social networking, and the Weiner case, for all its humorous overtones, is sending a key message to all those young and married Beltway wannabees considering zapping lewd photos of their private parts:
Keep your zip drive zipped.
http://www.thejewishweek.com/features/hammerman_ethics/men_behaving_badly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexting
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/15/national/main4723161.shtml
http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20110609/ARTICLES/306099998/1004?Title=Sexting-mishaps-Not-just-for-teens-anymore
http://www.askmaple.com/emotional_infidelity.html
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/07/sexting-could-be-legal-grounds-for-divorce-say-legal-experts/
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Yom_Kippur/Themes_and_Theology/Repentance.shtml
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman is spiritual leader of Temple Beth El in Stamford, CT. Read more Hammerman on Ethics here. Read his blog here
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