While I am glad to see that Bernard Madoff will spend the rest of his life behind bars, I believe that even 150 years is not enough. This crime has destroyed incalculable lives, people of all backgrounds. Madoff has also besmirched the Jewish community through his unprecedented betrayal of trust, defaming the value system of the religion he publicly embraced.
As many of you know, I am on record as recommending a modified form of excommunication for Madoff. While some chose to pooh-pooh my initial proposal, I see last week's Rockower Award as validating the message that the Jewish community needs to act. But dawdling community leaders still fail to recognize the unprecedented nature of the crime, the enormity of the hurt and the growing cynicism felt by so many.
Madoff should know that even after he breathes his last, he will be denied burial in a Jewish cemetery and no rabbi will memorialize him.
The courts have done their work; community leaders now have to grasp the moment, come together, send a clear moral message and cut him off. Period.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
On to College!
Ethan graduated from Westhill High School last week. Mazal tov to him and to all the graduates!
Next stop for Ethan, a march through the Van Wickle Gates at Brown University in the fall.
Women as Mohels: Responsa in a Moment
Here's an interesting new responsum by Rabbi David Golinkin,
MAY WOMEN SERVE AS MOHALOT?. Rabbi Golinkin always uses these questions as opportunties to demonstrate his vast knowledge of the historical development of Jewish law. For scholar and lay person alike, it is a fascinating journey into the breadth and depth of Jewish civilization. He is never wedded to old customs but is always seeking the response that works best for our times.
To "cut" to the chase, yes, they may.
MAY WOMEN SERVE AS MOHALOT?. Rabbi Golinkin always uses these questions as opportunties to demonstrate his vast knowledge of the historical development of Jewish law. For scholar and lay person alike, it is a fascinating journey into the breadth and depth of Jewish civilization. He is never wedded to old customs but is always seeking the response that works best for our times.
To "cut" to the chase, yes, they may.
Friday, June 26, 2009
A Note from Chicago
As I prepare to return home to Stamford after my brief trip to Chicago for the AJPA convention and the presentation of the Rockower awards (see below), I've been reflecting on my two professional passions. I received my ordination and journalism degree at the same time, and I've been juggling the two ever since. Being a writer has made me a far better rabbi - that is certain. For one thing, I learned how to edit. Rabbis don't always edit very well. For another, it's helped me learn how to listen. The skills I picked up in journalism school have helped me to ask the right questions and really hear the answers in any number of settings, from counseling to teaching to basic schmoozing.
But more significantly, in an age where those booming prophetic voices from the pulpit are so rare, the real prophets of our day are journalists. They are the ones best equipped to stand up to the powerful and persuade the public to change course. In Iran right now, it is the journalists who are the prime windows to the truth, they are the ones most feared by the authorities.
At this Jewish journalism convention, we've heard many prophecies of doom for the newspaper and the news making profession as a whole. One participant glibly asked that without newspapers, what will we wrap our fish in?
But there will always be a need for truth-seekers and while the technology will change, journalists will remain the prophets of our day. At this conference, in fact, non traditional media were well represented, including new and exciting efforts like Zeek and InterfaithFamily, and, in a big surprise, a little blog (this one) beat out the largest print publications for the single commentary Rockower award (see"On One Foot" Blog Wins Prestigious Journalism Prize).
I'm not the first to make the connection between journalism and the role of the ancient prophet. See this article on Jewish sources for journalistic ethics. The author writes,
"The free press justifies its existence in terms of moral imperatives..."
"Justice, justice shalt thou pursue" (Deut. 16:20) commanded G-d of the Israelites, and Isaiah was one of the most eloquent of prophets to fulfill his mandate as a voice for justice. Isaiah was commanded to "Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet." (Isaiah 58:1) He did, and called on the Children of Israel to "Learn to do well -- seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." (Isaiah 1:17) In modern terms, Isaiah asked that the rights of the most vulnerable parts of society be vigorously protected.
Abraham Joshua Heschel, the 20th Century thinker, said of the prophets: "In a sense, the calling of the prophet may be described as that of an advocate or champion, speaking for those who are too weak to plead their own cause. Indeed, the major activity of the prophets was interference, demonstrating about wrongs inflicted on other people, meddling in affairs which were seemingly neither their concern nor their responsibility." As a quality newspaper would do, "prophets remind us of the moral state of the people: Few are guilty, but all are responsible."
There is also an inherent distrust of government by the prophets. "Be careful with the government authorities as they do not come close to a person but for their own need." (Avot 2:3) Furthermore, the prophet Samuel pleaded with the people not to call for a king. And Isaiah lamented "O, my people, your leaders mislead you, And confuse the course of your paths." (3:12)
The prophets were also the first to bring the written word to the people. "Write the vision; Make it plain upon tablets," commands the prophet Habakkuk (2:2). After the Babylonian exile, the prophets introduced public readings of the Five Books of Moses in Jerusalem thus bringing the written word from the elite of society to the masses. Also institutionalized within Judaism is the ceremony of Hakel, where the king appears before the entire people to read from the Bible.
I knew it 25 years ago and I realized it again today. Being a journalist has made me a better rabbi - and being a rabbi has made me a better human being.
But more significantly, in an age where those booming prophetic voices from the pulpit are so rare, the real prophets of our day are journalists. They are the ones best equipped to stand up to the powerful and persuade the public to change course. In Iran right now, it is the journalists who are the prime windows to the truth, they are the ones most feared by the authorities.
At this Jewish journalism convention, we've heard many prophecies of doom for the newspaper and the news making profession as a whole. One participant glibly asked that without newspapers, what will we wrap our fish in?
But there will always be a need for truth-seekers and while the technology will change, journalists will remain the prophets of our day. At this conference, in fact, non traditional media were well represented, including new and exciting efforts like Zeek and InterfaithFamily, and, in a big surprise, a little blog (this one) beat out the largest print publications for the single commentary Rockower award (see"On One Foot" Blog Wins Prestigious Journalism Prize).
I'm not the first to make the connection between journalism and the role of the ancient prophet. See this article on Jewish sources for journalistic ethics. The author writes,
"The free press justifies its existence in terms of moral imperatives..."
"Justice, justice shalt thou pursue" (Deut. 16:20) commanded G-d of the Israelites, and Isaiah was one of the most eloquent of prophets to fulfill his mandate as a voice for justice. Isaiah was commanded to "Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet." (Isaiah 58:1) He did, and called on the Children of Israel to "Learn to do well -- seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." (Isaiah 1:17) In modern terms, Isaiah asked that the rights of the most vulnerable parts of society be vigorously protected.
Abraham Joshua Heschel, the 20th Century thinker, said of the prophets: "In a sense, the calling of the prophet may be described as that of an advocate or champion, speaking for those who are too weak to plead their own cause. Indeed, the major activity of the prophets was interference, demonstrating about wrongs inflicted on other people, meddling in affairs which were seemingly neither their concern nor their responsibility." As a quality newspaper would do, "prophets remind us of the moral state of the people: Few are guilty, but all are responsible."
There is also an inherent distrust of government by the prophets. "Be careful with the government authorities as they do not come close to a person but for their own need." (Avot 2:3) Furthermore, the prophet Samuel pleaded with the people not to call for a king. And Isaiah lamented "O, my people, your leaders mislead you, And confuse the course of your paths." (3:12)
The prophets were also the first to bring the written word to the people. "Write the vision; Make it plain upon tablets," commands the prophet Habakkuk (2:2). After the Babylonian exile, the prophets introduced public readings of the Five Books of Moses in Jerusalem thus bringing the written word from the elite of society to the masses. Also institutionalized within Judaism is the ceremony of Hakel, where the king appears before the entire people to read from the Bible.
I knew it 25 years ago and I realized it again today. Being a journalist has made me a better rabbi - and being a rabbi has made me a better human being.
Dead Sea Sinkholes and This Week's Portion
Just in time for this week's Torah portion of Korah, which speaks of revels being swallowed up by the earth, people in Israel are being swallowed up by the earth. Read Dead Sea peril: sinkholes swallow up the unwary, then view this week's G-Dcast, and ask yourself whether the biblical story is so far fetched!
Parshat Korach from G-dcast.com
Parshat Korach from G-dcast.com
More Torah cartoons at www.g-dcast.com
Michael Jackson and the Rabbi
TBE's own Gabrielle Birkner also won a Rockower award yesterday, for her work in developing the fabulous website of the Forward. The Forward won a record ten Rockowers.
Gabrielle also located a link recalling Michael Jackson's relationship with noted Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. See Rabbi Shmuley on the Gloved One, z''l.
The LA Jewish Journal has more on its blog, asking, was Jackson a Jew?
No, but Michael Jackson’s ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, considered herself Jewish. I’m not sure if she would be recognized by a beit din, but if so, that would make her kids with Jacko, Paris and Prince, Jewish.
Jackson, though not Jewish, once considered rockstar Rabbi Shmuley Boteach a close friend, though in recent years Jackson got in trouble for saying things like about Jews like “They suck…they’re like leeches. It’s a conspiracy. The Jews do it on purpose.“
Boteach, whose office has been getting overwhelmed with calls since news of Jackson’s collapse broke less than an hour ago, is in Iceland and couldn’t be reached on his cell. But here is an excerpt from a rare interview Boteach did with the SomethingJewish message board about his friendship with Jackson:
Gabrielle also located a link recalling Michael Jackson's relationship with noted Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. See Rabbi Shmuley on the Gloved One, z''l.
The LA Jewish Journal has more on its blog, asking, was Jackson a Jew?
No, but Michael Jackson’s ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, considered herself Jewish. I’m not sure if she would be recognized by a beit din, but if so, that would make her kids with Jacko, Paris and Prince, Jewish.
Jackson, though not Jewish, once considered rockstar Rabbi Shmuley Boteach a close friend, though in recent years Jackson got in trouble for saying things like about Jews like “They suck…they’re like leeches. It’s a conspiracy. The Jews do it on purpose.“
Boteach, whose office has been getting overwhelmed with calls since news of Jackson’s collapse broke less than an hour ago, is in Iceland and couldn’t be reached on his cell. But here is an excerpt from a rare interview Boteach did with the SomethingJewish message board about his friendship with Jackson:
"On One Foot" Blog Wins Prestigious Journalism Prize
I'm humbled and proud to announce that this blog and its author have been recognized with a prestigious journalism award today at the 28th annual American Jewish Press Association Awards ceremony in Chicago. See all the winners listed here.
In the AJPA category, "Award for Excellence in a Single Commentary," I won for the blog entry, "An Open Letter to Malcolm Hoenlein ," calling on Jewish community leaders to initiate procedures leading to the excommunication of Bernard Madoff. The article appeared initially on this blog, but it was later distributed widely by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), so the column was awarded in the category for newspapers, magazines and websites with circulation of over 15,000.
In the award winning article, I wrote, "Our own children are watching us. If the communal response to Madoff is concerted, unified and reasonable, this could be American Jewry’s finest hour. If not, it will be the continuation of our worst nightmare."
The AJPA receives over 800 submissions for the Rockower awards every year in 15 categories that include news reporting, investigative journalism, cartooning, feature writing, and commentary. The Rockowers are considered the highest honor in Jewish journalism.
The American Jewish Press Association was founded in 1944 as a voluntary not-for-profit professional association for the English-language Jewish Press in North America. Its membership currently consists of about 250 newspapers, magazines, individual journalists and affiliated organizations throughout the United States and Canada. AJPA member publications reach a combined readership of more than 2.5 million. The AJPA mission has remained constant over the years: to enhance the status of American Jewish journalism and to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and cooperative activities among the American Jewish press. The Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism are given out at the AJPA’s annual conference at the end of June. Known to some as the ‘Jewish Pulitzers,’ the awards were initiated in 1980 to promote quality Jewish journalism. www.ajpa.org
I am humbled to be recognized in this way, as I felt that my comments on Madoff resonated with so many - Jews and others - who felt frustrated at the paralysis reflected in the initial responses of Jewish leaders to this cataclysm. It was my own congregants who inspired me to be more vocal on this topic. I hope that this honor might inspire others to speak out.
In the AJPA category, "Award for Excellence in a Single Commentary," I won for the blog entry, "An Open Letter to Malcolm Hoenlein ," calling on Jewish community leaders to initiate procedures leading to the excommunication of Bernard Madoff. The article appeared initially on this blog, but it was later distributed widely by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), so the column was awarded in the category for newspapers, magazines and websites with circulation of over 15,000.
In the award winning article, I wrote, "Our own children are watching us. If the communal response to Madoff is concerted, unified and reasonable, this could be American Jewry’s finest hour. If not, it will be the continuation of our worst nightmare."
The AJPA receives over 800 submissions for the Rockower awards every year in 15 categories that include news reporting, investigative journalism, cartooning, feature writing, and commentary. The Rockowers are considered the highest honor in Jewish journalism.
The American Jewish Press Association was founded in 1944 as a voluntary not-for-profit professional association for the English-language Jewish Press in North America. Its membership currently consists of about 250 newspapers, magazines, individual journalists and affiliated organizations throughout the United States and Canada. AJPA member publications reach a combined readership of more than 2.5 million. The AJPA mission has remained constant over the years: to enhance the status of American Jewish journalism and to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and cooperative activities among the American Jewish press. The Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism are given out at the AJPA’s annual conference at the end of June. Known to some as the ‘Jewish Pulitzers,’ the awards were initiated in 1980 to promote quality Jewish journalism. www.ajpa.org
I am humbled to be recognized in this way, as I felt that my comments on Madoff resonated with so many - Jews and others - who felt frustrated at the paralysis reflected in the initial responses of Jewish leaders to this cataclysm. It was my own congregants who inspired me to be more vocal on this topic. I hope that this honor might inspire others to speak out.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
TBE Bar/Bat Mitzvah Commentary: Brandon Temple on Shelach Lecha
In case you happened to have looked at the “All About Me” section of my booklet, you may have noticed my favorite prayer is the “Sh’ma.” I like it because it is repeated more often than any other prayer and also because it helps me to concentrate on how proud I am to be a Jew.
Little did I know until recently that part of the Sh’ma is found in my portion – and in fact, I just read it as my maftir! The third paragraph of the Sh’ma is found at the very end of my portion; this is the part that speaks about the tzitzit, the fringes found at the end of a tallit.
These tzitzit have many different meanings, but mostly, they are reminders of the 613 commandments.
But this paragraph doesn’t just remind us about all good things we’re supposed to do. It also teaches us how to do them.
Very often, people will do favors for others hoping to get a reward. People do it all the time. It’s an old custom when kids begin their formal Jewish studies, to dip Hebrew letters into honey so that the study of Torah will be sweet for them. We have a similar custom here at Beth El. When we contribute to a class discussion, our teacher gives us M and M’s. I know that I would contribute even without the M and M’s! But it’s nice to have them too.
Well, in the paragraph from our portion, the Torah tells us that we should wear the tzitizt, “Le’m’a’an tizzzkeru,” so that we will be reminded. In other words, so that we will remember that God rescued us from Egypt and then gave us these commandments. It is traditional to stretch out the “z” sound in Tizzzkeru, because if we mistakenly pronounce it “tisskeru,” with an “s” instead of a “z,” then it would mean “you shall be rewarded,” which implies that the only reason to follow the commandments would be to get a reward.
That’s something we should try to avoid. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The reward of a thing well done is to have done it.”
I agree with that completely, and I’ve learned this recently in many ways. First, as part of my mitzvah project, I’ve been going to Greenwich Woods Nursing Home and visiting senior citizens there. I usually spend about two hours there, mostly helping them with their bowling, using a Wii video game. There’s one person there named Theresa, who always asks for me. I’ve developed a real bond with her. Last month, when I visited her, she offered to buy me a soda and I said, “No, that’s OK.” This was before I had even studied about the tzitzit, but I understood already that I was getting so much out of this, simply from seeing her be happy, that I did need any reward. That was reward enough.
Generally speaking, I like making people happy and often will cheer people up when they are in a bad mood. Sometimes when a young child is unhappy and makes a frown, I mimic their face, and most of the time it makes them laugh.
I’ve learned about how to do this kind of mitzvah from my dad. He often goes away to identify the remains of people who have died in tragedies like Hurricane Katrina or the nightclub fire near Providence. I know that one reason he did this was to set an example for me. But it wasn’t just an example of how to do a good deed – it was an example of why. There was no reward for all his efforts, except for the reward of knowing he had helped the families of the dead.
So it is true that I have learned the lesson taught by the paragraph regarding tzitzit in my portion. But I wouldn’t want to carry this thing too far. As I become a bar mitzvah today, I know that I am not leading these prayers because I’m hoping to be rewarded with lots of gifts. But you shouldn’t feel that you have to go through all the trouble of returning those gifts either! And keep in mind that I’ll be donating the money that we saved by making my bar mitzvah invitations myself to a number of medical charities: American Heart Association, Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center, Tourette’s Foundation, and Cystic Fibrosis.
Little did I know until recently that part of the Sh’ma is found in my portion – and in fact, I just read it as my maftir! The third paragraph of the Sh’ma is found at the very end of my portion; this is the part that speaks about the tzitzit, the fringes found at the end of a tallit.
These tzitzit have many different meanings, but mostly, they are reminders of the 613 commandments.
But this paragraph doesn’t just remind us about all good things we’re supposed to do. It also teaches us how to do them.
Very often, people will do favors for others hoping to get a reward. People do it all the time. It’s an old custom when kids begin their formal Jewish studies, to dip Hebrew letters into honey so that the study of Torah will be sweet for them. We have a similar custom here at Beth El. When we contribute to a class discussion, our teacher gives us M and M’s. I know that I would contribute even without the M and M’s! But it’s nice to have them too.
Well, in the paragraph from our portion, the Torah tells us that we should wear the tzitizt, “Le’m’a’an tizzzkeru,” so that we will be reminded. In other words, so that we will remember that God rescued us from Egypt and then gave us these commandments. It is traditional to stretch out the “z” sound in Tizzzkeru, because if we mistakenly pronounce it “tisskeru,” with an “s” instead of a “z,” then it would mean “you shall be rewarded,” which implies that the only reason to follow the commandments would be to get a reward.
That’s something we should try to avoid. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The reward of a thing well done is to have done it.”
I agree with that completely, and I’ve learned this recently in many ways. First, as part of my mitzvah project, I’ve been going to Greenwich Woods Nursing Home and visiting senior citizens there. I usually spend about two hours there, mostly helping them with their bowling, using a Wii video game. There’s one person there named Theresa, who always asks for me. I’ve developed a real bond with her. Last month, when I visited her, she offered to buy me a soda and I said, “No, that’s OK.” This was before I had even studied about the tzitzit, but I understood already that I was getting so much out of this, simply from seeing her be happy, that I did need any reward. That was reward enough.
Generally speaking, I like making people happy and often will cheer people up when they are in a bad mood. Sometimes when a young child is unhappy and makes a frown, I mimic their face, and most of the time it makes them laugh.
I’ve learned about how to do this kind of mitzvah from my dad. He often goes away to identify the remains of people who have died in tragedies like Hurricane Katrina or the nightclub fire near Providence. I know that one reason he did this was to set an example for me. But it wasn’t just an example of how to do a good deed – it was an example of why. There was no reward for all his efforts, except for the reward of knowing he had helped the families of the dead.
So it is true that I have learned the lesson taught by the paragraph regarding tzitzit in my portion. But I wouldn’t want to carry this thing too far. As I become a bar mitzvah today, I know that I am not leading these prayers because I’m hoping to be rewarded with lots of gifts. But you shouldn’t feel that you have to go through all the trouble of returning those gifts either! And keep in mind that I’ll be donating the money that we saved by making my bar mitzvah invitations myself to a number of medical charities: American Heart Association, Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center, Tourette’s Foundation, and Cystic Fibrosis.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Our 7th Grade Students
Here is a lovely photo of our 7th grade graduates, taken just before their aliyah service last weekend. Click to enlarge.
Trader Joes Under Boycott Pressure - from Jewish Community Relations Council
Date: June 18, 2009
Re:Trader Joe's Boycott
Dear Colleagues, It has come to our attention that the anti-Israel groups under the umbrella of the "U.S. Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel" recently sent form letters to Trader Joe's headquarters demanding the company stop carrying Israeli products as these products "help fund an economy based on illegal occupation and apartheid."
The Anti-Defamation League Central Pacific office sent a letter to Trader Joe's and received a response from Jon Basalone, Trader Joe's Senior Vice President of Marketing. He wrote, "We have received a few letters [threatening a boycott] like this via our customer relations email. Our response is that we sell products, and do not use our products as political tools or to make any statements about any political causes. We have no intention of removing any products based on pressure from any group, no matter what they support or don't support. As always, we believe our customers are smart, and they are capable of making decisions about what they purchase."
Anti-Israel activists in Pittsburgh walked into a Trader Joe's and proceeded to pull Israeli goods and distribute misinformation materials to customers before being removed for trespassing. Additionally we have heard word about this from the JCRCs in Nashville and Silicon Valley. The anti-Israel groups have called for a national day of de-shelving Israeli products from Trader Joe's stores on Saturday, June 20, World Refugee Day. We are asking you to do the following:
1. Alert your community members and encourage them to shop at Trader Joe's stores and to specifically buy Israeli products, particularly before and during the weekend of June 20. It would be fantastic if all the Israeli products are gone before the boycotters arrive. Israeli products carried at Trader Joe's include: Dorot Crushed Garlic, Dorot Chopped Cilantro, Holyland Matzos, Pastures of Eden Feta Imported, Trader Joe's Israeli Couscous and Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend.
2. Tell managers at Trader Joe's stores that you really like the Israeli products they carry and hope they will carry more in the future.
3. Alert managers that June 20 has been declared as a day to de-shelve Israeli products and they should be aware of any people who may try to vandalize, shoplift, or deface the products in any way.
4. Write a letter of thanks to Trader Joe's national headquarters on their contact page here or by mail to: Don Bane, Chairman and CEO Doug Rauch, President Charles J. Pilliter, SVP Operations Trader Joe's Main Headquarters800 S. Shamrock Ave.Monrovia, CA 91016Below you will find sample text: It has recently come to my attention that anti-Israel groups called for a boycott of Israeli products in your stores. I want to thank you for not giving into this pressure and for carrying products from Israel that I and so many others enjoy across the country. I will continue to buy these goods and others from your stores.
Re:Trader Joe's Boycott
Dear Colleagues, It has come to our attention that the anti-Israel groups under the umbrella of the "U.S. Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel" recently sent form letters to Trader Joe's headquarters demanding the company stop carrying Israeli products as these products "help fund an economy based on illegal occupation and apartheid."
The Anti-Defamation League Central Pacific office sent a letter to Trader Joe's and received a response from Jon Basalone, Trader Joe's Senior Vice President of Marketing. He wrote, "We have received a few letters [threatening a boycott] like this via our customer relations email. Our response is that we sell products, and do not use our products as political tools or to make any statements about any political causes. We have no intention of removing any products based on pressure from any group, no matter what they support or don't support. As always, we believe our customers are smart, and they are capable of making decisions about what they purchase."
Anti-Israel activists in Pittsburgh walked into a Trader Joe's and proceeded to pull Israeli goods and distribute misinformation materials to customers before being removed for trespassing. Additionally we have heard word about this from the JCRCs in Nashville and Silicon Valley. The anti-Israel groups have called for a national day of de-shelving Israeli products from Trader Joe's stores on Saturday, June 20, World Refugee Day. We are asking you to do the following:
1. Alert your community members and encourage them to shop at Trader Joe's stores and to specifically buy Israeli products, particularly before and during the weekend of June 20. It would be fantastic if all the Israeli products are gone before the boycotters arrive. Israeli products carried at Trader Joe's include: Dorot Crushed Garlic, Dorot Chopped Cilantro, Holyland Matzos, Pastures of Eden Feta Imported, Trader Joe's Israeli Couscous and Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend.
2. Tell managers at Trader Joe's stores that you really like the Israeli products they carry and hope they will carry more in the future.
3. Alert managers that June 20 has been declared as a day to de-shelve Israeli products and they should be aware of any people who may try to vandalize, shoplift, or deface the products in any way.
4. Write a letter of thanks to Trader Joe's national headquarters on their contact page here or by mail to: Don Bane, Chairman and CEO Doug Rauch, President Charles J. Pilliter, SVP Operations Trader Joe's Main Headquarters800 S. Shamrock Ave.Monrovia, CA 91016Below you will find sample text: It has recently come to my attention that anti-Israel groups called for a boycott of Israeli products in your stores. I want to thank you for not giving into this pressure and for carrying products from Israel that I and so many others enjoy across the country. I will continue to buy these goods and others from your stores.
Jewish Ethics Project: Ethical Dilemma #9: Do We Need to Know?
Ethical Dilemma #9: Do We Really Need to Know? (From Rabbi Joseph Telushkin)
It's easy enough to know a general rule. It's easy enough to know that sometimes there are exceptions. The tricky part is deciding what counts as an exception.
"Although it is almost always wrong to speak lashon hara [negative words; gossip], there is one time it is permitted to do so: when the person to whom we are speaking has a legitimate need to know something negative about another... For example, it is permitted to speak lashon hara... when someone consults with us on whether or not she should hire a certain person for a job... We are also permitted to speak lashon hara in a therapeutic setting, when speaking, for example, to a psychologist or psychiatrist... We are obligated to relate lashon hara to help an innocent victim who will suffer an injustice if the truth is not made known." (A Code of Jewish Ethics, Volume 1: You Shall Be Holy, p.366-7)
Imagine you have a friend (call her Abby) who casually (but not jokingly) makes a very bigoted remark to you about a certain ethnic group. You point out that this is offensive, and Abby shrugs and makes what seems to you to be a glib and unserious apology. A week later, you are speaking to another friend (call her Zelda), who mentions that she enjoys spending time with Abby. Zelda belongs to the very ethnic group which you heard Abby disparage.
Is this a case in which the person (Zelda) has a legitimate need to know negative gossip (what Abby said)? Or should you say nothing?
If you were Zelda, would you want to know what Abby said? If you were Abby, would you want to be given the benefit of the doubt, and the chance to form a friendship with Zelda without being stymied by having made one ill-considered remark?
What general guidelines should we set in order to determine what constitutes a legitimate need to know?
Join the conversation at http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=9053&uid=56295256706
It's easy enough to know a general rule. It's easy enough to know that sometimes there are exceptions. The tricky part is deciding what counts as an exception.
"Although it is almost always wrong to speak lashon hara [negative words; gossip], there is one time it is permitted to do so: when the person to whom we are speaking has a legitimate need to know something negative about another... For example, it is permitted to speak lashon hara... when someone consults with us on whether or not she should hire a certain person for a job... We are also permitted to speak lashon hara in a therapeutic setting, when speaking, for example, to a psychologist or psychiatrist... We are obligated to relate lashon hara to help an innocent victim who will suffer an injustice if the truth is not made known." (A Code of Jewish Ethics, Volume 1: You Shall Be Holy, p.366-7)
Imagine you have a friend (call her Abby) who casually (but not jokingly) makes a very bigoted remark to you about a certain ethnic group. You point out that this is offensive, and Abby shrugs and makes what seems to you to be a glib and unserious apology. A week later, you are speaking to another friend (call her Zelda), who mentions that she enjoys spending time with Abby. Zelda belongs to the very ethnic group which you heard Abby disparage.
Is this a case in which the person (Zelda) has a legitimate need to know negative gossip (what Abby said)? Or should you say nothing?
If you were Zelda, would you want to know what Abby said? If you were Abby, would you want to be given the benefit of the doubt, and the chance to form a friendship with Zelda without being stymied by having made one ill-considered remark?
What general guidelines should we set in order to determine what constitutes a legitimate need to know?
Join the conversation at http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=9053&uid=56295256706
Website of the Week: The Good People Fund
The world of Tzedakkah shed a creative tear last year with the passing from the scene of Danny Siegel's Ziv Foundation. Siegel single handedly revolutionized the way Jews do philanthropy by seeking out those small, personal projects that touch lives, and giving us all access to these mitzvah heroes. Now the work of Ziv has found new expression in The Good People Fund. Find it at http://www.goodpeoplefund.org/Home. They've also just released their Good People Fund Guide for 2009. Click here to view the report.
(Meanwhile, Siegel's work continues independently and can be seen at his website, http://www.dannysiegel.com/.)
This site is a MUST for all bar mitzvah families, and in fact for the rest of us too. The layout is vastly improved from the old Ziv site, but the mitzvah options remain equally inspiring. Read about Clara Hammer, the “Chicken Lady” of Jerusalem. Clara’s story is a legend that has been shared with many people throughout this country, especially religious and day school students who contribute tzedakah to her work.
Many years ago, while visiting her butcher, Mr. Hacker, Clara witnessed him handing over a bag of chicken bones and skin to a young girl. Commenting to him that the girl must own many cats, the butcher replied that the bag’s contents were actually for the family to use to prepare a Shabbat cholent. He went on to explain that the father and mother were not well and had not worked in a very long time. Though he had extended credit to them, he could no longer do so. Clara was appalled that anyone would have to eat such garbage and instructed Mr. Hacker to give the girl two chickens and a half kilo of chopped meat weekly so that they could have a proper
Shabbat. No one was to know the identity of the donor.
Clara has been performing the mitzvah of feeding hungry people for almost 30 years. (she was merely 69 when she actually started this particular mitzvah). She's 99 now!
And we at TBE can take particular pride in The Forgotten People Fund, involving our own mitzvah hero, Jan Gaines. Here's what the guide has to say about that:
The Forgotten People Fund is an all-volunteer group that works in Netanya, home to Israel’s largest Ethiopian population, most living in very poor conditions. FPF volunteers, led by our friends Aida Miller and Anne and David Silverman, establish personal relationships with many individuals and families and offer them friendship and also help with food, education costs, health education, clothing…the list is endless. They are a true lifesaver for so many in that city. When we visited Israel this past February we enjoyed a visit with Aida and Jan Gaines, one of the American volunteers who spend severalmonths inNetanya. It was inspiring to hear about the group’s many programs particularly the work they do with senior Ethiopians—lectures, a choir, an ulpan and a nutritious breakfast that is served three days a week. This past year the group celebrated its 10th Anniversary and also received an award for outstanding volunteer service from Netanya’smayor.We have always been proud of the work that we do with the FPF—they are all-volunteer and nearly 100% of the funds they raise are directed to helping families and individuals with their most basic needs. We can’t wait for the 20th anniversary celebration!
Read about these and many other mitzvah opportunties, as we at TBE begin the Year of the Mitzvah and our participation in JTS Chancellor Arnold Eisen's "Mitzvah Initiative," which you will soon be reading about.
(Meanwhile, Siegel's work continues independently and can be seen at his website, http://www.dannysiegel.com/.)
This site is a MUST for all bar mitzvah families, and in fact for the rest of us too. The layout is vastly improved from the old Ziv site, but the mitzvah options remain equally inspiring. Read about Clara Hammer, the “Chicken Lady” of Jerusalem. Clara’s story is a legend that has been shared with many people throughout this country, especially religious and day school students who contribute tzedakah to her work.
Many years ago, while visiting her butcher, Mr. Hacker, Clara witnessed him handing over a bag of chicken bones and skin to a young girl. Commenting to him that the girl must own many cats, the butcher replied that the bag’s contents were actually for the family to use to prepare a Shabbat cholent. He went on to explain that the father and mother were not well and had not worked in a very long time. Though he had extended credit to them, he could no longer do so. Clara was appalled that anyone would have to eat such garbage and instructed Mr. Hacker to give the girl two chickens and a half kilo of chopped meat weekly so that they could have a proper
Shabbat. No one was to know the identity of the donor.
Clara has been performing the mitzvah of feeding hungry people for almost 30 years. (she was merely 69 when she actually started this particular mitzvah). She's 99 now!
And we at TBE can take particular pride in The Forgotten People Fund, involving our own mitzvah hero, Jan Gaines. Here's what the guide has to say about that:
The Forgotten People Fund is an all-volunteer group that works in Netanya, home to Israel’s largest Ethiopian population, most living in very poor conditions. FPF volunteers, led by our friends Aida Miller and Anne and David Silverman, establish personal relationships with many individuals and families and offer them friendship and also help with food, education costs, health education, clothing…the list is endless. They are a true lifesaver for so many in that city. When we visited Israel this past February we enjoyed a visit with Aida and Jan Gaines, one of the American volunteers who spend severalmonths inNetanya. It was inspiring to hear about the group’s many programs particularly the work they do with senior Ethiopians—lectures, a choir, an ulpan and a nutritious breakfast that is served three days a week. This past year the group celebrated its 10th Anniversary and also received an award for outstanding volunteer service from Netanya’smayor.We have always been proud of the work that we do with the FPF—they are all-volunteer and nearly 100% of the funds they raise are directed to helping families and individuals with their most basic needs. We can’t wait for the 20th anniversary celebration!
Read about these and many other mitzvah opportunties, as we at TBE begin the Year of the Mitzvah and our participation in JTS Chancellor Arnold Eisen's "Mitzvah Initiative," which you will soon be reading about.
A Bath at Bethpage and Peace for Israel
I spent much of yesterday slogging through the mud in Bethpage, my day at the US Open. At first I told my son that my goal was to follow all the Jewish golfers. Once I realized that that would make for a very short day, I focused instead on merely staying dry.... or, since that was impossible, the goal shifted to merely staying less-than-totally-drenched. Sportscasters kept saying that the record-breaking rain, which got horizontal at times, was "biblical," so I decided to look up Bethpage's biblical roots. According to Wikipedia,
Bethphage (meaning "House of Figs") was a place in ancient Israel, mentioned as the place from which Jesus sent the disciples to find a donkey and a colt with her upon which he would ride into Jerusalem. It is believed to have been located on the Mount of Olives, on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho (Gospel of Matthew 21:1; Gospel of Mark 11:1; Gospel of Luke 19:29), and very close to Bethany. It was the limit of a Sabbath-day's journey from Jerusalem, that is, 2,000 cubits.
It's interesting that this Bethpage is also not far from Jericho...by way of Levittown.
I could have used a donkey yesterday as I trudged toward the fifth green, with my son Ethan and with our friends Rob and Max Lesser joining us. By the time play was halted late in the morning, there were more water traps than greens. We got to see Tiger Woods double bogey, and the water was so deep that, had he wished to add yet another layer to his fascinating. polyglot multi-ethnic profile, I could have converted him in a flash. It was so wet and muddy, and the throngs so cordial and well-behaved, that I suspected they might change the name of the place to "Woods-stock." There was something comforting in seeing that the greatest golfer in the universe is actually human.
So here's the rub. The biblical Bethpage is in precisely the area that is of greatest controversy right now in the discussion about the "natural growth" of Israeli settlements. It so happens that the matter is discussed today in two articles:
Israel Seeks to Keep Jerusalem as Its Capital - Luis Ramirez
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his recent speech, proclaimed Israel's intentions to keep Jerusalem as the united capital of the Jewish state. An Israeli development plan - known as E-1 - seeks to link Jerusalem to Maale Adumim, Israel's largest settlement in the West Bank. With its dry rocky hills, much of this swathe of land resembles a moonscape. Its terrain is barren and unfit for farming, yet its political and religious value is such that for years, Israel has been determined to develop it. Israel's aim is to protect the contiguity of Jerusalem. Author Nadav Shragai, a proponent of E-1, disputes the Palestinians' claims to the eastern part of Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. (VOA News)
See also Protecting the Contiguity of Israel: The E-1 Area and the Link Between Jerusalem and Maale Adumim - Nadav Shragai (ICA-Jerusalem Center)
Here's my idea. If the terrain is a moonscape, unfit for farming, why not turn it into a golf course?
It will solve the President's problem, since he is so concerned about preventing "natural growth" of Jewish settlements, because there is no "natural growth" of a golf course beyond 18 holes, )(even though people did notice that the course has gotten mysteriously longer since it last hosted the Open in 2002). It will satisfy the settlers, because a "par" (a bullock) was one of the animals brought to the Temple for sacrifice, so this golf course could in this way be seen as the first step toward the establishment of the Third Commonwealth.
And if it doesn't work out there, perhaps we might consider rebuilding the temple closer to the other Bethpage, in the Five Towns.
What does this plan offer the Palestinians? Not since the loss of the casino in Jericho has an investment chance like this come along. A golf tournament in this Bethpage would never get rained on. This would be a REAL Desert Classic, with spectacular sand traps and camels as caddies.
I think this has real possibilities.
At the very least, this thought kept me entertained while I sloshed my way through the Long Island swamps, on a very wet day at the Open.
Bethphage (meaning "House of Figs") was a place in ancient Israel, mentioned as the place from which Jesus sent the disciples to find a donkey and a colt with her upon which he would ride into Jerusalem. It is believed to have been located on the Mount of Olives, on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho (Gospel of Matthew 21:1; Gospel of Mark 11:1; Gospel of Luke 19:29), and very close to Bethany. It was the limit of a Sabbath-day's journey from Jerusalem, that is, 2,000 cubits.
It's interesting that this Bethpage is also not far from Jericho...by way of Levittown.
I could have used a donkey yesterday as I trudged toward the fifth green, with my son Ethan and with our friends Rob and Max Lesser joining us. By the time play was halted late in the morning, there were more water traps than greens. We got to see Tiger Woods double bogey, and the water was so deep that, had he wished to add yet another layer to his fascinating. polyglot multi-ethnic profile, I could have converted him in a flash. It was so wet and muddy, and the throngs so cordial and well-behaved, that I suspected they might change the name of the place to "Woods-stock." There was something comforting in seeing that the greatest golfer in the universe is actually human.
So here's the rub. The biblical Bethpage is in precisely the area that is of greatest controversy right now in the discussion about the "natural growth" of Israeli settlements. It so happens that the matter is discussed today in two articles:
Israel Seeks to Keep Jerusalem as Its Capital - Luis Ramirez
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his recent speech, proclaimed Israel's intentions to keep Jerusalem as the united capital of the Jewish state. An Israeli development plan - known as E-1 - seeks to link Jerusalem to Maale Adumim, Israel's largest settlement in the West Bank. With its dry rocky hills, much of this swathe of land resembles a moonscape. Its terrain is barren and unfit for farming, yet its political and religious value is such that for years, Israel has been determined to develop it. Israel's aim is to protect the contiguity of Jerusalem. Author Nadav Shragai, a proponent of E-1, disputes the Palestinians' claims to the eastern part of Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. (VOA News)
See also Protecting the Contiguity of Israel: The E-1 Area and the Link Between Jerusalem and Maale Adumim - Nadav Shragai (ICA-Jerusalem Center)
Here's my idea. If the terrain is a moonscape, unfit for farming, why not turn it into a golf course?
It will solve the President's problem, since he is so concerned about preventing "natural growth" of Jewish settlements, because there is no "natural growth" of a golf course beyond 18 holes, )(even though people did notice that the course has gotten mysteriously longer since it last hosted the Open in 2002). It will satisfy the settlers, because a "par" (a bullock) was one of the animals brought to the Temple for sacrifice, so this golf course could in this way be seen as the first step toward the establishment of the Third Commonwealth.
And if it doesn't work out there, perhaps we might consider rebuilding the temple closer to the other Bethpage, in the Five Towns.
What does this plan offer the Palestinians? Not since the loss of the casino in Jericho has an investment chance like this come along. A golf tournament in this Bethpage would never get rained on. This would be a REAL Desert Classic, with spectacular sand traps and camels as caddies.
I think this has real possibilities.
At the very least, this thought kept me entertained while I sloshed my way through the Long Island swamps, on a very wet day at the Open.
Praying for Iran and the Hand of God
Ha'aretz columnist Bradley Burston has an interesting column today, "I Never Thought I'd Be Rooting for Iran." He writes:
I am in awe of the courage of the people of Iran.
They are giving the world hope. They are teaching a shocking lesson about truth. They embody freedom. And, perhaps hardest to grasp, for those of us who live in the Middle East, they are putting their very lives on the line not for the sake of some ferociously sectarian End of Days, but for the most profoundly radical notion of all - a better life. Every person who has taken to the streets to demand what their government promised them, free and fair elections, did so knowing that police or secret police could arrest them, act to cripple their careers, or outright gun them down.
Imagine saying these words just a week ago.
OK, now here's another switch. I'm beginning to see the hand of God in all this. Yes me. Mr. "Fundamentalists are Dangerous." I've always shied away from the apocalyptic visions that saw God's hand in current events, like theory that God protected Israelis from Scud missiles during the Gulf War. We've seen how the messianic euphoria that followed of the Six Day War led Israelis into delusions of chosenness as they went out to settle the territories.
But here, just in the nick of time, just as Iran's evil (yes, it is possible to use that term, where it applies) leaders were about to become drunk with nuclear power, their own people are doing what no Israeli jet could. They are draining the madness from the maddest place on earth. They are going straight from medieval to post modern. They are fundamentally changing the map of the middle eastern mind. And in doing so, they are changing the world.
All I can say to that, is "thank God."
I share the wariness that even the moderates in Iran could be as dangerous to Israel; and had the election been decided in favor of Mousavi last week, that would likely have been true. But to say that even these moderates developed the Iranian nuclear plan a decade ago is to ignore the forces of change that have been unleashed over the past weeks, and in particular this week (After all, Shimon Peres developed Israel's nuclear program and is now known for his dovish inclinations).
Something is happening here. We look back at 1948, 1967, Entebbe, yes, the Gulf War, the suicide bombings, all the horrors Israel has faced...and this Iranian threat seemed to be the most lethal of all.
We are far from the finish line. The dangers are great. I am the last to assume that I know God's ways. But how can one not see history tilting toward freedom and - at the very least - shake your head in amazement.
I too am praying for the Iranians.
I am in awe of the courage of the people of Iran.
They are giving the world hope. They are teaching a shocking lesson about truth. They embody freedom. And, perhaps hardest to grasp, for those of us who live in the Middle East, they are putting their very lives on the line not for the sake of some ferociously sectarian End of Days, but for the most profoundly radical notion of all - a better life. Every person who has taken to the streets to demand what their government promised them, free and fair elections, did so knowing that police or secret police could arrest them, act to cripple their careers, or outright gun them down.
Imagine saying these words just a week ago.
OK, now here's another switch. I'm beginning to see the hand of God in all this. Yes me. Mr. "Fundamentalists are Dangerous." I've always shied away from the apocalyptic visions that saw God's hand in current events, like theory that God protected Israelis from Scud missiles during the Gulf War. We've seen how the messianic euphoria that followed of the Six Day War led Israelis into delusions of chosenness as they went out to settle the territories.
But here, just in the nick of time, just as Iran's evil (yes, it is possible to use that term, where it applies) leaders were about to become drunk with nuclear power, their own people are doing what no Israeli jet could. They are draining the madness from the maddest place on earth. They are going straight from medieval to post modern. They are fundamentally changing the map of the middle eastern mind. And in doing so, they are changing the world.
All I can say to that, is "thank God."
I share the wariness that even the moderates in Iran could be as dangerous to Israel; and had the election been decided in favor of Mousavi last week, that would likely have been true. But to say that even these moderates developed the Iranian nuclear plan a decade ago is to ignore the forces of change that have been unleashed over the past weeks, and in particular this week (After all, Shimon Peres developed Israel's nuclear program and is now known for his dovish inclinations).
Something is happening here. We look back at 1948, 1967, Entebbe, yes, the Gulf War, the suicide bombings, all the horrors Israel has faced...and this Iranian threat seemed to be the most lethal of all.
We are far from the finish line. The dangers are great. I am the last to assume that I know God's ways. But how can one not see history tilting toward freedom and - at the very least - shake your head in amazement.
I too am praying for the Iranians.
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