I just did it and I hope you will, too. I joined Temple Sinai's WIN/Clean Currents partnership. The temple gets a $20 donation, you get electricity sourced from renewable (wind) producers and you show your support for the Sinai-WIN partnership.
Get out your PEPCO Bill (you'll need the account number) and click here: http://www.cleancurrents.com/index.php/win-green
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
OWS: How dare you?
How dare you...
- ask for money from the bima?
- say I'm not a good person unless I come to temple more?
- take a position on the war/budget/environment/president/congress/supreme court case/anything?
- not take a position on the war/budget/environment/president/congress/supreme court case/anything?
I have the chutzpah to believe that I'm right (and have the right) about the things I say from the bima. I also have the chutzpah to believe that anyone who listens has the right - and is right - to ask for more explanation, even if it comes in the form, "How dare you..."
OWS - Occupy Wall Street - is a fitting and appropriate object for Jewish and Temple Sinai support for many reasons.
First, the outrage against economic injustice is classically prophetic. Just look at the Yom Kippur haftarah reading (Isaiah 58) or Micah or Jeremiah or any other biblical prophet. They all rail against economic injustice, fraud and abuses of power (and none of them had specific policy proposals, just outrage and critique). Also, protesting the gap between rich and poor is officially a Refom Jewish position. Just look at the current Statement of Principles for Reform Judaism: "We are obligated to pursue tzedek, justice and righteousness, and to narrow the gap between the affluent and the poor ... and to redeem those in physical, economic and spiritual bondage. In so doing, we reaffirm social action and social justice as a central prophetic focus of traditional Reform Jewish belief and practice." Obligated. One could argue (incorrectly) that OWS is not really about economic injustice or - as one critic directly tried to tell me, "has nothing to do with the gap between affluent and poor." But you can not honestly claim that we've gone off the deep end in seeing OWS as an expression of those feelings. Friedman's article is only one of the dozens that describes reasonable cause for outrage. "It doesn’t get any more immoral than this [Citibank's fraudulent trades in subprime mortgage backed CDOs].... Our Congress today is a forum for legalized bribery." Even Citibank's CEO and other finance executives admit some legitimacy to the protests. If Vikram Pandit can say it, so can we.
Second, supporting the overtly Jewish rituals and study sessions at the Occupy locations is what we are supposed to do. Our basic purpose is to support the study of Torah and observance of Jewish traditions. I mean that literally, our mission says: "Temple Sinai is a center for those who seek to develop and enhance their Jewish identity through worship of God, ritual life, education, social action, concern for the State of Israel, and communal involvement, with an emphasis on the enduring Jewish values expressed by the Reform Movement." You might judge the participants in OWS negatively, but you can not claim that a few hundred people showing up for Kol Nidre services and building a sukkah with daily Torah study in McPherson Square is not worship of God, ritual life, education, social action... (read a Forward editorial about Occupy Judaism.)
Finally, this is what our congregation has asked of us. We are following the guidance of our massive long range planning effort, Sinai at Sixty. Among the directions to emerge from that effort is a desire to re-energize social action and to be a national leader. Of the six priorities in the study, one clearly states that we will, "Strive to be a National Leader.... This theme reflects our desire to build on the talents of our members, many of whom are leaders in Washington, and on our history as a congregation, to be recognized nationally as a place for Jewish thought, social action, inspired teaching, creative worship and a bonded community." How, you might ask, is participation in OWS, helping with this goal? Again, I turned to the long range plan, which identified three core values, one of which was "Tikkun Olam – by linking Jewish spirituality and ethics to action through promoting social justice and – taking advantage of our location in the nation’s capital – having a positive impact on our community and the world in which we live." Our location in DC, the guidance to be involved with current events ("the world in which we live") and instruction to link tikkun olam with spirituality are among the principles that lead us to OWS.
On the ark of the Bet Am is a quote from Pirke Avot, "By three things the world is sustained - justice, truth and peace." We do not condone violence, law breaking, antisemitism, or hatred. We just want to strengthen the three pillars of the world. What's more appropriate for Yom Kippur than that?
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Chaplains' Memorial Dedicated
Yesterday at Arlington National Cemetery, a memorial was dedicated to the Jewish chaplains who have died while in service to our country over the decades. The memorial stands on "Chaplains' Hill" next to the memorials for Protestant and Catholic chaplains. Rabbi Fred Reiner, Sinai's emeritus rabbi, will speak this Friday at services in memory of his rabbinical school roommate, who died in Vietnam while serving as a chaplain.
Click to see the Washington Post's photo gallery from the dedication.
The Jewish chaplains memorialized are:
Rabbi Alexander Goode, 32, of Washington, D.C., who died when the USS Dorchester sank off the coast of Greenland in a Nazi torpedo attack. Goode and three Christian chaplains died after they gave up their life vests for other soldiers. Nachman S. Arnoff, in an Army truck accident in 1946 at Camp Kilmer, N.J.; Meir Engel, of heart disease in 1964 in a Saigon hospital; Frank Goldberg, in a Jeep accident in 1946 in Austria; Henry Goody, after being hit by a streetcar at 14th and Upshur streets NW in 1943; Joseph I. Hoenig, of cerebral hemorrhage in 1966; Samuel Hurwitz, in 1943 in a military hospital in Temple, Tex.; Herman L. Rosen, who drowned just before reporting to chaplain school; Samuel Rosen, in a plane crash in 1955; Solomon Rosen, in 1948 after his plane exploded over Oklahoma; Morton Singer, in a plane crash in 1968; David Sobel, in an accident in Thailand in 1974; Irving Tepper, in action in France in 1945; and Louis Werfel, in 1943 after his plane crashed in the North Algerian mountains.
Click to see the Washington Post's photo gallery from the dedication.
The Jewish chaplains memorialized are:
Rabbi Alexander Goode, 32, of Washington, D.C., who died when the USS Dorchester sank off the coast of Greenland in a Nazi torpedo attack. Goode and three Christian chaplains died after they gave up their life vests for other soldiers. Nachman S. Arnoff, in an Army truck accident in 1946 at Camp Kilmer, N.J.; Meir Engel, of heart disease in 1964 in a Saigon hospital; Frank Goldberg, in a Jeep accident in 1946 in Austria; Henry Goody, after being hit by a streetcar at 14th and Upshur streets NW in 1943; Joseph I. Hoenig, of cerebral hemorrhage in 1966; Samuel Hurwitz, in 1943 in a military hospital in Temple, Tex.; Herman L. Rosen, who drowned just before reporting to chaplain school; Samuel Rosen, in a plane crash in 1955; Solomon Rosen, in 1948 after his plane exploded over Oklahoma; Morton Singer, in a plane crash in 1968; David Sobel, in an accident in Thailand in 1974; Irving Tepper, in action in France in 1945; and Louis Werfel, in 1943 after his plane crashed in the North Algerian mountains.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
The Power and Place of Prayer, Revisited
Prayer can be an indicator, like a barometer of sorts. Just look at the Senate chaplain. Washington Post's 2chambers blog traces the increasing anxiety of his prayers over the past few days as failure and default came ever closer.A longtime Navy chaplain and Seventh-Day Adventist minister, retired Admiral Barry C. Black opens Senate sessions with a brief prayer. Over the last few days--as the Senate has slid closer to a national default--those prayers seem to have revealed Black as one of the most worried people in the chamber.Black's prayers have moved from "hopeful generalities" to warnings to "a prayer that might have fit the crew of a sinking ship." Read the whole article here.
(the painting is "Ship of Fools" by John Alexander)
Friday, July 29, 2011
The Power and the Place of Prayer
When noon came, Elijah mocked them, saying, "Shout louder! After all, he is a god. But he may be in conversation, he may be detained, or he may be on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and will wake up." So they shouted louder... (1 Kings 18:27-28)
Outside the House chamber, Boehner summoned members of the holdout GOP South Carolina delegation to his second-floor office just off the Capitol Rotunda. But appeared to make little headway and, within minutes, freshman Reps. Mick Mulvaney and Jeff Duncan left the meeting, saying they were heading to a nearby chapel to pray for their leaders. Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) later joined them....
("Boehner Calls of Debt-Limit Vote," The Washington Post, Today's paper, by Lori Montgomery & Paul Kane)
Eleven faith leaders from a range of denominations were arrested in the Capitol Rotunda Thursday as they staged a protest urging Congress to pass a budget agreement. Led by former Rep. Bob Edgar, D-Penn, and current president of Common Cause, the faith leaders kneeled on the floor of the Capitol Rotunda while praying and singing gospel hymns... (see more here)
Outside the House chamber, Boehner summoned members of the holdout GOP South Carolina delegation to his second-floor office just off the Capitol Rotunda. But appeared to make little headway and, within minutes, freshman Reps. Mick Mulvaney and Jeff Duncan left the meeting, saying they were heading to a nearby chapel to pray for their leaders. Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) later joined them....
("Boehner Calls of Debt-Limit Vote," The Washington Post, Today's paper, by Lori Montgomery & Paul Kane)
Eleven faith leaders from a range of denominations were arrested in the Capitol Rotunda Thursday as they staged a protest urging Congress to pass a budget agreement. Led by former Rep. Bob Edgar, D-Penn, and current president of Common Cause, the faith leaders kneeled on the floor of the Capitol Rotunda while praying and singing gospel hymns... (see more here)
Monday, July 11, 2011
Meat, Money, Mercedes, and MachneYuda: A story of change in Israel
I have been to Israel six times: 1986, 1990, 1997 (when I lived here for a whole year), 2007, 2008, and right now. The changes that we can see in Israel are immediately evident in the food and the restaurants and the cultural feel here. This goes beyond the shift away from the kibbutz dining room. Once upon a time you couldn’t get a decent burger anywhere although you could find a bad one in a few spots. Today, it seems, meat is everywhere and it’s good. Entrecote, filet mignon, medallions, and yes, good burgers abound (okay, I’m limited to tourist and wealthier areas, I’m not sure how much meat ‘abounds’ in Dimona or Lod).
Most of this new feeling was evident at MachneYuda, a new, popular restaurant in the neighborhood of Jerusalem’s shuk, Machane Yehuda. The place was packed and it was tough to get a reservation for six. MachneYuda is a shining example of the shift (is “gentrification” too loaded?) in this old neighborhood. It’s a story like New York’s Lower East Side or Meat Packing District before they become so hip, expensive and interesting. The shuk and its surrounding streets ran with the detritus of butcher shops and smelled of rotten fruit. At night, the place was dead. The notable cuisine of the area was Jerusalem mixed grill, a seasoned mix of organ meat cooked over fire that you bought for a few shekels and ate in a pita or on a plastic plate. Today, Hashpudia, the once revered master of the mixed grill, is closed. Just a block away is MachneYuda. The dinner there is delicious, good service (yes, there is real attention to service! That alone is a small revolution). The fact that it costs a small fortune for dinner is only interesting inasmuch as it is not a tourist restaurant. Israelis are willing and interested to pay these prices and have this kind of restaurant experience. Beyond the food, MachneYuda pulsed with energy: Beni Bashan and upbeat, Israeli party music filled the room and the staff dance - not a choreographed, planned routine like you might see at Johnny Rockets but spontaneous, joyful dancing. The chefs and kitchen staff yell, throw back shots, bang out a dance rhythm on the huge hanging pots and pans and life just feels good.
You can also see the change on the roads. Once upon a time, Mercedes were everywhere because almost every taxi was a Mercedes. They were the nicest cars in the country and if people owned a car at all it was not usually a luxury model. On this trip we’ve seen Porsches, Audis, Minis, Cadillacs, Jaguars, Alfa Romeos, big Ford F350s and Explorers.
The rise of money in Israel is not just about wealth, consumption and the Start up Nation phenomenon. There is a religious aspect to it. It had appeared from America that religious extremism was increasingly dominating the country. Anat Hoffman’s arrest and the Conversion Bill drama of the past year are not, however, the only stories to tell about the role of religion and the tension between national observance and pluralistic, cosmopolitan impulses. Once upon a time, for example, the Israel Museum was one of the best destinations for non-religious tourists (and lots of Israelis on Shabbat). But, because of the Sabbath prohibitions, you had to buy tickets from a little kiosk across from the museum. It was a legal loophole that allowed the State to operate the museum without violating Shabbes. Today, the Museum front desk is open and accepts cash all Shabbat long and while the café is closed, the Museum shop does a brisk business as well. Once upon a time you could not find a market open on Shabbat in Jerusalem. Today, most of them are closed but you don’t have to walk far to find an open mini market on Saturday. Once upon a time, cabs were rare (though available) on Friday night and we always walked from the German Colony to Shabbat dinners in the center of town. Today, it’s no problem to find a cab right outside Kol Haneshama (not to mention the open gas station, the markets, the restaurants….)
Whether or not this is progress is subjective and personal. I think it is and I like it. However, not everyone agrees and I’ll leave it up to you to decide for yourself. Of course that means you’ll need to come here to experience it.
Most of this new feeling was evident at MachneYuda, a new, popular restaurant in the neighborhood of Jerusalem’s shuk, Machane Yehuda. The place was packed and it was tough to get a reservation for six. MachneYuda is a shining example of the shift (is “gentrification” too loaded?) in this old neighborhood. It’s a story like New York’s Lower East Side or Meat Packing District before they become so hip, expensive and interesting. The shuk and its surrounding streets ran with the detritus of butcher shops and smelled of rotten fruit. At night, the place was dead. The notable cuisine of the area was Jerusalem mixed grill, a seasoned mix of organ meat cooked over fire that you bought for a few shekels and ate in a pita or on a plastic plate. Today, Hashpudia, the once revered master of the mixed grill, is closed. Just a block away is MachneYuda. The dinner there is delicious, good service (yes, there is real attention to service! That alone is a small revolution). The fact that it costs a small fortune for dinner is only interesting inasmuch as it is not a tourist restaurant. Israelis are willing and interested to pay these prices and have this kind of restaurant experience. Beyond the food, MachneYuda pulsed with energy: Beni Bashan and upbeat, Israeli party music filled the room and the staff dance - not a choreographed, planned routine like you might see at Johnny Rockets but spontaneous, joyful dancing. The chefs and kitchen staff yell, throw back shots, bang out a dance rhythm on the huge hanging pots and pans and life just feels good.
You can also see the change on the roads. Once upon a time, Mercedes were everywhere because almost every taxi was a Mercedes. They were the nicest cars in the country and if people owned a car at all it was not usually a luxury model. On this trip we’ve seen Porsches, Audis, Minis, Cadillacs, Jaguars, Alfa Romeos, big Ford F350s and Explorers.
The rise of money in Israel is not just about wealth, consumption and the Start up Nation phenomenon. There is a religious aspect to it. It had appeared from America that religious extremism was increasingly dominating the country. Anat Hoffman’s arrest and the Conversion Bill drama of the past year are not, however, the only stories to tell about the role of religion and the tension between national observance and pluralistic, cosmopolitan impulses. Once upon a time, for example, the Israel Museum was one of the best destinations for non-religious tourists (and lots of Israelis on Shabbat). But, because of the Sabbath prohibitions, you had to buy tickets from a little kiosk across from the museum. It was a legal loophole that allowed the State to operate the museum without violating Shabbes. Today, the Museum front desk is open and accepts cash all Shabbat long and while the café is closed, the Museum shop does a brisk business as well. Once upon a time you could not find a market open on Shabbat in Jerusalem. Today, most of them are closed but you don’t have to walk far to find an open mini market on Saturday. Once upon a time, cabs were rare (though available) on Friday night and we always walked from the German Colony to Shabbat dinners in the center of town. Today, it’s no problem to find a cab right outside Kol Haneshama (not to mention the open gas station, the markets, the restaurants….)
Whether or not this is progress is subjective and personal. I think it is and I like it. However, not everyone agrees and I’ll leave it up to you to decide for yourself. Of course that means you’ll need to come here to experience it.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Is Responsibility to Protect (R2P) the shape of Never Again?
I took my son and attended a briefing at the Brookings Institution titled, "Libya and the Responsibility to Protect" (you can download the full audio here). Here's a summary of the topic:
Interesting points from the talk: Prof. Sewall talking about the use of force - particularly given the Western preference for air power - for humanitarian purposes is a decision to trade civilian casualties for civilian casualties. Also, her warning to be mindful of mission creep in any operation.
Richard Williamson's admission that we simply need better evidence in order to make these decisions and then citing an article that drew parallels between Bush entering Iraq and Obama in Libya - both decisions based on "evidence" of worse trouble to come if we didn't act beforehand.
I'm glad I went but I left with as many, if not more, questions than I had at the start.
The Libyan crisis has brought focus to the critical and complex issue of the “responsibility to protect” populations from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing. In Libya and beyond, the international community is faced with urgent tests of a hotly debated doctrine about when, where and how nations should respond to populations threatened with the gravest international crimes. Now more than ever, real world events are being discussed in terms of the Responsibility to Protect Doctrine, or R2P, which was adopted by all the world’s governments in 2005 and appeared explicitly in the 2010 U.S. National Security Strategy. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which authorized force in Libya, also invoked the responsibility to protect as part of its argument for action.The topic caught my attention for many reasons, not the least of which was the involvement of the USHMM's Committee on Conscience. The discussion opened with reference to the promise "Never Again" that we vow in response to the Holocaust but quickly made clear how complicated it can be to implement such a promise in reality. Many of the historical references were above the head of my son, 13 years old, but the essential confusion around the issue and its practical implementation was as clear to him as anyone. He left frustrated, feeling that nobody ever directly answered the question about R2P - specifically why and how it gets applied in one situation but not another (Libya but not Syria, for example). I suspect many felt the same way. A more nuanced listener may have heard more from the panelists. But I don't think many could leave the talk feeling bolstered about R2P's application in reality. Personally, I learned that at best R2P may be able help get a situation onto the agenda but the decision to use force will never be dictated by R2P. Politics and personality will guide those decisions.
Interesting points from the talk: Prof. Sewall talking about the use of force - particularly given the Western preference for air power - for humanitarian purposes is a decision to trade civilian casualties for civilian casualties. Also, her warning to be mindful of mission creep in any operation.
Richard Williamson's admission that we simply need better evidence in order to make these decisions and then citing an article that drew parallels between Bush entering Iraq and Obama in Libya - both decisions based on "evidence" of worse trouble to come if we didn't act beforehand.
I'm glad I went but I left with as many, if not more, questions than I had at the start.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Is God in or out?
A few weeks ago at our temple's annual meeting, we had a spirited debate over God. In approving changes to our temple's by-laws a few months ago, the mission statement made no reference to God. A temple member pointed out that the original mission statement of the congregation was quite God focused. Members of the by-laws revision committee noted that the newly adopted mission statement was not a principled decision about God or the community's theology. So, the annual meeting entertained a motion to insert "worship of God" into the mission statement of the congregation. The debate was interesting, heartfelt and the meeting ultimately approved the motion but not without several "nay" votes. It turns out we are not alone.
The Israeli military has been grappling with a similar issue. An article in Haaretz newspaper, reports on the annual memorial ceremony for fallen soldiers on Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem:
"Amikam Gurevich, who hosted the eve of Independence Day torch-lighting ceremonies on Mount Herzl for many years, always opened with "May the people of Israel remember." Subsequent announcers have taken up the "May God remember" version. A similar process has occurred in many Memorial Day services, often at the bequest of military rabbis and religious bereaved families." But not everybody wants God in the memorial opener. After several requests, as the paper notes, "IDF chief sides with Almighty to settle dispute over prayer for fallen soldiers."
So far, God is winning these referendums* but any political observer can tell you that these early votes indicate a broader trend and God will not always win. Does God need better lobbyists or will God rely on old fashioned influence?
______________
* Yes, some people use "referenda" but the OED suggests referendums since the Latin word referendum is a gerund with no plural form of its own. Or so says Wikipedia.
The Israeli military has been grappling with a similar issue. An article in Haaretz newspaper, reports on the annual memorial ceremony for fallen soldiers on Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem:
"Amikam Gurevich, who hosted the eve of Independence Day torch-lighting ceremonies on Mount Herzl for many years, always opened with "May the people of Israel remember." Subsequent announcers have taken up the "May God remember" version. A similar process has occurred in many Memorial Day services, often at the bequest of military rabbis and religious bereaved families." But not everybody wants God in the memorial opener. After several requests, as the paper notes, "IDF chief sides with Almighty to settle dispute over prayer for fallen soldiers."
So far, God is winning these referendums* but any political observer can tell you that these early votes indicate a broader trend and God will not always win. Does God need better lobbyists or will God rely on old fashioned influence?
______________
* Yes, some people use "referenda" but the OED suggests referendums since the Latin word referendum is a gerund with no plural form of its own. Or so says Wikipedia.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Finding God, Religion, & the Internet: Jim Gilliam's Story
LeBron, Weiner, Confirmation, the annual meeting or the Tonys got you down? Here's a short video worth watching as it covers God, religion, the internet, faith in humanity, and the importance of organ donation in about 10 minutes. The link was forwarded to me by Daniel Serwer - check out his blog peacefare.net.
You can also hear more from Gilliam on WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show from last week.
You can also hear more from Gilliam on WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show from last week.
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Rapture, Looting, Halacha and Facebook: OY, the fun!
Ok, so the predicted rapture and end of the world did not materialize as predicted last Saturday (although the predictor has revised his forecast to Oct. 21st). However, the whole shpiel produced some funny dialogue about how Jews should behave following the rapture. The dialogue took place on Facebook but was reproduced on Zeek, where I found this:
SK: Is it against shabbos if it’s for free?
GS: Yes.
SK: Guess I’ll have to get Sunday’s left-overs…
LC: i think it’s after shabbas, technically
GS: It says on the event 12pm
SK: Also, “Al Tignov” - we technically shouldn’t be looting anyway, but we’re gonna do it because “God isn’t looking” according to the event. If the commandment not to steal is being waived, can’t we also waive shabbos?
NA: How are we stealing? They aren’t coming back. It is ownerless.
JM: Mamish hefker.
GS: waived… and no, because it’s not stealing if the owners have been raptured, since there is certainly ye’ush on their part if they’ve been taken up, it is hefker. But I believe you cannot acquire hefker property on shabbat either. Besides which, most of the stuff you’d probably want to loot will be muktze.
ES: only 3% of the world’s population is going missing– and they are likely the poor and the meek–so I’m not sure the looting is even going to be worth it. : /
PS: Wouldn’t the existence of the rapture pretty much void the entire covenant?
GS: Shouldn’t the destruction of the Temple have voided the covenant by similar logic? We don’t give up that easily.
PS: The destruction of the temple didn’t establish a different and incompatible belief system’s deity as existent, though.
GS: It kinda did though, for the theological paradigm of the era. Fortunately, Judaism was innovative enough to adapt to the idea of a portable God that doesn’t go away when a people is defeated and driven from their land. It did call the people’s continued covenant with that God into question though…
PS: A good point regarding the massive paradigm shift needed there. But wait. Doesn’t the period of adaptation amount to a renegotiating of the covenant? In which case, while things are up in the air… Free stuff!
RW: can’t I pick things up if there’s an eruv?
AG: I believe that you can borrow them for the duration of Shabbat (assuming eruv, no muktze, and the stuff is hefker) and then acquire them afterwards. But I could be wrong about that.
IH: Can I sell my looting rights to a non Jew and then buy it back after shabbos? (j/k)
Gella Solomon: @PS: a good question, with potentially deep ramifications for how we relate to the place of human agency in the covenantal relationship with God and the idea of chosenness. Meanwhile, you’re not Jewish so you can do whatever the hell you want. @RS, the issue isn't carrying, so no. @AG... in order to borrow, doesn't there need to be someone from whom to borrow? @IH... potentially a good solution, but what would be the non-Jew's motivation to loot for you? If you're just buying the stuff from her or him afterward then it kind of defeats the point of getting in on the looting.
LG: while it doesn’t address the issue of mukze, an eruv might be useful with “acquiring”
GS: because it is a hefker object in a private domain?
JR: Technically, it’s not hitting until 6 PM in your local tme zone. Yup, the ones who believe this are actually saying that this will hit New Zealand first at 6 PM locally there, and make its way across the globe hitting every time zone every hour. So, my point is, if you can’t loot on Shabbos, just wait a couple of hours.
IA: What if we just put the looted goods aside, and then make a formal declaration of acquisition after sunset?
JG: Items left out where they might pose a danger to the public (say, a motorcycle whose rider was assumed into Heaven mid-ride) may be moved out of the way.
GN: I think the Rapture is at 9 PM EDT, so it’s not Shabbos anymore, at least not on the east coast at New York’s latitude. That’s a lot of conditions.
The predicted rapture led some Facebook users to create a post-rapture looting event to capitalize on the sudden disappearance of thousands of the faithful. At the present time, about a half a million people are attending. One yeshiva student, however, observed that since the Rapture is scheduled for Shabbat, post-rapture looting may present a halachic problem. As a service to our readers, we are reprinting her original Facebook post and most of the comments that followed.Gella Solomon: To all who plan to attend the post rapture looting on the 21st, I must remind you that it will be Saturday and hence acquisition of property by Jews will be forbidden until sundown. In short NO LOOTING ON SHABBOS!
SK: Is it against shabbos if it’s for free?
GS: Yes.
SK: Guess I’ll have to get Sunday’s left-overs…
LC: i think it’s after shabbas, technically
GS: It says on the event 12pm
SK: Also, “Al Tignov” - we technically shouldn’t be looting anyway, but we’re gonna do it because “God isn’t looking” according to the event. If the commandment not to steal is being waived, can’t we also waive shabbos?
NA: How are we stealing? They aren’t coming back. It is ownerless.
JM: Mamish hefker.
GS: waived… and no, because it’s not stealing if the owners have been raptured, since there is certainly ye’ush on their part if they’ve been taken up, it is hefker. But I believe you cannot acquire hefker property on shabbat either. Besides which, most of the stuff you’d probably want to loot will be muktze.
ES: only 3% of the world’s population is going missing– and they are likely the poor and the meek–so I’m not sure the looting is even going to be worth it. : /
PS: Wouldn’t the existence of the rapture pretty much void the entire covenant?
GS: Shouldn’t the destruction of the Temple have voided the covenant by similar logic? We don’t give up that easily.
PS: The destruction of the temple didn’t establish a different and incompatible belief system’s deity as existent, though.
GS: It kinda did though, for the theological paradigm of the era. Fortunately, Judaism was innovative enough to adapt to the idea of a portable God that doesn’t go away when a people is defeated and driven from their land. It did call the people’s continued covenant with that God into question though…
PS: A good point regarding the massive paradigm shift needed there. But wait. Doesn’t the period of adaptation amount to a renegotiating of the covenant? In which case, while things are up in the air… Free stuff!
RW: can’t I pick things up if there’s an eruv?
AG: I believe that you can borrow them for the duration of Shabbat (assuming eruv, no muktze, and the stuff is hefker) and then acquire them afterwards. But I could be wrong about that.
IH: Can I sell my looting rights to a non Jew and then buy it back after shabbos? (j/k)
Gella Solomon: @PS: a good question, with potentially deep ramifications for how we relate to the place of human agency in the covenantal relationship with God and the idea of chosenness. Meanwhile, you’re not Jewish so you can do whatever the hell you want. @RS, the issue isn't carrying, so no. @AG... in order to borrow, doesn't there need to be someone from whom to borrow? @IH... potentially a good solution, but what would be the non-Jew's motivation to loot for you? If you're just buying the stuff from her or him afterward then it kind of defeats the point of getting in on the looting.
LG: while it doesn’t address the issue of mukze, an eruv might be useful with “acquiring”
GS: because it is a hefker object in a private domain?
JR: Technically, it’s not hitting until 6 PM in your local tme zone. Yup, the ones who believe this are actually saying that this will hit New Zealand first at 6 PM locally there, and make its way across the globe hitting every time zone every hour. So, my point is, if you can’t loot on Shabbos, just wait a couple of hours.
IA: What if we just put the looted goods aside, and then make a formal declaration of acquisition after sunset?
JG: Items left out where they might pose a danger to the public (say, a motorcycle whose rider was assumed into Heaven mid-ride) may be moved out of the way.
GN: I think the Rapture is at 9 PM EDT, so it’s not Shabbos anymore, at least not on the east coast at New York’s latitude. That’s a lot of conditions.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
This ain't no picnic
You guys don’t miss a beat. First, of all I’m sorry that I went off line from this blog for so long. I really didn’t know you cared – or at least I didn’t know you were reading. In three unrelated conversations this past week, people mentioned that they check here frequently and like to see the perspective offered. None of those people said a thing about the lack of new entries for several months but… Oy, the guilt. So, thank you Jonathan, Nadine, Guy and the rest of you.
Second of all, who knew how many people would ask why we are not having the “traditional,” end-of-year religious school picnic?! Of course you know that I’ve not been at Sinai for any of the previous picnics so I can’t say what those were like. You should also know that this was not my decision – which is not to say that I don’t support it because I do. But I am still surprised to hear how much influence and power people expect me to have over every thing that happens at Sinai. I suppose I do have significant authority and influence, but our congregation is large with an outstanding team of professional and volunteer lay leaders. In other words: Jill Stepak, her staff and her committee members make the decisions and run the school program with my full support. And I think that they have put together a great event to close our school year and celebrate the cycle of learning. Jill notes that this day is meant to, “Demonstrate the learning of our students in a fun and interactive way and to celebrate the year with our students, their families and our teachers all together.”
Sure, this ain’t no picnic but I think it’ll be even better. The Museum of Limmud features each class and each student’s work, Teacher Appreciation speaks for itself (right?), Kesher Café keeps us fed, and the Chana Rothman concert will be just plain fun. But if this doesn't stack up to previous year's picnics let me know. Check Chana out here:
Second of all, who knew how many people would ask why we are not having the “traditional,” end-of-year religious school picnic?! Of course you know that I’ve not been at Sinai for any of the previous picnics so I can’t say what those were like. You should also know that this was not my decision – which is not to say that I don’t support it because I do. But I am still surprised to hear how much influence and power people expect me to have over every thing that happens at Sinai. I suppose I do have significant authority and influence, but our congregation is large with an outstanding team of professional and volunteer lay leaders. In other words: Jill Stepak, her staff and her committee members make the decisions and run the school program with my full support. And I think that they have put together a great event to close our school year and celebrate the cycle of learning. Jill notes that this day is meant to, “Demonstrate the learning of our students in a fun and interactive way and to celebrate the year with our students, their families and our teachers all together.”
Sure, this ain’t no picnic but I think it’ll be even better. The Museum of Limmud features each class and each student’s work, Teacher Appreciation speaks for itself (right?), Kesher Café keeps us fed, and the Chana Rothman concert will be just plain fun. But if this doesn't stack up to previous year's picnics let me know. Check Chana out here:
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Pink Floyd is off my play list
I'll let this posting from Ron Kehrmann speak for itself. He wrote "An Open Letter to Pink Floyd Lead Singer Roger Waters: Condemn this Brutal Massacre."
You joined the cultural boycott against Israel two weeks ago. Since last Friday I have been looking for your condemnation of the brutal murder of the Fogel family -- three children, their mother and father -- in Itamar in the West Bank. This atrocity should be condemned by decent people everywhere, no matter their political beliefs.Follow the link above to read the whole letter.
My daughter, Tal Kehrmann, was killed by a Hamas terrorist on March 5, 2003, on a bus on her way home from school, along with 16 other innocent children and adults. Tal was 17. She loved music and knew the words to all the popular songs, Hebrew and English.
But we shouldn't need to have personally experienced such a tragedy to be outraged by senseless, brutal murders of innocents -- and to condemn these acts.
In your letter announcing your decision to boycott my country you emphasize your belief "that all people deserve basic human rights." So did the Fogel family. I am sorry to conclude, Mr. Waters, that your decision, based on misinformation and propaganda, is biased, one-sided and contrary to the facts.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Bar Mitzvah: I should have known
I should have known that the one subject that could shake me from my blogging torpor was not Israel, war, the Reform Movement or anything other than... Bar Mitzvahs. Perhaps I see through new eyes because my own child is less than six months from his bar mitzvah and now attending his peers' services and parties regularly. Maybe it's because my recent move has exposed to the subtleties of yet another communities' bar mitzvah mishegas. But whatever it is, I am now quite clear that there is much mishegas surrounding the bar mitzvah in our community. I am not, of course the first to conclude as much. My esteemed senior colleagues have tried to put God on the guest on guest list and railed against the "idolatry" of today's bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies.
But just because others identified the problem years ago doesn't mean it isn't real. It is. I'll offer a few observations over the next few entries about this. The problem became clear to me in the fall. Within a few weeks I had spoken with two mothers, both during the reception and weeks after their child's bar/bat mitzvah ceremony and party. In both settings these mothers remarked that they were disappointed and underwhelmed by the experience. There was even a hint of resentment in both. At the end of it all, they were proud of their children but feelings that they (the mothers) had done too much with too little (if any) "payoff." I would not have expected either mother to feel this way. Neither was a "drop off" or otherwise disengaged parent. Both families were fairly well engaged in the temple and jewish living. But both found the whole experience anticlimactic. Something IS wrong with this picture and we should fix it.
But just because others identified the problem years ago doesn't mean it isn't real. It is. I'll offer a few observations over the next few entries about this. The problem became clear to me in the fall. Within a few weeks I had spoken with two mothers, both during the reception and weeks after their child's bar/bat mitzvah ceremony and party. In both settings these mothers remarked that they were disappointed and underwhelmed by the experience. There was even a hint of resentment in both. At the end of it all, they were proud of their children but feelings that they (the mothers) had done too much with too little (if any) "payoff." I would not have expected either mother to feel this way. Neither was a "drop off" or otherwise disengaged parent. Both families were fairly well engaged in the temple and jewish living. But both found the whole experience anticlimactic. Something IS wrong with this picture and we should fix it.
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