tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51366566471231598532012-01-23T15:05:48.671-05:00Thoughts from Rabbi Jonathan Roos of Temple Sinai of Washington, D.C.Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.comBlogger1761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-12025210836557228722012-01-23T15:05:00.000-05:002012-01-23T15:05:48.678-05:00

I'm working on site feeds and other ways to link this blog with Facebook and Twitter but until then... I am now tweeting @jon_roos Thanks to my trusted advisor, Shemesh, I also understand that nobody tweets with an underscore in their screen name.  Haters gonna hate anyway so I'm not changing it.  I understand I may be a total loser.

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-49468629780815869212012-01-14T08:19:00.001-05:002012-01-14T08:25:18.180-05:00

The recently released video of US Marines urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters dishonors our country and demands punishment.  However, the outrage also struck me as odd.  I once heard Sister Helen Prejean talk about the way the death penalty sows hate in our society.  In order to kill someone under the banner of legal, state-sponsored action, we all have to hate that person to the

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-38859841257120874582012-01-05T15:51:00.000-05:002012-01-05T15:51:41.907-05:00

In case you have not been following the stories from Israel about religious efforts to impose greater control over women in the public sphere.  A recent opinion piece in the NY Jewish Week tells of the "recent YouTube video, gone viral, highlights the activity of abusive haredi activists in Beit Shemesh who are hurling insults and epithets at females whom they believe are not dressing properly."

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-20084684905825883242011-11-17T09:19:00.000-05:002011-11-17T09:19:42.245-05:00

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

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-16392738294475716912011-10-31T10:56:00.003-04:002011-10-31T16:54:04.667-04:00

It is a question that often comes up after High Holy Day sermons: 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? And this year, how dare

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-39719235779800082762011-10-25T07:14:00.001-04:002011-10-25T07:15:56.304-04:00

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

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-60986920468875516872011-07-31T14:03:00.000-04:002011-07-31T14:03:24.183-04:00

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

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-29848782445995497672011-07-29T14:49:00.000-04:002011-07-29T14:49:38.433-04:00

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

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-50449714789825414152011-07-11T13:03:00.002-04:002011-07-11T16:16:01.625-04:00

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

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-50722870208960544622011-06-21T11:31:00.000-04:002011-06-21T11:31:03.319-04:00

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: 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

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-83948320464701988172011-06-14T08:03:00.001-04:002011-06-14T08:12:03.546-04:00

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

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-37386043798335541892011-06-13T14:44:00.003-04:002011-06-13T15:03:21.931-04:00

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.

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-38171670373663467762011-05-27T15:40:00.002-04:002011-05-27T15:43:45.956-04:00

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: The predicted rapture led some Facebook

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-86856648076154052112011-05-22T10:52:00.002-04:002011-05-22T21:37:31.778-04:00

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

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-60548385387735099642011-03-22T13:24:00.000-04:002011-03-22T13:24:04.014-04:00

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

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-11189123622611986962011-02-11T22:01:00.000-05:002011-02-11T22:01:04.573-05:00

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

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-67876317955256110922010-12-20T06:09:00.001-05:002010-12-20T06:27:48.604-05:00

Inevitably, when leading a discussion about Israeli politics or society, somebody asks about haredim (so called "ultra-orthodox Jews" also, in some circles, "black-hatters").  Often it's a question based on our separation of church and state: why do the haredim get special benefits for being so religiously strict? Why does the state support religious institutions?  Here's a paragraph from today's

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-52249062775923301432010-12-06T08:21:00.001-05:002010-12-06T08:36:11.347-05:00

The Alban Institute's founder, Loren Mead, put out this list on the Institute's weekly e-mail.  I have abridged the content but not changed the list itself. Does this list apply to Sinai? Does it matter to you personally whether it does or doesn't?  Each point has a question that flows from it. All of them are important but I'd like to hear your thoughts on any of them. Strangers meet on common

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-65047286123845553072010-11-23T22:22:00.000-05:002010-11-23T22:22:50.622-05:00

The New York Times story about on-line bar mitzvah preparation caught lots of attention (at least for a few minutes).  You should read it if you have not.  It offers a window into some basic problems we face in the American Jewish community today.  First, what do synagogues matter anymore?  It is possible to do everything Jewish without a synagogue.  We often say that the community you find in a

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-79255885670726238972010-11-18T00:25:00.000-05:002010-11-18T00:25:31.913-05:00

For immediate release Temple Sinai Board of Trustees announced tonight that God has been found and returned to the temple's mission statement.  "Apparently, God had been inadvertently lost these past ten years," says Rabbi Jonathan Roos, "we were pleased to see how easy He was to find."  Mission statement experts report that 91% of all consumers, members or customers of an organization never

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-89637789573547403022010-11-10T19:40:00.000-05:002010-11-10T19:40:15.888-05:00

Tablet Magazine (online) ran a story showing Israel to be a liberal's dreamland.  While the mainstream news is dominated by stories of the Obama administration clashing with the Netanyahu government over housing in Har Homa, another picture of Israel emerges from the stories of Gili Shem Tov and the Israeli Health Ministry's approach to medical marijuana.  Shem Tov is a sports reporter on Israeli

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-24415638412234760662010-10-29T12:06:00.000-04:002010-10-29T12:06:31.789-04:00

We've been talking a lot about faith, belief and God at temple lately.  Forget about what you believe (or disbelieve) for a minute.  How much do you know? According to the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, "atheists and agnostics, Jews and Mormons are among the highest-scoring groups on a new survey of religious knowledge, outperforming evangelical Protestants, mainline

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-20199933950772944502010-09-07T09:11:00.000-04:002010-09-07T09:11:40.871-04:00

Rabbi Fred Reiner sent this message: Sherry and I send our warmest wishes from Italy for a sweet 5771. Today (September 7) we are traveling to Florence, where we will be spending Rosh Hashanah and I will be leading the services; on Yom Kippur I will lead services in Milan. From the windows of our apartment we can see the Alps on clear days, so I am thinking of Psalm 121. As we lift our eyes

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-91315085212579441552010-09-01T14:05:00.004-04:002010-09-04T10:12:31.033-04:00

WTOP, NBC-4 (the local DC affiliate), and PBS also ran stories on the press conference condemning the rising tide of anti-Muslim sentiment and violence.  The PBS piece provides the most content from me and is the most thorough on the issue.  Watch it here. Special thanks and acknowledgement to Professor Jonathan Sarna of Brandeis University.  His article in The Forward, "When Shuls Were Banned

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-23233436789934538732010-08-30T19:28:00.005-04:002010-09-01T14:19:45.923-04:00

Rabbi Portnoy and I joined with several other clergy from across the religious spectrum to denounce violence against Muslims and the rising rhetoric of hate against all things Islamic.  Here is a clip of the local Fox 5 coverage: And here is TribalChurch's announcement of the event: A group of prominent Greater Washington D.C. area religious leaders will hold a press conference today, Monday,

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-51851822044457207132010-08-30T10:35:00.003-04:002010-09-04T10:06:33.512-04:00

I think Ovadia Yosef's words speak for themselves so I won't even make explicit judgement.  It has been reported that Yosef, in his sermon this past Shabbat about upcoming peace talks, called for death for Palestinians.  Yosef, is the so-called "spiritual leader" of Israel's Shas party, a political party of mostly religiously observant Jews from Sephardic heritage.  Because Israel lacks American

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-37204433020030698122010-08-24T18:07:00.003-04:002010-08-24T21:25:53.052-04:00

We should not oppose the Cordoba House project for Lower Manhattan.  There are plenty of reasons and lots of ink and hot air out there on the subject.  One of the best arguments I've seen for NOT opposing a mosque at Ground Zero is that this is neither a mosque nor is it at Ground Zero.  I have kept out of the fray until now mostly because I've been on vacation but I also wanted be more sure of

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-9834745142478998262010-08-07T13:46:00.001-04:002010-08-07T13:48:26.721-04:00

Listen to Friday night's sermon, on Parshat Re'eh, using Frank Rich's Dec. 19th column claiming Tiger Woods should be person of the year (and other material too) as the jumping off point. Powered by Podbean.com Or you can download it... Download this sermon (right click and save target as…)

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-46656411358412471442010-08-02T22:38:00.000-04:002010-08-02T22:38:20.998-04:00

No seriously, I've been warned about the high rates of clergy burnout, unhealthiness and stress, but I did not know the problem was getting such a thorough study.  I also wouldn't have expected that a story about it would be so popular (#5 most emailed on NYTimes website after 2 days).  Saturday's NYTimes carried this story: N.Y. / Region Section, Published: August 1, 2010 Taking a Break From

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-39963090607680929072010-07-31T08:25:00.003-04:002010-07-31T12:15:03.814-04:00

In most of the small parlor meetings with temple members this past month, I have learned that faith is one of the big subjects that we need to address. Here is the first of 10 sessions I will offer on faith. Download this sermon (right click and then "save target as..") or listen to it directly from here: Powered by Podbean.com

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-62215396083977542452010-07-26T10:14:00.001-04:002010-07-26T10:17:30.634-04:00

Starting this week, you can hear sermons from Sinai's past Shabbat services. If we don't have audio for a particular sermon, we'll do what we can to post the transcript. Try it out. Here's Rabbi Oleon's sermon from this past Shabbat: Powered by Podbean.com Download this sermon (right click and save)

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-60086923755461839992010-07-23T15:34:00.009-04:002010-07-24T20:48:32.187-04:00

Yesterday a group of about 50 gathered outside the Israel Embassy to express solidarity with Anat Hoffman and protest the fact that a woman would be arrested by the state's police forces for carrying a Torah scroll in public in the kotel plaza (see video at the end of this post). Frum Forum quoted Rabbi Bernstein and me as did the Jerusalem Post. My comments and Rabbi Reiner's can be seen here:

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-33919018802522017042010-07-22T02:52:00.006-04:002010-07-22T03:22:56.513-04:00

A temple member recently pointed me to Lisa Miller's latest Newsweek column, "The Cost of Being Jewish."  My first response was: "She must have just received her annual dues bill and temple membership renewal forms (it is that time on the Jewish calendar)." After reading the column, I empathized with Miller's plight (and anyone's who belongs to a synagogue) and pulled together some of the the

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-54739205045675725282010-07-16T06:32:00.003-04:002010-07-16T06:48:29.796-04:00

This past Sunday, an Israeli Knesset committee voted to move forward a bill that gives the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate authority over conversions to Judaism and the authority to accept or reject conversions - even if performed in the United States or elsewhere outside Israel (the bill is sponsored by MK David Rotem).  This is a threat to Israeli democracy and pluralism and a threat to the rights and

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-29676964073229337962010-07-05T22:24:00.002-04:002010-07-09T06:02:43.139-04:00

Of all the experiences that made this Fourth of July in the DC area so memorable, the Lincoln Memorial stands out.  We went for the fireworks display over the National Mall and sat at the base of the memorial.  Reading over the two speeches engraved onto the stone temple walls - the Gettysburg Address and the Second Innaugural Address (shown in the photo at left), I was struck by how relevant

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-57089228525153714812010-06-10T00:44:00.001-04:002010-06-12T21:49:20.572-04:00

Peter Beinart's article, "The Failure of the American Jewish Establishment" in the New York Review of Books has caused quite a stir.  That's good.  We're talking about Israel and American Jews and what we're doing right and wrong in regards to both.  Here's my few cents on Beinart's piece: *I agree with Beinart that we should be concerned about Israel and the gap between pluralists and seculars 

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-32605938168113887672010-06-03T12:57:00.002-04:002010-06-03T13:23:52.557-04:00

I am sitting on a CCAR sponsored conference call with Aaron David Miller, Anat Hoffman, and Yossi Klein Halevi.  Miller's article, "The False Religion of Mideast Peace: And why I'm no longer a believer" in the May/June issue of Foreign Policy got much cudos on the call.  Miller himself was a very informative and coherent analyst on the call.  I'm reading the article as soon as the call ends,

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-47162932997929979512010-05-31T20:18:00.004-04:002010-06-01T14:42:01.667-04:00

This is not good.  Simply put, it is very bad.  The worst.  A "flotilla" of six ships bringing supplies and activists opposed to Israel's closure of Gaza was enroute to Gaza with expressed intentions of breaking the Israeli naval blockade.  Israel made it clear they would not allow the ships through and directed the ships to the port of Ashdod (see the video below). As it became clear that the

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-89050557996096765882010-05-26T19:32:00.005-04:002010-05-27T09:16:41.563-04:00

As much as I like to read one book at a time, my recent acquisition of a Kindle (love it) has shifted my reading into overdrive.  I am juggling three things at once (not well, I should admit).  I started with Susan Neiman's "Moral Clarity" after seeing it cited in a Haaretz op-ed piece that struck a chord with me.  Neiman is an expert on Kant and the Enlightenment and she turns to that era for

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-24847447478477881202010-05-12T10:12:00.001-04:002010-05-12T10:51:58.302-04:00

Whenever I sat over lunch with my friend Marty Cole, z"l, we talked shop.  He was a sales manager constantly looking to bring out the best in his team and in himself.  He loved ideas and was a "student of the game" who always believed we could improve.  I'd like to describe myself the same way.  I just finished reading the last book he suggested to me, Moneyball by Michael Lewis (soon to be a

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-50619258827227951952010-05-06T11:26:00.002-04:002010-05-06T11:32:09.821-04:00

Rabbi David Forman was our scholar-in-residence at MRT about 5 years ago. He was a well known rabbi and community leader, a prolific writer, activist and more. The following notice was published by the World Union for Progressive Judaism: WORLD UNION MOURNS THE PASSING OF RABBI DAVID FORMAN We at the World Union mourn the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Rabbi David Forman z"l, who passed

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-73618892542382416952010-05-04T21:48:00.000-04:002010-05-04T21:48:57.653-04:00

One of my favorite stories from the High Holy Day collections of my colleagues is about change. Hanging near the door or propped by the register at many stores is a small sign that says: "Count your change before you leave." One of those colleagues saw a fitting holy day message there: before you leave the synagogue on Yom Kippur, be sure you look back on the 10 days and count how you've

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-18377974506807775892010-04-05T21:36:00.002-04:002010-04-05T21:43:48.364-04:00

I'm packing up and moving this week (not to DC yet but to a short term apartment for a few months). Blog will be sparse. But, here are some left-overs from this year's crop of Passover knock-knocks that I wrote up for the kids school seder. Save them for next year, they'll be fine.Knock, knock. Who's there? Butter. Butter who? Butter get rid of all your hametz before

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-32752087147419457402010-03-23T15:22:00.000-04:002010-03-23T15:23:33.321-04:00

A Passover tip that you didn't know you needed:

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-10615893361194248502010-03-19T12:59:00.006-04:002010-03-23T15:17:09.019-04:00

Amidst the political news, March Madness and Spring Training, you probably didn't see much about the bicentennial of Reform Judaism. My teacher, Rabbi Gary Zola, recently sent me one of his hilarious, regular "schnorrer letters" on behalf of the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati. In it, he reminded me of the special occasion:It was two hundred years ago, on July 17, 1810, that the German

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-41191440868333131462010-03-08T15:38:00.002-05:002010-03-08T15:41:02.703-05:00

One of my college roommates sent me this question recently. He had driven through an event in Seattle that was part of the now annual "Campus Apartheid Week." How would you respond? Post your answer as a comment. Adam wrote:"Over the weekend, I was driving with our dog through the University of Washington commercial district. At the main intersection, several demonstrators hoisted large

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-72154623760932572342010-02-25T07:36:00.004-05:002010-02-25T12:00:44.426-05:00

Marty Cole was a good friend and devoted to his family. His commitment to Judaism, the temple and making the world a better place are inspirational. He was a Shabbat "regular" despite the fact that his sales job had him as busy as anybody. His sudden and tragic death on Monday brought out legions of admirers, friends, and family. Here's just some of the wisdom he left us.Every morning when Marty

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-61258222299520824772010-01-29T10:53:00.003-05:002010-01-29T10:59:22.362-05:00

Lance Corporal Jeremy Kane, a US marine, was killed last week while on patrol in Afghanistan. He grew up and had his bar mitzvah at M’kor Shalom Reform Temple in Cherry Hill. His funeral was there today. I sent a contribution in his memory to the JWB Jewish Chaplains Council from “The members of Monmouth Reform.” The Jewish community has not been touched so often or so directly by military

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-56655359130841087722010-01-21T13:53:00.002-05:002010-01-21T13:59:47.629-05:00

Please read this letter from Anat Hoffman (director of IRAC, the Israel Religious Action Center) about religious freedom and women's rights in Israel...Dear Friends of IRAC,When I was on the Jerusalem city council, I gave a lot of thought to earthquakes. The seismologists had figured out that every eighty years an earthquake strikes Israel, and since the last major earthquake occurred in 1927,

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-40587354852415155772010-01-13T22:17:00.003-05:002010-01-13T22:41:49.030-05:00

Yesterday's earthquake in Haiti requires a quick and massive response. There are few things that you and I can do directly to help the people of Haiti in this time of desperate need other than give financial support for supplies and recovery efforts. We are blessed with safety, security and material abundance (yes, even in this time of our own economic struggle, the earthquake surely reminds us

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-34442826601880306612010-01-08T13:54:00.002-05:002010-01-08T14:00:11.068-05:00

Linda Gradstein reports from Abu Ghosh, just outside Jerusalem (those who came on MRT's last Israel trip, we had our farewell dinner there):Israel fired a new salvo at its northern neighbor Lebanon in what has beendubbed the "hummus war" by retaking the world record for the largest dish everof the chickpea paste that is a staple of the Middle Eastern diet.... (read theentire article)Maybe the

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-265248630524393472010-01-01T11:35:00.002-05:002010-01-01T11:43:03.827-05:00

In doing research for tonight’s sermon, “The Jewishness of Janus,” I learned that we are not the first “superpower” to find ourselves in a state that feels like – if not truly is – perpetual war.According to a Wikipedia article on Janus: Numa Pompilius, the second ruler of Rome (after Romulus), introduced the Ianus geminus (also called Janus Bifrons, Janus Quirinus or Portae Belli), a passage

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-62711298395883445342009-12-29T17:04:00.002-05:002009-12-29T17:10:08.415-05:00

I'm away on vacation but saving up lots of stories and bloggish material for next week, but in the meantime, you should read Jay Michaelson's latest Polymath column in the Forward. Titled, "The Myth of Authenticity," the article explores the nagging sense that ultra-orthodox Jews are inauthentic and the rest of us are not. For example:It’s not, of course, that we want to be the shtetl Jews of

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-9236789487009860982009-12-21T21:24:00.003-05:002009-12-21T22:22:49.920-05:00

For years we have seen modern incarnations of the most ridiculous medievel blood libels against Jews. Most of these modern blood libels involve Israel and Israelis. They have been so easy to dismiss because they have been so absolutely ridiculous: A Saudi newspaper story claiming that Jews drain the blood from Palestinian children in order make hamentaschen or the story that appeared earlier this

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-66122152594050986822009-12-13T15:28:00.002-05:002009-12-13T15:32:45.219-05:00

Wanna see innovation in the Jewish world? Check out the programs and organizations identitifed in the Slingshot Guide. As described on its website: "Slingshot A Resource Guide to Jewish Innovation, is an annual compilation of the 50 most inspiring and innovative organizations, projects, and programs in the North American Jewish community today. First published in 2005, and now in its fifth

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-26638965120041877192009-12-11T10:11:00.004-05:002009-12-11T14:05:08.318-05:00

There's more than one reason to have taxes and finances on our minds as we light the menorah tonight. A newly reconstructed stele at the Israel Museum gives some details and archaeological support for the Hanukkah story told in the book of 2 Maccabees. Like the American Revolution (think Tea Party, "No Taxation Without Representation!" etc.), the Maccabee revolt was sparked as much by government

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-11758722235501121242009-12-08T12:04:00.004-05:002009-12-08T12:21:29.046-05:00

A few weeks ago, our guest speaker for Book Month, Michelle Cameron, taught us about Rabbi Meir of Rothenberg (the Maharam). Among the things we learned, was the story of his kidnapping and his refusal to allow the Jewish community to pay the ransom. While her book focused on the Maharam's wife, the larger story strikes a chord for today's Jewish community. In the weeks since her presentation, it

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-10160987603685757862009-12-01T19:08:00.002-05:002009-12-01T19:14:56.801-05:00

Nofrat Frenkel was arrested at the Kotel in Jerusalem for wearing a tallit while praying with Women of the Wall. Frenkel writes of her arrest:In my interrogation, I was asked why I was praying with a tallit when Iknew that this was against the Law of the Holy Places. I am an Israel DefenseForces officer, a law-abiding citizen, a volunteer for the Civil Guard — I havenever incurred even a parking

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-17984207767631158022009-11-28T08:18:00.004-05:002009-11-28T17:06:36.634-05:00

It is nearly impossible to visit Arlington National Cemetery and leave unmoved by the dedication and honor of those who serve in our nation's armed forces. Even a simple walk through the headstones let alone the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns or a visit to a family member's stone can make you feel like you should be doing more for our country. Elizabeth and I arrived in DC for

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-66460842814242973732009-11-26T08:33:00.004-05:002009-11-28T08:16:41.439-05:00

Susan Shpeen, wife and life long partner of Rabbi Scott Shpeen, passed away on Tuesday after a short but fierce battle with cancer. Scott has been my mentor, friend and trusted colleague since he first hired me out of rabbinical school in 2002. Susan provided a perfect first model for Elizabeth and our family to follow. Here is (left to right) Scott, Susan, Elizabeth, me, and Rabbi Sam Stahl at a

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-79437785042805588042009-11-19T07:18:00.002-05:002009-11-19T07:38:42.952-05:00

I was reminded recently that I should explain the blog and my "editorial philosophy." I know that many of you already know what a blog is and have a sense of how a blog differs from a traditional website or the webpages of a mainstream newspaper or news network (like CNN.com or WashingtonPost.com). I use this blog to post quick, short pieces that reflect my opinion about events related to the

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-69532763064829817902009-11-18T10:22:00.004-05:002009-11-18T10:27:22.526-05:00

With apologies, the blog has been dormant these past weeks. I'll be back after this weekend (if not before).

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-87435766614700558352009-11-06T13:18:00.003-05:002009-11-06T13:31:11.152-05:00

There's a teaching in Rabbinical Literature meant to show the importance of cheerfulness and pleasantry between people. In Jewishspeak it is called "sever panim yafot." The story goes that one of our ancient sages would not walk more than a few steps in the market place without greeting somebody with a smile. It always seemed hard to believe. I've been in the shuk and other Middle Eastern market

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-85790505904527389112009-10-28T10:40:00.008-04:002009-11-18T15:48:33.401-05:00

RJR ADDED: "In light of the statement by J Street denying the removal of "Pro Israel" from its college arm, I am no longer "lost" on the J Street cause. I kept the blog posted here, however, as it encapsulates some key positions I hold about Israel and our relationship to it."The original posting:First, there was chatter about creating a more moderate alternative to AIPAC; about creating a

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-77267913012546766012009-10-22T10:46:00.004-04:002009-10-22T11:11:56.439-04:00

Don't bring your kids for this one, but the circus is coming to town. Westboro Baptist Church, infamous for their anti-gay, anti-Jewish and generally hateful protests, is coming to New Jersey with its small but loud circus. The NJ Jewish News ran a story about it recently.Such carnvials also seem to beg the same questions: Why does God create "freaks" like those who attract yet horrify us in the

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-88612506477833221632009-10-20T16:45:00.002-04:002009-10-20T16:50:04.488-04:00

The fiftieth anniversary of our congregation is an opportunity to reflect on the values that have been the foundation of our temple these many decades. One day, many years ago, the leaders of our temple adopted a slogan, “Marbeh Torah, Marbeh Hayim – The more Torah, the more life,” from the second chapter of Pirke Avot. From an aesthetic point of view, this was the perfect slogan. Its letters

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-51424481046317219752009-10-10T21:18:00.004-04:002009-10-10T21:25:47.218-04:00

Yom Kippur's evening sermon is available below. Just click the play button on the Podbeam menu bar or click here for my audio site. The recording of my Yom Kippur morning sermon was accidentally cut off in the middle. I will re-record and post it soon.What the Whale Says: Powered by Podbean.com

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-62135872836314846562009-09-29T10:33:00.005-04:002009-09-29T11:04:47.201-04:00

We were worried. MRT's master of the shofar, Rich Sachs, was out of town for Rosh Hashanah and most of the days afterward. Rich and his wife, Sheila, are proud new grandparents (Mazel Tov!) and had gone to be with their family. So, yes, we worried that our shofar blowing on Rosh Hashanah would not meet the usually high levels we get when Rich coaches the shofar squad. But that wasn't our biggest

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-89648850357552348092009-09-20T19:24:00.002-04:002009-09-20T19:29:00.864-04:00

Rosh Hashanah Morning Sermon available here: Powered by Podbean.com or get it here (will take you to an external website called podbean).

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-48701700770865327012009-09-18T16:59:00.004-04:002009-09-18T17:04:51.654-04:00

Happy and Healthy New Year!Talking this year about the altars Abraham builds, culminating with the one he builds on Mt. Moriah. Learned this approach from Rabbi David Gedzelman during a STAR PEER retreat a few years ago when he taught us regarding Lech Lecha. The message: it is time to return to the idealism of your youth and be the person you once-upon-a-time believed you would become. There.

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-86650949421195426392009-09-07T19:58:00.005-04:002009-09-07T20:24:48.284-04:00

Tony Montana eat your heart out. You better bring your tickets and be extra careful this Rosh Hashanah, your rabbi may be packing more than a shofar under that tallis...See this video from the New York Post (thanks to Steve Goldsmith and my father for tipping me off about this story) or this one from WCBS-TV.and this article.The story, by the way, has produced some great puns: "Go ahead, make my

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-11112306695356640722009-09-03T14:23:00.003-04:002009-09-03T14:46:43.129-04:00

While researching a teshuvah on organ donation (believe it or not a former student emailed me seeking "Reform halakhic" guidance), I learned that personal safety is like lost luggage in certain situations. In a Responsa from 1997, Rabbi Saul Israeli (z"l) wrote:The Torah imposes a duty to do whatever is necessary to save a person who is indanger. The safety of such a person is considered in the

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-37824204490817609012009-08-26T21:49:00.006-04:002009-08-27T08:21:55.159-04:00

I honor the memory and legacy of Senator Edward Kennedy and offer my condolences to his family and all who admired and loved him. I have a personal debt of gratitude with him. When I was in kindergarten, I decided that I wanted to be an astronaut. My parents told me that astronauts came from the best of the military, especially the Air Force. If I wanted to be one, I should go to the Air Force

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-31696636273761522462009-08-19T10:18:00.004-04:002009-08-26T21:49:26.810-04:00

The Jewish month of Elul starts this Thursday and that means Rosh Hashanah is almost here. Most of us consider Rosh Hashanah a high point in the Jewish year. Many, in fact, only come to temple at this time. So why not take five minutes a day to give yourself the best spiritual preparation for this sacred peak. There are two rituals characteristic of Elul that you can experience with very little

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-42481926397997287942009-08-03T14:30:00.004-04:002009-08-03T14:52:09.427-04:00

When I planted tomato seeds in a pot in my backyard, the first sprouts through the soil brought me a little pride and excitement. When my kids brought home sunflower seeds to plant in little cups, the first sprouts also brought the promise of towering, yellow flowers that we could claim as our own produce. When the tomato sprouts were taken by a night critter and the sunflower sprouts choked

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-70883399592354733822009-08-02T22:20:00.003-04:002009-08-02T22:36:32.657-04:00

I just started my week-long tenure on the faculty at Camp Harlam and it's not just raining, it's pouring. But, the rewards of camp transcend the worst weather. I saw Rachel, our only MRT camper this session, and she reminded me why we must double our efforts to get more kids to camp. At 13 years old, Rachel is at the point when most people leave organized Jewish life for a few decades (current

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-28171867640926326752009-07-21T14:50:00.004-04:002009-07-21T15:57:32.915-04:00

For all the talk of community, peoplehood and unity in our tradition, Jews have never been very good at treating each other well. From the time of Abraham’s first children, we have been at each other’s throats. However, it is still hard to understand the kind of ongoing violence and anger that haredim in Israel exhibit towards towards non-orthodox Jews and to the state in particular. According to

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-45405636273598957942009-07-01T21:07:00.003-04:002009-07-01T21:31:14.569-04:00

You might have thought that Jews were the only ones who have "issues" with Jesus. Turns out we're not alone. Though Jay Michaelson wrote recently in the Forward about our "problem" with Jesus, you'd be surprised to hear how many Christians have a Jesus problem.Today at Chautauqua, Rev. John Buchanan gave a sermon, "What About Jesus?" that seemed to me like a basic, good, old fashioned piece of

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-78915163446589124932009-06-30T14:32:00.005-04:002009-06-30T14:37:26.706-04:00

Today's Daily Chautauquan featured a story about the New Clergy Program and the current class of fellows. Not a bad looking group of suffering servants (if I may say so myself). Check out the article here.

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-3103946763052735552009-06-29T22:23:00.003-04:002009-06-29T22:37:17.721-04:00

From a day filled with lectures, worship, conversations, food and fellowship, here are a few pearls. These are not quotes but my recollection of the speaker's ideas. I am not sure any of them are true, but they made for good thinking. You can, of course, download any of these sermons or lectures from Chautauqua's on line library: http://www.thegreatlecturelibrary.com/ (I think I get a free

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-21987350770417348702009-06-28T16:32:00.002-04:002009-06-28T16:41:16.294-04:00

Here's Monday's schedule, typical of the week to come:8 AM breakfast9:15 Worship in the 5,000 seat amphitheater, Rev. Dr. John Buchanan, senior pastor Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago and Publisher of Christian Century Magazine is preaching.10:15 Coffee and discussion of the service and sermon at United Church of Christ Guest House.10:45 Morning Lecture - Prof. James Heckman, Nobel Prize

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-53506542188314255302009-06-28T16:15:00.004-04:002009-06-29T22:44:26.521-04:00

The Chatauqua Institution opened its 136th season this morning as Institution President Tom Becker delivered the ceremonial three taps of the gavel. I helped open the interfaith service with a Hebrew recitation of the first day of creation from Genesis. It was, they tell me, a "first." My week-long tenure at Chautauqua will be a series of "firsts." I am staying at the just-finished Everett Jewish

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-2390887659436518112009-06-15T17:08:00.005-04:002009-06-15T17:27:21.705-04:00

Yesterday's Three Faiths Day of Cooperation and Trust was great. I was honored that the Jewish Federation turned to MRT and me to help organize this event. U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (shown left with me at the temple) was the visionary behind this and other "three faiths" events in our district. Everyone's hard work paid off. Here's the description from Asbury Park Press writer, Christina Vega (article

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-43627285149081375462009-06-07T15:26:00.005-04:002009-06-07T15:51:35.012-04:00

Gan Mazon, MRT's Garden of Plenty, is now fully planted! Mazel Tov to everyone who was involved, especially to Josh Gilstein & Howard Bodner, who led this project from idea to reality. Today saw a whole new crop of temple volunteers join us: Jo, Peg, Alyssa, Alex, Jill, Gayle, Carly, Ilana, Cheryl, Kenny, Nadine, Kyle, Gunnar, Brook, Jeremy, and Helene. Most of our veterans returned. We also had

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-20028127678102049462009-06-03T15:10:00.007-04:002009-06-03T15:42:53.252-04:00

After a second day of work:Gan Mazon is ready for planting. This project came about quickly but shows that we can succeed with ambitious plans even on short notice. There were several "built-in" time limits that forced us to move quickly: planting had to be done by the first week of June, our monthly board meeting schedule dictated that the proposal go the board before it had a full committee "

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-80894655153851811862009-05-30T23:19:00.002-04:002009-05-30T23:30:17.566-04:00

Today we broke ground on Gan Mazon - MRT's garden of plenty. Gan Mazon, literally "garden of sustenance," will be an approximately 1,000 sq. foot garden dedicated to growing fresh vegetables for local food banks. The garden is located on MRT's property. The garden was suggested by temple member and master gardener, Howard Bodner. He had helped other local congregations plant similar gardens in

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-1848148606494064892009-05-21T10:42:00.004-04:002009-05-21T10:48:09.724-04:00

Just ask Israeli Knesset Member, Moshe Gafni. He's the chair of the Knesset's finance committee. He does not mince words:"The Reform Movement is not a legitimate form of Judaism," Gafni said in a telephone interview [with the Jerusalem Post]. "The Reform are a bunch of treacherous backstabbers to Judaism. They are jokers who operate without hierarchy and without rules." Gafni insisted that "MKs

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-84208547162474866732009-05-20T10:29:00.003-04:002009-05-20T10:44:12.841-04:00

Our efforts to build a lasting and meaningful Reform movement in Israel are paying off. The Israeli Supreme court issued a landmark ruling yesterday that requires the state to provide equal funding to Reform and Conservative conversion classes. Anat Hoffman, Executive Director of the Israeli Religious Action Center explained the importance of this ruling in her recent letter to all ARZA members:

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-69667677495585901562009-05-12T15:07:00.002-04:002009-05-12T15:10:04.295-04:00

See Rabbi Andrew Sacks' blog, reproduced on the Jerusalem Post website:"The Orthodox religious establishment is making itself increasinglyirrelevant. Please take note that I am not suggesting that Orthodox Judaism isbecoming irrelevant. But many of its institutions are.... Rabbi Lamm, and othersof his stature, have the power to ameliorate much of this, if only they couldact boldly. But the much

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-66875163830027454022009-05-11T06:54:00.008-04:002009-05-11T22:29:26.763-04:00

It should've been no surprise. Rabbi Norman Lamm, Chancellor of Yeshiva University and widely published modern orthodox scholar, has no love for Reform Judaism. But it never stops surprising me to hear orthodox Jews disparage non-Jews, especially Christians, as a principle of faith. I know, I know I've heard the protestations before... it's not like racism or antisemitism. It's part of a

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-69361805861820986302009-04-27T14:07:00.004-04:002009-04-27T14:37:08.847-04:00

Israel is still a work in progress. At just sixty-one years old, Israel is still defining itself and tackling the challenges of Jewish state sovereignty in the twenty-first century. One of Israel's ongoing challenges is the role of religion in the public sphere. Lacking the strict separation of "church" and state that we have in America, Israel struggles to balance democracy and pluralism with

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-62370927826696089122009-04-15T19:55:00.008-04:002009-04-15T21:45:23.893-04:00

I am almost done with this book and I recommend it highly. It is the true story of Yona Sabar, a Jewish Kurd who was born in a remote town in northern Iraq. He and his family were airlifted to Israel as part of Operation Ezra and Nehemia - the massive airlift of Iraqi Jews to Israel in 1951. These Kurdish Jews were among the world's last native speakers of Neo-Aramaic. Most of these people were

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-36801145841000378822009-03-27T12:58:00.008-04:002009-04-15T21:48:21.188-04:00

Just when I thought it was safe to hide in my ambivalence, they draw me back in! Here's the latest controversial cartoon:This one, created by a cartoonist named Pat Oliphant and published on Wednesday, immediately drew condemnation from several Jewish organizations. Some have debated whether the image is anti-semitic or just stupid. The image, however, has added fuel to the angry debate

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-38353652618950417212009-03-13T07:56:00.004-04:002009-04-15T21:51:10.649-04:00

Yes, we have a problem with assimiliation. Jewish identity seems to be weaker than ever among non-Orthodox Jews. The standard measure for Jewish identity - affiliation rates i.e. how many people join our synagogues, JCCs, Federation campaigns, Bnai Brith, etc. - shows steep declines. Self-reported levels of observance are also low - how many people keep kosher, go to services, observe Shabbat at

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-814485582493791492009-03-12T17:21:00.006-04:002009-04-15T21:52:39.857-04:00

I just saw the recent Israeli movie "Waltz with Bashir," a documentary done in animation about a veteran of the 1982 Lebanon War trying to recover his disassociated memories about the Sabra - Shatila Refugee Camp massacre. It is one of the best (i.e. most effective) anti-war movies I have ever seen. It also captures the ambivalence in Israeli culture created by the unshakable commitment to

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-72478413099969050372009-03-04T22:26:00.007-05:002009-04-15T21:53:25.162-04:00

Listen to this interview with Israeli born photojournalist, Jonathan Torgovnik, about his new book, "Intended Consequences" and the related exhibition now on display at the Aperture Gallery in New York City. Those who were involved with or viewed the Vagina Monologues project at MRT will recognize the connection to this story. We may have an opportunity to present his work and the stories he

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-15237228204609540512009-02-23T22:16:00.004-05:002009-04-15T21:55:06.853-04:00

I spent this past weekend at the first LimmudPhilly, the latest franchise of independent Jewish learning conferences operating undering the “Limmud” name. It was great. On the heals of CAJE’s announcement that it was closing it doors, this conference was a signal that Jewish learning, communal gatherings and Jewish continuity are not dead. I presented a session called “Back to Basics: An

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-31784193293589622352009-02-10T16:14:00.004-05:002009-04-15T21:56:04.088-04:00

CAJE, the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education, is closing down their operations by the end of February. On January 9th, CAJE sent an email indicating that they would not be holding their annual conference as planned. CAJE 33 (the 33rd annual conference) was held this past summer at the University of Vermont. Judy Levine, our religious school principal attended. The CAJE conference

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-86819733818780186302009-02-08T15:45:00.004-05:002009-04-15T21:56:47.066-04:00

Tu B'shvat is tomorrow. It is time to put our values into practice especially when it comes to the environment and our use of natural resources. MRT now has a working Green MRT Team. They are charged with evaluating, changing, and monitoring our practices in terms of environmental impact and sustainability. I need your help in greening the synagogue. I offered a d'var torah on Friday night on the

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136656647123159853.post-41632567921917516382009-01-28T12:44:00.006-05:002009-04-15T21:58:29.767-04:00

In case you missed it, the Monmouth Festival of the Arts, our temple's annual juried arts show, is rapidly approaching. Part of the festival is the annual student art competition. The Asbury Park Press ran a great story about it including several photos of the students' work. Great job, MFA volunteers. This looks to be a great start to MFA 2009.Do not forget to sign up for volunteer shifts, to

Rabbi Jon Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212163112472249023noreply@blogger.com0