tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51350517643739915672024-02-07T07:30:18.543-05:00Jew CrewI am an aspiring rabbi. I decided one day I wanted to intepret the Torah for my family on Shabbat. Since January 2009, the writing has never stopped. I invite you to see what I write weekly and let me know what you think by leaving a comment!Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.comBlogger169125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-82082504094651724142020-03-20T17:49:00.002-04:002020-03-21T13:06:43.307-04:00The Coronavirus Tabernacle<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> Two weeks ago, while absorbing Chile’s summertime sunshine, I came across a friend’s Instagram post. Smelling fresh flowers, he mentioned this Hebrew month's motto, “When Adar comes, joy increases.” Now, on the 24th of Adar, I sit in my living room in Massachusetts uncertain and unamused. During the day, Torah represents my sole company. However, this week's portion and the entirety of Exodus, which we conclude this Shabbat, offer immense insight for the coronavirus crisis. The Israelites create something of nothing, transitioning from an enslaved people into a holy community. In doing so, they establish a roadmap to make the most of apparent desolation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> For the next several weeks, our rapid and constant consumption and growth needs to come to a standstill. We do not know what to make of this unfamiliar moment, but Exodus also represents a crisis of identity. At the Sea of Reeds, we stare back at what we always knew with little idea of what came next. Miriam elects to circumvent her worries, leaning into song and dance. Soon enough, this jubilee tampers into anxiety and confusion, and the Israelites construct an idol in doubt of God’s benevolence and strength. It appears that at Sinai, the Israelites cede their delight and faith for suspicion and fear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Nonetheless, through their mistakes, the Israelites internalize that God offers a covenant and guidance. They also discover that the fulfillment of this promise – beauty and happiness – comes from life’s inhabitants playing an active role. God never lowers the ceiling to the heavens. Rather, the Israelites learn to reach toward them. In this week’s culminating portion, they collaborate in the construction of the Ark of the Covenant. The resources for this project come not from God but “among<i> you</i>.” The Israelites bring their finest treasures – 29 talents of gold, 100 talents of silver, copper, linens, oils, stones, and acacia wood. They choose to advance God’s creation, combining their resources to make something exquisite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Midrash says that every Jew’s guardian angel stood present at Sinai (Shabbat 146a), so according to our mystic tradition, all of us retained the lessons there. When Adar started, many expected the changing of seasons, the holiday of Purim, new romance, or whatever it may have been to facilitate an increase in pleasure. Suddenly, our expectations encountered cancellations, mandatory isolation, fear, and doubt. In contrast, even now our families, friendships, technology and diverse cultures remain. We hold onto the tools to make something of nothing. At Sinai, each person God endowed with skill excelled in ability to complete their task. As we remain in this month of glee, each of us ought to adopt a similar approach. With wit, intellect, creative talent, and empathy, we will cultivate joy, reenacting our triumph of liberation. The future will look different than the society from which we came, but we may take the gifts among <i>us</i> to construct a space for something beautiful, something holy. We are now the builders of the Coronavirus Tabernacle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Of note, the Israelites construct their Tabernacle and accept God’s promise only after colossally muddling their first weeks of redemption. Egoism and desire for short-term satisfaction push them to ignore the prospect of ongoing prosperity for all. In response, God demands that they wander in the wilderness, reckoning their individual and collective responsibilities. Once again, we find ourselves caught between needs of the self and the common welfare. No one makes it out of this crisis unless we bind our fates together, ironically through isolation, yet this moment exposes the widespread insecurity around access to housing, food, and high quality healthcare of our time. In the desert, the Israelites’ children emerge ready to inhabit a new land together, accepting a framework of common decency. Devoid of our usual motivators and distractions, we possess the time and space to revisit our principles. Before returning to a more fulfilling place, we may ask “During the time of the virus and henceforth, who deserves to live in good health, safety, and dignity?”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The events of Exodus transform the Israelites from rebels who escaped an ancient superpower into a people ready to work together toward holiness. They create beauty in a barren landscape, and overtime, they form a society based on ethics. This moment seems bleak, but it represents an opportunity to look beyond short-sighted, self-benefiting impulses. Remembering what it was like at Sinai, we confront a physical and emotional wilderness. In this moment, we opt into joy and justice. For such an occasion, I can only say what we proclaim when concluding any book of Torah, <i>“Chazak, chazak, v'nitchazeik!” </i>(Be strong, be strong, and we will be strengthened!”)</span></div>
Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-52883005213194444652017-11-04T10:37:00.003-04:002017-11-04T10:37:57.330-04:00When Abraham and God Negotiate<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In this week’s Torah portion, two negotiations occur. First, God and Abraham debate the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Second, Abraham and Abimelech, king of the southern region of Gerar, reconcile the ruler’s transgressions. After Abraham misguides the king to think of Sarah as his sister rather than his wife, the king conjugally pursues her, accidentally laying with a married woman. In the first vigent, God wants to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the wicked people dwelling in them. On the contrary, Abraham raises doubts about God’s generalization of this population, asking if God would spare but five kind people in the city if they were found. God views five as too few, so Abraham starts again with sparing forty kind people, then thirty, haggling with God all the way to ten. God sends angels to search the cities prior to their destruction, ultimately only saving Lot and his family in respect of them being Abraham’s kin. In contrast, Abraham responds to the sister-wife controversy by acknowledging his errors, apologizing to Abimelech and exonerating the king’s name before God. The gentlemen settle the dispute in recognition of Abraham’s mistakes and the king’s fear of God.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Assuming human authorship of the book of Genesis begs the question of how these narratives find space in this holy book and about the significance of their juxtaposition. If God ultimately decides to obliterate Sodom and Gomorrah, why does the author feature Abraham questioning God’s choices? Perhaps, this writer deliberately casts doubt on God’s will. After all, God promises to Noah never to destroy the Earth again about ten chapters prior to these events. In both ancient and modern contexts, this story fails to match our understanding of God, justice, and repentance. While God is omnipotent, God chooses to guide humans toward righteousness rather than dismiss them as beyond repair. In today’s world, many cities teem with wicked people who abuse one another and who manipulate systemic inequities to further rupture the world and taint the work of creation. However, God in 2017, in most mainstream Judeo-Christian contexts, opts to not intervene directly in these affairs, especially not with an action as drastic as comprehensive destruction. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The second negotiation, thereby, serves as a challenge and a correction of the former negotiation and outcome. While the author chooses not to categorize God’s actions with Sodom and Gomorrah as outrightly immoral, the writer juxtaposes this choice on which Abraham casts doubts with a very different type of reconciliation. Abraham wrongs Abimelech, and while this portion concludes with the binding of Isaac, the pinnacle symbol of Abraham’s faithfulness and servitude to God, the sister-wife narrative portrays Abraham as a flawed human being. In his failing, though, Abraham acknowledges his follies, and he ultimately resolves the dilemma by appealing to God’s good and forgiving will. By starting with Sodom and Gomorrah but continuing with the sister-wife conflict, the author admits that God’s actions in the former story are doubtable. Reading these stories together provokes thought whether God’s initial punishment was too harsh, too near-sighted, or plainly unfair and wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As Abraham indicates, God’s mistake may lie in scapegoating and destroying an entire city of people where even five pious, gentle souls may dwell. Conversely, focusing on a minority that wreaks havoc among a cluster of well-intentioned people equally prejudices and devalues the whole population. In addition, this biased framework of thought lays at the crux of what those with power and authority have debated in our political age. Some people with immense influence classify the people of the Arab World and Latin America as a modern incarnation of the peoples of Sodom and Gomorrah, using extreme examples to generate an opinion about their merit. Just as easily, though, one could examine parts of the legacy of white, Judeo-Christian supremacy - the Crusades, enslavement, the era of Jim Crow, Japanese internment - and call us equally deranged or violent, misshaping or expansively extrapolating the reality and actions of many of us and our ancestors. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Torah portion concludes with a powerful symbol. Abraham lays with his servant, Hagar, and they bare Ishmael, which means literally in Hebrew “God listens.” God, Abraham, and Sarah value Isaac in the story more than they value Ishmael, yet Hagar and her infant are not rejected as lacking worth. Ishmael, though impure from the perspective of this story, wanders with his mother, eventually, in accordance with God’s will, developing into another numerous and blessed people. We, as humans made in the image of God, err too. Perhaps, we also fail to see and “listen” to those around us, jumping to call for one another’s destruction or denied right of entry too soon. </span></div>
Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-87801844747434819772017-10-07T09:07:00.003-04:002017-10-07T09:07:43.473-04:00The Sukkah of Our Hearts<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Leviticus 23:34 commands, “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, there shall be the Feast of Booths to God” The Feast of Booths (</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chag haSukkot) </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">follows Yom Kippur each year, ushering the autumn harvest and instilling in the Jewish people gratitude and humility. Traditionally, communities convene to build a sukkah, a loose structure open enough to see the stars and full moon in which the community shares meals and dwells for seven days. This experience represents a spiritual connection to our ancestors who built temporary shelters in the wilderness, and at the festival’s end, we return to our homes more aware of the privilege of permanent shelter that we enjoy. However, as we feast in our pretend, dilapidated huts, we fail to meet this holiday’s calling in our modern era. At a time when immense housing disparities exist, Sukkot extends beyond appreciation and humility; it must teach us to empathize, connect, and act with our neighbors and fellow citizens.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The new Sukkot experience recognizes the limits of Jewish privilege. Jews, on the whole, have been granted access to opportunities to create wealth in the US. Prior to the 1950’s, restrictive housing deeds and redlining of cities and suburbs limited where Jewish American families settled, the extent of home ownership, and the quality of Jewish homes. In two generations, though, much of the Jewish population migrated from crowded, economically diverse urban centers to beacons of privilege. This disconnect undermines Jewish compassion around the modern day sukkah. In Washington, DC, those who live in Bethesda, Rockville, or northwest DC may understand the city’s issues regarding affordable housing, but until we go beyond our traditional neighborhoods, we perpetuate an “us-them” paradigm, unable to comprehend how the quality of home environments impacts our daily lives. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two summers ago, I organized with tenants at Brookland Manor, a Section 8 housing complex in northeast DC. On its face, Brookland Manor appears in disrepair, and developers would lead one to believe that crime and drugs permeate every segment of this community. Until I broke bread with one of the tenants in her apartment, I did not understand the full scope of the living experience at the site. With her grandson by her side, she described the process of displacement and astounding resiliency of her and her neighbors. Amidst false eviction notices, disproportionate security enforcement, and negligent property management, the landlords of this site were attempting in any way they could to prompt tenants to cede their rights to remain in a building as long as they pay rent and abide by a lease. Once all the tenants move, the property can easily be converted into more profitable real estate. On the contrary, this woman described the property’s value in terms of the communal support among neighbors who raised families aside one another. I shared life with this woman; we were no longer “us-them”, just us. Touting the importance of intersectional dialogue is important, but this holiday calls upon us to seize the new year into our hands, leaping toward action. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like most anyone, I enjoy meals under the stars and amidst the autumn breeze during Sukkot. My experience at Brookland Manor, though, taught me that to genuinely establish humility, appreciation, and empathy around the abundance of our harvest, we must connect to our neighbors with fewer resources and less power. The holiday teaches us about the fragility of our privileges; this year’s harvest, we have enough food and shelter, but in years past, we overcame obstacles to survive. Now, with our collective social and economic power, we must construct a sukkah between our hearts.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The sukkah of the heart is much like the sukkah in the synagogue courtyard. It is delicate, but through a process of self-education, listening, relationship building, and cultural awareness, we establish a stable foundation. It requires more than one person to build; we cannot fulfill this holiday’s modern calling without leaving our zones of comfort, joining an organization that works on these issues and building power that crosses lines of neighborhood and class. In order to make the sukkah of hearts withstanding to rain and wind, we must understand how each part intersects, for as we understand the fragility of someone else’s housing situation, we develop a broader sense of how this ties to the amalgamation of race, class, policing, and access to education, wealth, and childcare. Yet, the sukkah between hearts, when adequately established, allows us to peer at bright stars among the night - blossoming friendships, fruitful alliances, or the shining bursts of hope.</span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-c911fabc-f6f2-b225-09de-152a518cbf11"><br /></span>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-58181415738161941752017-05-11T09:49:00.000-04:002017-05-11T09:49:09.775-04:00Leadership for a Jewish Future<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Results from the Pew Research Center’s “A Portrait of Jewish Americans” provide a glimpse of the future of American Jewry, and whereas 42% of Jews associate “having a good sense of humor” with their heritage, 28% feel a connection through “being a part of the Jewish community.”As an aspiring congregational rabbi, these numbers are disheartening, yet they point to a crisis of leadership more than issues within Jewish life. If younger American Jews on the whole view Jewish institutions as unsatisfactory, then established and emerging leaders must rise to the occasion of adapting the Jewish experience. In my time in the rabbinate, I intend to serve my community as a leader through the employment of social constructivism and critical leadership theory, utilizing the Social Change Model of Leadership Development to empower young people. In facilitating a process of values determination while deconstructing limitations of leadership, Jewish leaders can create a more equitable, more accessible, and more captivating synagogue experience. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To start, social constructivism shifts leadership from an individual who dictates a vision for the community to an individual who facilitates the process by which a community faces itself (Heifetz, 1994, p. 22). In this values-driven approach, I must listen to the community that I join, gaining insight into their assets and desires instead of prescribing a solution. Assuming that I do not serve as an institution’s first rabbi, I will need to understand how a congregation tells its story; among the group members, the leader cultivates a shared narrative, articulating meaning of how a group’s values have changed over time. The largest synagogue in Washington, DC, Washington Hebrew Congregation, for instance, first convened in 1852, growing from a group of 21 German-American men to a congregation of over 2,800 in 2017. In that time, the congregation has hosted multiple presidents and distinguished guests, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Nowadays, the congregation finds itself at a new crossroads, and if I were a leader at such a historic institution, I would gather members and Jews throughout the District to talk about how Jewish-Washingtonian life evolved in the last 165 years, deriving a renewed vision and value set from these discussions. The rabbis act as facilitators of this change, exercising reflective listening skills to ensure congregants feel heard.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In many ways, the rabbi embodies Ronald Heifetz’s adaptive leadership style, for the rabbi must address the community’s needs while maintaining a flexible disposition when a discrepancy between perceived values and reality arises. Often, a group will not agree on its values. Under this epistemology, the leader allows individuals with competing value systems to confront one another, synthesizing their ideas to reach a strategy that reflects both shared desires and the reality at hand. Heifetz wrote, “ as a guide, one considers not only the values that the goal represents, but also the goal's ability to mobilize people to face, rather than avoid, tough realities and conflicts” (Heifetz, 1994, p. 23). In describing intra-synagogue debates, people recall the epithet, “Two Jews? Three opinions!” A talented, adaptive rabbi will recognize these opinions not as diametric but rather as the intersection of Judaism’s different modalities. As a religion, culture, ethnicity, and nation, Judaism embodies myriad beliefs, customs, and traditions, but these multiple dimensions stem from some sense of cohesive identity. Working productively through arguments about synagogue life, the rabbi broadens the discussion to analyze underlying emotions behind disagreements, allowing for a fruitful conversation about how the community actualizes its Jewish values or requires a shift. According to Heifetz, this process drives the community toward an agreeable strategy, which empowers them to work in productive collaboration with one another. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In redefining a narrative of a synagogue experience, though, a rabbi must also be wary of community members traditionally excluded from a given discussion. Critical leadership theory concedes, “The naturalization of the great leader-follower divide means that nonleaders are marginalized and reduced to followers” (Alvesson & Spicer, 2015, p. 16). More traditional leadership schools of thought focus on inborn traits or learned skills, such as strength, wisdom, or charisma to select who determines a community’s direction. In various streams of contemporary institutional Jewish life, certain identities (i.e. age, gender identity, sexual orientation, racial identity etc.) and schools of thought (i.e. critical views of Israel) still serve as basis for denial of a person’s validity as a leader, or identity-based needs are dismissed as less essential than what is most pressing to the congregation as a whole. Perhaps, the 32% of young people born after 1980 who said they were Jews of no religion in the Pew report feel excluded by the authoritative confines of traditional Jewish leadership. If ancient, sometimes misogynist, sometimes homophobic, sometimes elitist </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">minhagim </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(customs) and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">halacha </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Jewish law) fail to relate to the youngest and other marginalized members of a community, a rabbi should cultivate agency amongst these segments of the population. Working with the Dupont Circle Senior Village this semester, my classmates and I did not demand that the Village adapt their needs to our ideal project; we shifted our vision in accordance to their valid self-assessment. Likewise, in response to the general leader-follower schism, Dr. John Dungan suggests, “explicitly acknowledge authority relationships and include content that reduces the likelihood that paternalistic or authority compliance dynamics emerge that can diminish agency” (Dungan, 2017, p. 48). For the rabbi, this process of deconstructing and reconstructing how the social hierarchy impedes Jewish life functions two-fold; to start, the rabbi must critically examine the norms of leadership within the congregation, and then, observe the way the synagogue exerts power in the larger area. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With young people, accessibility begins at the convergence of the social constructivist and critical epistemologies. Rather than cast so many Jews as lost beyond Bar or Bat Mitzvah, I would work to incorporate them into a dialogue, convening diverse proponents of the ethnicity/nation/culture/religion to discuss Judaism’s vast diversity and arrive at a sense of where mutual understanding for the future exists. The Social Change Model of Leadership Development incorporates processes for reflecting on the self, the group, and the society, and when applied to the synagogue context, it shows potential to enhance the quality of congregational life, particularly for young people. The model calls for consciousness of self, an awareness of one’s aspirations, values, and relationship to society, culture, spirituality, and family. As a leader, I would want to work with young people to arrive at this consciousness through intentional practice. As described in</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Leadership for a Better World, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Becoming self-aware and mindful requires conscious intentional action...these practices nearly always include 1.) a practice of reflection, 2.) openness to feedback and 3.) learning about the self through assessment” (Komives & Wagner, 2017, pp. 314-315 ). Coupled with fostering a sense of commitment to the group (in this case, the Jewish people), consciousness of self can bring about individual clarity as well as a drive to manifest one’s value with the group and society at-large. Instead of dismissing these insights as radical or naive, I would encourage collaboration between traditional and newly enfranchised members of the Jewish community. According to this model, collaboration is outlined in t</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">he following terms: “If certain individuals feel their perspective has been ignored or values slighted, they need to feel they can say so, and that others in the group will truly listen and empathize with their feelings” (Komives & Wagner, 2017, p. 209). Thus, so much of the rabbinate involves enhancing opportunities for diverse segments of the Jewish population. Particularly, when working with young folks, a particularly idealistic demographic, and Jews, a not particularly agreeable demographic, collaboration creates a framework for shared meaning making without the subjugation of traditionally overlooked voices. Shifting authority from the rabbi to younger congregants and maintaining a space where all opinions are at least heard and respected allows the Jewish people to face internal disputes through a shared</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> dedication to the process, leading to long-term results. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Granted, a synagogue functions differently than a for-profit corporation or a goals-driven advocacy firm. Perhaps, these long-term results manifest as Jews of all ages and identities feeling incorporated in established Jewish life, or these discussions lead to new ways of adapting worship and culture. At the helm of this development, the rabbi or any leader brings together people of different identities and values systems, sharing authority to substantiate inclusive, productive dialogue, and if 42 % of Jews associate their identity with comedy, we can tell a joke or two along the way.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-0e87165a-f7c4-dafd-e343-59368470f6ae" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Works Cited</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alvesson, M., & Spicer, A. (2015). Critical Perspectives on Leadership (D. V. Day, Ed.). </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oxford Handbooks</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dungan, J. P. (2017). </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Leadership Theory: Cultivating Critical Perspectives</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. San </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Heifetz, R. A. (1994). </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Leadership without easy answers</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">of Harvard University Press.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Komives, Susan R., and Wendy Wagner. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Leadership for a Better World: Understanding the </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Social Change Model of Leadership Development</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. 2nd ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2017. Print.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pew Research Center. (2013, October 1). A Portrait of Jewish Americans. Retrieved May 11, </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2017.</span></div>
<br />Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-35615939361133322692016-04-08T18:14:00.001-04:002016-04-08T18:14:28.484-04:00Healthcare & Health Inc.<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Earlier in the week, I called my mother, and when I told her I was experiencing stress due to two large papers and an upcoming exam, she reminded me - in the most Jewish-motherly way possible - to take my B-vitamins. Whenever experience emotional valleys or points of high stress, anxiety, or tension, her answer remains the same; the key to serenity, inner peace, balance, and what have you lies in the B-vitamins. Per usual, my skepticism prevailed that a tablet could suddenly make the forthcoming workload that much easier, but in the last fourteen days, I took my vitamins three times, a record high since leaving the house.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In this week’s Torah portion, God assigns a medical role to the Levite priesthood. He demands of Aaron and the other priests to examine the skin of the Israelites on occasion. Under several conditions, skin with hair, paleness, redness, or other discoloration deems a person as someone suffering from leprosy and, thereby, unclean In addition, God proclaims women unclean for the first week directly after entering labor and delivering a newborn. The Torah prescribes that these unclean specimens separate themselves from the group until they are “clean”, and they must offer a subsequent sacrifice before the priests to regain a purified status.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This portion prompted thought about God’s right over human bodies.While as a practical matter these laws probably related more to how to survive in close quarters in a time preceding modern medicine, their modern conation asserts God’s authority over the human body in a way that classifies it as pure or impure, clean or unclean. Does an artist have a say in the conditions of his or her pieces after selling the works to a gallery? In particular, the Torah asserts that a female in the midst of one of the most joyous moments of her life, the birth of her own flesh and blood, is impure. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I always pushed back on my mother’s claims about vitamins and supplements. Prior to taking the vitamins, I identified zero major deficits in my physical and mental conditions. The entire industry seemed excessive, going beyond what was necessary for my intact survival. Just last week, I picked up a number for the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler in Washington, DC at the Washington Health & Fitness Expo, and among the vendors with the latest creams, apparel, and gadgets for the ultimate “fitness” experience, I questioned the meaning healthfulness. In a similar mindset as reading Parashat </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tazria</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, I asked myself, “Who profits from my state of ‘well-being’? Who sets the rules for when my body is at its most optimal condition” In other words, I refused to allow some vendors to define cleanliness or uncleanliness. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course, while reading this post, she is probably already preparing a counterclaim about the “science” behind her advice and the industry as a whole. Granted, modern medicine presents many benefits to the whole of humankind. Manufactured and monetized medicine, on the contrary, directly contradicts how this Torah portion functions in a modern Jewish context. Regardless of the degree of observation, Jews in the twenty-first century do not visit a local rabbi for a leprosy diagnosis or for oversight of a sacrifice to reconcile this condition’s uncleanness. This portion, then, speaks more about collective concern than the literal medical context. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In times of emotional or physical change, we are marked in some way. Our moods, faces, vital signs, and bodies adapt to our health status, and as a community, when we recognize these signs of fluctuation, we can classify disease as a personal or collective matter. Judaism, though, demands that the highest leaders, the ones most closely connected to God’s Holy of Holies, manage these affairs. Transitively, when someone is “marked”, the Torah portion claims that we take note of these conditions, bringing God’s presence into distressed lives. As a community, we do not treat one another by selling prescriptions, referrals, and endless tests that wrack up deductible payments. Rather, we see one another in a true sense of disarray, and like the Levites’ oversight of the sacrifices, we manage one another’s affairs to return to a more wholesome state. The health and fitness expo so jarringly made apparent the motivations of certain members of the healthcare industry; those vendors wanted to make a profit by the day’s end, constructing problems that did not previously exist in the minds of their customers, or dare I say, prey. Judaism, in a very different way, via this portion about leprosy and about cleanliness, demands that bubbe offer to make matzah ball soup or that we </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">shlepp </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">one another to the doctor.</span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-6eb55c40-f7f1-9d73-e1d3-ab3b1b27fca6"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well-being is not something that can Jewishly be conceived as pennies, dollars, and dimes. Cleanliness in the community calls Jews together; God’s authority over our bodies exists as our shared responsibility for one another’s condition. Whether or not my mother’s field recognizes the difference between healthCARE and health INC., I recognize that when she so urgently stresses me, as her son, to take my B-vitamins, she is living Jewishly, for that incessant suggestion comes from a place of love, empathy, and hope for her role in my personal reparation. Building off the example of our relationship, we need to reexamine how we take care of one another and ourselves. Before we enter the vast network of this cream or that study, let’s check one another for “signs of leprosy”. </span></div>
Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-45433238684634299652016-02-05T07:39:00.003-05:002016-02-15T20:08:19.354-05:00Going Beyond The Wall<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And the women dancing with their timbrels
followed Miriam as she sang her song. </i>Even in Judaism’s very distant past, women
have played a critical part in making the spiritual experience livelier and
more meaningful. This week, an important decision by the Israeli cabinet made
it so that spark, that massive contribution, could be brought to Judaism’s Holiest Site. On a literal level, the government decided to create a third egalitarian
prayer space at the Western Wall in addition to the separate men and women’s sections,
creating the Kotel’s first gender inclusive, non-binary space. Symbolically,
though, the decision could pose a paradigm shift for Israeli politics, breaking
ground for pluralism in a Jewish state with religious policy currently set by a
dogmatic elite. Then again, the new prayer could have no ripple effect; the
Original Women of the Wall, a splinter group of the primary activists involved in this process, cited that the Kotel can not be an open egalitarian
space if the whole area remains under Orthodox rather than egalitarian management.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Pluralistic
communities, though, are non-exclusionary by nature. Perhaps one of the most
frustrating aspects of Israeli society is that a shift in policy around
religious issues would not impede the Orthodox way of life, yet literalist and
hyper-observant, hyper-traditional interpretation of Jewish law via the Israeli
government significantly impacts Jewish secular life in Israel. From marriage
to the rabbinate to school curriculum, Israeli policy creates an environment
where only strict Orthodoxy can survive. When I envision an ideal Israel, one
that establishes balance between a Jewish and democratic state, I imagine a
country that protects Jewish law and custom while remaining open to the
traditions of all Jews and all peoples. It would be a society in which the
courts protect not only religious life but also religious freedom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Moving
forward from this symbolic moment, Jews from around the world must continue to
put pressure on a government caught between democracy and theocracy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Women of the Wall cited the pressure that
American Jews and other large Jewish populations put on the Israeli government
as a primary factor in the policy change. Bearing this result in mind, we need
to resolve to enhance the pluralistic character of the Israeli state; it will
require more than a village to move through the seas to freedom. For every Jew
– Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, or secular, every Arab,
every Bedouin, every African refugee, and every person who lives in Israel (and
Palestine), we must organize to reach that brighter moment of tolerance and of
true protect of Jewish and all human rights. Being a chosen people means using
our privileges to bring reparation to a broken world not perpetuate its unequal
character. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only then can we gather our
instruments along the Red Sea and rejoice as Miriam once did. <o:p></o:p></div>
Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-46392433091709135352016-01-15T15:44:00.002-05:002016-01-15T15:44:28.559-05:00How Meaningless Lives Have the Most Purpose<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Moses
Maimonides raises a fair question about this week’s Torah portion in “The
Eights Chapters” in his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Commentary on the
Mishnah</i>. In Parashat Bo’, God hardens Pharaoh’s heart, rendering it
impossible for Pharaoh to liberate the Israelites with the coming of locusts,
darkness, and warning of the death of the first born. With each plague’s
occurrence, Pharaoh appears willing to free the Israelites, but God prevents
him from choosing to do so, ensuring that the Egyptians will know the futility
of their gods and the might of Adonai. Maimonides, though, questions how God
could justly punish Pharaoh in the absence of free will. It raises the overall
question of our existence, our relationship to suffering, and the overall
arbitrary nature of life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now, my
thoughts on this matter are still developing. On some days, I find myself
bombarded with bursts of existential crises, questioning what it means to be
alive and cope with hardship amidst glimpses of joy or long periods of
distraction, and although this idea sounds bleak, my process this week has been
to imagine how to make the most of a possibly futile life. In this case, we
must accept that our existence is limited and that due to this mortal character
coupled with our ability to live freely, we will always compete with one
another for survival, inadvertently or purposefully causing human suffering. In
contrast, dealing with this relationship paradoxically produces what is most
special about human existence; life would almost certainly be devoid of purpose
unless we exercise our humanity as a response to man-made cruelty, creating
music, art, literature, and community. God, in whatever sense – abstract or
literal – watches over a most perfect universe, but the way to make this universe
most perfect was to constrain it in a way that creates imperfection. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Every human
deals with our swarms of locusts (for college students, like myself,
locusts=exams), our periods of darkness, and loss of other human life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike Pharaoh, though, we exist in a way
that allows for choice in the midst of hardship. Why live at all if we are
connected in a web of suffering and mortality? The third predominant strand in
this web, free will, allows us to react to one another’s actions, as much as it
causes them. If life has no quintessential meaning or if suffering is fixed in
the universe’s design, then choosing to serve one another creates purpose. Developing
communities empowers us to find meaning in a place where meaning may not
certainly exist, and Judaism teaches us that we are always continuing the work
of creation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We may not know why we are
here, but God does not harden our hearts so that we can accomplish and formulate
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">anything</i> in the midst of this
discovery, even among locusts or other adverse conditions. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-15977807565009047652015-07-24T17:58:00.004-04:002015-07-24T17:58:59.886-04:00Our Sect, Our Choice<div class="MsoNormal">
At the
beginning of the final book of the Torah, God deems the Israelites worthy in
their fortieth year of wandering in the desert. Although God's words are
somewhat belligerent, this portion speaks of the Israelites growing in unity
and righteousness. After many years <i>b’midbar,
</i>in the wilderness, the Israelites gain the necessary strength and the
appropriate discipline to earn God's support in crossing the Jordan River.
Finally bestowing this blessing, God provokes a spiritual change in a people
that emerged from slavery, providing the protection and resources for lifelong
fulfillment. Likewise, while Reform Jews experience varying levels of comfort
in North American society, the majority under the URJ’s umbrella enjoys a
comfortable lifestyle very much like the one guaranteed by God for the
Israelites in parashat <i>D’varim. </i>More
than any other Jewish organization in North America, the URJ possesses
significant monetary, political and spiritual influence, yet the potential
misuse of this wealth brings Reform Jews to a perilous void of having reached
the Promised Land and having yet attained nothing but a desert within
themselves. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In an
age of modernization, Reform Judaism was a rebellion against non-compliant
traditionalism. For the first time, Judaism spoke to certain non-Hebrew
speakers via a growing musical character and supplementary text written in the
mother tongue. Like a large tent, Reform Judaism allows all who seek a role
among the Jewish people to enter, and in welcoming modernity, Reform Judaism
stakes its tent in the realm of public life. Allowing secularism to permeate
the walls of synagogues, Reform Jews can have an open-minded debate about how
to work religion into a world where it seems increasingly negligible. Rather
than parse religion and the ever-changing state of daily life, we incorporate
what it means to be essentially Jewish into our humanity, transcending laws and
sustaining an individualized Jewish experience.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In
doing so, however, Reform Judaism confronts a history of appropriation and
assimilation that all immigrant-groups and their descendants have faced in
North America. At the most classical Reform synagogues, services seem to mimic those
at cathedrals only a few blocks south.
Where is the line between the temple choir and Christian rock or the commemoration
of the birth of Jesus and that of the Maccabee victory against the Greek and
Assyrian armies? We risk adapting
Judaism to the point that it becomes a religion of empty buzzwords, and we face
the threat of equivocating what it means to be a good Jew versus a simply
decent human being. The tent o<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>f Reform Judaism may
embrace anyone who comes into its midst, but when the tent is so inclusive,
does standing for everything really mean that Reform Judaism stands for
nothing? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The temple experience and
contextual Jewish surrounding can not be about manufacturing thirteen year olds
who have undergone the process of Bar and Bat Mitzvah. Rather, it should
simultaneously distinguish itself from and entangle itself in the daily,
fast-paced rhythm of the present in a way that reflects this week’s Torah
portion. In <i>Parashat D’varim</i>, God
grants the Israelites permission to accept the covenant of their ancestor and
be a chosen people. Instead of rising above all nations as God's shining jewel,
we should avoid pretension and entitlement, embracing our unique character while
living among the other nations. Even in <i>D’varim</i>, God speaks of the nations that
will be unassailable, such as the descendants of Esau, affirming that they are
as entitled to a subset of land as the Israelites. Thus, in North America and around the world,
Reform Jews must recognize their seat of power not as a people selected to rule
above or blend with other nations but to call for action upon them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Foremost,
Reform Judaism requires individual effort. In order to achieve outer peace on
Earth, we must learn to be introspective, sorting through difficult emotions. Unlike
members of other sects, Reform Jews sift through the Torah’s practices and laws
in order to determine which ones are still relevant or useful for the present
day. Torah requires intention so that challenging Biblical text forms a
practical, individualized ideology. Reform Judaism is a process of evaluation,
planning, and self-actualization. Refusing to be Kosher, for instance, is an acceptable
practice in Reform Judaism, but the individual who chooses to do so must first
and come to understand how the history of dietary laws and how they may be
useful to someone else. The greatest enemy of Reform Judaism (and possibly
Judaism in general) is laziness. If we do not actively agree or disagree with
the Torah’s teachings, then indeed, we are appropriating Judaism for the modern
world, but skepticism may be one of progressive Judaism’s most powerful tools.
To wield it properly, we must first divulge ourselves in the rich history of
the past. We cannot call upon the experience of centuries-ago rabbis for
worship but rather personalize every part of the prayer service in whatever
language as a source of peace or conflict that leads to the ultimate goal of
holy self-actualization. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Reaching God, then, is not grasping
for an omnipresent authority but searching for the innermost idealism within
each of us, and Reform Judaism, thereby, requires a collectivist mindset. Our
monotheism, in this sense, exists in multitudes as every Reform Jew interprets <i>tzedek
</i>(justice) and <i>chesed </i>(kindness)
in a personalized context. The amalgamation of these reflections allows for
understanding what it means to be a chosen people. The oneness that is at the
core of Judaism may not manifest itself as the mighty God on high for many Reform
Jews, but we can work together as a movement toward the reclamation of Jewish
values and revelation for one another. Across the spectrum and around the world,
both religious and non-practicing individuals emphasize peace, love, and
friendship. On the contrary, by pairing these values with tangible mechanisms
of action or intention, Reform Judaism can disprove the notion that it is
as ideological as a children’s program on PBS. Returning to the tent analogy,
we welcome any individual who wishes to come into our midst but in doing so, we
should warn them that Reform Judaism is contentious and strives for more
questions before it reaches conclusive answers. We should challenge our more
conservative partners to evaluate a particular stance on Israel and Palestine
or income inequality, determining where our dominantly individualized economy
and society diverge from our core Jewishness. As I noted earlier, the so-called
tent is beautifully staked in public life, and with this position, we can not
wallow in the privilege that surrounds so many of us. When reduced to its most
fundamental tenets, each individual within a Reform Jewish community is seeking
to lessen the gap between the realized and holy selves, and the richness of
synagogue life in North America allows Reform Jews to support one another’s
endeavors and project this introspection into making a more wholesome society.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No one
said defining or reaching God was easy living. The word “reform” means to take
meaningful steps to create change. We are not “Radical Judaism” or
“Revolutionary Judaism”, but day by day, we can participate in the work of
creation, that is creation of a better self through study and personalized
prayer and then a better world via community action and comprehension of one
another. The choice is ours as we stand on the brink of promise like the
Israelites in parashat <i>D’varim. </i>Perhaps,
we can emerge as a reviving, liberal voice for Judaism, proving that people
that can still help one another in a world that sinks into nauseating
selfishness and diminishing connection.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-46563139183544534922015-02-06T09:30:00.000-05:002015-02-06T11:47:37.805-05:00The Worst Decision for All Involved <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Recently, I watched the season three
opener of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The West Wing </i>in which
President Jed Bartlett delivers a speech to launch his reelection
campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>White House staffer, Josh
Lyman, is preoccupied throughout the episode with FDA approval of a new birth control
drug that he does not want to “dominate the news cycle.”
More than any other topic of debate, more than taxes and the size of the
federal government, abortion and reproductive rights politically and
emotionally divide the United States, and this debate encourages a range of futile
attacks on both sides from boisterous, talk-show squabbling to violent protests
around Planned Parenthood clinics. Currently, abortion is still the most
sensitive, contentious issue facing the United States. However, without the
vigilance of American and Israeli Jewry, House Republicans may very well drive
a wedge through a fundamental, bi-partisan issue, for House Speaker John
Boehner’s unprecedented invitation to Prime Minister Netanyahu indicates danger
for all parties involved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>America’s equivocated aid for Israel,
diplomatic, economic, and military, though, is not designated as a free grant
for Israel to obliterate hopes of a peace process and eventual agreement for
the sake of security. Rather, the US funds Israel so that we, as developed
democracies who both face grey area over human rights and pressing concerns for
self-protection, can learn from and improve one another, and a formative
relationship with Israel provides strength for democracy in the Middle East.
For Jews, American support of Israel protects our freedom to pursue
self-determination, and after centuries of exiled from one anti-Semitic country
to the next, we finally feel as though we have two established safe havens, one
physical and one symbolic. Dismantling this relationship, then, pits liberal
and conservative-minded Jews in direct conflict with one another. Just as what
happens with any issue that results in partisanship, debate on Israel would
stagnate as the majority offers its view and the minority stalls in protest. If
the Camp David Accords faced the same divisiveness as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Roe v. Wade</i>, for instance, Carter would be waging a peace process
on two fronts. When one focuses on the domestic qualms over a foreign issue,
all prospects for resolution dissipate. Even for Jews who agree with Netanyahu
and Boehner then, this decision will only weaken the degree to which America
and its allies can help Israel. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Politicians tackle the abortion issue by doing
one of the following: stroking their party’s base by taking on an extreme view
or tip-toeing their way through the ambiguous “middle ground”. Either way,
campaigns spend countless funds and hours over a topic in which they only
sustain polarization. Birthright trips to Israel and summer camps would also
have to tackle the issue in a new, exhausting age of political correctness. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a neighborhood that seems to sustain itself
on crises, such a decision would leave the American people and Jews all over
the world helpless to establish a stable, meaningful connection to their
homeland.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Still, the Palestinians suffer as
well. Granted, the factitious bodies of Hezbollah and Hamas will most likely
benefit from the Netanyahu speech, using it as propaganda for the ignorance of
the Israeli state. The majority of Palestinians, however, who face subjugation
will either a.) be drawn to extremism and ultimately endure the continued
hardship of war or b.) experience societal pain at the fault of the larger
political forces on both sides that manipulate their daily lives. Partisanship
in the United States creates a void for a mediator, one that comprehends the
interests and obstacles of both sides as well as the promise of democracy. This
vacuum not only spurs the conflict that inevitably wastes so many valuable
lives but also reinforces systematic oppression that goes against American and
Israeli ideals. In this invitation, Boehner and Netanyahu simultaneously
withdraw their voice from the peace process, issuing a blank check for Hamas to
wreak havoc on Israelis and Palestinians alike. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Evidently then, Israelis lose most
in this deal. In a contentious election, America’s vagueness over its
relationship with the state boosts Netanyahu’s numbers. When the country
focuses on securing itself, though, it ignores the root cause of the conflict
itself, its own policy over the West Bank and Gaza particularly regarding the
status of East Jerusalem and the construction of settlements. Moreover,
Israelis will elect a vocal, religious right, projecting to the rest of the world
its disregard for the fundamental rights of its founding. Israel will cede its
biggest ally in the US and all of the nations that fall under American
influence. Israel was once the most stable, promising democracy in the Middle
East, but in its means of achieving a false version of that and in shielding
its eyes to its own atrocities, Israel has betrayed itself and the world that
brought it into being. By purposefully antagonizing Iran at a time when it is
most willing to negotiate its nuclear program, Netanyahu merely provokes
extremists throughout the region to support nuclear arms over energy. Instead
of coordinating with the rest of the world to promote safety for Israel, Iran,
and the region, Netanyahu has decided to sidestep diplomacy and place his
countries needs over that of a country of 77.45 million. Granted, Netanyahu has
a right to raise concerns about Israel’s security with a nuclear Iran, but he
could do so while working in conjunction with all of Israel’s traditional
allies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"> Without
a change in course then, Israel would gravely suffer as a result of this speech.
I can only imagine that <i>West Wing</i>
episode with Lyman begging the State Department to avoid announcing its Israel
policy so as not to plague a democratic president’s reelection campaign or
provoke too much debate. Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and Speaker John
Boehner, if you care about international stability, the condition of American
Jewry, or your own legacies as politicians, please revisit your decision to
replace an opportunity for bilateral compromise with partisan bickering</span><!--EndFragment-->
Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-32492564993705086782015-01-16T17:46:00.001-05:002015-01-16T17:46:28.575-05:00Expanding the Box<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over the
past week, the news media erupted with reports from France and Belgium, citing
incidents of terror against free speech and the Jewish people. Foremost, I
express my condolences for anyone who has suffered as a result of these
incidents. Still, the unified response against this affront, even as it is
symbolic today, will only serve to divide Jews and Muslims and the East and
West. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Media attention, or rather
sensationalism, and widespread reaction towards this event detrimentally affect
prospects of world peace, global security, and the basic principles of
democracy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Right now,
the world appears aligned with the victims of the attack. What happens, though,
as both politicians and radicals capitalize on the world’s attentions for their
own ideological gain? Already gaining strength in recent weeks from
anti-immigration sentiment, the reactionary, neo-Nazi National Front party
surged in French polls this week. The party whose leader previously described
the Nazi invasion of France as “not particularly inhumane” is favored by about
30% of the electorate. Likewise, the attack allows Prime Minister Benyamin
Netanyahu to emphasize the need for greater security and occupation as we
approach Israeli elections in March. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Acts of terrorism, in their current
fashion, require policy change in the eyes of the public and politicians alike,
but by reacting in such a way, we engage in irrational thinking. Even though an
enhancement of airport security <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">might</i>
protect the American public against a potential threat, terrorists constantly
work outside of established barriers to accomplish their goals. Security and
intelligence, for the most part then, are more elusive constructs than logical
measures to protect the American people. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Perhaps most ironically, this type
of response actually empowers terrorists to accomplish their goals throughout
the world. New policy measures (i.e. greater Internet surveillance, more TSA full-body
searches) can not only elicit widespread “Islamaphobia”, which extremists use
as propaganda for new recruits, but also attack the same freedoms targeted at
the offices of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Charlie Hebdo. </i>Terrorists
win not by destroying buildings or killing civilians. Rather, they force us into
an ideological box, parameters for which ideas are to be accepted in a democratic
society and which are to be considered a “threat.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After these
attacks, however, the expansion of this “box” serves the long-term interests of
the West. Today, President Barack Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron
jointly spoke to the press. They challenged the European continent to confront
nativism, adapting to an integrated, pluralistic future. In this sense, the
leaders responded to grievance and destruction with creative reconciliation. Rather
than positively reinforce the accomplishments of terrorists with additional
policy, Obama and Cameron laid the foundation to work within the balance of
security and liberty, shaping European society into one that is unprecedentedly
inclusive to Muslims, Jews, and the like. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
On the contrary, the Prime Minister
and President adjoined this sentiment with plans to embattle extremism that has
become typical in the post 9/11 era. As Cameron expresses his intention to
fight against “poisonous ideology”, I would warn him to reconsider the
criminalization of ideas. All ideas, from the benign frustration of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Lego Movie</i>’s Oscar snub to hate-inciting
approval of a neo-Nazi agenda deserve a place in a democratic society. Although
Nazism and terrorism prove to be extreme, the presence of these ideas enables active
discourse and a societal progression of belief that is truly the will of the
people. To truly protect the American and British people then, these
governments must pursue threats and actions rather than subvert belief. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Admittedly,
this system may allow for terrorism to persist well into the twenty-first
century, but in the larger course of history, humanity will have protected
itself against preemptive intimidation to preserve or pursue a particular idea,
also known as terrorism. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-19081960223856436792014-09-05T20:51:00.001-04:002014-09-05T20:51:58.319-04:00Liberal Zionism Just Needs Some CPR<div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px;">
I strongly recommend commenting on this one! Disagree with me! Let's start a really awesome discourse about Israel.</div>
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A response to Anthony Lerman's "The End of Liberal Zionism" August 22, 2014<i> The New York Times</i></div>
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In the words of Anthony Lerman, “The romanticist Zionist ideal, to which liberals…subscribed many decades, has been tarnished by the reality of modern Israel.” Wherever Lerman crafted that sentence, I wonder if he knew that a counselor returning from a liberal Zionist summer camp with over 100 children would read his article on Sunday morning. Spotting the token Israel article in the Sunday <i>Times, </i>I was surprised to learn that my ideals, according to him, were dead. Although Lerman eloquently explained his opinion in the August 22 edition of <i>The New York Times</i>, liberal Zionism survives post-Rabin. Considering that Diaspora Jews no longer cling to the literal philosophy of Theodore Herzl and criticize present close-mindedness, we must revise (in a manner different from Jabotinsky) what it means to think and act like a Zionist in the twenty-first century.</div>
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In spite of Lerman’s best efforts, he overestimated the degree to which liberal Zionists are on “the brink.” Foremost, he equivocates criticism of Israel and that of Israeli policy. As much as a beet-red, Obama-scoffing Republican simultaneously detests their president and lauds American democracy, the liberal Zionist squirms in discomfort as Netanyahu and his cohorts escalate a Gaza mission while feeling ownership over the Sea of Galilee and its cathartic charm. Hating Israel’s post-Begin, individualistic, hawkish political culture by no means perpetuates anti-Semitism. The truly “self-hating Jew” allows one’s brethren to set aside Jewish values in the face of security or sometimes hysteria. In bringing this article to some of my colleagues, they quickly attacked Lerman for his standard definition of Israel as a “Jewish state”. Judaism distinguishes itself from other religions as both a system of prayer and a rich culture with food, languages, and customs, which by no means are universal. Sure, to some of the world, Judaism means long sideburns, tefilin, Kosher dining, and the whole lot, but for others, Judaism extends well beyond halacha (Jewish law). The identity and pride remains, as do many of the shared values- family, education, diligence, and tradition. Therefore, as long as shootings happen at Jewish centers in Kansas or rioters shout “Juif, la France n'est pas à toi!” (Jews, France is not for you!) in the streets of Paris, a sovereignty that opens its doors to Jews of all backgrounds deserves to exist. Lerman claims that perpetuating the Jewish state, “implies policies of exclusion and discrimination”, but the reconciliation of religion, culture, and democracy is what makes being a liberal Zionist so exhilarating. In this sense, the left truly controls the future of Zionism, fostering an empowered, dignified nation for the years to come. Straying from criticism’s frequently negative connotation, the alternatives, joining the hawks or remaining apathetic, only fuel the current occupation and conflict. To conclude his argument, Lerman regards the two-state solution as forgone. Since Netanyahu declined the notion of a just partition between two people engaged in peaceful dialogue and commerce, the whole world might as well abandon their convictions too. Refusing to challenge such disregard for Palestinians’ right to a homeland as much as much as the oppressed Jews’ from Hungary to Argentina right defies basic Jewish principles. From an early age, we are raised to believe in a higher purpose in this world, that we are among a privileged people to repair the world of its evils. Lerman notes that liberal Zionists, “ should know that Israel is not Judaism”, but only Jews who engage with such Zionism can be the ones who bring justice to the Holy Land.</div>
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This summer, with the nearly 2,000 Palestinians killed in the name of Israeli defense, pushed many Zionists to the supposed brink. With all eyes on Israel, we often find ourselves caught in the corner. Do we criticize our homeland while the whole world awaits us to be adversaries? Benyamin Netanyahu, in my opinion, holds the majority of responsibility for this aggression. Only Netanyahu announced settlement construction as Kerry departed from the January round of peace talks, and only Netanyahu ignored Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the Palestinian Authority, when he proposed steps toward a unified Palestinian government, as the Israelis desired. While the United States allows Israel to appease by means of pseudo-shuttle diplomacy, the Israeli right continues to obliterate the progress of the last sixty years. The true fate of Israelis, whether they dream of flying doves or rockets, lies in the hands of solely Israelis. As much as the diaspora supports Israel’s steps toward democracy, only citizens of Haifa, Hertzliya, and Halon decide who occupies the coveted Knesset seats. The most the world can do is persuade an Israeli to vote in their favor, or as I would regard it, tackle a bear.</div>
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Admittedly, the task of a liberal Zionist requires courage and perseverance. For the majority outside the state of Israel, the ways in which we influence Israeli policy seem limited. On the contrary, Lerman’s prognosis of death only indicates that we are not trying enough. To start, we educate the future generations and hope to pass along a zeal for justice in the way they (and not we) see fit. From distinguishing the Palestinian Authority between Hamas to simulating the headaches of Israel’s coalition system to reminding them of how Israel arose in the wake of genocide, we establish a defense system mightier than any iron dome. When the future turns against us, the battle is already lost. If we provide the tools for youth to synthesize their own opinions about Israel’s past, present, and future, we allow for the world to grow and not stifle in clutches of stereotypes and bigotry. The most daunting task for me, however, is this weird role we play as PR rep for the Israeli government. The key to talking to Jews and non-Jews alike is to criticize Israel while explaining that from this disapproval comes love and hope to repair the Holy Land, the region, and the world. As much as I disdain the settlements over the green line and the xenophobia run amuck in the current political climate, I work with Israel out of care for friends affected by the conflict and Jews all over the world who suffer from persecution. When Israel strikes with a punch too heavy, we must be on the frontlines, calling attention to the difference between a secure nation and an Orwellian one. To the disappointment of much of my readership, I must say that posting “Peace Now” or that interesting CNN article is not true advocacy for the state of Israel. In 2012, I lobbied then Representative Edward Markey to urge State Department officials and Foreign Policy Committee members to engage in diplomacy in place of funding unchecked militarism. Joining a campaign or leading a community project establishes the bridge connecting Tel Aviv and Tallahassee. Finally, to be a Zionist is to understand Zion itself. Though a photograph is worth a thousand words and a conversation with an Israeli ten thousand words, a visit to the Holy Land and conversations with dozens of Israelis opens the mind and allows for the mutual steps necessary for peace.</div>
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Although Anthony Lerman largely neglects the zeal for justice and peace of most liberal Zionists, he finishes his opinion piece with an interesting point. As much as JStreet, Hashomer Hatzair, and the Union for Reform Judaism engage with Israel in meaningful ways, the Palestinian voice is only a whisper in the current conversation. Liberal Zionists must not only reach for the hands of Israelis but also the many Palestinians who dislike the political climate. So yes, Lerman, we may be approaching the brink, but hand in hand, we can bridge the gap.</div>
Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-91564559868754433222014-04-21T19:41:00.002-04:002014-04-21T19:41:34.289-04:00Comments on THIS Year in Jerusalem <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When I put together this evening’s
seder, I tried to experiment a little with the repetitive tale of Moses, the
Red Sea, and Pharaoh. Throughout the night, I placed anecdotal poems that
exemplify the Passover themes of freedom and redemption. These poems, however,
share a common author with a unique heritage. Mahmoud Darwish, who many
consider to be Palestine’s national poet, wrote “Come From There”, “On Man”,
and “The Dice Player”, but Darwish’s words, which speak to the plight of Moses,
Miriam and Aaron in ancient Egypt, actually reflect the current-day struggle
between the Palestinians and their Israelis occupiers. Interestingly enough, I
expected to find plenty of poetry like that of Darwish, involving individual
rights and the character of a nation. When I initially searched for Palestinian
poetry about freedom though, I found much of it disappointedly militant. Darwish
was one of few poets whose attitude toward Israel was not a frontal attack on
the Jewish state. When asked about it, he said “</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I am not a lover of Israel, of
course. I have no reason to be. But I don't hate Jews”, and for my purposes,
that level of tolerance sufficed. Searching so extensively as to research
former head of the Israeli state, Yassir Arafat, I found that even he, the man
who worked with Bill Clinton and Yitzack Rabin in the Middle East’s most
profound steps toward peace and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, spoke
distastefully about the Jewish state. Very distraught, I found my seder in
ruins, with so few poems that spoke about peace between these two blessed
nations who desire the same piece of land that is the size to New Jersey.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Internet is by no means the definitive voice of the Palestinian people. To
characterize an entire nation based on a few hurtful quotations would be
shameful and unjust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, a visit to
the Human Rights Campaign’s page on the Israeli Occupation paints the same
cruel picture, maybe even worse when those words reflect action and the
ransacking of homes, the deaths of innocent civilians. The reality I endured in
my grand experiment was that neither side in this conflict was completely
justified. No one in this story of exile or self-determination was Pharaoh, and
no one was Moses. Palestinians have used force against the Israelis, and the
Israelis have taken advantage of their better public image and relations with
the West to maintain an unfair occupation of a separate sovereign state.
Ironically, both groups are so entrenched in their own beliefs that they fail
to comprehend that they vie for the same result. Darwish’s words represent the
larger goal of these two peoples juxtaposed in a tight-knit but volatile
neighborhood, the right of religious and national expression, the blessing of
freedom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With this dynamic in mind, a
two-state solution, regardless of the minute details, makes the most realistic
sense within the context of the conflict itself. Separating these nations would
finally bring an end to the Jim Crow system by which Israel has
paternalistically ruled Palestine for sixty-six years. Meanwhile, the Jews
would retain their safe haven while maintaining a majority that allows for self-rule.
Additionally, when a friend and I discussed Israel’s right to exist, he quickly
dismissed the question. Brilliantly, he told me that Israel has a right to
exist because it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">does </i>exist. Whether
one agrees with its reasoning for being a country or not, the institutions and
generations of people who have lived and prospered there since 1948 are not
merely a cluster of religious pilgrims anymore; it means something to be an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Israeli</i>. Destroying Israel is akin to
dissolving France, Japan, or Australia. One could remove its flag and parliament,
but the people and nation would remain in tact. Still, this argument pertains
to the West Bank and Gaza. Palestine maintains the right to exist because it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">did </i>at one time. Before the war in 1948,
Palestine lived under the British mandate. Creating two states would lead to
two autonomous governments, both of which, logistically rather than
ideologically have a right to exist. With a two state solution, all peoples,
Israeli and Palestinian would rule their respective nations, and once more the
people of the Middle East could unite to altogether enjoy a nice smorgasbord of
hummus and pita.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the contrary, like Moses, this story
of mutual freedom is flawed. Within the context of the conflict, a two-state
solution appears to be most efficacious way to please the majority on each
side. Except there is a wall. Essentially, Israeli and Palestinians have
agreed, with the whole world watching, that the only way to solve a 21<sup>st</sup>
century conflict is to erect a 14<sup>th</sup> century-style wall. For all the
solution’s great intentions, it also means that the only way that the world has
decided these peoples can coexist is by not doing exactly that. We have
concluded that the sole way to make peace between these people, apparently so
narrow-minded and opposite of one another, is to divide them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Darwish’s words, though, and the story of
Passover do not prove this assumption to be true. I find the same hope buried
within “</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I learnt all the words and broke them up/To make a single
word: Homeland” as I see within “</span><span style="background: #FDFEFF; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">May all the Jewish people reunite in freedom
next year in Jerusalem. Next year in Jerusalem rebuilt.” To settle this peace process
through such brutal separation and to leave it with such a legacy of hate
renders it incomplete. Children will grow into old age without ever knowing
someone from the “other” side. Perhaps, most startlingly these children’s
entire perception of the “other” will be based on stereotypes, and although
these nations could live in peace, the overarching goal of tolerance would
dissipate. The two-state solution, for all of its perks, fails to function on
its own as a comprehensive foundation for peace in the 21<sup>st</sup> century.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So
what is an American Jew supposed to do? K’vell about it all? Returning back to
the Passover story, it is important to notice the grand Israeli irony. As we
sit around the seder table, here and in Israel, we continue to stand by as we
suppress another people. If anyone should empathize with the plight of the
Palestinians, it should be the people who were once slaves in Pharaoh’s Egypt. We
need to acknowledge that neither side in this conflict is perfect. As flawed as
the two-state solution may be, within the context of the issue itself, it is
the most viable, temporary solution. Seeing its flaws, however, can lead to
improvements in its implementation. To first achieve, the two-state solution
would be a victory for the coalition for peace, but then, that same group must
acknowledge the imperfections in this plan. We must educate each side, and
treat them as the “equal” not the “other”, and we must advocate not for strict
social and political integration but cultural tolerance. In the spirit of the
Passover story, in the spirit of God, and for the goodness of humanity, both
the Palestinians and the Israelis deserve autonomy and the freedom to rule a
sovereign, democratic state, but by separating them, peace is as hidden to us as
the afikoman to the seder children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Links to Darwish's Poems:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">"I Come From There" - http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/i-come-from-there/</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">"On Man"- http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/on-man/</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">"Dice Player"-http://www.poemhunter.com/best-poems/mahmoud-darwish/the-dice-player-2/</span></span></div>
Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-20074323268260889552014-01-25T10:04:00.002-05:002014-01-25T10:04:47.762-05:00The Jewish Feminist....Me?<div class="MsoNormal">
About half the Jewish population and half of the 7 billion
humans on this planet are females. This week, the country celebrated Martin
Luther King Jr.’s birthday, and although Rev. King fought for the rights of a
different portion of Americans, women all over the world still face a schism
between the equality they posses and that which they deserve. Recently, Israel
passed a controversial abortion law, requiring the government to pay for such
procedures. Buzz Feed contributor Kate Nocera noted the paradox between
Republicans’ non-negotiable support for the Jewish state and the party’s
platform on abortions. Throughout the US, Jewish and non-Jewish women
experience varying circumstances when they desire certain kinds of medical
attention as well as a troublesome professional disadvantage. Jon Stewart
recently joked about Mary T. Barra, new General Motors chief executive officer,
being referred to as the company’s “car gal” by her coworkers. Stewart
suggested she tell her fellow board members to simply address her as “CEO”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of all the medical and physical struggles for
women, media bombards women with ideal values and images on a daily basis. This
issue pervades the walls of every synagogue, every Hillel, and every Jewish and
non-Jewish household in the country and around the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Judaism,
however, offers insight and opportunity to women that some other faiths lack. People
often criticize religion as an obstacle for women’s rights, but Judaism can be
extraordinarily progressive when interpreted properly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Torah, of all places, recounts a
continual recognition of women as participatory members in society society. The
stories of the Bible feature Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, yet they also
retell the significant lives of Miriam, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah. Although
one could view the Bible as a primary source of Judaism-some Jews still require
women to light Shabbos candles to compensate Eve’s turning against God in Eden,
the women of the Bible perform equally magnificent tasks to their male
counterparts. As Moses guides the people out of Egypt, Miriam sings praise to
God, embodying the spirit of a nation. Sometimes, the women of the Bible act
more righteous than the men. While Isaac’s stories feature subterfuge against
his father to gain Esau’s inheritance, Rebecca welcomes Isaac into her home in
a key Jewish moment about hospitality. The Jewish tradition is not anti-woman
when read with a careful, if not occasionally squinting, eye. Some Reform Jews
might call this talent, “crafty interpretation” but others simply designate it
as adaptation of the ancient text for the 21<sup>st</sup> century. Feminism and
Judaism do not necessarily antagonize each other, but just as with women and
men, coexistence between the two ideologies requires a collective effort and
widespread open-mindedness. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
As with all other aspects of
Judaism, the right-wing Orthodox, the middle-grounded Conservative, and the
liberal Reform Movements do not agree on the issues facing Jewish women around
the world. From a progressive standpoint, the Reform movement believes in the
complete equality and freedom of women, but Reform Jews believe in an open
discourse between the sects of Judaism. This conservation only exceeds its
bounds as it obstructs a Reform woman’s capability to worship as she pleases.
The Western Wall, for instance, is divided by gender in an area ratio of about
4 square units for men to 1 for women. Rather than attack Israel’s
predominantly right-wing government, progressive advocates hope to partition
the wall into even thirds with each of the following designations: men only,
women only, and mixed. Seeking coexistence, the Jews of left wish not to demonize
or disrespect the right. Furthermore, a politician is not irredeemable for
being pro-life, but when he or she uses that political power to close clinics
and to inhibit another’s capability to complete this procedure, he or she
crosses the boundary between personal value and invasive policy. Conversely,
the new Israeli law enables those seeking an abortion without forcing anyone to
visit the clinic. Equality is reached when all belief systems are aloud to
execute their respect values while not intruding on one another. The chances of
convincing one another to switch sides are slim, but the opportunity to
peacefully agree to disagree is ever present. From one Torah stems varying
value systems, but these separated moralities can not split the cultural roots
that connect the Jewish people. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With abortion,
the media, the professional world, birth control, and equal rights at the
Western Wall, the role of feminism in our lives often becomes overwhelming or indiscernible.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I work with the following definition:
feminism is the belief in the equality of women, be it social, political,
economic, or cultural. On the contrary, I view the modern context of feminism
to occasionally exceed its bounds. The above definition should neither morph
into a demonization of men nor make anyone feel as though he or she walks on path
of eggshells toward political correctness. I detest the women who call me
misunderstanding for writing this blog because of the gender I possess. Like
racism, bigotry, or anti-Semitism for that matter, a difference exists between
advocacy and nuisance. Antagonizing supporters, like myself, or embattling the
other side makes a feminist weak and equally obtrusive as his or her political
enemies. I view myself as a feminist, for I uphold the equality among human
beings and believe in its guarantee and the promise of freedom regardless of
any circumstances. I also see myself as a Jew who is proud to be part of a
religion that has the full potential to welcome women and provide an
egalitarian spiritual experience. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Perhaps my
blog covered too much subject matter in too few words because I so rarely
engage in women’s issues. Maybe, I should have spent a week on the women on the
wall, another on abortion around the globe, another on the effect of Lucille
Ball and Miley Cyrus (a reality facing woman not even mentioned), and another
on how any number of blogs could not cover the complexity of this issue. All I
know is tonight was a start, and it began by putting on shoes and crushing
those eggshells. <o:p></o:p></div>
Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-85869893670666131182013-10-11T16:27:00.001-04:002013-10-14T09:25:31.425-04:00Redefining the RootsThe third portion of the Torah, Lech Lecha, translate to, "You go." It features God commanding Abraham to uproot himself from Haran in Mesopotamia, serving as the patriach of a chosen people. After creation, the garden of Eden, and Noah's Ark, the Torah shares the story of Abraham, a man of bravery and devotion. He stands as the lone pioneer and universal ancestor of the Jewish people. Does Lech Lecha still indicate Judaism's roots, as it has from Moses to Maimonides to Billy Crystal, in the new face of American Jewry? The PEW research center studied American Jews for an extended period of time, and their recent report spurred much discussion throughout the Jewish world. In the study, 22% of Jews claimed to be "Jews of no religion". 32% validated Judaism without the belief in God. The religious right condemns the study as a indication of crisis while progressives view it as an exposition of the new Judaism, which may or may not require a religious element in its future. Either way, the several statistics represent our "Lech Lecha", our "You go." Just as Abraham was called upon by God to define the Jewish people, these PEW statistics demand that American Jews brings about a reformation and new energy to the religion-culture.<br />
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On Monday, HuffPost Live interviewed a diversity of Jewish contemporaries in order to explain the implications of the PEW study. Mike Sacks asked the interviewees to elaborate on why these statistics of growing secularism changed from thirty, twenty, or even only ten years ago. Personal friend and progressive head of Hashomer Hatzair, Idan Sasson, claimed that greater acceptance in American society, increasing modernism, and decreasing exclusivity hold responsibility for these results. In the early to mid-20th century, Americans viewed Jews as the "other". A clearer distinction between Jews and gentiles existed in those days. One was American or Jewish, but mixture of these cultures was incredibly difficult. In the 21st century, Judaism is mainstreamed in the American way. Jews assimilate with increasing ease than in the past. With such intermingling in American society, the HuffPost group concluded that religion being a hinderance to such incorporation explains the PEW trend. The interviewees also describe how intermarriage and its decreasing dependence on religion impacted the population. The 5,000 year old elements of halacha (Jewish law) and an all-powerful deity no longer relate to the contemporary audience, turning them against the shul, against God, and against religion. On the contrary, Judaism is a culture <i>and </i>a religion, for seeing it at one or other demonstrates a myopic understanding of its nature. Rabbi Rick Jacobs best expressed, "Are Jews a religion or a culture?...Thinking in polarities obscures the most important issues facing us."<br />
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At Givat Haviva (a university where I had a seminar in Israel), a man lecturing about humanistic Judaism repeatedly yelled to the crowd, "Judaism is not a religion!" He assured the audience that Judaism in its Torah-reading, mezzuah-kissing, God-lauding ways distinguished itself from the Judaism he knew-matzah ball soup and Israeli folk dancing. Secular Jews experience Judaism beyond the organizational ability to rehabilitate the schism between religion and culture. Orthodox and Conservative Jews do not possess the philosophical capacity to facilitate this process. The Reform Jews of the United States hold the greatest blessing and onus in their hands: the reparation of American Judaism. In a connection to the past combined with a progressive outlook toward the future, Reform Jews can interweave religion and culture, restoring the faith in those claim to be "Jews with no religion" whilst fostering their growth as part of a larger nation. Why bother with the effort? Jewish culture, ranging from <i>Fiddler on the Roof </i>to<i> Rugrats' </i>Passover special, embodies only half of what is wonderful about being a Jew. Men and women like our Givat Haviva lecturer miss, however, the magnificent peace of spirituality and foundation of deeper meaning. A fair share of secular Jews know how to explore this element of Judaism outside of an affiliated denomination, but should not the shul adjust to the people's needs rather than the people adjust to the shul? <br />
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To answer Rabbi Rick Jacobs call, finding the nourishment Jewish tradition can offer in conventional institutional structures requires a shift in ideology and practice. Forever, God stood as an indelible part of the Jewish tradition. Now, 32% of American Jews deny that indelibility. The primary step in resolving the religious-cultural divide is creating a brand of Judaism that includes God while not mandating God. On HuffPost Live, Rabbi Geller describes this as the "counter cultural identity", a belief in a power greater than oneself without the omnipotence described in the Bible. The new God embodies a personal sense of humility without the confinement that the traditional view carries with it. To generate interest among the "Pew Jews", Reform Jews need to embrace the social element of Judaism; schmooze or we will lose. Camps, youth groups, and adult gatherings-golf tournaments, hiking trips, or a temple Super Bowl party-establish a sense of community. Assimilation is a two-faced word, symbolizing the accomplishment of Jews to mainstream themselves in American society and the threat of disappearing Jewish tradition. Instead, the temple should not strictly be about services once a year or once a week. Rather, Reform synagogues should embrace the Pew Jews with a open handshake and a delightful smile, not out of concern of membership but as if they are looking upon a familiar face returning once again. Blending secular and culture elements to the traditional synagogue experience enables the Reform movement to make religious Judaism a less rigid location of identity exploration (Idan Sasson mentioned these as key factors in the Pew Results.). Finally, Judaism needs to turn its back to strict halacha. The majority of the secular Jews I know misunderstand religious Judaism more than detest it. A new emphasis needs to shift from "when to wear a tallis, what poultry is acceptable to eat, the acceptable and non-acceptable activities on Shabbat" to values-discipline and a balance between work and leisure. Prayer no longer requires the repetitive melodies and rote recitation of Shma, Maariv Aravim, and Birkat Hamazon. The rabbis of the future will create a spiritual experience where we feel the tradition of Shma, experience the awesomeness of shifting day to night of the Maariv Aravim, and graciously pause to enjoy a meal in the essence of Birkat Hamazon. Prayer is a communication to oneself; to improve religious Judaism, ancient prayers take on modern and personal meaning. Throughout my life, Judaism has taught me how to be a disciplined person, a respectful family member, a hard worker with a balanced plan, a critical thinker, a kind soul, and a caring friend to loved ones and strangers. The Pew Jews spoke; Abraham represents values, not a commandment from God. <br />
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Works Cited</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 32px; text-indent: -48px;">Jacob, Rick. "Don't Give up on Jews Who Care about Being Jewish." </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 32px; text-indent: -48px;">Haaretz.com</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 32px; text-indent: -48px;">. Haaretz, 10 Oct. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 32px; text-indent: -48px;">Geller,Laura, Notkin, Melanie, Roth, Gabriel, Sasson, Idan. "What Does It Mean To Be Jewish In America?" Interview by Mike Sacks. </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 32px; text-indent: -48px;">HuffPost Live</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 32px; text-indent: -48px;">. Huffington Post, 7 Oct. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.</span></div>
Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-92055180659685521232013-09-28T10:04:00.001-04:002013-09-28T10:15:46.901-04:00The Kibbutz SpectrumAt the celebration of Simchat Torah, the harvest festival, Sukkot, concluded in its usual fashion this week. Akin to the US, Israel's climate changes around this time of year, and certain fruits and vegetables are ready for picking. Sukkot represents the appreciation of this year's crop and Judaism's agricultural roots. Before exile, the Jewish people were mainly farmers. Although many in the Diaspora, including myself before this summer, classify Israel and the region's as arid, uncultivable desert, the country's 1948 founders sought to work the soil, planting forests and rows of produce fields. Certain members of the Zionist movement in the 20th century believed that Jews needed to recreate their worldly reputation. From the Middle Ages to that point, gentiles believed Jews belonged in law, banking, and business, explaining where the modern stereotype derives. Led by A.D. Gordon, labor Zionists founded collectivist farming villages (kibbutzim) throughout present-day Israel, then-Palestine. Gordon imagined a "new Jew", a muscular individual known for great cultivation of the land. The kibbutz movement flourished from 1900 through much of the century. Kibbutzim were seen as a cornerstone of Israeli society until 1978. When elected prime minster, Menachem Begem denounced the kibbutz movement, equating with a plague on Israel's people. The conservative government ceased subsidation of the kibbutzim after that point, and the struggle to modernize was one faced by each kibbutz during the 1980's all the way to the present day. As I observed in my travels this summer, each kibbutz responds to the calls of modernization differently. <br />
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Two weeks in the program, we visited Kibbutz Ein Hashofet, my kvutzah's (age group's) namesake. Ein Hashofet symbolizes the classic kibbutz. Founded in 1937, the kibbutz endured the movement's heights and its fall in 1978. Still, it survived into 2013 with a population of about 800. The other kibbutzim I visited stem from a newer generation, founded with an everpresent connection to the modern era. Ein Hashofet possessed all the features of the original kibbutzim: a boarding school, a children's house (where the children live-children were raised by the kibbutz, not their parents), and the large dining hall. No one withheld personal property on Ein Hashofet before Begin-not even appliances, food, toys to name a few. On the kibbutz spectrum, Ein Hashofet lies in the middle. About half the kibbutz now practices a private lifestyle, and the other maintains the socialist one. Their "middle model" allows for choice. For instance, certain individuals work off the kibbutz, pay for their food, and own individual cars. Interestingly, our namesake kibbutz inspired and disappointed me. The facility retains the communal spirit; people act so warmly to their fellow kibbutzniks. The spark of communalism remains on Ein Hashofet, whether one views it full bulletin board of community events or paintings that represent the communal culture on several buildings. On the contrary, their attitude towards guests was distasteful by the majority of the community. We ate in the filled dining room for three or four meals, but the only people who conversed with us were kvutzah friends who happened to be on the kibbutz. The split in lifestyle choice divides members as well, creating a hostile environment when kibbutz politics come into discussion. Ein Hashofet additionally lacks the youthful spirit of the other kibbutzim. The majority blame this inequity in age on the forced boarding in children's houses; several children of the olden kibbutzim resent their elders for disrupting the traditional family dynamic. While maintaining its classical charm and standing as a testament to the initial wave of kibbutzim, I observed that Ein Hashofet struggles with modernization more than the other kibbutzim I visited.</div>
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After a tour of Israel's northern borders (I promise to discuss this ordeal in a few weeks), we traveled to Kibbutz Pelech. With its oldest child being only 8 years, Pelech more than compensates for Ein Hashofet's deficiency in youthfulness. Kibbutz Pelech was founded in the 1980's, and therefore, it always realized the impact of modernism in its development. Pelech stands atop a hill (with a gorgeous sunset at dusk) that allows one to view the entirety of Israel's North. Most members are 30 years old, trying a socialist lifestyle in their post-army years. Of the three, Pelech is the most privatized. Their communal dining room no longer functions for any event beside a special occasion. Instead of communal pool of money and resources, each household/collective (kvutzah) works together to contribute to the kibbutz. The parents raise their children, and they regard a number of items as private property. Admirably, the kvutzah structure works well for Pelech. People seem happier, their attitude being less biting about kibbutz politics than those at Ein Hashofet. Much of the kibbutz is still growing, which was inspiring to see when the majority appear in decline. Kibbutz Pelech's 1980s roots wonderfully contribute to its currentness; I call it, "the practical kibbutz". The communal atmosphere exists, yet the aggressive push toward utopianism does not. Due to its remoteness and population of 30 families, I do not picture myself there. For the rural folks who want to experience semi-socialism at its best, Pelech is a wonderful place to go. </div>
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Toward the end of our trip, we finally made it to the desert. Very few people live in the Negev (the name for Israel's southern desert). Along the border with Jordan, we arrived at a third kibbutz, dotted with some of the only foliage (beautiful palm trees) in the surrounding area. Kibbutz Ketura looked and felt like an oasis. Ketura represents the perfect old model adapted to the new age. More than Pelech or even Ein Hashofet, Ketura has retained many of its socialist roots. The members continue to pool resources and capital for the community; they share all income for the kibbutz. Arriving on Shabbat, we saw communalism on Ketura at its finest. The spirit of the communal dining hall at Ketura energized even us, exhausted travelers from a 4am desert hike. Ein Hashofet possessed similar spirit, but the folks here welcomed us with open arms. From a conversation with any strange, I felt sensational pride in the Ketura community and their kibbutz's model. These conversations differed from hearing about Ein Hashofet's inevitable privatization. How does Ketura thrive after the kibbutz movement's near-bankruptcy? The members of this kibbutz recognize their role as socialist in the context of a capitalist economy. While the community in the desert lives communally, they realize that the rest of the world still functions for profit. Ketura's members have constructed a kibbutz economy that fits in the context of the 21st century. Ketura's income comes from hundreds of date palms, the construction of solar panels, and the raising of algae used in many Israeli and American cosmetics. All Ketura industry depends on its chief resource, the blazing, desert sun. The majority consider living in the desert a curse, but these kibbutzniks call it a blessing. In addition, "Ketureans" think of themselves as some of the most democratic people in the world. The community decides on everything together, its government consisting of an executive and specialized committees and a general assembly. The kibbutz, not any one individual, makes the decision. Ketura is also uniquely pluralistic. It hosts Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and secular Jews from all over the world and Israel. In my opinion, Ketura is the ideal kibbutz, but I still find certain aspects of it troubling. Being in the desert, Ketura uses a lot of energy to obtain water. Its green lawns and magnificent palms represents a waste unimaginable in other parts of the Negev. The kibbutz also hires immigrant labor to harvest the date palms, defying A.D. Gordon's belief about the "new Jew" not to mention encourage the social subordination of these new-comers to Israel (not Jews who possess "the right to return"-the large number of these immigrants are young southeast Asian men looking for work in Israel to return to their family). Overall, it troubled me how such a powerful socialist institution endorsed the broader capitalist world. Kibbutz Ketura was a magnificent place in many aspects of the word magnificent, but this oasis in the desert possesses its own problems as well. </div>
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The lesson from this trip? No kibbutz is exactly the same. Each adapts to modernization in its own way. For some, the lifestyle on Ein Hashofet suits them. Others enjoy the remote bliss on Pelech. For those who can endure the desert sun, Ketura could be a future paradise. The kibbutz lifestyle attracts certain individual. While I do not picture myself living such a rural lifestyle in the near future, my experiences on all three of these kibbutzim were wonderful. I adored learning first hand about these modern practices of socialism and the realities they grapple with, and I recommend that any visitor to Israel explore the kibbutz spectrum.</div>
Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-60870645338111841332013-09-06T19:13:00.002-04:002013-09-06T19:13:14.747-04:00The Year of Personal ActivismHappy Rosh Hashana! The past two days we "celebrated" the holiday of Rosh Hashana. We blew the shofar to ring in the new year, dipped apples and honey for a year's sweetness, and shared nice meals with families and friends. Some of us went as far as to make the trek to synagogue yesterday and today. Praying, eating, and listening to the shofar all appropriately celebrate the holiday, sure. Observing the holiday, according to the Torah, is to be a "holy convocation"(Lev. 16:24). The observation of this holiday extends beyond the meals and the blasts, for the shofar represents much more than the "Jewish ball drop". The final long roar of the instrument, the tekiah g'dolah, signifies a new time in our lives, a kima nefesh (soul awakening). The time from Rosh Hashana to Yom Kippur, the ten holiest days of the year, constiute a period of self-reflection, self-actualization, and a personal movement forward. Each moment during this time holds a sacred value for the year ahead. We talk so often about "finding ourselves" in the modern day, but Judaism sets aside time each year to perform such a daunting task! Ten whole days exist on the Jewish calendar to emerge from Yom Kippur a more determined, ready-to-be-fulfilled human being. Annually after Rosh Hashana, we continue with our lives as normal until Kol Nidre arrives, complain a little about our hunger on Yom Kippur, and check our school agenda or work schedules for the next point on the agenda. The High Holy Days <i>start </i>the Jewish new year, and the year occurs constantly, not just until the <i>next </i>Rosh Hashana, where the cycle restarts. This year is the end of the Jewish paradigm. Yes, we will continue enjoying the melodies, the treats, and the companionship, but this year is different. 5774 stands as a year for the centuries, for a I declare this year as the year for personal activism. <br />
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Alright, the decree was made; we possess ten days to perform rigorous introspection. Go! Activism means the recognition of a belief and the corresponding action to integrate that belief into reality. Personal activism requires the same process. Before we even go into the world a new person, we need to sit in a chair, in the grass, or on the subway. Regardless of location, the first step of proper introspection is writing. While the spoken word stands as a powerful medium for persuasion or conversation, printing ideas creates permanence. Recording goals and thoughts generates proof of their existence, for as memories fade, descriptions remain in the passionate moment of their writing. My challenge to each reader of this blog who wants to explore the year of personal activism is to write every day until Yom Kippur closes. I keep a journal, which I try to write in every once in a while, but on these holiest of holy days, I specifically schedule time to express myself using pen and paper. In the next week, the personal activist should explore and write about the following:<br />
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Saturday: What was my personal journey in the last year?<br />
Sunday: Where was I ten years ago? Where am I now? Where will I be ten years from now?<br />
Monday: What are my values? Do I live accordingly to what I believe?<br />
Tuesday: What do I require in friendship? Are my friends an accurate representation of that description? Am I an accurate representation of that description to others?<br />
Wednesday: What do I like about life? What do I want to like about life that is not present in my own?<br />
Thursday: What were the best moments in the last year? Where was I most a fulfilled human being?<br />
Friday: Where have I gone wrong in the last year? How can I nullify these injustices?<br />
Saturday: What are my goals for the next year? When I read these entries in 5775, what do I want to change?<br />
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Those prompts lead into Yom Kippur worship. Each day is a stepping stone to fulfillment. These questions appear, at first, lengthy, but the depth depends on the individual. The effort counts more than the number of sentences each day. When satisfied with what is written, one needs to relax the hand, set aside the paper, and onwardly progress. In traditional Judaism, Yom Kippur represents a solemn day of judgement from God, in which the gates of heaven open for only a moment. The planned introspection above provides a modern context for self-criticism, perhaps a more meaningful form of judgement than the tradition provides nowadays. Yom Kippur pertains to atonement, but in the year of personal activism, it includes goal-setting. This year, Yom Kippur falls on a Saturday. Take advantage of the Sunday afterward. Before resuming the normal activities of the week, I recommend that each of us writers (and I hope there are many of us) takes time on Sunday to devise a meticulous plan to achieve Saturday's recorded goals. In this way, we truly inscribe ourselves in the book of life, our lives.<br />
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Now, that ten day process allows for opportunity, but the beauty we describe about our lives, hopes, and dreams is really nonsense. Perhaps, somebody reading this rolled their eyes way back in paragraph one. Sure, introspection happens in January when all those people go to the gym for a month too. The personal activist is disciplined and resilient. With proper planning, the "Yom Kippur Goals" will revolutionize living. Think not of this task as a silly new year's resolution. Rather, the self-exploration that occurs between now and Yom Kippur establishes a standard for the rest of the year. Strategy and proactivity are the way of the personal activist. Originally, I wanted to deem 5774, the year of the activist. Then, I thought about us going into the world. At Habitat for Humanity, how vigorously can the unfulfilled laborer hammer homes for the needy? Without spirit, how do we serve food for the poor? Certainly, 5774 is not the year of social apathy. We will indulge ourselves this year, take some "us time", but as the doses of self-satisfaction suffuse our souls, as we take part in "kima nefesh", we need to carry that spirit into the unfulfilled world full of the Jewish paradigm and social injustice. Plenty of people will not read this entry, and plenty of readers will not follow my recommendation. Heck, I could be the only one, but we, the personal activists will really taste the sweet new year from the honey and apples, hear the shofar, and awaken ourselves with its call. <br />
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<br />Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-69715049052336743402013-08-16T17:30:00.000-04:002013-08-16T17:30:29.381-04:004 Wonderful Days at the Bronx Zoo"May we have your attention please? We are now entering Israeli air space." Yedid had finally arrived. At last, the opportunity to travel in the country of my people with my closest friends was not just something to look forward to this summer; it was real. To much of the relief of my mother, the airplane landed in Ben Gurion airport, and I viewed the Holy Land for the first time. After going through customs, I fell asleep on the bus, the usual result from about 36 hours without sleep and a very uncomfortable aisle seat on the 12 hour flight. Therefore, my first view of Israel other than the airport was the Shomria, the 100th anniversary celebration of Hashomer Hatzair. The Shomria was located in the hills of Israel's wilderness, otherwise known as the middle of nowhere. We arrived at about 6:00pm, just in time for the opening ceremony of the Shomria. Taking a turn to the festivities, we suddenly found ourselves in a crowd of 3,000 people! All I can say about my first experience in Israel is that it felt like the olympics. People on the stage spoke to us in Hebrew, and I could hear all around me English, French, Italian, and Spanish. The whole world movement had gathered in the middle of nowhere, like us, and actually being among that crowd was breathtaking. During the day, the festivities consisted of mixers between countries, scouting obstacle courses, and learning about the history of Hashomer Hatzair. We nicknamed the camp site the Bronx Zoo, noting how the dust in Israel in conjunction with its foliage made us feel like an exhibit at our campsite. Dirt aside, it was an incredible experience. The most Shomrim I had ever seen at one time was 150 prior to these four days. While the Shomria overwhelmed all us jetlagged travelers quite a bit, it reshaped how each of us saw the movement and reenforced in our minds forever that Hashomer Hatzair's existence in about twenty countries actually means that people fighting for the same ideals participate in similar activities all over the world. The difference between hearing a statistic and experiencing it is astounding.<br />
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In addition, the Shomria was my first endeavour into international travel and interacting with people from all over the world. I quickly and sadly learned to what degree the world views America as an embarassment. While all the other countries were represented by their flags at the Shomria, our nameplate consisted of a hamburger and the McDonald's arches. I learned for the first time what it meant to be prejudged when telling someone, "I am an American citizen." The first response was usually, "But you are not fat?" or "Oh, stupid?" I share their reaction not to recall a negative part of my experience. On the contrary, I simply never understood until that point what it meant to be outside of my own country, to defy stereotypes, and to prove to the world that not all American citizens are those joked about on late night television. Now, not all the world movement was so quick to judge us. To feel close and know people from Austria, the Netherlands, Argentina, Australia, and more is an incredible sensation. In one instance, I learned just how similar people can be. Certain ethics and similarities transcend borders, allowing for these bonds to quickly form. Culturally though, I felt immersed in a new element. Culture extends beyond the music, food, or holidays of a people; I discovered culture affects how people interact and see the world. Though difficult at times, the process of making friends from outside my country was enlightening and entertaining. More than anything, my time at the Shomria was empowering. Leaving with the knowledge that 3,000 people share the same ideals and fight for them in their native countries was inspiration, especially when the bogrim (older members of the movement) concluded our festivities with a new stance on activisim. In their time together, the world bogrim concluded that Hashomer Hatzair would no longer simply educate their members about the problems of our world but take the proper steps to produce actual change. I know that my own and many other young Americans' criticism of the movement is that it talks a lot about world issues and then never acts upon the ideals we teach. This decision, I believe, marks an extraordinary turning point in the movement. Although our time was quite short in the woods there, I left incredibly enriched and fulfilled with the joy of knowing people from Canada to Belarus experience the same wonder of Hashomer Hatzair that I do.<br />
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That wonder is more than games and activities for six weeks at a summer camp too! Hashomer Hatzair is a powerful institution that reinvigorates the lives of Jewish youth. The movement emphasizes that the path from high school to college to wage employment and a property based family is not the sole way to live. Hashomer Hatzair introduces the ideas of communal living and acting based on conviction rather than necessity. In teaching about socialism and kibbutzim, the movement exposes the flaws in the capitalist systems and enables the shomer or shomeret to make the proper choices within their own corrupt world. Will Hashomer Hatzair ever lead the charge in a global socialist revolution? Most likely not. However, its education of young children about practical alternatives to capitalism (i.e. communal apartments-"urban kibbutzim", universal health care) and its ability to spread awareness about certain corruption is equally influential and remarkable. Its special brand of Zionism also promotes young children in the diaspora to support Israel with incredible vigor while criticizing the country for its shortcomings. In my opinion, Hashomer Hatzair's view of Zionism, to above anything else maintain Israel as both a Jewish <i>and </i>democratic state, appears to be the most sensible way for an American (or Australian, Canadian, Italian) Jew to adequately support the state. Although the movement's humanist view of Judaism not as a religion but rather the culture of a nation opposes my own outlook, I feel proud to be part of something that instills Jewish identity in youth where they would otherwise refute religion entirely. Wherever I see members of my generation proud to be Jewish in a way that works for them, my arguments against an opposite view fall silent. Finally, the most significant impact that Hashomer Hatzair has on any kid's life is the power of kvutzah. Whether one goes to the ken in Brussels or Budapest or Barkai, the kvutzah is the center of shomeric life. The kvutzah is the age group to which one belongs, and although the movement never forces the members of one to foster friendships, the collective is compelled to cooperate when presented with tasks and respect each other. After a few weeks and then a few years, those friendships come naturally. Provided they lived in Hopkinton, certain members of my kvutzah and I would never ever talk, yet we share such a special friendship. After four fantastic years, I place these people in such a fine place in my heart, not only hoping for but determinedly putting in the effort all year round to maintain a friendship. Although we so often focus on the high ideals of Hashomer Hatzair, one of its most powerful traits is taking some of that "ickiness" out of adolescence. The might of the movement lies in taking youth, sometimes lost in the midst of adolescence, and showing them somewhere to belong, and for that reason, I could genuinely celebrate among the dust and the mountains of canned corn the 100th anniversary of Hashomer Hatzair.<br />
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GLOSSARY<br />
Hashomer Hatzair (meaning the young guard in Hebrew)- a youth movement that strives to teach and act upon the pillars of Socialism, Zionism, and Judaism. The movement educates kids from ages 8 to 15 and then instills the task of educating on 16 to 30 year olds.<br />
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Ken-The place for weekly activities in Hashomer Hatzair. For example, you would say, "I am going to the Manhattan ken for a discussion about Yitzack Rabin."<br />
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Shomria-the site of the 100th year anniversary<br />
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Zionism-the belief that the Jewish people deserve the right to self-determination. defense and support for the state of Israel<br />
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Socialism-a system that empowers humans to develop themselves to their fullest potential as complete social, economic, and political equality are provided<br />
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Diaspora-Jews living outside the land of Israel<br />
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Kvutza-group/age group<br />
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Shomer/Shomeret-member of the youth movementAdamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-70136849209922937812013-04-28T17:17:00.002-04:002013-04-28T17:17:39.480-04:00Thoughts on Mitzvah Day 2013<br />
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Reflecting
on today’s day of service, I remind myself of a quote of Sylvia Boorstein’s,
“Clearly the path of mitzvot is a path of meditation.” Seeing how far that this
congregation changed in the world in just one day, I find extreme truth in this
statement. By helping others, we improve not only their world but also our own.
As Boorstein indicates, mitzvot provide the foundation for outer as well as
inner peace. Today, I planted flowers in the B’nai Shalom gardens. People, some
in our community and others visiting the temple, will view these flowers’
beauty. Perhaps, their sweet smell or brilliant color will provide cheer not
felt by the individual on that particular day. Others prepared packages for
several local organizations, accompanied the far too often ignored residents of
Whitney Place, or took part in home construction for those who still wander
without a place to call a home. God made the world imperfect during creation.
Kabbalah indicates that when God tried to fill the world with God’s perfection,
such substances combusted, unable to contain such holiness. Each and every act
of love and kindness brings the Jewish people closer to meditation and the
perfection God holds. Though never fully achievable, holiness is one’s
relationship with God or that perfection in the world. To grow holier is to
seem more perfect, more synchronized with what God tried to create. Often in
the Western World, however, people congratulate themselves for a good deed. How
often do we, say, serve food to the hungry and admire ourselves for being a
decent person? Mitzvot, of course, are about the action and the reward it
provides the citizen, not ourselves. The “mitzvah doer’s high” is a bonus to
one’s enriching of the world, but the tranquility Boorstein describes refers to
something greater than self-congratulation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mitzvot
(God’s commandments) offer redemption for the individual that extends beyond
qualifying oneself merely as a decent person. Holiness is upholding the three
things the world stands upon and thereby establishing a closer relationship
with God. The Torah and study of it establishes our foundation; in reading
Genesis to Deuteronomy, one learns how to self-actualize and sift through the
613 mitzvot necessary for such fulfillment. Each commandment, be it as ancient
as sacrifice or as relevant as forbidding murder, offers not an actual task but
a value. For these examples, the values are discipline and the preciousness of
life respectively. Once we know how to fulfill our potential, we turn to Avodah
for the empowerment to achieve this personal mission. Prayers actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">solve</i> nothing. Really, in saying Mi
Shebeirach over a sick loved one does not suddenly “inspire God” to heal them
of their illness. In the freedoms of this universe, God chooses not to
interfere in the lives of human beings in such a manner. Rather, prayer enables
us to hope and share our sorrows in a constructive manner. Mi Shebeirach causes
us to truly believe that the efforts we make on the Earth will eradicate
disease and cure our loved ones. Just as Torah<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> reveals</i> to us a personal mission, worship <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">indicates</i> the belief and the path to reach these dividends. Then,
we come to Mitzvah Day, not today but really every day. After knowledge and
belief, action follows. Our personal mission allows us to perform service with
a close yet selfless school of thought. Instead of pride in our own goodness,
this type of service allows for fulfillment that sustains us. The knowledge
that our efforts in Habitat for Humanity saved a homeless family from another cold
winter or that our work in beautifying the temple today creates a better world
for the people we know or do not know who will be affected by our efforts lift
the world and brings not pride in ourselves, merely wholeness and holiness.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> T</span>he community of
Congregation B’nai Shalom met at 9 am this morning with the intent of improving
the world. People from all over the Metrowest united as Jews to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really </i>make a difference. Today, we call
it Mitzvah Day. Tomorrow is Monday, but that Monday can be just as special as
today. Do we need to build a house tomorrow to reach that same specialness? No.
The benefit of following 613 mitzvot and having <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so many </i>Jewish teachers, thinkers, and writers, is that our already
known values as Jews guide us how to reach this redemption every day. Tragedy
and cynicism deter even the best of us, but as a community, religious people, and
world, we can find worldly redemption in conjunction with meditation. </div>
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Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-80626531453359584612013-02-16T07:41:00.000-05:002013-02-16T07:41:40.999-05:00Believe It Or Not, Looks Matter<!--StartFragment-->
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
this week’s Torah portion, God describes to Moses how to construct the
Tabernacle. Upon God’s request, the Israelites gather their finest gold for the
Tabernacle. According to the text, the Tabernacle features fine linen curtains
and an extravagantly decorated table surrounded by cherubs. God emphasizes the
quality of the Tabernacle’s appearance, stressing its holiness and therefore on
level with its relationship to God. Throughout this week’s Torah parsha, God
emphasizes the attractiveness of the Ark, but modern values make this emphasis
on aesthetics seem superficial and perhaps unnecessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
all know the clichés “Looks don’t matter” or “Don’t judge a book by its cover”,
yet the extent to which people act on these sayings poorly reflects how often
we hear them. Unfortunately, image plays an important role throughout the
world. Keeping the Torah in a cardboard box rather than a finely constructed
ark depreciates its value in some aspect. The lessons within the scroll remain
the same, but the degree to which people respect the book changes. In this way,
people are not shallow but merely psychologically affected by appearance. By no
fault of their own, one’s experience changes as what they see changes. Part of
the distinction between humanity and the rest of the animal kingdom is a love
of art. Paintings, theater, and buildings alike demand talent to design because
we value their attractiveness. Wanting anything to appear nicely is inherent
within human nature. When it comes time to think about whom to marry, we choose
someone we find at least somewhat physically attractive. Whenever we come into
the temple sanctuary, the beauty of the room sets a tone for worship. In a less
appealing room, the mood completely changes, and the meaning of the prayers in
the congregation hearts suffer from this alteration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As much as I want to believe looks do not
matter, I know that is only a lie I can tell myself for so long. <o:p></o:p></div>
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On the contrary,
we need to strive to move past this emphasis on visuals and focus on that which
makes a human more than their external features. In the example previously
used, I said that looks matter when deciding on a life partner, but the person
with the nicest hair or the best body in our eyes is not necessarily our soul
mate. Certainly, we need to find someone who physically pleases our mental
image of the ideal partner, but they need other qualities that extend beyond
their appearance. Likewise, we need to set aside aesthetics when they very
minimally impact our experience. While the sanctuary or the Tabernacle deserves
some form of beauty to please people in regards to worship, selecting who
reports the news on TV should not require an attractive, young person, as
unfortunately frequently happens. As looks play no substantial part in the
equation, remove them from the process.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In regards to this week’s puzzling emphasis on
looks, then, the question arises on how to live within this balance. One needs
to place <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">some</i> stress on personal
appearance and aesthetics in general. Sure, we need to dress somewhat nicely
for job interviews, but this obsession with looks in America and all around the
world needs to end when it reaches extremes. The difference between looking
nice and appearing perfect is substantial. Attractiveness means going to the
gym to maintain a healthy weight or wearing braces to improve one’s smile.
Perfection leads to outrageous diets, eating disorders, and unnecessary
surgeries. One must stay within their bounds of sanity, for obsessing over
looks makes one superficial. Their increasing quality of physical appearance
often depreciates their focus on perfecting what really matters: the soul. When
within reach, make the sanctuary pretty, dress the Tabernacle with linen
curtain, or shine the shoes a little bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In this way, we build confidence by carrying ourselves proudly in
generating good self body image, but we stay between the limits of effort and
obsession. One should judge others as he or she wants to be criticized.
Recognizing beauty and forming an attitude about a person based on it are
distinct entities. To be shallow is to form an opinion about someone based on
their appearance. Rather, people need to take appearance minimally in regards
to their judgment. If we all work to perfect our own look while judging people
minutely on their appearance, these actions cyclically improve one another. In
that way, God teaches us to design ourselves beautifully like the Tabernacle,
for we are all created in the image and in respect to God.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-66009059237495385452013-02-08T18:45:00.000-05:002013-02-08T18:45:00.027-05:00Commandment 3In last week's Torah portion (Exodus-Yitro), God presents Moses with the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. The third of these commandments presented being "You shall not swear falsely by the name of the Lord your God; for the Lord will not clear one who swears falsely by His name." During modern times, many people still adhere to this commandment's demands, yet a growing number of people see no validity in commandment three. Of all the ten commandments, commandment three stands as one of the most controversial, lacking practicality and seems much more negative than the others.<br />
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On the contrary, numerous people find immense value in their abstention in swearing, and society still deems such censorship an admirable trait. When one analyzes the Ten Commandments, he or she sees that the first five revolve around matters of God: worshipping only God, protecting Gods' speech, keeping the Sabbath, and the second half of commandments deals with the domestic sphere: murder, jealousy, and adultery. Commandment three's original intents follows suit with its two predecessors. First, God enforces a sense of omnipotence. Second, God establishes monotheism, devaluing any otherwise worshipped objects. Here, God reiterates this sentiment in demanding that no one desecrates God's name through false language, interpreted by the majority as swearing in general. In a literal sense, the commandment stands as an additional way one respects God. Swearing's implications extended beyond this respect, though, for as people disdained others, foul language made people uncomfortable. Though some speak freely, one needs to empathize with those who swearing discomfort. Finally, when somebody swears, they admit something in their character. Cursing projects an angry attitude toward others, broken lawn mowers (as my dad can testify to), or horrifying news that comes to our eyes. Dropping the f-bomb leaves it effects beyond the simple conversation. When our reactions transform into cursing out, we leave a trail of angry moments. All of the sudden, we become an angry person. Just as body language incredibly affects social interaction, oral language plays a similar role. In a job interview, words matter. Even if one hated their last job, they cannot curse their boss when questioned about it at the new business. God delivered this commandment to gain respect, but swearing gained certain social consequences throughout the ages.<br />
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Until recently, I asserted that these notions made the commandments imperative to follow. I thought about the actual implication of swearing, compared to murder. Breaking these commandments leads to substantial repercussions. While swearing expresses a certain mindset, nobody dies. Really analyzing their meaning, swears are just as much words as "dog" or "cat". There are millions of words in the English language, and we selected a certain number as inappropriate for commonplace speech. If we suddenly made the word "toilet" a curse, does that suddenly make saying it in bad taste in the eyes of God? Truthfully, humans chose our language's curses, and therefore not swearing does not lie in the rule of God. Our ancestors censored society, not God. In addition, I used to criticize my father for swearing often. As mentioned, I believe it reflects a negative attitude, yet I realized that these words that we deemed "swears" create just as much a thrill as when one "lives on the edge". The easiest way to encourage somebody to act a certain way is to restrict the very action. Making a rule causes people to break the said rule. Similarly, swears' existence causes our brains to feel somewhat satisfied to use them in angry moments. When we stub a toe or somebody truly annoys us, cursing appeases this frustration within. Swearing soothes the troubled souls, and therefore, people should be allowed to use these words if they so wish. My last revelation regarding the third commandment came to me as I watched "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart". Sometimes we, as humans, utilize swearing as a mechanism for comedy. Some of Stewart's jokes are simply not as funny if he does not swear, for the very reaction that he conveys necessitates such language. <br />
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In weighing the pros against the cons of following this commandment, we need to interpret the law for ourselves, as is the case with many of the rules set in the Torah. Knowing that it makes certain people uncomfortable, we need to put ourselves in the context of a situation. Job interview, shaking the president's hand-bad times to swear. A joke on "The Daily Show"-not the worst time to swear. However, words that offend others and are used malicious, like the n-word, are never appropriate to orate, for when we use words for hate, they deserve censorship. One needs to select their swears carefully. Follow this commandments with a sifter in mind. In my opinion, the commandment exceeds it original intent. Instead of teaching us how not to speak, it promotes humanity, as a whole, to think before they speak, an important skill for all of us to learn.<br />
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<br />Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-3191476553033814912013-01-11T18:28:00.001-05:002013-01-12T09:49:22.868-05:00Response to "Schools Kill Creativity"<!--StartFragment-->
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Upon seeing an amazing video from Ted.com, Ken Robinson's critcism that "schools kill creativity" inspired me to respond to such a troubling statement. Ken Robinson
lectures on his view that schools are outdated in how they teach and that they essentially industrialize generations of children. He starts by discussing
the extensively imaginative capabilities of the human mind. Noting several
stories of young children, Robinson claims that all humans enter the world as
creative individuals, yet the emphasis on classic academic subjects
over the arts eventually destroys this spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Criticizing this point, Robinson finds it necessary to reform the public
education system so that it emphasizes creativity as much as literacy. He
suggests that all students not only thoroughly study math, science, and the
humanities but also explore a broad spectrum of artistic areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ken Robinson postulates that the current education
system produces one person well; college professors, and to some degree, I
agree.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Halfway through my sophomore year, I
really feel like a part of the “education machine”, an exhausting stretch of answering
questions right that all American students work toward for admittance to a
university. I find myself looking at school as a numbers game at time, working
to play the system rather than actually learn. In all my classes except band, I
find myself trying to determine what the teachers wants me to recite back to
them rather than how to process the information in a beneficial way for my
future. From day to day, I try to produce something that pleases my teacher according to their curriculum standards rather than my educational vision. I often force myself to refocus on why I attend school, and I question
when school turned into this guessing game of how to impress the Columbia
University admissions board. Is it not important that I explore a positive
means of expressing myself or synthesizing ideas? Some schools go as far as to cut their art programs, making a student's educational journey entirely drone-like. While I concur with Robison
that children need exposure to each area of the arts, I disagree that someone
who hates to draw take art class in high school. In this thought process, the
responsibility falls on the elementary schools to encourage students to find
themselves early in their lives. If a child discovers their creative niche in
second grade, this passion will inspire them for the remainder of their life. We need to stop
telling our children their inhibitions are wrong. In his lecture, Robinson said
“</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never
come up with anything original.” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">During my elementary education, one of my art teachers allowed us to act very freely in class, using any materials available to create what we envision. On the other hand, my teacher for the same class a few years later envisioned how a project looked before we began our very own creative process. Students deserve more teachers like the former, but they learn from more of the latter type.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> In addition, regular academics contain
creative possibility that teachers currently ignore. Who said math class needed
to follow a sequence of notes to practice problems to homework or that English
go from novel to brief discussion to test or essay? Teaching can involve art,
music, drama, or even dance. Teachers need to open their minds so that our brightest
students are not just the college professors. The brilliant mind is not
necessarily the one who can answer one-hundred difficult math questions
correctly or memorize the steps of photosynthesis. We should shift the focus
from fact retention to fact usage or expression. Such fact expression extends beyond the analytical essay or the corny video about the quadratic formula, students need to reflect on what they learn and understand it in a way that emphasizes the material more than a numbers game. This new schools expands the mind, and it
molds individuals rather than singularly these Renaissance-talented demigods the Ivy
League desires.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the other hand, seeing myself as
one who knows to work the system I wonder how truly flawed it can be. Is
America suffering from a broken system or a broken work ethic? One of the
greatest qualities of public education is how it gathers people from all
backgrounds to put them on an equal playing field. Before the nineteenth century, heredity determined one’s future. A quality education, as we
know it today, allows the poorest student monetarily to rise to a better
quality of life and earn their way out of poverty. In a more creative school,
that equality disappears. Whether one lives in Massachusetts or California now, he
or she needs to know that the four nitrogenous bases in DNA are guanine,
thymine, adenine, and cytosine. With the new system, one's grades are based on how
well one expresses such a fact in an enriching way. One expands the mind, yet this
system relies on much more subjective teacher in nature where bias comes greatly into
play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
my opinion, we require a more balanced system that both allows for free
expression and factual knowledge. First, we need to establish an elementary
school process that introduces the student to him or herself, exposes them to
all forms of expression, and encourages their technique in utilizing these
forms of creativity. Why teach a six-year old how to draw a puppy? They know
what one looks like. The "new teacher" exists for suggestion and advisement rather than criticism. Second, we need to reduce the amount of wrongness in our schools.
The word “reduce” suggests that yes, we keep certain elements of school that
serve as a great equalizer. However, in the “new school” one’s unique ways of
tackling a subject are no longer incorrect. Third, we must diversify the
experience in the classroom so that we grant students greater choice. Perform
plays in math, and write raps about the election of 1800. Ken Robinson lectured
about how schools kill creativity in 2006. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seven
</i>years later, I think it is time we start changing the system so that we
form more than just college professors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Link to this TED
talk: <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html">http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-26156319847383207532013-01-04T18:10:00.001-05:002013-01-04T18:12:45.252-05:00Shakespeare Series: Othello<!--StartFragment-->
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Othello"
stands as one of Shakespeare's saddest tragedies, toying with an audience's
hearts as Othello plunges into oblivion and madness. At the play's start, the
Moorish general marries Desdemona, the daughter of the wealthyBrabantio.
Instantly, Brabantio and a man swoon with love for Desdemona, Rodrigo, detest
Othello as an outsider due to the color of his skin, and they claim their
racial differences as a substantial obstacle of marriage. Coming into this
situation, Iago languishes in his own pity, for Othello promoted Cassio to
Lieutenant over the play's villain. As with all Shakespearean tragedies,
Othello's life seems quite nice in the first two acts. His love for Desdemona
only grows, and he wins a war against the Turks, returning safely to his wife in
Cyprus. Iago hatches a plan to both destroy his enemy and obtain the position
occupied by Cassio. He incorporates the Desdemona-seeking Rodrigo into his plan
as his puppet, promising Rodrigo's crush to him at the plot's completion. In
this plan, Iago seeks to gain the complete trust of Othello, break the trust
between the lieutenant and the general, and perpetuate a lie that Desdemona
cheats on her husband with Cassio. When the sad story unfolds, Iago beautifully
wields all the characters into his trap. Subplots surrounding Rodrigo's
questioning of Iago, Desdemona and Emilia's (Iago's wife) debates over the
roles of women, and Cassio's longing to gain the trust of Othello again add a
new layer to the story. In "Othello", a cruelly natured man devises
and implements a nefarious plan to destroy Othello, his wife, and their
livelihood. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Throughout
this story, Shakespeare uses this brilliant play to express subject matters
relevant to both the Renaissance and the present day. Othello's downfall,
though tragic, illustrates a belittling that gnaws at all humans from time to
time. He transforms into what Iago describes as a green-eyed monster, yet the
Moor's experience differs very little from most humans. Jealousy strikes at the
core, making another's possession more appealing their one's own. Even today,
extremely strong relationships end because envy strikes one of the members. It
sparks high tempers, makes people Iago-like madmen, or creates an uncomfortable
passive aggression that erodes a relationship. From "Othello", the
reader learns to convey their thoughts in a manner opposite that of the Moor.
Instead of asking Desdemona about her status with Cassio, Othello acts bitter
toward her. In addition, the play shows how the subordination of women often
leads to unnecessary suffering. <span style="color: #141414;">The source of such
disaster stems from a sense of duty for wives to obey their husbands. From
beginning to end, Desdemona opts to remain silent, even as Othello inexplicably
acts rudely toward her. By refraining to speak against Othello as a loyal
wife, Desdemona faces the most preventable verbal and physical abuse from
Othello. In a reversed manner, Shakespeare invokes his audience with a message
on women's equality. While reading "Othello", one finds himself or
herself immersed in an applicable world, where the character's actions
dramatically mirror that of modern society. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Though
difficult to read at times, I recommend "Othello" to any experienced
Shakespeare reader. This play showcases what seems in opinion as the best
villain in literature. Iago excellently manipulates everyone around him, in
such a way I find myself unable to describe in this short summary. Only in
watching or reading the play, one sees how magnificently Iago gains the trust
of his peers and slowly incepts the ideas of his plot into their heads. Without
ever accusing Desdemona of cheating with Cassio, he sends the Moor into a
jealous rage. Contrary to most of the plays I read, I believe it is easier to
understand and more enjoyable to watch Othello rather than sit with the book.
In a theater, the characters and their emotions come across clearer than the
words on a page. Still, I find exposure to this play necessary for anyone who
enjoys devise characters and clever literature. Shakespeare brilliantly
develops his characters in "Othello", making the change in all of
them quite striking. From Act I to Act V, the reader experiences a quick
sequence of events that change the gentlest creatures into brooding monsters.
Although "Othello" seems to difficult for anyone's first Shakespeare,
I encourage those with a grip on the bard's words to read over this exquisite
depiction of character change, truest antagonism, and enriching thematic work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-34015084943734250922012-12-21T19:20:00.000-05:002012-12-21T22:31:01.823-05:00A Reflection on NewtownAt precisely 9:30am this morning, the nation participated in a extended moment of silence. Governor Dan Malloy of Connecticut requested the country's effort in order to commemorate the horror that occurred at this very time one week earlier. On a brisk yet not unpleasant, early winter day, children went into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut to learn just like any other Friday during the school year. Suddenly, the hallways erupted with the echoes of gunshots, and fear filled within adults and children in the building alike. Coming into last Shabbat, it seemed that this event occurred in no ordinary December. The menorah and Christmas lights shined a little dimmer than the past few nights. Many media pundits called the Newtown shooting the worst travesty since 9/11. The 24-hour news cycle this week politicized the tragedy to a great extent, but they also showed the pictures of these children. MSNBC showed a photo of Daniel Barden on last night's broadcast, a little boy who aspired to fight fires one day. The gunman who walked into that school killed 20 innocent souls, flowers yet to bud, and he also took the lives of eight, brave adults, trying to protect their children. President Obama said it very nicely in his address to the nation last Friday that this event touched the lives of all parents, a majority of American citizens, regardless of politics. He then stated that his administration's silence on this issue ended last Friday. The shootings that occurred this year exposed the next term of Congress as an immense opportunity to change the country's policies on guns. In taking on this challenge, I recommend the nation restrict guns to a stricter point than their current status, keeping in mind and respecting the right to bear arms as part of the Bill of Rights.<br />
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The nation proposed two directions in response to the Newtown shootings; 1.) impose stricter gun control or 2.) endorse an armed police presence in every school, perhaps even every classroom in the country. When I went to DC earlier this month, I participate in the L'Taken (To repair in Hebrew) seminar for Jewish youth of the Reform Movement. The weekend taught me much about the political process in Washington, but I took one class that taught me in particular about gun control. I came to understand why guns divide the country so greatly, and I learned how to achieve compromise with people whose views tend to lean conservatively on this issue. Unfortunately, I see no possibility of Washington fulfilling my dad's wish; taking all of America's guns off the street. Just as we uphold the first amendment so highly as an unbreakable foundation of our country, the constitution secures Americans' right to bear arms. The seminar explained passable legislation, which upholds the second amendment by controlling guns rather than so powerfully restricting them. In my stance on this issue, I grant the regular hunter the right to go onto a shooting range and participate in the sport as they wish. In addition, I find it fine for a person to hold a gun in their home if they feel it necessary for their protection. I disagree with its necessity, upholding studies that prove the greater safety of not possessing a gun in the home than owning one, but I respect that some people choose to arm themselves in the case of an emergency. However, I request that the only people who own a gun in either of these entities are mentally stable and licensed by the government to hold this fire weapon. At the L'Taken Seminar, they showcased legislation that restricted the purchase of weapons online or without a license at a gun show. Believe it or not, guns kill people, and the government needs to permit one to safely own such a powerful device. Most violent gunmen buy their firearms from the Internet or non-license required gun show. To supplement this legislation, I hope that the federal government takes action in January to mandate a waiting period that includes mental testing before anyone purchases a gun. Though most difficult to control, I finally recommend the government somehow require citizens who own guns to lock them in a safe when not in use. Adam Lanza obtained his weapons from his mother because they were in his house. Without any boundary between the gun and non-owners, this man horrified the nation last Friday. In proper licensing, background testing, and safekeeping, I believe the amount of gun violence in America will quickly decrease, definitely preventing anything as wretched as the ruthless murder of twenty children and eight adults.<br />
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For others who wish to maximize gun use in American society,I deplore your efforts, as I feel, to show just how immature our nation compares to others. Today, the NRA suggested we provide armed security in American schools. I find it irrational to supply more guns to a society already plagued by such weapons. As a student, I see it equally irrational to guard a school like a military base or a prison. In DC, we lobbied to Representative Edward Markey of Massachusetts about Israel. We asked that the representative encourage the government to host similar mediatory meetings between Palestinian and Israeli leadership. In response, Rep. Markey's aides told us the congressman believes in the state of Israel, but he prefers to provide military aid rather than organize peace talks. Counterattacks to Palestinian missiles defend against one act of terror, yet diplomacy stops the destruction and death on both sides time and time again. A society that encourages protection over peace restricts its people. Imagine if mice operated guns as officially as humans, and we started with these mice in a single cage. To avoid their killing of each other, we place cages in between the mice. We protected the creatures, but now they live separate of each other because their society perpetuated protected hate over fearless peace. Shootings happen in many other places besides schools too. Do we need an armed guard in every movie theater, mall, and barber shop in America? Should helicopters fly over our parks "just in case"? Taking guns out of people who mismanage them limits the number of deaths at a much greater rate than placing cages in our own American mouse cage.<br />
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<br />Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-67753752224879337632012-10-12T19:37:00.000-04:002012-10-12T19:37:47.965-04:00Humanity's Mission in the World “When God began to create heaven and earth…” (Genesis 1:1). Thus, the Torah cycle starts a new with the thunderous rumbles of creation. With Simchat Torah this past Sunday, one year of studying Torah ended only to yield another of hopeful greater and more passionate learning and growth. In order to engage on this process myself, I decided to take my fourth annual attack at Genesis with a new perspective. At the end of my ninth grade year, my English teacher, Mr. Frey, lent me an extremely intriguing read. I chose to set it aside over the summer due to its subject matter. Bill Moyers’ <i>Genesis: A Living Conversation</i> shows the published discussions Moyers moderated a Columbia’s Jewish Theological Seminary. The participants include students, well-versed scholars, and ordinary people, all bringing forward diverse opinions. In saving this book for the fall, I strived not to replace my own interpretation with theirs but to supplement my knowledge of the Torah with the discussions in Moyer’s compilation. The chapters in the book focus on particular themes in the stories, expounding upon a single point in great depth. This fall, I join the conversation presented by Moyer and his peers. After reading their points, I strive to add my own. In addition, I strongly urge that all of my readers participate more now than ever. While exploring this book and my comments on it, share your own thoughts on the “theme of the week”. From Moyers conversation, I want to uncover a discussion of our own.
Bereshit recalls the creation of the world, interactions between Adam, Eve, and God, and the Garden of Eden. Appropriately, the first chapter of this book digs into the core of what it means to create one in the image of God. To my pleasant surprise, Moyer’s group spent little to no time discussing the legitimacy over creation. They classify this story as an explanation to why humans exist rather than how they came into the world. According to this interpretation, the seven-day tale of the 5,000-year-old world is merely a formality, allowing even religious figures to adhere to the clearly evident and substantiate ideas of evolution. Instead of seeing the Bible as a scientific textbook, the text analyses Bereshit for its moral value.
The clearest value the first two chapters of Genesis demonstrate is the importance of free will. God grants Adam and Eve unlimited free will over their entire domain in the Garden of Eden, but God also suggests an effort to which they put their energies. In engaging in free will, God intends they watch over the newly created world and all its organisms. To this point, the Bible serves as a mission statement and reveals the meaning of life. God says, “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth"(Genesis 28). Contrary to the currently commercial view of the world, humans neither own the earth nor bear no responsibility to it. Throughout the ages, humans consumed resources, decimated environments, and bore no ownership of their fellow inhabitants of the earth. God intends for human goodness to reign forever. Generations use their power to upkeep the world, and then they owe it to themselves to procreate in order to continue the process. God acts as a force for good, free will rather than this authoritarian commander seen later in the Bible and scaring certain individuals from religion altogether. In the Garden of Eden, Eve yields to temptation, destroying the perfection of the world. After her blunder, humans need to change their goal from retaining a perfect world to fixing a broken one. In very few chapters, the Torah draws a definitive mission for all human life.
I found the conversation of Moyers’ first chapter extremely interested and refreshing. Unlike today’s usual discourse, the book opened opportunities to talk about missions in life versus spontaneity rather than the simple debate between evolution and creationism. Correspondent Roberta Hestenes raises a question about viewing life in terms of economic gain or social progress. Society dictates that we earn money to provide ourselves with a healthy, satisfying life, but the Torah suggests we collaborate toward a greater form of humanity every generation until we repair the world to its Edenesque state. I see the process in three steps to achieve personal happiness and fulfill this everlasting mission. First, the human needs to look at himself or herself as an individual. How can <i>I</i> improve as a person? Where do I want to be in one, ten, twenty, or fifty years? The personal angle remains the most selfish of the three, yet it is not necessarily a self-centered action. I merely intend to say that one should place themself in the perspective of the world and seek ways to arrive at happiness. Without this personal satisfaction, the other two, far more important steps fail to proceed. Second, the human must attribute some time to the familial or small group angles of life. We all came from some sort of family, and many of us enjoy the bountiful splendors of friendship. These joys require efforts, for they are essential to the mission of the world. Before looking at the globe at its greatest scale, one assesses their personal sphere. How can I, as an employee, enrich my coworkers’ lives? Where can I change the town around me? We look onto the people around us to assist them in achieving their individual goals, spreading bliss across the world. We also grow with our peers in this process, bringing us one step closer to a repaired society. Third, we all share a responsibility to fix the world. Over the years, some of us humans further increased the entropy of society, but all humans hold the potential to restore order. <i>A Living Conversation</i> contrasts the gift of life with the gift of death. Our amounts of time on the planet vary, but this “present” provides the perfect constraint to follow a concise mission. Every day, we make closer strides toward Eden, and one day, men and women will hopefully look upon their beautiful bodies and feel no shame without clothes anymore. In a world where people truly came together to respect each other, other creatures, and their earth, we will finally achieve our godly mission. Only in repairing the world toward God’s Eden are we made in the image of God.
Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135051764373991567.post-83498681288582862612012-09-15T15:16:00.001-04:002012-09-15T15:16:17.885-04:00Two PathsWith Rosh Hashana quickly approaching this Monday, the week’s Torah very appropriately discusses beginnings and endings. As the Torah concludes in the next few weeks, Moses says his last words before the Israelites enter the Holy Land without him. Finally, the Jews received their covenant with God, and Moses reminds them of the obligations acquitted to them. In order to live in the land of Israel with this holy benediction, God requires the Israelites to uphold the commandments of the Torah. Moses discusses a choice between two paths offered to every member of his caravan. According to his deal, the Jews either uphold the Torah’s law while receiving the highest blessings of abundance in crops, land, family, wealth, and joy. Moses warns of the awful curses destined to befall those who decide to disregard the Torah. Many parashot in Deuteronomy discuss blessings and curses for believers and the rest, and the decision makes itself very clear to a fundamentalist. According to a literal reader, the parashat, Nitzavim, says follow God without question or skepticism, or face unimaginable horror and toil. Jews, who interpret the Torah a bit looser, see the distinct choice by Moses in a different light.
Nitzavim discusses destiny, an idea that offers that the actions of the past dictate the future and that some source predetermined all of these events to happen. The Torah portion teaches that every individual controls his or her own destiny. It relates a bit to karma, when the portion discusses receiving blessings for performing kind acts. However, Nitzavim reiterates a key point in the Torah. In one sense, God distinguishes Jews as the people destined to repair the world. From Adam and Eve all the way through Moses, the Torah contradictorily shows that God grants people free will. As the Jews stand before their Promised Land, Moses discusses how each Jew chooses their fate. He remarks the answers lie neither within the heavens nor under the seas. Personal journey relies on the choices of the heart and mind. Obstacles and blessings meander their ways in to life. Using values to approach them, actions of one’s own decision create an outcome. When reading about the week’s Torah portion, I thought of entering the Promised Land as taking an AP course. Sure, the amount of knowledge responsible in course like AP Biology is more than I ever needed to know in school in prior grades. I either study that information until I know the study of life better than my own personal accounts, or I decide to watch the Giants game instead. Even in grades and promotions, we select our path of life.
As the shofar ushers in Rosh Hashana, choose wisely. Moses goes into detail about two diverged lifestyles. Moses says, “I set before you this day life and prosperity, death and adversity” (Deuteronomy 30:11). In his case, life and prosperity derives from adhering to the 613 mitzvot in the Torah. Following these commandments leads to the first path. In reality, Judaism is about very little. A famous Jewish prayer says the world relies on the three things: Torah (study) , avodah (worship and work) , and gemulit chasidim (acts of love and kindness). I read Torah in a mindful, critical setting. Using my “God-given” free will, I select which laws to deem important and follow every day of my life. Some say the Torah is out of date, but how many of us really condone murder? Or do not support the leaving a part of our earnings for those who are stuck at the bottom of society? Or calling mom and dad to see how their lives are? The Torah is much more than God dictating the hate of gays or the abhorrence of premarital sex. Selecting laws based on the morality is not akin to Judaism by convenience. On the other hand, selecting laws because of how difficult they are to follow is not a critical lens to Judaism. The Torah serves as a guide book on “How To Be A Decent Human Being”. As far as I am concerned, looking at the holy laws in this conscientious way truly leads to life and prosperity.
Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00981259088292048240noreply@blogger.com0