Tamar...I don't think you're Ortho-bashing. There have been some voices raised in favor of polygamy. But they're pretty obscure. To my knowledge, nobody has seriously suggested, as a practical measure, re-instituting polygamy today. There is also the troubling issue of concubinage that has been documented by a number of reliable journalists as existing in some small, obscure pockets of the Orthodox community in New York. It's profoundly disturbing. On the other hand, can the community be reasonably expected to control every harebrained (or even unethical) idea that any Jew anywhere comes up with?  If we can keep mainstream Judaism focused, holy and on-target, we're doing OK. 

I guess giving a good speech is giving a good speech.  And I'm voting for Obama.

Unfortunately, the Awareness Center has taken an important issue and trivialized it by including some "offenders" who had clearly been proven innocent of allegations against them.  While the "center" might believe that "where there's smoke there's fire," neither American nor Jewish law agree.  When you have innocent people listed on such a site, it detracts from the credibility of the site when it does actually identify others who are pedophiles.

Tamar, I'm surprised at you. Pluralism was a concept that was 1980's. A bunch of us boomers had grown up in a generation in which we were supposed to love (or at least respect) one another, then often went to rabbinical schools in which Orthodox Jews were considered to be backwards or Reform Jews were to be considered heretical.  So we took our beliefs and practices, and tried to take the respect that we had for every other religion and superimpose it on our relationships to other members of the chosen people (and even those who didn't consider themselves chosen). Organizations such as CLAL and CAJE prided themselves as pioneers of pluralism, and Federations were enthusiastic about yet another vehicle that would support fundraising from everyone.

But Jewish pluralism was based on the idea that everyone lined up in some "movement" that was different from the next "movement" down the block. That's just not the case today. The emerging Jewish future is decidedly post-denominational. We don't have 3-4 movements in contemporary Judaism, we have millions!  And if Judaism is post-denominational and becoming more so, then pluralism is irrelevant. What we need is basic menschlichkeit and relationshiop skills that help us to all get into the big tent (or sandbox) of the Jewish people today in their wonderful diversity.

 

Thanks for clearing this up.  I'll post the sheets with the holes in 'em on Ebay now!

I really hate Christmas music.  It just doesn't rock.  Wimpy songs by the Eagles, Paul Mc Cartney and worse!  But here's the news:  Jews have incredible mitzvah opportunities during the "holiday season." 

Anyone who reads a newspaper (or gets their news online) knows that the nation's blood supply is dangeriously low at this time of year.  Our neighbors are busy, or out of town, and donating blood just falls off the radar screen. 

So, this year I decided to use the opportunity to do two mitzvot:  1. donate blood, 2. learn CPR.

I highly recommend it as an alternative (or a supplement) to going to the movies and/or Chinese food on Christmas.

Tamar...if the t shirts don't work for you, these products are online.  But I'm not going to glorify them (or sacrifice my career) to put the link here.  Anyone who is that interested can either google it or e mail me. 

This time, Tamar, I respectfully disagree.  I got the e mails from them and was appalled. Not with "embrace the trayfe," which I found pretty amusing, but with the misconception that some of the things that this group felt were "trayfe" and out of range of the mainstream Jewish community really were being ignored.  Yes, it's true that a lot of "establishment" types prefer to do their tzedaka, social activism and such from their comfy homes and luxury cars. And yes, there are inevitably those who prefer to ignore the ills that have pervaded the Jewish community (and may or may not have always been there, but are certainly there now) -- spousal abuse, racism, etc.

But it conveniently ignored the fact that there are an awful lot of solid Jews, some of them establishment, many of them rabbis, and representing all movements and affiliations (and non-affliliations) that have gotten off their respective tuchasses and are out there making real change happen and putting these types of issues at the top of the communal agenda.  To even jokingly tell them that they've "embraced the trayfe", when they believe that their activism is the most important expression of their Judaism (and as Kosher as can be) is nothing short of insulting to them.

 

A bourbon drinker?  That's great.  I'm so tired of scotch, which seems to be all my shul embraces. 

 Chag Sameach, Tamar and everone!

So, this shul member goes up to the rabbi and says, "I want my dog should have a bar mitzvah."

The rabbi says, "It's a dog. Dogs don't get Bar Mitzvahed."

The member says, "But rabbi, I've been a member of the synagogue for many years, and I want my dog should have a bar mitzvah."

The rabbi replies, "But again, I'm telling you, only humans can have a bar mitzvah."

Finally, the member says, "Listen rabbi, this is the last time I'm telling you. I want a bar mitzvah for my dog.  And in honor of the occasion, I'm donating $10,000 to the rabbi's fund.

The rabbi replies, "So why didn't you tell me the dog was Jewish?'

 

Thank you, thank you very much.  I'll be here all week.  Actually in my sukkah all week.

 

Chag sameach to all my dawgs!