Rabbi Nasanyl Braun – corporeality and action/thought

This sermon by Rabbi Nasanyl Braun of Congregation Brothers of Israel in Elberon, New Jersey was presented in 2007. It addresses questions raised in the Torah portion read this week in synagogues around the world.

Early this week my son Avi came to me with an interesting question. Why don’t you tell Ima what to do? I responded that I did not think it was a good idea but I began to wonder where the question was coming from. So I asked him- “Avi why did you ask me that question?” His response was equally fascinating. He had just learned the story of Adam and Eve, Adam and Chava, in school and after they are banished from the Garden of Eden they are punished as well.

Genesis, Chapter 3:

16. To the woman he said, I will greatly multiply the pain of your child bearing; in sorrow you shall bring forth children; and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.

You see said Avi, you should tell Ima what to do. Then he stopped, thought and said, “you know that Savta always tells grandpa what to do. Why is that?”

I ended the conversation by telling him that was not exactly what the Torah meant.

Of course his question is a really good question- the Torah says that “he will rule over you!” Taken literally it raises two important questions:
1. Is this an idea that fits within our worldview?
2. This was Avi’s question- the Torah’s promise does not seem to fit with our reality and experience. This punishment does not seem to be occurring.

This conversation captured one of the great difficulties faced in writing, teaching and understanding the Torah. It is a book read and learned by both eight year old children and aged scholars and it needs to be understood by both of them. Our Torah is a book of great depth and profound truth yet one that needs to be generally accessible and applicable to all people; even those who cannot yet comprehend the deeper ideas contained within in and do not yet have the ability to understand its many levels of interpretation. This at times leads to confusion and complications and even wrong ideas but it could be no other way.

Maybe the most famous example of this phenomenon can be found in today’s Torah reading.

Take the following two verses from our parsha:

Chapter 6:

6. Therefore say to the people of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you from their slavery, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments;

Chapter 7:

5. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt, and bring out the people of Israel from among them.

Taken literally this would imply that God has a body. We now know this to be not true. Yet that was not always the case. The responsa of the rishonim testify to a perception amongst some that God did have a body. The Raavad in his famous critique of the Rambam’s position that labels anyone who believes that God has a body a heretic, writes the following: “they are mistaken and not heretics”. Raavad then adds-“ people better and greater than you (i.e. the Rambam) have entertained such a belief.” We even have manuscript evidence of a Tosafist who believed that God was corporeal.

This past week I spent a fair amount of time unpacking boxes that had been in storage for the last 2 & ½ years. There was one box that I knew was there that had a number of books that I really liked and missed. I am still angry at the movers for misplacing it. In addition to those I had small volume, a manuscript from Rabi Moshe Taku, a French Tosafist from the 13th century who claimed that God had a body!

Where does this mistaken belief come from? It emanates from the text itself- “the arm and hand that are outstretched.” These are some of the verses used to support Rabbi Taku’s position.

To properly understand the text you would need to know two things:
1. Why can’t God have a body?
2. If that is indeed what we believe, than why does the torah use this language?

I am not interested in the answer to the first question right now, although it is not as simple as one might think. As to the second question, why does the torah then use this terminolog?

There is a general consensus that the Torah needs to be written in a way that everyone can understand and relate to. The rabbis captured this idea with the phrase “dibra torah kilshon bnai adam” –the Torah speaks in the language of man.” The Torah uses language that can be easily understood even though it is not 100% accurate.

Yes, it can be confusing and difficult, but the upside is that the Torah provides you with an opportunity for continued learning and challenges.

I will admit to schepping real nachas after my conversation with Avi as I began to see him trying to apply the Torah’s text and come to an understanding of them that matches his reality.

Each of us should face that challenge, no matter our level of knowledge at the moment.

As you grow and learn, new and deeper meanings reveal themselves to you and that is part of the fun of Torah study. If it is not fun, God forbid, then you simply have not been doing it right!
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Defensible borders for Israel

Isi Liebler writing on Jpost.com says,

There may indeed be differences over the determination of final borders and some settlements. But Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Kadima leader Tzipi Livni, Avigdor Lieberman of Israel Beiteinu and Ehud Barak of Labor surely all recognize that it is crucial to retain defensible borders and the major settlement blocs. They surely also concur that prior to making further concessions, there must be a clear formula to ensure that a future Palestinian state will be demilitarized, and would not merely become a platform from which Iran can launch new attacks. There should be affirmation by all mainstream parties to stand firm on these issues.

There's the rub-- neither Livni, Lieberman nor Barak can keep their destabilizing comments to themselves. Only in Israel can a prime minister have a government where his partners speak against his policies. Time for an election system change in Israel.

Read, Candidly Speaking: Unite on defensible borders and see what you think about Liebler's suggestions.

Well, that's what I have to say. Stephen M. Flatow

Another Madoff investor in trustee's sights?

From of all places, a "yeshivish" website, another story about Madoff's trustee to recoup money paid to investors.

Businessman and philanthropist Robert Lappin said he plans to fight a lawsuit filed against him by the trustee in the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme.

Bankruptcy trustee Irving Picard filed a complaint in federal court earlier this month seeking $1.8 million from the Shetland Fund Limited Partnership, which was headed by the 88-year-old Lappin.

So, why pick on Mr. Lappin, you ask? It seems that the earlier "investors," who in some ways were victimized by Madoff, received returns totaling more than they invested with Bernie. It seems to me that this was part of Bernie's plan--to pay excessive returns to the earlier folks that would act as a lure for others to join the scheme in hopes of reaping similar gains.

Read the full article - Philanthropist Targeted in Madoff Complaint Plans to Fight Lawsuit - and let me know what you think.

Architecture to Entice India’s Top Engineers

From the New York Times

In this nation where world-class high-tech companies co-exist with urban slums and rural poverty, employers like Tata, Infosys and Wipro have set out to create avant-garde, environmentally smart corporate sanctuaries.

Whoa, who's kidding who? India's cities are one big slum where there are not enough toilets to go around for their residents, where fellow citizens are treated as human garbage by their betters, and, face it, life is cheap. Independent films coming out of India are accurate in their portrayal of urban poverty (the public bathroom scene in Slumdog Millionaire is not exaggeration) and human abuse (see Salaam Bombay.)

So, maybe basic human dignity and needs should be addressed before India's leading corporations begin sinking millions in "corporate sanctuaries."

Read the full report Architecture to Entice India’s Top Engineers

Well, that's what I think.

Stephen M. Flatow

Jihad Bells from Bethlehem

Apropos of the treatment of Christians in Muslim lands.

Bat Torah - Alisa M. Flatow Yeshiva knocks off Bergenfield High School

Way to go Bat Torah!

From NJ.COM

A team of students from Bergenfield High School lost a "Challenge" mounted by students from the Alisa M. Flatow Yeshiva High School in Paramus.

The Bergenfield team was defeated in the first round of the MSG Varsity television quiz show "The Challenge."

The show aired on Cablevision's iO TV Channel 14 on Tuesday, Dec. 7. It had been taped before a live studio audience.

Representing Bergenfield High School were Christopher Daniel, Matt Galang, Abigail Paz, Andrew Trinidad, and Charlene You, the team's captain.

The academic advisers for the team were George Alvarez and Jennifer Brunet.

The Alisa M. Flatow team consisted of Leora Zomick, Atara Sherman, Chivie Pahmer, Tzippi Berman and Nicki Kornbluth, the team's captain.

That team's adviser was Nicki Kornbluth's mother, Ora, a Bergenfield councilwoman-elect, who said the Bergenfield team competed very well.

"They put up a good fight," she said.

Kornbluth said there were a variety of subjects covered during the competition including math, western states, vice presidents, foreign words, mythology — and even the names of rock bands.

The Paramus team will now go on to the next part of "The Challenge," which is expected to take place sometime in February.

"As of now, we do not know what school we will be facing," Kornbluth said.

Theresa Chillianis, general manager of MSG Varsity, said, "We are thrilled to provide these students from Bergenfield High School and the Alisa M. Flatow Yeshiva High School the opportunity to show their talent with their community."

" 'The Challenge' features some of the brightest students from across the tri-state area," she said, "and we hope everyone will tune-in to see them compete for the Tri-State Championship."

The Challenge began 14 years ago on Long Island and has now grown to include 184 schools throughout New York City, Westchester, the lower Hudson Valley, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Schools advance in the tournament through a series of elimination rounds. After months of competition, one school in each region is crowned regional champion, winning $2,500 for their school.

The final winning teams from each region then go on to "The Challenge" Championship where they square off against each other in a tri-state showdown. The school that wins that championship will receive $10,000 in prize money; each participating student will get $500 as well.

The wireless age

I suppose this is what the WiFi world looks to the avian world.

Jews - standing apart on Chanukah

The following is one Rabbi Nasanyl Braun's past sermons apropos to the festival of Chanukah. Rabbi Braun is the energetic rabbi of Congregation Brothers of Israel in Elberon, New Jersey.

"A few months ago I was at a wedding reception where the food was kosher style, which really means that obviously non-kosher items like shellfish and pork were not served but none of the food was actually kosher. Standing at the shmorg, I am looking around watching everyone there eating what appeared to be very tasty food trying to find something to eat. Standing at the sushi bar I tried to figure out a way to have the fish at the sushi bar sliced for maki without touching anything else but to no avail. I finally found fresh cut vegetables on a platter and some soda at the bar and while chomping on a piece of celery two thoughts hit me immediately:

1. Boy, am I hungry! Big mistake not packing a sandwich.

2. Secondly and more importantly, observing everyone doing something that I cannot do it hits me that in certain respects I am different from everyone else who is there; our lifestyles and our values are different. That was certainly true for the non-Jews who were there and sadly enough it was true of all of the Jews who were there but one other who kept me company at the vegetable stand. Somehow I was different.

Very often through our history we have been made to feel different. Usually the vehicle for that awareness was hate, persecution and anti-Semitism. Echoes of that can be found in this morning’s Torah reading. Joseph, the Jew in exile, the Jew in a foreign land and an immoral culture is identified by the Egyptians as an ivri. Potihpar’s wife in her persecution of Joseph twice refers to him as an ish ivri.

What is an ivri? Rashi, simply and succinctly tells us -from the other side of the river, or from the descendants of Ever. Simple yet profound - we are the other and we have descended from the other - our heritage and tradition is indeed different. Throughout our history there has been hatred and violence aimed and perpetrated against us because we are different and our heritage is different.

In addition to this externally imposed sense of difference there also exists a subtler and often unrecognized internally imposed sense of difference. This internal imposition usually stems not from persecution by other cultures and people but as a response to our attraction to those cultures and peoples.

Echoes of this phenomenon as well can be found in our Torah reading this morning and in the Midrashim. Potiphar’s wife persecutes Yosef because he rejects her sexual advances. The Torah paints a picture of an ongoing attempt on her part to seduce Yosef. At first she sees that he is good looking, she desires him, makes an initial proposition, and she is rejected. The process continues and we are told that she propositions him on a daily basis until finally she grabs onto his clothing and he runs out of the house. The picture of Yosef that emerges is one of steadfast refusal and righteousness. Yet the midrash paints another picture. Theirs is a picture of Yosef struggling with temptation. He is not quite sure what to do. Amazingly, the Midrash tells us that Yosef is terribly close to giving in to his desires when he is able to conjure up the image of his father and upon seeing the image and remembering the tradition from which he comes is able to overcome his desires and refuse the mistress of the house.

Why do the rabbis of the midrash offer this interpretation? Why not uphold the picture of Joseph Hatzadik?

They wanted to teach us two critically important lessons:

1. When you are confronted with a culture that is immoral and lewd, with a culture espousing anti-Jewish values, everyone is susceptible. His environs and the culture that surrounded him influenced even someone as great as Joseph.

2. The only way to combat those influences is to focus upon and learn from our tradition and heritage!

Thus, it is no coincidence that the story of Joseph in Egypt and Chanukah coincide every year. The story of Yosef in Egypt is the story of the Jew living amidst a foreign culture that is alien to Judaism. The Story of Chanuka is the story of Jews struggling with Hellenism, a foreign culture that is alien and antithetical to Judaism. The Jews of that time were so taken with Hellenism and so much wanted to fit in and integrate into that society that they went so far as to try and reverse their circumcisions so they would not stand out as Jewish in the public bathhouses. The Hasmoneans knew that the only way to combat this was to return to Jewish values and tradition and the celebration of Chanukah is not merely of a military victory over the Assyrian Greeks, rather it is primarily a celebration of the victory of tradition over assimilation and Hellenism. Thus, it should come as no surprise that a number of restrictions self-imposed to ensure a sense of our being different are believed by many to have originated during this time period.

While it is very difficult to precisely date the anonymous rabbinic decrees that appear in the mishnah and Gemara, many believe that the prohibition of Bishul akum or food cooked by a gentile originated during this time period. This decree posits that even if you could be assured that the food is kosher, if a gentile cooks it you may not eat it. Although there is some debate as to the reason for this takkanah, there is a general working assumption is that it was instituted to prevent socialization and intermarriage.

It is very hard to meet and get along with your future mother-in- law when you tell her that you can’t eat in her house!

This takanah is very clear-cut. Its purpose is to create boundaries and set limits on our social and digestive behaviors in order to limit interaction in certain areas of life and thus prevent intermarriage. As a community which 2200 years later is still struggling with the same issues the need for such a takkanah should not be lost on us!

I believe that in a more subtle way the laws of kashrut can serve a similar purpose as well. One of the advantages of keeping kosher is that it too serves as a constant reminder of whom we are. It certainly limits what we can eat but just as importantly it limits where we can eat and whom we can eat with.

Here a few important caveats need to be stressed.

1. The Halacha is not saying, do not have anything to do with anyone who is not Jewish. We are all God’s creations, we share this world together and there is plenty of room for healthy interaction between all human beings regardless of religious affiliation and in many areas that interaction is seen as positive and encouraged. What the halacha is saying, however, is there are certain things that should not be done together and distance in those social areas is necessary. To help us achieve that separation the halacha sets parameters in the case of bishul akum and reminders as in the case of kashrut in general. At that wedding schmorg I was reminded that I was different as I stood there starving with my carrot sticks. When the stewardess comes over and says “excuse me sir but is this kosher meal yours?” you are reminded that you are different.

2. These halachot and this separation have nothing to do with non-Jews being bad or amoral or anything of that nature. The distinction is actually quite simple and basic. They do not share our religious values, practices and way of life. They do not have the same traditions and laws. This is the critical point and with this I will conclude. Why do we have these reminders? To ensure that we are constantly aware of our commitment to God, our traditions and the Halacha!

Why do we have the restrictions and limitations? Because it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to ensure our commitment to God, tradition and the Halacha unless everyone who you live and eat with is similarly committed.

That is part of the reason that we keep kosher and that is what Jewish families celebrate as they come together to light Chanukah candles in their homes."

Good points, don't you think?

Truths for Mature People

Truths For Mature People

1. I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection…again.

13. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. “Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this – ever.

15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away?

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

17. I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

20. I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.

21. Sometimes, I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

22. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.

24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

25. How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear or understand a word they said?

26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?

29. There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.

31. Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey – but I’d bet my ass everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!


Thank you, Bits and Pieces U.S.

Jeff Jacoby - Created by God to be good

Without "humanists," there would be no fun in life. Same for atheists. Yet, these people take themselves very seriously, divorcing God from man at every turn or flip of the coin.

Jeff Jacoby published this column over the weekend for the Boston Globe, Created by God to be good.

I cannot imagine a life without a creator's existence. Whom else could we blame when the proverbial stuff hits the fan?

Enjoy.

Oppose Israel - Fight for Gay Rights!

The Dry Bones posting for today, October 29, 2010, strikes out at the moral inconsistency of groups advocating for gay rights, womens' rights, academic freedom.

Israel has a gay rights parade each year. When was one last held in Riyadh? When did a professor speak out against the mullahs in Iran and not go to jail? Can't argue with the cartoonist, can you? See the full posting at Here and There - the Dry Bones Blog.

Well, that's what I have to say.

Stephen M. Flatow

Israelis poison food at fair

Not really; I just wanted to get your attention. In fact, Haaretz, one of Israel's leading newspapers reports

The Israeli pavilion at the Sial food convention is sandwiched between those of Portugal and Britain. Some 20 Israeli companies have come to exhibit their wares as part of Sial 2010, The Global Food Marketplace convention in Paris.

Five Israeli companies won prizes for innovation at Sial, beating 1,500 other competitors. Tempo won for its flavored shandies; Sugat for its low sodium salt; Olia for its fig product line, as well as a mix of garlic and kumquat; Roy chocolate for its liqueurs in three flavors, and a praline package that opens up; and Sanlakol, which offered tomato sauces in individual plastic servings.

Hats off to the Israelis for getting their prizes! Israel is more than falafel.

Well, that's what I have to say.

Stephen M. Flatow

He's a very modern president - that would be Barack Obama

Talking about going "viral," a take on President Obama drawn from those witty Englishman, Gilbert & Sullivan.



Well, that's what I have to say.

Stephen M. Flatow

British director Mike Leigh says "no" to Israel

British director Mike Leigh has canceled a trip to Israel to protest government policies.  Good for you Mike, it shows that you are a true jack-ass.

As reported in the Jerusalem Post, British director Mike Leigh,

"who was scheduled to visit Israel from November 20-27 to teach a master class in Jerusalem as part of the Sam Spiegel Film & Television School’s “Great Masters” program, canceled due to political reasons.

"In a letter announcing his decision, Leigh, the director of such films as Secrets & Lies, Vera Drake and the upcoming Another Year, cited several of Israel’s policies, including the proposed loyalty oath, as the reason for his change of heart."

Members of the film industry have long been players in the political arena.  They've always endorsed policies when it suit them and protested them when it didn't. In America we saw that in the days of the Red scare when a Communist lurked behind the doors at every film studio.  We saw it when Hanoi Jane Fonda gave comfort to the enemy when America was at war with North Vietnam.

Now comes Mike Leigh, protesting the "loyalty oath?" Is he nuts or just a left winger so far to the left that he's off the chart? What is funny here is that the Israeli film industry is to the political left and it's one of their own sticking his pinky in its eye.

In protest, I will refuse to see his next movie if it makes it in distribution in this country.

This whole kerfuffle reminds me of the famous line muttered by Kevin Kline's Otto to John Cleese's Archie Leach, in a Fish Called Wanda, that fits Leigh very well,

"You pompous, stuck-up, snot-nosed, English, giant, twerp, scumbag, f**k-face, d**khead, asshole."

Stay in Britain Mr. Leigh, enjoy the rain.

Well, that's what I have to say.

Stephen M. Flatow

Israeli gets American science prize

Those pesky Israelis are at it again, getting more recognition for their scientific accomplishments. The report from the Jerusalem Post:

"Tel Aviv University physicist Prof. (emeritus) Yakir Aharonov will be one of only 10 scientists to receive the US National Medal of Science from President Barack Obama for his outstanding contributions to the field.

"The 78-year-old Aharonov, who holds US and Israeli citizenship, will receive the medal, which has been awarded since 1959 to 441 American scientists in the field of physics, biology, mathematics, engineering and behavioral sciences."

The story continues,

The official citation accompanying Aharonov’s medal states that he is being honored “for his contributions to the foundations of quantum physics and for drawing out unexpected implications of that field, ranging from the Aharonov-Bohm Effect to the theory of weak measurement.”

Perhaps there is a "I'm not anti-Semitic, just anti-Zionist" blogger who can tell me about "weak measurement" and why it's just another Zionist plot to (take your pick) a) take over the Middle East, b) maintain the occupation of the Palestinians, c) threaten the Iranians. OK, I'm being overly sarcastic, but how come I never see awards going to scientists from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan or Saudi Arabia?

Well, that's what I have to say.

Stephen M. Flatow

Those racist Israelis - NOT!

The Arab world is in an uproar that Israel is considering having new citizens take a loyalty oath recognizing that Israel is a "Jewish and democratic state." "Shame on them," the editor says sarcastically.

Mitchell Bard writes a book called Myths and Facts. Here's his latest posting that debunks the myths surrounding the situation. (Footnotes are shown below as well as a link to the actual posting.)

MYTH:
"Israel Instituted a Racist Loyalty Oath Requiring Immigrants to Pledge Allegiance to Israel as a 'Jewish and Democratic State'."

FACT:


The Israeli cabinet has proposed the adoption of an oath of allegiance for new immigrants. If adopted, people seeking to become naturalized citizens will have to pledge an oath of allegiance to the State of Israel as a "Jewish and democratic state" while also promising to "honor the laws of the state."401 No changes to existing laws have been implemented as yet and since the idea of requiring an oath with such language is controversial in Israel it is likely to be revised during the deliberative process in the Knesset. The new oath may not even be approved at all because the recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state is already embedded in Israel's Declaration of Independence and its 1992 "Basic Law on Human Dignity and Liberty."402


Although the proposed law instructs immigrants to officially declare and recognize Israel as a Jewish state, it does not stipulate a requirement for actually being Jewish to receive citizenship. Israel has never put restrictions on what religion its citizens choose to follow and assures freedom of religion within Israel as a matter of law.403


Moreover, the oath will not affect current Israeli citizens or those who acquire Israeli citizenship through birth, thus allaying many fears within Israel's various Arab communities that their children would have to pledge allegiance to a "Jewish state."

Syrian President Assad as well as Arab members of Israel's parliament have suggested the oath is a "fascist act" and cements Israel as a "racist country."404 In truth, the expectation that immigrants swear an oath to their new homeland is not unusual; check, for example, the requirements of citizenship in the U.S. and other Western countries.

Consider also the preamble to the Palestinian Basic Law, as well as the Hamas Charter, which both assert that Palestine is part of the "Arab world" and that "Islam is its official religion."405 Standing in stark contrast to the broad ranging religious freedoms granted to all citizens in Israel, non-Muslims are not accorded equal rights in the Palestinian Authority or any other Muslim country in the Middle East.

From its inception Israel has been a Jewish state without compromising the rights and freedoms of its citizens, regardless of ethnicity or religion. The proposed oath will ensure that all those who voluntarily choose to move to Israel in the future will understand the essential connection between the Jewish people and the State of Israel. The oath has not yet been instituted into law and, in the end, the decision on whether it is necessary or desirable will be determined through the democratic processes of Israel's government.

401 Herb Keinon, "Loyalty Oath to 'Jewish State' Set to be Approved", Jerusalem Post, (October 6, 2010).
402 "Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty", The Knesset (1992). 403 2009 Report on International Religious Freedom, "Israel and the Occupied Territories", US Department of State (October 26, 2009)
404 Jerusalem Post Staff, "Zoabi: 'Israel has Reached the Height of Fascism", Jerusalem Post (October 7, 2010).
405 "2002 Basic Law", The Palestinian Basic Law (2002).


Read the post on-line to activate the links.

Sorry to disappoint the real racists with a misleading headline. Get over it.
Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow

From Chile, wonderful news, but there's an untold story

The Chilean miners are out of their cavern and all seems to be moving in the right direction. The New York Times reports on the spirit of euphoria enveloping Chile. But was it a miracle that these men survived so long or is there something else in play?

Evidence from the joyful scene at the mine indicates that these men were changed over their imprisonment. They became vampires! What else could explain their good spirits, their fine appearance, and their ability to get through their ordeal in the dark

As we know, vampires can take many forms. They can disguise themselves as wolves, dogs, and bats! It was bat, a known cave dweller, that must have infected these men with the vampire virus!

How else can we explain their photophobia, the fear of light, so dangerous to a vampire, that these men had to wear dark, dark sunglasses to shade their eyes from the light when they emerged from the mine?

Woe to the hospital workers who come into contact with these vampires. A new evil has been spread to the world. Just watch what happens next in Chile and you will agree! Vampires are on the loose!

From Israel - construction destroys peace

Jews have just finished the holiday of Sukkot. It's of Biblical origin and Jews are commanded to dwell in a structure called a sukkah.

Here's a take on the issue of construction as an obstacle to peace with the Palestinians.



Enough said, and that's what I have to say.

Stephen M. Flatow

From Israel to the people of Gaza, let's learn how to fish

Not from Saudi Arabia, not from Jordan, Kuwait or the Emirates but only from Israel could come this story-- Israeli graduate students who want to teach the residents of Gaza how to fish. Not with a rod and reel mind you but with fish farming, a booming business in Israel.

Their motivation is not just economic because others believe that higher incomes for residents will result in less terrorism.

"A recent study funded by Israeli billionaire entrepreneur and industrialist Stef Wertheimer found that societies with a GDP over $6,600 per capita do not normally harbor terrorists. Five Israeli graduate students also believe that an entrepreneurial business can lead to a more peaceful world."

"To that end, they propose to launch an industrial park in the Gaza Strip. The park that they envision will house an on-land aquaculture or fish farming project, designed to provide a healthy protein supply for Palestinians living in Gaza, relieve economic stress in the Palestinian community, and connect the region to foreign business investment and trade."

Fish farming is big business in Israel, so why can't it become that in Gaza? Well, these students are going to find out if it's a pipe dream. It's up to the Palestinians now.

Read the full article from the Jerusalem Post: Teaching Gaza to fish.

What do you think?

A Statue of Liberty for Tel Aviv?

When you do a lot of traveling as I did in the late 1990s, you come to expect certain things. One of those is the ubiquitous presence of USA Today under your hotel room door.

One of that newspaper's daily features is a small box appearing on the front page that contains news, more accurately information, about a particular subject. One morning, while staying overnight in Boston after speaking for State of Israel Bonds, I was pleasantly surprised to find a box containing statistics about immigration to Israel. I clipped it from the paper and put it in my daily calendar. I began to refer to the statistics in all my speeches.

The statistic? The number of people who had emigrated to Israel since 1948, It listed the refugees kicked out of their homes in Arab countries following the 1948 and 1967 wars, folks who voluntarily moved from western countries, and the number of Russians who came to Israel when the former Soviet Union opened the way to mass migration. The number is in the several millions.

This is what the Dry Bones cartoon had to say about it in 1990.

It was a modern miracle, and no country has more willingly opened its doors to emigres, indeed sought them, than Israel. You can read the full story here, Russian Aliya (1990) - the Dry Bones Blog

So, maybe a Statue of Liberty belongs alongside the runways at Ben Gurion Airport.

Well, that's what I have to say.

Stephen M. Flatow

Connecticut and Vietnam

From The New York Sun, an editorial about Connecticut senate candidate Blumenthal: Connecticut and Vietnam.
What's intriguing to me is the Sun's recognition of, well, something I never thought of before, the politicians--long term liberals such as Blumenthal, who fought against American intervention in Vietnam but now find it necessary to talk about their "service" during that time.
Fortunately, politicians of all stripes have woken up to the fact that Vietnam vets, and now those coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, are in need of much counseling and support.

From Israel- how history was made - Echoes of a Shofar

Toldot Yisrael is a non-profit working on the oral history of Israel through videos. It seeks out the original Palestinians as well as the refugees who migrated to Palestine so their story can be told.

This is one story in that history. There are some things that Israel's deniers would not like to see; this video is one of them.

From Israel - Christmas Blessing by President Shimon Peres

Shimon Peres is the president of Israel and recognizes that Christians live in Israel, too. In fact, it's a growing community. Here's one of his Christmas messages to that community.



Gotta give credit where credit is do. Don't you?

Israel Boasts Agricultural Innovations

Found on YouTube, a story about Israel's agriculture.

Too bad the world doesn't see this side.
Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow

Israel - The People Of Hope

A different side of Israel as seen by others.

Well, that's what I have to say.

Stephen M. Flatow

Israel and solar power

A side of Israel many people don't see, its tech side.

President Obama and his Ramadan blessing – some folks should duck

Joseph Farah is founder of World Net Daily and a daily writer on diverse subjects.
Here’s a recent post

BETWEEN THE LINES
Obama's Ramadan blessing
Exclusive: Joseph Farah rebuts prez's claim Islam is just, tolerant, progressive
By Joseph Farah

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There's a whole lot of pretending going on in our world today.

We have a federal judge ruling that the 5,000-year-old institution of marriage was "biased" and immoral from the start because of the way it discriminated unfairly against homosexuals.

We have a Justice Department that dismissed an open-and-shut case of vigilante-style voter intimidation because the perpetrators were black and the victims white.

And we have a man in the White House who extols Islam for "advancing justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings."

That's what I call pretending.

In blessing the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, Barack Obama added that Islam "is a faith known for great diversity and racial equality" and that it "has always been part of America."

Brigitte Gabriel combats politically correct notions about the "religion of peace" in "They Must be Stopped: Why We Must Defeat Radical Islam and How we Can Do It"

I have more than a passing knowledge of Islam that includes firsthand experience and a significant amount of study over the last 30 years. But somehow I must have missed the advancements of justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.

Honestly, I can think of none.

Did I overlook a reformation in the religion that has resulted in one genocide after another for the last 1,300 years? Racial equality? Has the Quran been rewritten to excise Muhammad's characterizations of blacks as "ugly," "raisin heads" and "pug-nosed slaves"?

Didn't it also say in that book that when Allah created the white man, he touched his right shoulder and he came out destined for paradise, but when he touched the left shoulder of the black man, he came out destined for hell?

Who does Obama think sold all those millions of black Africans into slavery in Europe and America? Is he not aware that black slavery is still alive in some Muslim countries in the Middle East?

Justice? Talk to me about it after you finish reading "The Stoning of Soriah M."

Progress? Can you name for me one major scientific or social advancement we can historically and accurately attribute to Islam?

Tolerance? I quote: "O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people." Today, imams in the Middle East and elsewhere still quote Muhammad's hadith as their current marching orders: "The Hour [Day of Resurrection] will not arrive until you fight the Jews, [until a Jew will hide behind a rock or tree] and the rock and the tree will say: 'Oh Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him!'"

Dignity of all human beings? In Islam, Muslim males have a higher worth than any others. A Muslim man can have up to four wives, beat them and change them as he pleases.

How about Islam always being a part of America?

Perhaps Obama is referring to the Barbary pirates attacking American commercial ships, capturing their crews and holding them for ransom. Or maybe he's thinking back further to the reason Christopher Columbus journeyed West – to find a safe trade route to the East, one that would mean avoiding the murderous mujahedeen who had blocked the land routes.

I don't know.

What do you think he's talking about?

Were any of the founders Muslim?

What are the great Muslim moments in American history?

Maybe all of this sounds harsh.

But somebody's got to say it.

I'm not going to sit still while this pretender of an American president lies about the historical record and misrepresents evil as good.

It's time to stop pretending.

Well, that's what he says and I have to say it makes sense to me. What do you think?

Stephen M. Flatow

Russians and their conversion – those crazy (actually, not so crazy) Israelis

Martin Oliner, chairman of the Religious Zionists of America weighs in on the kerfuffle surrounding proposed legislation in Israel that would make it easier for Russian citizens of Israel to become Jews. If your first response is “huh, I thought Israel only allowed in people who were Jews?” it would be a good response but the answer is “no.”

In response to the Nazi’s determination that anyone with one grandparent was Jewish and therefore liable for all kinds of special treatment, the State of Israel’s founders determined that anyone with one Jewish grandparent would be entitled to citizenship. Thus, almost 1,000,000 Russian citizens flooded Israel when the gates to migration from the Soviet Union were opened. But many of those Russians are themselves not legally Jewish.

This creates many Jewish life style issues. To alleviate those issues, conversion is in order. Now, some complain about a perceived difficulty with conversions, and the bill, commonly called the Rotem Bill after its sponsor was introduced to make it easier to convert. Well, the proverbial feathers hit the fan in, of all places, the United States.

Here’s Oliner’s view on the issue taken from the Jewish Press.

The Conversion Controversy: An Orthodox Perspective
By: Martin Oliner

Lost amidst the controversy surrounding the proposal to reform Israeli conversion law is its impact on thousands of former Soviet Jews who immigrated to Israel in search of religious freedom after three generations of Communist-imposed atheism and anti-Semitism. The American Jews who have fomented opposition to the bill are unwittingly following in the footsteps of the former Soviet oppressors.

Take a common-enough scenario, an 18-year-old Israeli-born soldier, the son of Russian émigrés, who eats kosher, observes religious holidays, and is willing to die for his homeland. His parents entered Israel under the Law of Return, but according to Jewish law (halachah) he is not considered Jewish because his mother is not Jewish. He cannot marry in his native land or be buried in a Jewish cemetery.

Under the Law of Return, Israel grants citizenship to anyone with one Jewish grandparent. An estimated 300,000 of the million immigrants from the Soviet Union are therefore not Jewish according to Jewish law. Some five percent, or 15,000, wish to become Jewish, but are stymied because current Israeli law allows only the Israeli Chief Rabbinate to perform conversions. This creates a bottleneck. The rabbinic courts are backlogged with applications, each of which has to be individually investigated and processed.

Jewish law is specific about what is asked of a person who wishes to be a Jew: circumcision for men (milah), a dip in a ritual bath (mikveh) and, above all, a commitment to living a Jewish lifestyle. A rabbinic court (beis din) is convened to ensure that these requirements have been met. Most rabbis - and this includes most Orthodox rabbis - are not conversant in the arcane details, just as most rabbis are unprepared to slaughter an animal according to Jewish dietary law or to circumcise an infant boy. These skills must be specifically learned. Would you hire an outstanding lawyer who specializes in matrimonial law or in corporate mergers to defend you in a murder trial?

David Rotem, is a Member of Knesset representing the political party supported by many Russian immigrants. He introduced a measure to ease the bottleneck by permitting chief rabbis of cities throughout Israel who have passed examinations in order to hold their office to conduct conversions. The bill pertains only to conversions performed within Israel. It vastly expands, rather than limits, the number of rabbis authorized to perform conversions. And it leaves intact the ability of rabbis of all persuasions in America and throughout the world to perform conversions that are recognized in Israel.

To me, the Rotem Bill is laudable. But the leadership of the Reform movement in America opposes it, and has threatened to withhold financial and political support from Israel if the bill passes. It has even lobbied 20 members of Congress against aid to Israel. These leaders claim to represent a majority of American Jewry, but clearly they do not. They may not like these facts:

· Half of American Jews are unaffiliated with any movement, while others are Conservative or Orthodox. Therefore, the Reform movement cannot possibly represent a majority. In fact, the largest group of affiliated Jews is Orthodox.

· With few exceptions, the 900 Reform synagogues are full only on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur while most Orthodox congregations are full every Shabbat. Therefore, the claim even to represent Reform-affiliated Jews is tenuous - the members are uninvolved and are out of the loop.

· Reform rabbis perform conversions without regard to halachah. They count as Jewish children born to non-Jewish mothers. They do not require circumcision, ritual bath, or Jewish lifestyle. Therefore, their opinion concerning who is a Jew is of dubious merit.

· In the United States, even the Conservative Movement does not accept Reform conversions that do not involve circumcision and ritual bath.

These are harsh judgments, but they are indisputable. Now let's look at the religious and political environment in Israel:

· Even if they only attend services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, most Israelis select Orthodox congregations. Non-Orthodox congregations and rabbis exist wherever they find support. There are very few. Why? That's the Israeli choice.

· Orthodoxy is not a monolith but a broad spectrum, ranging from modern men and women in casual attire to Chassidim.

· The two major parties in the governing coalition are secular, and are democratically elected. If they support legislation, it's because their constituents support it, not because of their own theological inclinations. That's how a democracy works.

The president of the Union for Reform Judaism decried Israel's "coercive religious monopoly." Yet the Reform leaders seem untroubled by their efforts to coerce the government of Israel into granting equal stature to their movement, which has very few adherents in Israel. In my opinion, the leadership of Reform Judaism is using the Rotem Bill as a smokescreen to disguise the movement's own shortcomings.

Times are difficult for the State of Israel. Not only the Arab countries, but many in Europe and elsewhere, are engaged in efforts to delegitimize it. Compared to any Arab nation, or many in Asia, Africa or Latin America, Israel's human rights record is laudable. Israeli Arabs and Jews have equal access to the courts. Mosques function openly. Minarets sound. Israeli Arabs and Palestinians wear burqas or any other garb they choose. For American Jews to denigrate Israel is terribly harmful to both countries. To lobby Congress against Israel is simply unforgivable.

Hopefully, the Rotem Bill will be enacted after the six-month moratorium called by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The bill is good for Israel and in no way prejudicial to the interests of any segment of American Jewry. It is inconceivable that Russian immigrants who, for over a half-century, were not allowed to practice Judaism as they wished by the Communist regime, would now be stymied by America's Reform movement, a group with which they have virtually no connection.


Date: Wednesday, August 18 2010 Copyright 2008 www.JewishPress.com

Well, I think this makes sense. What do you have to say?

Stephen M. Flatow

Oliver Stone - Anti-semitic comments get a pass by the media

Jeff Jacoby, writing in the Boston Globe and on his website compares the reaction to Mel Gibson's tirade against Jews to Oliver Stone's. He asks, "is there a double standard?"

LATE IN JULY, a Hollywood honcho uncorks a blast of anti-Semitic bile, the sort of malignant stereotype about Jews one might expect from David Duke or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Is that newsworthy?

It certainly was in 2006, when Mel Gibson, arrested in Malibu for drunken driving, demanded to know whether the arresting deputy was Jewish, and then launched into an anti-Semitic rant: "F-----g Jews," he raged. "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."

Calls went out for folks to boycott Gibson movies and to never work with him again. More than 1,000 news items were filed in the week after the incident.

Now, turn to Oliver Stone, the most recent prominent Hollywood figure to blame Jews for the world's ills and "Jewish domination of the media". One week later, less than 150 items have been posted. "On ABC, CBS, and NBC, the news shows completely ignored the story. The New York Times restricted its coverage to two short items in its "Arts, Briefly" section -- and few other papers ran even that much.

No widespread calls for a boycott of Stone and his work.

So, Jacoby wonders,

Gibson and Stone are both guilty of indulging in rank anti-Semitism (for which both promptly "apologized"), but only Gibson was buried under a newsroom avalanche of outrage and disgust. What explains that glaring difference? Surely the media don't think Jew-baiting is intolerable only when it comes from a right-wing Christian like Gibson. Surely they wouldn't overlook Stone's noxious rant just because he is a pluperfect left-wing activist.

Surely that can't be the explanation for so disgraceful a double standard.

Can it?

I think he's right and that's what I have to say.

Stephen M. Flatow

On-line polls

Did you ever get an e-mail from an acquaintance who says YOU MUST go to such and such a site and answer a poll on this issue or that? Sure you have.

Such an e-mail hit my in-box today for an MSNBC poll on Arizona's new immigration law that allows police officers to ask for identification if they think a person is in the country illegally. Here was the message in the exact type size:

If you don't do anything else today, please answer this MSNBC Poll question and forward it on to as many people as you can. The silent majority must not be silent on this one.

OK, I get it, you want me to look at the poll. So, I did, and voted.

Now, I don't know when this poll was first posted on MSNBC but as of this morning it had more than 1,100,000 respondents. The question is, where are all the people opposed to the Arizona initiative? Why haven't their e-mail alerts clued them to the poll?

Let's be honest, polls don't matter. They don't change political positions but they make you feel good to know that you are not alone with your feelings one way or the other. Keep those polls coming, I love to be one in million or in this case one of 90+% of 1,100,000.

Well, that's what I have to say.

Stephen M. Flatow

Fatal drugs - counterfeit malaria treatment in Southeast Asia

Here's a trivia question for film buffs out there-- Harry Lime was accused of what crime?

Time's up. It was selling counterfeit penicillin. The drug was still relatively knew when Graham Greene wrote his novel and was a potent anti-biotic for many illnesses. When caught by the gendarmes, Harry would have been tried and sentenced to death because he was responsible for the deaths of dozens in a meningitis outbreak.

Today, the problem of counterfeit medicines is still with us. We're not talking about generics or knock-off drugs. No, we're talking about pills being 100% flour, or worse, containing parasites.

Smithsonian Magazine writes about "The Fatal Consequences of Counterfeit Drugs." And the story is scary. Malaria is rampant in southeast Asia, and many people fall prey to the disease each year. Prior drugs are no longer working, but a new one, China's "Artesunate," is very effective but is a little pricey--not for us in the States but for people there.

Crooks have found a way to duplicate the look of the pill, and pharmacists are often without the means of knowing if the drug they are selling is the real thing or not.

In the meantime, read the magazine article, and learn what's happening on the other side of the world. Harry Lime gets his in the end, maybe the new Harrys will get theirs.

Well, that's what I have to say.

Stephen M. Flatow

From the shake of the head department - Gays bash Israel

Queers Against Israeli Apartheid wins battle against censorship proudly

"congratulates Toronto’s LGBT community for successfully reversing censorship at
the 2010 Pride Parade. Pride Toronto announced today that it would not censor
the term ‘Israeli apartheid’ from the parade."

The Queers group is aligned with the Israeli apartheid movement because they believe that Israelis are tolerant of a gay lifestyle only to contrast Israeli practices with those in the Arab and Muslim world where homosexuality is punishable by death. In other words, Israel's liberal attitude towards gays is a ruse to trick liberal countries into supporting their oppression of Palestinians.

I give up.

Well, that's what I have to say.

Stephen M. Flatow

What are we to do with Haiti?

My suggestion? Why not make Haiti a commonwealth partner of the United States along the lines of, say, Puerto Rico.
I think there are three advantages to such a confederation-

• it's obvious that the infrastructure has to be rebuilt. Who can do that better than American contractors employing local labor? This results in profit for American companies, perhaps increased tax revenue from them, and a boost for economic recovery here and there as well since salaries to local workers will be translated into a demand for goods and services. Manufacturing on the island will then follow, again, adding more people to the working class.
  
• it will stabilize the government and streets of Haiti. It's no secret that Haitian politicos have for generations lined their pockets at the great expense of the populace. An American presence will stabilize "law and order" and allow for development of local constabulary. With America becoming the nanny, the need for private organizations and the United Nations to hold hands with Haitians will soon disappear. The only handholding will be as partners in educational and scientific ventures.
  
• the prospect of free passage between the United States and Haiti will result in the construction of American-style resorts to attract dollars from tourists. Again, a boost for the Haitian economy and folks through salary and taxes.
  

If the experiment works, after a number of years, its citizens will become American citizens. Far fetched? Not really, but does anyone have the guts to say it?

And, if it doesn't happen, you can expect to see 10s of thousands of Haitians allowed to emigrate to the United States out of humanitarian compassion resulting in the creation of another lower income strata putting more strain on American social services.

I think the choice is easy. Make them partners, not mendicants. It's worked in the Philippines and it's working in Puerto Rico. Haiti should be next.

Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow