I have been wearing a kippah almost all of the time. Apparently that makes a strong statement about who I am and what I do to practice my Judaism. I was going out to dinner with a friend a few days ago and she wanted to go to a pizza place. But as we walk in the owner of the restaurant started telling me that I can't eat at his restaurant.
When I gave him a confused look, he told me that they weren't certified as kosher and I shouldn't eat there. He looked even more confused when I told him it was okay, and I took off my kippah. There are two things at play here; the polarized view of what religion is in Israel, and the owner's respect and concern for me potentially breaking kashrut.
I was very appreciative of his concern for me. It is nice to know that people here understand the symbols and are partially looking out for you. This is just one example of how nice Israelis actually are, despite their rough exterior. What concerned me though, was the stark polarization of religion in Israel.
I'm sure this will come up again and again. In Israel, most people consider themselves either "Orthodox", or secular. To many people, there is no in between. There is no way that someone who wears a kippah could eat in a non-certified restaurant. If I have a kippah on, I should not do anything to break the traditional observance of Shabbat. It makes me stop and think a lot more about what these religious symbols mean here.
It also makes me think about the situation of pluralism in Israel. I was recently reading Rabbi Kravitz's sermon that he gave on Rosh HaShanah this year and here is the link to his sermon that I posted on my blog.
It seems to me that in Israel, there is a lack of understanding of the scope of religious observances that are possible in other places. I heard a friend say that Reform Judaism is something that will not catch on in Israel because there doesn't seem to be a need for it. Being a secular Israeli is pretty close to being in the Reform Movement. While I do think that Reform Judaism (and other manifestations of Judaism) do have an uphill battle in this country, there is a place for it here.
kashrut - Kashrut is the system of dietary laws that govern the way that Jews are commanded to eat.
Showing posts with label Chapter 4: In the Beginning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chapter 4: In the Beginning. Show all posts
Friday, October 1, 2010
Rabbi Kravitz's Rosh HaShanah Sermon, 5771
The following is NOT my work in any way shape or form. It is the sermon that Rabbi Kravitz delivered at Adath Jeshurun in Minnetonka, MN on Rosh HaShanah this year. I found it fascinating and it connects to some of the things I have been thinking and talking about here in Israel.
Rosh Hashana I 5771 Sept 9, 2010
Support Religious Pluralism in Israel
This is a ketubah- a Jewish marriage contract. Ketubot come in
different forms, some quite simple and others beautifully illuminated. The
ketubah confirms the commitment that two Jews make when they marry in a
Jewish ceremony. I ask for a show of hands, how many of you have a copy
of your parent’s ketubah? Clearly, if your parents are not Jewish or they
didn’t have a Jewish wedding ceremony you don’t have one. I have no idea
what happened to my parent’s ketubah.
How many of you have a ketubah for your grandparents? I don’t.
How about your great-grandparents? Unlikely.
A young man in our congregation, let’s call him “Ari”, contacted me
this year for assistance as he plans to marry a Jewish woman in Israel and
was asked to provide these documents, and others, to prove he is a Jew. You
cannot imagine the hassles he has had to go through. Thankfully, it looks
like he will be successful establishing his Jewish ancestry. However, if a
non-Orthodox conversion had been found on his mother side of the family,
the door would have quickly closed on his plans.
Let me assure you that “Ari” found the experience infuriating. You
should also know that what he experienced is now the norm in Israel.
Orthodox rabbis on the payroll of Israel’s government are charged with
determining whether a person who claims to be Jewish satisfies the
standards of the Chief Rabbinate. Since the creation of the State of Israel the
Chief Rabbinate has had sole authority overseeing Jewish marriage and
divorce. They have not, in the past, had authority to rule on “who is a Jew”
for the sake of citizenship under the Law of Return, which allows anyone
with at least one Jewish grandparent, or converted by a rabbi of any of the
major movements, to immediately become a citizen of Israel. That would
have changed this year thanks to Knesset member David Rotem, whose bill
you likely heard about this summer. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s
first focus on the issue of how any of us who is born Jewish would prove
that in Israel today.
In March, 2008 Gershom Gorenberg, a respected Israeli journalist
wrote an article for the New York Times Magazine called, “How Do You
Prove You’re a Jew?” in which he warned of this development that our
congregant “Ari” experienced first hand. Gorenberg wrote about a young
Israeli woman named Sharon who went with her fiancé to the Tel Aviv
Rabbinate to register to marry. The Orthodox rabbi staffing the city office
that registers weddings asked Sharon to prove that she was Jewish by
bringing a copy of her parent’s ketubah, the document that many of us here
do not even have.
It so happens that Sharon’s family is from Minneapolis. Her mother,
Suzie, now 68, grew up here, made aliyah and lives on kibbutz. Suzie’s
background is similar to that of many of our members. Her grandparents
were Jews who came from Russia at the turn of the 20th century. Suzie’s
parent’s Belle and Julius Goldstein married in a Conservative ceremony and
were members of Beth El Congregation going back to when it was on the
North Side. After graduating from the U of MN, Suzie went to Israel where
she met a British non-Jew. They married in a civil ceremony in England, as
there is no civil marriage available in Israel. Since there was no Jewish
marriage, there was no ketubah. According to halacha, Jewish law, their
daughter Sharon was indisputably Jewish, but the office of the Chief
Rabbinate put the young woman through the wringer until they agreed.
As “Ari,” the young man from our congregation, found out this
process is not unusual in Israel, As I said it has become the norm. As
Gorenberg explained in his NY Times article, “the state’s Chief Rabbinate
and its branches in each Israeli city have adopted an institutional attitude of
skepticism toward the Jewish identity of those who enter its doors…The
Israeli government seeks the political and financial support of American
Jewry. It welcomes American Jewish immigrants. Yet the rabbinate, one arm
of the state, increasingly treats American Jews as doubtful cases: not Jewish
until proved so.”
So I ask how many of us could prove to an Orthodox rabbi in Israel
that we are Jews? Let me share another troubling story that does not have a
happy ending. In April, a story appeared in the Israeli newspaper Yediot
Achronot (4/30/10) about a young woman named Jessica Fishman who made
aliyah seven years ago and joined Israel’s army. Jessica’s Dad Les served as
President of Beth Jacob Congregation in Mendota Heights. Before Jessica
was born, her mom converted to Judaism with a Reform rabbi, with mikveh,
in St. Louis and then moved to the Twin Cities. Here the family lived a
traditional Jewish life observing Shabbat, keeping a kosher home, and
sending their kids to Herzl Camp. Jessica traveled to Israel as a teenager
with USY and spent her junior year at Hebrew University. After college she
made aliyah. Hers is an impressive example of the kind of Jewish
commitments that can be shaped by the institutions of our community.
After two years of army service she settled in Herzliya where she met
an Israeli guy. When they decided to get married they went to the local rabbi
who began to investigate. When he learned that her mother converted with a
Reform rabbi he explored no further. Eventually the couple split up and
Jessica, who was so committed to living in Israel, left the country. When
interviewed in April, she said she had no intention of returning. How tragic
when someone who was so committed to Israel is pushed away!
These are the kinds of travesties being perpetrated by Israel’s Chief
Rabbinate. Let me be clear, I would not presume to suggest that Orthodox
rabbis do not have the right to determine who they believe fulfills their
requirements for conversion, or the right to decide for themselves “who is a
Jew.” They absolutely have that right. The outrage is when a Chief
Rabbinate is empowered to act on behalf of the State in making those
decisions.
This was why so many of us were roused to action this summer when
Knesset Member David Rotem, representing the Yisrael Beiteinu party made
up largely of Jews from the Former Soviet Union, proposed to change
Israel’s law. He would have expanded the authority of the Chief Rabbinate
to rule not only over the personal issues of marriage and divorce in Israel,
which is bad enough, but for the first time empower them to make decisions
over who is eligible to be granted Israeli citizenship. Rotem’s stated
intention was to address the needs of the hundreds of thousands of Jews
from the Former Soviet Union of questionable ancestry, who wish to be fully
accepted in Israel. In order to get the support of the powerful minority
religious parties, the proposed bill would have undercut the conversions of
non-Orthodox rabbis in the Diaspora, and even of Orthodox rabbis whom
the Chief Rabbinate does not consider sufficiently Charedi ultra-Orthodox.
Thankfully the outrage expressed by leaders of the Conservative and Reform
Movements, with the crucial support of Natan Sharansky, who heads the
Jewish Agency and Jerry Silverman, the President of the North American
Jewish Federations, and others, led to the tabling of Rotem’s bill.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received more than 60,000
messages expressing concern. Nearly 27,000 of those were emails sent
through the link on the Masorti Movement’s website. For now the Rotem
bill is tabled, but not dead. Negotiations are supposed to take place before
the Knesset reconvenes in October.
In October, with God’s help, I am going to Israel on a mission
arranged by the Masorti Movement, our Conservative movement in Israel. I
will be joined by recent past President of our congregation Heidi Schneider,
to send a clear message from our community that we find it unacceptable for
Charedi rabbis to have authority over the State of Israel, let alone over the
Jewish world. We will be speaking up for our young congregant “Ari.” We
will be speaking up for Sharon and for Jessica and for every person in this
room who would struggle to prove that they are Jewish to the satisfaction of
the Chief Rabbinate. Look around the room. How many of you would have
trouble proving to them that you or your children or your loved ones, or your
friends are Jewish? Heidi and I are going to Israel on this mission for each of
you and for all of us who care about you.
There are many things to worry about for Israel- the real threats posed
by Iran, by Hezbollah in Lebanon and by Hamas in Gaza. We worry about
the growing efforts to de-legitimize the very existence of a Jewish State,
efforts we must adamantly oppose. I am grateful that a renewed peace
initiative between Israel and the Palestinians was launched last week in
Washington and we pray for its success, though based on painful past
experiences we worry about that also. As a community we have stood up on
behalf of Israel time and time again and will continue to do so. It is
disheartening, however, to see our support taken for granted and our
legitimacy as Jews called in to question. It is unacceptable for Israeli
politicians to succumb to the blackmail of ultra-religious parties seeking
exclusive control in defining “Who is a Jew.”
I would be surprised if every one here is not outraged by the stories I
have told. What I find astonishing, however, is the incredibly lackluster
response of our community to these issues. Though, thankfully, many of our
members are active as advocates on behalf of Israel, through an array of
organizations, when it comes to the issue of religious pluralism in Israel they
are almost silent. Minuscule portions of our people’s contributions to Israel
are directed towards addressing these issues. It seems that the only time that
the issue of religious pluralism in Israel gets serious attention from most of
us is when there is dramatic news, such as the recent attempt to pass the
Rotem Bill.
You need to know that Israel is undergoing dramatic changes before
our very eyes. Israeli journalist Isi Leibler, in an article in the Jerusalem Post
(4-2-10), describes the rapid growth of the Charedi Ultra-Orthodox
population in Israel. According to Leibler, in the 1980s Charedim comprised
4 percent of Israel’s population, today they represent 10%, or about 700,000,
averaging 8.8 children per family. At that rate, in less than two decades,
Charedim could amount to 20% of Israel’s Jewish population.
Consider another sobering statistic, currently, 25% of all Jewish
primary school-age children are enrolled in Charedi institutions – double the
proportion of 10 years ago. Many of these do not celebrate Israel’s
Independence Day, do not recognize the Israeli flag, do not permit the
singing of “Hatikva” and discourage their students from serving in the Israel
Defense Forces. If this trend is maintained, 20 years from now, 40% of
Jewish children will attend Charedi schools. Assuming these trends
continue, what do you think Israel will look like twenty years from now?
This past March we heard a vivid description from Rabbi Gil
Nativ, the rabbi of our sister Masorti Congregation in Omer, Magen
Avraham, of the increasing polarization taking place in Israel. He described
how every year before Simchat Torah he goes out to buy flags for 'Hakafot,'
the circling we do with the Torahs to celebrate the completion of the reading
cycle. Two decades ago he could easily find flags with a picture of boys and
girls dancing around a Torah scroll.
These flags have almost disappeared from the market. Now there are only
boys and men dancing on these paper flags! (Also note the absence of the
Israeli flag!)
He observed that the manufacturers are careful not to upset the 'religiously
correct.'
This is just one of many examples of the impact of Charedi Ultra-
Orthodox Judaism on Israeli life. There are intense debates going on about
Chaerdi demands in Jerusalem that women be required to sit in the back of
public buses and that the planned light rail have some cars designated for
men only. This week the Jerusalem police recommended the prosecution of
Anat Hoffman, a rabbi arrested this summer for carrying a Sefer Torah
through the Kotel plaza on her way to services at the less conspicuous
southern section of the wall, established by Israel’s Supreme Court as an
alternate place for non-Orthodox minyanim. If successfully prosecuted, she
could be jailed for three years. Is that the kind of State of Israel that we have
worked so hard to create?
I wish no ill to the Charedi community. Let them be well! What is
unacceptable is that the bill for their growth is being paid for by massive
funding from Israel’s government! At present, over $400 million are
allocated to Orthodox religious services- hiring 3000 rabbis, providing local
ritual facilities and ritual items, with no more than $100k allocated to
comparable services for Masorti or Reform communities.
I believe it is no exaggeration to say that establishing proper
separation between religion and state is critical to Israel’s survival; certainly
to its survival as a Jewish and democratic state. It is a given to us in America
that no one single religious sector should be able to control the public
square. We are blessed that this concept operates in the Jewish world here at
our Federations, where Jews of different streams and understandings sit at
the table together to maintain our communal structures. American Jewry,
following the Federation model and American democracy has much to teach
Israel.
As I said earlier, the national leadership of the Federation played a
crucial role in tabling the passage of the Rotem Bill helping to convince
Israeli legislators that its passage would create a serious fissure between
Israel and Diaspora Jewry, 85% of whom are not Orthodox. At the core of
the mission of our Federation is a commitment to religious pluralism,
permitting everyone to participate in the life of the community. We need
every member of this congregation to continue to give generously to the
Federation, which greatly needs our support to maintain our community and
care for Jews around the world and in Israel. We also need to send an
unmistakable message through our Federation that the issue of religious
pluralism in Israel is high on the list of our priorities.
In recognition of the importance of supporting religious pluralism, our
Minneapolis Federation, despite severe budgetary strains, agreed to offer a
$10k matching grant for funds raised this year for Israel’s Conservative
movement known as Masorti. Federation is offering the same match for
funds raised for Artza, Israel’s Reform movement. I ask for your help in
meeting that challenge, for which we are grateful, and hope that this match
will grow even larger in the future. Please take a look at the handout you
received today, which gives more information about the work of our Masorti
movement in Israel and about our concerns regarding the Rotem Bill. Israel
is desperately in need of our Masorti movement, which teaches a modern
and sensible form of Judaism and plays a crucial role bridging between
Israel’s religious and secular extremes. As the letter makes clear, significant
inroads have been made in providing that middle ground, even while at a
severe disadvantage for funding.
As we look to the future there is much to be worried about for Israel.
The external threats are great. The internal problems of Israel are no less so.
I ask that today we hear in the sound of the shofar a call to wake up as a
community and stop ignoring this issue of religious pluralism. If we are
indifferent to the developments I have described, we may wake up one day
and find that it is our child who is told they are not Jewish and I fear that our
children and grandchildren like Jessica Fishman will simply walk away from
the place that our people worked so hard to establish. If that occurs we will
have ourselves to blame because of our indifference. The failure to get our
people to fully embrace the cause of religious pluralism and to press for
greater separation between religious and state in Israel will be cataclysmic
for the Jewish people and for the future of the State of Israel as we know and
love it.
At the end of Yom Kippur, at the conclusion of the neilah service we
will sound the shofar and recite the words, “This coming year let us be in
Jerusalem L’shana Habaah Beyirushalayim.” I have painted a troubling
picture of what is happening to Israel. I have done so because I truly believe
that it is not too late for action. It is still possible for us to work on behalf of
a vision for the State of Israel that will welcome Jews of different
approaches and views to the table. The day is short and there is much to be
done... Hayom katzar, v’hamelacha merubah…but as the rabbis teach in
Pirkei Avot (2:20-21), “You are not obligated to complete the task but
neither are you free to neglect it Lo alecha hamelacha lig-mor, Vlo atah ben
chorine lee-ba-tel mi-mena.”
Let us join together in the work of building up our Masorti movement
in Israel, and in working for an Israel not dominated by a single
fundamentalist religious view. Let us join together so that Israel will realize
the visions of the founders of the State as a homeland for all Jews. “Next
year in a rebuilt Jerusalem Lshana habaah beyerushalayim habenuyah.”
Rabbi Harold J. Kravitz
Adath Jeshurun Congregation
Minnetonka, MN
Rosh Hashana I 5771 Sept 9, 2010
Support Religious Pluralism in Israel
This is a ketubah- a Jewish marriage contract. Ketubot come in
different forms, some quite simple and others beautifully illuminated. The
ketubah confirms the commitment that two Jews make when they marry in a
Jewish ceremony. I ask for a show of hands, how many of you have a copy
of your parent’s ketubah? Clearly, if your parents are not Jewish or they
didn’t have a Jewish wedding ceremony you don’t have one. I have no idea
what happened to my parent’s ketubah.
How many of you have a ketubah for your grandparents? I don’t.
How about your great-grandparents? Unlikely.
A young man in our congregation, let’s call him “Ari”, contacted me
this year for assistance as he plans to marry a Jewish woman in Israel and
was asked to provide these documents, and others, to prove he is a Jew. You
cannot imagine the hassles he has had to go through. Thankfully, it looks
like he will be successful establishing his Jewish ancestry. However, if a
non-Orthodox conversion had been found on his mother side of the family,
the door would have quickly closed on his plans.
Let me assure you that “Ari” found the experience infuriating. You
should also know that what he experienced is now the norm in Israel.
Orthodox rabbis on the payroll of Israel’s government are charged with
determining whether a person who claims to be Jewish satisfies the
standards of the Chief Rabbinate. Since the creation of the State of Israel the
Chief Rabbinate has had sole authority overseeing Jewish marriage and
divorce. They have not, in the past, had authority to rule on “who is a Jew”
for the sake of citizenship under the Law of Return, which allows anyone
with at least one Jewish grandparent, or converted by a rabbi of any of the
major movements, to immediately become a citizen of Israel. That would
have changed this year thanks to Knesset member David Rotem, whose bill
you likely heard about this summer. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s
first focus on the issue of how any of us who is born Jewish would prove
that in Israel today.
In March, 2008 Gershom Gorenberg, a respected Israeli journalist
wrote an article for the New York Times Magazine called, “How Do You
Prove You’re a Jew?” in which he warned of this development that our
congregant “Ari” experienced first hand. Gorenberg wrote about a young
Israeli woman named Sharon who went with her fiancé to the Tel Aviv
Rabbinate to register to marry. The Orthodox rabbi staffing the city office
that registers weddings asked Sharon to prove that she was Jewish by
bringing a copy of her parent’s ketubah, the document that many of us here
do not even have.
It so happens that Sharon’s family is from Minneapolis. Her mother,
Suzie, now 68, grew up here, made aliyah and lives on kibbutz. Suzie’s
background is similar to that of many of our members. Her grandparents
were Jews who came from Russia at the turn of the 20th century. Suzie’s
parent’s Belle and Julius Goldstein married in a Conservative ceremony and
were members of Beth El Congregation going back to when it was on the
North Side. After graduating from the U of MN, Suzie went to Israel where
she met a British non-Jew. They married in a civil ceremony in England, as
there is no civil marriage available in Israel. Since there was no Jewish
marriage, there was no ketubah. According to halacha, Jewish law, their
daughter Sharon was indisputably Jewish, but the office of the Chief
Rabbinate put the young woman through the wringer until they agreed.
As “Ari,” the young man from our congregation, found out this
process is not unusual in Israel, As I said it has become the norm. As
Gorenberg explained in his NY Times article, “the state’s Chief Rabbinate
and its branches in each Israeli city have adopted an institutional attitude of
skepticism toward the Jewish identity of those who enter its doors…The
Israeli government seeks the political and financial support of American
Jewry. It welcomes American Jewish immigrants. Yet the rabbinate, one arm
of the state, increasingly treats American Jews as doubtful cases: not Jewish
until proved so.”
So I ask how many of us could prove to an Orthodox rabbi in Israel
that we are Jews? Let me share another troubling story that does not have a
happy ending. In April, a story appeared in the Israeli newspaper Yediot
Achronot (4/30/10) about a young woman named Jessica Fishman who made
aliyah seven years ago and joined Israel’s army. Jessica’s Dad Les served as
President of Beth Jacob Congregation in Mendota Heights. Before Jessica
was born, her mom converted to Judaism with a Reform rabbi, with mikveh,
in St. Louis and then moved to the Twin Cities. Here the family lived a
traditional Jewish life observing Shabbat, keeping a kosher home, and
sending their kids to Herzl Camp. Jessica traveled to Israel as a teenager
with USY and spent her junior year at Hebrew University. After college she
made aliyah. Hers is an impressive example of the kind of Jewish
commitments that can be shaped by the institutions of our community.
After two years of army service she settled in Herzliya where she met
an Israeli guy. When they decided to get married they went to the local rabbi
who began to investigate. When he learned that her mother converted with a
Reform rabbi he explored no further. Eventually the couple split up and
Jessica, who was so committed to living in Israel, left the country. When
interviewed in April, she said she had no intention of returning. How tragic
when someone who was so committed to Israel is pushed away!
These are the kinds of travesties being perpetrated by Israel’s Chief
Rabbinate. Let me be clear, I would not presume to suggest that Orthodox
rabbis do not have the right to determine who they believe fulfills their
requirements for conversion, or the right to decide for themselves “who is a
Jew.” They absolutely have that right. The outrage is when a Chief
Rabbinate is empowered to act on behalf of the State in making those
decisions.
This was why so many of us were roused to action this summer when
Knesset Member David Rotem, representing the Yisrael Beiteinu party made
up largely of Jews from the Former Soviet Union, proposed to change
Israel’s law. He would have expanded the authority of the Chief Rabbinate
to rule not only over the personal issues of marriage and divorce in Israel,
which is bad enough, but for the first time empower them to make decisions
over who is eligible to be granted Israeli citizenship. Rotem’s stated
intention was to address the needs of the hundreds of thousands of Jews
from the Former Soviet Union of questionable ancestry, who wish to be fully
accepted in Israel. In order to get the support of the powerful minority
religious parties, the proposed bill would have undercut the conversions of
non-Orthodox rabbis in the Diaspora, and even of Orthodox rabbis whom
the Chief Rabbinate does not consider sufficiently Charedi ultra-Orthodox.
Thankfully the outrage expressed by leaders of the Conservative and Reform
Movements, with the crucial support of Natan Sharansky, who heads the
Jewish Agency and Jerry Silverman, the President of the North American
Jewish Federations, and others, led to the tabling of Rotem’s bill.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received more than 60,000
messages expressing concern. Nearly 27,000 of those were emails sent
through the link on the Masorti Movement’s website. For now the Rotem
bill is tabled, but not dead. Negotiations are supposed to take place before
the Knesset reconvenes in October.
In October, with God’s help, I am going to Israel on a mission
arranged by the Masorti Movement, our Conservative movement in Israel. I
will be joined by recent past President of our congregation Heidi Schneider,
to send a clear message from our community that we find it unacceptable for
Charedi rabbis to have authority over the State of Israel, let alone over the
Jewish world. We will be speaking up for our young congregant “Ari.” We
will be speaking up for Sharon and for Jessica and for every person in this
room who would struggle to prove that they are Jewish to the satisfaction of
the Chief Rabbinate. Look around the room. How many of you would have
trouble proving to them that you or your children or your loved ones, or your
friends are Jewish? Heidi and I are going to Israel on this mission for each of
you and for all of us who care about you.
There are many things to worry about for Israel- the real threats posed
by Iran, by Hezbollah in Lebanon and by Hamas in Gaza. We worry about
the growing efforts to de-legitimize the very existence of a Jewish State,
efforts we must adamantly oppose. I am grateful that a renewed peace
initiative between Israel and the Palestinians was launched last week in
Washington and we pray for its success, though based on painful past
experiences we worry about that also. As a community we have stood up on
behalf of Israel time and time again and will continue to do so. It is
disheartening, however, to see our support taken for granted and our
legitimacy as Jews called in to question. It is unacceptable for Israeli
politicians to succumb to the blackmail of ultra-religious parties seeking
exclusive control in defining “Who is a Jew.”
I would be surprised if every one here is not outraged by the stories I
have told. What I find astonishing, however, is the incredibly lackluster
response of our community to these issues. Though, thankfully, many of our
members are active as advocates on behalf of Israel, through an array of
organizations, when it comes to the issue of religious pluralism in Israel they
are almost silent. Minuscule portions of our people’s contributions to Israel
are directed towards addressing these issues. It seems that the only time that
the issue of religious pluralism in Israel gets serious attention from most of
us is when there is dramatic news, such as the recent attempt to pass the
Rotem Bill.
You need to know that Israel is undergoing dramatic changes before
our very eyes. Israeli journalist Isi Leibler, in an article in the Jerusalem Post
(4-2-10), describes the rapid growth of the Charedi Ultra-Orthodox
population in Israel. According to Leibler, in the 1980s Charedim comprised
4 percent of Israel’s population, today they represent 10%, or about 700,000,
averaging 8.8 children per family. At that rate, in less than two decades,
Charedim could amount to 20% of Israel’s Jewish population.
Consider another sobering statistic, currently, 25% of all Jewish
primary school-age children are enrolled in Charedi institutions – double the
proportion of 10 years ago. Many of these do not celebrate Israel’s
Independence Day, do not recognize the Israeli flag, do not permit the
singing of “Hatikva” and discourage their students from serving in the Israel
Defense Forces. If this trend is maintained, 20 years from now, 40% of
Jewish children will attend Charedi schools. Assuming these trends
continue, what do you think Israel will look like twenty years from now?
This past March we heard a vivid description from Rabbi Gil
Nativ, the rabbi of our sister Masorti Congregation in Omer, Magen
Avraham, of the increasing polarization taking place in Israel. He described
how every year before Simchat Torah he goes out to buy flags for 'Hakafot,'
the circling we do with the Torahs to celebrate the completion of the reading
cycle. Two decades ago he could easily find flags with a picture of boys and
girls dancing around a Torah scroll.
These flags have almost disappeared from the market. Now there are only
boys and men dancing on these paper flags! (Also note the absence of the
Israeli flag!)
He observed that the manufacturers are careful not to upset the 'religiously
correct.'
This is just one of many examples of the impact of Charedi Ultra-
Orthodox Judaism on Israeli life. There are intense debates going on about
Chaerdi demands in Jerusalem that women be required to sit in the back of
public buses and that the planned light rail have some cars designated for
men only. This week the Jerusalem police recommended the prosecution of
Anat Hoffman, a rabbi arrested this summer for carrying a Sefer Torah
through the Kotel plaza on her way to services at the less conspicuous
southern section of the wall, established by Israel’s Supreme Court as an
alternate place for non-Orthodox minyanim. If successfully prosecuted, she
could be jailed for three years. Is that the kind of State of Israel that we have
worked so hard to create?
I wish no ill to the Charedi community. Let them be well! What is
unacceptable is that the bill for their growth is being paid for by massive
funding from Israel’s government! At present, over $400 million are
allocated to Orthodox religious services- hiring 3000 rabbis, providing local
ritual facilities and ritual items, with no more than $100k allocated to
comparable services for Masorti or Reform communities.
I believe it is no exaggeration to say that establishing proper
separation between religion and state is critical to Israel’s survival; certainly
to its survival as a Jewish and democratic state. It is a given to us in America
that no one single religious sector should be able to control the public
square. We are blessed that this concept operates in the Jewish world here at
our Federations, where Jews of different streams and understandings sit at
the table together to maintain our communal structures. American Jewry,
following the Federation model and American democracy has much to teach
Israel.
As I said earlier, the national leadership of the Federation played a
crucial role in tabling the passage of the Rotem Bill helping to convince
Israeli legislators that its passage would create a serious fissure between
Israel and Diaspora Jewry, 85% of whom are not Orthodox. At the core of
the mission of our Federation is a commitment to religious pluralism,
permitting everyone to participate in the life of the community. We need
every member of this congregation to continue to give generously to the
Federation, which greatly needs our support to maintain our community and
care for Jews around the world and in Israel. We also need to send an
unmistakable message through our Federation that the issue of religious
pluralism in Israel is high on the list of our priorities.
In recognition of the importance of supporting religious pluralism, our
Minneapolis Federation, despite severe budgetary strains, agreed to offer a
$10k matching grant for funds raised this year for Israel’s Conservative
movement known as Masorti. Federation is offering the same match for
funds raised for Artza, Israel’s Reform movement. I ask for your help in
meeting that challenge, for which we are grateful, and hope that this match
will grow even larger in the future. Please take a look at the handout you
received today, which gives more information about the work of our Masorti
movement in Israel and about our concerns regarding the Rotem Bill. Israel
is desperately in need of our Masorti movement, which teaches a modern
and sensible form of Judaism and plays a crucial role bridging between
Israel’s religious and secular extremes. As the letter makes clear, significant
inroads have been made in providing that middle ground, even while at a
severe disadvantage for funding.
As we look to the future there is much to be worried about for Israel.
The external threats are great. The internal problems of Israel are no less so.
I ask that today we hear in the sound of the shofar a call to wake up as a
community and stop ignoring this issue of religious pluralism. If we are
indifferent to the developments I have described, we may wake up one day
and find that it is our child who is told they are not Jewish and I fear that our
children and grandchildren like Jessica Fishman will simply walk away from
the place that our people worked so hard to establish. If that occurs we will
have ourselves to blame because of our indifference. The failure to get our
people to fully embrace the cause of religious pluralism and to press for
greater separation between religious and state in Israel will be cataclysmic
for the Jewish people and for the future of the State of Israel as we know and
love it.
At the end of Yom Kippur, at the conclusion of the neilah service we
will sound the shofar and recite the words, “This coming year let us be in
Jerusalem L’shana Habaah Beyirushalayim.” I have painted a troubling
picture of what is happening to Israel. I have done so because I truly believe
that it is not too late for action. It is still possible for us to work on behalf of
a vision for the State of Israel that will welcome Jews of different
approaches and views to the table. The day is short and there is much to be
done... Hayom katzar, v’hamelacha merubah…but as the rabbis teach in
Pirkei Avot (2:20-21), “You are not obligated to complete the task but
neither are you free to neglect it Lo alecha hamelacha lig-mor, Vlo atah ben
chorine lee-ba-tel mi-mena.”
Let us join together in the work of building up our Masorti movement
in Israel, and in working for an Israel not dominated by a single
fundamentalist religious view. Let us join together so that Israel will realize
the visions of the founders of the State as a homeland for all Jews. “Next
year in a rebuilt Jerusalem Lshana habaah beyerushalayim habenuyah.”
Rabbi Harold J. Kravitz
Adath Jeshurun Congregation
Minnetonka, MN
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
No Lines In Israel
I've said before, one of the interesting things about Israel is the lack of lines. At shops, kiosks and many similar places lines just do not exist. It's the person closest to the shop keeper that gets served first. One place I thought this would be different were stores that have clearly defined registers and lanes. Alas, this is not so.
I've heard it from other people, but I had never experienced the lack of a line in a grocery store. This morning while I was at Mister Zol (Mister Cheap), there were a lot of people shopping because there is another holiday tonight and I think stores are closed tomorrow. I fight my way through the store, gathering all of my groceries and then get towards the front of the store. Apparently leaving a cart in line marks your spot enough to go get more things and return to have moved up in line.
As I approached the line, the woman in the line next to me pointed out that the abandoned cart actually had an owner who would be returning. Since my "on the spot" vocabulary is not that great, I didn't know how to explain to this woman that I understood what she was saying and that the owner could have their spot if they returned before the belt was cleared so I could put my stuff down. I responded with, "okay." Apparently this is not the appropriate response and I got a great eye-roll and look from this woman.
When the "owner" returned to her place in line, I of course let her have her place in line. This was when she realized that she had forgotten something else and told me that I could move in front of her and she would return. I guess this was her saying that I needed to guard her place. I told her that I wasn't the last in line and that she would need to talk to the person after me (I was able to explain this in Hebrew on the spot).
My purchase was finished and I was putting my groceries in my bag when the woman returned. Surprising to her, the customer after me had started unloading her groceries and a man had moved in with his few items behind her. The first customer (the woman that let me go in front of her) was upset and had a brief, frustrated discussion with this man. In disgust she moved in behind him.
This is so strange to me and probably is to people back in the USA. Apparently the man's decision to move forward is a faux pas, even in a place with distinct lines. I'm getting better at this culture, but there are still some things that just don't make sense to me.
I've heard it from other people, but I had never experienced the lack of a line in a grocery store. This morning while I was at Mister Zol (Mister Cheap), there were a lot of people shopping because there is another holiday tonight and I think stores are closed tomorrow. I fight my way through the store, gathering all of my groceries and then get towards the front of the store. Apparently leaving a cart in line marks your spot enough to go get more things and return to have moved up in line.
As I approached the line, the woman in the line next to me pointed out that the abandoned cart actually had an owner who would be returning. Since my "on the spot" vocabulary is not that great, I didn't know how to explain to this woman that I understood what she was saying and that the owner could have their spot if they returned before the belt was cleared so I could put my stuff down. I responded with, "okay." Apparently this is not the appropriate response and I got a great eye-roll and look from this woman.
When the "owner" returned to her place in line, I of course let her have her place in line. This was when she realized that she had forgotten something else and told me that I could move in front of her and she would return. I guess this was her saying that I needed to guard her place. I told her that I wasn't the last in line and that she would need to talk to the person after me (I was able to explain this in Hebrew on the spot).
My purchase was finished and I was putting my groceries in my bag when the woman returned. Surprising to her, the customer after me had started unloading her groceries and a man had moved in with his few items behind her. The first customer (the woman that let me go in front of her) was upset and had a brief, frustrated discussion with this man. In disgust she moved in behind him.
This is so strange to me and probably is to people back in the USA. Apparently the man's decision to move forward is a faux pas, even in a place with distinct lines. I'm getting better at this culture, but there are still some things that just don't make sense to me.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
HUC Campus
Since very few of my family and friends will be able to actually visit HUC while I'm here, I thought I'd give you a virtual tour of campus. I didn't take a lot of pictures inside buildings since they're pretty standard rooms. Join me on a walk through HUC-JIR Jerusalem.
On my way to school, I come to King David, this is HUC from across the street.
Looking up the stairs is the Administration Building. To your left, after the first staircase, is an entrance that is only open when services are open to the public.
If you go in through the synagogue entrance, you walk into the back of the Mustein Synagogue.
Leaving the Administration building there are some stairs that take you down to the main courtyard. Across the courtyard on the right is the Abramov Library, straight ahead is the Archeology Building and in between the two the Skirball Museum. Follow the video into the courtyard.
This is the main courtyard, after you go down the stairs towards our library, this is our view.
From the museum you walk down a long hallway towards the academic courtyard where the majority of the classrooms and offices for our professors are.
On the left and right are the rooms. You can see a pretty nice fountain in the middle. When the weather was nicer they had water flowing through it.
From the left of the picture, there is a staircase that takes you down to what they call the student's courtyard. It's a nice spot that most of us sit in our shorter breaks.
On the right side in the student's courtyard is the Moadon, the cafe and all purpose room that we use all the time. The courtyard is really nice though.
To get to this spot, you have to walk a decent way up from the Student's Courtyard and head towards the main courtyard. Instead of going back up to the Administration building though, take a right and you find yourself in another little garden behind the Admin Building.
From that garden, you take these steps back up. You can see the Admin Building towards the back of the picture.
That about does it for campus. I hope that's enough so you can get a feel for what the place is like.
I hope you liked school!
On my way to school, I come to King David, this is HUC from across the street.
Looking up the stairs is the Administration Building. To your left, after the first staircase, is an entrance that is only open when services are open to the public.
If you go in through the synagogue entrance, you walk into the back of the Mustein Synagogue.
Leaving the Administration building there are some stairs that take you down to the main courtyard. Across the courtyard on the right is the Abramov Library, straight ahead is the Archeology Building and in between the two the Skirball Museum. Follow the video into the courtyard.
This is the main courtyard, after you go down the stairs towards our library, this is our view.
From the museum you walk down a long hallway towards the academic courtyard where the majority of the classrooms and offices for our professors are.
On the left and right are the rooms. You can see a pretty nice fountain in the middle. When the weather was nicer they had water flowing through it.
From the left of the picture, there is a staircase that takes you down to what they call the student's courtyard. It's a nice spot that most of us sit in our shorter breaks.
On the right side in the student's courtyard is the Moadon, the cafe and all purpose room that we use all the time. The courtyard is really nice though.
To get to this spot, you have to walk a decent way up from the Student's Courtyard and head towards the main courtyard. Instead of going back up to the Administration building though, take a right and you find yourself in another little garden behind the Admin Building.
From that garden, you take these steps back up. You can see the Admin Building towards the back of the picture.
That about does it for campus. I hope that's enough so you can get a feel for what the place is like.
I hope you liked school!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
A Scooter Ride & Matkot - מטקות
Friday was a great day! I got up early in the morning to clean up a bit and get ready to head up to Tel Aviv. I was really excited to meet up with a friend that I had met while on Taglit that I hadn't seen since 2007. I caught a ride with some friends who were heading up to Tel Aviv to chill on the beach and spend some of their break from there.
The ride was great and on the way, I called my friend. Instead of heading to the beach we went to last time we were in Tel Aviv, she suggested one short distance away. We picked up a Sheirut that took us to a point a few blocks away from the beach.
After chilling for a while she arrived and it was great playing catch up for a "few" (read, "four-and-a-half") hours. Not only was it a lot of fun to catch up with her and meet her boyfriend, who was a lot of fun too, I finally got a chance to play that paddle game that Israelis seem to always be playing on the beach.
Matkot is a lot of fun. The ball doesn't react the way that you would think it does, which makes the game a little harder than you would expect. I loved playing this game. Here are the rules;
1) Stand a few feet away from each other.
2) Hit the ball.
3) Wait for your partner to hit the ball back.
4) Hit it back to your friend.
5) Try to keep a good rally going.
6) The winners are anyone playing!
I need to find a set of these Matkot and bring them home. It's really a great game and you can make it a lot harder if you want to add some finesse or stand further apart.
I was heading back to Jerusalem and she offered to give me a ride on her motorcycle to the Central Bus Station. Even though I had watched these things whip around the city, I graciously took her offer. Now I know why so many Israelis use these things.
Aside from the fact that they are a lot cheeper than a car, and use less gas. In Israel, the scooters don't really need to follow all of the traffic laws. For example, they can squeeze between two cars and make their way to the front of the stoplight. It was also pretty fun riding. Even though I was wearing a helmet, I could feel the wind rushing through my hair (all 20 of them). I'm not sure where I'm going to be going to school next year yet, but if I end up in Los Angeles I may need to pick one of these things up to get around out there. Tons of fun.
I can't wait to go back up there to meet up with them again. Apparently her boyfriend is a musician. I may need to go up to listen to him play some time.
We also talked a lot about Israel and about religion. Surprise, surprise. I'm still working out how I feel about it. But the more I come to understand how "Judaism" is implemented as a national religion, the more in understand why there are so many secular Israelis. I'm going to think on this more before I completely sort out my thoughts.
Taglit - Also known as Birthright. This is a 10 day trip that is completely subsidized for young Jews ages 18 - 26 to go to Israel and in a whirlwind tour see a lot of the country. This was my first experience in Israel and as you may come to find out, was a little influential on my life since then.
Sheirut Moniyot - They can also be called by their shorter name, sheirut, but don't pluralize them as Shirutiyym -that means bathroom. They're a combination between Taxis and busses. For a set price per person they will take you from one set location to another established location. It is possible to get off at stops on the way, but you need to tell your driver where you want to go. You can also call a sheirut and have them pick you up to take you to a place. They're great all purpose transportation options if you need to use them.
The ride was great and on the way, I called my friend. Instead of heading to the beach we went to last time we were in Tel Aviv, she suggested one short distance away. We picked up a Sheirut that took us to a point a few blocks away from the beach.
After chilling for a while she arrived and it was great playing catch up for a "few" (read, "four-and-a-half") hours. Not only was it a lot of fun to catch up with her and meet her boyfriend, who was a lot of fun too, I finally got a chance to play that paddle game that Israelis seem to always be playing on the beach.
Matkot is a lot of fun. The ball doesn't react the way that you would think it does, which makes the game a little harder than you would expect. I loved playing this game. Here are the rules;
1) Stand a few feet away from each other.
2) Hit the ball.
3) Wait for your partner to hit the ball back.
4) Hit it back to your friend.
5) Try to keep a good rally going.
6) The winners are anyone playing!
I need to find a set of these Matkot and bring them home. It's really a great game and you can make it a lot harder if you want to add some finesse or stand further apart.
I was heading back to Jerusalem and she offered to give me a ride on her motorcycle to the Central Bus Station. Even though I had watched these things whip around the city, I graciously took her offer. Now I know why so many Israelis use these things.
Aside from the fact that they are a lot cheeper than a car, and use less gas. In Israel, the scooters don't really need to follow all of the traffic laws. For example, they can squeeze between two cars and make their way to the front of the stoplight. It was also pretty fun riding. Even though I was wearing a helmet, I could feel the wind rushing through my hair (all 20 of them). I'm not sure where I'm going to be going to school next year yet, but if I end up in Los Angeles I may need to pick one of these things up to get around out there. Tons of fun.
I can't wait to go back up there to meet up with them again. Apparently her boyfriend is a musician. I may need to go up to listen to him play some time.
We also talked a lot about Israel and about religion. Surprise, surprise. I'm still working out how I feel about it. But the more I come to understand how "Judaism" is implemented as a national religion, the more in understand why there are so many secular Israelis. I'm going to think on this more before I completely sort out my thoughts.
Taglit - Also known as Birthright. This is a 10 day trip that is completely subsidized for young Jews ages 18 - 26 to go to Israel and in a whirlwind tour see a lot of the country. This was my first experience in Israel and as you may come to find out, was a little influential on my life since then.
Sheirut Moniyot - They can also be called by their shorter name, sheirut, but don't pluralize them as Shirutiyym -that means bathroom. They're a combination between Taxis and busses. For a set price per person they will take you from one set location to another established location. It is possible to get off at stops on the way, but you need to tell your driver where you want to go. You can also call a sheirut and have them pick you up to take you to a place. They're great all purpose transportation options if you need to use them.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Place In Judaism
We have these smaller reflection groups that meet once a month on Mondays. My group met for the first time this past Monday and our first topic of conversation was about the role that place should play in Judaism. What changes for a lot of us is exactly this role.
This year, being in Israel, we are in a new place. This is something completely new to me. I have never been outside my communities in Minneapolis, especially for some of the important Holy Days. I think a large part of this has to do with the unfamiliarity here. What we talked about in our group was that sometimes community can create a place for you. One of my colleagues brought up the example of the Israelites building a the place for God to reside in the community while they were wandering in the wilderness.
I started to think about this a little more. Without looking back at the text, I remember that the people needed to make a holy home for God to reside among the people. Another part of this command was that the people needed to make themselves a holy community as well. In this case, then you don't need a specific location to be special for you, but you need the community to also create this holiness.
Arguing the other side of the argument, there are specific locations that I feel like I can connect to God. Although I am very frustrated with some of the things that have been happening at the Kotel lately, it is still a special place to me. The Kotel represents the closest place that we are allowed to pray to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Although the worship offered historically at the Temple was animal sacrifice, something I do not agree with in today's culture, there is something special about this place. When we wandered over there during Yom Kippur, I couldn't help but offer more prayers and another recitation of Vidui (Confession) at the one of the most important sites to Judaism.
There are other places that are special to me too. Thinking about them helps me focus my thoughts. I remember sitting at Camp TEKO in the little chapel that overlooks Lake Minnetonka. Listening to the wind blow through the trees and hearing the boats motoring around the lake is a place that I have found a connection.
At times, I have thought about what Judaism would look like without Israel - the country. Yet I keep coming back to the fact that Israel is incredibly important. Not only are there holy sites, but this is the only place in the world that Jewish traditions affect the entire country.
For example, during Yom Kippur, the country shuts down. I was able to walk down the middle of the wrong side of the road because there were almost now cars. The streets were so quiet! Kids were riding on their bikes and people were out in force. I didn't even wear a watch because time didn't really matter.
It isn't even near Pesach yet, but I have been told that you can go get food at almost any restaurant because they are almost all Kosher for Pesach. Israeli summer is effected by the Holy Day cycle and even the time change is effected -we moved our clocks back the Sunday after Rosh HaShanah to make Yom Kippur easier.
What role does place play in Judaism? I still don't know actually know a full answer. Part of it is memory, part of it creates community. A place can inspire thoughts and prayers, and a place can make you so incredibly frustrated that you just want to shout. Places can connect us to our history. Yet it is that history that also causes problems. I think this is going to be a lifelong process of figuring out how Israel, the country, should play into my life as a Jew. But I'm glad this course is making me start to think about it.
L'Shalom
This year, being in Israel, we are in a new place. This is something completely new to me. I have never been outside my communities in Minneapolis, especially for some of the important Holy Days. I think a large part of this has to do with the unfamiliarity here. What we talked about in our group was that sometimes community can create a place for you. One of my colleagues brought up the example of the Israelites building a the place for God to reside in the community while they were wandering in the wilderness.
I started to think about this a little more. Without looking back at the text, I remember that the people needed to make a holy home for God to reside among the people. Another part of this command was that the people needed to make themselves a holy community as well. In this case, then you don't need a specific location to be special for you, but you need the community to also create this holiness.
Arguing the other side of the argument, there are specific locations that I feel like I can connect to God. Although I am very frustrated with some of the things that have been happening at the Kotel lately, it is still a special place to me. The Kotel represents the closest place that we are allowed to pray to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Although the worship offered historically at the Temple was animal sacrifice, something I do not agree with in today's culture, there is something special about this place. When we wandered over there during Yom Kippur, I couldn't help but offer more prayers and another recitation of Vidui (Confession) at the one of the most important sites to Judaism.
There are other places that are special to me too. Thinking about them helps me focus my thoughts. I remember sitting at Camp TEKO in the little chapel that overlooks Lake Minnetonka. Listening to the wind blow through the trees and hearing the boats motoring around the lake is a place that I have found a connection.
At times, I have thought about what Judaism would look like without Israel - the country. Yet I keep coming back to the fact that Israel is incredibly important. Not only are there holy sites, but this is the only place in the world that Jewish traditions affect the entire country.
For example, during Yom Kippur, the country shuts down. I was able to walk down the middle of the wrong side of the road because there were almost now cars. The streets were so quiet! Kids were riding on their bikes and people were out in force. I didn't even wear a watch because time didn't really matter.
It isn't even near Pesach yet, but I have been told that you can go get food at almost any restaurant because they are almost all Kosher for Pesach. Israeli summer is effected by the Holy Day cycle and even the time change is effected -we moved our clocks back the Sunday after Rosh HaShanah to make Yom Kippur easier.
What role does place play in Judaism? I still don't know actually know a full answer. Part of it is memory, part of it creates community. A place can inspire thoughts and prayers, and a place can make you so incredibly frustrated that you just want to shout. Places can connect us to our history. Yet it is that history that also causes problems. I think this is going to be a lifelong process of figuring out how Israel, the country, should play into my life as a Jew. But I'm glad this course is making me start to think about it.
L'Shalom
Thursday, September 23, 2010
In Joshua’s Shoes: High Holy Days In Jerusalem
I had a interesting and difficult experience during the High Holy Days. At times I was frustrated with services and had a hard time because it didn't feel familiar to me. I really missed being at Adath for N'eilah and Kol Neidre. Something just didn't feel great about not being there for it.
Nevertheless, Yom Kippur was a a much better Holy Day than Rosh HaShanah was for me. Today my post is up and running at TCJewfolk. You can either access it directly through the link; In Joshua's Shoes: High Holy Days in Jerusalem. Or if you chose to go through their site at TCJewfolk you can find it on the right side under the Voices section.
Nevertheless, Yom Kippur was a a much better Holy Day than Rosh HaShanah was for me. Today my post is up and running at TCJewfolk. You can either access it directly through the link; In Joshua's Shoes: High Holy Days in Jerusalem. Or if you chose to go through their site at TCJewfolk you can find it on the right side under the Voices section.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Done, done, and I'm on to the next one
Although we just started the actual school year, today is the first day of break. This is the first year that I've had a fall break and this is great! It's not so much because the work load is stressing me out already, but the Holiday load has been exhausting.
First there was Slichot to get us in the mood for the High Holy Days. Then there was Rosh HaShanah for two days. Rosh HaShanah butted up against shabbat this year, so it was a three day weekend that wasn't terribly restful, although there were some meaningful experiences.
A week later was Yom Kippur. Although I didn't really get anything done for school, that didn't matter for Yom Kippur. I really took a lot from that Holy Day this year. But starting that night, people around here have been getting ready for Sukkot, a large, week long festival that culminates in another Holiday; Simchat Torah and Shmini Atzeret.
Then it will be back to school, back to the books, after one more shabbat. Pfew!
I'm excited to have some time off here though. I have some things I want to catch up on. And some people that I would like to catch up with. I'm not planning on any major trips this week off, which makes me very happy to have a relaxing break. It is going to be filled with guitar, reading a little homework and friends. Yea!
Chag Sameach!
First there was Slichot to get us in the mood for the High Holy Days. Then there was Rosh HaShanah for two days. Rosh HaShanah butted up against shabbat this year, so it was a three day weekend that wasn't terribly restful, although there were some meaningful experiences.
A week later was Yom Kippur. Although I didn't really get anything done for school, that didn't matter for Yom Kippur. I really took a lot from that Holy Day this year. But starting that night, people around here have been getting ready for Sukkot, a large, week long festival that culminates in another Holiday; Simchat Torah and Shmini Atzeret.
Then it will be back to school, back to the books, after one more shabbat. Pfew!
I'm excited to have some time off here though. I have some things I want to catch up on. And some people that I would like to catch up with. I'm not planning on any major trips this week off, which makes me very happy to have a relaxing break. It is going to be filled with guitar, reading a little homework and friends. Yea!
Chag Sameach!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Late is Better Than Never
This is in regards to post one of my classmates put on her facebook last night. So first off, shout out to Rae and feel free to check out her blog. She brought to my attention that there is a blog that collects blogs from people writing about Israel.
Apparently some other people have picked up the blog I wrote about my experience at Women of the Wall back in Rosh Chodesh Elul. I'm not sure what to exactly think about the fact that people actually read what I'm writing here.
If you're at all interested in what they put out, you can check out, Religion and State in Israel. My post is about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way down the page.
Sitting here wishing that I had known about this earlier, but late is better than never.
Apparently some other people have picked up the blog I wrote about my experience at Women of the Wall back in Rosh Chodesh Elul. I'm not sure what to exactly think about the fact that people actually read what I'm writing here.
If you're at all interested in what they put out, you can check out, Religion and State in Israel. My post is about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way down the page.
Sitting here wishing that I had known about this earlier, but late is better than never.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Are You Ready for Some Football?!?
Tonight I decided to get back to my American roots and went to the Lion's Den Bar to watch some games. The time difference means that the afternoon games in the states start at 1900 here, perfect for some food and drinks.
The bar was a great spot for us to be. A bunch of TVs indoors and outdoors showing the four "big" games was a lot of fun. Lots of cheering, lots of shouting and they even had internet access so we could keep checking our fantasy teams. I'm currently winning this week, but a lot can change. Since nobody really wants to hear about my fantasy football team, I'll stop right here.
Something interesting that I noticed was how much everybody dislikes Brett Favre. So much booing and jeering when he made a mistake. And yep, the Vikings are sitting at the bottom of the NFC North. I was also watching with a bunch of Bears fans, I can't help it that I have friends from Chicago.
It felt really at home though sitting with a group of people that I don't know all sharing in the stereotypical American experience. It was a lot of fun and I'll probably be stopping into this place every once in a while to catch a game. This time difference is a pain though.
Lila Tov,
The bar was a great spot for us to be. A bunch of TVs indoors and outdoors showing the four "big" games was a lot of fun. Lots of cheering, lots of shouting and they even had internet access so we could keep checking our fantasy teams. I'm currently winning this week, but a lot can change. Since nobody really wants to hear about my fantasy football team, I'll stop right here.
Something interesting that I noticed was how much everybody dislikes Brett Favre. So much booing and jeering when he made a mistake. And yep, the Vikings are sitting at the bottom of the NFC North. I was also watching with a bunch of Bears fans, I can't help it that I have friends from Chicago.
It felt really at home though sitting with a group of people that I don't know all sharing in the stereotypical American experience. It was a lot of fun and I'll probably be stopping into this place every once in a while to catch a game. This time difference is a pain though.
Lila Tov,
Saturday, September 18, 2010
He'll Have the Decafe
Today was Yom Kippur and I fasted the whole day. No water, no food and a splitting headache. I know I go over this all the time, but I have a coffee/caffeine problem. The bigger problem is that I like the taste of coffee too much.
The hardest part of this fast was that I was fighting with my brain to keep it from jumping out the front of my skull. I know it's a little too late for Jew Years' Resolutions, but I think it's high time I try to cut down on the coffee here. Maybe for a week or two, until I no longer get headaches when I go for a day without it. Maybe I'll switch to decafe, or just pop instead, you know, enough to get rid of the headache. We'll see.
For those of you still fasting, may it be an easy rest of the day, and may you be sealed into the book of life for a great 5771.
The hardest part of this fast was that I was fighting with my brain to keep it from jumping out the front of my skull. I know it's a little too late for Jew Years' Resolutions, but I think it's high time I try to cut down on the coffee here. Maybe for a week or two, until I no longer get headaches when I go for a day without it. Maybe I'll switch to decafe, or just pop instead, you know, enough to get rid of the headache. We'll see.
For those of you still fasting, may it be an easy rest of the day, and may you be sealed into the book of life for a great 5771.
Friday, September 17, 2010
We're Gonna Win Twins!
As I'm still trying to put something up every day, this is going to be my post for tomorrow, for during Yom Kippur, although it has nothing to do with the Holy Day.
Instead, it is more about my other fall ritual; September Baseball!
It is really difficult to follow the Twins Baseball Club from Israel. I have been listening to ESPN's Baseball Today, occasional podcasts from KFAN, and checking the Minnesota Twins website. But it's not the same as being home, I just miss the atmosphere of people caring about baseball.
It's also hard to track their magic number. Right now, it's sitting at 8. This means that any combination of 8 Twins wins and/or 8 White Sox losses and the Twins will have clinched winning the American League Central Division. They're chasing the Yankees and the Rays for the best record in the American League which would give them the Home Field Advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Don't get me wrong, Israel is great and I'm loving classes. I've got great friends here, but this is just a fall event that I really miss. Then, today I got an email from Kaitlin's mom with a bunch of pictures. Back in August, Kaitin, Judy and my mom all went to a ball game. It put a huge smile on my face to get this picture!
Mom and Kaitlin at Target Field - courtesy of Judy Saltzman
I miss you guys,
LET'S GO TWINS!
Instead, it is more about my other fall ritual; September Baseball!
It is really difficult to follow the Twins Baseball Club from Israel. I have been listening to ESPN's Baseball Today, occasional podcasts from KFAN, and checking the Minnesota Twins website. But it's not the same as being home, I just miss the atmosphere of people caring about baseball.
It's also hard to track their magic number. Right now, it's sitting at 8. This means that any combination of 8 Twins wins and/or 8 White Sox losses and the Twins will have clinched winning the American League Central Division. They're chasing the Yankees and the Rays for the best record in the American League which would give them the Home Field Advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Don't get me wrong, Israel is great and I'm loving classes. I've got great friends here, but this is just a fall event that I really miss. Then, today I got an email from Kaitlin's mom with a bunch of pictures. Back in August, Kaitin, Judy and my mom all went to a ball game. It put a huge smile on my face to get this picture!
Mom and Kaitlin at Target Field - courtesy of Judy Saltzman
I miss you guys,
LET'S GO TWINS!
Yom Kippur
Tonight is the start of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. For 25 hours I will not be eating or drinking to prove to myself that it is possible to overcome physical limitations, to prove that it is possible to break from natural desires. This demonstrates that we can change. For anyone that I have hurt or offended in the last year, I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me.
We all get the chance to return to who we really are and to change things that we don't like about ourselves.
For anyone fasting and observing Yom Kippur, I hope you have an meaningful day and an easy fast.
We all get the chance to return to who we really are and to change things that we don't like about ourselves.
For anyone fasting and observing Yom Kippur, I hope you have an meaningful day and an easy fast.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Class Lists
Not only is this first year of Rabbinic School about being in Israel and experiencing everything that there is to see here, but it is also part of an academic program. As such, we have a pretty full course load and I love it so far.
For anyone from HUC reading my blog, this is going to be all about school. Thanks for reading, but if you want to know my schedule, I'll see you tomorrow morning.
Sunday
0830 Modern Hebrew
1015 Liturgy Lecture
1130 Liturgy Discussion
1330 Biblical History
Monday
0830 Modern Hebrew
1015 Shachrit
1130 Rabbinic Texts
1400 2nd Temple History
1545 All Student Forum or HaEmek D'var
Tuesday
0830 Modern Hebrew
1015 Modern Hebrew
1200 Biblical Grammar
1330 Book of Legends Elective
1430 Mincha
1645 History of the Zionist Movement
Wednesday
Israel Seminar Day
Thursday
0830 Shachrit
1000 Modern Hebrew
1145 Bible
1330 History Tiyyul (as needed)
Modern Hebrew
This is just a class that we study Modern Hebrew. My class got to keep the fantastic teacher we had for summer ulpan and it's great.
Liturgy Lecture and Discussion
The lecture portion of this class we study the history of prayer and look into how liturgy was developed. Aside from the location of the class (we're having lectures in the synagogue on campus) this is really interesting to me. We also have an hour long discussion section immediately after the lecture which helps us work out some of the trick parts we're studying.
Biblical History
This will be a fascinating class for me. We are looking at the history of the Bible. The story, not the written Bible itself. From what I understand, we are going to examine Jewish history through time using the bible as the jumping off point. We haven't gotten too much beyond the intro and a brief discovery of Biblical Geography. I'm pumped to be learning more about this though.
Rabbinic Texts
Just as it sounds, this class is the analysis, translation and understanding of Rabbinic texts. Mishnah, Talmud and things of that sort.
2nd Temple History
Aptly named, we are going to study Jewish history in the 2nd Temple Period. Hey, I majored in history, for some reason I think I will like this class!
All Student Forum
We actually haven't had one of these yet, so I'm not really sure what this as all about.
HaEmek D'var
So far this class was a discussion about the class. From what I understand, we will work in smaller groups to talk about big issues relating to Israel. The group I'm in will be facilitated by the dean, so I'm excited about that. We also get off campus for this class and get to have our discussions in people's homes.
Biblical Grammar
Not only does this class make a lot of sense to me because it's logical, but our professor is amazing. She's hilarious, she's excited. She pronounces the guttural letters exactly as they are supposed to be. I didn't think it was possible to be this fired up to learn Biblical Grammar, but I look forward to this class every week.
Book of Legends Elective
This is an elective with the Director of our Program, Mah Tovu's Rabbi Josh Zweiback. We are looking at legendary stories from a book called, Sefer Aggadah. It's another opportunity to learn text and work on my Hebrew Skills.
History of the Zionist Movement
Another aptly titled class. This is the history of the modern Zionist Movement. Not much else to be said about it.
Israel Seminar
Wednesdays are dedicated to learning about Israel through a variety of lenses. Every week will be different, but this is the formal way we will be learning about Israel and Israeli culture. Sweet!
Bible
Last time we had this class, we spent the whole day studying the first chapter of Genesis. Through the rest of the course, we will be looking at the Bible and focusing on women and their role. I have the same teacher for this as I do for Biblical History. This is really exciting to learn.
So as you can see, I have a pretty full schedule. All of the classes are really interesting and I'm really excited to be learning about all of these topics this year.
I need to run though. Choir rehearsal...
G'mar Chatimah Tovah!
For anyone from HUC reading my blog, this is going to be all about school. Thanks for reading, but if you want to know my schedule, I'll see you tomorrow morning.
Sunday
0830 Modern Hebrew
1015 Liturgy Lecture
1130 Liturgy Discussion
1330 Biblical History
Monday
0830 Modern Hebrew
1015 Shachrit
1130 Rabbinic Texts
1400 2nd Temple History
1545 All Student Forum or HaEmek D'var
Tuesday
0830 Modern Hebrew
1015 Modern Hebrew
1200 Biblical Grammar
1330 Book of Legends Elective
1430 Mincha
1645 History of the Zionist Movement
Wednesday
Israel Seminar Day
Thursday
0830 Shachrit
1000 Modern Hebrew
1145 Bible
1330 History Tiyyul (as needed)
Modern Hebrew
This is just a class that we study Modern Hebrew. My class got to keep the fantastic teacher we had for summer ulpan and it's great.
Liturgy Lecture and Discussion
The lecture portion of this class we study the history of prayer and look into how liturgy was developed. Aside from the location of the class (we're having lectures in the synagogue on campus) this is really interesting to me. We also have an hour long discussion section immediately after the lecture which helps us work out some of the trick parts we're studying.
Biblical History
This will be a fascinating class for me. We are looking at the history of the Bible. The story, not the written Bible itself. From what I understand, we are going to examine Jewish history through time using the bible as the jumping off point. We haven't gotten too much beyond the intro and a brief discovery of Biblical Geography. I'm pumped to be learning more about this though.
Rabbinic Texts
Just as it sounds, this class is the analysis, translation and understanding of Rabbinic texts. Mishnah, Talmud and things of that sort.
2nd Temple History
Aptly named, we are going to study Jewish history in the 2nd Temple Period. Hey, I majored in history, for some reason I think I will like this class!
All Student Forum
We actually haven't had one of these yet, so I'm not really sure what this as all about.
HaEmek D'var
So far this class was a discussion about the class. From what I understand, we will work in smaller groups to talk about big issues relating to Israel. The group I'm in will be facilitated by the dean, so I'm excited about that. We also get off campus for this class and get to have our discussions in people's homes.
Biblical Grammar
Not only does this class make a lot of sense to me because it's logical, but our professor is amazing. She's hilarious, she's excited. She pronounces the guttural letters exactly as they are supposed to be. I didn't think it was possible to be this fired up to learn Biblical Grammar, but I look forward to this class every week.
Book of Legends Elective
This is an elective with the Director of our Program, Mah Tovu's Rabbi Josh Zweiback. We are looking at legendary stories from a book called, Sefer Aggadah. It's another opportunity to learn text and work on my Hebrew Skills.
History of the Zionist Movement
Another aptly titled class. This is the history of the modern Zionist Movement. Not much else to be said about it.
Israel Seminar
Wednesdays are dedicated to learning about Israel through a variety of lenses. Every week will be different, but this is the formal way we will be learning about Israel and Israeli culture. Sweet!
Bible
Last time we had this class, we spent the whole day studying the first chapter of Genesis. Through the rest of the course, we will be looking at the Bible and focusing on women and their role. I have the same teacher for this as I do for Biblical History. This is really exciting to learn.
So as you can see, I have a pretty full schedule. All of the classes are really interesting and I'm really excited to be learning about all of these topics this year.
I need to run though. Choir rehearsal...
G'mar Chatimah Tovah!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Winter in Israel... Already
Early on the first Sunday morning after Rosh HaShanah Israel switches back to standard time. From what has been explained to me, this is to make the fast day on Yom Kippur easier since the sun goes down earlier, the fast day will end earlier on Saturday night. Aside from royally destroying the rhythm I had going with being able to skype with people back home, this means it is winter in Israel... kind of.
In the daily liturgy, we haven't switched over to the traditional prayers for wind and rain, but the mood has changed. The nights seem cooler. I have slowly noticed the change since getting back from Haifa two whole weeks ago. Something was different in the air this Sunday though.
Part of this may have been the feeling I got on the roof of Rabbi N. Kalman's apartment Saturday night while we met for Havdallah. Some of it may have something to do with the fact that back in the states we just had the first week of the NFL season. Yet another piece could be connected to the Gophers' Football team getting there first loss (under Brewster I'm surprised it took them two weeks to lose their first game).
Another piece could be the fact that I was rained on a little on the way to school and noticed that there were clouds in the sky the last few days. There is just a different feeling in the air right now and it feels like it should be fall. The problem is that I'm not used to there still being so much green in the fall. The leaves should be changing colors. I should smell the crisp fall air.
As a final note, I'm still wondering whether or not I want to see snow in Jerusalem this year. I know it would be beautiful, but I'm torn between the aesthetic aspects and the fact that I would love to have a year without snow.We shall see.
In the daily liturgy, we haven't switched over to the traditional prayers for wind and rain, but the mood has changed. The nights seem cooler. I have slowly noticed the change since getting back from Haifa two whole weeks ago. Something was different in the air this Sunday though.
Part of this may have been the feeling I got on the roof of Rabbi N. Kalman's apartment Saturday night while we met for Havdallah. Some of it may have something to do with the fact that back in the states we just had the first week of the NFL season. Yet another piece could be connected to the Gophers' Football team getting there first loss (under Brewster I'm surprised it took them two weeks to lose their first game).
Another piece could be the fact that I was rained on a little on the way to school and noticed that there were clouds in the sky the last few days. There is just a different feeling in the air right now and it feels like it should be fall. The problem is that I'm not used to there still being so much green in the fall. The leaves should be changing colors. I should smell the crisp fall air.
As a final note, I'm still wondering whether or not I want to see snow in Jerusalem this year. I know it would be beautiful, but I'm torn between the aesthetic aspects and the fact that I would love to have a year without snow.We shall see.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Hey There 5771
Today is the second full day of Rosh HaShanah, a very important Holy Day in Judaism. An important aspect of Rosh HaShanah is that at the restart of the year, we are supposed to ask forgiveness from anyone and everyone we have wronged in the last year. Interestingly, we are supposed to ask for forgiveness after the start of the year before the second of the High Holy Days, Yom Kippur.
According to our tradition, the period of 10 days between the two Holy Days are the days in which God decides if we will have a good life or even if we will die in the next year. Although I don't believe that God sits on high deciding our fate, I do believe that our tradition has a great idea here.
At the start of the year, we bring ourselves to the bottom. We admit our faults, we publicly shame ourselves by admitting all of the things we have done wrong in the last year. Now, we have a chance to build ourselves up over the course of the year. We can build ourselves up as a better, stronger improved person.
It would be very hard for me from Israel to contact everyone that I may have hurt in the last year. So from here, I acknowledge that I have faults. I acknowledge that I have made errors in judgment. I have said things I should not have and I have done things that I should not have. If I have done anything to hurt or offend anyone in the last year, I truly am sorry. If I have hurt you and didn't even realize it, I'm sorry.
Let this new year be a year in which I improve myself and strengthen my relationships with everyone that I love and care about.
Let this new year be a year of blessings and happiness for everyone.
Let this new year be a year of peace between all humankind.
Let this new year be a year of peace within ourselves.
Let anything from the past year be in the past, and allow anyone who wishes a fresh start to have one.
According to our tradition, the period of 10 days between the two Holy Days are the days in which God decides if we will have a good life or even if we will die in the next year. Although I don't believe that God sits on high deciding our fate, I do believe that our tradition has a great idea here.
At the start of the year, we bring ourselves to the bottom. We admit our faults, we publicly shame ourselves by admitting all of the things we have done wrong in the last year. Now, we have a chance to build ourselves up over the course of the year. We can build ourselves up as a better, stronger improved person.
It would be very hard for me from Israel to contact everyone that I may have hurt in the last year. So from here, I acknowledge that I have faults. I acknowledge that I have made errors in judgment. I have said things I should not have and I have done things that I should not have. If I have done anything to hurt or offend anyone in the last year, I truly am sorry. If I have hurt you and didn't even realize it, I'm sorry.
Let this new year be a year in which I improve myself and strengthen my relationships with everyone that I love and care about.
Let this new year be a year of blessings and happiness for everyone.
Let this new year be a year of peace between all humankind.
Let this new year be a year of peace within ourselves.
Let anything from the past year be in the past, and allow anyone who wishes a fresh start to have one.
Second Night Dinner & Apple Crisp
Last week Marina asked me if we could have a dinner for the second night of Rosh HaShanah. Since we always had two dinners when I was growing up, my answer was of course! We left if open to the entire class and even some American College students studying here this year. Small problem though, there were 30 people that RSVPed before the weekend. Our apartment could not contain that many people and the number kept growing.
Luckily, she was in a meeting at school and asked if we could use the space at school to host this dinner. HUC said that we could use the space and our number expanded even more. When we went to school to set up last night, we were setting places for 53 people that had RSVPed, and a few extra people came too! Insane!
It was a potluck style, because there was no way could we cook for that many people. So I needed something to bring. Who did I turn to for a recipe for desert? Mom.
I asked her to send me a message for an apple crisp.
Apple Crisp
I changed what she gave me as a recipe based on what I wanted for taste
14 Granny Smith Apples (peeled, sliced and cored)
1 1/4 cups of brown sugar
2 cups of flour
1 1/5 cups of white sugar
4 tbsp of cinnamon
4 eggs
4 tbsp of butter (113g)
Directions:
Measure out the flour, white sugar and cinnamon. Combine in a large bowl and set aside.
Peel, cut and core the apples.
Mix together the apples and brown sugar until the apples are coated.
Lay out in a large baking pan.
Set this aside and preheat an over to 195 degrees C.
Beat 4 eggs.
Melt the butter.
Combine the eggs and butter in a small bowl.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix thoroughly.
Take this mixture and spread as evenly as possible over apples.
It does not need to cover everything, but cover most of the apples.
Bake in the over at 195 C for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, check back regularly to make sure the edges do not burn.
Bake until the crust is golden brown and a knife can be put in and taken out clean from the center.
As a final note, I want to give a massive shout out to Marina for getting the dinner together. Technically I was helping host too, but she did about 95% of the organizing and preparations. Also a massive thank you for everyone who brought fantastic food. Since it was much more Marina's night, if you want to check out here account, I'm sure one will be up on her blog shortly.
Luckily, she was in a meeting at school and asked if we could use the space at school to host this dinner. HUC said that we could use the space and our number expanded even more. When we went to school to set up last night, we were setting places for 53 people that had RSVPed, and a few extra people came too! Insane!
It was a potluck style, because there was no way could we cook for that many people. So I needed something to bring. Who did I turn to for a recipe for desert? Mom.
I asked her to send me a message for an apple crisp.
Apple Crisp
I changed what she gave me as a recipe based on what I wanted for taste
14 Granny Smith Apples (peeled, sliced and cored)
1 1/4 cups of brown sugar
2 cups of flour
1 1/5 cups of white sugar
4 tbsp of cinnamon
4 eggs
4 tbsp of butter (113g)
Directions:
Measure out the flour, white sugar and cinnamon. Combine in a large bowl and set aside.
Peel, cut and core the apples.
Mix together the apples and brown sugar until the apples are coated.
Lay out in a large baking pan.
Set this aside and preheat an over to 195 degrees C.
Beat 4 eggs.
Melt the butter.
Combine the eggs and butter in a small bowl.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix thoroughly.
Take this mixture and spread as evenly as possible over apples.
It does not need to cover everything, but cover most of the apples.
Bake in the over at 195 C for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, check back regularly to make sure the edges do not burn.
Bake until the crust is golden brown and a knife can be put in and taken out clean from the center.
As a final note, I want to give a massive shout out to Marina for getting the dinner together. Technically I was helping host too, but she did about 95% of the organizing and preparations. Also a massive thank you for everyone who brought fantastic food. Since it was much more Marina's night, if you want to check out here account, I'm sure one will be up on her blog shortly.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Are Movies An Educational Expense?
On Tuesday night, I went to see Inception with a couple of other students. The first thing is that the movie was great! I was completely sold on the idea, I loved watching it happen and the idea is far-fetched but it is also just plausible enough to draw me in and suspend any disbelief. Even the very slim premise for him taking the job. I'm not going to give you a spoiler alert because this is the last that I will talk about the movie.
The movie experience here is very similar to home with a few exceptions. The first one is intermission. Yeah, there is an intermission in the middle of the movie. And it is actually in Davkah the middle of the movie. In this case, it was right in the middle of a great action scene and the lights just turned on.
I also loved the subtitles. The movie was in English, but there were Hebrew subtitles. It was great! I while I was trying to watch the movie, I tried to follow the subtitles at the bottom of the screen. What a great way to test my Hebrew. I know the story, I know what is happening because the actual movie is in English. Yet I was learning real Hebrew words. It's not that I haven't been learning anything in Hebrew class or in Ulpan. It's just different to see words that people would understand and would use in day to day live.
I really enjoyed the fact that when the characters would yell out, "Jesus Christ!" The subtitle would read, "אלהים" (Elohim!). Not quite what I would expect, but something I would actually want to know about the day to day language.
So my question persists, if I start going to tons of movies to practice my Hebrew, does this count as an educational expense?
Davkah is a Hebrew word that in day to day language doesn't have a real meaning in English. From what I understand, it can be used to mean exactly. But if said with a sarcastic tone, it implies the exact opposite.
Elohim is the Hebrew word for God, in a specific sense, the God of the Jewish people. El is the term for god. Without going into a philosophical discussion, just take Elohim to mean God.
The movie experience here is very similar to home with a few exceptions. The first one is intermission. Yeah, there is an intermission in the middle of the movie. And it is actually in Davkah the middle of the movie. In this case, it was right in the middle of a great action scene and the lights just turned on.
I also loved the subtitles. The movie was in English, but there were Hebrew subtitles. It was great! I while I was trying to watch the movie, I tried to follow the subtitles at the bottom of the screen. What a great way to test my Hebrew. I know the story, I know what is happening because the actual movie is in English. Yet I was learning real Hebrew words. It's not that I haven't been learning anything in Hebrew class or in Ulpan. It's just different to see words that people would understand and would use in day to day live.
I really enjoyed the fact that when the characters would yell out, "Jesus Christ!" The subtitle would read, "אלהים" (Elohim!). Not quite what I would expect, but something I would actually want to know about the day to day language.
So my question persists, if I start going to tons of movies to practice my Hebrew, does this count as an educational expense?
Davkah is a Hebrew word that in day to day language doesn't have a real meaning in English. From what I understand, it can be used to mean exactly. But if said with a sarcastic tone, it implies the exact opposite.
Elohim is the Hebrew word for God, in a specific sense, the God of the Jewish people. El is the term for god. Without going into a philosophical discussion, just take Elohim to mean God.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Over Two Months
Today is Labor Day.
Back home this marks the end of the Minnesota State Fair.
Minnesota schools start tomorrow.
Summer starts to feel like it is over.
As usual the Twins are making a run at the playoffs.
The Vikings are overly optimistic.
The Gopher football team is almost eliminated from Big 10 Championship contention.
In Jerusalem, we are getting ready for the High Holy Days.
The school year is almost a week old.
And I've been here for about two months.
All I can say is that this year has already been amazing. Between the great friendships I've been making with colleagues, the meaningful conversations and the great experiences I've had so far. I still miss things about home. I don't want to wish this year away, and I'm doing all I can to enjoy every moment of this year. But what I wouldn't give for a Chipotle Burrito Bowl or a jog around Lake Calhoun.
Now, back to the books.
Back home this marks the end of the Minnesota State Fair.
Minnesota schools start tomorrow.
Summer starts to feel like it is over.
As usual the Twins are making a run at the playoffs.
The Vikings are overly optimistic.
The Gopher football team is almost eliminated from Big 10 Championship contention.
In Jerusalem, we are getting ready for the High Holy Days.
The school year is almost a week old.
And I've been here for about two months.
All I can say is that this year has already been amazing. Between the great friendships I've been making with colleagues, the meaningful conversations and the great experiences I've had so far. I still miss things about home. I don't want to wish this year away, and I'm doing all I can to enjoy every moment of this year. But what I wouldn't give for a Chipotle Burrito Bowl or a jog around Lake Calhoun.
Now, back to the books.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
When Do I Get My Shabbat Minucha?
Something is not right the last few weeks. Getting ready for Shabbat has started to be more of a chore than something special. Then I've been spending a lot of Shabbat working and cleaning. Yes it is therapeutic and helpful to getting ready for the week, but I miss taking a break.
I was talking to a colleague on Friday night and I think she gave me a new idea. Just shift everything back a day. That means doing a lot more homework on Thursday and prep for Shabbat dinners. Thursday so I can do more homework on Fridays. If I'm able to do that, I could maybe get a break on Saturdays. Take some time to rest and relax. Get some exercise and whatnot.
We'll see how that works in a few weeks. With the High Holy Days getting kicked off last night with Slichot, this time of year is a little rough and I think I will be wearing down a little. But as of Sukkot break at the end of the month, I will be on this new schedule. Maybe then I can catch a breath of sweet Shabbat air on Saturdays.
Shavua Tov,
I was talking to a colleague on Friday night and I think she gave me a new idea. Just shift everything back a day. That means doing a lot more homework on Thursday and prep for Shabbat dinners. Thursday so I can do more homework on Fridays. If I'm able to do that, I could maybe get a break on Saturdays. Take some time to rest and relax. Get some exercise and whatnot.
We'll see how that works in a few weeks. With the High Holy Days getting kicked off last night with Slichot, this time of year is a little rough and I think I will be wearing down a little. But as of Sukkot break at the end of the month, I will be on this new schedule. Maybe then I can catch a breath of sweet Shabbat air on Saturdays.
Shavua Tov,
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