Back in August I tried wrapping tefillin for the first time. Please check out my post at their site or
TCJewfolk.com
- or through this direct link -
In Joshua's Shoes: It's A Wrap
Feel free to pass it around to anyone interested in reading it.
Showing posts with label Ritual. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ritual. Show all posts
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
You Can't Eat Here
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.
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.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Rosh Chodesh Elul and Women of the Wall
This post is long and full of multi-media. I apologize for the length up front.
There was tension in the air when I got out of bed at about 5:15 in the morning on Wednesday. Marina and I met a group of students and we walked towards the Old City to meet Women of the Wall at the Kotel for a Shacharit Service for Rosh Chodesh Elul. As we descended the steps towards the Kotel, the sun started to crest over the top of the The Temple Mount, over the Mosque of the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque with the Western Wall at the base.
Once we arrived, due to the Mechitza, the women went to their side and the few men I walked with joined the group of mainly HUC students standing near the women at the Mechitza. There were enough of us to make a minyan. The women were close enough that we sometimes could hear them and we tried as much as we could to continue to pray with them. As the women got louder, an orthodox man heard their voices, picked up his books and a small table and moved over near us and began shouting the words from a book. He was trying as hard as he could to drown out their voices.
The video is shakey, but you can hear the women and the man reading at the top of his lungs.
As the women in the group prayed louder, a congregation of Sephardic men rushed over to start their service. I couldn't tell if they typically recite their prayers this loudly or if this was their protest. As the women were louder, the men got louder. I was emotionally distraught at the way that words of prayer were being used.
Being Reform Jews, we continued our service and enter the T'Fillah (the 18 prayers that are the central part of a service). There is a prayer traditionally called the A'vot which recalls the memory of the first Jewish Ancestors (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). The Conservative and Reform Movements have changed their liturgy to also include their wives as well (Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah). Loud enough to drown out the men, we chanted this prayer OUR way. This enraged the men who had finished their loud service and the few that hung around began to yell things at us as well as the women. I apologize for the coarseness of the coming language. Some of the phrases I was able to understand include; "You're not really Jewish", "You (Reform Jews) may as well be Muslim", "Faggots and Lesbians", "You are ruining Judaism" to name a few of the horrible phrases screamed by these "righteous" men. Disgusting.
Because there were some disturbances there were always policemen standing near us, sometimes directing some of the people who came too close to leave. This includes some of the women from the other side of the wall that came to stare through the Mechitza and yell at us too. They mostly were telling us what we are doing in support is wrong and we shouldn't be there. So much for "separating" men from women to pray, right?
There was another point in the morning that a man decided to come stand on one of the benches at the back of the Kotel area to stand and take turns yelling horrible things at the women and at us. Another man joined him and tried to restrain him, tried to calm him down. He continued to push this man back off the bench and there was a security officer standing there that did nothing until it looked like this second man was going to be hurt. At this point, he walked up to try and "control" the situation a little.
Not only that, but these religious men were distracting other people from their prayers. Another man from a point far away at the Kotel came to ask one of them to stop shouting. Apparently this was the man reading from the Shulchan Aruch. His response? I couldn't here precisely what it was but after watching his gestures, it was apparent that he was doing it to try to drown out the women on the other side.
There was no major violent outburst, no arrests nothing horrible that happened during the services. I was just completely disgusted at the reactions of the men on our side of the wall. Yes, I do understand that Israel has decided to stand on the side of the religious men and say that the Western Wall is to be treated a certain way. At the same time I am struck by the hypocrisy displayed. The circular arguments I've read online since that day have very limited and weak excuses for why the Women of the Wall have no right to do what they want. Despite the treatment that all of us received that morning, I hope to continue to join them for Rosh Chodesh services.
I doubt that anything will change in the year that I will be here, but that doesn't mean I am allowed to walk away from the situation.
There was tension in the air when I got out of bed at about 5:15 in the morning on Wednesday. Marina and I met a group of students and we walked towards the Old City to meet Women of the Wall at the Kotel for a Shacharit Service for Rosh Chodesh Elul. As we descended the steps towards the Kotel, the sun started to crest over the top of the The Temple Mount, over the Mosque of the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque with the Western Wall at the base.
Once we arrived, due to the Mechitza, the women went to their side and the few men I walked with joined the group of mainly HUC students standing near the women at the Mechitza. There were enough of us to make a minyan. The women were close enough that we sometimes could hear them and we tried as much as we could to continue to pray with them. As the women got louder, an orthodox man heard their voices, picked up his books and a small table and moved over near us and began shouting the words from a book. He was trying as hard as he could to drown out their voices.The video is shakey, but you can hear the women and the man reading at the top of his lungs.
As the women in the group prayed louder, a congregation of Sephardic men rushed over to start their service. I couldn't tell if they typically recite their prayers this loudly or if this was their protest. As the women were louder, the men got louder. I was emotionally distraught at the way that words of prayer were being used.
Being Reform Jews, we continued our service and enter the T'Fillah (the 18 prayers that are the central part of a service). There is a prayer traditionally called the A'vot which recalls the memory of the first Jewish Ancestors (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). The Conservative and Reform Movements have changed their liturgy to also include their wives as well (Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah). Loud enough to drown out the men, we chanted this prayer OUR way. This enraged the men who had finished their loud service and the few that hung around began to yell things at us as well as the women. I apologize for the coarseness of the coming language. Some of the phrases I was able to understand include; "You're not really Jewish", "You (Reform Jews) may as well be Muslim", "Faggots and Lesbians", "You are ruining Judaism" to name a few of the horrible phrases screamed by these "righteous" men. Disgusting.
Because there were some disturbances there were always policemen standing near us, sometimes directing some of the people who came too close to leave. This includes some of the women from the other side of the wall that came to stare through the Mechitza and yell at us too. They mostly were telling us what we are doing in support is wrong and we shouldn't be there. So much for "separating" men from women to pray, right?
There was another point in the morning that a man decided to come stand on one of the benches at the back of the Kotel area to stand and take turns yelling horrible things at the women and at us. Another man joined him and tried to restrain him, tried to calm him down. He continued to push this man back off the bench and there was a security officer standing there that did nothing until it looked like this second man was going to be hurt. At this point, he walked up to try and "control" the situation a little.
Not only that, but these religious men were distracting other people from their prayers. Another man from a point far away at the Kotel came to ask one of them to stop shouting. Apparently this was the man reading from the Shulchan Aruch. His response? I couldn't here precisely what it was but after watching his gestures, it was apparent that he was doing it to try to drown out the women on the other side.There was no major violent outburst, no arrests nothing horrible that happened during the services. I was just completely disgusted at the reactions of the men on our side of the wall. Yes, I do understand that Israel has decided to stand on the side of the religious men and say that the Western Wall is to be treated a certain way. At the same time I am struck by the hypocrisy displayed. The circular arguments I've read online since that day have very limited and weak excuses for why the Women of the Wall have no right to do what they want. Despite the treatment that all of us received that morning, I hope to continue to join them for Rosh Chodesh services.
I doubt that anything will change in the year that I will be here, but that doesn't mean I am allowed to walk away from the situation.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
My Hat It Has No Corners
My second post of the year is now up at TCJewfolk.
Since I have gotten to Israel I have been trying new things. On the list are things like; wrapping T'fillin, praying three times a day and a variety of others. One of the easiest on my list to try out was wearing a kippah at all times. I have experimented with all the time, only when studying or only taking it off when we go out for a night on the town.
Check out the new post here.
L'Shalom,
Since I have gotten to Israel I have been trying new things. On the list are things like; wrapping T'fillin, praying three times a day and a variety of others. One of the easiest on my list to try out was wearing a kippah at all times. I have experimented with all the time, only when studying or only taking it off when we go out for a night on the town.
Check out the new post here.
L'Shalom,
Monday, July 26, 2010
Three Quick Strikes
Strike One - Foul Tip
Pazgaz is a pain in the butt. Today the service guy came over. I had to miss a lot of class to wait for him to come and check out our gas lines since the company hadn't been to our house for a while. It took us a long time to figure out where exactly our ballonim (gas tanks) were located. When we found the ones that were ours, I learned yes they were empty and although the lines were okay, he couldn't fill them. The problem? They are in a bad place AND they do not have a cover. It looks like they used to have a cover, but now those look trampled and on the side of the apartment.
Instead, I need to miss class for part of the morning to wait for him between 8:00 and 12:00 again to come install new tanks. I don't know if that means that we will have gas then too or if I need to set up a third appointment for them to deliver gas. Ugh.
Strike Two - Swinging for the Fences Like Babe Ruth
I didn't think peer-pressure would be an issue in Rabbinical School. It is, but not in the way you're probably thinking. Since we are all starting a very cool journey a lot of the other students are buying new Tallitot. There is even a group that are planning on making their own. It is really hard to resist the urge to run out and get a new one since I haven't had a new Talis since my bar-mitzvah.
Why am I resisting? Because I have been thinking that a new Tallis should be for a life-cycle event. The next one on the list for me would be marriage. No, I don't think that's happening in the next year or so. I'm not sure. Maybe I can get something else to mark the start of Rabbinical School.
Strike Three - Looking
I've been doing a lot more looking than swinging right now. Yes, I have been walking around a lot. It has been about four weeks since I've seen the inside of a gym though. I paid for a gym membership for the year today, so hopefully I will be hitting the weights tomorrow after Trope class. Maybe.
Here's the best part though. The gym at school is actually the bomb shelter. From what I've heard from other students, it's basically a place to go and get the job done. Nothing glamorous, just a place to try to stay in shape. Since it the exact opposite of Lifetime, the price reflects that. It is 150 for the year. Now before you get all excited and say, "$150?!?! That's so cheap!!!" It get's better. It's actually ִִ₪150 (that's the symbol for New Israeli Shekels). For those of you keeping score at home, the exchange rate today makes that the equivalent to $39.27 for the year. Not for the month, for the year.
Instead of striking out looking, maybe after hitting the gym I'll be able to power the ball out of the park!
Plaaaaaaaayyyy Baaaaallllllllll!
Pazgaz is a pain in the butt. Today the service guy came over. I had to miss a lot of class to wait for him to come and check out our gas lines since the company hadn't been to our house for a while. It took us a long time to figure out where exactly our ballonim (gas tanks) were located. When we found the ones that were ours, I learned yes they were empty and although the lines were okay, he couldn't fill them. The problem? They are in a bad place AND they do not have a cover. It looks like they used to have a cover, but now those look trampled and on the side of the apartment.
Instead, I need to miss class for part of the morning to wait for him between 8:00 and 12:00 again to come install new tanks. I don't know if that means that we will have gas then too or if I need to set up a third appointment for them to deliver gas. Ugh.
Strike Two - Swinging for the Fences Like Babe Ruth
I didn't think peer-pressure would be an issue in Rabbinical School. It is, but not in the way you're probably thinking. Since we are all starting a very cool journey a lot of the other students are buying new Tallitot. There is even a group that are planning on making their own. It is really hard to resist the urge to run out and get a new one since I haven't had a new Talis since my bar-mitzvah.
Why am I resisting? Because I have been thinking that a new Tallis should be for a life-cycle event. The next one on the list for me would be marriage. No, I don't think that's happening in the next year or so. I'm not sure. Maybe I can get something else to mark the start of Rabbinical School.
Strike Three - Looking
I've been doing a lot more looking than swinging right now. Yes, I have been walking around a lot. It has been about four weeks since I've seen the inside of a gym though. I paid for a gym membership for the year today, so hopefully I will be hitting the weights tomorrow after Trope class. Maybe.
Here's the best part though. The gym at school is actually the bomb shelter. From what I've heard from other students, it's basically a place to go and get the job done. Nothing glamorous, just a place to try to stay in shape. Since it the exact opposite of Lifetime, the price reflects that. It is 150 for the year. Now before you get all excited and say, "$150?!?! That's so cheap!!!" It get's better. It's actually ִִ₪150 (that's the symbol for New Israeli Shekels). For those of you keeping score at home, the exchange rate today makes that the equivalent to $39.27 for the year. Not for the month, for the year.
Instead of striking out looking, maybe after hitting the gym I'll be able to power the ball out of the park!
Plaaaaaaaayyyy Baaaaallllllllll!
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