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Feb 21, 2013
Fair Trade Judaica: Guatemala Slide Show, Kippot Sale and more!
Courage: In Search of Jewish Leaders
Courage: In Search of Jewish Leaders
Rabbi Menachem Creditor
It takes courage to lead.
and love.
an indefatigable soul.
the world does not flow with hope yet,
and yet within Jewish narrative
is the notion that
a smoldering flame can be a holy fire
which doesn't consume
those who serve as vehicles
for its heat.
heart.
the "religious path"
is but one way to articulate
the path to the sacred
best embodied by tradition,
and "rabbi"
is but one name for our work.
it is a collaborative journey,
but only open to
those who hear the call.
the world needs what Jews are,
what Judaism holds.
this is a moment of fragility,
of uncertainty
for Judaism.
our great projects deserve
the greatness of our tradition.
there are assertions
become too quiet
recently.
ours is a Jewish world
in need of rebbes
who might or might not be rabbis.
but rabbis cannot not be rebbes.
there is a rightful fear of the ego,
but if that ego is in service of the Divine,
then it requires unleashing.
the smoldering embers
of the Jewish People
need the right kind of spirit
to breathe back the glow of Jewish hope.
now is the time for Jewish leaders
to discover their voices,
to be amplified in the world,
to pierce aimlessness, hopelessness
which are, in truth,
Rabbi Menachem Creditor
It takes courage to lead.
and love.
an indefatigable soul.
the world does not flow with hope yet,
and yet within Jewish narrative
is the notion that
a smoldering flame can be a holy fire
which doesn't consume
those who serve as vehicles
for its heat.
heart.
the "religious path"
is but one way to articulate
the path to the sacred
best embodied by tradition,
and "rabbi"
is but one name for our work.
it is a collaborative journey,
but only open to
those who hear the call.
the world needs what Jews are,
what Judaism holds.
this is a moment of fragility,
of uncertainty
for Judaism.
our great projects deserve
the greatness of our tradition.
there are assertions
become too quiet
recently.
ours is a Jewish world
in need of rebbes
who might or might not be rabbis.
but rabbis cannot not be rebbes.
there is a rightful fear of the ego,
but if that ego is in service of the Divine,
then it requires unleashing.
the smoldering embers
of the Jewish People
need the right kind of spirit
to breathe back the glow of Jewish hope.
now is the time for Jewish leaders
to discover their voices,
to be amplified in the world,
to pierce aimlessness, hopelessness
which are, in truth,
of our own making.
Feb 20, 2013
Masorti Foundation: Converts of Color
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NY Jewish Week: "New Israeli-Palestinian Textbook Study: A Historical Perspective"
NY Jewish Week: "New Israeli-Palestinian Textbook Study: A Historical Perspective"
Tue, 02/12/2013
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Martin Raffel
'A clash between two just causes." As a young student in Jerusalem in 1968, I can still vividly remember hearing that description of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for the first time.
Not the forces of light against the forces of darkness, as we were taught in Jewish religious school classes, but two legitimate national movements wrestling for dominance over the same small piece of land between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea.
A new study of Israeli and Palestinian textbooks, commissioned by the Jerusalem-based Council of Interreligious Institutions of the Holy Land, conducted by a team of internationally respected researchers and funded by the U.S. State Department, "Victims of Our Own Narratives," finds that both sides generally present unilateral narratives that present the "other" as enemy. This situation, according to the study's authors, is typical of societies in conflict.
At the same time, the study found that Israeli state textbooks — when compared to Palestinian and Israeli ultra-Orthodox texts — provide more information about Palestinians, less negative overall characterizations, and multiple examples of actions by Israelis against Palestinians that were criticized as wrong by Israeli citizens and leaders.
Dehumanizing and demonizing material, according to the study, is largely absent in both Israeli and Palestinian textbooks.
Despite getting better grades from the researchers, the Israeli Ministry of Education has repudiated the study. Serious questions about the methodology and results, from the ministry and other sources, certainly should be taken into account. Ironically, the PA, despite the poorer showing of its materials, apparently, has shown more responsiveness to the study's findings.
This study must also be seen in a historical context — the ongoing 65-year struggle of Israel to gain acceptance by its neighbors. Truth be told, this has not been an entirely one-sided affair. Recognition of Palestinian national rights by Israel required an evolutionary process. Back in 1968, the PLO, fundamentally committed to Israel's destruction, was only a few years old and at the beginning of what would be a decades-long history of terrorism.
Israel, at the time, was divided between those who wanted territorial compromise with Jordan and Egypt, in order not to be locked into permanent control over a hostile Arab population, and those who, whether for security or historical/religious reasons, believed that no compromise was possible especially with respect to the West Bank (Judea and Samaria).
A wide consensus existed across the political spectrum that an independent Palestinian state would pose a strategic threat to Israel and, therefore, should never be accepted. In fact, the late Prime Minister Golda Meir was quoted in 1969 as saying that there were no such things as Palestinians.
Fast forward to September 1993, and the signing of the Oslo Accords between Yitzchak Rabin and Yasir Arafat, which signaled, we had hoped, mutual recognition of both Jewish and Palestinian nationalisms and the need to find a way of coexisting next to each other in two separate states. Palestinian statehood was not explicitly called for in the agreement. But everyone knew this would have to be the outcome — with the permanent-status issues of borders, security, settlements, refugees and Jerusalem to be ironed out through negotiations between the parties.
Over the course of the last 20 years there have been many rounds of unsuccessful negotiations involving different sets of Israeli and Palestinian leaders. For most of this period — although there are exceptions — each side has accused the other of not being a serious interlocutor. But a parallel question we must ask ourselves is: what has each side done to prepare its public, especially the next generation, for peaceful coexistence with the other?
Textbooks are important. But the wider political and cultural context of what takes place outside the classroom is no less so. Most Israeli leaders since 1993, reflecting crystallization of a new consensus, have expressed recognition of the Palestinians' legitimate right to national self-determination. Unfortunately, most Palestinian leaders, including the relatively moderate Mahmoud Abbas, refuse to acknowledge the right of Jewish national self-determination and tend to dismiss Jewish attachment to the land and holy places. In addition, incitement against Israel continues to be endemic to Palestinian media, summer camps and other arenas, such as the naming of schools and public spaces after suicide bombers.
The textbook study, however flawed, may point the way toward modest improvement in how both sides convey understanding of and respect for the "other."
Perhaps, as both Israelis and Palestinians come to see the situation as a clash between two just causes, a door may open for historic compromise — and, ultimately, for peace.
Martin J. Raffel is senior vice president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.
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Rabbi Menachem Creditor
Rabby Andy Sacks: "Eliminating Racism from the Aliyah Process"
JPosts' Masorti Matters: "Eliminating race as an issue in Aliyah"
by Rabbi Andrew Sacks
Wednesday Feb 20, 2013 -- http://blogs.jpost.com/content/eliminating-race-issue-aliyah
Wednesday Feb 20, 2013 -- http://blogs.jpost.com/content/eliminating-race-issue-aliyah
Jewish tradition demands that we be very careful when making accusations. Like pillow feathers scattered in the wind that may not be put back inside in pillow – so too is an accusation made in public against others. Miriam was struck by leprosy when she spoke against Moshe (Num. 12: 1-15). The metzora (leper) was a motzi shem ra: a person who spoke negatively about others.
So it is with a great deal of trepidation, and an awareness of the possible burden I take on myself, that I write this blog.
I have alleged racism within the Interior Ministry in the past. See the blog I wrote about the deserving young man from Keifeng, China, who is being denied Aliyah for no other reason than race (at the time I was hesitant to make the charge in writing so I chalked it up to a shortage of person-power in the Interior Ministry even though I knew the truth: See here). Again I wish to emphasize that the problem is not within the Jewish Agency but within Israel's Interior Ministry.
But the time has come to stop ignoring the elephant in the room. It is time to call for those who make decisions as to which converts to Judaism may make Aliyah based on issues other than the facts, and the demands of the law, to either change their ways or be fired. As one who recognizes that firing is not really an option in the bureaucracy of the government I would accept that those involved be pushed upstairs, aside, out, or to some nihilarian division.
For those who would charge that I am whining about the State not accepting non-Orthodox converts – this would be wrong. Our converts are accepted by law. By and large they do not encounter major problems in the Aliyah process if they indeed have all documents required by law.
At any given time there may be dozens of Jews by Choice waiting for approval. In most of these cases they will wait forever barring intervention of their behalf by the wonderful lawyers of IRAC who do holy work, and the caring people of the Masorti and Reform movements in Israel.
Just last week the fate of a large group of Masorti converts from Peru was tossed up to the Mankal (director) within the Interior Ministry. These are people who prepared for conversion over a period of five years and only then appeared before a Beit Din of three Masorti rabbis. They have committed the sin of being Indians (Native S. American). But why not let a system rife with Shas appointees continue to make the call?
Did you read about the Jew by Choice, who had applied for Aliyah, and was saved only an hour before deportation back to the States? He was converted with the Reform movement in 1993 and davened at a Masorti congregation (see here). Oh, did I mention that he too was an African American?
With regard to African-American converts one of the issues is the question of knowledge. Experience has shown us that many of the African American converts have more of a limited theoretical knowledge and therefore are deemed not to be "real" Jews. But can only white intellectuals be Jewish? And woe to an African American convert who may have even once purchased a falafel anywhere near Dimona. The Interior Ministry is all but certain, if they know of this, to assume the person is connected to the Black Hebrews. I am OK with looking into such a possibility but not continuing to investigate for months and even years without a decision. In the interim such a person may not work nor receive government health insurance.
And what of the woman from Bolivia who has been denied Aliyah? One of the reasons listed: She did not study with a rabbi. So what? Many prepare for conversion by study with Jewishly educated non-rabbis. Most of the other reasons provided are equally inane.
OK, here is one to consider. Are you sitting down? A man from South America was denied after applying to make Aliyah subsequent to his conversion. He is the fourth generation born to a Jewish grandparent. Under the Law of Return one may make Aliyah only to the third generation. So far - OK. But this person has converted to Judaism. His (non-Jewish) parents live in Israel. But the Interior Ministry has a list of criteria which they refuse to make public that bars such a person from Aliyah. The Interior Ministry makes the assumption that such a person cannot be serious in pursuing Jewish roots, becoming devoted to Judaism, and desirous of fulfilling the Mitzvah of making Aliyah. If one has third generation non-Jewish parents in Israel then Aliyah is not an option even subsequent to conversion.
How about the young man from the Abayudaya in Uganda who was charged 175NIS for a student visa to allow him to study at the Conservative Yeshiva? It took five months of pressure to obtain the visa. May color have been an issue? Only Jews are granted a student visa to study at a non-degree granting institution (such as Pardes or the Conservative Yeshiva). Only non-Jews are charged for a student visa. In this case Moses was granted the visa, having finally satisfied the demands of proving his conversion was within the parameters of the law – but was charged a fee that is only charged to non-Jews who apply to study at degree granting institutions (such as Hebrew University). Moses' committed the sin of being born African.
Would Rabbi Sizumu of Uganda be permitted to make Aliyah?
These cases are not rare. Indeed they are all too common. It brings me no pleasure to write that they also occur among Orthodox converts.
Lest one ask "What about the Ethiopians or other minorities?" it should be said that these people are brought to Israel under separate agreements that go way above the regular staff in the Interior Ministry.
Judaism is by definition not racist. This is why people of any race may convert to Judaism. But there are Jewish racist. And there are bureaucrats determined to keep the gates closed to ninety nine deserving Olim if it means keeping out one who is not deserving.
The Masorti Movement is on the same page as the Jewish Agency and, in theory, the Interior Ministry. We want those who are legally entitled to apply for Aliyah to be accepted. We want problematic cases examined and decided in a timely manner. We want scofflaws, and those seeking to scam the system, kept out.
I fear that writing such words as I have may give ammunition to the enemies of Israel. We are subjected to so much criticism that is unjust. But when officials within our own government act with malice, then as the prophet Isaiah said, "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch."
Feb 18, 2013
The NRA is Funded by Gun Makers: In Defense of a Provocative Statement
The NRA is Funded by Gun Makers: In Defense of a Provocative Statement
(c) Rabbi Menachem Creditor
A few concerned readers of JWeekly have written regarding my statement:
“You have to act. And in order to act, you have to know things. You have to remember that the NRA is 80 percent funded by gun makers [and] that this is not a question of the Second Amendment; it’s a question of protecting profit.” (Galvanized by gun violence: Local Jews getting involved in efforts to stem the tide, Feb 14)
These respondents claim that only a small fraction of the NRA's funding comes from direct donations from the gun industry. This is a lie that has been circulated, amplified, and unfortunately picked up by many in the media. I've pasted below a few recent essays/articles that detail the facts, deeply hidden from view.
I believe the Dreier article, a terrible, shocking, analysis by the E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics at Occidental College, presents the most comprehensive and compelling information.
______________________________
from Walter Hickey's "How The Gun Industry Funnels Tens Of Millions Of Dollars To The NRA" Business Insider (Jan. 16, 2013)The bulk of the [NRA]'s money now comes in the form of contributions, grants, royalty income, and advertising, much of it originating from gun industry sources.Since 2005, the gun industry and its corporate allies have given between $20 million and $52.6 million to it through the NRA Ring of Freedom sponsor program. Donors include firearm companies like Midway USA, Springfield Armory Inc, Pierce Bullet Seal Target Systems, and Beretta USA Corporation. Other supporters from the gun industry include Cabala's, Sturm Rugar & Co, and Smith & Wesson.The NRA also made $20.9 million — about 10 percent of its revenue — from selling advertising to industry companies marketing products in its many publications in 2010, according to the IRS Form 990.Additionally, some companies donate portions of sales directly to the NRA. Crimson Trace, which makes laser sights, donates 10 percent of each sale to the NRA. Taurus buys an NRA membership for everyone who buys one of their guns. Sturm Rugar gives $1 to the NRA for each gun sold, which amounts to millions. The NRA's revenues are intrinsically linked to the success of the gun business.The NRA Foundation also collects hundreds of thousands of dollars from the industry, which it then gives to local-level organizations for training and equipment purchases.This shift is key to understanding why a coalition of hunters, collectors and firearm enthusiasts takes the heat for incidents of gun violence, like the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, rather than the companies that manufacture and market assault weapons.from Peter Dreier's "Mainstream Media Downplay NRA's Close Ties to Gun Industry" HuffPost (Jan 13, 2013)A few columnists and editorial writers exposed the NRA's close links to the gun industry. "The NRA represents gun manufacturers, end of story," wrote Michael McNulty, a Tuscon attorney who chaired former Cong. Gabrielle Giffords' campaigns, in a Washington Post op-ed column on July 29. On March 22, soon after the killing of Trayvon Martin in Florida, Times columnist Gail Collins observed: "This is big business. The N.R.A. takes in more than $200 million a year, which is a heck of a lot more than it made back in the old days, when its principal activity was running marksmanship classes. A considerable chunk of the cash comes from gun manufacturers and gun sellers." In a damning editorial on December 21 (a week after the Newtown, Connecticut massacre), entitled "National Rifle (Selling) Association," the Times wrote: "The association presents itself as a grass-roots organization, but it has become increasingly clear in recent years that it represents gun makers. Its chief aim has been to help their businesses by increasing the spread of firearms throughout American society."But in its news stories, the media downplays the reality that the NRA is essentially a corporate lobby group on behalf of gun manufacturers. In doing so, the media misleads the public about the NRA's core mission -- selling guns and making profits, not protecting rights.from Jordan Weissman's "Whom Does the NRA Really Speak For?" The Atlantic (Dec. 18, 2012)...membership fees don't pay the NRA's bills alone. In recent years, the group has become more aggressive about seeking donations, both from individuals and corporations, and that in turn has led it to become more deeply entwined with the gun industry. In 2010, it received $71 million in contributions, up from $46.3 million in 2004. Some of that money came from small-time donors, who've received a barrage of fundraising appeals warning of President Obama's imminent plot to gut the Second Amendment and confiscate Americans' firearms. But around 2005, the group began systematically reaching out to its richest members for bigger checks through its "Ring of Freedom" program, which also sought to corral corporate donors. Between then and 2011, the Violence Policy Center estimates that the firearms industry donated as much as $38.9 million to the NRA's coffers. The givers include 22 different gun makers, including famous names like Smith & Wesson, Beretta USA, SIGARMS, and Sturm, Ruger & Co. that also manufacture so-called assault weapons.Some of that funding has given the NRA a direct stake in gun and ammo sales. As Bloomberg noted in its January article, Sturm, Ruger & Co. launched a campaign to sell one million guns, and promised to donate $1 of each purchase to the group. Since 1992, MidWay USA, which retails gun supplies including ammo and controversial high-capacity magazines, has allowed its customers to round up each of their online and mail orders to the nearest dollar, and automatically donate the extra to the NRA. Together with other companies that have joined the effort, MidWay has helped collect more than $9 million for NRA. MidWay's owner, Larry Pottfield, also happens to be the the group's largest individual donor.These connections have fueled the theory among some gun-control advocates that the NRA is just another corporate front. That might theoretically explain why the group has opposed politically popular measures such as requiring background checks at gun shows and banning sales to people on the terrorist watch list, proposals that even its own members have been found to support. For gun makers, the fewer rules, the better.from Josh Sugarmann's "NRA Reaps Profits From the Internet Ammo Sales It Made Possible" HuffPost (7/24/12)The Violence Policy Center 2011 report, "Blood Money: How the Gun Industry Bankrolls the NRA," found that between 2005 and 2010, contributions from gun industry "corporate partners" to the NRA totaled between $14.7 million and $38.9 million. Total donations to the NRA from all "corporate partners" -- both gun industry and non-gun industry -- for the same time period totaled between $19.8 million and $52.6 million. The vast majority of funds -- 74 percent -- contributed to the NRA from "corporate partners" came from members of the firearms industry: companies involved in the manufacture or sale of firearms or shooting-related products. Many of these "corporate partners" are honored in the NRA's Ring of Freedom, with the Golden Ring of Freedom "reserved for those who have given gifts of cash or assets to the NRA totaling one million dollars or more." And the most recent honoree in the NRA's million-dollar Golden Ring of Freedom? Smith & Wesson, manufacturer of the M&P15 assault rifle used in the Colorado massacre.
Join the FB "Rabbi David Hartman Study Group" @Hartman_Inst
Join the FB "Rabbi David Hartman Study Group" -- In response to Rabbi David Hartman's recent passing, this group is dedicated to further promote and provide online study options for those who wish to learn more about Rabbi Hartman's thought, especially as it finds expression in his many publications. Over the next year, we hope to open up an academic forum which systematically moves through three of his major works: A Living Covenant (1997), Israelis and the Jewish Tradition (2000), and The God Who Hates Lies (2011). -- https://www.facebook.com/groups/428392470571258
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