New CNS Adult Learning: "Celluloid Yids!"

New Adult Learning @ CNS!

Celluloid Yids: Jewish Cinema's Evolution 

from the 1920s - Today

with Shalom Rosenberg, CNS Youth and Edah Director

Classes will meet on Thursdays from 7-9pm in the library on the following dates:

January 6, 13, 20, 27, February 3, 10, 17, 24, March 3, 10

Cost: Sliding scale $36-50; no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Please register with Rachel at office@netivotshalom.org

In this course, we will explore what is often referred to as "Jewish Cinema". We will ask: What qualifies as Jewish Cinema? Every week, we will read articles and view screenings of classic and lesser known films that represent the Jewish image on film. This course will take an historic approach and look at our films in the context of the changing world over the last century. Although most of our films will be from American cinema, we will also look at some Israeli and Yiddish films, as well as films from other countries. We will talk about the Jewish sensibility in film and look for patterns that repeat throughout time. We will also discuss how Jews have influenced Hollywood and look at works by Allen, Brooks, Spielberg, Streisand, Levinson, Sandler, and more. We will screen films across genres from comedies to dramas to thrillers to musicals to love stories to war stories and more. We will also explore the themes of love, family, antisemitism, assimilation, intermarriage and interfaith relationships, LGBTQ issues, tradition vs. progression, identity, gender, God, Israel, and more. Finally, we will talk about our relationship with the images that supposedly represent us and our communities. We will ask: To what extent does film represent and reflect our lives or the other way around? Some screenings may include the following: The Jazz Singer, Liberty Heights, Yentl, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Gentleman's Agreement, The Great Dictator, A Life Apart: Hasidism in America, Walk on Water, Munich, Knocked Up, The Chosen, Keeping the Faith, When Do We Eat?, Kissing Jessica Stein, Yidl Mitn Fidl, and A Serious Man.

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Rabbi Menachem Creditor
Congregation Netivot Shalom  || Bay Area Masorti  ||  ShefaNetwork.org 

Rabbis for Women of the Wall  ||  menachemcreditor.org 

To join Rabbi Creditor's email list, send a blank email to thetisch-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Halachic Response by Rabbi David Golinkin: Selling an apartment to a non-Jew in the Land of Israel- permissible?

Is it permissible to sell or rent an apartment to a non-Jew in the Land of Israel? (1) By Rabbi David Golinkin   Question: On December 7, 2010, The Jerusalem Post reported (Jpost.com) that a group of forty municipal rabbis in Israel published a letter which said that it is forbidden to sell or rent apartments to non-Jews (nokhrim) in Israel. Amongst the reasons given for the prohibition are the danger of intermarriage and the lowering of real estate prices in areas where non-Jews live. Gentiles' "different lifestyle from Jews" can endanger lives, they wrote. If a Jew sells or rents property to a gentile, his neighbors must warn him, and if he does not change his ways, the neighbors must avoid the person, and may not conduct business with him, according to the petition. A person who rents or sells to non-Jews also may not get aliyahs in synagogue. Amongst the municipal rabbis who signed the petition are Rabbi Yaakov Edelstein of Ramat HaSharon, Rabbi Haim Pinto of Ashdod, Rabbi Dov Lior of Kiryat Arba, Rabbi David Abuhazeira of Yavne, Rabbi David Bar-Chen of Sderot, and others. In addition, one of the best-known National-Religious rabbis, Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, signed the letter, as did [Rabbi Ovadiah] Yosef's son, Rabbi Yaakov Yosef... Another ten rabbis reportedly plan to sign the letter... Is this really the standard and only approach to this question in Jewish law?   Responsum:   I) "Lo Tehonem"   These rabbis object to handing over territories to non-Jews on the basis of Deuteronomy 7:1-2: When the Lord your God brings you to the land that you are about to enter and possess, and He dislodges many nations before you... seven nations much larger than you... you must doom them to destruction, grant them no terms and have no mercy upon them (lo tehonem).   The simple meaning of "lo tehonem" is"have no mercy upon them" as translated above,but the Sages explained it to mean "do not give them a hold (hanayah) on the land" (Avodah Zarah 20a). Rabbi Daniel Sperber has shown (Netivot Pesikah, Jerusalem, 2008, pp. 63-71) that in the early, uncensored printings, Tosafot (to Yevamot 23a s.v hahu) and the Ba"H to Tur Hoshen Mishpat 249 interpret this to mean that one may not sell or give parts of Eretz Yisrael to any non-Jew. This was also the opinion of the Netziv in the nineteenth century (Responsa Meishiv Davar, Kuntress Dvar Hashemitah, fol. 58a) andthe Hazon Ish in the twentieth (Shvi'it 24, 3).   However, many authorities rule that this prohibition applies only to idol worshippers such as the seven nations mentioned in the verse, lest they "turn your children away from me to worship other gods" (Deut. 7:4). (Responsa of the Rashba, Part I, No. 8; the Meiri to Avodah Zarah 20a; R. Baruch Halevi Epstein, Torah Temimah to Deut. 7:2; R. Abraham Isaac Hacohen Kuk, Responsa Mishpat Kohen, No. 63 [which is based on the censored versions of the Ba"h]; R. Zvi Pesah Frank, Sefer Kerem Tziyon, Part 3, p. 13; R. Ovadiah Yosef, Torah Shebea'l Peh 15 [5733], pp. 31-32 and again in Tehumin 10 [5749], pp. 37-38; and cf. R. Yaakov Warhaftig, Tehumin 2 [5741], pp. 201-203).   Most of the Arabs in Israel today are Muslims and almost all halakhic authorities agree that Muslims are monotheists and not idol worshippers (Maimonides, Hilkhot Ma'akhalot Asurot 11:7; Responsa of Maimonides, ed. Blau, No. 448, p. 726; and cf. R. Yosef Kapah, Ketavim, Vol. 3, Jerusalem, 2002, pp. 1412-1416; Rashba as quoted by Tur Yoreh Deah 124; Taz to Shulhan Arukh Yoreh Deah 124, subparagraph 4; R. Hayyim David  Halevi, Aseh Lekhah Rav, Vol. 9, No. 13; R. Ovadiah Yosef, Responsa Yabia Omer, Vol. 7, Yoreh Deah, No. 12; R. David Frankel, Teshuvot Va'ad Hahalakhah Shel Knesset Harabbanim B'yisrael, Vol. 6 [5755-5758], p. 216).   Therefore, many authorities rule that it is permissible to sell or give parts of Eretz Yisrael to Muslims. (R. Raphael Meyuhass, Mizbah Adamah, Salonika, 1777, fol. 12b; Rabbi Kuk and Rabbi Frank quoted above; R. Yitzhak Isaac Halevi Herzog, Tehumin 2 [5741], pp. 169-179 which was abbreviated in Shanah B'shanah 5746, pp. 136-140; R.Shaul Yisraeli, Amud Hayemini, No. 12,  paragraph 3; and R.Ovadiah Yosef, Torah Shebe'al Peh 21 (5740), p. 14) as well as in Torah Shebea'l Peh 15 [5733], pp. 31-32 and in Tehumin 10 [5749], pp. 37-38).   Furthermore, even though many halakhic authorites claim that Christianity is a form of idol worship (see Rabbi David Frankel, ibid., pp. 213-215, 216-219), many others disagree and say that it is not (the Meiri in many places; Rabbi Moshe Isserles, Orah Hayyim 156, Rabbi Moshe Rivkes, Ba'er Hagolah to Hoshen Mishpat 425:5 and many more - see Rabbi David Frankel, ibid., pp. 219-224). Thus, according to many authorities, it is permissible to sell land in Israel to Christians as well.   II) The Approach of Nahmanides Other opponents of selling land or houses in Israel to non-Jews rely on the opinion of Nahmanides. The book of Numbers (33:53) states: "And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have assigned the land to you to possess". Nahmanides interprets this verse as a positive commandment: "...that we may not leave the land in the hands of other nations ...and the Sages called this a commanded war". (Nahmanides' additions to Sefer Hamitzvot by the Rambam, No. 4 and cf. Nahmanides' commentary to the verse.)  In other words, we are commanded to conquer Eretz Yisrael and keep her in Jewish hands regardless of the danger and any loss of Jewish life that might occur in the process.   However, Nahmanides is the only one who considers it a mitzvah to capture and retain the land of Israel. (Maimonides, Sefer Hahinukh and others do not include it in their enumerations of the 613 mitzvot.) Furthermore, many have explained that even according to Nahmanides, this mitzvah only applies in the days of the Messiah (R. Isaac de Leon in Megilat Esther  to Sefer Hamitzvot ad. loc. and others).   III) Kiddush Hashem and Hillul Hashem These two mitzvot relate to all of our relations with our non-Jewish neighbors; Kiddush Hashem is the sanctification of God's name and Hillul Hashem is the desecration of God's name. They stem from the same verse in Leviticus (22:32):  "You shall not desecrate My holy name, that I may be sanctified in the midst of the people of Israel - I am the Lord who sanctifies you".  This verse means that any good or holy act that a Jew does, sanctifies God's name in the eyes of his Jewish and gentile neighbors, while any bad or profane act that a Jew does, desecrates God's name in the eyes of the public.   Furthermore, Maimonides emphasizes that rabbis in particular must be careful about how they behave because any inappropriate behavior which causes people to criticize them is considered a hillul hashem (Hilkhot Yesodei Hatorah 5:11). There is no question that the letter published by the group of rabbis last week was a hillul hashem, which desecrated God's name in the eyes of the world.    IV) Mishum Eivah The Sages of the Talmud allowed Jews to do quite a number of activities related to non-Jews which were normally forbidden, mishum eivah - in order to prevent ill will (Entziklopedia Talmudit, Vol. 1, cols. 492-493, s.v. Eivah). Thus, even if one were to claim that it is forbidden to sell or rent property to non-Jews in Israel, it could be permitted mishum eivah. There is no question that such discrimination against non-Jews in Israel could lead to increased attacks against Jews in Israel and the Diaspora and to refusal to rent or sell homes to Jews in the Diaspora.   V) Mipnei Darkei Shalom In the Tannaitic period (ca. 70-220 c.e), Jews, Christians and idol worshippers lived side by side in many towns and villages in the Land of Israel. A baraita which appears in Gittin 61a and parallels (see my responsum in the Teshuvot Va'ad Hahalakhah Shel Knesset Harabbanim B'yisrael, Vol. 6 [5755-5758], pp. 287-288)  lists a series of rabbinic enactments mipnei darkei shalom, because of the ways of peace, including feeding non-Jews, visiting their sick, and burying their dead. The Mishnah (Gittin 5:8-9) also lists a number of similar enactments. These sources do not relate to our specific topic, but renting or selling apartments to non-Jews in the State of Israel today would certainly be in the spirit of mipnei darkei shalom found in the Mishnah and beraitot.   VI) What is hateful to you do not do to others There is a famous story in the Talmud (Shabbat 31a) about a convert who came to Hillel and asked to convert on condition that Hillel would teach  him the entire Torah while standing on one foot. Hillel replied: "Mai d'alakh saney l'haverakh la te'eveid, zo hee kol hatorah kula v'idakh peirushah hu zil gemor" - "what is hateful to you do not do to others, this is the entire Torah, the rest is commentary, go and learn".   For 1900 years, from the Destruction of the Second Temple until the twentieth century, Jews were discriminated against by non-Jews. More specifically, non-Jews frequently refused to sell land or rent houses to them. This is why Jews lived in ghettos for many centuries and this ghettoizing of the Jews reached its climax in Nazi Europe. Even in the United States, there were many cities and neighborhoods which posted signs "no dogs and Jews allowed". Now, after 1900 years, when we have our own sovereign State of Israel where we are the majority, we must follow the dictum of Hillel which he considered "the entire Torah", the most basic commandment in the Torah: "what is hateful unto you to do not do to others".   VII) Love the Stranger The Torah contains many mitzvot related to the Ger Toshav or resident alien (see David Golinkin, Insight Israel: The View from Schechter, Jerusalem, 2003, pp. 85-89). While there is disagreement among rabbis as to whether these laws apply to non-Jews living in Israel today (see ibid.), the spirit of these Biblical and Rabbinic laws demands that we treat all non-Jews in Israel with respect for "you shall love him [the stranger] as yourself, for you were strangers in the Land of Egypt" (Leviticus 19:33-34).   VIII) The Laws of the State of Israel Israel is a democracy which guaranties equal rights to all of its citizens and forbids racism or incitement to racism.   As I have shown elsewhere (Responsa in a Moment, Jerusalem, 2000, pp. 90-91), the democratic institutions of the State of Israel are not something to be "tolerated" outside of Jewish law. Rather, they are part and parcel of Jewish law -- and living in accordance with its laws is as important as observing Shabbat and keeping kosher. There are three ways of proving this assertion: a)       The Talmudic sage Samuel, who lived in third-century Babylonia, coined the phrase "dina d'malkhuta dina" - "the law of the land is the law" (Nedarim 28a and parallels), which meant that Jews must obey the laws of the countries in which they reside. But many rabbis state that this applies to a Jewish state as well(Entziklopedia Talmudit, vol. 7, cols. 307-308).If so, Jewish law requires Jews to observe the secular laws of the State of Israel. b)       Throughout Jewish history, every Jewish kahal, or community, was governed democratically on the basis of a passage in the Talmud(Bava Batra 8b; cf. Menahem Elon, Jewish Law: History, Sources, Principles, Philadelphia and Jerusalem, 1994, Chapter 19; Ephraim Kanarfogel, Proceedings of the American Academy of Jewish Research 58 (1992), pp. 71-106). The State of Israel is the modern equivalent of the kahal, and its democratic institutions must be treated with the same respect and authority as the medieval kahal. c)       Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kuk and Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli, two of the foremost religious Zionists of the twentieth century, have explained that, in our day, the democratically elected government and leaders of Israel have taken the place of the king and must be obeyed accordingly (Responsa  Mishpat Kohen, Jerusalem, 1984, No. 144, pp. 337-338, and Amud  Hayemini, Tel Aviv, 1965, Part I, Nos. 7, 9).   IX) The Fifth Tur There is a famous dictum which I heard from Rabbi Theodore Friedman z"l many years ago. One of the standard codes of Jewish law is called Arba'ah Turim, The Four Columns, written by Rabbi Jacob Ben Asher in Toledo in the 14th century. However, when a rabbi writes a responsum or makes a ruling in Jewish law he must also rely on the fifth Tur - hasechel hayashar - common sense. This too is lacking in the letter of the rabbis published last week.   X) Conclusion Thus, according to Jewish law, it is perfectly permissible to sell or rent houses to non-Jews in the Land of Israel for all of the reasons cited.   Finally, if we are concerned that certain areas of the country such as the Galilee need more Jews, we must achieve that by Zionist education, not by discrimination. If there is concern that blocks of apartments are being bought up by Iran and Saudi Arabia, then the government of Israel must deal with this national problem.   David Golinkin Jerusalem 8 Tevet 5761   Notes 1.    This responsum is partially based on my book Responsa in a Moment, Jerusalem, 2000, pp. 32-33, 90-91; and cf. R. Shlomo Brody, "Ask the Rabbi", The Jerusalem Post Magazine, November 19, 2010, p. 43.

BlueStar: Anti-Israel Bullying

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Anti-Israel Bullying Reaches Critical Proportions December 15, 2010 BlueStar Executive Director Jonathan Carey analyzes anti-Israel bullying in a recently published op-ed piece (see below).  Carey explains how BlueStar is working to turn things around.  Please join our efforts to strengthen our effort to combat anti-Israel bullying.  Your tax deductible donation will help us prepare as many students as possible to speak out for Israel. Treating Anti-Israel Bullying A neighborhood boy calls my daughter a "fat pig" and I end up thinking about anti-Israel bullying on campus. Maybe that's the way it goes when you're the founder of a non-profit that goes to bat for Israel. Here's what happened: Recently my wife and I learned that a neighborhood boy had threatened to punch my daughter in the face while using the aforementioned "fat pig" insult. My daughter came inside the house upset and anxious, crying, "Why did he pick on me? I am not even fat!" Clearly, she felt singled out and unfairly targeted, despite the fact that the boy had been intimidating all the girls in the neighborhood, without exception, in the same manner for weeks. She was dreading the next encounter with the bully. We talked with her about how she might, in the future, use humor, indifference or peer pressure to respond to the boy. After a few days of experimentation with these new tools, my daughter now rises up to defend other girls who are targeted, and solicits the help of others whenever she feels threatened. The key point here is that while the boy's behavior has not changed, my daughter and the other girls are now able to work together to shrug off the unwanted verbal abuse without feeling demoralized or endangered. She now beams at her new sense of strength and deepened relationships with the girls. While my daughter and friends had to deal with one single boy, Jewish students on many college campuses struggle with intimidating mobs of anti-Israel students and their numerous faculty sympathizers. Outside the safety of a Hillel house, many students tuck in their Stars of David and express the same dread, fear and isolation my daughter felt. The widespread Jewish fear resulting from anti-Iraq war demonstrations that often called for violence against Jews at many American college campuses in 2003, was a turning point for me. I decided to volunteer my litigation graphics experience for Israel's case by designing posters for students to educate peers about how Israelis share their values on many progressive issues. This led to my founding BlueStar in 2003, which has since given away resources to appreciative students on more than 200 campuses. In the past 7 years, campus problems have spread dramatically. Last month students at Princeton tried to boycott Sabra hummus, Columbia students set up mock IDF checkpoints and Rutgers students raised money for a new flotilla to Gaza. Worse yet, Jewish students at York University in Toronto were forced to barricade themselves inside the Hillel offices last year after an angry mob chased them screaming: "Die, Jew, die, Get the hell off campus!" Anti-Israel activists unfairly justify psychologically intimidating treatment against Jewish students as an appropriate way to show their criticism of the State of Israel. "There are so many anti-Israel and even pro-Hamas activities and symbols on campus today that supporters of Israel are worn down, really afraid to present even the most basic humanitarian facts about our side of the story," remarked Noam Bedein, of the Sderot Media Center, after a recent U.S. speaking tour. Many Jewish communal strategies exist to educate students about Israel and advocacy skills.  And when it comes to fighting bullying at schools and online, the Anti-Defamation League is taking the lead among Jewish agencies. However, no program that I am aware of combines all three areas - fighting anti-Israel vitriol, being an advocate for Israel and dealing with bullying - into a specialized solution. We need to proactively work together to help Jewish college students overcome anti-Israel campus experiences with their self-esteem and passion for Israel intact. Seeing how anti-bullying coping strategies helped my daughter, I'm convinced it is time to teach anti-bullying coping skills to the 80,000 Jews who enter college every year. BlueStar intends to help turn things around. Through Write On For Israel, we use journalism and documentary film production to help high school students discover their passion for Israel while becoming strong advocates. This year, we will add anti-bullying coping strategies to help students "fight" back. Next year we hope to partner with Hillels on campuses to launch a new college version of the program. In 2011, we are also launching a program for adults - whether you're interested in strengthening our community's voice against unfair media coverage or simply looking for ways to counter an anti-Israel comment at a cocktail party (Quick: How would you respond to a partygoer who tells the group that Israel should never have been created?). Our goal for the program is to make sure that everyone who cares about Israel's future can discover their courage, learn advocacy skills and feel empowered by the support of like-minded peers. Like my daughter and her friends, we may not be able to silence every opponent, but we can strengthen our community's ability to thrive despite the persistence of adversaries. Sincerely, Jonathan Carey Executive Director,  jc@bluestarpr.com

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Rabbi Menachem Creditor
Congregation Netivot Shalom  || Bay Area Masorti  ||  ShefaNetwork.org 

Rabbis for Women of the Wall  ||  menachemcreditor.org 

To join Rabbi Creditor's email list, send a blank email to thetisch-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

JBFCS JACS Teen and Young Adult Retreat

Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically Dependent Persons, and Significant Others

 

Teen And Young Adult Retreat

December 31^st, 2010- January 2^nd, 2011

Stamford, CT

 

Connect, share, learn, and listen about alcohol, substance abuse, and teen issues.

Jewish spirituality, clean and sober fun! 

 

For teens and young adults ages 15 – 27.  Applicants will be screened for retreat readiness. 

 

For more information, call 212.632.4600 or visit www.jacsweb.org

 

 

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Rabbi Menachem Creditor
Congregation Netivot Shalom  || Bay Area Masorti  ||  ShefaNetwork.org 

Rabbis for Women of the Wall  ||  menachemcreditor.org 

To join Rabbi Creditor's email list, send a blank email to thetisch-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Forward.com: "U.S. Rabbis Offer Rare Rebuke of Israeli Edict"

Forward.com: "U.S. Rabbis Offer Rare Rebuke of Israeli Edict"

By Josh Nathan-Kazis

http://www.forward.com/articles/133983/

An edict signed by dozens of Israeli rabbis barring the sale or rental of homes to non-Jews in Israel has led to a rare consensus among American rabbis, who have issued a nearly unanimous condemnation of the ban.

Statements by the American Modern Orthodox and Conservative rabbinic associations, and by the spokesman for an American ultra-Orthodox umbrella group, all denounce the Israeli rabbis' directive. So, too, does an online petition signed by more than 900 rabbis, most of them affiliated with non-Orthodox denominations.

Controversial proclamations by Israeli rabbis are not unheard of, but this sort of broad American rabbinic response is rare. Now, it appears that the collective response has reached a tipping point, at which so many American rabbis have spoken against the edict that others may feel compelled to concur.

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"The halachic issues here are complex," said Rabbi Shmuel Goldin, first vice president of the Rabbinical Council of America, the largely Modern Orthodox rabbinic group. "But a blanket statement that singles out a certain population and says 'Don't rent to them; don't sell to them' in such a blanket fashion is something that struck a very raw nerve."

The Israeli letter was drafted in support of an effort by the chief rabbi of Safed to bar home rentals to Arabs. Tensions have run high in recent months between ultra-Orthodox and Arab students in that northern Israeli city. Exactly how many rabbis signed the edict is unclear. Although some right-wing Israeli news outlets reported that the letter had 300 signatories, other news organizations pegged the number at fewer than 100. Regardless, the edict drew attention in the Israeli and international press because dozens of those who signed were municipal rabbis employed by the government.

Israel's leading Lithuanian Haredi leader, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, refused to sign the letter, as did, according to one report, Ovadia Yosef, the spiritual leader of Israel's Shas party. The letter was condemned by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In America, rabbinic opposition to the letter came quickly. An online petition for rabbis, posted by the New Israel Fund on December 10, had received 914 signatures by December 15.

"Statements like these do great damage to our efforts to encourage people to love and support Israel," the NIF statement read. "They communicate to our congregants that Israel does not share their values, and they promote feelings of alienation and distancing."

Signatories of the NIF petition included Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president of the Conservative movement's Rabbinical Assembly, and Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.

Most signatories appeared to be members of the Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist movements, with a few notable exceptions — including prominent New York, left-wing Orthodox rabbis Avi Weiss of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale and Yeshivat Chovevei Torah rabbinical school, and Marc Angel of Congregation Shearith Israel.

Some Orthodox rabbis said that the sponsorship of the petition by the NIF, which is identified with left-wing causes, may have discouraged the participation of rabbis who otherwise might have agreed with the petition's sentiment.

The RCA's statement, released December 14, criticized the Israeli rabbis' letter in somewhat gentler terms. "We are surely sympathetic to the impulse to protect a Jewish community in the face of intermarriage, communal conflict, or unsafe neighborhoods," the statement read. "It is our view that in spite of the concerns of the authors of the statement, it is wrong and unacceptable to advocate blanket exclusionary policies directed against minorities of other faiths or ethnic groups."

Goldin said that the RCA felt compelled to speak because, unlike an off-the-cuff comment by Yosef — famous for making provocative remarks — the Israeli rabbis' edict was a formal statement of Jewish law. "That is what drew our attention — that once such a formal statement is issued, we felt that it couldn't be left on the record without a response," he said.

The RCA's statement came hours after the posting of a translated version of a letter opposing the edict, written by prominent centrist Orthodox rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, who is American but lives in Israel, to a widely read Orthodox blog. Some observers saw the RCA's response as a gambit to protect the group from recriminations for not speaking out on the issue.

"They came up with it because they had no choice, because everyone else was already speaking out, and they felt, 'We better say something so people don't think we're in favor of this,'" said Angel, a former president of the RCA and a frequent critic of the group.

"They're facing the reality, political realities, that this is not an issue that you want to have your name stamped on," Mendy Ganchrow, former president of the Orthodox Union and a retired executive vice president of the Religious Zionists of America, said of the RCA.

In an e-mail, Rabbi Avi Shafran, a spokesman for the American ultra-Orthodox umbrella group Agudath Israel of America, said that his organization concurred with rabbis Elyashiv and Yosef. "The rabbis who signed the letter [banning the rentals] were simply misguided," Shafran wrote.

Though the mainstream American rabbinical associations appear to oppose the Israeli rabbis' letter, at least one prominent Orthodox rabbi was sympathetic. "I think it's part of a concern — and I believe a rightful one — that there's a war going on, and we're trying our best to maintain normalcy," said Rabbi Moshe Tendler, a rosh yeshiva, or dean, of the rabbinical school at Yeshiva University and a major rabbinic arbiter.

Read more: http://www.forward.com/articles/133983/#ixzz18I1ZChCL

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Rabbi Menachem Creditor
Congregation Netivot Shalom  || Bay Area Masorti  ||  ShefaNetwork.org 

Rabbis for Women of the Wall  ||  menachemcreditor.org 

To join Rabbi Creditor's email list, send a blank email to thetisch-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Alert -- Conversion Bill -- Alert

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Dear Friends,   You will recall that during the spring and summer we wrote to you on several occasions concerning the conversion bill authored by MK David Rotem. The response from American Jewry was overwhelming. We have been told Prime Minister Netanyahu received 60,000 emails, and we know that about 27,000 were sent through our website alone.   Substantially as a result of your efforts, a legislative moratorium was declared, lasting through December 31, 2010. At the same time, Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Jewish Agency, was charged with the task of working with the parties to craft a compromise. Notwithstanding hard work and dedication on the part of Natan Sharansky, we are not close to any compromise.   With the moratorium coming to an end, there have been multiple credible reports from Israel that a deal is being struck that would include passage of the very conversion bill we fought so hard to derail. This would be the "carrot" for the ultra-Orthodox Shas party agreeing not to leave the governing coalition and acquiescing in the passage of another bill relating to IDF conversions, a bill the Masorti movement supports. Leaders of the Jewish Federations of North America have written to Prime Minister Netanyahu expressing concern. A joint letter of concern from the organizations of both the Conservative/Masorti and Reform movements has also been sent to Prime Minister Netanyahu. A copy of that letter can be found below.   As background before you read the letter, please first read the 8 points listed below.   We are not, at this juncture, asking you to do anything beyond becoming educated about what is taking place in Israel, and we hope no further action on your part will be necessary. But if matters move in a direction we consider unacceptable and we do need your help again, we want  you to have this information and be prepared to quickly respond to a call to action.   Sincerely,   David H. Lissy Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism in Israel     Background Points:   1)     MK David Rotem introduced a bill (Rotem I) to give authority de jure in Israel on all conversion matters to the Chief Rabbis. In July, that bill received Knesset committee approval.   2)     The Jewish Federations of North America/ Reform/Conservative Movements together strongly opposed this legislation in form and substance.   3)     Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to a legislative moratorium on this subject until December 31, 2010.   4)     Conversions performed in the Israel Defense Forces have been challenged due to internal Israeli considerations involving the Chief Rabbinate.   5)     MK Rotem introduced to the Knesset a second bill (Rotem II) providing that conversions done under the auspices of the IDF must be accepted in Israel and that the Chief Rabbis would not have authority over these conversions. We support this bill on its merits because it is good for the IDF and fair and proper for the soldiers of the IDF.  This bill (Rotem II) passed its first reading on December 15, 2010 by a vote of 74 to 18. It takes three readings in the Knesset for a bill to become law.   6)     There are numerous credible reports of political attempts being made to link the final passage of Rotem II – which the Reform/Conservative/Federation Movements support – to Rotem I, which is the bill so strongly opposed in July by the movements as a threat to Jewish unity. Rotem II clarifies the status of IDF conversions and allows for greater options for conversion in Israel. Rotem I threatens Jewish unity by assigning sole authority for conversions in Israel – and possibly, by extension, around the world – to the Israeli Chief Rabbinate.   7)     The Jewish Federations of North America have written to Prime Minister Netanyahu on these matters expressing concern.   8)     The Conservative/Masorti and Reform Movements have written a joint letter to the Prime Minister on these matters.   Letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu from the Conservative/Masorti and Reform movements:    Dear Mr. Prime Minister,   We are deeply grateful to you, as we have stated previously, for your position on MK David Rotem's bill on conversion that was introduced this summer.  Your willingness to call for a "freeze" on this legislation in order to find a solution acceptable to all sides was welcomed by us and by Jews throughout the world.   We also wish to express our strong support for the current efforts of MK Rotem to maintain conversion opportunities for those who serve in the IDF.   However, we are very concerned by reports that the two Rotem bills are being linked and that support for the first bill will be a condition of passing the second.    We remain strongly opposed, under any and all circumstances, to the original Rotem legislation as it is currently written. The vast majority of American Jews opposed this bill, as do the majority of Jews around the world.  In your moving speech at the GA in New Orleans, you expressed your own concerns about the legislation and the need to preserve Jewish unity. Your words, "Any Jew, of any denomination, will always have the right to come home to the Jewish state. Religious pluralism and tolerance will always guide my policy," inspired our communities. Natan Sharansky, at your behest, has done exceptional work in trying to find a just solution, and we are eager to see this work continue.   You have spoken eloquently about the dangers that Israel confronts.  Our movements, joining with Jews everywhere, work every day to defend Israel against the threats of a nuclear Iran and the campaign of demonization and delegitimization directed at the Jewish State.  We urge you, Mr. Prime Minister, to oppose legislative efforts that will divide us.  In these perilous times for the State of Israel and the Jewish people, let us work instead on what unites us.   Sincerely,   Union for Reform Judaism United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism Central Conference of American Rabbis The Rabbinical Assembly Association of Reform Zionist of America Masorti Foundation World Union for Progressive Judaism Israel Masorti Movement Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism MERCAZ USA International Federation of Reform and Progressive Religious Zionists(ARZENU) MERCAZ Olami World Council of Conservative/Masorti Synagogues(Masorti Olami)   To learn more, please contact: Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism in Israel 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 832 New York, NY 10115-0068 (212) 870-2216; 1-877-287-7414 http://www.masorti.org/; info@masorti.org

haaretz.com: "We all owe Israel's racist rabbis a vote of thanks"

• Published 11:35 14.12.10
• Latest update 11:35 14.12.10

We all owe Israel's racist rabbis a vote of thanks

Rabbis who signed a ruling against leasing to Arabs have put an end to the notion of rabbinic authority and have freed us to be Jews on our own terms.

By Bradley Burstonhttp://www.haaretz.com/blogs/a-special-place-in-hell/we-all-owe-israel-s-racist-rabbis-a-vote-of-thanks-1.330565
A year ago at this time, I wrote a piece which I ultimately decided was too venom-laced, too cruel, and too socially un-redeeming even for this often problematic space.

An end of the year feature, it was called "The Top 10 Rabbis Judaism Could Do Without." No one saw it. I threw it out.

It was a time for new beginnings, I believed. A time for granting the benefit of the doubt. A time for giving a chance, for hoping against hope. A time to refrain from tarring all rabbis with the refesh - the filth of a few.

If for no other reason than respect for Judaism and the vast majority of rabbis who are forces for good in this world, I decided to learn to live with the rest. Even those whose rulings contravene some of the most fundamental moral precepts in Judaism, and also those who issued bans on living with non-Jews, as well as those who have declared it moral to kill Arab innocents, even infants, and those who preach the destruction of Palestinian property, and those who have advised IDF soldiers that mercy toward Arabs is cruelty, and those whose ardor for settlement is such that it has bent and broken the principle that the saving of human life takes precedence above all else.

What can I say? After a year of waiting and watching, I now realize that I'd been wrong in more ways than I knew. Not only was the list of 10 Rabbis that Judaism Could Do Without, mean-spirited and presumptuous, it also turned out to be much, much too short.

By 290 rabbis, at least. Those who have gone out of their way to endorse a written religious ban on selling or renting homes, apartments, and lots to non-Jews, particularly Arabs.

At this year's end, then, let me begin anew, with this preamble. In my house, growing up, a true Yid, a person with a Jewish soul, was synonymous with that of a mensch, a genuinely human being; a person who is sensitive to the difficulties of others, and appreciative of the differences between people. That is to say, a Ben Adom, a descendent of Adam and Eve – who were, by the way, and certainly by Orthodox definition, not Jewish.

It's the end of a terrible year. A time to take stock. To rethink. And to realize that the Jewish People as a whole owes a special vote of gratitude to these hundreds of rabbis and their colossal ill will.

These rabbis have set the rest of us free.

In their newfound candor, these men, many of them municipal chief rabbis and heads of rabbinical academies – that is, the people who get to decide who is Jewish and who is not, who may marry and who may not, who may be buried where and with whom - have at long last told us what they have for years been quietly telling their rabbinical students, their parishioners, each other.

In so doing, they have effectively put an end to the notion of rabbinic authority. They have done the Jewish People an invaluable service.

They have freed us. Freed us to be Jews. Not on their terms. On ours.

Just listen to how the letter ends: "The neighbors and acquaintances [of a Jew who sells or rents to an Arab] must distance themselves from the Jew, refrain from doing business with him, deny him the right to read from the Torah, and similarly [ostracize] him until he goes back on this harmful deed."

In their level-eyed bigotry, their ironclad insensitivity, their untouchable, corrupting, bureaucracy-based immunity, they have taught us finally to pay no attention to that man behind the curtain of Oral Law.

At the same time, they have helped us to see where Jewish leaders the world over truly stand on issues of fundamental human consequence. The mumbling and the silence of the many who have ducked a response to the rabbis' action have made the strongest statement of all.

This month, even as the country was engulfed in flames, some of the same rabbis were busy in back rooms, deciding who could decide who is a Jew, and making sure that they would retain more and more of the say.

We no longer have to go along. They've lost the franchise.

We should thank them for showing us how they can take a period focused on disasters and personal tragedies and turn it into one more opportunity to threaten the government with dissolution. The issue this time?

Ultra-orthodox rabbis – who are only too happy to allow immigrant soldiers to keep them safe – now want to disallow the Orthodox conversions these same soldiers have undergone during their military service.

No one has to go along. And if this is about giving thanks, this is surely an opportunity to mention the more than 700 rabbis who have already signed a petition against the ban on selling or renting to Arabs.

No longer need we listen to the Gang of 300 when they tell us what the Almighty wants.

From apocalyptic rulings shielding settlements, to the brutal stranglehold on conversion policy, they are making up Judaism as they go along. And, in the process, by stating that non-Jews have no place here, annihilating the democracy that pays their very salaries.

How are we to understand these public remarks by officials of the state of Israel? What is it that they are telling us, these apparatchiks in Armani? That non-Jews can no longer be Israelis? That Arabs can no longer live here?

That Zionism turns out to be a form of racism, after all? Or, is it Judaism itself?

For years, we let this go on. We paid their salaries in taxes, in Jewish Federation contributions, in bribes disguised as clerical service fees, in bribes disguised as donations.

Does it surprise anyone that it would be these men who, in the space of one rabbinic open letter, would declare Israel's Declaration of Independence invalid?

These are the people whom we allow to decide who can be a Jew.

No more. Let people decide on their own.

Who am I to say this? A nobody.

But one who believes that it's hard enough already to be Jewish in this world, and a person who cares about Israel in this world, without having to run the gauntlet of self-elected Torah Jews whose Judaism is a product of, by, and for, a stateless people.

I'm a nobody, like the people who stood at Sinai, every Jew in this world, who received the Torah every bit as personally as the members of the Gang of 300.

Oh, and one other thing. I was once a Dayan, a rabbinical court judge. Years ago, newly in Israel, newly finished with my IDF service, bearded and short-haired because of it, I donned a skullcap and sat in the Beer Sheba Rabbinical Court, waiting to vouch for the Jewishness of a friend who was about to be married.

The Beer Sheva institution being what it is, that afternoon a divorcing couple came together one last time to physically assault one of the dayanim hearing their case. He wound up in Soroka hospital, and I was abruptly plucked from the bench and pressed into service as an appropriately bearded, if bewildered, alternate.

It's the end of a very tough year. As a Dayan B'Yisrael, I say, if you tell me you're Jewish, that's good enough for me. And if you're not, let's talk real estate.
 

More on this topic

• Top rabbis move to forbid renting homes to Arabs, say 'racism originated in the Torah'
• Rabbis behind anti-Arab manifesto seek compromise with Netanyahu, Haaretz learns
• Hundreds of rabbis around the world decry anti-Arab religious ruling

This story is by:

• Bradley Burston

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Rabbi Menachem Creditor
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