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Rabbi Abner Weiss

Rabbi Abner Weiss

Is There Nothing Good

The sermon seminar organized by the Board of Rabbis of Southern California is the group\’s biggest event of the year. Rabbis from allover the Southland get together to share sermon ideas for the High Holy Days. It is an opportunity for spiritual enrichment and sharing.Colleagues present their best materials. Congregations throughout Southern California benefit from this annual exchange of ideas and inspiration.

Pushing Each Other’s Buttons

Predictably, it happened again. Conservative and Reform Jews choseto demonstrate their right to worship at the Kotel in their way, menand women together. This time, however, the worshipers had officialclearance. But their permit did not help. Sadly, but alsopredictably, Orthodox Jews prevented them from praying in their way.Passions flared. The scene became ugly. Religious extremists,unconcerned about Torah prohibitions against striking another person,became violent. Hurt and humiliated, the non-Orthodox worshipers wereforcibly removed by the police. And, of course, the media had beenprepped. The cameras were ready. They captured the tears of thevanquished and the jeers of the violent. The angry scenes wereflashed across the world.

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