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Jewish Journal

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March 14, 2013

Little Boxes on the Hillside

Leave a Comment / Blogs, Culture, Mobile, Mobile Sections, News /

By M. Alexander

Earlier this week, while running a Prevention group at a Hebrew School in the valley, we ran into a difficult dilemma when we split the group into boys and girls. The teacher fashions herself a progressive and decided that a split by gender was antiquated. What about sexual preference? What about gender identity?

The teacher decided that the students could go into whichever group they felt the most comfortable. In a hypersensitive and politically correct world, this seems a reasonable solution. The teacher didn’t want anybody to be marginalized. However, the teacher’s focus was not on the rest of the class. What happens if the desires of the few affect the comfort of the many? After all, these are 10th graders and I am not sure if a boy would feel as comfortable sharing his intimate problems if he was sitting across from somebody he does not think shares the same issues.

I don’t know if there is a simple solution. I have absolutely no problem discussing “men’s” issues with a group that includes transgender and homosexual students. But what about the students who do? Should they suck it up and enter modernity? Or is there another reasonable solution that I have not yet thought of? Your help would be much appreciated.

Little Boxes on the Hillside Read More »

Israel’s emerging new government

Leave a Comment / Israel, Live from the Arab Spring /

Barring a last minute glitch, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to sign coalition agreements that will give him a new government just two days before the deadline, and less than a week before President Barack Obama arrives in Israel. The new government will have a total of 68 seats in the 120 seat parliament.

“It’s an excellent government and it will have a chance to enact changes that should have been taken a long time ago,” Eytan Gilboa, a professor of political science at Bar Ilan University told The Media Line. “It will try to correct distortions in army service by drafting the ultra-Orthodox and cut economic benefits to them as well. There will also be an opportunity to introduce changes to the economic system.”

For the first time since 2005, the ultra-Orthodox parties will not be inside the government. Also outside will be the center-left Labor party, as well as the Arab parties.

The election was held almost two months ago. Netanyahu’s Likud party, which ran on a joint slate with the hard-line Yisrael Beitenu (“Israel is Our Home”), won 31 seats—just over 25 percent, and a significant drop from their joint strength in the previous government. That meant Netanyahu needed to find at least 30 additional seats. Nineteen of those came from the election’s biggest surprise: Yesh Atid (“There Is a Future”) the new party of television personality turned politician Yair Lapid, who is slated to become Finance Minister in the new government.

“This government represents a change—it’s the same Prime Minister and the Likud is the largest party, but it is a major, dramatic change,” Yehuda Ben Meir of the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) told The Media Line. “This will be more of a civilian government than a theocratic government, and it represents a wide segment of the Israeli population.’

Both Lapid and his junior partner, Naftali Bennett of the right-wing Yisrael Beitenu party, had been slated to become Deputy Prime Ministers. At the last minute, however, Netanyahu decided not to appoint any deputy prime ministers for the first time in 50 years. According to Israeli media, the Prime Minister's wife, Sara Netanyahu, harbors a lingering grudge against Bennett, her husband's former chief of staff, and she didn’t want him appointed to the position. Bennett said that Netanyahu's decision violates a previous agreement with his party.

The new government is expected to be sworn in on Monday, just two days before President Obama arrives in Israel. Under Israeli law, if an agreement had not been reached by Saturday night, Israel would have had to hold new elections. Most of the wrangling of the past few weeks was over who would receive which cabinet portfolios. For example, Lapid’s Yesh Atid party insisted on both the Education and Finance Ministries; Lapid himself was angling to become Foreign Minister. In the end, Netanyahu succeeded in holding on to that job for his partner, Avigdor Lieberman, who is currently on trial for fraud and corruption.

The first tasks of the new government will be to pass a new budget. Lapid is also insisting that Israel begin drafting the ultra-Orthodox to “share the burden” of military service. Some ultra-Orthodox have responded by sayng that they will leave Israel rather than be drafted. Most Jewish Israeli men serve for three years; women serve for two. One study has shown that if most of the ultra-Orthodox were drafted, all men could serve only two years, as well.

With a slim majority, 68 seats, the government may be fragile; if either Lapid or Bennett decides to leave the coalition, the government will fall and new elections will be held.

“If this government lasts more than two years, it will be a success,” Gilboa said. “It’s also like a period of apprenticeship for Lapid and Bennett. Both of them want to be Prime Minister in a few years.”

Israel’s emerging new government Read More »

Ehud Barak leaves Israeli politics — for now

Leave a Comment / Israel, Mobile, Mobile-Homepage, News /

Ehud Barak stepped down as Israeli defense minister at an official farewell event.

Barak, 71, who served as defense minister for six years, announced in November that he would leave political life. He told CNN recently that he would stay away from politics for at least five years.

Only David Ben-Gurion, who was defense minister for eight years, and Moshe Dayan, who held the office for seven years, served in the position longer than Barak.

“Ehud, I have no idea what you're planning to do next, but the State of Israel can't do without you,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during the Wednesday night event, which had been postponed from Tuesday following the crash of a Cobra helicopter during a training exercise that left two soldiers dead.

“This coming year will be crucial for Israel's defense and security,” Netanyahu said. “In the coming years, we'll have to deal with the growing amounts of lethal weapons that are being accumulated in our region, from the nuclear threat to sophisticated missiles that threaten the entire State of Israel.” He added, “I don't underestimate the threats, nor do I underestimate our ability to meet them.”

Barak responded: “The steering wheel is being held by strong, trustworthy and confident hands.”

Barak served as prime minister in 1999, succeeding Benjamin Netanyahu, and simultaneously as defense minister. He left politics in 2001 after losing to Ariel Sharon, but returned in 2007 to serve as chairman of the Labor Party and defense minister for Ehud Olmert. Barak stayed on when Netanyahu became prime minister in 2009.

Barak left the Labor Party in January 2011 and formed the left-wing Independence Party to shore up Netanyahu's majority coalition government when Labor, minus Barak's faction, quit the coalition. The Independence Party did not garner enough votes in January's election to receive seats in the new Knesset.

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2013 Passover calendar

Leave a Comment / Holidays, What's Happening /

SAT | MARCH 16

TEMPLE JUDEA
Celebrate Passover, Shabbat and family during a Tot Shabbat with Rabbi Karen Bender, Cantor Alison Wissot and Len Levitt and the Levitty Puppets. Sat. 9:30 a.m. Free. Temple Judea, 5429 Lindley Ave., Tarzana. (818) 758-3800. templejudea.com.

SUN | MARCH 17

“THE DOWNTOWN SEDER”
Clergy and community leaders, including Ruth Messinger, president and executive director of American Jewish World Service; Imam Jihad Turk, director of religious affairs for the Islamic Center of Southern California; the Rev. Mark Whitlock, executive director of the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement; Rabbi Ed Feinstein of Valley Beth Shalom; and Rabbi Mark Borovitz of Beit T’Shuvah, appear at this interfaith urban Passover experience. Held at the new Pico Union, a revival of the historic site of the first Sinai Temple, the event provides inspiration and insight through song, stories and more, all in celebration of the themes of Passover. A light reception follows. Sun. 2-4 p.m. Free-$72. Pico Union, 1153 Valencia St., downtown. (818) 760-1077. downtownseder.eventbrite.com (the Journal will live-stream this program at jewishournal.com/downtown_seder).

“MEM: A REVOLUTIONARY ROCK MUSICAL”
In Hebrew, “Miriam,” “Moses,” “Mitzrayim” (Hebrew for “Egypt”), “makot” (Hebrew for plagues) and “miracle” all begin with mem, the 13th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Drawing on Torah, midrash and the imagination of Bill Burnett, who wrote the book, lyrics and music to this concert event, “Mem” follows the Hebrew slaves’ insurgency against their oppressors in Egypt. A lively discussion follows. Sun. 2 p.m. Free (donations welcome). Adat Ari El, Farber Auditorium, 12020 Burbank Blvd., Valley Village. (818) 766-9426. adatariel.org.

THE HOLLYWOOD CANTORS
Cantors Samuel Cohen, Jonathan Friedmann, Marcus Feldman and Netanel Baram perform songs in Yiddish, Hebrew and Italian during “Exodus: A Passover Concert.” Angela Bae (violin), Susan Greenberg (flute) and Carmit Baram (bassoon) provide accompaniment. Presented by the City of West Hollywood’s Russian Advisory Board. Sun. 3 p.m. $20 (suggested donation). Plummer Park, Fiesta Hall, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. (323) 868-2623. weho.org.

TUE | MARCH 19

PASSOVER CITY HALL CELEBRATION
Elected leaders, synagogue members, students and others come together to celebrate. Sing songs of liberation, nosh on matzah and macaroons, and rejoice. For security and parking reasons, RSVP no later than Thursday, March 14, to Barri Worth at barri.worth@lacity.org. Tue. Noon-1 p.m. Free. L.A. City Hall Rotunda, 200 N. Spring St., Los Angeles. (323) 761-8600. boardofrabbis.org.

FOOD JUSTICE SEDER
American Jewish World Service (AJWS), The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger and Netiya come together for an interactive evening of food, conversation and study. AJWS President Ruth Messinger; Cari Uslan, development director of MAZON; and Rabbi Noah Farkas, founder of Netiya, offer insights about food justice and Passover. Also, learn how to advocate for ending hunger and meet like-minded Jews. Tue. 7 p.m. Free. The Hub on Venice, 11827 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 843-9588. ajws.org.

THU | MARCH 21

ITALIAN PASSOVER WITH JUDY AND MARVIN ZEIDLER
Famed chefs and restaurateurs Judy and Marvin Zeidler host a not-so-traditional Passover feast based on Judy’s recent book, “Italy Cooks.” Between courses, the Zeidlers reminiscence about Italy and discuss Italian Jewish cuisine. Menu includes whitefish mousse on romaine heart leaves with fried sage leaves and anchovy, Tuscan porcini soup, roast spring lamb with green sauce Piedmont and chocolate mousse with chocolate hazelnut. All recipes are kosher for Passover. All wines are kosher. Thu. 7 p.m. $80 (general), $95 (includes wine). Advance tickets required (sales end on March 18). Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 440-4500. skirball.org.

VALLEY RUACH
The young professionals organization (ages 21-39) holds a chocolate seder, led by Jessica Kendler Yarkin, Ruach’s rabbinic student leader, and veteran pastry chef and chocolatier Jonathan Solomon. One golden ticket ensures admittance to this feast, which, to paraphrase Willy Wonka, will be 93 percent perspiration, 6 percent electricity, 4 percent evaporation, 2 percent butterscotch ripple and 0 percent matzah. Thu. 7 p.m. $10 (RSVP requested). Adat Ari El, 12020 Burbank Blvd., Valley Village. (818) 766-9426. valleyruach.org.

SUN | MARCH 24

“FUN AND WACKY PASSOVER FAMILY ADVENTURE”
The Shalom Institute in Malibu invites young children and their families to travel back in time to biblical Egypt and relive the Exodus. Kids toil the land and gather parsley for Passover; watch the Ten Plagues come to life; make holiday crafts or the seder table; ride the zip line across the Red Sea to freedom and make matzah over an open fire. Sun. 1-4 p.m. Free. Shalom Institute, 34342 Mulholland Highway, Malibu. (818) 889-5500. shalominstitute.com.

MON | MARCH 25

JAR
Chef Suzanne Tracht’s acclaimed restaurant offers a special Passover dinner and seder to celebrate the first night of the holiday. The four-course meal merges Tracht’s family holiday traditions with the flavors of Jar, a modern chophouse. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres of house-cured salmon and crispy potato pancakes, matzah ball soup in lemongrass broth and a main course of Jar signature’s pot roast or sautéed Alaskan halibut. Family-style sides include horseradish mashed potatoes and sautéed pea tendrils. Macaroons, cheesecake and more highlight the dessert plate. Author Racelle Rosett leads the service with Rabbi Susan Goldberg. Singer-songwriter Sally Dworsky provides musical entertainment. Guests are encouraged to donate to MAZON : A Jewish Response to Hunger. Mon. 5:30 p.m. $130 (per adult), $55 (per child younger than 12). Jar, 8225 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 655-6566. thejar.com.

TUE | MARCH 26

“SEPHARDIC PASSOVER SEDER”
Sephardic Singles Havurah (ages 40s-70s) invites the community to its Sephardic seder, which is led in Ladino, English and Hebrew and overlooks on ocean sunset at a Pacific Palisades location. Haifa Restaurant caters the Sephardic-style dinner. RSVP with your check must be received by March 18. Tue. 4:30 p.m. $30 (Havurah members), $40 (guests). (323) 294-6084.

THE JEWISH HOME COMMUNITY SEDER
Enjoy a seder experience with the Jewish Home’s family of residents and supporters. Tue. 5 p.m. $40 (per adult), $30 (per adult family member of Jewish Home residents). $15 (per child younger than 12). Advance tickets required (sales end March 18). Los Angeles Jewish Home, Eisenberg Village Camps, 18855 Victory Blvd., Reseda. (818) 774-3386. www.jha.org.

“COMMUNITIES OF THE WORLD”
Experience a second-night seder with customs and charoset from Jewish communities across the globe. Tue. 6:15-9 p.m. $52 (nonmember adult), $27 (member child, ages 3-13), $48 (member adult), $32 (nonmember child, ages 3-13). Shomrei Torah Synagogue, 7353 Valley Circle Blvd., West Hills. (818) 346-0811. stsonline.org.

“REDEMPTION AND RESPONSIBILITY” SEDER
Join AJWS, Global Circle, ATID and Moishe House for a second-night seder, designed for singles and couples (ages 21-39), that focuses on how our freedom story inspires global justice today. A three-course kosher gourmet meal will be served. Tue. 6:30 p.m. $44 (reservations required). Sinai Temple, 10400 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 481-3244. atidla.com/calendars/atid-7th-annual-2nd-night-seder.

WED | MARCH 27

BEIT T’SHUVAH PASSOVER
The rehabilitation center hosts a special third-night seder with a presentation of its original musical, “Freedom Song.” Wed. 6:30-8:30 p.m. $26. Beit T’Shuvah, 8831 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 204-5200. beittshuvah.org.

THU | MARCH 28

WOMEN’S PASSOVER SEDER
Experience the seder through the eyes of women, sing women’s Passover songs and feast on a kosher-for-Passover dinner. One of the National Council of Jewish Women/Los Angeles’ most anticipated and well-attended annual events, this get-together aims to be meaningful and inspiring. Thu. 6:30-9:30 p.m. $36 (members), $46 (general). NCJW/LA Council House, 543 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 651-2930. ncjwla.org/womens-passover-seder.

2013 Passover calendar Read More »

Israel May Be Main Topic In Next National Jewish Population Survey of the U.S.

Leave a Comment / Uncategorized /

If the new planned national surveys of Jewish population confirm what has been clear to demographer Sergio DellaPergola and myself and some other demographers that Israel has overtaken the U.S. in the last decade in having the largest Jewish population in the world, this may be world changing, at least cartographically and perhaps cognitively.  There will be two independent scientific opportunities to test this hypothesis.  This may be a historic milestone in how American and world Jews and Israelis view one another as the Jewish population balance point shifts geographically off the shores of the U.S. ends up somewhere around the Jews of Rome, Italy.

Israelis living in the U.S. may again be proven to be a tiny fraction, about 2 percent, of the U.S. Jewish population, as I have termed this group as the “Jews of the Jews” in the U.S. This will be attacked as unbelievable to most Israelis and many in the organized American Jewish community and held up to ridicule.

Israel may again be shown as a blip on the radar screen of concerns of the majority of American Jews.  This too will be roundly attacked by many in the organized Jewish community as it sound's too much like Iran's Ahmadinejad's evaluation of Israel in his UN speech of last year, but it may be the most concerning of issues found in the upcoming surveys.  The debate of what constitutes a blip may rage.

Intermarriage, which made headlines when the 1990 NJPS was released, may be old news.  If my colleague Bruce Phillips is correct, intermarriage may now be declining. If so, expect an attack on the surveys  from Jewish orthodoxy that their prognosis of ever growing intermarriage and the eventual disappearance of non-Orthodox Jewry in the U.S.  The Jewish Federations and non-Orthodox denominations may of course jockey for credit for somehow doing their jobs and the decline in intermarriage.

If a question regarding the Jewish denominational upbringing of respondents is included, the trend of denominational shifting in the direction of, from Orthodox to Conservative to Reform to Just Jewish and No Religion, will likely continue to the consternation of all the denominations.  The Orthodox will again loudly claim that the survey somehow methodologically missed them and all those new practitioners to Jewish Orthodoxy are not being counted.

As in Israel, the economic polarization and fall off of the middle class and the lack of social services may be found in the U.S. among its Jews.  It’s doubtful that this will cause recriminations, because its probably not going to be studied. It will remain invisible this decade for U.S. Jewry as the Jewish Federations of North America has disassociated itself from all the planned Jewish population studies.  There will be no questions about existential needs such as employment, occupations, utilization of services funded by the Jewish community for those in need.  Somehow the Jewish Federations of North American forgot its roots of mutual aid and the measurement of those needs.  Picturesque needy waifs, elderly and  other media suitable graphics suffice to prove need and effectiveness at meeting those needs among American Jews.

All of this is in anticipation of the planning of not one, but two major surveys of America’s Jews. One planned by the Pew Research Center is closer to fruition, and the second in earlier development by the Berman Jewish Policy Archives at New York University, are coming down the pike.  The surveys  are designed to complement each other with enough overlap to aid in calibrating and adding to scientific research methodology and knowledge.  The surveys share expert advisors formally and informally, but each will hew to the historical areas of expertise of their respective institutions, the Pew Research Center and the Berman Jewish Policy Archives, primarily for reasons of resource maximization.  Surveys are expensive to field and national surveys on a relatively tiny population group, such as the estimated 2 percent of American Jews, are especially expensive when you have to successfully randomly interview 98 non-Jews to find two Jews.  Six hundred to eight hundred contact attempts are not unusual to complete those 100 household interviews to yield two Jewish households.

The Berman Jewish Policy Archive’s National Jewish Population Survey, which in the inexplicable absence of JFNA’s involvement, is now a vitally important survey informing Jewish communal and social policy to be undertaken. The BJPA has garnered a $1 million grant that still needs to matched for the National Jewish Population Survey to proceed.

Why is the Pew Research Center studying Jews? It doesn’t only study Jews, it studies many religions.

Pew Research Center has conducted surveys of religious groups in the United States – including Protestants, Catholics, Mormons, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and the religiously unaffiliated – They have done so independently, not on behalf of the religious group(s) surveyed or on behalf of organizations that serve those groups.

Fortunately, the non-profit Pew Research Center receives funding from the  Pew Charitable Trusts and a few other foundations. This allows Pew Research Center to pursue independent research and their findings are made  freely available to the public.

The Pew Research Center is an independent, non-profit, nonadvocacy organization. The term “nonadvocacy” means, among other things, that Pew Research doesn’t take positions on public policy issues and doesn’t make recommendations to public or private decisionmakers. Pew Research Center doesn’t have clients, doesn’t sell their research.

Pini Herman, PhD. has served as Asst. Research Professor at the University of Southern California Dept. of Geography,  Adjunct Lecturer at the USC School of Social Work,  Research Director at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles following Bruce Phillips, PhD. in that position and is a past President of the Movable Minyan a lay-lead independent congregation in the 3rd Street area. Currently he is a principal of Phillips and Herman Demographic Research. To email Pini: pini00003@gmail.com To follow Pini on Twitter:

Israel May Be Main Topic In Next National Jewish Population Survey of the U.S. Read More »

Pope Francis reaches out to Italy’s chief rabbi

Leave a Comment / Blogs, Judaism, Mobile, Mobile Sections, News /

If the Jewish world was waiting for a sign from Pope Francis regarding his relations with its community, it didn't take long.

In his first day as Pope today, Francis I wrote to the Chief Rabbi of the Rome Jewish Community, Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, inviting him to his Inauguration on March 19 , and expressing his hope of a renewed collaboration with the Jewish Community.  

“I strongly hope to be able to contribute to the progress that the relations between Jews and Catholics have known since the Second Vatican Council,” the Pope wrote. ” in a spirit of renewed collaboration and in the service of a world that can always be in more harmony with the will of the Creator.” 

Rome-based Vatican observers called the missive a  good start.   They expect Rabbi Di Segni to reciprocate the invitation, and will invite Pope Francesco to visit him in the Synagogue, following the tradition started by Chief Rabbi Toaff with John Paul II, and continued by Rabbi Di Segni with Benedict XVI last year.

“As far as I have heard and read in the few minutes since he was elected pope, he has shown deep signs of respect and friendship towards the Jews,” said Rabbi Di Segni told Reuters news agency. “It's a good starting point.”

In his native Argentina, then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, had close relationships with Jewish leaders.

“In the Jewish community in Buenos Aires, the widely shared impression is that he’s very friendly, that the cardinal was determined to have a cordial relationship with the Jewish community,” Rabbi Marvin Hier, the dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said.

 

 

Rob Eshman is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Journal. You can follow him on Twitter @foodaism.

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Obama: ‘Bibi and I have a terrific, businesslike relationship’

Leave a Comment / Mobile, Mobile-Homepage, News, United States /

President Obama said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have “a terrific, businesslike relationship.”

“We get stuff done,” Obama told an interviewer from Israel's Channel 2 in an interview aired Thursday night, in advance of his visit to Israel next week.

Obama said the fact that his government is more center-left and Netanyahu's more to the right has put a “strain” on the governments, but that it is “not personal.”

“There have been times when Bibi and I have had differences, but the relationship between our countries is so strong,” Obama said, adding that the differences “are bridged and resolved.”

Obama reiterated that his goal during his trip is to listen and to speak directly to the Israeli people as often as he can. When asked why it took him so long as president to visit Israel, Obama said that there have been “some big crises in the United States.”

On the topic of Jonathan Pollard, the spy for Israel in prison in the United States, Obama said he has “no plans of releasing Jonathan Pollard immediately.” He said the U.S. justice system, with its system of periodic reviews of early release for prisoners, should be allowed to take its course. “I recognize the emotions involved in this,” Obama said. “I am sympathetic, but as president my first duty is to observe the law in the United States and make sure it is applied consistently.”

Obama said he regretted that as president he cannot wander the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem or go to a bar in Tel Aviv and meet regular Israelis.

On Iran, Obama said that “all options are on the table” but that there is still time for sanctions to work.

On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Obama said it is essential for Israel to resolve the Palestinian issue and that it would be “good for Israeli security.” He added, “Obviously Israel cannot resolve it by itself, but it should not stop trying.”

Obama: ‘Bibi and I have a terrific, businesslike relationship’ Read More »

Israeli girl, 3, injured after car hit with rocks in West Bank

Leave a Comment / Israel, Mobile, Mobile-Homepage, News /

A 3-year-old Israeli girl is in critical condition after a car accident in the West Bank caused by rocks thrown by Palestinians.

A car driven by a woman and her three young daughters veered off course Thursday night after being hit by a rock, crashing into a truck or bus, Haaretz reported, citing eyewitnesses. Ynet reported that the truck veered off course to avoid the rocks and crashed into the woman's car.

The woman and her other daughters, ages 4 and 5, also were injured in the accident on Route 5 near the West Bank Jewish city of Ariel. A bus also was hit with rocks.

An Israeli man and a 10-year-old boy also were injured by thrown rocks in the same area.

Before the accident, a number of drivers had reported coming under attack by rocks. Police reportedly are investigating the accident's cause.

Israeli girl, 3, injured after car hit with rocks in West Bank Read More »

Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association elects gay rabbi to lead group

Leave a Comment / Judaism /

The Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association has elected an openly gay rabbi to lead the national rabbinic organization.

Rabbi Jason Klein, the executive director of Hillel at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, since 2006, was elected to lead the RRA during its 39th annual convention in New Orleans, which ended on Wednesday. It is the first national rabbinic association of one of the major Jewish denominations in the United States to be led by a gay man, according to the group.

Klein was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Council in 2002 and graduated from Columbia University in 1997. He grew up in Montclair, N.J. Klein spent four years as a congregational rabbi at Congregation Beth Emeth on the South Shore of Long Island, N.Y.

“Coming out and growing into my adult Jewish identity would not be the same were it not for affirming teachers, rabbis and other mentors along the way,” Klein said after his election, j. weekly reported. “I am honored to be able to give back by supporting colleagues who are creating welcoming communities in hundreds of settings across North America and beyond.”

The rabbinical association also honored Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, who in 1974 became the first woman to be ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Sasso was honored in advance of her stepping down after 36 years as rabbi of Congregation Beth-El Zedeck in Indianapolis.

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Egos Gone Wild (or: The Tao of Leviticus)

Leave a Comment / Blogs, Mobile, Mobile Sections, News, Worldwide /

We have all been around the person who has an untamed ego, and you may even work with one of them. They always need to be the centre of attention, they make everything about themselves and they drain the energy of people around them. In <em>Harry Potter</em> terminology they are the 'Dementors'. In order to solve the ‘problem’ of our narcissistic acquaintance and turn the challenge into an opportunity, we can ask two questions: 1)What is it about them that bothers us so much? And 2)Can we see that annoying quality inside ourself?

In ancient Jerusalem there was a kind of sacrifice that was brought with flour but it was taught that the flour had to be brought in a completely unleavened state, i.e. not mixed with water or puffed-up in any way. The flour was seen to represent the human ego, and it is impossible to give a wholehearted sacrifice if we are coming from a self-centered perspective (1).

Similarly, we may have experienced a friend or work colleague give us a gift while they made it all about them. When was the last time somebody gave something to you – whether a tangible gift or doing you a favour – but you energetically felt that they were taking from you?

All of this makes sense from a rational perspective. If there is a limited amount of space in the room and we inflate ourselves, there is less room for somebody else. But this goes deeper; when we don’t give space for other people’s thoughts and ideas, we shut down a whole realm of possibility. By keeping our ego minimised, we unlock a magical space of potential where we can create deeper connections with people, discover more pathways to success, and gain greater enjoyment each moment.

A couple of years ago I enjoyed watching the peacocks at “>http://www.marcusjfreed.com
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HOW TO USE THIS IN THE BOARDROOM: Consider how you are not leaving space for other people or new ideas in your workplace. Where are you making things too much about you and not enough about the client? This could apply in your interactions, your marketing materials, anything! What could be possible if you spent more time listening to others? What could you create?

HOW TO USE THIS ON THE YOGA MAT/MEDITATION CUSHION: Calm your mind and notice how your own thoughts fill the space. Whenever a limiting thought arises – “I can’t do this, I shouldn’t do that, I wish I hadn’t…”, notice that as the sphere of the ego, and gently observe that thought, allowing it to pass.

FOOTNOTES
(1)Based on Parshat Vayikra/Leviticus. “Any meal-offering that you offer to God shall not be prepared leavened”. Nachmanides/Ramban quotes Maimonides/Rambam in Moreh HaNevuchim, the Guide for the Perplexed (III:46), where he explains that idolaters would bring their meal-offerings in a leavened state mixed with honey.

I learned this teaching about the leavened offerings from my dear teacher Rabbi Dovid Ebner, of Egos Gone Wild (or: The Tao of Leviticus) Read More »