Stewart vs. Colbert: Who Really Won?
I have been re-enjoying “Can I Interest You In Hannukah?”, the sweetlly satirical inter-religious duet by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Stewart vs. Colbert: Who Really Won? Read More »
Don’t blame the USY’ers – blame the adults
On Monday, the international board of United Synagogue Youth (USY) voted to junk the Conservative teen group’s requirement that its top leaders date only Jews. Instead, the leaders are supposed to “strive” to “model healthy Jewish dating choices” (whatever that means). A number of online reactions have lamented the move as evidence that the Conservative (sic) movement is furthering the decline of American Judaism in the direction of anything-goes.
But don’t blame the USY’ers.
It’s true that USY leadership has full control over its own leadership requirements. In fact, the rule about interdating was instigated in the 1990s by USY’s leadership on its own. But teenagers don’t make decisions in a vacuum. On issues relating to endogamy, the adult leaders of Conservative Judaism don’t always seem to know what they want – and when they do, what they want is not always good-for-the-Jews.
For example, earlier this month, leading Conservative rabbi Wesley Gardenswartz put forth, and then withdrew, a proposal to allow Conservative rabbis to perform interfaith marriages in which the couple agrees to raise the children as Jews (ironic, given that even by Conservative rules, half the children of such unions are not Jews).
Conservative Jews supposedly consider some rabbinic actions – accepting patrilineal descent, converting uncircumcised men – to be so unacceptable that violating those “standards” can result in a rabbi’s expulsion from the movement. One such standard is performing and even attending only in-marriages. But it’s an open secret that some Conservative rabbis do go to interfaith ceremonies. Two of my friends who were ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary have told me they attended intermarriages by friends and family members.
The actions of lay Conservative leaders can be even worse. Though it received virtually no criticism or even attention, a recent international president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Judy Yudof, boasted of her past presidency in an extremely inappropriate forum: the wedding announcement her family submitted to The New York Times three weeks ago regarding the intermarriage of her daughter in a ceremony performed by a minister.
Not coincidentally, in 2003, Yudof was the initiator of a movement-wide reconsideration of traditional Jewish beliefs about homosexuality that led to Conservative Jewish acceptance of gay rabbis and even gay marriages within a decade. If the Torah’s expectations for bedroom and family life can be jettisoned in one area, why not in another?
I’m a past International President of USY. I remember murmurs and grumblings among some of the regional and international teen leadership in the 1980s about how we were expected to observe Shabbat and keep kosher when some of the most prominent adult leaders were flouting Jewish law in public on a regular basis. But the requirement to observe Jewish law as a prerequisite for holding respected leadership roles prompted a spiritual transformation in my life. Even if my initial observance of Shabbat, for example, was mostly driven by ambition for success in USY elections, mitzvot have their own power, and the benefits of USY’s leadership rules are still with me more than 25 years later.
I’m proud of the times when USY’ers have led the way in publicly modeling Jewish observance – despite frequent poor choices by adult Conservative Jews. But for how long can they be expected to do so?
David Benkof constructs the Jerusalem Post Crossword Puzzle, which appears weekly in the Jewish Journal. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter (@DavidBenkof); or E-mail him at DavidBenkof@gmail.com.
Don’t blame the USY’ers – blame the adults Read More »
A Perfect Staycation: #MyDanaPoint
Start your Staycation in Dana Point with lunch at ” target=”_blank”>Captain Dave
Why Capt. Dave’s Whale Watching Safari?
Video: Dolphin & Whale watching Dana Point Dec 2014
A Perfect Staycation: #MyDanaPoint Read More »
Guilford Glazer, leading Los Angeles philanthropist, dies at 93
Guilford Glazer, a strong supporter of Israel, leading Los Angeles philanthropist and real estate developer, died in his Beverly Hills home on Dec. 23, 2014, at 93.
Glazer was well known for his support of Israeli universities, including Tel Aviv University (TAU) and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, among other causes, and for his friendships with prominent Israeli leaders, from Israeli Prime Ministers David Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir, to Yitzhak Rabin and Benjamin Netanyahu.
Glazer was born in 1921 in Knoxville, Tenn. He was one of eight children, and he attributed his love of philanthropy to his parents, Ida and Morris, who taught him the value of giving though the family was not wealthy. His father ran a small welding company.
Glazer studied engineering at George Washington University and metallurgy at the University of Louisville, but he never graduated from either school. His father died in 1939, and two years later, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Glazer followed in the footsteps of several of his brothers and enlisted in the military. He served in the U.S. Navy and in the U.S. Coast Guard.
When he returned home, he took over his father’s welding business and eventually renamed it Glazer Steel Corp. During the 1950s and ’60s, he developed shopping centers, moving to Los Angeles and most famously opening the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance in 1971. In 2005, Forbes magazine estimated Glazer’s net worth at $900 million.
Glazer’s devotion to philanthropy sprang from his success in the business world. John Fishel, a friend of the Glazers who assists with their philanthropic endeavors, estimated that Glazer had donated tens of millions of dollars over the course of his lifetime.
“And he continued up until the day he passed away to be annually giving more to a variety of causes that he felt very passionate about,” said Fishel, a former president of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.
The Glazers co-founded the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at TAU. Glazer also held an honorary doctorate from TAU and is the founder of American Friends of Tel Aviv University (AFTAU), which cultivates donor relations for TAU in the Diaspora.
He was also the principal supporter of the business school at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, known as the Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business and Management at Ben-Gurion University.
Several years ago, Glazer and his wife of 47 years, Diane Pregerson Glazer, created the Diane and Guilford Glazer Institute for Jewish Studies at Pepperdine University. Glazer also supported The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, numerous synagogues and TRIBE Media Corp., parent company of the Jewish Journal.
In the business world, he had dealings with France, as Glazer Steel Corp. helped to rehabilitate that country in the wake of World War II; he also cultivated Jewish studies in China — in particular the Diane and Guilford Glazer Institute of Jewish Studies based in Nanjing.
Meanwhile, his relationship with Israel dates back to the formation of the Jewish state. He even brought an Israeli delegation, including Meir, to inspect a water system in Knoxville, Tenn. He counted retired Israeli diplomat Avi Pazner among his close friends.
Rabbi David Wolpe once asked Glazer what advice he would give young philanthropists:
“Anyone who is worse off than … [you] are, you have to help them.”
Glazer is survived by his wife, Diane Pregerson Glazer; his two children, Emerson and Erika; and five grandchildren.
Guilford Glazer, leading Los Angeles philanthropist, dies at 93 Read More »
Equality in the United States? Progress in principle, but not in practice
The cases of black men being killed by police officers throughout the country and police officers being killed last week in New York have shined a powerful light on the racial tensions still existent in American society.
These cases have only widened the already large divide between law enforcement officers and black residents across the United States, but they have also sparked momentum among many communities to pursue justice and policy change.
Since we have a black president and a justice system with laws protecting minorities and their civil rights, it appears as though racism has decreased in the United States since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Unfortunately, having laws in the books and a black president are not enough. The institutions set up to execute those laws are often times increasing the lack of trust between the different racial and ethnic groups in our country. Some of the leaders of our police department, it seems, are not engaging in a conversation about these issues with their local community members–they are instead choosing to look away while some of their police officers resort to brutal force, hasty actions, and judgment-calls based on stereotypes.
What we call can agree on is that law enforcement agencies need to change from the inside out. The Pew Research Center conducted a survey in August about how people view law enforcement in this country–70% of blacks and 63% of whites say police departments do a poor job holding officers accountable for misconduct. These numbers show that white and black people are on the same page when it comes to having no assurance in the system that was created to protect them. If our most important right as individuals is to feel safe and secure and we cannot trust our own law enforcement, then it is no wonder that things are the way they are today. The Pew survey also found that only 38% of both whites and blacks say the police departments treat racial and ethnic groups equally.
It is not enough to say that there has been progress and change if it is not represented in practice. Just because it is written in law, does not mean it has been fixed or solved. Policy makers and law enforcement leaders have failed to actively engage in dialogue on these issues beyond what is written on paper.
One of the main pillars of democracy is participation from and by the people. For this system to remain viable, the people must be asked to engage in dialogue and have their experiences heard and taken seriously. In order to restore faith in our governmental institutions and between different racial and ethnic groups, we must cultivate a culture amongst our citizens to challenge the institutions that have allowed for centuries of subjugation.
There are two related lessons in Judaism: Tzedek, Tzedek, Tirdof, which translates to “justice, justice, pursue it” and Gemilut Chasadim, which means “bestow loving kindness.” The first lesson actually forces us as Jews to be responsible for actively pursuing righteousness and undoing wrongs and the second lesson comes from a broader concept of showing compassion and love to those who are rich or poor, sick or healthy. It is an expression of goodwill to all. Jewish wisdom and text urges us to choose moral and ethical behavior that supports the community through mutual responsibility. As a Jewish woman aiming for progress in practice, I hope that the residents of this country can come together with the leaders of our institutions and find a way to turn the principles of equality, respect, goodwill, and justice into practice.
Alixandra Liiv is the Fall Policy Intern at the National Council of Jewish Women/LA and is currently obtaining a Master’s degree in Public Policy at Pepperdine University.
Equality in the United States? Progress in principle, but not in practice Read More »
Haredi circumcision practice infects New York baby with herpes
A controversial circumcision practice has led to the infection of a New York City baby with neonatal herpes, according to the city’s health department.
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced Tuesday in a press release that the case was reported in November and resulted “following ritual Jewish circumcision with direct orogenital suction,” a practice known as metzitzah b’peh. This is the fourth such case in 2014 and the 17th since 2000, according to the health department. Two of those cases have resulted in death and another two in brain damage.
Metzitzah b’peh, in which the mohel sucks blood from the wound following circumcision, is a common traditional practice among many haredi Orthodox mohels. When performed directly with the mouth (as opposed to through a sterile pipette), it has been directly linked to the transmission of the herpes virus. New York City health department regulations require the parents of a child to provide prior written consent for the practice, but the regulation has not been enforced.
Haredi circumcision practice infects New York baby with herpes Read More »
30 senior Israeli officials detained in corruption sweep
Israeli police have detained 30 senior officials accused of corruption, including Deputy Interior Minister Faina Kirshenbaum.
The officials, who where detained Wednesday morning after a yearlong investigation, also include a former government minister and senior officials in government ministries, in addition to mayors, heads of NGOs, union chiefs and officers in government corporations. Documents and computers were also confiscated from the officials.
Kirshenbaum is a member of the right-wing Israel Beiteinu party, which dismissed the charges as a “witch hunt,” according to the Times of Israel.
The officials are accused of accepting bribes and illegally funneling funds to NGOs, according to reports. In exchange, the NGOs allegedly gave jobs to people close to the officials.
The names of the officials were to be revealed Wednesday.
“The covert investigation revealed a calculated method wherein the suspects and their representatives unlawfully transferred, using their powers as public officials, large sums of public funds to [various] bodies and authorities, in exchange for large benefits for them or their associates, including appointments, payments and more,” a police statement said, according to the Times of Israel.
30 senior Israeli officials detained in corruption sweep Read More »
Hamas commander killed; IDF soldier seriously injured in clash near Gaza border
Israeli forces shot dead a member of Hamas's armed wing after a firefight erupted along the border with the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and an Israeli soldier was wounded, Gaza hospital officials and the Israeli army said.
The military said in a statement that a routine patrol on the Israeli side of the border came under attack from snipers in the southern Gaza Strip and that forces responded with fire from the ground and the air.
Hamas sources named the dead man as Tayseer Asmairi, a member of its armed wing's monitoring unit in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli soldier sustained a severe chest injury and was flown to hospital where he was listed in serious condition, the army said.
There have been sporadic clashes since a 50-day war ended in Gaza in August. On Friday, Israeli planes bombed a Hamas militant base in the Gaza Strip in response to a rocket that militants launched earlier that day.
“This attack, the second of this week, is a lethal violation of the relative quiet along the Gaza border and is a blatant breach of Israel's sovereignty … Israel will not hesitate to respond to any attempt to harm IDF soldiers,” military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner said in a statement.
Hamas blamed Israel for the escalation and said that while it wanted calm, it would respond to Israeli actions.
“The resistance is committed to calm as long as (Israel) abides by it but we will not be silent against continued Zionist crimes,” Hamas said, listing Israel's air strikes as one form of violation of the truce.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive on July 8 with the declared aim of halting cross-border rocket salvoes by Hamas. The fighting was ended by an Egyptian-brokered truce on Aug.
Hamas commander killed; IDF soldier seriously injured in clash near Gaza border Read More »
Kosha Dillz: Interview about Har Nof Terror Attack – part 3/3
This is the 3rd and final interview with PT, a first responder in the Har Nof Terror Attack a month ago where 4 rabbis and one Druze officer were killed.
Kosha Dillz: Interview about Har Nof Terror Attack – part 3/3 Read More »
So Israel is a little bit of a fixer-upper…
In recent years, it seems as if every policy Israeli decision makers issue is followed by massive, harsh criticism by the global community. World leaders use every opportunity to look down at Israel's leaders, judge them for their “problematic decision” and urge them to reconsider “so that we could all live in a better world.”
We've all heard enough about the “>don't fully enjoy equal rights.
So Israel is a little bit of a fixer-upper… Read More »