Donald Trump says he would remove ban on religious nonprofits endorsing candidates
Donald Trump told conservative Christians he would work to remove restrictions on churches endorsing political candidates.
“I think maybe that will be my greatest contribution to Christianity — and other religions — is to allow you, when you talk religious liberty, to go and speak openly, and if you like somebody or want somebody to represent you, you should have the right to do it,” Trump told the group of conservative Christian leaders on Tuesday.
Speaking at his corporate headquarters in New York, the real estate magnate and presumptive Republican presidential nominee told the group that restrictions placed in the 1960s on explicit political endorsement by tax-exempt groups inhibited free speech.
“It’s taken a lot of power away from Christianity and other religions,” he said in an audio recording obtainedby the Washington Post.
A number of major Jewish groups, led particularly by the Reform movement, oppose direct political participation in the political process, arguing that it breaches church-state separation. Conservatives deride the restrictions, saying they are more often ignored than observed, noting as an example get-out-the-vote drives in black churches, where Democrats are favored.
At the same meeting, Trump said he would protect Israel should he be elected.
“I can’t imagine that Bibi likes Obama so much,” Breitbart News quoted him as saying, referring to tense relations between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Barack Obama.
Trump said that Obama’s actions, including a retreat from involvement in Iraq, had empowered Iran. Trump has said separately that he opposes U.S. intervention in the Middle East, especially in Iraq.
Also Tuesday, Jewish Insider reported that Trump blasted the Obama administration for allowing Boeing to sell parts to Iran for civilian aircraft. The Obama administration argues that the sale is permissible under the sanctions relief for nuclear rollback deal between six major world powers and Iran. The deal’s critics say it is a violation.
“Iran, the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, would not have been allowed to enter into these negotiations with Boeing without Clinton’s disastrous Iran nuclear deal,” Jewish Insider quoted the Trump campaign as saying, referring to the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, Obama’s first secretary of state. The Trump statement noted past Boeing contributions to Clinton campaigns.
The newsletter noted that Trump has previously argued that the Iran deal should have allowed U.S. companies, like Boeing, to trade with Iran.
Donald Trump says he would remove ban on religious nonprofits endorsing candidates Read More »
Some 1900 years later, we still see evidence favoring Akiva’s position. In June 2016, the Gamliel Institute celebrated its first siyyum, a ceremony marking the completion of a course of study, for fourteen individuals ready to assume and continue leadership roles in the realm of Jewish funeral and bereavement practices. and David Zinner (Executive Director). Their friendship and good cheer were evident at the graduation ceremonies; they teased each other and easily passed the microphone between them, and noted that unlike the graduates, they were wearing the caps. In his welcoming remarks, Zinner explained that traditionally, skills in preparing the dead for burial or in interacting with the family were mainly available through apprenticeship. But scholarship underlying those practices – history, liturgy and society – was generally unavailable. Zinner had begun to write a book, but then, he explained, “I made a bad mistake…” Kelman finished his sentence, “…he met me!” Their goal was to train a cadre of knowledgeable, skillful people who could influence congregations across North America. They envisioned a program of study that including a number of subject areas: 1) the history, origins and evolution of <em>chevra kadisha </em>(burial society) 2) <em>tahara</em> and <em>shemira</em> (ritual washing, dressing, and ‘guarding’ of the dead) 3) education, organizing and training communities in <em>tahara</em> and other end-of-life practices 4) <em>nechama </em>– comforting the sick and the bereaved and 5) rituals and liturgy around funeral and bereavement practices. </span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
<span style=)
Ultimately, under Zinner’s and Kelman’s patient development, a sequence of five courses came to life. The students meet online weekly for 12 weeks in each course, and so far 120 individuals have taken at least one course, some for credit at their rabbinical seminaries. Others have participated in a ‘Taste of Gamliel’. Course assignments emphasize both academic pursuits (
Rena Boroditsky, executive director of Chesed Shel Emes non-profit funeral home in Winnipeg, shared her analysis of 
Dan Fendel collaborated with Rabbi Kelman to create a scholarly book “Chesed Shel Emet: The Truest Act of Kindness, Exploring the Meaning of Tahara” (EKS Publishing), delving deeply
Other students created projects that focused on practical applications of their studies. 
tahara
completion of other studies throughout the history of the Jewish people. Indeed, ‘connection’ seemed to be the buzzword of participants’ experience. Stewart spoke of visiting her  or as tahara workers? How can we use music and art to support the ailing and their families? How do we recruit new members, especially younger people? What are good models for community education?</span></p>
<p>
<span style=)
With the leadership of the Gamliel Institute graduates at the ready, the Jewish community is well-poised to better understand and preserve our texts and rituals, to comfort and guide mourners, and to respond to new challenges at the end-of-life.