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Jewish Journal

Connect. Inform. Inspire.

August 29, 2019

Rosner’s Torah Talk: Parshat Re’eh with Rabbi Michael Rothbaum

Leave a Comment / Israel, News, Rosner's Domain, Videos /

Rabbi Michael Rothbaum serves as rabbi of Congregation Beth Elohim in Acton, Massachusetts.  A distinguished and award-winning religious leader, speaker, and writer, Rabbi Mike is devoted to creating and nurturing vibrant learning communities, and sharing his love of Torah and commitment to justice in formal and informal settings.

In this Week’s Torah Portion – Parashat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) – Moses continues speaking to the people of Israel right before he passes away and before they cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land. Moses asks them to recite certain blessings and curses on Mount Grizzim and Mount Ebal after they enter Israel. He demands that they destroy all remnants of idolatry from the Promised Land and asks them to choose a city which will host the Holy Temple. The Parasha also discusses false prophets, kashrut, the sabbatical year and charity. Our discussion focuses on economic justice in the parsha.

 

https://youtu.be/XI0qR7AaoKM

 

Previous Torah Talks on Re’eh

Rabbi Bradly Shavit Artson

Rabbi Efrem Goldberg

Rabbi Ben Elton

Rabbi Deborah Silver

Rabbi Baht Yameem

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rosner’s Torah Talk: Parshat Re’eh with Rabbi Michael Rothbaum Read More »

Second Chasidic Man Attacked with a Rock in NY

Leave a Comment / Online, United States /

A second Chasidic man was attacked with a rock in Brooklyn, N.Y. in the span of less than a week on Aug. 29, COLlive.com reports.

The victim, who has not been identified, was in his truck waiting for the traffic light to change on Brooklyn Avenue in Crown Heights when a rock was tossed into the driver’s side of the truck, which had the window down. The rock struck the victim in the eye, causing a laceration on his head. He is not currently hospitalized, according to the local New York news station 1010 WINS.

An official from the New York Police Department told COLlive.com that the alleged attack is being investigated as a possible hate crime. ABC 7 New York Editor Morena Basteiro similarly tweeted:

Sgt. Mary Frances O’Donnell, spokesperson for the NYPD Deputy Commissioner Public Information’s office, told the Journal in an email that they’re looking for a male suspect at this time.

Anti-Defamation League New York and New Jersey Regional Director Evan Bernstein tweeted, “.@ADL_NYNJ is aware of this alleged #antisemitic incident in #Brooklyn and is is talking with #NYPD to learn more information.”

On Aug. 27, Chasidic Rabbi Avraham Gopin, 63, was assaulted in Lincoln Terrace Park; the assailant struck him in the face with a brick and began punching several times until Gopin fought back. Gopin’s injuries included a broken nose and knocked out teeth from the attack.

“It was hate,” Gopin told CBS New York. “He said, ‘Jew, Jew.’ He said something in that direction… he was for certain looking to kill. No doubt about [that].”

It is not yet known if the two attacks are connected.

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There is Beauty in the Other – A poem for parsha Re’eh

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you shall place those blessing upon Mount Gerizim,
and those cursing upon Mount Ebal.

This isn’t the first time we’ll be asked to line up
and sent in two different directions. We weren’t
uncomfortable with the idea yet.

No matter which mountain you went up
you were sure to, at least, get a nice view.
Imagine all the curses you could see

from on top of the blessing mountain
and, you could only imagine, from the top
of the cursing mountain, that you were

having a lot more fun than those other guys.
You need the sacred and the profane to
commingle in the valley between two mountains

to make a straight path to the promised land.

you shall tear down their altars, smash their monuments,
burn their asherim with fire

This is how it all started, with
the very first Jewish Guy, smashing up
his father’s shop.

The Lord’s jealousy is on full display again.
How about instead of smashing the monuments
of the other

we set up an interfaith gathering?
We could put out cake, or the unique
delicacies of everyone.

How about instead of burning the Canaanite poles
(that’s what asherim are…ritual Canaanite poles.
I looked it up so you don’t have to.)

we tie ribbons around them and dance?
They say I’m a non-believer when I suggest
these irreverences.

I say the other has beauty and
there’s holy land enough
for everyone.

God Wrestler: a poem for every Torah Portion by Rick LupertLos Angeles poet Rick Lupert created the Poetry Super Highway (an online publication and resource for poets), and hosted the Cobalt Cafe weekly poetry reading for almost 21 years. He’s authored 23 collections of poetry, including “God Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion“, “I’m a Jew, Are You” (Jewish themed poems) and “Feeding Holy Cats” (Poetry written while a staff member on the first Birthright Israel trip), and most recently “Hunka Hunka Howdee!” (Poems written in Memphis, Nashville, and Louisville – Ain’t Got No Press, May 2019) and edited the anthologies “Ekphrastia Gone Wild”, “A Poet’s Haggadah”, and “The Night Goes on All Night.” He writes the daily web comic “Cat and Banana” with fellow Los Angeles poet Brendan Constantine. He’s widely published and reads his poetry wherever they let him.

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Local NJ NAACP Head Says ‘Jewish Media’ Is After Him

Leave a Comment / Online, United States /

The head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapter in Passaic, N.J. alleged in an Aug. 28 Facebook post that the “Jewish media” has been falsely accusing him of anti-Semitism.

Jeffrey Dye was fired from the New Jersey Department of Labor on Aug. 20 after a series of Facebook posts were unearthed of him praising Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, alleging that “Jewish votes from Brooklyn” have been hijacking local elections and that are “Jews At it again divide & conquering us.” When the New Jersey Globe asked Dye on Aug. 27 if he’s going to resign from the Passaic NAACP over the matter, Dye reportedly responded, “I don’t talk to f—ing Jews. Get the f— out of here.”

Dye wrote in his Aug. 28 Facebook post that he never uttered “I don’t talk to f—ing Jews” to the Globe reporter and blamed Democratic Assemblyman Gary Schaer, an Orthodox Jew, of “Using The Jewish Media To Get Me Fired From A Job ‘Which He Did For Me Telling The Truth About Israel & The Killing & Murder Of The Palestinian People & The Enslavement Of African People.’” He later accused Schaer and Passaic Mayor Hector Lora of trying “To Disrupt & Dismantle & Get Rid Of The Passaic NAACP And Me The President. When You Have Any Real Activist That Speaks Like I Do He’s A Threat & Dangerous To Any Racist That’s Trying To Destroy Black & Latino People To Advance Their Cause To Dictate & Control This World.”

The American Jewish Committee tweeted, “When defending yourself against allegations of anti-Semitism, it is best not to blame the ‘Jewish media.’”

Anti-Defamation League New York and New Jersey Regional Director Evan Bernstein condemned Dye’s reported “I don’t talk to f—ing Jews” remarks in an Aug. 28 statement.

“These hateful anti-Semitic remarks have no place in New Jersey,” Bernstein said. “Especially at a time when anti-Semitic incidents in New Jersey are at near-record levels, we strongly condemn this type of divisive language.”

New Jersey Democratic Party Chairman John Curie called on Dye to step down from his position in the Passaic NAACP, arguing that Dye’s remarks “do not fit within the mission of the NAACP.” NAACP New Jersey Conference President Richard Smith told the Globe that the state NAACP and the national NAACP are conferring on Dye’s future in the organization.

H/T: Washington Examiner

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Jewish Comedian Randy Rainbow Resurrects ‘Cheeto Christ’ in New Parody Video

Leave a Comment / Entertainment /

Jewish comedian, actor and performer Randy Rainbow set Twitter abuzz on Aug. 29 after posting a musical parody referring to President Donald Trump as “Cheeto Christ Stupid Czar,” a parody on Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Tony Award-winning 1970 rock opera, “Jesus Christ Superstar.” 

“You guys we can move mountains,” the LGBTQ advocate tweeted later in the day after seeing his video was trending around the country. 

Rainbow is known for his satirical musical parodies including “Randy Rainbow is Dating Mel Gibson” but started doing political parodies in the lead up to the 2016 elections. Some of his more recent parodies include “Cruella DeVos” and “The Mueller Blues.” 

In his latest video, Rainbow kicks off the conversation in a mock studio interview with Trump where he touches on Trump’s recent statements about being “King of the Jews,” the president’s claim that he is the “Chosen One;” and his trip to the G7 Summit.

“Well, it is a special day indeed as I am joined now by the divine Miss T, our lord and savior, king of the Jews…am I leaving anything out?” Rainbow asks as the video cuts to clips of Trump.

“The news about me is largely phony,” Trump says before Rainbow breaks into songs from “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

Watch the entire parody filled with Jewish jokes and political jabs below:

 

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Jewish NFL Player Nate Ebner Writes About His First Trip to Israel

Leave a Comment / Online /

(JTA) — New England Patriots player Nate Ebner published a moving essay in The Players’ Tribune on Wednesday about his first trip to Israel.

Ebner, a safety and specials teams player who has won three Super Bowls with the Patriots since entering the NFL in 2012, went with a few teammates and his aunt on the trip, which was sponsored by the team’s owner, Robert Kraft.

Ebner wrote that the trip brought back memories of his late father, who represented the United States in rugby at the Maccabiah Games in the late 1980s.

“My dad was Jewish and he made sure that I was raised Jewish,” he wrote. “Basically, from a young age, my dad had definitely made a point to instill in me the importance of my Jewish heritage.”

Ebner brought his aunt — his father’s sister — on the trip, which was also her first to the Jewish state.

“I knew having her there would truly complete the experience, but it would also be something that would have made my dad really happy,” he wrote.

Ebner, 30, became the first-ever active NFL player to participate in the Olympics as a member of the U.S. rugby team in 2017.

Read the full essay here.

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Israeli Woman Has Been Held in Russian Jail for Months on Marijuana Charge

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(JTA) — An Israeli woman has been imprisoned for four months in Russia without being allowed to air her defense after 9 grams of marijuana were found in her luggage. Naama Issachar denies the marijuana was hers.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Issachar’s sister said the 25-year-old Israeli army veteran, who was traveling back to Israel from a post-service trip in India, is “falling apart” in prison.

She has only been allowed a few family visits and phone calls, and will not be allowed to make a trial statement through her defense attorney until Sept. 3, according to the Post. She was detained in April.

As Issachar was boarding her connecting flight from Moscow to Tel Aviv, Russian police pulled her over. Denying the cannabis was hers, Issachar said she did not know how it got in her luggage bag.

Her initial charge of possession of cannabis, which entails a fine and a month of detention, was subsequently changed to narcotics smuggling, which carries the possibility of three to 10 years in prison.

Issachar’s family has asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has cultivated a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, “to help us with his colleagues in the Russian government to remove Naama from the nightmare she has been under.”

“So far it’s been complete silence,” Liad Gold, Issachar’s sister, said about Netanyahu’s response in an interview with i24 News.

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IDF Reveals Iranian Commanders Arming Hezbollah with Missiles

Leave a Comment / Israel, Online /

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tweeted out a video on Aug. 29 highlighting the Iranian commanders behind arming Hezbollah with missiles in Lebanon.

The video names the commanders as Brig. Gen. Muhammad Hussein-Zada Hejazi, Col. Majid Nuab and Brig. Gen. Ali Asrar Nuruzi, all of whom serve in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force.

“Hezbollah is coming dangerously close to possessing precision-guided missiles and becoming the first terror group in the world armed with these lethal capabilities,” the video states, adding that the Iranian generals are heading the operation so Hezbollah can “attack Israel. Iran and Israel don’t share a border so Iran came to a country that does.”

The video adds that Iran and Hezbollah have established sites to build the missiles throughout civilian areas in Lebanon so they can use the civilians “as human shields while preparing to attack the people of Israel.”

The IDF warns that Hezbollah will be able to “attack any target of their choice” if they obtain precision-guided missiles and pledged that they will not let the Shia terror group acquire such weaponry.

https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1167067046179430400

The Times of Israel reports that Iran had initially been transporting precision-guided missiles to Hezbollah from 2013-14, only to have Israeli airstrikes largely thwart their efforts. Iran and Hezbollah changed their strategy in 2016 to instead focus on providing Hezbollah with the capability to convert regular missiles into precision-guided missiles.

“We will not stand to the side and allow our enemies to acquire deadly weapons to use against us,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “This week, I already told our enemies to be careful with their actions. Now I am telling them: Dir balak [watch out].”

The IDF’s video comes amidst high tensions between Israel and Hezbollah; over the weekend, Israel targeted Hezbollah in strikes toward Lebanon and Syria, where Hezbollah members were residing at an Iranian base. Hezbollah struck down an Israeli drone on Aug. 28 that they claim entered their airspace; Israel’s concern over a retaliatory strike from Hezbollah has prompted the IDF to reportedly replace soldiers along the Israel-Lebanon border with mannequins.

Hezbollah currently has more than 130,000 rockets and missiles at its disposal, according to the Jerusalem Post.

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Bob Gruen on New ‘Green Day’ Book, What His Bar Mitzvah Taught Him

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Bob Gruen is not only one of the most famous rock photographers of all-time, but one of its most prolific as well. If you’ve seen a photo of John Lennon wearing a “New York City” t-shirt, Gruen took it. If you’ve seen a photo of Led Zeppelin standing in front of an airplane with the band’s logo on it, Gruen took it. He has captured countless iconic images over the past five decades that even casual rock fans have grown accustomed to seeing within books and printed merchandise.

The latest book by Bob Gruen is “Green Day.” Authorized by the California-based band, “Green Day” includes a foreword by frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and commentary by Armstrong and his bandmates Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool. It also features a foreword by Jesse Malin, a singer/songwriter who toured with Green Day while fronting the punk band D-Generation. Many of the photos featured in Gruen’s book – which span 20-something years – were previously unpublished.

I had the pleasure of doing Q&A with Bob Gruen and the highlights of such are below.

Jewish Journal: Do you remember the first time you heard Green Day? Was it the song “Longview?”

Bob Gruen: The first time I saw Green Day was on the live TV show at Woodstock festival 1994. The first time I saw them live was at the release party for “Nimrod” at the Don Hill’s club in New York in 1997.

JJ: How long was it between hearing them and meeting them for the first time?

BG: We met when I went to London and Paris with D-Generation who were opening for Green Day in February 1998.

JJ: Did you immediately click with the band? Or was it just an assignment for you?

BG: I was never on any assignment for Green Day, not for a magazine or the band themselves. We liked each other when we met and they were happy to have me come to take photos and I was happy to see their shows and hang with them.

JJ: How long did you spend putting this book together?

BG: 25 years of taking photos, a few months negotiating the contract with the publishers and 6 months in layout and getting the quotes and details.

JJ: Do you have a favorite shot or section of the book?

BG: All the photos in the book are favorites, but most of all the cover picture which is a return to a photo I took of The Clash in the same place above New York City.

JJ: Any other books in the works at the moment?

BG: I’m currently finishing a biography to be published in the Spring.

JJ: As this is for the Jewish Journal I feel compelled to ask: Were you bar mitzvahed?

BG: I had my bar mitzvah when I was 13 and I learned to question everything.

JJ: What was the last concert you attended for fun?

BG: I go out all the time to see friends play, but the last big show I saw was at the Fuji Festival in the mountains of Japan.

JJ: Finally, Bob, any last words for the kids?

BG: Rock & roll is the freedom to express your feelings, very loudly, in public!

You can buy “Green Day” on Amazon by clicking here. More on Bob Gruen can be found online.

Bob Gruen on New ‘Green Day’ Book, What His Bar Mitzvah Taught Him Read More »