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Jewish Journal

Connect. Inform. Inspire.

October 5, 2023

When a Sukkah Falls

Poetry /

When a sukkah falls, we are inspired by the words of Amos,

asking God’s help to establish David’s sukkat hanophelet,

the fallen temple, for we know that it is right to be a zealot

for holy relics, shunning faithlessness that is inclined to shame us.

 

We all are shivrei sheymos, broken tablets, who must never  fail our fellow fallen Jews,

But help them to stand up, arkaically preserved like us, all broken tablets Moses did not lose.

 

Amos 9:11 states:

יא  בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, אָקִים אֶת-סֻכַּת דָּוִיד הַנֹּפֶלֶת; וְגָדַרְתִּי אֶת-פִּרְצֵיהֶן, וַהֲרִסֹתָיו אָקִים, וּבְנִיתִיהָ, כִּימֵי עוֹלָם.    11 In that day will I raise the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof, and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old.

Rabbi David Wolpe writes for Shabbat Noah, 5779, 10/10/18:

Yes, Sukkot is over, but Rabbi David Bashevkin drew my attention to a beautiful comment that you can remember until next year!

During the grace after meals on Sukkot we recite the blessing asking God to rebuild the “fallen Sukkah of David.” The blessing comes from the prophet Amos (9:11). The Maharal of Prague points out that when we ask God to rebuild the “fallen Sukkah” of David, we are saying something profound about the nature of a Sukkah. Unlike a house which, when it falls or crumbles, is no longer a house but a pile of rubble, even a dismantled Sukkah remains a Sukkah.

The lesson is one of restoration. The pieces of a relationship may be gathered back up and restored. The elements of something sacred retain their character, because they are awaiting renewal. The Jewish people, scattered, remained one people, not a random group, and when Israel was reborn we reassembled like a fallen Sukkah raised anew.

Sukkot may be over, but the lesson endures forever.

Gershon Hepner is a poet who has written over 25,000 poems on subjects ranging from music to literature, politics to Torah. He grew up in England and moved to Los Angeles in 1976. Using his varied interests and experiences, he has authored dozens of papers in medical and academic journals, and authored “Legal Friction: Law, Narrative, and Identity Politics in Biblical Israel.” He can be reached at gershonhepner@gmail.com.

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Campus Watch October 5, 2023

Campus Watch, Community /

Rice University LGBTQ+ Student Group Ceases Ties with Hillel

Rice University’s LGBTQ+ student group, Rice Pride, severed ties with Houston Hillel on September 18.

The Rice Thresher, the university’s weekly student paper, reported that Rice Pride based their decision on the actions of Hillel International rather than Houston Hillel itself. The LGBTQ+ student group alleged that Hillel has a “problematic” bias “against people from Palestinian background and their allies,” citing the recent controversy over the University of Pennsylvania hosting the Palestine Writes Literature Festival as an example. Rice Pride Co-President Jorge Arnez told the Thresher that Hillel’s standards of partnership “have been used to exclude Palestinian or Arab students” at other campuses.

Houston Hillel responded in a statement posted to Instagram saying that the Rice Pride’s decision “not only alienates queer Jewish students and leaves them unsure of their own acceptance at Rice Pride spaces, but also damages the campus climate for all Jewish students.” Houston Hillel also claimed that Rice Pride based their decision on “outdated sources and various Hillel websites” that “do not reflect current Houston Hillel policies or practice.” Rice Pride Co-President Cole Holladay told the Thresher that Rice Pride is not trying to alienate queer Jewish students and that the decision to cut ties with Hillel was intended “to maximize our inclusivity, not to trade one group of students for another, which we felt like was going on with this partnership [with Hillel].”

White House: Eight Federal Agencies to Use Title VI of Civil Rights Act to Fight Antisemitism

The White House announced in a fact sheet on September 28 that eight federal departments will be using Title VI of the Civil Rights Act as a tool to fight antisemitism.

The eight departments are the Departments of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, Transportation and Treasury. The White House announcement states that these departments are clarifying that Title VI “prohibits certain forms of antisemitic, Islamophobic, and related forms of discrimination in federally funded programs and activities” and are part of the Biden administration’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.

ASU Student Reportedly Admits to Vandalizing Cronkite School with Nazi Graffiti

A student at Arizona State University (ASU) has reportedly admitted to vandalizing the university’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism with Nazi graffiti.

The State Press, ASU’s independent student-run newspaper, reported that the graffiti included a swastika and the white supremacist numerical symbol 1488 spray-painted on a sign for a photo exhibition that included pictures from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. FOX 10 Phoenix reported that, according to university police, Denis Zyalik, 27, admitted to doing the graffiti; The Arizona Republic also reported that court documents state that Zyalik admitted to police that he did the graffiti. He has been charged with aggravated criminal damage, according to the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix.

University President Michael Crow said in a statement to The Arizona Republic: “Let there be no confusion that while ASU vigorously protects freedom of expression for all members of our community, we recognize the difference between that constitutional right and activities orchestrated to provoke, incite or agitate with the intention of creating an environment of intimidation and fear. We see those who perpetrate such actions under the cover of darkness for what they are: weak and hateful fear-mongers and cowards.”

Swastika Found at Weber State University During Yom Kippur

A swastika was found carved onto a table at Weber State University’s (WSU) student union building on September 25 during Yom Kippur.

ABC4 Utah reported that the table has since removed from the building and university police are investigating the matter. “Weber State University condemns actions that perpetuate racism or make people feel unsafe, and the symbol scrawled on WSU property is not consistent with the values of the university, which strives to create an inclusive environment where all are welcome,” University Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Adrienne Andrews said in statement. 

Police Say Two UMich Students Were Behind Homophobic Graffiti in Front of Jewish Resource Center

The police in Ann Arbor, MI have reportedly identified two students at the University of Michigan as being responsible for spray-painting homophobic graffiti on the sidewalk in front of the Jewish Resource Center.

The Michigan Daily reported that the suspects are a male and female who were “heavily intoxicated” and seen on surveillance footage spray-painting the graffiti. The Jewish Resource Center will not be pressing charges against the two suspects.

Swastika Graffiti Found at High School in New Mexico

A high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico was found laced with graffiti of swastikas, genitalia and racial slurs on September 29.

The Albuquerque Journal reported that the graffiti was “widespread” across the campus at La Cueva High School. Police are investigating the matter.

Principal Dana Lee said in a letter to parents that the graffiti was “unacceptable.” “No one should ever feel uncomfortable, marginalized, or fearful, particularly on a public school campus,” Lee wrote. “We are committed to ensuring that our schools are safe havens where all students are respected and nurtured, can achieve and grow, and are guaranteed equity and justice.”

Campus Watch October 5, 2023 Read More »

Blessings – A poem for Parsha Vezot Hab’rachah

Judaism, Poetry /

Your locks are iron and copper, and the days of your old age will be like the days of your youth. ~ Deuteronomy 33:25

All of Jacob’s descendants are getting blessings.
Dan gets to be a young lion. I’m a little jealous.
They’re so cute at that age.

Naftali gets the entire sea which I would love,
but I’m not sure where I would put it.

Jeshrun gets to ride the skies. I do too, sometimes
but it costs a lot of money and doesn’t
feel like a perk.

I think I got what Asher got.
I’ve always looked younger than I am,
and I’ve often acted the part.

Like him, I’ve been blessed with the good genes.
Just yesterday at a poetry reading filled with
poets I’ve known for a hundred years, one of them
told me I was timeless.

My Rabbi (I actually have a lot of Rabbis but
this one is my neighbor and he lets me
sing whatever I want in front of the people)
is only a handful of weeks older than me
and last week at Rosh Hashanah,
a congregant asked if I was his son.

My dad is the fitness king and
I do what he tells me to maintain all this.
I have his hair. I think he wants it back.

I’m going to ride this youth like a
baby-faced Beatle. Keep on keeping on
like the end of my time isn’t coming faster
than the end of this book.

Like Moses’ clock hasn’t run out.
This is the gift I’ve been given.
I can show you my ID, if necessary.

Rick Lupert, a poet, songleader and graphic designer, is the author of 27 books including “God Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion.”

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A Little Pushiness Goes A Long Way

Blogs /

We each take care of five patients at a time in my Med/Surg unit, and I almost never bring these stories home, but this week one case in particular really made me proud, and brought my patient to happy tears. I’ll tell it carefully to avoid violating HIPAA:

Monday – I arrived, got my 5 patients, and 4 of them were on isolation for different things (1 Herpes Zoster, 2 Pseudomonas and 1 COVID). It was the COVID case that wasn’t adding up. She was here in respiratory distress, apparently with a bad case of COVID, testing positive when she arrived. But in her history, we knew she had COVID very recently in August.

I’ve had COVID twice in a short period of time. You can also get a rebound case, with or without taking Paxlovid. However, I felt reasonably confident that if I were to check, the hospital COVID test would be a PCR, not an antigen. The PCR is so sensitive that it could still test positive well after the virus and contagion has left the body. So I checked, and as expected it was a PCR. So I went to work.

First I spoke with the doctor, who is a wonderful friend of mine, and he fully backed up my suspicions, and agreed that automatically keeping her isolated for COVID made less than zero sense. So now that I had his support, I had to work on the hospital and their red tape, because they were automatically enforcing a 10-day isolation for her throughout her stay. And although family can visit isolation rooms now, it certainly prevents many from wanting to do so. Worst of all, it prevents any of the members of the care team from going in and out of the room with immediacy. It’s an arduous process donning and doffing your PPE each time. The patient’s already unpleasant experience is thus far more miserable and…isolating. I was highly motivated.

Tuesday – Knowing the doctor fully backed me, I complained loudly (and probably obnoxiously) that this woman’s isolation was likely inappropriate. When I was given pushback that this is hospital protocol, reacting to her positive test upon admission, I said that the hospital should recognize that I understand COVID more than most, as they literally had me giving the seminars on the topic back in December of 2021. I hated pulling that arrogant “do you know who I am” card, but I cared more about the patient’s well-being than my own perceived image that day. I spoke to the right higher-up doctor/administrator, who also fully agreed with me, and on the phone he got us all permission to handle this my way. I was given the green light.

I then got my patient an ANTIGEN test ordered. Shortly after, in a moment of victory, it was NEGATIVE. I then was able to order a full removal of her isolation, and entered my patient’s room and told her, and gave her a hug and showed her how easily and quickly we could now tend to her, even leaving the door open. She called her family, and by the end of the day about 15 family members were filled in the room and she was overjoyed, though still feeling physically awful of course.

The COVID from August was highly relevant, as it had created a nasty case of pneumonia in her lungs, and sure enough she began treatment for that, and by the next day she was starting to stabilize, and eventually took a few steps and sat in a chair. When I said goodbye to her that night, she cried and gave me hugs. Although I can’t know for certain how her medical journey will end, I do know that a little pushiness made a huge difference.

Boaz Hepner works as a Registered Nurse in Saint John’s Health Center, and provides health education to the community at large. He grew up in LA in Pico/Robertson and lives here with his wife Adi, daughter Natalia, and son Liam. He helped clean up the neighborhood by adding the dozens of trash cans that can still be seen from Roxbury to La Cienega. He can be found with his family enjoying his passions: his multitude of friends, movies, poker and traveling.

A Little Pushiness Goes A Long Way Read More »

A Bisl Torah – Gates Unlocked and Hearts Opened

A Bisl Torah /

While the sukkah, lulav and etrog are common images associated with Sukkot, unlocked gates are just as central of symbols. As we reach the final stretch of the Sukkot festival, the seventh day receives a special name: Hoshana Rabba. Translated as: the great salvation. Hoshana Rabba serves as a bookend to Yom Kippur. The gates of repentance, compassion and mercy are considered unlocked until the end of this minor holiday.

We still work on Hoshana Rabba. Not a fast day nor celebratory feast. A longer morning service with additional prayers. But the lack of holiday gloss is significant. An almost average day with an urgent message:

The gates of our hearts should never be locked. For those that seek our attention, let us be mindful of their presence. For those that seek our assistance, let us be open to their needs. For those that seek our love, let us take time to respond. And perhaps most of all, let our hearts be open to what it is we are seeking in a world that often feels closed, impenetrable, locked.

The High Holy Days are carved into the calendar to give us time to mend relationships and prioritize what is most important. But Hoshana Rabba reminds us, this introspection and soulful action is welcomed during the average days as well.

The gates are still open. And God is praying that we enter with hearts unlocked.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach

Rabbi Nicole Guzik is senior rabbi at Sinai Temple. She can be reached at her Facebook page at Rabbi Nicole Guzik or on Instagram @rabbiguzik. For more writings, visit Rabbi Guzik’s blog section from Sinai Temple’s website.

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A Moment in Time: “Celebrate My 53rd Birthday by Supporting the Tour de Summer Camps”

'A Moment In Time', Blogs /

Dear all,

I turn 53 today! Hurrah!

And I can’t think of a more significant way for you to help celebrate than by supporting me as I join Team Akiba on a 36 mile ride at the end of the month, raising funds to help send kids to Jewish summer camps. I’ve done this ride for over twelve years now, and I so enjoy joining with hundreds of others who really care about nurturing the Jewish future. I truly believe that Jewish summer camps ignite a spark that nurtures Jewish continuity.

As this is my 53rd birthday, I plan to raise $5300. Your donation will mean the world to me. Every shekel you give will help.

So take this moment in time to click here. Make your donation to the Tour de Summer Camps/ Jewish Federation of Southern California.

Thanks for making a difference!

 

With love and Shalom,

Rabbi Zach Shapiro

A Moment in Time: “Celebrate My 53rd Birthday by Supporting the Tour de Summer Camps” Read More »

Ritchie Torres to UPenn: “Stop Sponsoring Events That Normalize Known Antisemites”

News, United States /

Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY) told the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) to “stop sponsoring events that normalize known antisemites” after the university announced that they would be reviewing their policies on outside groups hosting events on campus.

Torres was responding to a Tuesday article from The Philadelphia Inquirer stating that the university hasn’t provided any specifics about the policy review, other than that the university will still allow controversial speakers to come to campus and that the university will also be implementing antisemitism awareness training. The university’s announcement came after the Palestine Writes Literature Festival was hosted on their campus from September 22-24 featuring various speakers that have been criticized as being antisemitic.

“Stop sponsoring events that normalize known antisemites like Roger Waters who, only a few months ago, wore a Nazi uniform at a concert in Berlin,” Torres wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. Torres is referencing Waters donning a Nazi-like uniform, an act that the former Pink Floyd frontman has claimed was a statement against fascism.

Torres added: “The appeasement of antisemitism on college campuses is a national scandal. Shame on all the college and university administrators who have chosen cowardice, silence, and expedience in the face of flagrant Jew-hatred. All of you should be held to account for your complicity.”

The university did not respond to the Journal’s request for comment.

UPenn Board of Trustees President Scott Bok told the Inquirer regarding the university’s policy review, “Neither our board nor university leadership want to be in the business of vetting and approving each of the few thousand of speakers who are invited by faculty or student groups to speak on our campus each year. That wouldn’t be appropriate. But our president has indicated that the university will look at some administrative processes to be better aware of who is coming to campus, particularly for large-scale events.”

The university has previously said in a statement that they acknowledge that “many have raised deep concerns about several speakers who have a documented and troubling history of engaging in antisemitism by speaking and acting in ways that denigrate Jewish people. We unequivocally — and emphatically — condemn antisemitism as antithetical to our institutional values. As a university, we also fiercely support the free exchange of ideas as central to our educational mission. This includes the expression of views that are controversial and even those that are incompatible with our institutional values.”

During the weekend of the festival, Waters claimed he was banned from attending the event in person; however, the university claimed that they were under the impression that Waters was speaking via Zoom and that the request for him to speak in-person was too last minute.

Susan Abulhawa, the executive director of the festival, told the Inquirer that, in her view, the university’s response to the event was due “to racist pressures because that’s the side of power and donor money” and that the university didn’t provide “a single moment or statement of care for Penn’s Palestinian students who have been marginalized and maligned and subjected to violent propaganda year after year, and now during the festival through direct and specific incitement against them.” She has previously defended the speakers that the festival invited, arguing that none of them are antisemitic.

Ritchie Torres to UPenn: “Stop Sponsoring Events That Normalize Known Antisemites” Read More »

ADL Says They Will Start Advertising on X Again

News, United States /

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) issued a statement on Wednesday announcing that they will restart their advertising on X, formerly known as Twitter, and denied being behind efforts to boycott the platform.

The ADL’s statement read: “As we have noted in our research over the past several years, X – along with other social media platforms – has a serious issue with antisemites and other extremists using these platforms to push their hateful ideas and, in some cases, bully Jewish and other users. We appreciate X’s stated intent over the last few weeks to address antisemitism and hate on the platform. This has been useful; more needs to be done; and, as we have with other companies, in the spirit of collaboration, we are hopeful that we can continue to engage with X on this important matter.”

The ADL then denied that they were behind efforts to boycott X or “‘pulling the strings’ for other advertisers.” “We ourselves were advertising on the platform until the anti-ADL attacks began a few weeks ago,” the Jewish group added. “We now are preparing to do so again to bring our important message on fighting hate to X and its users. A better, healthier, and safer X would be a win for the world. We’ve said that publicly and repeatedly, and we hope that company leadership shares that goal as well. As we do with all platforms, we will credit X as it moves in that direction, and we also will call it out when it has not.”

X owner Elon Musk responded to the ADL within a couple of posts on X stating: “Thank you for clarifying that you support advertising on 𝕏. And also very much appreciate that ADL has bought advertising on 𝕏.”

Musk and the ADL had been feuding in public recently, which culminated in Musk threatening in September to file a defamation lawsuit against the Jewish group, as he blamed them for X’s loss in advertising revenue. ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt responded to Musk at the time by saying that it was “profoundly disturbing that Elon Musk spent the weekend engaging with a highly toxic, antisemitic campaign on his platform” and called Musk’s lawsuit threat “frivolous.”

In November, the ADL had joined a coalition of groups that called for “advertisers to pause” their spending on X “until it becomes clear whether Twitter remains committed to being a safe place for advertisers as well as society overall.” A spokesperson for the ADL told The Forward in August that the ADL had always intended for “these actions to be a pause, and ADL recognized that some organizations — especially nonprofits and small businesses — may need to return to the platforms. ADL needs to be where the antisemites and extremists are, and when those bad actors are on a platform as large and influential as Twitter/X, we need to be able to reach people.” The Forward had reported at the time that at that point, the ADL had resumed advertising on X but it was not clear when exactly they did so.

Musk repeatedly said in a space on X last week that his platform’s approach toward dealing with “hateful but legal” speech is to use X’s algorithms to suppress the reach of such hateful posts. Musk also claimed that various third parties concluded that hate speech has declined on the platform since he bought it; the ADL had published a couple of reports in May criticizing X’s content moderation efforts.

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Print Issue: We Are All Mahsa | Oct 6, 2023

Featured, Print Issue /

CLICK HERE FOR FULLSCREEN VERSION

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Star of David Challah for Simchat Torah

Food /

Judy Elbaum, the Founder of Leave it to Bubbe, has been baking challahs nearly every week for more than 20 years.

“Challah baking for me is a weekly ritual that is at once joyful and therapeutic,” Elbaum told the Journal. “l love the way it connects me to my heritage and provides such wholesome sustenance for my loved ones.”

This year, for Simchat Torah, she is baking a Star of David challah. 

“It is the perfect celebratory challah for Simchat Torah, when we gather together to rejoice as we complete the annual cycle of reading from the Torah.” 

During the COVID lockdowns, when Elbaum was trying to set goals to help her through difficult times, she started studying the weekly parsha. 

“Torah study has become a very meaningful and enriching part of my week,” she said. 

Elbaum and her husband were cleaning out a pantry, and behind food props and stacks of dishes, she discovered a Nordic Ware Star of David Bundt pan. She ordered it online years ago and forgot about it.  

“l love the way it connects me to my heritage and provides such wholesome sustenance for my loved ones.” – Judy Elbaum

When her husband suggested she use the pan to make a Star of David challah, Elbaum was skeptical, but decided to give it a try.  She was delighted with the results. 

“Star of David Bundt challah has brought so much joy to my family,” she said. 

And everyone got into it. 

“The original idea came from my husband, my grandchildren joyously punched down the dough after its first rise, my son-in-law suggested making French toast with the leftovers and my daughter suggested making toads in a hole, which are fried eggs inside a slice of challah.”

If you’re looking for a showstopper challah for the holiday, try Elbaum’s recipe

Star of David Bundt Challah for Simchat Torah

1 package of. yeast (I use Fleischmann’s Active Dry ¼ ounce pkg — make sure it’s not rapid rise)
1 cup warm water
1 and 1/2 tsp sugar
3 cups plus 2 Tbsp bread flour (I use King Arthur’s unbleached bread flour)
¼ cup sugar
1½ tsp salt
1 egg
2 tsp oil (I use canola oil)

Glaze for the Braid

1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Glaze for the Star of David Bundt

¼ cup honey

 amount of dough. I make one Star of David challah and one braided challah.  Line an insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper for the braided challah.  

Spray well a Nordic Ware Star of David Bundt pan with Pam or other non-stick cooking spray.

Place yeast in warm water with 1½ teaspoons of sugar and allow to proof (bubble up a bit so you know that the yeast are alive) for 5 to 10 minutes.

Place flour, ¼ cup sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to mix.

Beat egg and oil in a bowl, then add to water/yeast mixture.

Start the food processor. Pour in liquids. Combine for about 15 seconds. It should be well combined.

Once dough is combined, process for another 40 seconds. It will be stickier than when you knead by hand.  

Remove from the food processor and knead just a few times, adding a little flour if necessary to prevent sticking.

Place in a bowl which has been lightly greased with oil or sprayed with Pam, cover with a kitchen towel or cloth, and leave it in a warm place. Allow dough to rise until doubled in bulk, about two hours. 

Punch the dough down and divide in half. Roll half of the dough into a ball, then roll it into a thick cylinder that will fit around the tube of the Bundt pan. Place the cylinder onto the base of the pan and press the two ends together. You should have something that looks like a circle around the tube of the pan.

Press the dough lightly onto the Star of David at the base of the pan.  It’s OK if the dough does not totally cover the Star of David. It will spread as it bakes. 

Divide the other half of the dough into 3 pieces, then roll each piece into a 12” to 14” strand. Braid the three strands together into a simple braid, then place on the insulated cookie sheet. (Insulated cookie sheets prevent the burnt bottom of bread and parchment paper will prevent sticking).

Cover the Star of David Bundt pan and the braid and allow to rise again for about 45 minutes.  

Beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water and with a pastry brush. Brush the glaze gently on the braided dough before baking.

Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 30- 35 minutes. 

Challahs should come out burnished to a deep golden brown.

You will glaze the Star of David Challah after it comes out of the oven and unmold it from the Bundt pan. Heat the honey briefly in a small pot until it is melted, then brush on top of the Star of David for a shiny presentation.

Some tips for success: 

Be sure to preheat the oven and that it is calibrated to the correct temperature. You can buy an oven thermometer; it will let you know if your oven is at the correct temperature and if it is not, then you can adjust it.

Make sure to use bread flour; it has a higher protein content and consequently a higher gluten content, which provides the structure needed for a good bread. 

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