Aug 26th, 2010
by rabbifink.
Child Witches in Nigeria
I saw this CNN article on a friend’s Facebook page.
There is a severe humanitarian crisis in Nigeria. I don’t know how much we can do to help but I think the crisis is emblematic of social issues in our culture as well.
Innocent children are being physically abused, even tortured or killed because they are thought to be witches. If a child can be blamed for a tragedy or illness by claiming they are a witch they will be outcast, then beaten and then abandoned to rid the community of the witch. (more…)
Aug 24th, 2010
by rabbifink.
This past Sunday I was in Baltimore MD (Birthplace of Eliyahu Fink and his son Rami) for a very unique occasion.
My grandmother was celebrating her 70th birthday (that’s not so unique – right?) AND her recent Ph.D (yes – she just got her Ph.D). Veteran readers of this blog will remember that both my grandmothers work full time (see: My Thoughts On The Aughts). That’s an accomplishment on its own merits! (more…)
Aug 6th, 2010
by rabbifink.
Way back in the embryonic stages of this blog I wrote about a father who was denied a birthday cake by a local Shoprite for his son’s birthday.
The reason? The store refused to write the child’s name on the cake.
That child’s name? Adolph Hitler Campbell. (Adolf Hitler Campbell can’t get a birthday cake)
A little while later, I reported that the child, along with his siblings were taken into protective services. (Breaking News! Ad@lf Hitl&r Campbell Update)
Following an appeal, Heath Campbell (the father) has lost custody of his children. (more…)
Jun 8th, 2010
by rabbifink.
[Alternate blog post title: Sex and the City 2 Billboards Are Offensive To Parents With Young Children.]
I love LA.
Living in LA has its perks. You get great weather 300 days a year, really friendly neighbors, not too many bugs, plenty of excitement, just enough peace and quiet, the Lakers, and a Shul on the Beach (with a lucky Rabbi). But like any big city, there are some drawbacks to living in LA. The traffic, superficiality, the helicopters outside my window at 2 AM, the expensive housing, and the schmutz.
What is schmutz? Literally, it means dirt. But in this context it means dirty in a provocative or an overtly sexual manner. (© me this very second) (more…)
Jun 4th, 2010
by rabbifink.
A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov in Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
Parshas Shelach
Dvar Hashem Baza
Parshas Shlach Lecha is filled with lessons for eternity. Nestled in between the chet hameraglim and parshas tzizis is a fascinating phrase with significant halachic impact. The Torah tells us that an individual who transgresses the aveirah of avodah zarah intentionally is chayav kares. The reason given is ki dvar Hashem baza, the idolator has disgraced the word of Hashem.
The Gemara in Meseches Sanhedrin (99a) darshens many halachos from this phrase. One drasha is so extraordinary it seems not to go with the rest, (more…)
Apr 30th, 2010
by rabbifink.
Remember that short story? “The Most Dangerous Game”? Dangerous games are no longer fiction. They have become part of our never ending news cycle.
It is with a heavy heart that I write this post.
I heard sad news today.
A Santa Monica youth was found dead in his home. Cause of death? A game. The Choking Game.
I had never heard of this “game”. But apparantly most pre-teens have heard of it and many have “played it”.
It seems that there is some “high” associated with near asphyxiation. Boys between the ages of 11 and 16 are the most likely to try one of the different variants of this deadly game. Few parents are even aware that this game exists. (more…)
Apr 26th, 2010
by rabbifink.
Sometimes you read something and you just need to share it. I read about teaching Philosophy to 2nd graders last week.
I LOVE this idea.
The NY Times ran a story last week about a new program at a Massachusetts charter school teaching 2nd graders philosophy.
There are not learning the nuances of the different techniques of philosophers. What they are doing is learning how to have open ended discussions about debatable ideas. So much of school is learning the right answer to a specific question. We are taught at a very young age to figure out what the teacher wants us to say, and then to say it.
Even critical thinking is just a mask for “critically thinking the way the teacher wants you to think”. (more…)
Mar 10th, 2010
by rabbifink.
Yesterday I wrote about a great film in Simple Justice | The Story of Brown v. Board of Education: The End of Separate But Equal in Schools. Civil Rights made tremendous strides in the wake of Brown. It was a tumultuous time and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led the way to racial equality.
Today, we have a president that represents the progress on behalf of all minorities. What was unthinkable a generation ago, is the reality of our world. Imagine a 70 year old black man from the deep south who remembers attending a segregated school and looks in the newspaper in 2010 and sees someone who would have been institutionally discriminated against as the leader of the free world. What a feeling that must be…
But along with the good, comes some bad. In the last few weeks I have seen some examples of Reverse Discrimination as well as oversensitivity. (more…)
Mar 9th, 2010
by rabbifink.
Last week I spoke at Pepperdine University about Jewish Lessons in Parenting. I began my talk by complimenting my parents and expressing my desire to emulate their parenting in the raising of my own children. One such example occurred today.
At Law School we are reading some of the most well-known Supreme Court Cases. A few weeks ago we read Roe v. Wade (banning 1st term abortion is unconstitutional) and the even more important Casey v. Planned Parenthood (upheld Roe) cases. Last week we read Plessy v. Ferguson (after Civil War, Separate but Equal schools were ruled constitutional).
This week we are reading Brown v. Board of Education. This case overruled Plessy and made Separate but Equal unconstitutional in Public Schools. (more…)
Aug 31st, 2009
by rabbifink.
We took the family on a Sunday trip to Pasadena to see the famous Huntington Gardens.
Esteemed Pacific Jewish Center, Board Member, Alan Lipman first told me about this landmark a few months back. He described Huntington Gardens as a place of natural beauty, educational value and cultural significance. I had been looking forward to seeing the gardens in person ever since then.
Yesterday, I discovered for myself that Huntington Gardens is a “must see” attraction in the Los Angeles area.
(more…)
Jul 21st, 2009
by rabbifink.
The writer, a woman, calls upon all Orthodox Jews to reject “the evil feminists” of Kolech and “have as many children as possible, as soon as possible”. For there is no greater joy in life than having many children.
Her arguments are weak (read it for yourself) and the ending says it all: “Trust me”. Why should I trust her?
As a proud father of 2 beautiful boys (a 6 year old and 8 month old) I can attest to the joys of parenthood. Giving the gift of life to one’s offspring is both very powerful and oftentimes emotional. I cannot imagine my life without my family.
I must take issue with this woman’s assertion that “the greatest gift we can give our families is a big family. Very big”.
Jul 16th, 2009
by rabbifink.
This post is cross-posted to DovBear – more discussion there.
I read an important column on a good website yesterday.
It wasn’t on NYTimes.com or Yahoo.com or ESPN.com (some of my favorite sites to link from) this article was on Vosizneias.com. VIN is a Orthodox Jewish blog with editorials and news. I recommend checking it out when you have a chance.
The column I read was a great perpective on Baal Teshuvas and their integration into the Frum community. In particular the column focused on various reactions of the BT (I use the term adoringly) when encountered with other (supposedly) Frum Jews who are not living up to their own standards.
(more…)
Jul 14th, 2009
by rabbifink.
During the summer months many people find some extra time to catch up on their reading. By reading, I mean books with paper, ink, covers and turning pages. I don’t mean on a backlit display plugged into an electrical outlet.
This summer, I have been too busy to do any real substantive offline reading. I have done a lot of online reading, but my book reading has fallen behind.
One exception has been DovBear on the Parsha, and you can read my review here.
Part of the reason for this is that in my “spare time” I usually end up reading up on Law School materials. I actually enjoy reading cases and Law Review articles, so my reading of other stuff has fallen a bit behind.
There is plenty of summer left and I thought it would be nice to provide some of my all time favorite reads and a quick note about why I like each book.
(more…)
May 17th, 2009
by rabbifink.
I blogged a little while back about the pinch being felt in Jewish Day School and Yeshivas.
The LA Times must be reading my blog because they finally caught on to this growing problem. Today I read about the familiar names in our Los Angeles Jewish community who are suffering budget crises.
Is there hope for our schools? Is it possible to sustain a system that requires such tremendous financial commitment from its families? (more…)
Feb 26th, 2009
by rabbifink.
In the last week I have read two articles in the NY Times that echo similar sentiments. I am proud to say that both of these sentiments are understood and utilized in the Yeshiva system.
The first (earlier) article talks about the 4 R’s – wait I thought there were only 3 R’s reading, writing and arithmetic – the fourth R is recess. I blogged about recess once before. I am on the case again today.
It seems that generally educators looked at recess as a necessary evil. It would inhumane to corral children in stuffy classrooms for 8 hours a day with no break so we are forced to provide some time for recess. Research shows a different attitude. (more…)
Jan 28th, 2009
by rabbifink.
My father is the Dean of a Jewish girls private school in New York. It is a girls Yeshiva called Ateres Bais Yaakov. The government provides no funding to run the school however there is grant money as well as some other federal and state programs which contribute to the school’s bottom line. The bulk of the budget is set off by tuition and donations. Last week my father told me about the recent economic situation’s effect on his school.
It has been on my mind since then. Today the Wall Street Journal has an article detailing the current pinch for private schools and their parents.
(more…)
