Pacific Jewish Center | Rabbi » Judd Magilnick

YU Basketball Coach in the Wall Street Journal (with a cameo by a PJC family member)

rabbifink — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:17:11 +0000

As if the YU Maccabeats weren’t giving YU enough press (This Year’s Hottest Chanukah Song: Candlelight by The Maccabeats | Jewish Holiday Music), the YU Maccabees (basketball team) got some nice press last week as well.

The Wall Street Journal has a nice piece on Dr. Jonathan Halpert. He is the YU basketball coach of 39 years. That is a long time to be doing any job. Certainly in a field dominated by the coaching carousel, it is a worthy achievement.

The article is nice. It tells of the challenges of managing a team of Orthodox Jewish basketball players. Shabbos and Holidays are off limits to games and practices. The daily grind of a YU student includes religious studies until mid afternoon and then secular classes that can go until 8 PM.

Halpert gives the reader insight into his coaching and life philosophy and as a reader I found him to be inspiring.

In the article, there is one anecdote about making an impact on a player’s life.

There was the player who was cut but served as team manager for a year, made the squad the following season and hit a game-winning three-point shot at the buzzer. Dr. Halpert made five DVDs of the game for the player to show to his children. “That’s good to keep you going another five years,” he said.

A nice story. But even nicer because I happen to know that player.

That player is Aryeh Magilnick. Son of PJC members Judd and Denise Magilnick.

And I happen to know what shot Halpert was referring to. And now you do too.

Click the video to watch Aryeh Magilnick hit a classic buzzer beater. (Assume there is a buzzer and that the shot was released just before the buzzer sounded.)

Link: WSJ

(Another young adult who grew up at PJC and was featured on my blog: A Member of the Pacific Jewish Center Family Making Us Proud in Thailand)

Maybe the Revolution in China Will Be Tweeted or YouTubed

rabbifink — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 16:37:14 +0000

With apologies to Malcolm Gladwell who writes that the Revolution will NOT be tweeted (Malcolm Gladwell Doesn’t Use Twitter or Facebook But He Is Pretty Sure They Are Useless) it appears that some revolutionary activity in China is being tweeted.

As reported on DigitalJournal.com (original source: Al Jazeera), a woman in China was forced to abort her 8 month fetus to comply with China’s One Child rule. The Chinese Government enforces its arcane One Child Law with forced abortions and fines. Aside from its obtuse totalitarian nature, the result, in a society that values men over women, is a huge gap in men and women which presents another set of social problems. (see: Scientific American)

This woman was dragged from her home and brought to a facility where her fetus was brutally aborted in its womb.

The story is disturbing from a human perspective but hopeful for the future. This abortion (if you can call an 8 month fetus killed inside the womb, an “abortion”, was performed by government officials. The woman is from a modern city and her family does not know how the information was leaked to a Chinese website similar to Twitter.com. Nevertheless, a subsequent interview with her husband on YouTube posted by Al Jazeera has over 30,000 hits and it tells their story.

Information cannot be controlled anymore. The Internet and its social media sharing sites give everyone with an Internet connection unbridled access to the entire world. A message can be broadcast and heard by an infinite audience.

In China, the stirrings of a revolution may be beginning with Twitter and YouTube.

Gladwell, take note.

Links: DigitalJournal.com, Al Jazeera.

Hat Tip: E. F. Shaar

Chinese Jews Returning to Their Roots

rabbifink — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:56:10 +0000

One of the more remarkable things that has occurred in the last 50 years is the shrinking of the world. Planes fly to even the most remote locations across the globe and high-speed fiber-optic cable connects the entire global community. I can virtually visit famous landmarks and have face to face conversations with people anywhere.

Almost 2000 years ago, the established Jewish community was based in the Land of Israel. Jews were living in Europe, North Africa and Babylonia as well, but the main community was centered around the Temple and communal religious life in Israel. The Temple was destroyed almost 2000 years ago and the diaspora began. Slowly, Jews migrated all over the world. Most prominently, the communities of Eastern Europe, the Medditeranean Basin and Babylonia established large Torah communities and much of Judaism today is the product of the generations of Jews who lived in those regions.

With the shrinking of the world, Jews from all backgrounds and ethnicities have become familiar with one another and a global Jewish community has evolved.

Recently, I was sent an audio link (by Judd Magilnick) to a lecture given by Rabbi Marvin Tokayer. Rabbi Tokayer is an expert on the Jews of the Far East. His lecture was fascinating and it opened my eyes to an ancient Jewish community in China that I had only heard whispers of until recently.

Today, The Forward has a very interesting article about some Yeshiva students in Jerusalem who are Chinese. They hail from the Kaifeng Chinese Community and are trying to reinvigorate their lives and hometown with Judaism.

The only disappointing part of the article was the continued references to Marranos. The term Marrano refers to Jews who converted to Christianity during the Spanish inquistion but tried to keep their Judaism underground. They faced threats to their life and yet managed to keep many Jewish traditions alive for several generations. The word first meant pig and is a pejorative term for referring to these Jews. I prefer the more PC term of Converso.

Still, I highly recommend the article and I am hoping to continue to learn more about the Jews of the Far East.

The Forward Article: Israel’s Keenest Yeshiva Students

An Elephant Never Forgets But People Do

rabbifink — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:06:14 +0000

Every Friday night I wrap up services with a short Torah thought. Many weeks it is a question with food for thought that we discuss later on. Some weeks it is a complete idea with a take home message.

Last Friday Night I chose to present a variation of a famous parable from the Dubner Maggid. The Dubner Maggid was an 18th century Lithuainian Maggid who specialized in creating and using parables to explain Torah ideas and principles.

A consummate story teller and accomplished writer, his contributions to Jewish lore endure.

On this occasion I referred to his parable explaining the verse in Haazinu: “Tzur Yeladcha Teshi, Vatishkach El M’cholelelcha” – loosely translated as “the rock who bore you, you forgot and you forgot your maker”.

It is strange that “forgetting God” is deemed so severe. Forgetting is natural, we forget things all the time. I forgot to update the blog for a couple days (I kid, I was very busy), I am sure you forget too. Sometimes, forgetting is good. Like forgetting the pain we felt at various times in our life. Imagine if we still remembered every moment of embarrassment we ever felt? That would be too much to bear.

Luckily, we have the ability to forget.

The Dubner Maggid explains the severity of forgetting God with a classic parable. A Doctor’s practice was languishing. He had few patients and the few patients he had, hardly paid the bills. One day, he ran into an old friend of his. The friend, a successful business man, asked how the medical practice was going. The Dr. replied, “terrible. I have no patients, no money, I am bored all day!” The friend said “I will teach you a trick that will get you more business. Whenever you meet someone and they ask you ‘how is business?’, reply that you would ‘love to talk but gotta run’. People will think you are in high demand and you will see business will pick up.

The Dr. was running out of options, so he heeded the advice of his friend as ridiculous as it sounded to him and within a few months business was booming. Every time someone would ask him how business was, he would excuse himself and run off in a haste.

A few years later (and a few luxury cars and a new mansion later) the Dr. sees his old friend once again. The friend sees he is obviously in better financial shape and asks his excitedly, “so how is business?”. The Dr. replies with his standard refrain, “I’d love to talk, but I gotta run”. And as he turns to walk away, the friend says “way-way-wait a second, I tought you that trick! You can’t use it on me! Now, sit down and tell me how things are!”

God gave us the ability to forget. He gave us the gift of forgetting. We are lucky and fortunate to have that gift. But we can’t use it against Him! He taught us that trick!

A couple days ago. Judd Magilnick sent me this gem. It is the story of Jill Price, the woman who cannot forget anything. It is very painful as you can see from these excerpts from the article.

The completeness of her memory means that awkward moments from school, battles with her weight, hurtful comments that her mother made, never diminish because the memory or the hurt of them is still as fresh as when it was happening. Memories that elicit feelings of guilt and shame and remorse are continually playing out.

She has stored many painful memories, but perhaps worst of all was her husband’s sudden death. On March 25, 2005, Jill’s husband, who she married two years earlier, on March 1, 2003, had a stroke. Five days later, he was declared dead.

Whereas most people will feel the pain from a traumatic event upon reflection, for Jill it is the same shock, horror and helplessness that she experienced in the moment it occurred. Time, for her, does not heal the wounds. “Because I can’t forget. The pain never lessens.”

Those of us who can forget, can never forget how fortunate we are…

The Sales Pitch

rabbifink — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:23:30 +0000

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.

Some BTs “can’t handle the truth” and wind up right where they started – wonderful secular people. Other BTs are more adept at maintaining their Frum lifestyle despite the disappointment. The article then enumerates some of the great things that BTs have contributed to the Frum lifestyle. Like manners, healthy eating, special education, etc.

While there is room for debate on whether the Frum community can attribute these “innovations” to BTs I am happy to give them the credit.

The article concludes by thanking the Frum community for showing them a way of life they love and appreciate.

I have two main points that I want to make in relation to this article.

1- The fake sales pitch the Frum From Birth Kiruv Rabbis spew.

2- The BTs reaction to the reality check.

I cannot stand the sales pitch that Frum people have no problems and Torah life is free from all social ills. It is simply not accurate. Please don’t use it!

In fact, the Torah is a guidebook for flawed people. If people were able to just become perfect then the Torah would give us one time instructions to “fix” our flaws and then we would be good to go! But instead, the Torah gives us instructions to develop our character through Mitzva observance with specific tasks. Some tasks only come around once in a lifetime, or once every 50 years, or once every seven years, or once a year, or once a month, once a week, once a day, and even every second. The clear message is that we need constant work because humans will eventually fall.

The Talmud explicitly states: “Do not believe in yourself (righteousness) until the day you die”. The human being is designed to fail without constant work and guidance.

I believe the honest sales pitch (and yes it is a sales pitch and that’s okay) is: Humans are flawed, we all need guidance, the Torah provides guidance. Some of it is obvious, some of it is hidden, but we believe that the Torah lifestyle is a guide for life. If you want a guide, you can buy in. We are all trying to use the guide as best as we can and we feel our lives are more enriched by using the guide. Maybe you will too.

Perhaps more important is the reaction of the BT. I sent this email to Judd Magilnick, a Pacific Jewish Center board member and he offered some great insight.

First, many “not yet” BTs back off from greater commitment by rationalizing that they saw a Frum person who lacked derech eretz (common courtesy). Judd says this is the Yetzer Hara talking but Frum folks need to realize that they are being judged and should act accordingly.

I once heard that R’ Moshe Feinstein asked why we ask in Ahava Rabba that Hashem give us the ability to understand, listen to and teach Torah. Should the teaching part be reserved for teachers and rabbis? Why does veryone say it? And R’ Moshe answers that we are all teachers. We are teaching others about how the Torah wants us to behave every time we act.

Judd’s next point was even better. Why should an impious Frum person affect one’s opinion of Torah? The analogy is if one sticks his wet finger in a socket he is going to get a shock. That doesn’t indicate a flaw in elecricity! And like electricity Torah has the power to do great good and it also has the power to cause ill. It depends on its user.

So (potential) BTs, if you can use Torah for good why would you let it bother you that someone else is abusing it? One has nothing to do with the other!

As a Rabbi in shul of mostly BTs and potential BTs I hear this kind of rhetoric often. “If he’s a Frum person he shouldn’t do X or Y etc”. It is disheartening but I have one response.

I always quote Rabbi Wein: “Don’t judge Judaism by its Jews”.

Additionally, I don’t pitch anything other that learning more Torah and experiencing a Shabbos meal. One should make their personal decisions based on an informed view that can only come from one’s own study. The Shabbos meal is just to make it a little more personal and less abstract. That’s all.

So, I am looking for insight, do people really judge Torah by its Jews?

Is there an “accurate” (non-cynical) sales pitch?

Anything else in the original column that struck you?