Pacific Jewish Center | Rabbi » tolerance

A Celebration of America in the LA Times on July 4

rabbifink — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:28:33 +0000

When considering the importance of the July 4th holiday in America, it is almost impossible to overstate it. July 4th is the day it all began. It is the day that set into motion all of the wonderful things that is the United States of America.

Perhaps above all, the second line of the Declaration of Independence illustrates why July 4th 1776 changed the world forever.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

This line has taken on a life that goes well beyond the intended meaning of this proclamation. It has become a calling card for civil rights and equality for all. It has created an environment where many religions have been able to flourish alongside seculars and humanists. It has created a country where no one can be discriminated against for their beliefs.

In theory this is certainly a powerful sentiment. But if people are forced into non-discrimination would that create a harmonious atmosphere of different groups working together? Or would it simply protect against overt acts of violence or threats between groups?

In real life, it’s a mixed bag. Too often it is the latter. When it is the former it is worth noting. Especially on July 4th.

Today’s LA Times ran an article about the LA Eruv. (What’s an Eruv? My explanation is here: The Good Wife: Unorthodox, From a Rabbi / Law Student Perspective.) The LA Eruv uses the 405 Freeway for one of its walls. In case you haven’t heard, the 405 is the world’s biggest parking lot. During rush hour it can literally take an hour to travel a mile. To help relieve some of the stress on the 405, Caltrans is doing some construction.

The 405′s most dense corridor runs between the 10 Freeway and the 101 Freeway. That corridor will be 100% closed for TWO FULL DAYS. Los Angeles will be a traffic nightmare. (Carmaggedon – of course)

All the construction has also been a potential nightmare for the Eruv committee. Each project along the 405 breaks the wall and it is necessary to fill that area in with a temporary “wall” until the construction in that area is complete. Working together with Caltrans, the Eruv committee has been able to satisfy the halachic requirements for the Eruv every week during the construction.

But they have help. Howard Witkin, an administrator with the LA Eruv says:

“The level of help we’ve had, from the Roman Catholic permit people at Caltrans … to the Muslim line inspector along the freeways who gave us engineering help.…The level of deference and courtesy and kindness — it makes you feel good that you live in America.”

Yes it does.

So on July 4th, we celebrate the birth of a country that enables this kind of relationship between vastly different groups with very different beliefs.

HT: DM

Link: LA Times

Small Church Does Something Nice for Muslims and All Heck Breaks Loose

rabbifink — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:24:37 +0000

A small church in Tennessee has opened its doors to a group in need. Hardly something ripped from the headlines. This kind of thing happens all the time. But this time, the Church has come under fire for it’s friendliness.

The Heartsong Church in Cordova Tennessee (it’s not named after anything Muslim, calm down) allowed the local Memphis Islamic Center to use its facilities while the Islamic Center was being renovated. Church members feel it is their duty as righteous Christians to open their doors to anyone in need. These Muslims were in need of a decent place to pray and the Church was more than willing to lend a hand.

The two groups have a longstanding relationship and share a Thanksgiving meal each year as well. Sounds like a wonderful story to me.

Critics are saying that this is akin to “sleeping with the enemy”. In fact (friend of Israel) Mike Huckabee has (half in jest) compared it to showing adult films in a Church. The not in jest part of Huckabee’s statement was:

“If the purpose of a church is to push forward the gospel of Jesus Christ, and then you have a muslim group that says that Jesus Christ and all the people that follow him are a bunch of infidels who should be essentially obliterated, I have a hard time understanding that.”

Well, Mr. Huckabee allow me to explain it to you. (I’m not saying I believe this. I am saying that a religious Christian would / should believe this.) First of all, maybe the members of the Church are trying to teach the Muslims about charity and love the way Jesus tried to teach those same values to people of all faiths. That seems like a nice way to teach everyone about Jesus. Second of all, these people are friends! They are not trying to obliterate each other. They are neighbors and friends and have an existing relationship!

Look, Huckabee is over reacting. But I think everyone that is ignoring this story is under reacting. I don’t mean reacting to Huckabee’s inane comparisons. I mean reacting to supposed enemies getting along just fine.

When people are friends first and religious ideologues second (or not at all), they can be friends no matter what their beliefs. When people see others as people and foster good relationships it is hard to hate them. It’s a good thing. Isn’t this the kind of Christianity and Islam that will usher in a new era of peace among all religions?

I think so. And I hope that we will see more interfaith relationships among people of all backgrounds, faiths and political aspirations.

Links: Fox News and Mediaite (Y-Love)

HT: Y-Love

What Really Happened 2000-2010? Time Magazine Says It Was Mostly Bad

rabbifink — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 18:24:51 +0000

One of my favorite columnists is Gregg Easterbrook. He writes a weekly NFL column on ESPN.com and incorporates politics, science and humor into his football commentary. In fact, before I started this blog, I copied a very good section of one of Easterbrook’s columns into a Facebook Note to share with my Facebook friends. I guess we could consider that my first blog post ever! (I should probably just copy it from Facebook into the blog…) So Easterbrook got me started as a blogger! (Read the Facebook note here: Copied From TMQ on ESPN.com – just what i have been saying…)

I also wrote about him 13 months ago in a great post called Christmas Creep and Judaism (if you have not read that yet, do it now).

Yesterday, Easterbrook wrote another brilliant column that relates back to that Facebook Note. Bad news is news. Good news is not.

Time Magazine’s cover for their December 6, 2010 issue depicts what “really happened” between 2000 and 2010. Here you go:

Easterbrook tallied up the events mentioned on the cover. Here are the results.

Some 118 happenings were chosen by Time editors as the most important in the decade. Four were positive (sports achievements, an African-American inaugurated as president). Fourteen were neither good nor bad (“Pluto demoted to dwarf planet”). One was goofy (“AOL-Time Warner merger” was named by Time as among the world’s most important events of the decade). One made you want to weep for the state of American culture (“‘The Dark Knight’ release” is treated as more important than any book, work of art or music). The rest, 98 of 118 events cited, were negative.

That means that according to Time Magazine 83% of the events worth mentioning this decade are negative events! Easterbrook punctuates his point with this:

The Time selection says nothing about major positive trends such as declining international military spending (rising U.S. spending is the exception to the rule), declining teen pregnancy rates, declining crime, declining accidental deaths. “U.K. foot and mouth crisis” — which harmed only livestock — was cited, but nothing was said about declining cancer rates. “Shark attack” was cited, but nothing was said about the dramatic rise in living standards in most of the developing world. (“Overall, poor countries are catching up with rich countries” on nearly all central measures, according to this important new report.) Yes, journalists have always loved bad news, and have long pretended good news doesn’t exist. But this is ridiculous.

I agree. Bad news is news. Good news is not.

There needs to be demand for good news. If there is a demand for good news, journalists will report it. But as it stands now, bad news sells, good news does not.

I think the marketplace can dictate what is reported. We, as the consumers, need to ask for more positive news.

Bloggers should be writing about good news. CNN I-Reports should have some good news. We should be promoted good behavior through the media. We should be hearing more stories that give us hope and inspiration and less stories that depress us and make us afraid.

People usually do the right thing. It just doesn’t seem that way.

Perhaps if we heard more good news about everyone we would have less biases against particular groups who only seem to make the news when they do something wrong. And not the 99.9% of the time they are doing the right thing.

(More from the article tomorrow!)

Link: ESPN.com

Our Penchant For Defining Ourselves By Excluding Others

rabbifink — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:50:39 +0000

In the comment threads that follow the two posts I wrote about Esther Petrack (who has been eliminated from ANTM) (Esther Petrack: Modern Orthodox Jewish Girl on America’s Next Top Model Drops Shabbos on Television and Esther Petrack’s Mother Speaks: Esther is observant, it was all editing) I noticed something that I feel needs to be discussed.

Much of the conversation was about whether Esther could be considered “Orthodox” or “Modern Orthodox” in light of her decision to model. The first comment thread assumed that she dropped Shabbos (even though we knew it could be editing and my post was not about her per se) and the second thread assumed that even if she kept Shabbos there was a problem with her modeling.

Quite a few commenters found the need to “draw a line” between what they do and what Esther did. Some said she desecrated God’s name. Others said that violated a law and not being ashamed is enough for them to be ousted from orthodoxy or modern orthodoxy. I debated the merits of those claims on the thread (and even received a number of emails thanking me) and I don’t care to debate them further.

What I find most interesting is this need that has been expressed to self define by whom we exclude.

This phenomena is part of what drove the “separate but equal” laws of the first half of the 20th century. Sure blacks couldn’t be used as slaves anymore, but by excluding them from social life, and certain privileges the white majority still felt superior.

In politics you’ll see the same kind of lines of demarcation drawn. Someone is only as right or left wing as they are compared to the next guy. So political groups find it necessary to define themselves by who and what they are not. The last two major election campaigns (’08, ’10) both focused on change. “We are not like them”.

In religions it is the same way. Folks want to feel superior or more authentic so they say “we are the REAL ____ [Jews / Christian / Muslims (/ Atheists)]. Huge sects of Christianity and Islam are built on this principle. Judaism is smaller and has been united by common persecution so these tendencies may have existed but it did not yield similar results.

Once Jews were freed from the ghetto this phenomena found its way into Judaism. Different sects within Judaism formed and people began to define themselves by whom they were not like. Most people do what their parents do. It wasn’t a conscious choice, yet they self define “real Judaism” as their version. And their version can be so narrowly construed that no one else can fit in to their little world. It’s isolationism at its best.

This is what many Modern Orthodox Jews find so disturbing about Charedi Judaism. The Charedi establishment excludes non-conformists. This includes in action and in thought. For example Rabbi Natan Slifkin performs the same actions / mitzvos as the Charedim. But he is excluded for his thoughts. On the other hand, those who look the part but don’t act like Charedi Jews are also excluded. For some (maybe most) this doesn’t affect them because they have self selected themselves out of the Charedi world. But for Rabbi Slifkin who self selected himself as a Charedi Jew, this created a personal conflict. Subsequent to the entire affair he self excluded himself. The merits of Rabbi Slifkin’s opinions and the merits of the Charedi criticisms are not relevant. The point is that he was excluded for his thoughts.

Modern Orthodox Jews are more inclusive. There is a broader range of activity and thought that is acceptable. But when someone so much as tiptoes over the line they are out. Rabbi Avi Weiss dared tread just across the line and everyone and their grandmother has “excluded” him or proclaimed him to be “beyond the pale”. The truth is that Modern Orthodoxy is more inclusive but only because they have a broader definition of what is acceptable thought and action. However, going outside that self-defined perimeter means you are outside Modern Orthodoxy. There is not more tolerance, just more tolerated activity.

The same thing drove the comments that ousted Esther Petrack from Modern Orthodoxy. Esther’s mother wrote that her family goes “mixed swimming” (and wear bathing suits in public). This is an accepted action within Modern Orthodoxy. (Forget halacha for a minute, this is a social issue, not a halachic issue.) Yet, Esther’s modeling was outside what some people want to define as Modern Orthodoxy so she is out. Esther self defines as Modern Orthodox. Somehow people think they have a right to tell others how they are to be defined.

How does it help Modern Orthodox Jew be a better person or a better Jew by excluding Esther? What is the motivation?

It’s the same phenomena. People need to feel better about themselves and they take the feel good shortcut by telling themselves and others that they are better / more important / more religious / more privileged than someone else.

Isolating others from the place that they define as their place is self serving. Further it can hurt others. Esther is 18 years old. If you care about her as your sister and you want her to be successful professionally and more importantly, spiritually then you would be best served offering her support and reminding her that we are her family no matter what.

Teens who are at-risk are the darlings of the Orthodox Jewish community. Money, time, resources, blog posts and magazine articles are dedicated to solving their problems. Do we hear anyone trying to exclude them from the places they want to be included? Of course not. I am not equating at risk teens and Esther. All I am saying is that even we have come to understand that inclusion is a much more powerful tool than exclusion.

This is not just about Esther. It is about being inclusive. Halacha tells us how to act. It doesn’t tell us to exclude those who may not follow halacha to the standards that we arbitrarily create.

Above all else: V’ahavta l’reyacha kamocha, zeh klal gadol baTorah.

Wonderful Article on the “Three Faiths” Exhibit at the New York Public Library

rabbifink — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:20:35 +0000

Christianity, Islam and Judaism share a common forefather. All three religions share a reverence for Abraham. Abraham is credited with discovering monotheism. Belief in one God enabled religions to focus on action and philosophy of religion as opposed to constant appeasement of the many Gods. Thus it is not accident that Christianity, Islam and Judaism all focus on action and understanding of religion and have passed the test of time.

The article in the New York Times was written by Edward Rothstein who went to school with Judd Magilnick who is a member at the Pacific Jewish Center. Judd heaped high praise on the article and for good reason. The article threads a difficult needle. It recognizes that the exhibit’s focus is the commonality of the three religions while acknowledging the challenges, historic and current that the three religions face in modern times attempting to achieve a harmonious coexistence.

The actual exhibit features some stunning artifacts. An ancient Talmud, a 13th Century Hebrew Bible, a Guggenheim Bible and a 14th Century Quran are part of the exhibit.

I hope I will have a chance to see this exhibit, but I don’t foresee being in New York before the end of February when the exhibit ends.

So, if you can get to the museum, I would love to hear what you think about the exhibit.

As for me, I find the current tension between these three religions beyond annoying. I would love to see more mutual understanding between members of all sects of all these faiths. I know that when it comes to tolerance and coexistence some are better and some are worse than others. But in the current era it seems completely anachronistic to be fighting holy wars that began 2000 / 1000 / 500 / 100 years ago.

It’s just not worth it.

Exhibits like this that show the world and show us the common ground we share are important and hopefully will be a positive step towards all around tolerance.

Please see the article in the NY Times: Abraham’s Progeny, and Their Texts

And see the Exhibit Site: Three Faiths: Judaism, Christianity, Islam

Litchfield Connecticut: A Revolutionary War Town Erupts in a War Over a Religious Center and Synagogue

rabbifink — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 21:01:43 +0000

Chabad of Litchfield Connecticut (Population ~8500) is trying to build a fancy new center that will house the rabbi, his family, a synagogue and a pool for the Chabad summer camp.

When the proposal reached the Litchfield planning board the center was denied.

The reasons cited by the board were mostly aesthetic. “The doors will be too big”, “The building will be a monstrosity compared to our small quaint homes”, “The Star of David may not comply with the historic district” etc.

Fueling the tensions are claims that the opposition to the center is anti-Semitic.

Without drawing comparisons to Park51 (Ground Zero Mosque vs. Downtown Manhattan Islamic Cultural Center: Video Debate) or the Maghen Abraham Synagogue in Lebanon (Maghen Abraham Synagogue in Beirut Lebanon: A Symbol of Tolerance), the issues raised in the spat are issues that go to the heart of religion in America.

In America, Religion is tolerated. In America, if yours is not the dominant religion, please keep to yourselves and don’t impose on the rest of us. In America, religion is okay so long as it is not “in my face”.

But for the dominant religion? In your face is totally fine. Prayers before sporting events, political policy in the name of “religion” and even laws that are rooted in a very specific Christian understanding of the bible are all part and parcel of the “American Experience”.

My opinion: Less “In Your Face” Religion from everyone would be quite welcome. Christopher Hitchens talks about the modernization of religion. This is vital to living in a world with more than one acceptanle viewpoint and especially when a competing viewpoint is right around the virtual corner. Religion can no longer be bully, it needs to place nice with the global community and respect all traditions and religions, even those who have neither.

I am no fan of blocking a Synagogue. Especially if and when it is fueled by anti-Semitism, but if it were me building the synagogue, I would try to fit into the aesthetic character of the community as best as I possibly could and be as unobtrusive as possible.

So, I choose neither side in this battle…

(link: LA Times)

Maghen Abraham Synagogue in Beirut Lebanon: A Symbol of Tolerance

rabbifink — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:25:10 +0000

In 1925 the Maghen Abraham Synagogue was built in Beirut Lebanon. Jews prayed there for many years. Judaism was (and still is) recognized as an official religion in Lebanon.

During the civil war in Lebanon during the 70′s through 90′s most of Lebanon’s Jews left the country and emigrated to Israel and other Sephardic communities.

In 1982 the Israel Defense Force had reason to suspect that the PLO was hiding weapons inside the synagogue. The IDF bombed the synagogue.

The synagogue lay in ruin for almost 30 years.

The synagogue is now being restored.

Soon, Jewish visitors to Beirut will have a place to pray once again.

There are three things that I think are worth mentioning.

First, the official position of Lebanon and Hezbollah is that they are not anti-Jewish, they are anti-Zionist. This is a distinction that gets muddied by Jews and non-Jews alike. It is possible to be a religious Jew and not be in favor of the Israeli Government or even the right of Jews to settle the Land of Israel exclusively. It is also possible for people who dislike Israel’s Government but still like Jewish people. I think this is an important point.

Second, the restoration of the synagogue is a wonderful gesture of tolerance. Israel and Lebanon fought a war not too long ago. There is still tension between Hezbollah and Israel. However, it is possible that CITIZENS of Israel and CITIZENS of Lebanon can get along. I find the restoring of the synagogue very optimistic and a positive step toward understanding and peace.

Third, Maghen Abraham Synagogue has been compared to Park51 (The center that is being called the Ground Zero Mosque). Some have even called it the Ground Zero Synagogue. I support BOTH projects but I do not think they are quite the same. 3000 civilians died in an unprovoked attack against a financial building. There is no way to twist the Twin Towers into a military target. The synagogue was shelled. It was a military target and no one died. The symbolisms may be similar but it is disingenuous to compare the two. Again, I am in FAVOR of Park51 and Maghen Abraham Synagogue, I just think they are different projects. Park51 is a cultural center with a mosque. It is a building that is supposed to demonstrate moderate Islam. The synagogue will be very utilitarian with no universal message. Again, they are just very different initiatives.

It is my fervent hope that all people will continue to exhibit tolerance and willingness to learn about others. The more we know about one another, the more we will realize that we share much more than we don’t. Let these two symbols of freedom and tolerance promote more freedom and tolerance across the world.

(Hat Tip: Rabbi Mintz)

Ground Zero Mosque vs. Downtown Manhattan Islamic Cultural Center: Video Debate

rabbifink — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 05:42:32 +0000

I honestly cannot believe that this story still has legs.

Silly me. I actually thought that if people knew the truth about Cordoba House they would simply cease to oppose its existence. (See: The Mosque at Ground Zero Has A Marketing Problem)

Yet, weeks later, people still call it a mosque and people still think it is being built at Ground Zero and people still think it is being funded by Osama bin Laden and it will become a terror cell and the reason they are building the mosque is to proclaim victory for Islam etc etc etc.

I have seen several videos about the issue. I have placed two of the videos on this page. Watch them both and you decide who makes the more cogent, reasoned, fair arguments.

I present you with Keep America Safe’s latest video:

And I present you with Keith Olbermann (with whom I rarely agree):

Fundamentalists and Extremists Are The Exceptions, Not The Rule

rabbifink — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 02:05:11 +0000

This post has been cross-posted to DovBear: Don’t Judge A Group By It’s Extremists

The Westboro Baptist Church practices and preaches an extremely fundamental version of Christianity. They hold that God punishes American soldiers in Iraq because there are “Gays in the military”. They hate Jews because Jews are they killed Jesus and are the cause of fornication. They protest at shuls, Holocaust Museums and funerals of soldiers. They are fundamentalists and like many fundies are obscene, anti-social and hateful.

There are orthodox Jews who practice a very fundamental view of Judaism. They say that God killed the Haitians in a massive earthquake because of Gays in the military (or Lashon Hara) See: Why The Earthquake in Haiti Happened. They say that Hurricane Katrina was punishment for Mardi Gras. They have been known to murder innocent people for the sake of their beliefs They hate liberals because they allow for depravity such as gay marriage. They protest all over on behalf of their causes.

There are Jihadist Muslims who practice a very fundamental and oftentimes violent version of Islam. They wish to rid the world of infidels, including Jews. They have bombed and fired weapons and thrown rocks in favor of their cause. They hate pretty much everyone that is not exactly like them and have no desire to integrate into a democratic society.

There are environmentalists who believe in a very fundamental version of liberalism. They are super passionate about the environment and nature. They stand in front of bulldozers, destroy private property and call people names all to protect nature. They put their lives at risk for their cause and spend millions of dollars promoting their cause. They put their cause above all else (for example instead of procreating) See: Green Gone Wild.

In all these examples, the extremists make a lot of noise and find their way into the headlines. Would it be fair to associate these extreme elements with the more moderate practitioners of their ideologies? Of course not. I don’t want to be judged by the crazed acts of fundamentalist orthodox Jews and I am sure that moderate Muslims, Christian and Liberals feel the same way about the extremists in their ideologies.

Extremism is bad. Nobody likes it except the ones acting extreme. I find it disturbing that Islam is judged solely by its extreme and fairly recent activities. Prior to the 20th century, Muslims were far more benevolent to members of other religions than Christians were. Recently, extremists have become the face of Islam. I think that is unfortunate. It is our best interest to support moderate forms of Islam and help them fight against the extremists.

Are there dangerous forms of Islam? Yes. Are there dangerous forms of all faiths, beliefs and ideologies? Yes again. We should be working together to foster moderates who are tolerant of others in all walks of life.

The Mosque at Ground Zero Has A Marketing Problem

rabbifink — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:05:47 +0000

This post has been cross-posted to DovBear: Islamaphobia and Cordoba House

It seems that the Cordoba House in downtown Manhattan has cleared a major hurdle by winning a 9-0 vote of the Landmarks Conservation Commission. (NY Times link)

Conservatives and liberals seem to be at loggerheads on this particular issue. Sarah Palin made headlines with her plea that the center be blocked and fellow right wing pundits have expressed their distaste to the center. They feel it disgraces the deceased by glorifying what they believe to be the religion that caused the tragedy at Ground Zero almost 9 years ago. Liberals, on the other hand, see the center as an olive branch to Islam and think the center glorifies America, not the dangerous form of Islamic Fundamentalism that took down the Twin Towers, 3000 victims and the U.S. economy.

I can’t say whether the center is an affront or not. That’s because it varies with each person. Everyone is free to react as they choose. I can’t say one side is right and one side is wrong.

What I can say is that the center has a bad marketing plan.

The center is not a mosque. It is a massive cultural center. There is a sanctuary planned but it is a minor part of a broader institution. An institution that, according to their website attempts to bring the gap between Islam and the West. An institution that also fights for women’s rights and opportunitities within Islam. In fact, if we are to believe the Cordoba website, it is exactly what Americans (especially Conservatives) should be supporting.

From their website:

Cordoba House is a Muslim-led project which will build a world-class facility that promotes tolerance, reflecting the rich diversity of New York City. The center will be community-driven, serving as a platform for inter-community gatherings and cooperation at all levels, providing a space for all New Yorkers to enjoy.

This proposed project is about promoting integration, tolerance of difference and community cohesion through arts and culture. Cordoba House will provide a place where individuals, regardless of their backgrounds, will find a center of learning, art and culture; and most importantly, a center guided by Islamic values in their truest form – compassion, generosity, and respect for all.

The site will contain tremendous amounts of resources that otherwise would not exist in Lower Manhattan; a 500-seat auditorium, swimming pool, art exhibition spaces, bookstores, restaurants – all these services would form a cultural nexus for a region of New York City that, as it continues to grow, requires the sort of hub that Cordoba House will provide.

So why call themselves a mosque? Bad marketing.

The center is not “at Ground Zero” either. It is 2 blocks away. If you’ve never been to Manhattan you can’t appreciate how FAR part 2 blocks in NYC are. Two blocks in Manhattan is very far. It is a few minutes walk and more importantly, it is certainly not within the line of sight. They should be saying that their center is a few minutes walk from Ground Zero. Not “at Ground Zero”.

From their website:

So the Mosque at Ground Zero is neither a mosque nor at Ground Zero. It is an Islamic Center in Downtown Manhattan. Is that still as offensive to those who oppose the center?

The only reasonable explanation for opposition that remains is conspiracy.

In other words, the website is a sham. The REAL purpose of Cordoba House is to spread Fundamental Islam and serve as a springboard for the continued spread of Islam in their quest for world dominance. This is Islamaphobia.

There are people who believe this to be the case. I do not.

If you are asking me, which you aren’t, I say support the Cordoba House and the brand of Islam they espouse and perhaps get involved a see it for yourself if you are not convinced. Working together will go a long way.

My One Sharp Criticism of the Museum of Tolerance

rabbifink — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 06:06:18 +0000

This post has been cross-posted to DovBear. Way more discussion here.

I really like the Museum of Tolerance. The overall message of the museum is a message that I wholeheartedly agree with.

Tolerance is a very important value in my worldview and the museum does a super job teaching that message.

(For a more complete review of the museum read my previous post My Visit to the Museum of Tolerance at the Simon Wiesenthal Center.)

There was one thing I noticed, or rather, did not notice that I find necessary to question and perhaps even criticize.

For all the talk and exhibits representing the horrors of racism, prejudice and segregation there was something missing. I could not help but imagine myself as a (hypothetical) average liberal, civil rights activist visiting the museum.

I am sure I would be impressed with the exhibits and their message. There is a possible segregation issue in one region of the world that is intimately related to the MOT. In fact this area is mentioned in various museum exhibits. Yet nowhere is the important civil rights issue mentioned or explored.

The region is the Middle East and specifically I am referring to Israel.

Objectively speaking, there is a level of segregation on Israel. There is a more privileged class and a less privileged class. The Jewish Israelis are the privileged class. They control the policies and laws of the country. The less privileged class are the Arab Muslims in general and in particular the Palestinians living in Gaza.

There is a wall (depicted rather satirically in the photo above) that separates Israelis from Palestinians. There are laws that prevent some services and benefits from Gaza. In essence there is a level of segregation.

Of course, supporters of Israel explain that these measures are not segregation – they are protection. They will explain that these policies are justified. That may be true. But on its face, the situation certainly has an appearance of intolerance or racism.

I wish the Museum of Tolerance would have dealt with this issue. It should be presented and rebutted to the best of their ability. If it cannot be rebutted the museum should not be ashamed to admit that. Its omitance seems problematic to me.

The issue is in fact at the forefront of many humanitarian groups. The UN takes it very seriously as well. I would have loved to see a well reasoned, clearly articulated, intelligent response.

Instead I got nothing.

I like the museum a lot. On this issue they can do better. A lot better.

My Visit to the Museum of Tolerance at the Simon Wiesenthal Center

rabbifink — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:09:47 +0000

This summer I took a class at Loyola Law School called Hate Speech Seminar. The course was very discussion based with some non-traditional law school reading. We also read the key First Amendment (Free Speech) cases and important Law Review articles on regulating hate speech.

I learned a lot.

Part of the course was a trip to the Museum of Tolerance at the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

I took my tour of the museum today. What follows are some general impressions.

The museum is impressive. It is modern, hi-tech, welcoming and imformative. I have been to a number of the more prominent Holocaust Museums and exhibits. The Museum of Tolerance takes a unique twist on the Holocaust that I personally found more relevant than some of the other attempts to memorialize the Holocaust.

Perhaps most telling is the non-Holocaust exhibits. There museum has a universal message of tolerance and love that I can really relate to. I saw exhibits on segregation and prejudice. The truth is that even if there was no Holocaust exhibit, these exhibits made the trip worthwhile.

The Holocaust section focuses on the prejudices that existed in 1930′s Germany. The presentations are slick and grab your attention. The manner in which the information is presented is more like Epcot Center than a High School classroom. They use multimedia in a non-obtrusive way to convery their message.

The homage to shtetl life was sweet but I felt not entirely accurate. The romanticization of Jewish life in pre-war Europe is common and I only expected better from the MOT because they were so good at everything else they did.

As always, I was very drawn to the artifacts and Judaica on display. I absolutely love seeing real, used “things” from a time long gone. To see a Torah Scroll that was used hundreds of years ago, with its beautiful hebrew calligraphy and adorned with exquisite silver jewelry is very powerful for me. I also really enjoyed the day to day items on display. The collection includes a Cholent Pot from 19th century Germany. It is earthenware and marked with the words “Cholent Pot” and beneath that it has the family name. It looks really nice.

The overall theme of the Holocaust exhibit is that we all have biases. We need to work hard to overcome our prejudices to lead a more tolerant life. I agree whole-heartedly with that message and support the Museum of Tolerance in its work to disseminate that message.

If you are in LA or visiting Los Angles, make a few hour stop at the MOT. It will have an effect on you for a long time.

Borrowing For Success | A Guest Post

rabbifink — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:43:12 +0000

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 Bo

Borrowed Success and a Shared future

The process of Geulas Mitzrayim is filled with the Hashgacha of the yad Hashem each step of the way. It reaches its climax with makas bechoros, as Pharaoh finally demands that Klal Yisrael leave what was left of his tattered empire. The Torah delineates the events leading up to and immediately following Yitzias Mitzrayim to teach us that the Geula was a step-by-step process. Along the way, a fascinating dichotomy is revealed. As the Mitzrim were being readied to expel Bnei Yisrael from their midst – through the impact of the makkos, Klal Yisrael was being prepared for Geula through various takanos and tzivuyim which culminated with the Korban Pesach and continued to progress until ma’amad Har Sinai.

One interesting requirement was the tzivui to “borrow” gold and silver from the Mitzrim. It is thrice referred to in the sipur yitzias Mitzrayim, each time with a different twist. First, Moshe Rabbeinu is told (Shmos 3:22) “V’shaalah isha mishchenta umigaras beisa klei kesef uklei zahav,” that the Nshei Yisrael will “borrow” from their Egyptian neighbors silver and gold. Moshe was being reassured that Bnai Yisrael would not leave Mitzrayim empty handed. However, when it came time to carry out this tzivui following makas choshech, Klal Yisrael is told, “Viyshalu ish me’ais reyahu, visha me’ais reusa” each man should borrow from his friend, and each woman from hers silver and golden finery. The third reference found a perek later expresses that when Klal Yisrael left Egypt, “Vayishalu mimitzrayim”, they took from the Egyptians silver, gold and clothing.

Whereas the first and third points refer to what ultimately transpired with the Mitzrim, the second command seems to convey a different message. It describes an expectation for the Jewish people to borrow objects from reyahu, a friend – a term that usually implies a fellow Jew. Clearly the Mitzrim were not our friends. What, then, is the message being conveyed? The Toldos Adam explains that, indeed, before the exodus, Klal Yisrael was first commanded to ask and borrow valuables from each other. This was done to teach the importance of sharing as a prerequisite for nationhood. Interdependence, the essential component of Arvus, had to be learned before we could stand at Har Sinai and embark on our national destiny as the Ohr Laa’amim. To become the Am Segula, free to do mitzvos and spiritually mature and ready for Matan Torah, Jews could not behave “each man for himself.” We had to learn to appreciate and depend upon each other. To ask, give and receive, to and from whoever comes our way. Hashem Yisborach asked the Jews in Mitzrayim to borrow (and return) from one other, not merely to acquire valuable treasures, but, more importantly, to treasure the value of being part of the family of Klal Yisrael. Only then would we be ready for the next step in the Geuala. Once this happened it was only natural that the Mitzrim sensed the obvious chein of Klal Yisrael and gave them even more than they asked for.

This lesson should not be lost on us as we await the Geula Ha’asida. Each and every Jew must feel a kindred sense of dependency and comfort with others. We are all sisters and brothers, ready to be mamlich the Ribbono Shel Olam, and IY”H be mikabel Ol Malchus Shamayim k’ish echad blev echad.

A Powerful Film

rabbifink — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:14:42 +0000

This short film is a “must-see”. It is part of Liberty Mutual’s “Responsibility Project”. Watch the film all the way through the very end.

Call me a sap, but this film brought tears to my eyes. Real, wet, tears.

Which left me wondering, the film is certainly nice, but why did it elicit such a strong reaction?

I think two parts of the film in particular were resonsible for my emotional response.

1 - The “rules are rules” aspect of sports is something we take for granted as necessary elements for a game. On the other hand, we resist rules in our real lives. We don’t want to be tied down by restrictions, we defy strict structure in our lives and we are reluctant to enter long term relationships (whether in love or business) because we know the “rules” of relationships are not always comfortable.

I like rules. I like structure. I like order. I think that is why I was drawn to the Rabbinate and why I am drawn to Law. I actually like Law School. I enjoy the pursuit of appreciating and understand the complex system that we live in. In the film, the umpire is portrayed almost like a villain. But to me, he is the arbiter of a legal issue and I find comfort in knowing that there are rules. To me, he is the good guy, he is enforcing the rules that make the game meaningful. With no rules in games, there is no meaning. This resonated with me.

2 – And this is the real reason I was so moved by the film. The world I want to live in exists in this story. A world of Unity. The world I dream of where differences (like opposing teams in an important game), are not as important as similarities (humans, softball players, women, athletes, americans, etc etc etc). To them, the overall goals of living and loving each other trumped the differences they had as opponents. This film shows a world that I want to believe can exist.

A large number of my recent posts have touched on this very issue. I have been writing about Unity and Tolerance for a little while now. Working as the Rabbi of the Pacific Jewish Center, especially at the Shul on the Beach has only reinforced this strong yearning within me. I meet so many different people. I am convinced that the more we understand about one another, the more we can develop mutual respect and appreciation for one another. Certainly, looking to our similarities primarily and our differences secondarily is a good step in the right direction.

Just a few weeks ago I wrote about the photo of NBA players from Israel and Iran looking like the best of friends. I also wrote about learning from ants that we should help each other when we are in need. A while ago I wrote about using concepts of teamwork in our daily lives. I have spoke from the pulpit about Unity on Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and more recently, Chanukah.

This film just brought all the passion I have for unity and tolerance into such clear terms. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Let me know what you think in the comments.

(If embedding is not working try this link –> http://sharerp.com/75)

Hat-tip: My father.

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

rabbifink — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:12:31 +0000

Photo: Flickr/cortniedee.

A few days ago a photo was posted on Twitter by the NBA. Somehow, this photo has been on my mind since I saw it.

In sports, two teams oppose each other under the pretense that they are enemies. Their fans may even dislike one another, (see Celtics / Lakers, Yankees / Red Sox, UNC / Duke, etc,) but in the end, athletes are mostly friendly with each other. Even when athletes get upset or physical with one another, they can remain friends (see Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest).

In the real world, people have a harder time getting along. People divide along political lines, religious lines and country lines.

The natural state of people is almost to be at odds with one another. Peace is not just the lack of war. Peace is the active interrelation of two entities in harmonious activity. The opposite of peace is not war, it is merely lack of working together. It is pretty easy for two entities to ignore each other, but that is not peace. Peace is working together. Yet, peace remains so elusive on a grand scale and an individual scale.

This is something that is really hard for me. I honestly (perhaps naively) believe that almost all friction and disagreement is a result of misunderstanding and miscommunication. At our core, we know how to get along but the reality of society and our environment confuses us into discord. Maybe I am wrong, but this what I believe.

That is why seeing this photo was so stirring. It was a photo that showed that when the context changes, when our environment is different, peace is so easy. Sports provides the context for enemies to befriend one another.

Are there two greater enemies in the world today than Israel and Iran?

And yet, below you will see a photo of the best Israeli basketball player, who is now playing for the Sacramento Kings, Omri Casspi and the best Iranian basketball player, playing for the Memphis Grizzlies, Hamed Haddadi. They look like the best of friends. Yet, in their home countries people are dying for their causes in defiance of the opposing cause…

It is my fervent wish and prayer that we can find peace. Not just peace between nations with differences, but personal peace within ourselves and within our relationships and communities.

Just think of this photo the next time you are about to pass judgment or prolong a disagreement. We can all get along, we can all be a part of peace, we can all unite under the banner of the human race and be tolerant of whoever we encounter.

Tolerance. Love. Peace.

Please.

KCET Visits PJC and Interviews Me

rabbifink — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:13:40 +0000

KCET (the local PBS affiliate) has been working on a city-wide project. It is called Departures and it focuses on the people and places that make the neighborhoods of Los Angeles. For the last six weeks they have been working on Venice. Today they came to the Pacific Jewish Center Shul on the Beach to learn about us and to be included in their upcoming Venice piece.

It was a true honor and privilege to be a part of this worthwhile project. The production should be finished in February and I look forward to seeing that.

The camera crew shot some footage of our morning services and did two interviews. First, they interview Gary Dalin. Gary has been part of PJC since 1979 and provided great insight into the rich history of Pacific Jewish Center and the greater Venice Jewish community. He was eloquent and impressive in his interview and represented us very well. Great job Gary!

I was interviewed next. I hope I did okay. I myself have interviewed so many Jewish College student on camera and made those interviews into documentaries, so I know how hard it can be. (For two of my videos click here for JAM 2006 and click here for Chase Edler.) Among many topics, we talked about the juxtaposition of the historic quality of the Shul on the Beach to the future of outreach including this blog and my relative youth as a Rabbi. We also talked about the role the Shul plays in the boardwalk community, surrounded by the wild atmosphere of the boardwalk. It wasn’t too long, maybe a 35 minute interview in total, but we covered a lot of topics. Of course, there were some delinquents that felt the need to disturb us, that is just life on Venice Boardwalk…

I hope the final product reflects well on our special community and those who see it are inspired at least to check us out some time. I ended the interview with an open invitation to anyone who would like to see what we are all about and I extend that invitation to all of you reading this right now.

I also, want to thank Justin, Dan and Matt for including us in this project. I wish you much success in this endeavor and anything you do in the future.

Here are a couple pictures that Leslie Friedman took with her BlackBerry during the interview.

Crosses Honor Fallen Soldiers of All Faiths

rabbifink — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:01:43 +0000

We took the family to Santa Monica Pier on Sunday and our six year old son proved to be smarter than a Supreme Court Justice!

It is so beautiful to walk along the beach and observe all the excitement along the boardwalk and pier. As always, we had a great time in Santa Monica.

For the last few years there has been a protest / exhibit just north of the pier. The protestors are against war in general, the Iraq war in specific and pretty much the entire defense budget of the United States.

They call it Arlington West and they have set up a faux graveyard in the sand representing the fallen soldiers in what they call a criminal war.

It can be quite powerful when you see it.

As we walked by the lines and lines of crosses on this occasion, my 6 year old son asks, “How do they know all the soldiers who died were Christian? If they were Jewish or Muslim or ‘nothing’ they probably wouldn’t want a cross.”

Excellent point kiddo! Score one for the six year old.

In fact you may have heard about this exact issue arising in the Supreme Court of the United States in Salazar v. Buono. The issue in the case is an eight-foot high cross that was erected as a memorial to fallen soldiers in foreign wars.

The case made recent headlines when Justice Scalia could not fathom that a non-Christian would perhaps be offended by a Christian symbol as a memorial for the dead. The exchange between Justice Scalia and ACLU lawyer Peter J. Eliasburg went something like this:

JUSTICE SCALIA: The cross doesn’t honor non-Christians who fought in the war? Is that — is that –

MR. ELIASBERG: I believe that’s actually correct.

JUSTICE SCALIA: Where does it say that?

MR. ELIASBERG: It doesn’t say that, but a cross is the predominant symbol of Christianity and it signifies that Jesus is the son of God and died to redeem mankind for our sins, and I believe that’s why the Jewish war veterans –

JUSTICE SCALIA: It’s erected as a war memorial. I assume it is erected in honor of all of the war dead. It’s the — the cross is the — is the most common symbol of — of — of the resting place of the dead, and it doesn’t seem to me — what would you have them erect? A cross — some conglomerate of a cross, a Star of David, and you know, a Moslem half moon and star?

MR. ELIASBERG: Well, Justice Scalia, if I may go to your first point. The cross is the most common symbol of the resting place of Christians. I have been in Jewish cemeteries. There is never a cross on a tombstone of a Jew. (Laughter.)

MR. ELIASBERG: So it is the most common symbol to honor Christians.

JUSTICE SCALIA: I don’t think you can leap from that to the conclusion that the only war dead that that cross honors are the Christian war dead. I think that’s an outrageous conclusion.

MR. ELIASBERG: Well, my — the point of my — point here is to say that there is a reason the Jewish war veterans came in and said we don’t feel honored by this cross. This cross can’t honor us because it is a religious symbol of another religion.

(Credit: Huffington Post)

DovBear posted about this last week (Impeach Scalia) click for discussion there.

What amazes me is how my 6 year old son can see something so patently obvious and yet Justice Scalia can’t seem to process the concept…

Incredible.

Confirming Our Suspicions That Jews Do Run The World

rabbifink — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:20:58 +0000

A few months ago, the New York Jets football team made headlines when they moved they 4 PM Sunday game on Erev (the day before) Yom Kippur to 1 PM. This time change would give Jewish people wishing to observe Yom Kippur the opportunity to be home before the start of Yom Kippur at sundown on Sunday evening.

This was a nice gesture. It was also, completely unnecessary as Jews are comfortable with and used to compromising to satisfy their Religious beliefs. Jews who keep kosher often cannot eat at business lunches and Shabbos observant Jews miss live college football every Saturday in the fall. Missing a Jets game the day before Yom Kippur is not that big a deal. Plus, it is like a badge of courage to miss an event for your religion. Just ask Sandy Koufax. Missing the game is not that big a deal. Yet, the change was made.

Now it seems that this decision by the Jets is causing a bit of a problem.

NY Times Arts Beat Blog is reporting that this minor schedule change by the Jets is affecting thousands of people. The award winning band, U2 had scheduled a concert in the same stadium the Jets use (ironically, called Giants Stadium) for the Friday before Yom Kippur. Thousands of fans made travel plans, inlcuding flights and hotels ot make thier U2 pilgrimage and see the band’s live show. That Friday night show has been canceled and moved two days earlier to Wednesday. According to U2′s piblicist, the change was needed to make the show logistically possible, due to the now earlier Jets game, they were concerned that the field would not be ready for the Jets on Sunday.

As U2 lead singer and social activist, Bono, croons in “City of Blinding Lights“, blessing’s not just for the ones who kneel, luckily. Meaning, all prayers are valuable, not just the “kneelers” (I assume “ones who kneel” means Christians for whom the kneel is a contemporary prayer pose). So, Bono is just respecting the Jews right? Maybe.

But, there is an elephant in the room. Thousands of U2 fans are being inconvenienced. Thousands of U2 fans are going to need to make alternate travel plans and will lose money because of this change in schedule.

That is not fair. It may even be grounds for a law suit. Who knows? Ask your local lawyer for some insight into promissory estoppel and breach of contract.

More importantly, for people like me this has spawned an outrage from U2 fans and others on the NY Time Arts Beats Blog and I am sure other places as well. Now I get to read Jew friendly comments like this and this from rightfully angry fans.

Disturbing as well, is the headline for the blog post on NY Times: It’s a Mitzvah”, insinuating that changing the concert date is a good deed. I disagree. It is not a mitzvah to cause financial harm to innocent U2 fans.

There is one more thing that nags at me about all this. The Jets made their change months ago. U2 knew about the change months ago. Changing the date now may be necessary but it should have been done at the time the Jets made their schedule change. By not making the change and then crossing their fans by changing the date after fans have already made plans and then “blaming” it on a Jewish holiday (it says in the press release “out of respect for the Jewish faith”) gives Jew haters (like this guy) the opening they need to spew their venom. That is just not right.

Take the blame yourself. Don’t blame it on us. That is certainly not a mitzvah.

Reversing A Trend | A Kiddush Hashem Story

rabbifink — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:52:51 +0000

Lately, all the Jews in the News have been getting into trouble with the law or dying. It has been troubling.

Sometimes, we wonder what other people are saying about us. In light of the last few weeks, it just can’t be good.

This recent (true) anecdote is a change of pace and hopefully it can start a new trend.

Jessica* was driving her car down a Monsey road. Her route was taking her past a non-Jewish camp called Camp Sunshine*. On this particular day Camp Sunshine had a camp trip and as it happens, the buses with the campers was a little late and the camp parents were waiting to pick up their children.

A woman was directing traffic. Her concern was that the parents should not get into the camp before the buses arrived because the buses would not be able to enter to camp. She was stopping traffic in all directions and tryiong to direct the buses around the cars so that the buses could enter and then she would allow the cars to enter.

Unluckily for her, no one was listening to her. People were driving by at high speeds cursing her out as they passed. Irate camp parents were yelling at her as if she could magically conjure the buses into the camp.

Jessica was not going to Camp Sunshine but as she passed the woman who was directing traffic told her to stop. Jessica followed instructions and stopped as people behind her swerved around her ignoring the traffic directing woman. Eventually, people began to stop and order was restored. As the lines of cars waited peacefully for the buses.

The woman struck up conversation with Jessica, they lamented the lack of order, but Jessica reassured her that it was okay, no one is really upset with her and she was doing the right thing. They had a nice 10-15 minute conversation while the buses made their way into camp.

Eventually, traffice was ready to resume and Jessica was being directed into the camp. She stuck out her head and told the woman, “I am actually going somewhere else, can I pass?”. The woman nearly fell over. She exclaimed “You mean, you waited this entire time and you are not even coming into Camp Sunshine?”. Jessica replied in the affirmative.

The woman came over to Jessica’s car and said: “I see that you are an Orthodox Jew. Everyone around here has been talking about the Jewish criminals, the dishonesty and anti-social behavior that we have seen around town. You know what? I am going to tell them all about you. I see that not all Orthodox Jews are like that. They need to know that there are people like you too.”

It is the small things that show the world that we are not represented by some hooligans on CNN.

As Ghandi said “Be the change you wish to see in the world”.

Be the Kiddush Hashem you want to see in others.

And yes, everyone is watching us.

*names have been changed

A Jewish Black Woman's "Henry Gates" Situation

rabbifink — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 02:32:35 +0000

As a Law Student, there are things I find interesting that may not interest “clients” (non-Lawyers, hehe). The following article interests me and will probably interest any lawyer or law student, anyone Jewish, or anyone that has been following the Gates Saga.

I invite you to contribute your opinion in the comments.

The article originally appeared in this week’s Jewish Press as an OP-ED. The writer is Nathan Lewin (read more about him here).

WHAT IF GATES WERE AN UNRENOWNED JEWISH BLACK WOMAN?

Nathan Lewin

Posted Jul 29 2009

Soon after Cambridge police arrested and handcuffed Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. on a disorderly conduct charge, they realized the black man they wanted to prosecute was a renowned academic. As a result, he was released and the charges against him were dropped.

The ensuing public debate – in which Cambridge authorities now try to justify arresting a man because he refused to comply in his own home with police directions and deny that race had any influence on how the police reacted – suggests that if an ordinary black homeowner, rather than a Harvard professor, had been arrested under these circumstances, the criminal charges would not have been dropped so readily.

Consider the pending case of Rivka – a black, very dark-skinned, extremely devout Orthodox Jewish woman. Rivka is employed in New York, spends Shabbat in Washington, and her work frequently takes her on extended trips overseas. Being single and in her mid-fifties, she rented a 3-bedroom apartment on the West Side of Manhattan, and advertised on Craigslist for female roommates willing to accept short subleases. All applicants were informed by Rivka that the apartment was strictly kosher. A special page prescribing the kashrut rules was added to the lease that each roommate signed.

The rules were followed by a series of women Rivka accepted as roommates. In July 2007, a white blond-haired girl named Brooke answered Rivka’s ad and signed a five-month lease with the kashrut provisions. Brooke promptly violated the kashrut rules and admitted, in sworn testimony, that she brought nonkosher food into the apartment in knowing violation of her signed agreement. Rivka told Brooke she would have to leave.

Having e-mailed Brooke that she had arranged, at her – Rivka’s – expense, for a hotel room where Brooke could stay while she was looking for other accommodations, and believing that Brooke had agreed to have her belongings transported to the other location, Rivka began moving Brooke’s clothing to the hotel. Brooke arrived at the apartment unexpectedly and called the local precinct, reporting, “My roommate is currently stealing stuff out of my room.”

When Rivka returned after depositing Brooke’s belongings in the reserved hotel room, she found two policemen at the apartment with Brooke. The senior police officer (who is white), testified that Rivka showed them the lease and the e-mail she had sent to Brooke, and explained that she had moved Brooke’s belongings to the nearby hotel because she had an agreement with Brooke to do so. Rivka insisted to the officers that she wanted Brooke out of the apartment. The officers testified that Rivka interrupted her conversation with them to spend ten minutes in prayer.

Rivka then left the officers and retreated to her bedroom and locked her door. The officers demanded that she come out. On her cell phone, Rivka called a friend from the Georgetown Synagogue in Washington who had a law degree but was not in private practice. He told her to ask the officers for a warrant and for their precincts and badge numbers. The white policeman said in his testimony that he “did not recall” whether he gave his precinct and badge number.

When Rivka did not emerge voluntarily from her bedroom, the sergeant called the Emergency Services Unit – the police department’s riot squad. They came in full force, with more than one dozen policemen. They broke down the door to Rivka’s bedroom, dragged her into the hall and up against the wall at gunpoint, handcuffed her, and then took her downstairs to a waiting ambulance.

The ambulance drove to a nearby hospital. One of the officers tried to have her committed to the psychiatric unit. After an examination, the hospital said there was no basis to admit her. The police then took Rivka to the police precinct, where she was permitted one phone call. She called a person she had befriended while regularly attending Shabbat services at the Georgetown Synagogue, but the arresting police officer hung up the telephone in the middle of Rivka’s call.

Rivka was then taken to another hospital, where she was handcuffed to a bed. Next morning, she was returned to the precinct. The rabbi at the New York synagogue she attends on weekdays heard of her plight and brought a kosher meal to the precinct – the first meal Rivka had since her arrest the day before.

Rivka was charged with “Obstruction of Governmental Administration in the Second Degree” and with “Unlawful Eviction.” The New York D.A.’s office refused to dismiss the charges even after all the facts were presented. The young prosecutor first demanded that Rivka plead guilty and perform community service and ultimately was willing to accept an unconditional “Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal.” Rivka refused to accept any terms other than outright dismissal because she insisted she had done nothing wrong.

The case went to a nonjury trial before a (white) judge who was a former prosecutor. He excluded much defense testimony as irrelevant and hearsay and rejected out of hand Rivka’s right to remain in her own bedroom after her discussion with the police. At the end of the trial, he found Rivka guilty on both counts and fined her $500. Rivka is appealing.

Would the police have broken the bedroom door of a white gentile and charged her with crimes after being called to a dispute between her and a roommate? Is this another instance – as the Gates arrest is said to be – of injustice against blacks, aggravated by Rivka’s Jewish identity?

Rivka is suing New York City, the policemen, and Brooke in federal court. The docket number of her case is 08 Civ. 10065. I am her lawyer.

Nathan Lewin is a Washington attorney who has represented Jewish communities in litigation in federal courts.

Shame on Gizmodo | Shame on Us Too

rabbifink — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 03:21:20 +0000

One of my favorite gadget blogs ran a despicable headline for a post yesterday. Gizmodo is a great blog when it comes to getting information, reviews and opinions on the latest technology and gadgets. Unfortunately, yesterday they disgraced their reputation with a pretty offensive headline.

The headline garnered enough attention that they ultimately changed it to something less offensive.

There is a normal Orthodox Jewish couple who have a vacation home. Originally, the building did not have motion sensing lights but recently changed the system to a motion sensing system. On Shabbos the couple did not wish to be forced to walk in a hallway that would trigger the lights on. They requested the building swap the new system for the old one at their expense. The building refused. The couple sued.

Gizmodo posted the following headline: “Orthodox Couple Imprisoned By Superstition Blame Motion Sensing Light Instead”.

Proof:

Subsequently, the headline was changed to “Orthodox Jewish Couple Sues Over Motion Sensing Light“.

I posted the link on Facebook hoping to get some comments from my Facebook friends. I got a few interesting responses.

One commenter hit the two points that I want to discuss on this blog.

1 – The halachic ramifications of motion sensors and Shabbos for the Orthodox Jew.

2 – The reaction of a non-Jew to a halacha adherent Jew.

I do not want to get into a nitty gritty halachic discourse of motion sensors on Shabbos. Suffice to say, the issue is not black and white. On Shabbos one may not act in a way that will automatically produce a desired result that violates Shabbos. Completing a circuit to turn on a light is a violation of Shabbos. By activated the sensor, one automatically produced the desired result of turning on the light.

There is leeway when the result is not automatic or when the result is not desired.

I am all for striving to keep halacha. When I am met with a choice between what I want and what halacha demands I try my best to choose halacha. So for example, if I am driving late at night and I pull into a rest stop and they have a fast food joint serving burgers that are not kosher I have a choice. I want a burger but halacha demands that my burgers be kosher. I choose to leave the rest stop burgerless. I will not sue the restaurant for not providing kosher burgers. Right?

Now, I know this is a little different from the vacation home. But, it is the same principle. If halacha will not allow for me act a certain way, guess what? I am not going to act that way. Even if I really, really, really want to. So, I know that in the vacation home there are other factors, such as broken promises and flawed reasoning. However, if it were me, or anyone that I advise I would trade that place for a new one.

Adhering to halacha is about making a choice to allow halacha to control your life and not your whims and desires at any given moment. There will be times where the choice is hard or the alternative is very tempting, those are the times where you show your strength of character by making what you believe to be the right choice. Those are not the times to sue because you have been made uncomfortable in your adherence to halacha.

There may be great merit to the lawsuit. I find that all irrelevant. I think, avoiding a legal brouhaha over halacha is more important than the principle of who is right and who is wrong in this situation.

Second, the offensive headline that originally appeared on Gizmodo bothered me. I am NOT an overly sensitive person. I do not cry “Anti-Semitism at every opportunity I get (ala Uncle Leo). I don’t even call this “Anti-Semitism”, I call this insensitivity.

There is nothing against Jewish people, per se, when calling religion a superstition. But there is a tremendous breach of sensitivity.

Gizmodo writer, Jack Lofton doesn’t believe in religion in general and that’s okay. I am not going to call him names about his lack of faith or question his theology publicly. That is just not appropriate for a gadget blog. If he were writing on a religion blog, or even an anti-religion blog then Jack’s opinion about religion might be relevant. Here, it was not and inserting his bigoted opinion was insensitive.

I do not read the headline as an affront to Judaism or even religion in general. I read the headline as an affront to civility.

We live in a big world, with a lot of people. Not everyone is going to agree. You can try and convince everyone you are right or lash out against those who do not. But ultimately, we are not all going to agree. So let agree on this, let’s choose not to fight about our disagreements and otherwise be friends. I mantioned this revolutionary concept on this blog a little while ago. We have more in common than not. Let’s stop fighting about God, or anything else we feel strongly about and move on.

Also, Jack, Gizmodo is the wrong place to make your point about religion.

Time and place, Jack. Showing your prejudice against religion is ugly, it is especially ugly when it is not at all connected to the content of your post. I read Gizmodo for technology news and content. Just because you have a soapbox does not mean you can shout whatever you want whenever you want. Time and place.

Jack, please don’t make fun of other people’s beliefs on one of my favorite gadget blogs. Thanks.

Update: To his credit, the writer apologized.

Manny Being Manny | Some 'Gladwellian' Insight

rabbifink — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 21:35:49 +0000

This is Manny. Manny Ramirez.

Believe it or not, Manny is one of the greatest right handed hitters in Baseball history. He is also a 2 time World Series Champion and 1 time World Series MVP. Manny was also recently suspended from baseball for 50 games for violating the league’s Substance Abuse Policy when he tested positive for a substance used to hide performance enhancing drug use.

In other words, he cheated. And yet, he is adored and loved, cheered and ballyhooed. Why?

You don’t need to be a baseball fan to continue reading.

The public’s reaction is more confusing when juxtaposed with the public reaction to other substance abusers.

Barry Bonds (nothing has ever been proved), Roger Clemens, Mark McGuire, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa are other big names in baseball who are hated and booed wherever they go for their cheating. What gives?

Why are we so nice to Manny and so mean to everyone else who cheated?

One of my favorite authors is Malcolm Gladwell. Previously, I have had quite a few Gladwell posts (check those out) on this blog. This is another.

In “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking” (which I highly recommend and you can purchase here) Gladwell compares Doctors who get sued for malpractice and Doctors who do not get sued for malpractice for the same exact types of misdiagnosis or poor treatment. Gladwell found that doctors who do not get sued have one common thread.

They are liked.

Gladwell found that patients who could sue for malpractice would not sue if they liked the doctor. They would say “He is such a nice man, I could never sue him”. In fact my wife’s grandmother has a cause of action against a doctor of hers and she says (insert Holocaust survivor European accent) “Oh, I could never sue him, he a wonderful doctor”. I asked her if he is so wonderful how did he screw up so bad? She says “oh, it was a mistake, he tried his best”. You could still sue you know… “Oh, I could never…”.

And so it is in life. People who are liked sometimes get a pass. People who are disliked are criticized at every turn. Barry Bonds is ornery and cantankerous, Roger Clemens is conceited and condescending, Sammy Sosa is disingenuous and a fraud and Manny Ramirez is a self deprecating, fun loving, caricature of himself.

When Manny makes a mistake, we can forgive him because he is such a great guy. Manny jokes about himself. Manny apologizes. Manny is lovable and that’s why we can forgive him.

Gladwell hits another home run.

The message for us is simple and easy to see. Being nice and friendly to others can go a long way. When people act positively toward one another their flaws are hidden. We don’t notice or care about the other person’s deficiencies as much when they are nice.

We all want to be liked. We all want to be appreciated. A smile, a hello, a friendly guesture or act of kindness goes a very long way to helping others see the best in us.

There is something we can learn from Manny. (No, it is not okay to cheat). We can learn that a good disposition can make a big difference in how people look at us. Let’s try and make the world a friendlier place. Let’s try and help others see the best in us.

In this respect – let’s be a little more like Manny.

I Am So Disturbed

rabbifink — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:19:34 +0000

UPDATE: Friday morning 6/25/09 I updated the post to more accurately reflect the protagonist’s personality.

I am so disturbed right now.

My wife and I have a summer camp for pre-school children in Monsey NY. That is why we left Los Angeles / Venice for the summer. We don’t own our own camp grounds so during the year we store everything in a shed at my in-laws’ home in Monsey.

Sometime before camp begins we need to get everything from the in-laws to our summer location. Today was moving day. What I heard during the move was disturbing enough to share with you.

We hired a fellow who runs a local moving outfit called B!ny@m!n the Shlepper (BTS). He’s been doing this for 20 years and he basically manages the move while he sits in his truck and his workers do the “Shlepping”, he pays them quite well for their work and then takes his profit. Much of his work is in the Frum community. BTS is not known as a cordial guy to most (he is not a jerk, just not the most personable guy) (AND I think they are wrong) and has had his share of run-ins (customers refusing to pay, customers yelling at him etc) with his customers.

Today, I made an error in my estimated items needing to be moved. Immediately his sensors go off – “is this another Frum guy trying to rip me off?”. Of course it was an honest mistake and I was willing to pay for the extra work.

I apologized profusely. He goes off on a (perfectly understandable) tirade, “you don’t think I am a person”, “you people always try to cheat me” etc. I continued to apologize and we began to talk.

BTS tells me horrible stories of externally observant Jews who have cheated him, spoken rudely with him and treated him like a second class citizen. He drives a large moving truck and when he drives and traffic is jammed, he notes that he gets cut off all the time. He also notes that he gets cut off all the time by religiously dressed Jews. “Why can’t they just let me go first?”.

Now, Binyamin is actually not Frum himself. Very spiritual and personal growth, but not religious. What he can’t understand is why people who claim to be religious and perform mitzvos all the time, very often lack common courtesy and decency.

As we talk I see past the outer crust of his personality and beyond the veneer he is truly a wonderful guy. We laughed together, told some great stories and even a little bit of Torah was discussed. We really had a great conversation and I was actually disappointed when the job was over and our shmooze had to end.

In response to his complaints about externally religious Jews, I remarked that they are so busy being religious they forget to be human! ©

The truth is, I was embarrassed that this Jewish guy had such a bad feeling about religious Jews.We spoke for a while and I tried to assure him that he doesn’t notice all the great things. I also tried to remind him that all the negative stuff he hears sticks out to him, but people don’t remember when others act appropriately.

Bottom line, it was damage control.

Folks, get your priorities straight!

Step One: Act like decent human being. – Derech Eretz Kadma L’Torah, common courtesy precedes Torah.

Step Two: Integrate Torah and Mitzvos into your life.

Rinse, wash, repeat.

If you dress like a religious Jew, you are expected to act like it. It boggles my mind how insensitive, unaware and obtuse some Torah observant Jews can be. The same Torah that says keep Kosher, lay Tefillin, observe Shabbos, study Torah, Shofar, Lulav, Yom Kippur ALSO says to treat people with respect, honor our planet, act humanely towards animals and love your neighbor. We need to work on keeping all of those.

Please, I beg you, realize that you are representing the Jewish people. Act like it.

Thanks.

We're All Family

rabbifink — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:33:20 +0000

This morning I found this article in my inbox. From time to time, PJC board member, Judd Magilnick sends me (and everyone else he knows) interesting links from all around the web, stretching to the outer limits of the blogosphere and conventional media.

Today’s link covers something that is always on my mind.

The column discusses the latest research in DNA testing to identify if one is Jewish. There is a gene that is only passed from the mother to the child and it can be tested using a cheek swab DNA test.

Jewish roots are cropping up in the least likely of places. Al Qaeda spokesmen, Catholic Priests, a former Buddhist Catholic Radio Host to name a few. Historically, Fidel Castro, Madeleine Albright also claimed Jewish ancestry.

Now, it is testable.

DNA testing makes it possible to identify your Jewish gene as well.

What is fascinating to me is the idea that we are all related and it is scientifically “trackable”. The first time I went to Israel as a teen I experienced a profound feeling. I felt like I was among family. Everywhere I went was family. Every person I saw was a relative. I have always felt this way and in Israel it was an elevated sense of consciousness.

When I worked at University of Southern California for Ashreinu I felt it every time I met another Jewish student.

Now, at the Pacific Jewish Center, and especially when we are at the Shul on the Beach, I feel it whenever someone new wanders in to our Shul.

Frequently, I remark to fellow Jews the first time we meet, “We’re cousins ya know! We’re all cousins.” I don’t need DNA tests to prove it to me. I can feel it.

Taken to the next level. Not only are all Jewish people one family. The entire human race is one family. Yes, we have our disagreements about things, but in the end we are all family.

I think this is a powerful idea. I think we should consider this when hate creeps into our minds. I think we should teach this to our children. I think the more we see our similarities in one another the more peaceful our world will be.

Just last week I blogged about a tragedy that happened to one of our “closer relative s”. I think a lot of us felt strongly about the issue raised then because we innately feel that this happened to family. This is a fair reaction.

We must treat our “closer family” like the closer family that we are. But we must also not lose sight of our broader family. The entire world is family, because “we are all related”.

What Is The Appropriate Reaction?

rabbifink — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:02:18 +0000

This post has been cross-posted to DovBear. – more discussion there.

In addition to my work as the Rabbi at Pacific Jewish Center at the Shul on the Beach I am also a Law Student at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. I am part of the evening program and completed my first year of evening classes in May.

In December I was subjected to mid-terms in each of my courses. Many Law School exams are long fact patterns that require the student to analyze the facts and apply all the law that is relevant to the facts and then argue why the law should or should not apply to those facts. Usually these fact patterns are fiction and these essays are typically 3 – 4 hours in duration.

My torts professor gave us a very interesting fact pattern. The basics of the case were, two young boys named Israel and Jacob enter an elevator on their way to school. Along the way the elevator malfunctions and the boys are suspended between the 10th and 11th floor. The doors malfunction as well and the doors are opened. The younger boy, Jacob is 5 and he tries to jump from the stuck elevator to the 10th floor below. Jacob jumps and does not “stick the landing“. Unfortunately, he stumbles off the 10th floor and plummeted 10 stories beneath the elevator down the shaft to his death. Israel is eventually rescued.

There were many more legally operative facts in the fact pattern and our professor wanted us to analyze the claims against the building landlord, owner and elevator maintenance company.

It was a pretty shocking case for all of us. When we returned to school after the break our professor told us that the fact pattern was basically a true story with some of the facts changed to make a clearer essay. Immediately I “googled” “Jacob Israel Elevator”. I found the original NY Times article with the tragic story.

Yesterday the Times had another article on the ongoing litigation. Apparently, the defense wants young Israel, who is 10 and traumatized to testify. This is horrible as any memories of the tragedy could alter his psychological well being tremendously. The case is being litigated as you read this.

I told this entire saga to two people I know. They are both very caring and sensitive people. They both had the same reaction and that reaction is what prompted this post.

When I told the story over, both people had serious looks on their faces and clearly empathized with the poor child.

Then I told them, by the way, the little boys were Chasidish children from Williamsburg.

They both had the same second reaction. Their jaws dropped and they exclaimed Oy! That’s terrible! A much harsher reaction reaction than before they knew the boys’ ethnicity.

At first I was disturbed. Do we care more about some poor Chasidish kids from Williamsburg than anyone else? Is this tragedy worse to us because they are Jewish?

Is this a good attitude? Could this bother non-Jews and provoke anti-semitism?

Or, perhaps it is normal for us to care more about our Jewish brethren. Maybe, we should feel more compassion for our fellow Jews. After all, it is a rule of Jewish law that we are responsible for one another.

This has been gnawing at me for a little while now. Should we care more about a Jewish tragedy than a non-Jewish tragedy?

Even if we are allowed to care more about a Jewish tragedy should we try and mask our feelings to be more politically correct?

Aren’t we outraged when non-Jews do not care about Jewish tragedy as much as non-Jewish tragedy?

Where Is The Outrage? | The Plight of Middle Eastern Jewry

rabbifink — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:43:46 +0000

This post has been cross posted to DovBear – great discussion there.

Do Anglo/American Jews care enough about our middle-eastern Jewish brothers and sisters?

Yesterday DovBear posted a really great Op-Ed piece from the NY Times.

In fact. before checking his blog I even emailed the article to him as I assumed he would find it interesting.

Of course, I was too late as it had already been posted!

What occurred subsequent to his posting of the article was even more interesting.

But first let’s go to the NY Times column. An exiled Egyptian Jew recounts the persecution his family experienced in Egypt. His issue is that President Obama took the time to mention the suffering of Palestinians and ignored the suffering of middle-eastern Jews outside of Israel. A worthwhile read.

DovBear posted the article and it got very little attention from the commenters. As opposed to a three day running argument about Mesorah (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) that got hundreds and hundreds of comments.

On Twitter DovBear posted this observation:

Egyptian Jew criticizes Obama in Times oped. TBF [to be fair], when was the last time any Ashkenazi Jew shed a tear for what happened to MidEastJews?

I responded with my experience:

R’ Herman Neuberger dedicated YEARS of his life to save Iranian Jews. TBF – he not only shed tears, but years and saved thousands.

Which DovBear countered with a hilarious (and sad) take:

kol hakovod [kudos] for your yachid [individual]. Average cholent fresser [eater] from flatbush doesn’t know and doesnt care.

It seems to me that DovBear is right. Where is the outrage from Ashkenazic Jews? Why does it seem like we don’t care?

The rest of this post is dedicated to bringing awareness to the plight of middle-eastern Jewry and an invitation for those of you may have first hand information regarding living as a Jew in Iran, Iraq, Egypt or any other middle-eastern country to contribute.

My first step was to contact a grandson of the aforementioned Rabbi Herman Neuberger.

Eli Neuberger relayed the following history of Iranian Jewry that is related to his grandfather’s involvement. (I have edited his comments for brevity, grammar and overall fluidity.)

The traditional Iranian Jewish schools were run by an umbrella organization called Otzar HaTorah.In the mid 70′s the Shah and his government decided to nationalise all religious schools, Jewish and Islam alike in order to curb the radical influence that was gaining traction amongst the Muslims. My Grandfather was approached by a Mr. Sasson from London, to travel to Iran to negotiate with the Government in order to minimize secular influence on religious studies.

While in Iran, my Grandfather visited the community in Shiraz. He thought that if a group of promising Iranians would come to learn at the Ner Israel Rabbinical College (NIRC), where he was the Dean. Then they could return to Iran and become the Klei Kodesh (spiritual leaders) that could lead the community.The first group arrived in 1977.

Meanwhile in 1979 the Shah was overthrown by radical Islamists.The students in NIRC could not expect to return home. At the time, many Iranian Jews were able to leave Iran and when they arrived in Austria, Italy etc. they were granted refugee status and were able to continue on to the US.

The situation became far more dire in 1980 when the Iran-Iraq war started.Boys as young as 12-13 were sent to the front lines to be used as mine sweepers. Many Jews were smuggled to Turkey or Pakistan. These trips were fraught with danger, even after they were able to leave Iran. My grandfather was instrumental in assuring good treatment in Turkey and safe passage to Europe. He made many trips to the corridors of power in DC to speak to Congressman,Senators and Diplomats to be able to insure this continuing clandestine exodus.

Many of the boys that made the harrowing trip came to study Torah in NIRC.

All this good work was done behind the scenes and with very little fanfare.

According to the never accurate Wikipedia, Rabbi Neuberger was instrumental in saving 60,000 Iranian Jews.

I contacted another friend of mine, Natan Davoodi. His family is Iranian (in LA they are called Persian).

He told me that as far as he knows the non-Jews only tolerate the Jews of they can exploited for the benefit of the non-Jew. That doesn’t sound very good.

I would be remiss if I did not mention Roger Cohen. A NY Times columnist, Cohen has a thing for the Iranians. He thinks all is honky-dory in Iran. He writes about it here and here. Absolute disgrace.

I would like to hear from you if you know of any injsutice to Jewish people in middle-eastern countries (outside of Israel). Just telling those stories will get the ball rolling.

We are all brothers and sisters and there is no excuse for ignoring their plight.

Don't Be A Hater

rabbifink — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:51:21 +0000

Here is a video for you.

Those who know me personally will attest that I am not a card carrying member of the “Woe is us, anti-anti-semitism” club. However, I did recently blog about tolerance and therefore this video clip is relevant. I do not endorse any comments made by the person who posted this video on You Tube. The only reason I am posting this video is to illustrate that Hate exists. Hate is ugly and Hate needs to stop.

I make these comments to address those who may hate me or us from outside of Judaism and equally to my Jewish brethren. We have enough people who hate us, we can’t afford any discord amongst ourselves. We have too much in common to focus on the differences. When you watch this video I think you should consider if there is too much hate in your life. If there is too much hate – you gotta get rid of it.

Try this mantra: “Don’t be a hater”.

It may help…

Video is below.

<a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=QBF-1uc-SYc&eurl">http://youtube.com/watch?v=QBF-1uc-SYc&eurl</a>

This is in America, in Chicago. What do you think is going on in Europe and the Middle East?

Political Discrimination

rabbifink — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:40:48 +0000

Yesterday I wrote about tolerance. Democracy is built on tolerance. We are each entitled to our opinions and are not subject to discrimination based on our political beliefs.

We all love democracy. It sure beats the alternatives.

One major benefit to democracy is the right to voice your opinion anonymously in a vote. That is how we choose our law and policy makers in the USA. This is great because one cannot be persecuted or discriminated against based upon your political choices if you choose to keep your choices a secret.

Right now that is being put to the test. More and more people are being discriminated against for their political views.

It seems that we have a new problem in our Democratic country. The NY Times is reporting that there is a website which makes this really easy to do. I have seen this myself in Los Angeles. Protesters picketed a very popular local restaurant. There was even a little bit of violence! Using a website it is possible to see who donated to Prop 8 and correspondingly figure out who doesn’t support Gay marriage. It’s really irrelevant what you believe, what is relevant is the secret ballot is the worst kept secret ever. Technology is great but sometimes progress leads to a regress. This type of website is a regression.

Now anyone who wants to discriminate based upon political views can do so quite easily. All political donations are public information and if someone wants to know how you feel on an issue they can find out pretty easily if you’ve ever made a political donation.

This has a negative effect in two ways. One, you may think twice before making that donation. That can’t be good. Two, if you’re opinion is not popular, you may be suffering the consequences quickly. That’s definitely not good.

Democracy is great but we need to figure out how to curb this problem before it eradicates the democratic roots of our country!

Jew-kipedia and Tolerance

rabbifink — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:55:37 +0000

Last week I was checking out Wikipedia and I was browsing the “Main Page”. You can always find an article by searching Wikipedia but you can also browse interesting tidbits on Main Page. Sections like “On this day” and “Did you know” display linked Wikipedia articles for your enjoyment. This page changes frequently, at least several times per day.

At the precise moment that I was looking at the page I saw this:

As you can see, there are 8 bullet points. Three of the eight articles directly relate to something Jewish. That is a very high percentage (38%).

The Jewish population is estimated at around 13 million. The world population is at around 6.8 billion. Some quick math puts the Jewish world population at just under .2%.

The sampling of those Wikipedia articles is way disproportionate to the number of Jewish people in the world. Maybe we should just call it Jew-kipedia.

It is not surprising though. There have been 180 Jewish Nobel Prize winners (that’s a lot) and we have been around for a long time. The impact the Jewish people have had on the world has been the topic of many books. Perhaps the best of those books is “A History of the Jews” by Paul Johnson who is a scholar on Christianity.

What is somewhat troublesome however is the still rampant anti-semitism that exists. The Jewish population is so small yet still garners hatred and disdain from so many. It’s 2009 people, time to move on! This article is particularly troubling. 31% of Euros think that the Jewish people are responsible for the economic crisis! How is that even possible? Where do they come up with this stuff?

If you need more and you’re a glutton for punishment, then read this article.

Really, all you need to do is a google search for “Jew”.

Our world has progressed so much and yet we remain so backwards in so many ways. One word that needs to be taught and emphasized over and over again is tolerance.

Within the Jewish community we are just as guilty of this. We need to be tolerant of each other and our various customs as well. We have to find the common ground between us. Harmony and love will bring our world to a better place. Divisiveness and scorn certainly won’t.

Say it: Tolerance, tolerance, tolerance.

Now do it: Tolerate, tolerate, tolerate.