Aug 30th, 2010
by rabbifink.
From time to time, the Shul on the Beach hosts events on Sunday afternoons and evenings that are open to the public. Yesterday we hosted a Klezmer concert on the Beach and it was a smashing success!
Dr. Ellie Goldstein’s close friend has been playing for Dr. Goldstein and his friends at Dr. Goldstein’s home for many years. Ron Grun (along with Ken Husbands) are very talented klezmer musicians and close friends of Dr. Goldstein.
Over the last year, PJC has been privileged to have Dr. Goldstein and his friends join our shul. One of the many perks of their involvement was the concert taking place in the shul. (more…)
Aug 24th, 2010
by rabbifink.
Here is something that will get you in the High Holiday spirit.
Sometimes I see video on YouTube that I cannot help but share with you.
This 13 second gem was sent to me by a friend.
It appeals to my sense of humor. It actually made me laugh. Background story below…
Enjoy. (more…)
Jul 23rd, 2010
by rabbifink.
Chai Lifeline is a nice Jewish organization that does amazing things for children with terminal diseases and other medical problems. They have a nice website where you can see their mission statement and some of the other things that they do here: Chai Lifeline.
Their flagship program is called Camp Simcha.
Camp Simcha is a camp for cancer children and they vow to give these children the most fun and inspiring summer of their life (until next summer, hopefully).
Camp Simcha pulled off a really great stunt in Times Square this week. They got permits and arranged all the necessary medical logistics to make it happen.
(more…)
Jul 21st, 2010
by rabbifink.
This post has been cross-posted to DovBear: Dancing at Auschwitz
Everyone has been talking about this video.
From the description:
On a recent trip to Europe, a family of three generations (a Holocaust survivor, his daughter and his grandchildren) dance to Gloria Gaynor’s pop song – ‘I Will Survive’ at concentration camps and memorials throughout Europe.
This dance is a tribute to the tenacity of the human spirit and a celebration of life.
Is it appropriate for a survivor and his family to celebrate their survival in this manner? Everyone seems to have an opinion. (more…)
Jun 14th, 2010
by rabbifink.
Yesterday I wrote about my high school. (Mr. Miller Was My Math Teacher at Ner Israel) I went to a pretty well known yeshiva high school but this kind of media exposure for Ner Israel is not too common. Of course I was proud so I told my sister to check out the video and article.
Not to be outdone, my sister told me that her high school was also famous!
It seems that WNET, the New York PBS affiliate, has a segment called “Religion and Ethics. A few weeks back they did a piece on hateful gossip in schools. With the advent of the internet and specifically sites like Facebook, it has become so easy to say nasty things about others and leave a permanent record of the comments. (more…)
May 27th, 2010
by rabbifink.
I was almost too scared to watch this video clip.
We’ve all seen images and video of the leak in the oil rig. We seen some horrific images of wildlife affected by the oil “spill”.
But it’s hard to get a sense of just how massive this disaster actually is.
Then I saw this time lapse video.
NASA has been taking satellite photos of the region and you can see the change in landscape visually. You can see the color of the water changes and you can see how far the oil spill’s reach extends.
The oil is grey in the video and the reason it appears and disappears depends on currents and recovery efforts. (more…)
May 18th, 2010
by rabbifink.
If you don’t think this is funny, you need to see a humor specialist to make sure your sense of humor is not malfunctioning.
After a string of serious posts debating core issues of equality and discrimination, this post is a much needed respite from seriousness. It should make you laugh…
A little while back I shared Improv Everywhere’s “Where’s Rob” Video. It was amazing. (Remember? Two Things That Made Me Smile This Morning.)
I love Improv Everywhere, so when I saw a new video of theirs was posted on youtube I just had to check it out. (HT: Judahe).
When I was a kid, Ghostbusters was huge. There was the weekday cartoon and a string of live-action films. The Ghostbusters jingle is a part of the very fabric of popular culture in America. Leave it to Improv Everywhere to bring my childhood memories of Ghostbusting to “real life”.
These guys are just awesome. Their latest video is another instant classic. Enjoy! (more…)
Apr 26th, 2010
by rabbifink.
Sometimes you read something and you just need to share it. I read about teaching Philosophy to 2nd graders last week.
I LOVE this idea.
The NY Times ran a story last week about a new program at a Massachusetts charter school teaching 2nd graders philosophy.
There are not learning the nuances of the different techniques of philosophers. What they are doing is learning how to have open ended discussions about debatable ideas. So much of school is learning the right answer to a specific question. We are taught at a very young age to figure out what the teacher wants us to say, and then to say it.
Even critical thinking is just a mask for “critically thinking the way the teacher wants you to think”. (more…)
Apr 11th, 2010
by rabbifink.
Today is Yom Hashoah. It is a day designated to Holocaust Remembrance. In the spirit of this special day I would like to share a story with you.
Over on Cross-Currents, Rabbi Adlerstein has linked to a very powerful article in the Detroit News.
Most Orthodox Jews have heard the song called “The Man From Vilna” by Abie Rottenberg. It tells a powerful story in post liberation Europe. (more…)
Apr 7th, 2010
by rabbifink.
Last year I blogged about a wildly popular video called “The Story of Stuff” in my Green Post. At the time I lauded the video’s very important message but was disappointed in the means used to deliver that message.
The video used hyperbole and tactics reminiscent of propoganda materials to sway its viewer. I feel that when the facts are so compelling and the message so simple, the theatrics only serve to obscure the importance of the message.
Apparantly, Annie Leonard does not read my blog. (more…)
Mar 16th, 2010
by rabbifink.
Randy Newman says it perfectly. “I Love LA” he croons. We in Los Angeles hear that classic tune after every Lakers home victory. And there are plenty of those… I also hear it every time someone calls my wife’s mobile phone. It is her ringtone.
Today I had such a strong reminder of why living in Los Angeles is so great.
In addition to Law School and serving as the Rabbi on the Beach at Pacific Jewish Center, I work at the California Court of Appeals twice a week. The California Court of Appeals is in downtown Los Angeles, in how shall we say… a transitional neighborhood.
On my way from work to school something that doesn’t happen in my hometown of Monsey NY happened right before my eyes. (more…)
Mar 15th, 2010
by rabbifink.
Remember the awesome Solar Eclipse in Southeast Asia last year?
Back then, I wrote a little piece called Solar Eclipse in Judaism that explains the famous Talmudic reasons for eclipse.
Recently I came across this incredible video by the BBC. They capture amazing footage of the actual eclipse, the sights and sounds of Southeast Asians observing the eclipse, put it to some beautiful music and have some annoying dude giving his idiotic commentary (more…)
Mar 9th, 2010
by rabbifink.
Last week I spoke at Pepperdine University about Jewish Lessons in Parenting. I began my talk by complimenting my parents and expressing my desire to emulate their parenting in the raising of my own children. One such example occurred today.
At Law School we are reading some of the most well-known Supreme Court Cases. A few weeks ago we read Roe v. Wade (banning 1st term abortion is unconstitutional) and the even more important Casey v. Planned Parenthood (upheld Roe) cases. Last week we read Plessy v. Ferguson (after Civil War, Separate but Equal schools were ruled constitutional).
This week we are reading Brown v. Board of Education. This case overruled Plessy and made Separate but Equal unconstitutional in Public Schools. (more…)
Feb 28th, 2010
by rabbifink.
Today, Pacific Jewish Center hosted a memorable Purim Celebration at the Shul on the Beach.
Well over 200 people attended, ranging from ultra-religious Jews, to unaffiliated Jews, Christians and non-Jews. It was really a great success. Fuller recap with photos here.
In the meantime, here is a taste of a our incredible performer, Alula.
You can learn more about Alula by clicking here and help support his music.
Alula is an Ethiopian Jew who loves to sing Jewish songs. And he did so, wonderfully.
Please check out this clip of his performance in our Shul this Purim. (more…)
Feb 16th, 2010
by rabbifink.
Wow.
Heshy Fried aka Frum Satire performed in front of a very diverse crowd of ~60 at the Pacific Jewish Center at the Shul on the Beach on Sunday February 14 2010 and it was incredible.
Heshy ranted for over an hour and the audience was captivated. He could have gone on for another hour and had everyone laughing all the way through.
I introduced Heshy and the show with an important message. (more…)
Dec 16th, 2009
by rabbifink.
I have had the privilege of spending this and last Chanukah as the Rabbi of Pacific Jewish Center. We are located right on the edge of Venice near the Santa Monica border. Many of our Shul members live in Santa Monica.
So, it is fair to say I have spent these last two Chanukahs in Santa Monica. Sure it’s different from Northeast. We never will have a “white Chanukah”. We had our Chanukah party on the beach with a moon-bounce outside. People are wearing shorts. It was 73 degrees today. It feels a little different, but we’re not complaining.
Turns out, Tom Lehrer agrees with me. Chanukah is way better in Santa Monica.
He’ll tell you about it himself, just watch this… (more…)
Dec 10th, 2009
by rabbifink.
In a very busy and stressful week we always need a few good pick-me-ups to keep us going.
This morning two web items gave me the boost I needed and I want to share them with you. Perhaps they will entertain you as much as me!
I always check out the Yahoo.com homepage for a variety of news stories. They’re usually a day or two behind (that is always worth a chuckle) and oftentimes they sensationalize stories beyond reason. Other times they are very telling indicators of the pulse of America. This morning I took a screen shot of a very telling headline. (more…)
Nov 30th, 2009
by rabbifink.
On Sunday night “The Amazing Race” whittled down from 4 teams to the final 3 in a race around the world. This leg of the race took place entirely in Prague, Czech Republic. As is customary on The Amazing Race, the roadblocks and detours along the way were part of the local culture.
One cannot speak of Prague without mentioning the great Maharal, Rabbi Judah Loew. And one cannot mention the Maharal without mentioning the famous Golem of Prague.
The racers were to cover a straw and wood golem with clay and bring the golem to the Old New Synagogue in Prague to receive their next clue. Check out this video for their instructions. (13 seconds is enough) (more…)
Nov 17th, 2009
by rabbifink.
Every casual sports fan in the universe has heard about the big 4th down play that cost the Patriots a victory in their epic matchup with the Colts this past Sunday
Facing 4 and 2 yards to go on their own 28 yard line, Belichik elected to go for the first down and not punt the ball away. The stakes were very high as a failed attempt would give the Colts an almost certain victory and a punt would make their task more difficult but far from impossible. So Belichik rolled the dice. The play actually worked, but they did not get the yardage needed for the 1st down.
The Colts took over on downs and patiently scored the winning touchdown with mere seconds left on the clock.
Below is a video of the play. (more…)
Oct 21st, 2009
by rabbifink.
This is post #200 on finkorswim.com. Congratulations to me. As promised, I will do a best of the first 200 posts in the next few days. In the meantime, here is this…
It has been a short 10 and a half months since this blog opened it’s doors to the public. I have had a blast writing my thoughts, sharing links and Jewish content with you, the readers.
The blog gives you a glimpse into a slice of my life. But that is all it is, a slice.
My life goes way beyond this blog. (more…)
Sep 25th, 2009
by rabbifink.
Video Post
It has been a while since I posted a video of Ozzie. The last video showed him crawling to his toys. That was 4 months ago and boy how things have changed since then.
Even more has changed since I posted the first video of Ozzie playing a game.
Babies change every day. They learn new things every day. We can learn a lot from babies.
Especially at this time of year as we attempt to make changes in our lives. Sometimes it is hard to make change, I think it can be helpful to observe others who are succesful at learning to behaviors and attitudes. Babies definitely change drastically from day to day and month to month and year to year.
As adults we need to “re-learn” how to change. We need to be more like babies to a certain extent. (more…)
Sep 21st, 2009
by rabbifink.
Rosh Hashana at Pacific Jewish Center was wonderful. The services were inspiring, the attendance was excellent and the mood properly reflected the importance of the days.
I spoke from the pulpit several times over the holiday.
There was certainly an over-arching theme to my sermons. Each had its own individual message but overall they reflected an idea that I feel is central to Rosh Hashana, judgment, repentance, Judaism and Humanity.
It is too easy to get caught up in ourselves. We hope for a good verdict, we try to be the best people we can be as individuals.
For me, the greater challenge is fitting in the group. Every time I spoke over the Holiday, the underlying theme was Unity. (more…)
Sep 11th, 2009
by rabbifink.
It has been eight years since that fateful day.
9/11/01
Much has changed in the world since then and much has changed in my life. I got married. I have two sons. I am a Rabbi. I am a Law Student. I am a blogger.
For me, 9/11 was a signpost along the way. My last few months of bachelorhood were marked by the aftermath of 9/11.
Let’s go back to that day. (more…)
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