Posted By simmons on November 13, 2014
ADL Honors Penn President Amy Gutmann At an evening gala on Nov. 12, the Anti-Defamation League honored Penn President Amy Gutmann and the University of Pennsylvania with the Americanism Award for the 2014 partnership between ...
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Posted By richards on November 13, 2014
Rabbi Akiva Goes To Jerusalem - Talmud, Makkot 24B
Rabbi Akiva Goes To Jerusalem - Talmud, Makkot 24B Jordi Savall 2008 Alia Vox Released on: 2009-01-15 Composer: Trad. Auto-generated by YouTube.
By: Jordi Savall - Topic
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Posted By richards on November 13, 2014
It is clear that without Ronald Pies, MD, an Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of Psychiatric Times, we would not have this wonderful forum for cutting-edge science advancing our specialty nor would we have a place to share thoughts and ideas that make our practices so richly meaningful.
Dr Pies has never shied away from relating Chazals philosophy (an acronym for the Rabbis from the Talmudic age that roughly translates to our wise Rabbis, may their memory be a blessing) to Rational Emotive and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (REBT/CBT). Additionally, he has written books that point how the ethical texts of the Jewish tradition (without any emphasis on religious dogma) can guide everyone towards a life worth living. Humbly, I will try and write in his footsteps here.
Recently, I had the pleasure of learning a section of Talmud known as Megillah. While ostensibly this section provides an overview of the laws of the holiday or Purimwhen the Megillah of Esther is readas with all sections of the Talmud, it includes valuable digressions.
In one such digression, a series of Rabbis ask their teachers why they have merited to live to such an old age. R. Eleazar B. Shammua replied that he was rewarded with long life because he never made a shortcut through a synagogue, pushed people out of the way to get to his seat in the study hall, or lifted his hands without delivering a blessing.
Rabbi Peridah replied, Never in my life have I allowed someone to arrive before me to the study hall. R. Nehunia b. ha-Kaneh replied to his students Never in my life have I sought respect through the degradation of my fellow. R. Joshua b. Korha explained his reaching old age by saying, Never in my life have I gazed at the countenance of a wicked man.
None of these explanations seem, in a rational sense, to lead to a long life. While some of the responses do indicate personalities that would cause less interpersonal conflict and thereby reduce stress and possibly extend ones life, this was not my initial understanding. When I initially came across these exchanges, I assumed that these men were meriting long life by seemingly small acts that were being divinely rewarded.
Fortunately my family and I were recently able to host Cantor Zev Muller at our table. In addition to being an internationally known Cantor who has performed at the United Nations, he is currently working towards his PhD in neuroscience at Columbia University. He explained that while my reading of the section of Talmud described above may not be wrong, he could explain it differently. Howie, you focus on the explanations the Rabbis give, but I believe the focus should be on the word never. What leads these Rabbis to live long lives was the consistency with which they applied the values they held to their own lives.
Lessons learned Although I had always recognized his intellectual prowess, Cantor Muller was able to explain the Talmudic exchange above in a rational sense squarely in the tradition of Pies Talmudic lessons for all. Furthermore, Cantor Muller touched on something that is important for our success as therapists, regardless of theoretical stance, and as psychopharmacologists. The consistency of our treatment and the fact that we are always there when we say we will be allow our therapy patients to gain consistency in one relationship that will hopefully generalize.
For our psychopharmacology patients, we need to impress upon them the necessity of always taking their medication, not just when they feel sick. What we talk about or the particular medication we prescribe is likely to be of far less consequence than the regularity with which each intervention takes place.
Although I do not believe there is anything we can do to ensure long life, the Rabbis in this Talmudic exchange are at least teaching exegetically the importance of consistency. As this is towards the beginning of what the Rabbis in the Talmud would have considered the New Year, may it be a year for all of us to improve not only our craft but the consistency with which we apply it.
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Posted By richards on November 13, 2014
TIME Ideas reproductive rights 6 Myths About Abortion
Katha Pollitt is the author of the recently published Pro: Reclaiming Abortion Rights.
1. The Bible forbids abortion.
It shouldnt matter what the Bible says about abortion. The United States is not a theocracy. Still, given the certitude of abortion opponents that abortion violates Gods Word, it might come as a surprise that neither the Old Testament nor the New mentions abortionnot one word.
Its not that the Old Testament is reticent about womens bodies, either. Menstruation gets a lot of attention. So do child- birth, infertility, sexual desire, prostitution (death penalty), infidelity (more death penalty), and rape (if the woman is within earshot of others and doesnt cry out . . . death penalty). How can it be that the authors (or Author) set down what should happen to a woman who seeks to help her husband in a fight by grabbing the other mans testicles (her hand should be cut off) but did not feel abortion deserved so much as a word? Given the penalties for nonmarital sex and being a rape victim, its hard to believe that women never needed desperately to end a pregnancy, and that there was no folk knowledge of how to do so, as there was in other ancient cultures. Midwives would have known how to induce a miscarriage.
A passage often cited by abortion opponents is Exodus 21:2223:
If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the womans husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life . . .
Contemporary abortion opponents interpret this passage as distinguishing between causing a premature birth (fine) versus causing a miscarriage (death penalty), which is indeed what most modern translations suggest. Unfortunately for abortion opponents, at least one thousand years of rabbinical scholarship say the fine is for causing a miscarriage and the death penalty is for causing the death of the pregnant woman. If anti-abortion exegetes are only now finding in this rather obscure passage evidence for an absolute biblical ban on abortion, you have to wonder why no one read it that way before. The Talmud permits abortion under certain circumstances, in fact requires it if the womans life is at stake.
The New Testament was a second chance for God to make himself clear about abortion. Jesus had some strong views of marriage and sexhe considered the Jewish divorce laws too lenient, disapproved of stoning adulteresses, and did not shrink from healing a woman who had an issue (vaginal bleeding of some sort) that had lasted twelve years and would have made her an outcast among Jews. But he said nothing about abortion. Neither did Saint Paul, or the other New Testament authors, or any of the later authors whose words were interpolated into the original texts.
2. Women are coerced into having abortions.
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Posted By richards on November 13, 2014
Two men on a tiny deserted island are in search of a clever cartoon caption writer.
Congregation B'nai Israel in Boca Raton is looking for a caption for this drawing by Bob Mankoff, the cartoon editor of The New Yorker. Mankoff will sign his new book, "How About NeverIs Never Good For You?" at 7 p.m. Dec. 10 at the synagogue, 2200 Yamato Road.
The author will choose the winning entry, to be announced during his talk. The winner must be present to receive the prize: A signed copy of the cartoon with his or her caption and a picture with Mankoff.
In his book, Mankoff offers tips for New Yorker cartoon contest entries. He describes the cartoons as "benign humor, intended to intrigue or amuse but not to offend." He encourages contestants to relate the captions to current events and show them to friends to get feedback.
The synagogue has received about 200 entries; deadline is Nov. 21.
"Our members and guests are extremely intellectual," said Barrie Brett, director of B'nai Israel's Speaker Series. "Judging by that, we knew people would have a lot of fun with this. Some of the entries are very funny."
To enter the contest, go to CBIBoca.org/mankoff.
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Synagogue in Boca Raton invites public to write caption for cartoon
Posted By richards on November 13, 2014
The Conservative Synagogue of Westport, Weston, and Wilton and Homes with Hope are kicking off their annual fundraising program Share the Pie. The program lets area residents order Thanksgiving pies for families, friends and businesses. People can also donate their orders to local shelters.
We are so happy to be part of this fundraiser. For over 10 years, Share the Pie has directly helped the hungry and homeless in our community, said Jen Kanfer, co-chair of the TCS Social Action Committee. The money we raise from selling pies is donated directly to Homes with Hope. Share the Pie helps to increase awareness of homelessness in our community.
The program raises money for Homes with Hope, a grassroots organization that works with the homeless. Aside from helping people find permanent housing, it provides emergency shelter, offers casework and supportive services. It also provides food and meals to those in need.
The kosher pies are $22 each and are available in three flavors. The pumpkin is kosher dairy and the pecan and apple pies are kosher pareve. The deadline to order pies is Monday, Nov. 17 by 5 p.m.
Pie orders can be placed through the Share The Pie secure website, http://www.sharethepie.net or by phone: 203-454-4673.
The pies are available to be picked up at the synagogue, 30 Hillspoint Road, Westport, on Tuesday, Nov. 25, between 9 a.m. noonand 4 7 p.m.
For more information about placing orders please email the synagogues Social Action Committee chairs: Michelle Saunders at geckomom@optonline.net or Jennifer Kanfer at Jennifer_kanfer@yahoo.com
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Posted By richards on November 13, 2014
Sephardic Amalekite Woman Seeks Mercy With Tears
israelites greatmillstone bible jesus.
By: gms toronto
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Posted By richards on November 13, 2014
The Sofia synagogue is ranked among the 19 most beautiful houses of worship in the world by the Architectural Digest magazine.
The Sofia synagogue is in the company of templesof all major world faiths - both old and new - in classical and modern style.
Austro-Hungarian architect Friedrich Grunanger combined Moorish, Vienna Secessionist, and Venetian elements in the design of the Sofia Synagogue, the largest Sephardic synagogue in the Balkans, writes the magazine. Built in 1909, the domed building is bordered by eight towers, and its splendid interiors include Venetian mosaics and marble columns. The building was badly damaged during bombings in 1944 and its renowned Judaica library was destroyed. The synagogue was restored in honor of its 100th anniversary with funding from the World Monuments Fund.
According to its official website, the Sofia synagogue is the second-largest Sephradic synagogue in Europe.
Its construction started in 1905, after the Jewish community in Bulgaria had been reorganized on the French Consistoire model. It was led by the Chief Rabbi, Marcus Ehrenpreis, and the leaders of the Sofia Jewish community Ezra Tadjer and the venerable Avram Davidjon Levy.
The site selected was in the city center on the property occupied by' the very old synagogue "Ahava i Hesed" (Heb. Love and Kindness).
The famous brass chandelier weighing over 2200 kg, the large candelabra (Heb. menorah), and other decorations were imported from Vienna.
Since it opened, the Sofia synagogue has held prayer services except for the year 1943-44 when most of the Jews of Sofia were deported to the countryside.Apart from being damaged by the bombings of the Allies in WWII, the Sofia synagogue hasn't been otherwise desecrated, though Bulgaria was an ally of Germany.
The Sofia Synagogue is ranked at the 16-th position in the list of Architectural Digest, preceded by the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Tamil Nadu, India and is followed by the Szeged synagogue in Hungary. First on the list is the Borgund Stavechurch in Norway.
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Posted By richards on November 13, 2014
A Profile Of Hasidic Village Of Kiryas Joel
Monroe, NY - In a Nov. 12 article by the Village Voice, the fast growth of the town of Kiryas Joel is chronicled and the problems that come with a growing village. Begun in 1970s with just...
By: TheJewishSongs
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Posted By richards on November 13, 2014
Fifteen members of two Hasidic communities in Brooklyn and upstate New York have been busted by the feds as part of a long-term mortgage and welfare fraud sting, sources told the Post.
Most of them were arrested in raids Thursday morning including residents of Brooklyn and Kiryas Joel, a village within upstate Monroe, NY in Orange County that was created by Joel Teitelbaum, the late Grand Rabbi of Satmars.
The suspects are expected to appear in White Plains federal court later Thursday on mortgage and welfare fraud charges.
Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara, Orange County Sheriff Carl E. DuBois and others law enforcement honchos will release details of the case at a press conference in White Plains.
FBI agents served warrants on the suspects and seized 23 properties worth a combined $50 million in both communities, NBC 4 New York reported.
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