Flamingo Near Shul

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Flamingo Near Shul

What's in the Cholent?

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "What's in the Cholent?"

Anyway, for all of you who have had the experience, I am sure that you will agree that it's truly not a Shabbat meal without a big pot of cholent (or, should I say, dafina, as my Sephardic friends say). And it's not a bowl of cholent that you want to eat unless you've hand-picked every single scoop of it yourself, even if you don't quite know what it is you're looking for to begin with.

(Credit photo: Becky via https://www.flickr.com/photos/35694730@N00/2738330081/in/photolist-5aYE8B-5LdtsL-5YkAgM)

What's in the Cholent?

Lessons in Peace, Inclusion, and Humanity

Please see my new video and article in The Times of Israel called "Lessons in Peace,Inclusion, and Humanity."

In this video, there are three stories from my recent Caribbean vacation, which include a conversation with a waiter about peace between Israelis and Palestinians, feeling unwelcome in a synagogue, and connecting with a stranger from India.

Lessons in Peace, Inclusion, and Humanity

Some Shabbos Chuckles

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Some Shabbos Chuckles."

People never fail to amaze me in both their potential as well as in their idiosyncrasies. But the last number of weeks have really brought home that while we Jews share many commonalities, there are also quite a few quirky differences, and many of these are worth sharing.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Some Shabbos Chuckles

From Outrage to Action on Anti-Semitism

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "From Outrage to Action on Anti-Semitism."

What is striking to me is that when it comes to hate against the Jews as opposed to hate against other groups, we continually see that “their” rights are immediately supported, while we have to prove that it’s really hate.

Hopefully, our community leaders, police, FBI, and Homeland Security are paying close attention and will take appropriate preventive action so that we can avoid another incident like the shooting just four years ago at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. We need more intelligence, surveillance, officers, patrols, data-driven policing, self-defense and emergency medical training, synagogue protection, community outreach, beefed-up reporting systems, and tougher penalties to start with. We can’t expect the people who hate to stop, but we do need to keep raising the bar on how to keep our communities safe and stop hate crimes.

(Credit Photo: Laura Rosenberg Hosid)

From Outrage to Action on Anti-Semitism

A “Sign” of Good Synagogue Character

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "A 'Sign' of Good Synagogue Character."

I was literally sitting in the synagogue and crying, watching the speaker sign and listening to the voice from the interpreter. I really believe that all our synagogues, schools, work places, and organizations need to better incorporate diversity and disability into the environment, and not just by paying meaningless lip-service to it, but by enabling everyone to come, feel welcome, participate, and be together as all children of G-d naturally should be.

Finally, it was beautiful to have the synagogue let someone who was deaf have the pulpit and the ability to speak to us. It would be so awesome for everyone’s voice to be heard. We take our abilities (such as speaking, hearing, and being mobile) for granted. So let’s design the community with all the people in mind and give everyone a true voice. In the end, it’s not just what they say, but some things are communicated more than words.

(Source Photo: RODNAE Productions; https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-on-heart-sign-done-by-woman-10029313/)

A “Sign” of Good Synagogue Character

The Tragic Comedy of the “Anti-Zionist Synagogue”

 
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "The Tragic Comedy of the 'Anti-Zionist Synagogue'."

Recently in the Forward, I read about this “synagogue,” Tzedek Chicago, that has the tragic distinction of being the first anti-Zionist synagogue in America. They claim that they are all about justice, as their name “Tzedek” supposedly implies, and as their website values states:

"…the creation of an ethnic Jewish nation state in historic Palestine resulted in an injustice against the Palestinian people, an injustice that continues to this day."

However, the facts do not match the rhetoric. Anti-Zionism, regardless of the source is ultimately about Jew hatred.

(Screenshot from @margoexplainsitall on Instagram reel at https://www.instagram.com/reel/CcBMN1bFfpU/)

The Tragic Comedy of the “Anti-Zionist Synagogue”