Category Archives: Religion

Are you A Jew or Just Jew-ish?

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http://      Are you a Jew or are you just Jew-ish? The debate about Judaism being a race, religion, or ethnic group has been going on for years. I certainly am not a geneticist, so this will have nothing to do with genes and specific scientific facts, but through careful observation I have come to the conclusion that  members  of  the tribe are either Jews or Jew-ish.   I’ve learned that my Christian husband is more  of a Jew than many Jews I’ve known.  He’s gone to synagogue, sat at seder, and stands respectfully as I light Sabbath candles., and prays for Israel. He may not be a Jew , but he is Jew-ish. Continue reading →

Wonder of Wonder

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Yesterday was the birthday of modern Israel and, just as I usually  do, I missed the day, so this is a belated ode. The reestablishment of the Jewish state of Israel,  with its eternal capital city  as Jerusalem, is no less than a “wonder of wonder miracle of miracles.” Twice the Jews were dragged away in chains from the country Ha Shem gave to them. It looked like the country of Israel disappeared into the dustbin of history. There was no hope that there would ever be a viable country again.

The first time the Jewish captives were brought to Babylonia in chains.  This is where we get the Bibical psalm  137 ” If I forget thee O Jerusalem”.  The second time they were vanquished by Rome and the  golden menorah, symbol of the Jewish people, can still be seen carved into the triumphant arch of Rome. That time seemed to be the truly victorious one Jews had no home for centuries and were dispersed all over the world.Although some Jews, or Palestinians, as they were called still lived there in their ancient home, without their creative energy of their brothers it became according to Mark Twain:

“….. A desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds… a silent mournful expanse…. a desolation…. we never saw a human being on the whole route…. hardly a tree or shrub anywhere. Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.”

In the late 1800’s Theodore Herzl started lobbying for a Jewish national home. The anti -semitism was very bad all over Europe and he believed it would never cease.  He was able to convince enough Jews the essential need for their own homeland and Zionism was born. Theodore Herzl was proven right.  The anti-semitism of Europe climaxed with the Holocaust and still the Brits and Americans refused entry to Jewish refugees escaping the fires of Europe.

The broken  and pitiful Jews managed to drain swamps, fight enemies, and build an army. In 1948 the world finally recognized Israel, a democratic Jewish country. Since then Israel has brought outstanding technological  and medical innovations to the world. Israelis have made humanitarian forays into countries to help in all kinds of disasters. They have welcomed people of all colors and religions into their country and provided healthcare and education for all. All of this  while enemies sabotage, plot, and murder Jews. IEDs continuously target Jewish children in southern Israel cities. Sderot has had 100 alone since the beginning of 2014. This tiny Jewish state is surrounded by enemies.  Now its dealing with allies that appear to becoming enemies.  All of this tsuris (trouble) and it not only survives but thrives. If that isn’t a”miracle of miracles” what is?

Kotel at sunrise

 

 

 

 

The Four Questions Updated

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Happening NowThe  Passover holiday starts Monday night and Jews are  commanded to commemorate  our exodus from slavery to freedom  several millenniums ago.  Every year Jewish families all over the world  recite these words from the Haggadah:

“For not just one alone has risen against us to destroy us. Rather, in every generation, there are those that rise up against us to destroy us; and the Holy One, blessed be He, saves us from their hand. “

It would seem to me that a literate person could read and comprehend those words, but it doesn’t appear so. That’s why The Four Questions , an integral part of the seder, need to be updated: In order to reflect our modern Jewish reality malaise.

My first question: How can any Jew be involved with the Israel Hate group J Street  or any proponent of  BDS, Boycott Derangement Syndrome, and call himself pro-Israel? J Street is just one of the tentacles of the nefarious George Soros, who admits to feeling no shame during his Nazi collaborator days in Hungary .  He brags about coming from an “anti-Semitic Jewish family.”  He is the enemy .J Street demonizes Israel and lobbies for the two state ” solution.” It is the enemy. Federations and universities who cave to CAIR are the enemy.

Second question, Why was G-d deleted from Reform and some Conservative synagogues?  A Pew Poll verifies the reality of the disconnection  between Jews and  Ha Shem (G-d). For two generations Jewish children have been schlepped to after school Hebrew classes.  They have been hoodwinked into thinking it is just for their Bar/Bat mitzvah. Then they believe their religious obligations as a Jew  are completed.  According to  Michael Lerner, former SDS activist and publisher of Tablet, a far Left Jewish magazine, as long as Jews practice”Tikkun Olam” they  have kept their Jewish cultural identity. Without learning and studying our own religion, our relationship to Ha Shem is neglected; however, many synagogues traded worshipping Him for worshipping Leftism.

My third question: Why do we not learn from our own history? It’s not as if we haven’t seen this movie before. It is either willful blindness or plain stupidity. We have Holocaust studies on most campuses, Holocaust museums in  D.C ,L.A. and Yad  Vashem in Jerusalem, while  Jews scream the toothless slogan”Never again.”  Jews are still  being killed and maimed in terror attacks in Israel and in Kansas City. The Jews of France and Sweden fear for their lives, and Jewish organizations  all over the USA  submit like dhimmis to the fake cries of Islamophobia and the lies of Israel apartheid. The enemies of Israel rant that they will destroy Israel and the Leftist Jews gather together to form Boycott Derangement Syndrome Committees. Do they think working with the enemy will keep them safe?

And the fourth updated question has to be; Why do Jews like slavery better than freedom?  Even when Ha Shem brought us out of Egypt many Hebrews stayed and continued being  slaves. On the journey through the desert, many whined and cried because they wanted to go back. where life wasn’t as hard.  Many  Communists were and are Jews. They must believe that life is secure and peachy keen getting a government check.  A slave lives and dies at the whim of his master. Freedom is not for the fainthearted.  As my grandmother used to say,”For this world you have to be made of iron.” Tragedies happen. Decisions are hard. We make mistakes, we get hurt and start all over again. That’s part of freedom . As Jews we’re supposed to learn that Ha Shem is always with us . When we choose Him we choose life and freedom.