TSTI Rabbinic Blog

From the New Jersey Jewish News: Worth a Read and a Smile

2011-04-22T00:30:00.000-04:00

Each week NJJN's Editor-in-Chief Andrew Silow-Carroll makes me thing through his insightful articles. This week he made me smile.

This piece was originally published in the NJJN and can be found here on the NJJN Web site.

Ask an angry rabbi

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by Andrew Silow-Carroll

NJJN Editor-in-Chief

April 18, 2011

For about 10 minutes in my 20s, I had thoughts of becoming a rabbi. I like to speak in front of an audience, I like to learn Torah, and I’d like a reserved parking space. But at some point I realized that while I may be good at sermonizing, there were other aspects of the rabbi’s job I might not be good at — like, for example, all of them. Visiting the sick? My bedside manner is atrocious. Relating to young people? I am as uncomfortable around teenagers today as I was as a teenager. Inspiring people spiritually? The closest I ever came was when my mother would look at the mess in my bedroom and yell, “Oh God!”

To give you the idea of the gift I gave to the world by not becoming a rabbi, here’s a taste of the kind of advice I’d offer the faithful:

Dear Rabbi: As an Ashkenazi Jew, I was raised with the rule that, unlike Sephardi Jews, we couldn’t eat kitniyot on Passover — no beans, rice, peas, lentils, or corn. I understand that the Conservative movement is more lenient in allowing exceptions for Ashkenazim. So can I go ahead and eat kitniyot?

Answer: Passover is, what, eight days? You can’t do without rice or lentils for eight days? How often do you eat lentils in a normal week? Yes, there are a lot of “do nots” during Passover, but take away the bread, flour, and beer and you still have more choices than about half the people on the planet do on a daily basis. Suck it up.

Dear Rabbi: We have a new cantor, and he has begun to introduce new tunes for familiar prayers like “Adon Olam” and “Lecha Dodi.” To me, synagogue is all about tradition, and I am uncomfortable with the innovations. Should I raise this with the board?

Answer: Do you know what bothers me more than new tunes? The sound of whining. Unless your cantor is a fan of Arnold Schoenberg, I am willing to bet the new tunes are not only a nice change of pace but are relatively easy to learn. Remember the old rule: Do something three times and it’s a tradition. If I can get used to a new Windows program every two years, you can handle a fresh “Ein Keloheinu.”

Dear Rabbi: I saw the new Broadway musical The Book of Mormon and I don’t understand how people can believe in a religion that seems so obviously implausible. I used to wonder the same thing about my Catholic friends, who believe that Jesus is the son of God. Are people generally unintelligent, or just gullible?

Answer: This he asks a rabbi. Listen, friend, religions by their nature are mysterious and address human needs that can’t be met through rational discourse. You’ve heard of the Burning Bush? Bilaam’s talking donkey? That’s our book, and trust me, I wouldn’t want a fact-checker at The New Yorker to take a whack at it. The point is, all religions are weird, in the Oxford English Dictionary sense: “mysterious or unearthly…unaccountably or uncomfortably strange.” That’s their power.

See what I mean? I’ll stick to newspapers. But I would like that parking space.

Andrew Silow-Carroll is Editor-in-Chief of the New Jersey Jewish News. Between columns you can read his writing at the JustASC blog.

From NJJN: Reform rabbis: Leader an ‘inspired’ choice

2011-04-07T15:02:00.000-04:00

Reform rabbis: Leader an ‘inspired’ choice

Richard Jacobs hailed for work in synagogue revival, social causes

by Johanna Ginsberg
NJJN Staff Writer
March 30, 2011

Local Reform rabbis are hailing the nomination of Rabbi Richard Jacobs as fifth president of the Union for Reform Judaism as an “inspired” choice.

They are lauding his innovative work in synagogue life, his commitment to social justice, and his charisma.

Jacobs, who will succeed the retiring Rabbi Eric Yoffie of Westfield, is the senior congregational rabbi at the Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, NY. In announcing the recommendation of the 55-year-old Jacobs, the 900-synagogue URJ said he stood ready to make more Reform synagogues “vibrant and inclusive.”

“The congregational world is changing, and having someone who has been part of it will help in the decisions and support the URJ will provide,” said Rabbi Mark Kaiserman of Temple Emanu-El of West Essex in Livingston.

“Rick is forward-thinking, innovative, charismatic, and the ‘real deal,’” said Rabbi Daniel Cohen of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in South Orange.

Cohen called Jacobs’ pulpit experience “one of the most significant things about the choice.”

"To have someone take over the leadership of our movement who knows the challenges of, achievements by, and importance of synagogue life intimately can only serve all our congregations well," he said.

Cohen also called the choice a savvy one, since Jacobs was involved in the Rabbinic Vision Initiative, a group of leaders from large synagogue voicing concern over the challenges facing the movement.

Rabbi Matthew Gewirtz of Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, who first met Jacobs more than a decade ago, called him an “outstanding” choice.

They met when Gewirtz was a student at Hebrew Union College and Jacobs came to serve as scholar-in-residence.

“I was immediately taken with his ability to connect with students one on one,” said Gewirtz. “He has a generous manner, and when he gave a sermon, I was moved by his extraordinary ability to communicate — his mere presence was as important as what he’d say.”

Jacobs, said Gewirtz, “knows how to make each person feel he is talking to them. He can say something of depth and reach the depth of each person.”

More recently, Gewirtz spent time with Jacobs after accepting his current position at B’nai Jeshurun in 2006, in part to learn how to carve his own leadership niche at an already successful and thriving congregation. Jacobs himself succeeded the prominent Rabbi Jack Stern at Westchester Reform Temple.

“He knew how to honor his predecessors and chart his own course and really move the congregation forward to where Reform Judaism was heading,” said Gewirtz. “His congregation has become a model of what a suburban Reform congregation could be.”

Beyond the walls
Cohen is looking to Jacobs to offer a "big tent" that will accommodate Reform Jews of all stripes but will also focus on education.

“Having grown up in a Reform Judaism that was rooted in the concept of ‘informed choice,’ I hope we can speak more loudly than ever about educating ourselves as Jews and then respecting the wide range of choices Reform Jews make with regard to their personal and familial observance,” he said.

Rabbi David Levy of Temple Shalom in Succasunna, who doesn’t know Jacobs personally, focused on his track record, especially as a director of Synagogue 2000 and Synagogue 3000, a think-tank that focuses on revitalizing synagogues.

“I love that he was involved with Synagogue 2000 and Synagogue 3000 because that whole movement of synagogue transformation has brought new energy to synagogue life,” said Levy.

Gewirtz said he expects Jacobs to reach outside the synagogues.

“Jacobs has made it clear that whole segments of our community are not affiliated, not because they are not Jewishly engaged, but because they have not found a way to connect to a Jewish institution,” said Gewirtz. “He’s out there beyond congregational walls connecting to people in their 20s and 30s and empty-nesters.”

Jacobs is also known for his interest in social action, helping in places like Darfur and Haiti, serving on the board of the American Jewish World Service, and “greening” his synagogue.

“I love that he has deep roots in social justice. Social justice brought me to the rabbinate and to Temple Shalom,” said Levy.

Rabbis are also looking for his creative thinking to ground the movement.

“Rabbi Jacobs is particularly skilled at thinking outside the box, and this is something we very much need today,” said Rabbi Steven Kushner of Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield. “We need new ways to conceptualize the synagogue, new ways to think about what it means to be an authentic Jew, and especially how we understand Jewish responsibility to both the Jewish and the world communities.”

Jacobs has also spoken out in support of the Islamic center near Ground Zero in Manhattan, is chair of the pluralism grants committee of the New Israel Fund, and a member of the rabbinic cabinet of J Street, the “pro-Israel, pro-peace” lobby.

Conservative critics, including the Zionist Organization of America and Commentary magazine, have criticized his involvement in NIF and J Street; the ZOA issued a release saying it is concerned “at the prospect of the Reform movement becoming a captive of the beliefs and actions of both organizations.”

Rabbi Laurence Groffman of Temple Sholom of West Essex in Cedar Grove brushed aside such criticism.

“The question is, What role does the URJ president’s personal views play in his presidency? While his own views on issues are obviously an important factor, the president does not and cannot unilaterally impose his views on the entire movement,” said Groffman. “Sure, he can set a tone and a direction, but what we need is a vibrant dialogue within the movement that takes into account all views on the political spectrum, and I imagine Rabbi Jacobs will value the various perspectives held by people in Reform Judaism.”

Cohen said, “I do not, however, believe that Rabbi Jacobs sitting on the rabbinic board of J Street will make J Street the de facto American group supporting Israel any more than my participation in AIPAC's Policy Conference in May makes it the defacto organization of my temple.”

Kaiserman added: “I have little concern about Rabbi Jacobs’ politics or positions. The next leader of the Reform movement has to be bold, creative, and vibrant. His or her organizational links are again not the values that matter. It is his character.”

The URJ board of trustees will vote on Jacobs’ nomination at its June 2011 meeting.

[An earlier version of this article inadvertently omitted comments by Rabbi Daniel Cohen of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in South Orange. This version has been updated to include his comments.]

TSTI Teens in Action: Molly Greenstone

2011-04-06T08:54:00.001-04:00

We have amazing teens here at TSTI and here is yet one more example. Today's (April 6, 2011) Star Ledger has a story about Livingston teen Sydney Becker, her battle with cancer and the amazing fundraiser conceived and organized by TSTI teen Molly Greenstone and her friend Casey Baer. As the article notes:

Casey Baer and Molly Greenstone, two of Sydney’s 7th-grade friends from Heritage Middle School, also brainstormed a fundraiser to benefit Make Some Noise, a pediatric cancer research foundation. On Sunday, more than 1,000 people turned out for an event called Strike Out Pediatric Cancer, which raised about $30,000 for cancer research, said Mitch Katz, a family friend and one of the event’s organizers.

We could not be more proud of Molly, her friends and all the people who joined with her for this great purpose.

Here is the full piece...

Community rallies around 12-year-old Livingston girl with rare bone cancer

Published: Wednesday, April 06, 2011, 8:00 AM

By Aliza Appelbaum/The Star-Ledger

LIVINGSTON — Sydney Becker’s favorite color is pink — a neon, bubblegum-colored hue that pops. It’s the color of the wig she started wearing when her hair fell out from chemotherapy, and it’s also the color of the matching Converse sneakers she wears pretty much everywhere because her leg brace prevents her from wearing most shoes.

Until a few months ago, Sydney was a average Livingston 12-year-old, going to dance classes, reading the Harry Potter books and watching movies with her friends. Then in October, the softball fanatic hurt her leg sliding into third base during a playoff game for her traveling team.

When her knee still hurt two months later, her parents took her to a specialist. The doctor ordered a routine X-ray and found a tumor on her left tibia, or shin bone.

In January, Sydney was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer that the American Cancer Society says strikes about 400 U.S. children and adolescents a year and accounts for about 3 percent of childhood cancers. Overall, about 900 cases are diagnosed annually in the nation.

Friends, family and neighbors rallied quickly, cooking meals, providing rides to Sydney’s two siblings and offering moral support, said her father, Jeff Becker. That support was invaluable to Sydney’s stunned family.

"She went from being perfectly fine with no worries to two weeks later, spending every day in the hospital," Becker said.

Casey Baer and Molly Greenstone, two of Sydney’s 7th-grade friends from Heritage Middle School, also brainstormed a fundraiser to benefit Make Some Noise, a pediatric cancer research foundation. On Sunday, more than 1,000 people turned out for an event called Strike Out Pediatric Cancer, which raised about $30,000 for cancer research, said Mitch Katz, a family friend and one of the event’s organizers.

"There has been so much support," Sydney said this week. "It’s sad that it takes something so terrible to make people come together, but I am trying to stay positive."

Sydney said her friends wanted to help her recovery efforts but couldn’t drive carpools or cook dinner. They came up with they idea to do a fundraising run/walk, and that evolved into the softball-themed event to honor Sydney.

Raising the money for Make Some Noise was a no-brainer, Sydney said, because the organization has been so helpful to her in the past few months by putting her in touch with other pediatric cancer patients.

"Talking to other people my age is helpful, and especially people who have been through it," she said. "Adults try to be reassuring, but they don’t know what it’s like, and these kids do because they did the same thing."

Today, Sydney will have surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York to replace her tumor-infected bone with titanium. That, combined with another five months of chemotherapy, should keep the cancer from coming back, her father said.

Despite her illness, Sydney tries to keep busy. On Monday night she went to a Yankee game and got a special tour of the new stadium, and she is studying for her bat mitzvah next month.

She keeps an online journal chronicling her experiences, www.caringbridge.org/visit/sydneybecker, and also posts photos. She is particularly proud of the one that portrays her, grinning and bald, with actor Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter’s screen persona, whom she met last week after seeing him perform on Broadway in the play "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying."

Sydney knows her surgery will keep her off the softball field for a while, but she’s hoping to be back in a few seasons, playing her favorite sport once again.

"I probably will not be running or sliding too much," she said, "but I am going to do the best I can."

10 Minutes of Torah- DAVAR ACHER The Key to Jewish Survival Revealed

2011-03-08T18:25:00.000-05:00

DAVAR ACHER
The Key to Jewish Survival Revealed
Rabbi Daniel Cohen

From URJ's 10 Minutes of Torah March 7, 2011

In rabbinical school, Dr. Martin Cohen gave us a difficult, but illuminating, task. Each member of the class picked a biblical holiday and identified each and every reference to it in that sacred text. He then had us turn to the rabbinic tradition and go through the same process. Not surprisingly, in most cases the "biblical version" of a holiday and the "rabbinic version" were vastly different. At times, they seemed to describe two entirely different holidays.

That brings us to this week's portion.

With its detailed description of the various biblical sacrifices, the portion and book of Vayikra often seems unfamiliar, foreign, and at times disturbing. It describes a religious approach that is almost entirely different from what we modern Jews call Judaism.

Many of us grew up believing that Rabbinic Judaism was a direct outgrowth of the religion of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, but that isn't true. Rabbinic Judaism did not flow from biblical Judaism but was built on top of it.

Consider archeology, and how there are two ways a new city might be built on the same ground. The first is to remodel but keep the same basic structure. The second is to build an entirely new city on top of the first's remains. The new city might be built on the foundation of the previous one, but that might be where their similarities end. Modern Judaism is akin to a new city built atop the old.

What has kept Judaism alive since 70 CE has been our people's commitment, tenacity, and flexibility, their willingness to build something new on top of what had been created; they’ve respected the past but have been willing to cut almost all ties with it as well.

Vayikra introduces an important part of our people's history. There is much to study and learn within this portion and book, but perhaps the greatest lesson it teaches us is not contained within the text itself. It is found in the very fact that the portion seems so ancient and foreign to us.

The key to Jewish survival is revealed through Vayikra, and it is—flexibility—the ability to remember the past and learn from it but to never be fearful of trying something radically new. It’s the need to build on the foundation of what has been but never feel constrained by it because, after all, that's how we got here in the first place.

Rabbi Daniel Cohen serves Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in South Orange, New Jersey.

The Story is Ancient: the Hagaddah is a Work in Progress

2011-02-25T16:14:00.000-05:00

For the past few years I have used a different Passover Haggadah each time I led the family seder. Of course it is easy to find a new Hagaddah since there are a tremendous number of different versions available from a wide variety of publishers. And each brings its own perspective. For example, there are haggadot that are more gender inclusive, there is a haggadah that is intended for vegetarians (the Hagaddah of the Liberated Lamb), and there is even a haggadah for those who are seeking spiritual enlightenment. Each begins with the traditional biblical text, but then interprets it in its own unique way.

At some point during the meal in past years, my family would begin their “review”of that year’s choice in Haggadah. Now there are two directions this conversation (read “critique session”) would usually go; either along the lines of “I didn’t really like this year’s Haggadah” or more likely something like “I really hated this year’s Haggadah.” “Like” or “love” are not words generally heard when referring to any year’s Haggadah.

Two years ago when we sat down for the meal, my family asked which Haggadah we were going to use. I replied, “We need to go into the den for that.” When we got into the den, the Seder plate (which is part of the ritual) was already there. “Okay so where’s the Haggadah?” someone asked. Without a word I turned on the large flat-panel TV and started the seder.

Yes, that year our Passover Haggadah came in the form of a Keynote presentation that I had put together. It included the prayers for service, along with a series of different images. I had also decided that if I was going to do something as “out there” as this, then I might as well make it fun and truly memorable. With that goal in mind, I included a few videos I had grabbed from YouTube, and I used a lot of family photographs. My golden retriever, Maisy, was still alive at the time, and she made a cameo appearance. I included a series of comments about various family members on certain pages, and of course, I used a few clips from the movie the 10 Commandments. It was silly, it was fun, it kept people engaged, and when I did not use it last year at Passover, my family almost rebelled.

Yes, I finally found a Haggadah they liked.

This year we will be using yet another new Haggadah, and thanks to Behrman House Publishers it is going to be a collaborative effort with other members of the family. Thanks to a nifty piece of web-based technology, you can now take Behrman House’s Family Haggadah and add your own images and text. The result is a truly personalized Haggadah. Even better, the system allows you to give access to others; you can choose whether to give them Read-Only permission or full editorial rights. I’m making one, and I will give my niece Talia and nephew Joey access so they can work on it with me from their home in the Boston area.

Here’s a quick walk-through of the first steps.

As the Web site explains, you can add a lot of text and personal pictures and spend a significant amount of time on it … or you can do just a few changes and have the process done in half an hour. You can then order printed copies of your very own, personalized Haggadah.

There are two versions available: the Standard Version gives you 34 pages with 50 images you can change, and it has 15 text areas that can be personalized. The Premium Version is a dollar more; it adds two more pages and the words and music to one of the best-loved Passover songs.

The customization starts right off the bat when you give your Haggadah a unique title.

As noted, you can also add people to work on it with you. If you only want to be able to show someone the pages you have personalized, you give them “View Only” access. This is good if, hypothetically speaking, you wanted to make sure your wife Elana is okay with the picture of her that you used in it. You can also give editorial access to others. When you do, they get an email invitation and can get to work right away.

You can also indicate how many books you expect to order.

The next page shows you the full layout of the Haggadah and the places where you can customize it. “My Text” indicates an opportunity to change or add text, while “My Picture” lets you add, crop and rotate images that are on your computer.

I should note that, as of this post, the system does not render properly if you are using Safari as your browser. However, it works just fine with Chrome.

To edit a text box, you simply click “My Text”. A window opens that offers a text area as well as the ability to do some minor text formatting.

To edit an image, you click “My Photo” and then upload a picture from your desktop. Once the image is in the browser you can rotate or crop it. I found the rotation feature a bit cumbersome to use, but it does work. You can also add, change or delete the text below the image.

So on the first page of the Haggadah, I was able to add an old picture of my niece and nephew at the top and change the title; I added personal text in the lower left corner, and I added a picture of my sister with her family on the lower right. Once I was happy with it, I was ready to either save it and close down, or move to the next page and begin editing.

What is great about the process is that you can always go back and rework a page. Nothing is written in stone until you purchase your haggadahs and check out.

It was quite a bit of fun to get started with creating this year’s haggadah, but I stopped after the first page. Why? Because I want this to be something I do with Joey and Talia. They are away this week, but we can get to work on it upon their return. Fortunately we have time.

The handy countdown timer on the ‘Build Your Own Haggadah’ homepage tells me that I still have 40 days left to finish and order it. Hmmm, there’s something rather biblical about that number, no?

I can see this being a lot of fun for us, and best of all when Passover arrives we’ll get to use a Haggadah that we all created together. We’ll see how the “Haggadah of the Year Tear Down Session” goes this time around.

TSTI South: February 22, 2011

2011-02-23T09:57:00.000-05:00

Seth Abramson, Mazel tov on Your GRAMMY!

2011-02-15T18:17:00.000-05:00

Congrats to TSTI member Seth Abramson, awarded a Grammy on Sunday night for co-producing the best large jazz ensemble album of the year: “Mingus Big Band Live at the Jazz Standard.”

Two More Must-Reads on the Uprising in Egypt

2011-02-02T17:05:00.000-05:00

There are two op-ed pieces in today's New York Times that are important pieces offering insight and raise no small degree of concern with regard to recent events in Egypt.The first comes from Yossi Klein HaLevi and the second from Thomas Friedman. The first paragraphs along with links to the full pieces can be found below.

Israel, Alone Again?

By YOSSI KLEIN HALEVI

Published: February 1, 2011

Jerusalem

ISRAELIS want to rejoice over the outbreak of protests in Egypt’s city squares. They want to believe that this is the Arab world’s 1989 moment. Perhaps, they say, the poisonous reflex of blaming the Jewish state for the Middle East’s ills will be replaced by an honest self-assessment.

But few Israelis really believe in that hopeful outcome. Instead, the grim assumption is that it is just a matter of time before the only real opposition group in Egypt, the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, takes power. Israelis fear that Egypt will go the way of Iran or Turkey, with Islamists gaining control through violence or gradual co-optation.

Read the rest on the NYTimes

B.E., Before Egypt. A.E., After Egypt.

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Published: February 1, 201

RAMALLAH, West Bank

I’m meeting a retired Israeli general at a Tel Aviv hotel. As I take my seat, he begins the conversation with: “Well, everything we thought for the last 30 years is no longer relevant.”

That pretty much sums up the disorienting sense of shock and awe that the popular uprising in Egypt has inflicted on the psyche of Israel’s establishment. The peace treaty with a stable Egypt was the unspoken foundation for every geopolitical and economic policy in Israel for the last 35 years, and now it’s gone. It’s as if Americans suddenly woke up and found both Mexico and Canada plunged into turmoil on the same day.

“Everything that once anchored our world is now unmoored,” remarked Mark Heller, a Tel Aviv University strategist. “And it is happening right at a moment when nuclearization of the region hangs in the air.”

This is a perilous time for Israel, and its anxiety is understandable.

Read the rest in the NYTimes.

Jonathan Schanzer's Take on the Egyptian Uprising

2011-02-02T09:51:00.000-05:00

This past fall one of our guest for a Shabbat Scholar Dinner was Jonathan Schanzer. Jonathan is a Middle East analyst and vice president of research for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the author of Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle for Palestine, the only book on the market that chronicles the Palestinian civil war. His Web site offers some good insight into what takes place in the Middle East and I wanted to share his two most recent posts with all of you. Among the paragraphs of particular note...

Interestingly, the Arab leadership that may be next to go is the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. The release by al-Jazeera of documents revealing that the PA was prepared to make certain concessions to Israel have sparked anger across the West Bank as well as the Gaza Strip, where the more radical Hamas holds power. As one Palestinian analyst noted, the streets of the West Bank have been largely quiet, but it may only be a matter of time before Palestinians make known their revulsion at their leadership. In what appears to be a pre-emptive step, the PA announced it will hold local council elections "as soon as possible." The PA has not held elections since 1996, and the move seems inextricably tied to the unrest through the region.

How Far Will Egypt Tumult Spread?

by Jonathan Schanzer

Politico February 1, 2011

Immediately after the fall of Tunisia's 23-year dictator, Zine al-Abedine Ben Ali, analysts warned of a domino effect across the Arab world. Would-be democrats in other Arab countries reasoned that if a small country like Tunisia could topple its dictator, perhaps the strategy could be replicated in larger Arab states.

In the days following Ben Ali's flight to Saudi Arabia on January 14, several brave souls did the unthinkable and immolated themselves to protest their regimes. Their goal was to set off the same reaction that took place in Tunisia, stemming from the shock and rage surrounding the plight of Mohammed Bouazizi, the rural street peddler who set himself alight after authorities shut down his produce stand -- his only livelihood. Since then, there have been four self-immolations in Algeria, at least nine in Egypt, one in Mauritania, one in Saudi Arabia, and another report of one in Tunisia.

None of these incidents started the chain reaction that took place in Tunisia, but Arab protesters are still trying to replicate the Tunisian model of regime change. Egypt appears closest, with protests against the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak now in their eighth straight day. The estimated 300,000 protestors who have flocked to the streets today have made clear that they seek nothing less than an end to the regime. Indeed, Mubarak's announcement that he will not seek reelection in September 2011, coupled with promises of liberalization, may not be enough to placate them.

The media is now awash with reports that Jordan may be next. On Tuesday, after three straight Friday protests, King Abdullah II sacked his entire cabinet. The King is now in dialogue with the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood, operating under the Islamic Action Front, about political and economic reforms. While such measures are long overdue in Jordan, the cabinet shake-up smacks of a last-ditch effort to salvage legitimacy, and follows identical but unsuccessful moves by Mubarak in Egypt and Ben Ali in Tunisia. For now, however, Jordan appears to be stable.

Rumors are now circulating that protests may be on the way in Syria. A "day of rage" is set for Saturday. But it's hard to imagine that the Syrian population will rise up, as the country is an absolute police state. Indeed, one Syrian analyst suggests to me that the calls to protest may simply be a trap set by the regime to identify and root out dissidents.

A more troublesome spot is Yemen, where more than 3,000 protesters came out in the country's south on Monday, demanding a change in leadership. Yemen's president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, has been in power since 1978. At 32 years, his term has outlasted those of both Mubarak (30 years) and Ben Ali (23 years). While protests have gone on for much of the past week, the regime does not appear to be in imminent danger.

Interestingly, the Arab leadership that may be next to go is the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. The release by al-Jazeera of documents revealing that the PA was prepared to make certain concessions to Israel have sparked anger across the West Bank as well as the Gaza Strip, where the more radical Hamas holds power. As one Palestinian analyst noted, the streets of the West Bank have been largely quiet, but it may only be a matter of time before Palestinians make known their revulsion at their leadership. In what appears to be a pre-emptive step, the PA announced it will hold local council elections "as soon as possible." The PA has not held elections since 1996, and the move seems inextricably tied to the unrest through the region.

The importance of Egypt, however, cannot be overstated. Cairo is the capital of the Arab world. If Mubarak's regime crumbles, it could lead to contagion, and more chaos to follow.

Mubarak Won't Run Again--What's the Effect?

by Jonathan SchanzerPolitico February 1, 2011

Hosni Mubarak's announcement sparked immediate outrage from the Egyptian protestors, who have stated repeatedly over the last several days that they seek nothing less than his ouster.

President Obama made the right call in urging Mubarak not to seek reelection, but he may have inadvertently made the situation more dangerous. If Mubarak serves out his term and elections take place in September - seven months from now - it will be almost a surefire recipe for the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Brotherhood is the only party that has the financing, infrastructure and ability to mobilize. Egypt's other opposition parties are in shambles, having been suffocated by the Mubarak regime for decades. Seven months is not enough time for them to prepare to compete in elections.

But things don't have to go that way. The president can still ask Mubarak to step aside and allow for the creation of a transitional caretaker government, backed by the military, which can maintain order on the streets, create a safe political space, and then guide the nation to democracy. The caretaker government would preside over a period during which the Egyptian people can draft a new constitution - not just amend it, as Mubarak suggested in his speech - and prepare for genuinely fair elections.

The longer this transition period lasts - within reason - the stronger the opposition parties can become. This would mitigate the power of the Muslim Brotherhood and other groups that reject democratic principles, without completely excluding them from the political process.

Former International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohammed El Baradei backs this plan, and so does the constellation of reform factions that tapped him to speak in its name. But ElBaradei himself would not need to lead the cabinet. Newly-installed vice president Omar Suleiman (or another known quantity) could also do so.

But the key to this is the Egyptian military. It has earned the trust of the people. Indeed, it has not fired a shot on the protestors. If it can preside over this process, it can guarantee that the power of the transitional leader is kept in check, so a peaceful democratic process can unfold.

Yes, this plan carries risks. But so does inaction. If Mr. Obama accepts Mubarak's plan and allows elections to take place in September, the Muslim Brotherhood will be poised to fill the vacuum. This could result in two equally miserable scenarios: the rise of a Muslim Brotherhood government, or new strong man tapped by the West to bring it down.

Focus On Mitzvot in Action- TSTI Teen Danny Brenner

2010-12-17T16:03:00.000-05:00

From the THE ITEM OF MILLBURN AND SHORT HILLS

MHS students start new Haiti relief club

Thursday, December 16, 2010

THE ITEM OF MILLBURN AND SHORT HILLS

Millburn High School students are spreading love for Haiti on T-shirts they hope will be worn throughout New Jersey and across state lines.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEREMY ADELSHEIMER

Millburn High School students Danny Brenner and Jeremy Adelsheimer show the 'Haitian Nation' T-Shirts their new club is selling to raise money for a hospital and bridge in Haiti.

Danny Brenner and Jeremy Adelsheimer have started a Haiti Relief Club at the school, inspired by a connection with people of Haiti that was formed on a trip to the country this past spring with the Church Outreach to Youth (COTY) project.
"We created bonds with all the people that live there," Danny said.
As a kickoff fundraiser, members are selling T-shirts with a "Haitian Nation" logo to show solidarity with the people of Haiti.
Proceeds from the shirts will go to the COTY foundation's efforts to build a hospital in Haiti and a bridge to the hospital so people will have easier access.
Jeremy and Danny said the club is turning out to be popular. They said many students who join are developing an interest to visit Haiti as well.
"It got really big really quickly," Jeremy said.
The first batch of "Haitian Nation" shirts sold out and they had to order 500 more.
The Millburn Deli has agreed to sell the shirts, and students from neighboring districts and even schools in New York have bought or intend to buy T-shirts.
"We're trying to spread our interest in helping Haiti to other schools," Jeremy said.
The club will also plan bake sales, car washed and fund-raising tournaments to help Haiti throughout the year.
To pick up a "Haitian Nation" T-shirt, visit the Millburn Deli or e-mail email jadelsheimer @gmail.com or dbrenner107 @gmail.com.
- Andrea Hughes

As the Fires Burn in Israel You Can Help

2010-12-03T11:55:00.004-05:00

At the end of the 20th century the only country or region that left the century covered by more trees rather than fewer trees was Israel. This was a direct result of the Jewish community's commitment to the land of Israel and the Jewish National Fund's efforts to plant as many trees as possible as the Jewish nation "deepened its roots" in the land of our ancestors.

A significant portion of one of the great forests in Israel is on fire. The loss of life, property and trees is devastating and it only look like it will continue for some time. As such, I wanted to share these emails that just arrived. If you were wondering what you might do to help here is one answer.

My thanks in advance for your support...

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

Israel Fire Disaster Relief

UJC MetroWest expresses deep concern regarding the devastating fire in Israel’s Carmel countryside and is closely monitoring the situation. Our hearts go out to the families of the 42 Israelis who perished and those critically injured in the blaze.

As of this morning, the fire is not yet under control. Over 15,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and 16,000 acres of pine forest have been lost. Israel lacks sufficient flame retardant and is awaiting emergency shipments.

Together with our international partners, The Jewish Agency for Israel and JDC, we are:

Assisting 15,000 evacuees with emergency shelter and support
Providing trauma relief for families who have lost loved ones and homes in the fire
Deploying local Emergency Response Teams
Working with Israeli youth movements to open day camps for children and students evacuated from the imperiled area

We continue to monitor the situation and will keep you updated as details become available. Additional information is available at the JFNA Fire Disaster Information page, which includes news stories and other resources.

Israel is desperate for our support. Please make an emergency online contribution to the UJC MetroWest Israel Fire Disaster Relief Fund today. Your contribution will go immediately to help Israel cope with this catastrophe.

Or send checks to:
Israel Fire Disaster Relief
UJC MetroWest
901 Rt. 10
Whippany, NJ 07981

Checks should be made payable to:
UJC MetroWest
Indicate in memo:
Israel Fire Disaster Relief

DATELINE: Friday, 5.00 PM (10.00 AM EST)

The fire in the Carmel Forest is still raging. Israel's fire fighters would have been unable to limit its spread without the fire fighting planes and helicopters that have come to assist from Cyprus, Greece, Jordan and Turkey. (Israel, negligently, has none of her own.) Bulgaria has sent over 90 fire fighters, and offers of assistance have come from many countries, including Egypt and the Palestinian Authority. Chemicals to extinguish the fires from the air are belatedly being flown in today from France and Italy. However, the flames are still raging and is not anticipated that they will be fully doused until sometime next week. More than 15,000 Israelis have been evacuated from their homes, including from parts of Tirat Carmel, Ein Hod and the Haifa suburb of Denia. Kibbutz Beit Oren is in ruins.

However, the greatest tragedy is that 41 prison guards and policemen were burned to death abroad a bus on its way to transfer prisoners from a facility threatened by the flames. A further three, including a fire fighter, have been serious burned and are fighting for their lives in Rambam hospital.

As darkness falls here, the helicopters and planes that have done so much to douse the flames today have been grounded until first light. That will leave much of the fire unattended overnight. However, at the same time, the strong easterly winds that we have experienced during the day and which have fanned the flames have also died down.

There is already a great deal of criticism of the fact that successive Israeli government had not built up a fire force and provided it with the necessary equipment to cope with an eventuality of this nature.

The latest news is that police have arrested two men from Daliat el Carmel, who they suspect may be part of a gang responsible for lighting the fires. However, at this point in time, this is no more than a suspicion.

Hanukah, a festival that is normally associated with the miracle of the flame that continued to burn for eight days, will henceforth also be remembered as the time when Israel faced the challenge of the greatest fire in her history.

Shabbat shalom v'Chag Urim sameyach,

Micky Boyden

Hod Hasharon, Israel

If you're having trouble viewing this e-mail, click here. And, to ensure that you continue to receive e-mail
from Jewish National Fund, please add jewishnationalfund@jnf.org to your Address Book.

UPDATE:

The mood is not optimistic after more than 35 hours battling what is the worst fire in Israel’s history, reports Hezy Levi, a Haifa region fire fighter who is on the scene.

“We are working around the clock,” said Levi, “and are receiving help from Greece, Cyprus, Russia, Britain and Turkey, but we are short on supplies—firetrucks, hoses, extinguishing agents, airplanes, you name it.”

Levi reported that 2 firefighters have died in addition to the 41 prison guards, more than 25,000 people have been evacuated, residential homes have been lost and more than 7,000 acres of forests are on fire – about ½ of the Carmel Forest. Many people are being treated for burns and smoke inhalation.

“We have deployed all of Israel’s firefighters, from Eilat all the way up, but right now there is no end in sight.”

They need your help. Israel’s firefighters are desperately short on supplies. JNF is the U.S. fundraising arm of Friends of Israel Firefighters. To donate to the relief effort, and arm the firefighters with the protective gear and equipment they need, go to www.jnf.org/fifdonate.

LAST CHANCE TO JOIN THE CONFERENCE CALL!

With Representatives from JNF, Israeli Firefighters, JNF-KKL, and Chief of the U.S. Forest Service

Jewish National Fund will be holding an emergency conference call today, Friday, December 3 at 12:00 PM EST for all of its donors and supporters.

The call will feature:

Ambassador Michael Oren
A firefighter from the scene
Ronald Lauder, JNF Chairman
Efi Stenzler, World Chairman KKL
Shimon Romach, Israel’s Fire Commissioner
Chief Tom Tidwell, Chief of the US Forest Service

RSVP to attend the call and your e-mail confirmation will contain the call-in information.

To donate to the relief effort, and to arm the firefighters with the protective gear
and equipment they need, go to www.jnf.org/fifdonate.

		Plant Trees in Israel \| Travel to Israel \| Donate

Buy Israel... Especially Today...

2010-11-29T22:35:00.000-05:00

Join AJC in the “Buycott” of Israeli Goods
TOMORROW, Tuesday, November 30^th!

AJC is proud to join other pro-Israel groups across the country on
Tuesday, November 30^th to support “Buy Israeli Goods” Day
and to counter those calling for boycotts of Israeli products.

Help us send the message to retailers such as Hiller's, Costco, Whole Foods,
Trader Joe’s and ULTA by buying up all of their Israeli-made products!

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

VISIT www.buyisraelgoods.org to search for Israel products in our area!
Whether its hummus or olives or Ahava skin cream, every purchase helps!

SPREAD THE WORD! Please share this email with at least 5 friends.

THANK THE STORE for carrying Israeli products!
Be sure to alert and thank the store manager for carrying Israeli products.
Let them know that you will be a repeat customer for that reason!

TAKE A PICTURE!
Send a picture of you and your family and friends buying Israeli goods to: newjersey@ajc.org

Thank you for helping AJC show support for Israel!

LINDA SLUCKER ACHIEVES NATIONAL POSITION

2010-11-23T11:11:00.000-05:00

Linda Slucker has been nominated as national president of the National Council of Jewish Women, Inc. Her election to this office will be held in Dallas in March, 2011. Mazel tov, Linda!

URJ 10 Minutes of Torah

2010-11-12T08:29:00.000-05:00

Friday's 10 Minutes of Torah is designed to present a diversity of editorial viewpoints from Jewish papers. The following editorial appears November 3, 2010 on The Washington Jewish Week website and is reprinted with permission.

We need to take action
When organizers decided to focus last year's Toronto International Film Festival on Israeli filmmakers, more than 1,000 prominent actors and filmmakers signed a statement threatening to boycott the event.

The UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles came up with a counter statement supporting the festival. Among its signers: Jerry Seinfeld, Natalie Portman, Sacha Baron Cohen, Lisa Kudrow, Jason Alexander and Lenny Kravitz.

"It was a great lesson and set a template on how to respond because clearly, the other side is running a linked campaign with international funding and global strategy but local implementation," Ted Sokolsky, president of the Toronto federation, recently told JTA.

The Jewish Federations of North America and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs want local communities to be able to spring into action in defense of Israel on a regular basis. That's why they are gearing up to launch a multimillion-dollar joint initiative to combat anti-Israel campaigns. Locally, the Jewish Community Relations Council also is planning to step up its efforts through an Israel Action Center.

These actions come not a moment too soon. The BDS (boycott, divest and sanction) movement is a sinister campaign designed to erode the very basis of Israel's legitimacy. With the exception of the seemingly unrelenting Iranian effort to build nuclear weapons, this push to undermine the idea that Israel has the right to exist as the Jewish state in the Middle East is its greatest existential threat.

Israel's supporters must quickly do what they can to stem the damage. Not simply by talking about all of Israel's terrific accomplishments or by bashing its enemies, but by confronting boycotters head on, as did the Toronto film festival's supporters.

And, as did the JCRC when it learned in July that a boycott was planned outside the Ulta store in Silver Spring, urging customers not to buy Ahava products, charging they "were illegally produced by settlers ... on stolen land." The JCRC sent out an e-mail alert late on a Friday afternoon, notifying those on its mailing list of the boycott and urging them to buy Ahava. By Monday morning, Ulta's Ahava shelves were bare.

Such efforts can't simply be ad hoc. JCRC, for example, urged its "buycott" just once, despite continued efforts to boycott Ahava. Fighting BDS must be part of a continuing effort to educate the public, both Jews and non-Jews -- particularly civic leaders -- about Israel's legitimacy and proper place in the world.

Whatever the source of action, the message should be clear: Though we may not always agree with all of Israel's policies, we all stand with our brothers and sisters in Israel in defense of the Jewish homeland and its right to exist.

URJ Weekly Briefing November 12, 2010

2010-11-12T08:26:00.000-05:00

The political career of Sen. Russ Feingold, shown on the campaign trail for Barack Obama in Eau Claire, Wis., in August 2008, was marked by a fierce independence. (Phil Freedman)

As Feingold exits, Senate loses a
principled liberal

By Ron Kampeas

The speech that Russ Feingold gave to end his career in the U.S. Senate was much like the Wisconsin pol's career itself -- by turns crystal clear, obscure, ornery, defiant and gracious.Read more »

Reform Movement in the News

JTA: First Female Rabbi Ordained in
Germany Since 1935

Germany's Reform rabbinical seminary ordained three new rabbis, including the first woman to become a rabbi in Germany since before the Holocaust. Read more »

Tablet Magazine: Resisting 'Re-Ghettoization' - Lunch with Yossi Klein Halevi

For many American Jews, Yoffie argued, it is difficult to move onto combating international demonization when that demonization is provoked by the blatant moral and practical blight that is continued West Bank construction. Read more »

The Jerusalem Post: Gender Separation in Public Areas Growing

Movement for Progressive Judaism warns against growing phenomenon; issues its fourth report on gender separation during Knesset meeting. Read more »

Reform Day Schools Win PEJE Video Awards!

PARDeS and The Saul Mirowitz Day School - Reform Jewish Academy of St Louis each received the 2010 Overall Excellence in Video Award on October 25, 2010 at the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education ( PEJE) Assembly in Baltimore Maryland. Read more »

Jewish World News

Army converts are latest to be dragged into Israel's conversion wars

A new review panel established by Israel's Chief Rabbinate threatens to invalidate thousands of conversions performed under the auspices of the Israel Defense Forces. Read more »

Startup continent: European Jewry

A new survey by Jumpstart finds more Jewish startups per capita in Europe than in North America. Read more »

17 charged in $42.5 million fraud at
Claims Conference

The man who oversaw two of the Claims Conference's major Holocaust restitution programs was the ringleader of a fraud conspiracy that led to $42.5 million in false claims, the U.S. Attorney's Office charged. Read more »

First sign of the new U.S. political reality —
Bibi's swagger

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America called for a “credible military threat” against Iran as a means of avoiding war, echoing leading Republican lawmakers and showing clearly his empowerment by the GOP sweep of the U.S. House of Representatives. Read more »

From RJ.org Blog

Coming Together to
Fight Cholera

At the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti -- one of the beneficiaries of the URJ Disaster Relief Fund -- staff and patients demonstrate profound resilience and strength in the fight against the spread of cholera. Former URJ staffer Carrie Weinrobe gives us a first-person perspective.Read more »

Forever Summer:
The Importance of
Jewish Camping

While nothing is more gratifying than hearing from a camper about how our programs have influenced their sense of self, a close second is reading a prestigious study that verifies the importance these summer experiences have on developing Jewish identity. Read more »

The Next Wave Starts Now

High schooler Austin Zoot expounds on the cultures of the different Jewish youth groups available in his community, and why he chose NFTY. Read more »

Prepare for Chanukah

Chanukah is Coming Soon

This year we light the first candle on Dec. 1. Visit our Chanukah website for social action programs, family activities, recipes and more.Read more »

Send Chanukah E-cards

Send holiday greetings to friends & family and include a recipe, song, video, or blessings.Read more »

Chanukah Gift Idea #6: Merle Feld's Finding Words

URJ Books & Music has eight great gift ideas, one for each night. Finding Words is a moving and accessible poetry collection and makes a great gift for friends, family and congregants. Read more »

Holiday Happenings: Chanukah

This guide will help enrich your holiday celebration, complete with recipes and fun activities for the tots in your life.Read more »

Reform Judaism Magazine Explores Chanukah

Holidays: Becoming a Maccabee: Judith Richlin-Klonsky probes the ways modern Jews become Maccabees.

Cooking: The Land of Olives & Oranges:Tina Wasserman offers up recipes that reflect Israel's bounty.

Judaica: Jewish Antiques Appraisal Show: Jonathan Greenstein appraises a folk artsy brass Chanukah lamp made in Poland 1840 — 1920. Read more »

Union News

Final Chance to Enter the URJ Techies Contest!

The URJ Techies contest recognizes member congregations successfully using social networks and technology to engage members online. Entries due Nov. 15. Read more »

Upcoming Webinar: Nov. 16 - Torah Alive: Every Person Has a Name...

Find out what Israeli poetry has to say about names, their meanings and the stories behind them. Read more »

After the Spill Conference Call

Join the RAC on Nov. 18 at 3pm ET to hear from mental health experts on the impact of the BP oil disaster on residents in the Gulf Coast. Read more »

North American Forums: Three Days of Learning and Networking

Discuss adult learning, early engagement, Hebrew education and small remote congregations in Atlanta, Nov. 19-21.Read more »

The Future of
Reform Judaism

The URJ, CCAR and HUC-JIR are convening a Think Tank to address important issues facing the future of Reform Judaism and they need your input! Register now to participate in an online public forum on Nov. 21 at 4 pm PT / 7 pm ET. Read more »

Thanksgiving Holiday Happenings

Learn ways to approach the holiday from a Jewish perspective. Read more »

RJ Web-Builder Site of the Month

The website of Temple Israel of New Rochelle, NY, built using RJ Web-Builder, has been recognized as an outstanding site for employing best practices in design and content. Read more »

WUPJ's Connections Convention

Register online for the World Union for Progressive Judaism's Connections 2011 conference in San Francisco Feb. 8-13.Read more »

Youth workers will learn from experts, networking and sharing ideas for enhancing youth programming. Early bird registration ends Tues., Nov. 16. Register now to $ave!Read more »

Apply for a URJ Incubator Grant!

URJ is offering up to $5,000 for member congregations' innovative projects aimed at engaging members. Read more »

Shabbat Tzedek: 50 Years in Pursuit of Justice with the RAC

On Jan. 14-17, 2011 join congregations across North America in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the RAC and the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Transform your congregation's MLK weekend into a special Shabbat Tzedek. Read more »

Got Shabbat: Vayeitzei

Glean lessons from this parashah that you can use with kids at home and in your classroom.Read more »

NCJW Holds Its "Earthly Treasures" Fundraiser Tonight

2010-11-10T10:15:00.000-05:00

Greenfaith- November E-Newsletter

2010-11-05T07:59:00.000-04:00

Sustainable Synagogues Initiative
Partnership with Conservative Leaders

GreenFaith, the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs, Women's League for Conservative Judaism, and The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism have announced The Sustainable Synagogues Initiative, a partnership designed to educate and mobilize synagogues and members of the Conservative movement in North America on the environment. Learn more about the Sustainable Synagogues Initiative>>

Ground for Hope Education and Training Nov. 14-15
Dr. Larry Rasmussen Keynotes NJ Event

On Sunday, Nov. 14 and Monday, Nov. 15, GreenFaith is partnering with Drew Theological School in Madison and Watchung Avenue Presbyterian Church in North Plainfield to offer Ground for Hope - New Jersey, a religious-environmental leadership training conference. Learn more and register for Ground for Hope>>

Meet Imam Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, author of The Green Deen

Imam Ibrahim Abdul-Matin recently published The Green Deen - What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet. Join GreenFaith to meet Ibrahim on a special webinar on Wednesday, December 1 from 7:00 - 7:45 pm. Learn and register for Green Deen>>

Judaism and Environment Webinar Series - Nov. 18 Kickoff

The Judaism and the Environment Webinar Series - designed to educate and equip Jewish leaders for environmental action - begins on Thursday, Nov. 18, 12:00 noon - 1:30 p.m. ET with Getting Started on the Environment in your Synagogue. On-line registration is available. Judaism and the Environment is sponsored by GreenFaith, the Jewish National Fund, the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs, Women's League for Conservative Judaism, and The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Learn more and register for Judaism and the Environment>>

GreenFaith, Ironbound Community Corporation Announce Settlement with Newark Incinerator

GreenFaith and the Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC) announced recently that they had reached settlement with Covanta - the owner and operator of a garbage incinerator - in a case involving air emissions violations at the incinerator, which is located in the densely populated Ironbound section of Newark, New Jersey. The settlement will result in improved air pollution controls at the incinerator, and a substantial contribution to park space in the Ironbound. Learn more about incinerator>>

In this issue

Sustainable Synagogues Initiative

Ground for Hope Education and Training Nov. 14-15

Meet Imam Ibrahim Abdul-Matin

Judaism and Environment Webinar Series - Nov. 18 Kickoff

Settlement with Newark Incinerator

GreenFaith News Briefs

GreenFaith's Rabbi Lawrence Troster on CNN's Faces of FaithGreenFaith's Rabbi Lawrence Troster, GreenFaith's Fellowship Director was featured today on a CNN's Faces of Faith in a segment on religion and the environment.

The show was filmed during the Temple of Understanding's Interfaith Visionary Call To Action Conference on Sustainable Development on Tuesday, October 19 at The Pierre Hotel in New York City. In addition to Rabbi Troster, the segment featured:

Karen Armstrong, a best-selling author and religion scholar
Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker, Senior Lecturer and Senior Scholar, Department of Religious Studies, Yale University
Ibrahim Abdil-Mu'id Ramey, Director, Human and Civil Rights Division, Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation.

To view the segment, click here

Temple Beth Rishon Saves Thousands, Wins GreenFaith Award

The NJ Jewish Standard featured Temple Beth Rishon, the first synagogue in the GreenFaith Certification Program, and reported that TBR has saved thousands of dollars through energy conservation. To read the full article, click here>>

JVS Presents the 4th Annual Creative Maturity Expo November 21

2010-11-05T07:55:00.000-04:00

JVS presents

The Fourth Annual
Creative Maturity Expo

Sunday, November 21, 2010

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

(9:30 a.m. registration opens)

Come for an hour-stay for the day!

They Say 60 is the new 40...
Imagine the Possibilities

Learn how to remain active and healthy. Start planning for your future now.

This innovative event, geared to adults 50+, will offer a wide array of seminars, products, health screenings, and services all under one roof.

Aidekman Family Campus

901 Route 10

Whippany, NJ 07981

Featured Speaker

2:45 p.m.

Karen Frank

RN, founder of Spiritual Healing Integrated Nursing

Sexuality Beyond Sixty

A frank discussion about physical and emotional changes that impact our own views about our sexuality.

How does the media affect how we feel about ourselves?

Sexuality has as much to do with how we feel about being men and women as it does about performance.

Come to talk about the many facets of our sexuality, identities, and how to keep ourselves vibrant and alive.

Free Admission

Free Refreshments

Health screenings throughout the day
Exhibits
Prizes and Giveaways

Other Highlights

Health Seminars

Focusing on healthy living

Employment Seminars

Job search strategies for the mature worker

Conductorcise®
A SOUND workout for mind, body and soul
led by Maestro David Dworkin

For Additional Information

Visit www.jvsnj.org or call 973-674-6330, ext. 311

Join our Mailing List

We Thank Our Sponsors

Platinum

Gold

Silver

Bronze

We thank our Community Partners

Daughters of Israel
JCC MetroWest
Jewish Community Housing Corporation
Jewish Family Service of MetroWest
JVS At Home Services
MetroWest CARES
Morris County Connection
NCJW, Essex County Section
New Jersey Foundation for the Blind
United Jewish Communities of MetroWest
Unity Club

A Program of The Ronald I. Coun Center for Creative Maturity
JVS is a beneficiary agency of the United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ

Mazal Tov to TSTI Past-President Abner Benisch as He is Honored By Kean University

2010-10-22T17:15:00.001-04:00

Mazal Tov to TSTI Past-President Abner Benisch Upon Kean University Dedicating

The Abner Benisch '40 Athletic Hall of Fame

We Are For Israel Blog Post-Recognizing Israel as a Jewish State

2010-10-22T12:02:00.000-04:00

An interesting post just went up on the We Are For Israel Web site. It cites a survey that shows that Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem are evenly split on the question of recognizing Israel as a Jewish state as part of a peace agreement. Even more troubling are the numbers when compared to a survey last June...

Recognizing Israel as a Jewish State

Posted on October 22, 2010 by Rabbi Michael (Micky) Boyden

49% of Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, would agree to recognize Israel as a Jewish state as part of a peace agreement establishing a Palestinian state, while 48% object.

Such are the results of a survey conducted by Yediot Ahronot reported on Thursday, October 21, 2010 and published by Itamar Eichner in Ynet News.

In June, before direct peace talks began, results were more positive, when 58% of the Palestinians interviewed said that they would be willing to accept Israel as a Jewish state, while 39% objected.

The survey was undertaken by Professor Yaacov Shamir of Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Professor Khalil Shikaki, who heads the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah.

Focus on TSTI Mitzvot- Josh Rubel at the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

2010-10-21T10:38:00.000-04:00

We have amazing kids AND adults doing some remarkable things that help make the world a better place. Today we say

Yasher Koach: May You Go From Strength to Strength

to Josh Rubel.

Joined his dad, Jon, Josh participated in the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk held last Sunday, October 17 (also Josh's 10th birthday) for the 2nd year in a row.

The two walked in memory of Rena Rubel -- mJosh's Nana and, Jon's mother. This year Jon raised about $4,000. Over the last 4 years Jon has raised over $18,000 for ACS.

Upcoming AJC Program- An Evening with Irshad Manji

2010-10-14T09:25:00.000-04:00

Today's Israel News... October 13, 2010

2010-10-13T14:09:00.000-04:00

Palestinians Reject Israel Settlement Compromise - Adrian Blomfield

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, offered Monday to extend a partial freeze on Jewish building in the West Bank in exchange for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. Within minutes of the proposal being made public, Palestinian officials had rejected it out of hand. (Telegraph-UK)

Diplomacy by Timetable - Jackson Diehl

In the Middle East negotiations, counterproductive timetables are multiplying. The one-year deadline for completing talks seems to have derived from a two-year deadline established last year by Obama's envoy, George Mitchell. Meanwhile, Israel's 10-month moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank has expired, prompting the administration to press for a new 60- to 90-day deadline. Once again the timetables are disconnected from a strategy.

Is it possible that Netanyahu and Abbas can agree on the borders of a Palestinian state in less than 60 days and end the settlement debate? No. But then, what will happen when the next deadline arrives? Discussion will be forced on yet another timetable. (Washington Post)

Ahmadinejad Trip Highlights Iranian Sway in Lebanon - Dominic Evans

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits Lebanon Wednesday on a trip which underlines the growing power of Iran's Shi'ite ally Hizbullah. The U.S. says Iran's support for Hizbullah militants undermines Lebanese sovereignty.

Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Saturday that Lebanon should thank Iran for helping to rebuild Beirut's southern suburbs and south Lebanon after the 2006 war, both Hizbullah strongholds. "Where did this money come from? From donations? No, frankly from Iran." Officials close to Hizbullah say it spent about $1 billion of Iranian money since 2006 on aid and rebuilding. (Reuters)

Chavez's Secret Nuclear Program - Roger F. Noriega

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been developing a nuclear program for two years with the collaboration of Iran, a nuclear rogue state. Venezuela is also helping Iran obtain uranium and evade international sanctions. Chavez's decision to rely on one of the world's worst proliferators to help develop his country's capabilities in this sensitive technology sets alarm bells ringing.

A November 2008 contract between the Venezuelan state-run firm CVG Minerven and the Iranian government firm Impasco grants the Iranians a "gold mine" concession in the heart of the Roraima basin in the southeastern state of Bolivar, home to one of the world's largest deposits of uranium. A "cement plant" processes ore from the Impasco mine, but has yet to produce a bag of cement. Instead, it serves as a conduit for moving ore to a port on the Orinoco River where it is transferred onto Iranian-flagged vessels on the Atlantic Ocean.

Security Council Resolution 1929, passed this June, ordered all governments to prohibit any Iranian involvement in "uranium mining, production or use of nuclear materials and technology." The writer is a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere. (Foreign Policy)

Turkish Journalist on the Flotilla Ship: "IDF Soldiers Did Not Open Fire Until Their Lives Were in Danger"

On Sept. 24, in an interview with Israel Channel 1 TV, Turkish journalist Azefik Dinc, who was on theMavi Marmara flotilla ship and wrote a book about it, said that no shots were fired from the Israeli helicopters and that IDF soldiers did not open fire until their lives were in danger. According to Dinc, it wasn't until the soldiers realized that some of their friends' lives were in danger that they began using live ammunition.

Dinc's descriptions completely contradict the biased testimonies of IHH activists which were the basis for a report compiled by the UN Human Rights Council. (Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center )

Israel Aerospace Industries Unveils Tilt-Rotor UAV - Darren Quick (Gizmag)

Tilt-rotor aircraft combine the vertical takeoff and landing capabilities of a helicopter with the speed and range of a conventional fixed-wing aircraft. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is bringing these benefits to unmanned aerial vehicles with its new Panther and Mini Panther UAVs that were unveiled last week.

With an automatic flight control system that transitions between the hovering takeoff phase to forward flight and vice versa before landing, the system allows the craft to take off and land automatically with the click of a button on the operator console.

The Panther is powered by three ultra-quiet electrical motors that allow the craft to loiter for approximately six hours, at an altitude of up to 10,000 feet, with an operational radius of over 60 km (37 miles).

Who Are Israel's Friends? - Jennifer Rubin (Commentary)

In the poll, almost all the support for Israel statistically comes from non-Jews. This is simply a mathematical reality. The poll sampled 1,000 voters, only 1.6% of whom were Jewish.

Jews by themselves are a tiny percentage of the population who, on their own, could not sustain national support for Israel. It is the support from the majority of Christians that nurtures the U.S.-Israel relationship.

There is a large segment of Americans who, for reasons entirely distinct from religion and with no personal or ethnic tie to the Jewish state, nevertheless are strongly committed to its security and survival.

That is remarkable, a tribute to the innate decency and common sense of the American people. They have, despite a barrage of propaganda from Israel's foes, figured out who are the "good guys" in the Middle East and which country shares our values and concerns.

This data is helpful in rebutting the Israel-haters' rhetoric railing against the "influence of the Israel lobby."

Mike Sachs

Northeast Regional Director

212-750-4110 • Fax 212-750-4125

msachs@aipac.org

AIPAC • The American Israel Public Affairs Committee

Join us at the AIPAC National Summit, October 24-25
Visit www.aipac.org/Summit2010 for more information.

Iris Family Center Collects New and Gently Used Children’s Shoes

2010-10-12T11:55:00.001-04:00

In connection with the TSTI First Annual 5K Run/Walk/Stroll, The Iris Family Center collected new and gently used children’s shoes of all sizes. All shoes collected are being donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters. Pictured here are teachers Susan Rosborough and Laurie Schwartz, both of Short Hills.

Location:Scotland Rd,South Orange,United States

Not To Be Missed- Dr. Daniel Gordis: Path to Peace: Any Roads Left?

2010-10-06T15:00:00.000-04:00

I heard Dr. Gordis when I attended the AIPAC Policy Conference a few years ago. He is an amazing speaker. This evening, for which we are a co-host, promises to be beyond interesting as Dr. Gordis clarifies for us where we currently are and how those of us longing for peace might proceed.

TSTI Rabbinic Blog

From the New Jersey Jewish News: Worth a Read and a Smile

Each week NJJN's Editor-in-Chief Andrew Silow-Carroll makes me thing through his insightful articles. This week he made me smile.

Ask an angry rabbi

From NJJN: Reform rabbis: Leader an ‘inspired’ choice

TSTI Teens in Action: Molly Greenstone

10 Minutes of Torah- DAVAR ACHER The Key to Jewish Survival Revealed

The Story is Ancient: the Hagaddah is a Work in Progress

TSTI South: February 22, 2011

Seth Abramson, Mazel tov on Your GRAMMY!

Two More Must-Reads on the Uprising in Egypt

Israel, Alone Again?

By YOSSI KLEIN HALEVI

Published: February 1, 2011

B.E., Before Egypt. A.E., After Egypt.

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Published: February 1, 201

Jonathan Schanzer's Take on the Egyptian Uprising

Mubarak Won't Run Again--What's the Effect?

Focus On Mitzvot in Action- TSTI Teen Danny Brenner

As the Fires Burn in Israel You Can Help

UPDATE:

LAST CHANCE TO JOIN THE CONFERENCE CALL!

Buy Israel... Especially Today...

LINDA SLUCKER ACHIEVES NATIONAL POSITION

URJ 10 Minutes of Torah

URJ Weekly Briefing November 12, 2010

Reform Movement in the News

Jewish World News

From RJ.org Blog

Prepare for Chanukah

Union News

NCJW Holds Its "Earthly Treasures" Fundraiser Tonight

Greenfaith- November E-Newsletter

Sustainable Synagogues Initiative Partnership with Conservative Leaders

Meet Imam Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, author of The Green Deen

Judaism and Environment Webinar Series - Nov. 18 Kickoff

GreenFaith, Ironbound Community Corporation Announce Settlement with Newark Incinerator

In this issue

GreenFaith News Briefs

JVS Presents the 4th Annual Creative Maturity Expo November 21

Mazal Tov to TSTI Past-President Abner Benisch as He is Honored By Kean University

We Are For Israel Blog Post-Recognizing Israel as a Jewish State

Focus on TSTI Mitzvot- Josh Rubel at the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Yasher Koach: May You Go From Strength to Strength

Upcoming AJC Program- An Evening with Irshad Manji

Today's Israel News... October 13, 2010

Iris Family Center Collects New and Gently Used Children’s Shoes

Not To Be Missed- Dr. Daniel Gordis: Path to Peace: Any Roads Left?

Sustainable Synagogues Initiative
Partnership with Conservative Leaders