Chananel turned me on to this article about the “Bro Mitzvah” – a type of coming of age ritual for black teenagers loosely inspired by the Bar Mitzvah.
At first I thought it was hysterical, because the name is so ridiculous, and then I was miffed – because why is it ok to make a mockery of Jewish tradition?
Then I actually read the article.
The Bro Mitzvah is indeed a sincere attempt by one boy’s well-meaning family and friends to help usher him into manhood. And this is a fine and noble thing, though I would suggest changing the name – people will get the wrong idea.
If the black community is searching for a more authentic right of passage ritual, I once read about the Xhosa ceremony described by Nelson Mandela in his amazing book “Long Walk To Freedom” (think teenage circumcision), and I am sure there are others (and probably a few that aren’t as painful).
June 30th, 2008
Esther and Guy call it quits and apparently it was Kabbalah that ruined their marriage.
GUY RITCHIE and MADONNA’s marriage has been thrown deeper into meltdown after he told her he’s quitting Kabbalah. Madge has become increasingly involved with the mystical Jewish religion, but her film director husband is a step closer to hitting the road after losing his faith.
The real news to me is that I didn’t know there was a “Jewish mystical religion.” I always thought Kabbalah was just a deeper aspect of traditional Judaism – you know, the stuff you study after you have mastered the basics.
But what do I know? Far be it from me to question the faith of my mystical sister Esther. I just hope she can get it together and find a new guy more sensitive to her spiritual needs.
June 27th, 2008
My good friend Rav Yehuda, over at the Jawbone Valley blog, posted this unbelievable video. Gang signs at a whole new level – far out Na Nach Nachman style.
June 25th, 2008
The planet has been through a lot worse than us. Been through all kinds of things worse than us. Been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sun spots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles…hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worldwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages…And we think some plastic bags… and some aluminum cans… are going to make a difference? The planet…the planet…the planet isn’t going anywhere. WE ARE!
This is the link to see the whole routine.
June 25th, 2008
I read a number of articles recently about problems facing the Reform Movement, including this front-page story in today’s Boston Globe, and it seems that a big problem plaguing Reform Judaism today is that men are fleeing the movement in droves. Look at some of these stats:
At the Reform movement’s seminary, 60 percent of the rabbinical students and 84 percent of those studying to become cantors are female. Girls are outnumbering boys by as much as 2 to 1 among adolescents in youth group programs and summer camps, while women outnumber men at worship and in a variety of congregational leadership roles, according to the Union for Reform Judaism.
The evidence is everywhere. At Temple Sinai in Sharon, nine of the 11 members of this year’s confirmation class were girls. At Temple Beth David in Canton, last Saturday’s Bible study drew 11 women and no men. At Temple Isaiah in Lexington, the executive board for the last year had eight women and one man. And at the Prozdor, an intensive supplementary high school program at Hebrew College in Newton, 59 percent of the students are female.
The analysts and experts are creating commissions to investigate the problem, but I think the reasons are simple. According to this article in Commentary Magazine (the voice of the Reform Movement) entitled “What Does Reform Judaism Stand For?” it says:
In recent years, Reform Judaism, at the prodding of its Washington arm, the Religious Action Center, has issued resolution after resolution in support of Left-liberal positions across an array of political and social issues. It has opposed the war in Iraq and the nomination of Justice Samuel Alito; sharply rebuked the Christian Right; and vigorously supported the left-wing Democratic stance on gay marriage, affirmative action, and school vouchers.
In other words, the Reform Movement is a left wing organization. It is leading the fight for “inclusiveness,” and pushes hard for things like women’s rights, gay rights, and egalitarianism. But what does it offer a nice heterosexual Jewish boy looking for something “Jewish” to belong to?
Nothing – or not much at least.
He doesn’t feel at home or comfortable with all the left-wing ideologues. He is cowed by political correctness and afraid to speak up or defend himself. And so he leaves. What do you expect?
Unfortunately for the Reform Movement, the swift exit of men is only one of its many problems. I won’t list them all here, but I think the article in Commentary does a great job summing it all up:
What does all this augur for Reform itself? The movement has wagered its future on the gamble that a coherent and vibrant Judaism can be built on the idea of a big tent, on the informed choice of each Reform Jew, and on a highly elastic definition of both “Reform” and “Jew.” Both in what it cannot accept and in what it cannot but accommodate, the movement is very much at one with the individualistic and “pluralist” ethos of contemporary American culture. But for how long will significant numbers of people continue to be drawn to, or stick with, a religious movement that cannot or will not define standards for committed living, and that, except when it comes to political imperatives, has self-consciously shunned the very notion of imperatives?
June 22nd, 2008
Coffee is again making news and yes - again it comes out that coffee is good for you:
Talk of the Nation, June 20, 2008 · Just smelling the aroma of coffee is enough to change the activity of several genes in rats, researchers report this week in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The affected genes appear to help the animals deal with resistance to the stresses caused by sleep deprivation. Project neuroscientist Yoshinori Masuo of Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology talks about whether we should just sniff our morning coffee instead of drinking it.
When will the anti-coffee conspiracy put an end to their lies?
June 20th, 2008
I was told about this video and it is amazing to watch. I don’t know if there is anything better out there that sums up the state of the Jewish people today.
Listen to what the boy is saying – he is clearly an intelligent kid who thinks about things. Unfortunately he surrounded by people who know absolutely nothing about Judaism, he is not getting answers, and he thinks it is all a big joke. And why shouldn’t he? If his family, friends and even the rabbi think he is hysterical – his father is so proud he posted his son’s speech on youtube – what does it say about how they feel about G-d and Judaism?
I just hope no one has the audacity to be mad at him when he marries Christina in a few years.
June 16th, 2008
I was just in Israel (as you can see from my last post) and I was there for Yom Yerushaliam – the day commemorating the liberation and reunification of Jerusalem after 19 years of Jordanian rule (when Jews were forbidden access to holy sites like the Western Wall, etc). About 50,000+ people were gathered at the Wall to dance as part of the annual celebration.
Maybe I am a sap, but I get extremely emotional seeing so many Jews together – it really blows my mind. I called my wife and told her that I want to be 20 and a Zionist. She told me that I am 40 and that I have a family.
I then saw a Rebbe Nachman truck blasting ultra-groovy Nachman music and decided I should join Breslav. So maybe am I just having an identity crisis.
June 13th, 2008
Yes, this is radical. On my recent trip to Israel I made a number of obligatory stops at Maoz for shwarma. As usual, Maoz was in top form and the shwarmas were tasty and transcendent.
But I noticed something unusual in the tray of shwarma add-ons. Next to the hummus, pickles, and Israeli salad was shredded cabbage. I don’t recall ever seeing this as an option before. I admit that maybe cabbage is available with shwarma in America – but Americans are known to put lettuce in their shwarma as well (and that is weird) so I never really took it seriously – but cabbage at Maoz?
I tried it and wow – it was pickled and added just enough zest and tang to be noticed, but it was not gross or overpowering – the awesomeness of the magic shwarma was enhanced.
Innovative – you better believe it.
June 6th, 2008
Look at this - it is live Blind Faith in Hyde Park in 1969. Look carefully at the medallion Clapton is wearing - it is a Magan Dovid! Wow!
You know what they say - “When you are in love, the whole world is Jewish.”
You can see the clip here.
April 2nd, 2008
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