Shalom Center – Fast for Gaza

Knowing that this is a very unpopular stance amongst many of my peers, I still think Israel’s treatment of its neighbors is dreadful. Israel should be a place that radiates peace and prosperity and be the model of how G-d wants people to live on this planet, but from my perspective, it has only brought its share of pain. For a while now, I have felt helpless as catastrophic events keep unfolding and I have no say in the matter. Well, I find this fast for Gaza to be a breath of fresh air. It is my hope that G-d sees our pleas for help in this matter and helps use improve the situations we face between Israel and Gaza.

James

Below is from a Shalom Center Email:

Taanit Tzedek  — Fast for Gaza

We are writing to invite you to join in observing a one-Thurday-a-month daylight-hours Fast for Gaza, beginning Thursday July 16. This Taanit Tzedek has already been affirmed by more than 40 rabbis and cantors plus rabbinical students and clergy of other traditions – and is open to all people of all communities who are prepared to undertake the fast. (Those who cannot fast but want to be involved can undertake some related activity on the fast Thursdays.) The number of signers continues to grow as we write. We hope you will join in this sacred endeavor. To be listed as a supporter of the fast, please fill out the form at www.fastforgaza.net. (Your email address will not be displayed on the list of supporters.)

Project Coordinators:
Rabbi Brant Rosen (Evanston, IL)
Rabbi Brian Walt (West Tisbury, MA)

Web Developer:
Rabbi Shai Gluskin (Philadelphia, PA)

Rabbinical Minyan:
1. Rabbi Rebecca Alpert (Philadelphia, PA)
2. Rabbi Leonard Beerman (Los Angeles, CA)
3. Rabbi Haim Beliak (Los Angeles, CA)
4. Rabbi Tirzah Firestone (Boulder, CO)
5. Rabbi Everett Gendler (Great Barrington, MA)
6. Rabbi Linda Holtzman (Philadelphia, PA)
7. Rabbi Steven Jacobs (Los Angeles, CA)
8. Rabbi Ellen Lippmann (Brooklyn, NY)
9. Rabbi Arthur Waskow (Philadelphia, PA)
10. Rabbi Laurie Zimmerman (Madison, WI)

Rabbinical Supporters
(list in development):
11. Rabbi Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer (Philadelphia, PA)
12. Rabbi Lew Weiss (Indianapolis, IN)
13. Rabbi Jeremy Milgrom (Berlin/Jerusalem)
14. Rabbi Howard Cohen (Greensboro, NC)
15. Rabbi Alissa Wise (Brooklyn, NY)
16. Rabbi David Brusin (Whitefish Bay, WI)
17. Rabbi Jarah Greenfield (Philadelphia, PA)
18. Rabbi Elizabeth Bolton (Baltimore, MD)
19. Rabbi Zalman Hiyya Schachter-Shalomi (Boulder CO)
20. Rabbi Devra Noily (Oakland, CA)
21. Rabbi Arthur Segal (Hilton Head, SC)
22. Rabbi Michael Feinberg (New York, NY)
23. Rabbi Benjamin Barnett (Corvallis, OR)
24. Rabbi Leila Gal Berner (Rockville, MD)
25. Rabbi Art Donsky (Pittsburgh, PA)
26. Rabbi Mordechai Liebling (Philadelphia, PA)
27. Rabbi David Shneyer (Rockville, MD)
28. Rabbi Karen Landy (Brookline, MA)
29. Rabbi Mark Hurvitz (New York, NY)
30. Rabbi Gerald Serrota (Chevy Chase, MD)
31. Rabbi Tzipi Radonsky (West Palm Beach, FLA)
32. Rabbi Lev Baesh (Lexington, MA)
33. Rabbi Paula Marcus (Santa Cruz, CA)
34. Rabbi David J. Cooper (Piedmont, CA)
35. Rabbi Naomi Steinberg (Carlotta, CA)
36. Rabbi Margaret Holub (Albion, CA)
37. Rabbi Marjorie Berman (Philadelphia, PA)
38. Rabbi Pamela Baugh Frydman (CA)
39. Rabbi Nina Mandel (Sunbury, PA)
40. Rabbi Phyllis Berman (Philadelphia PA)

Rabbinical Student Supporters
(list in development):
1.Rachel Barenblat (Lanesboro, MA)
2. Ari Lev Fornari (Boston, MA)
3. Joseph Berman (Jamaica Plain, MA)
4. Michael Ross (Phoenixville, PA)

Christian Clergy Supporters
(list in formation):
1. Reverend Robert Thompson (Evanston, IL)
2. Reverend Emilie Townes (New Haven, CT)
3. Reverend John Raines (Philadelphia, PA)
4. Reverend Kipp Gilmore-Clough (Philadelphia, PA)
5. Reverend Cotton Fite (Wilmette, IL)
6. Reverend Robert Montgomery (Pulaski TN)

Web Developer:
Rabbi Shai Gluskin (Philadelphia, PA)

With blessings of shalom, Arthur

Ta’anit Tzedek — Jewish Fast for Gaza

Goals:

We, a minyan of rabbis, joined by other Jews and people of other religious, spiritual, and ethical communities have committed to undertake a monthly communal fast in support of the following goals:

1. To call for a lifting of the blockade that prevents the entry of civilian goods and services into Gaza;
2. To provide humanitarian and developmental aid to the people of Gaza;
3. To call upon Israel, the US, and the international community to engage in negotiations without pre-conditions with all relevant Palestinian parties — including Hamas — in order to end the blockade;
4. To encourage the American government to vigorously engage both Israelis and Palestinians toward a just and peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Background:

The Torah teaches,

“Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s blood is being spilled.” (Leviticus 19:16).

As Jews and people of conscience, we can no longer stand idly by Israel’s collective punishment of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Since Hamas’ electoral victory in January 2006, Israel has subjected the Gaza Strip to an increasingly intolerable blockade that restricts Gaza’s ability to import food, fuel and other essential materials, and to export finished products. As a result, the Gazan economy has completely collapsed. Most of Gaza’s industrial plants have been forced to close, further contributing to already high levels of unemployment and poverty and rising levels of childhood malnutrition.

The Talmud teaches,

“On three things the world stands: on justice, on truth, and on peace.” (Mishnah Avot 1:18).

From this we learn that justice, truth and peace are interdependent and irrevocably intertwined. Thus we cannot separate our call for justice in Gaza from the painful truth of this conflict and the ongoing tragedy of war in this tortured region. We condemn Hamas’ deliberate targeting of Israeli civilians — out of the same ethical commitments we also condemn the use of much greater violence by the Israeli government, causing many more deaths of Palestinian civilians. Since the end of this military campaign, the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza has grown all the more dire.

The Fast:

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6)

In Jewish tradition a communal fast is held in times of crisis both as an expression of mourning and a call to repentance. In this spirit, Ta’anit Tzedek — Jewish Fast for Gaza is a collective act of conscience initiated by an ad hoc group of rabbis, Jews, people of faith, and all concerned with the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

This water-only fast will take place every third Thursday of the month, from sunrise to sunset. Participants are asked to donate the money they save on food to humanitarian relief in Gaza and to sign a collective statement calling for a lifting of the blockade. Those who are unable to fast for the entire day are encouraged to engage in a partial fast or to find their own meaningful ways to observe the day. Participants may also initiate public events in different communities that will further the goals of the fast.

We invite all people of conscience to join in the fast. To be listed as a supporter of the fast, please fill out the form at www.fastforgaza.net. Your email address will not be displayed on the list of supporters.

Just an unexpected Hiatus

Well, it has been a while since I posted here. I have kind of been on hiatus from posting and I even skipped a whole month, not entirely my goal for this year. Unfortunately, I have been rather busy with work and learning new technologies that has been implemented in the last month. There has been quite a learning curve for me so I had to put this blog site on hold. This site is one of my projects that I want to continue nurturing because I enjoy writing in it. There is quite a bit of stuff spinning around in my head that I can write about so I am hoping to get back to it.

Shabbat Shalom – May your weekend be restful, peaceful, and safe.

Friday Ramblings

As I write this, the Jewish festival Shavuot is in full swing. Basically, it is the celebration of G-d giving the Torah to the Jewish people. I think Jew Wishes sums it up quite well in her blog post “Jew Wishes On: Shavuot Begins Tonight”. I am very grateful that G-d gave use such a great gift.

Work, work, work is my plan for this weekend. A new project is being rolled out over the weekend so it is going to be all about work, stuff happens.

Chag Sameach, Shabbat Shalom, and have a great weekend!

Being a Religious Person is a Challenge

Well, I have been somewhat quiet lately here on my blog, sorry about that. I have been pursuing other hobbies and trying to easy my thoughts up a bit, all this religious stuff is truly weighing me down. Yes, I am still studying religious topics but sometimes I just need to take a break now and then.

A while back, I wrote a post about my attempt to reconcile my previous religion, Christianity. Sadly, I have to admit, that is not going so well. Frankly, I have come to realize, I love Judaism and would prefer being a Jew. Now, I suspect that my friends are thinking, here we go again, but bear with me a moment.

I think this jumping all over the place has truly done me some good. I have explored journeys that most people would not dare go on. I know how it feels to be a Christian, on fire with the Holy Spirit, and know how it feels to be a Jew, struggling with G-d. I have really tried to make an effort to be a Christian again but I am not sure I can do it anymore. That is not saying that Christianity is an unworthy pursuit, but Judaism has become so much a part of who I am. I am unwilling to give that up. Therefore, I would be lying to myself if I said I could give myself completely over to Christianity, which is what I need to do, because I have already given my heart to G-d in the religious expression of Judaism. 

 Furthermore, around here, most churches are a tad on the conservative side and they are not for me. The only church I really know is the United Methodist Church (UMC), which my wife is a member of and most of my friends too. So, it is pretty much the only church I could possibly associate myself with. Unfortunately, a conservative pastor (Let us call him “T”) runs my wife’s UMC, so he usually has messages that are not very friendly, in my opinion. Therefore, it makes my church experience there a bit uncomfortable.

A few weeks ago, “T” officiated the marriage of my wife’s niece and he did a great job choreographing a traditional Christian wedding. The only drawback for me is his belief in replacement/covenant theology. Even though this is not the stance of the UMC, it is for him. This only came up when he was talking about the significance of the wedding bands. He thinks that the bands replaced the need for the Ketubah (Jewish Marriage Contract) after the resurrection of Jesus. Now, not knowing the subject at all, I am not so sure he really knows what he is saying. All I know is, Jews have their tradition and Christians have theirs, nothing has been replaced. It bothers me that he teaches this mindset to others, it is sad. By the way, not the first example I have witnessed.

I guess I have digressed a bit, moving on. I suppose some other reasons that I suspect returning to Christianity is not for me,  I usually order my books from amazon.com and periodically they send me an email of books that would interest me. Couple of weeks ago, I received an email highlighting The Koren Chumash and felt excited about this book. Unfortunately, I do not seem to feel the same way when I see Christian literature.  Not that there is anything wrong with Christianity, but it seems to me, I am still on my Jewish journey. Moreover, there are many examples I could share with you about the excitement I feel when I am confronted with anything Jewish.

Yes, I might have jumped the gun yet again with my decision to return to Christianity, but I needed to prove something to myself and I think that I have. I proved that I am able to be comfortable with who I am and who I want to be. Right now, I am quite comfortable with who I am. These last couple of months has brought me many challenges and many helpful experiences. I guess what really made me realize that Judaism is my path is when I focused all my energy on the Nation Day of Pray event in my hometown. I realize that not everyone in Christianity shares the views of the people who spoke at the event, but the basics of Christianity still seems so foreign to me. In addition, it showed how much I truly love and miss the prayer liturgy of Judaism.

So, what am I going to do? Well, I am actually not going to do anything for the moment. Frankly, my Jewish journey would be a lot easier if I was born to a Jewish mother, but that is how things go sometimes. Not that conversion is the problem, family and people I meet are the problem the majority of the time. If I were to leave them out of the equation, it seems to me, conversion would be a lot easier or at least obtainable. I am not going to whine about this because it is just obstacles on my journey. My thoughts often turn to words of a good friend who tells me that I still have time. Yes, I still have time and there is little need to be in a rush, but instead embrace the journey and enjoy the ride. In addition, I feel that I gain much more appreciation of the Jewish tradition with all these pitfalls than if I was born Jewish, but it still would have been helpful.

I might never become a Jew in my lifetime, but my journey with my G-d is the most important thing to me. I feel often that G-d is comfortable with my journey. I think that it would be best that I take my time and see where the chips might fall, one never knows, I just might find what I am looking for, at least that is what I am hoping will happen.

My Reflection on the 2009 National Day of Prayer

It seemed like yesterday when I attended the National Day of Prayer (NDP) in 2008 at the Illinois State Capital. Now, this year’s NPD has also come and gone. The weather for the event was great, a beautiful blue cloudless sky with a nice breeze made for good conditions for the prayer rally. They could not have gotten any luckier because later on in the day there were a few thunderstorms. I have to admit though, I should have applied some sunscreen because I got a little more sun exposure that I care for.

What did I think of the prayer rally held here in Springfield, IL? Personally, I was embarrassed and frustrated by some of the statements made in the prayer service by some of my fellow Christians. Frankly, is this how God wants Christians to act?

Other than the prayer for the Church and the prayer for the safety of our Military, most of the speeches (or Prayers) were political in nature and seemed to run along the line of conservatism. Granted, we do have some major ethical problems facing our society. It is important that we asked for God’s help when it comes to some of these issues. Unfortunately, it seems, the speakers were praying the typical talking points that most Evangelicals in America adhere too, so, the abortion issue and homosexuality where the core issues of this prayer rally.

Sadly, I felt that some of the core issues should be health, employment, hunger, environment, and social justice. We need to pray for our health care system. I am less concerned about the political side of this but I am interesting in praying for the scientists and doctors to find a cure for Aids and Cancer. I want to pray for the sick in the Hospitals, stuff like that. We need to pray for our homeless and unemployed citizens that need help surviving in this dismal economy. These people need all the help they can get. We need to pray for hunger, there are people starving right here in America. They need all the help that they can get also. I could go on but I hope you can understand where I am coming from.

Yet, that is not what I heard of the front steps of the Illinois State capital. It seemed that the conservative agenda is more important to God than anything else is. Frankly, I did not know God was a conservative, or a liberal for that matter. I feel that a more neutral prayer would be so much better than the “Fire and brimstone” stuff I was hearing. I pretty much could not give an “Amen” to any of the prayers said at the prayer rally.

It was quite embarrassing when the last speaker started his rant and raving, to a point of screaming, on the issue of homosexuality. I was in the center back row and people where passing behind me on their way to the Capital building. I suspect they thought we were all crazy, because that is exactly how I felt. Yes, I was embarrassed to be there when the speaker called homosexuality a demon spirit destroying the fabric of society (paraphrased, of course). The participants started to respond to this man’s words with great emotion with some yelling “Yes” or clapping, will others got on their knees with their hands in the air. It had to be quite a show for people walking along the street.

Unfortunately, a person could take this event and apply it to Matthew 6:5-8, which is a verse commonly used in forums relating to this subject. Jesus seems to think praying in public is problematic and he found it more rewarding to pray in private. Now, there are also verses talking about praying together, so I am sure that Jesus was talking about “showboating”, rather than all prayer in public is bad. He did though, talk about inappropriate prayer that could end up making a hypocrite out of the person praying. I think we should guard against this behavior. Do I think the Christians at the Springfield rally were showboating? Sadly, Yes. Do I think it was intentional? No.

In conclusion, the whole experience seemed to humble me. I do not particularly like the way everyone acted at the rally, but I am glad that we have the freedom to do so. I think there are better representations of the Christian faith expression out there, other than, what was at the prayer rally. I find it to be arrogant of the National Day of Prayer Task Force (NPDTF) to think they are the de facto representatives of God, because I really do not see Jesus acting this way. I am hoping that this is not the norm across this nation.  Again, if the rally I attended is what the NPDFT expects, then I am truly worried about the damage created by this organization. Yes, I am talking about possibly damaging our relationship with God.

Though do not get me wrong, I will always defend the right of the NDPTF to rally at the steps of the Illinois State capital. Unfortunately, just because we have that right, does not mean we have to over utilize it. I think the NDPTF would be better served, here in Springfield, if they did the rally in a church rather than in public, saving the public square for a possible much richer religious expression in the future.

 

Here are some links of interest:

THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER: “City’s faithful invited to Capitol for National Day of Prayer”

LUTCHMAN FAMILY MINISTRIES: “NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER 2009, SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS”

 

Here are my posts on National Day of Prayer for 2009:

National Day of Prayer 2009 Is Just Around The Corner

National Day of Prayer 2009: Taking Another Look

National Day of Prayer 2009 is this week