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Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Rashi Questions for Shoftim
Youthcon 2012
Two weeks ago I spent Shabbat with Yeshiva University president Richard Joel at the YU Championsgate leadership conference in Orlando. Last Shabbat I was in Ghana with Ruth Messinger, director of American Jewish World Services. And yesterday Richard Joel, Ruth Messinger, and I were all together at the Hilton in Stamford Connecticut for YouthCon 2012 - the largest annual gathering of Jewish youth professionals.
Hundreds of professionals from all over the world gathered to network and to share ideas on how to engage youth in Torah and Jewish life. It was absolutely amazing!!!
The conference is hosted by NCSY and the Orthodox Union. 160 different Jewish organizations participated, spanning the entire spectrum of Jewish life.
It may be the only conference that brings together leading Jewish institutions ranging from the Orthodox Union, Yeshiva University, Chabad, Jewish Theological Seminary, Camp Ramah, Aish Hatorah, UJA Federation, and over 150 others representing every denomination, and some organizations representing no denomination.
The groups differed in almost every way but they all shared a passion to connect the next generation of Jews to their heritage.
Some things that made the conference great:
- the whole program cost $36 and it included a delicious catered lunch. The OU was able to do this by finding a host of generous sponsors.
- the conference was only one day 9:30 to 5:15. When conferences go longer they tend to lose momentum by the second day. Every second of Youthcon felt exciting!
- the conference was flexible. There were more programs than anyone could go to, but there were also a number of short programs, as well as plenty of time for networking and sharing ideas. Sometimes the best ideas are shared outside of the formal sessions, and youthcon allowed for maximum networking opportunities.
I think the best thing about Youthcon was that there was clearly no agenda other than sharing ideas on how to engage Jewish youth. I felt as if no ideas were off limits. The sessions featured speakers of all denominations, outlooks, world views, and levels of observance. But there was no fighting over differences of opinions or judgements about other people's Jewishness. There also didn't seem to be any overt competition, even though many of the groups are often competing for the same target audience for their programs. There was an atmosphere of openness and cooperation between people who are all involved in the same sacred mission. It was really inspiring!
I could not begin to list all of the amazing sessions that were featured. You can view the schedule on the youthcon website.
I got so much out of the conference.
- I attended a session on social media about how to use facebook and twitter and blogging to reach out to people. I think I am going to try that.
- I heard a session from my good friend Matt Bar, founder of Bible Raps.
- I heard Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt give an inspiring presentation on how to focus the synagogue on youth without alienating adults.
The main plenary featured Richard Joel, Ruth Messinger, and Shimon Waronker.
For me the highlight was a debate between Ilan Caplan from American Jewish World Services and Omaha's own Joel Alperson. Joel had published a number of articles stating that excessive focus on social justice and left wing politics is contributing to the decline of the non-Orthodox movements. Ilan, representing AJWS, feels that political advocacy and involvement in non-Jewish social justice projects is inherently Jewish and no less Jewish then learning Torah or observing Shabbat.
It was a lively debate and the audience asked some really challenging questions for both presenters.
YouthCon was a great experience. I will finally be back in Omaha tomorrow after 2 long weeks away. I can't wait to get back and starting bringing back everything I learned to Beth Israel.
It was a lively debate and the audience asked some really challenging questions for both presenters.
YouthCon was a great experience. I will finally be back in Omaha tomorrow after 2 long weeks away. I can't wait to get back and starting bringing back everything I learned to Beth Israel.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Back from Africa!
For the last 10 days I have been in Ghana as part of a service trip of young Rabbis with American Jewish World services.
For 10 days I have been without cell phone, Internet, or e-mail. The only thing that I had with me was a spiral notebook and a pen.
I have so much that I want to blog about:
Over Shabbat I intend to read through my copious notes from my trip and I hope start some serious blogging after shabbat.
I wish everyone a great shabbat and I can't wait to get back to Nebraska to tell everyone about the trip in person.
For 10 days I have been without cell phone, Internet, or e-mail. The only thing that I had with me was a spiral notebook and a pen.
I have so much that I want to blog about:
- A travel blog of the experience
- the work of American Jewish World Services
- the work of the great projects that AJWS partners with in Africa
- the issues facing Ghana that I learned about and saw first hand
- the value of service trips in general
Over Shabbat I intend to read through my copious notes from my trip and I hope start some serious blogging after shabbat.
I wish everyone a great shabbat and I can't wait to get back to Nebraska to tell everyone about the trip in person.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Rashi Questons for Re'eh
According to Rashi...
1.What are the plains of Moreh? (11:30)
2. What is the difference between and altar and a pillar? (12:3)
3. Where will Hashem's resting place be? (12:5)
4. What place is "our heritage?" (12:9)
5. Why does the Torah say to "be strong" regarding refraining from eating blood? (12:23)
6. How can we cleave to Hashem? (12:5)
7. What kind of animal is the Akko? (14:5)
1.What are the plains of Moreh? (11:30)
2. What is the difference between and altar and a pillar? (12:3)
3. Where will Hashem's resting place be? (12:5)
4. What place is "our heritage?" (12:9)
5. Why does the Torah say to "be strong" regarding refraining from eating blood? (12:23)
6. How can we cleave to Hashem? (12:5)
7. What kind of animal is the Akko? (14:5)
Thursday, August 9, 2012
The Dark Knight, Israel, and the Radical RIght Wing Agenda
My latest post on the Pop Jewish Blog:
Dark Knight hit the theatres on July 18, 2008 and became the highest grossing opening in history.
But something else made that same week a significant moment in Jewish history. 2 days earlier, on July 16, 2008, Israel released five convicted terrorists and the remains of 200 dead terrorists in exchange for the bodies of two captured Israeli soldiers.
At the risk of trivializing a great tragedy by juxtaposing it with a movie about a comic book, at the time I could not help but feel that the movie was a deliberate commentary on the current events.
The Joker was a terrorist. Much like Hamas and Hezbollah, he could not be reasoned with and was happy to see the world burn. He targeted innocent civilians and threatened to blow up a hospital if his demands were not met.
Batman felt that capitulating to the Joker's demands would not bring an end to the Joker's reign of terror.
In the movie there is a debate between Batman and Morgan Freeman, who represented Batman's conscionce, as to whether it was ethical to use Patriot-Act-like-technology that would invade people's privacy in order to find and stop the Joker. Morgan Freeman is opposed in principle but ultimately agrees with Batman that it is warranted, necessary, and even ethical under the circumstances.
The message to me was clear. Batman does not negotiate with terrorists. The movie seemed to be making a clear statement, and the movie's overwhelming popularity, while not exactly a gallop poll, may have also served as an indicator of public opinion.
Or perhaps not.
But either way, it is clear to me that Batman supports Israel's right to defend itself against its enemies, and in a broader sense Batman is a right wing (pun intended) political conservative and would probably vote for the Republican candidate for Gotham City Mayor.
Dark Knight Rises, the latest Batman film, not only confirms this belief, but addresses a host of political wedge issues, all of which Batman falls on the Right side (as opposed to the Left side).
Here are a few examples: (SPOILER ALERT)
Batman has always been a platform for discussing serious issues and teaching morality. The writers of Dark Knight Rises have continued that legacy by providing us with a movie that entertains as well as confronts us with serious issues. But I wonder - does Batman's right wing stance on issues signal a change in the direction of the traditionally Left wing Hollywood norm? Or are the writers of Batman anomolies and Hollywood will continue to promote the views of the radical left? Will the Dark Knight continue to Rise?
Dark Knight hit the theatres on July 18, 2008 and became the highest grossing opening in history.
But something else made that same week a significant moment in Jewish history. 2 days earlier, on July 16, 2008, Israel released five convicted terrorists and the remains of 200 dead terrorists in exchange for the bodies of two captured Israeli soldiers.
At the risk of trivializing a great tragedy by juxtaposing it with a movie about a comic book, at the time I could not help but feel that the movie was a deliberate commentary on the current events.
The Joker was a terrorist. Much like Hamas and Hezbollah, he could not be reasoned with and was happy to see the world burn. He targeted innocent civilians and threatened to blow up a hospital if his demands were not met.
Batman felt that capitulating to the Joker's demands would not bring an end to the Joker's reign of terror.
In the movie there is a debate between Batman and Morgan Freeman, who represented Batman's conscionce, as to whether it was ethical to use Patriot-Act-like-technology that would invade people's privacy in order to find and stop the Joker. Morgan Freeman is opposed in principle but ultimately agrees with Batman that it is warranted, necessary, and even ethical under the circumstances.
The message to me was clear. Batman does not negotiate with terrorists. The movie seemed to be making a clear statement, and the movie's overwhelming popularity, while not exactly a gallop poll, may have also served as an indicator of public opinion.
Or perhaps not.
But either way, it is clear to me that Batman supports Israel's right to defend itself against its enemies, and in a broader sense Batman is a right wing (pun intended) political conservative and would probably vote for the Republican candidate for Gotham City Mayor.
Dark Knight Rises, the latest Batman film, not only confirms this belief, but addresses a host of political wedge issues, all of which Batman falls on the Right side (as opposed to the Left side).
Here are a few examples: (SPOILER ALERT)
- As far back as the Adam West version of Batman, the caped crusader is known for working in tandem with the police. In the current incarnation, even when the police are hunting him down, the average police officers are portrayed as competent, valiant, and heroic - not the norm by any means for most Hollywood films. But at the end of the movie one police officer, revealed at the very end to be the future Robin, makes a decision to throw away his badge and fight crime on his own. He decides that there are too many laws that inhibit the police and encourage the criminals making it too hard to fight crime by the book. If the bad guys are not playing fair then the good guys must use whatever means are necessary to stop them. This quite obviously applies to Israel's war against its enemies, as well as the global war on terror, and the domestic debate on how to deal with crime.
- Part of the evil plot involves taking away all of Bruce Wayne's money. They do this by breaking into a computer and purchasing millions of worthless stock options with Bruce Wayne's account. This could have been accomplished simply by stealing his Ameritrade login and password. Instead, the writers of the film have the bad guys Occupy Wall Street. In some outlandish scheme, the bad guys break into the Gotham stock exchange and hold everyone hostage, drawing the attention of an army of police and Batman. This gratuitous plot hole was clearly placed to evoke images of the real life Occupy Wall Street movement. Later in the movie, after the entire master plan unravels, speeches are made by the bad guys about how the have-nots have to take Gotham back from the haves. Amidst the mayhem someone says, "now all of this stuff belongs to everyone." In essence the movie is about Batman's fight to prevent a world where Occupy Wall Street has its day.
- Wayne enterprises creates a nuclear device that has the potential to produce safe nuclear energy. However, Bruce Wayne prevents certain people from attaining this energy for fear that the device will be used to make a bomb. A character representing a very liberal kumbaya ideology constantly leans on Bruce telling him that he has to trust people. Of course in the end the bomb gets into the hands of the very people who said, "trust me" and the outcome is disastrous. This is a not-so-subtle echoe of the debate over how Israel and U.S. foreign policy should deal with Iran's nuclear program. Do we trust those who think Iran should be allowed to develop nuclear power or do we prevent them from becoming nuclear. I know where Batman would stand!
Batman has always been a platform for discussing serious issues and teaching morality. The writers of Dark Knight Rises have continued that legacy by providing us with a movie that entertains as well as confronts us with serious issues. But I wonder - does Batman's right wing stance on issues signal a change in the direction of the traditionally Left wing Hollywood norm? Or are the writers of Batman anomolies and Hollywood will continue to promote the views of the radical left? Will the Dark Knight continue to Rise?
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
AJWS vs Rabbi Meir Kahane
Before I left for Ghana I scheduled a few blog posts
For those who don't know (a few months ago I didn't know a few months ago) Ghana is a country on the western coast of Africa.
I am going on a mission with American Jewish world services. It is part of a Rabbinic fellowship. Me and 14 other Rabbis form all over America are going to be doing some service in Ghana for 10 days.
During that period there will be no cell phones and no Internet. I will be blogging the old fashion way, a notebook and a pen, and I hope to put up some interesting posts when I return.
I am actually pretty anxious about the trip. I had to get an arm full of shots (at Kohll's Pharmacy! Check out their video!) and I had to buy all kinds of gear to protect me from mosquitoes.
I am also pretty excited. I am the only Orthodox Rabbi going on the trip. In fact, I did not initially apply for this fellowship. I had not even heard of this fellow ship. I vaguely had heard of American Jewish World Services - my sister-in-law did some work for them in India a number of years ago.
American Jewish World Services came to me. They strive to make their trips pluralistic but they did not have any Orthodox Rabbis going. They called a friend of mine at the Orthodox Union in New York and asked if they knew any Rabbis who would be interested in going to weird and out of the way places where there are not a lot of Jews. "Well, we already have a guy in Omaha." they said. "Ghana is probably not such a stretch. Ask him."
My first question was whether or not the program would accommodate Shabbat and Kashrut. AJWS assured me that they strive to be as inclusive as possible and do everything to make sure that all Jews can participate.
So I sent in an application and I was chosen to participate in the fellowship.
Since then I have become more familiar with AJWS. Their philosophy is, not-surprisingly, very liberal. I have read their literature with interest and I am greatly interested in the contrast between them and other Jewish activists that I have read in the past.
For example:
There is a lecture by Rabbi Meir Kahane from the 1960s about being active on behalf of Soviet Jewry. He sites to the Biblical story of Moshe in Egypt. Moshe saw an Egyptian beating a Jew. Rabbi Kahane says, "Moshe did not see the Egyptian beating the Jew and then go and organize a committee to do a study on the root causes of Egyptian anti-semitism. He got up and saved the Jew by killing the Egyptian."
By contrast, AJWS sent around a text study on the same piece that reads as follows:
I hope that over the ten days we have a chance to look at this piece. It will be interesting to discuss my perspective with the rest of the diverse group of Rabbis.
For those who don't know (a few months ago I didn't know a few months ago) Ghana is a country on the western coast of Africa.
I am going on a mission with American Jewish world services. It is part of a Rabbinic fellowship. Me and 14 other Rabbis form all over America are going to be doing some service in Ghana for 10 days.
During that period there will be no cell phones and no Internet. I will be blogging the old fashion way, a notebook and a pen, and I hope to put up some interesting posts when I return.
I am actually pretty anxious about the trip. I had to get an arm full of shots (at Kohll's Pharmacy! Check out their video!) and I had to buy all kinds of gear to protect me from mosquitoes.
I am also pretty excited. I am the only Orthodox Rabbi going on the trip. In fact, I did not initially apply for this fellowship. I had not even heard of this fellow ship. I vaguely had heard of American Jewish World Services - my sister-in-law did some work for them in India a number of years ago.
American Jewish World Services came to me. They strive to make their trips pluralistic but they did not have any Orthodox Rabbis going. They called a friend of mine at the Orthodox Union in New York and asked if they knew any Rabbis who would be interested in going to weird and out of the way places where there are not a lot of Jews. "Well, we already have a guy in Omaha." they said. "Ghana is probably not such a stretch. Ask him."
My first question was whether or not the program would accommodate Shabbat and Kashrut. AJWS assured me that they strive to be as inclusive as possible and do everything to make sure that all Jews can participate.
So I sent in an application and I was chosen to participate in the fellowship.
Since then I have become more familiar with AJWS. Their philosophy is, not-surprisingly, very liberal. I have read their literature with interest and I am greatly interested in the contrast between them and other Jewish activists that I have read in the past.
For example:
There is a lecture by Rabbi Meir Kahane from the 1960s about being active on behalf of Soviet Jewry. He sites to the Biblical story of Moshe in Egypt. Moshe saw an Egyptian beating a Jew. Rabbi Kahane says, "Moshe did not see the Egyptian beating the Jew and then go and organize a committee to do a study on the root causes of Egyptian anti-semitism. He got up and saved the Jew by killing the Egyptian."
By contrast, AJWS sent around a text study on the same piece that reads as follows:
while Moses had an instinct for justice, he didn’t yet have a methodOn this particular point of disagreement between Rabbi Kahane and AJWS I think I would side with Rabbi Kahane. While I understand what AJWS is trying to say, I don't think that Moshe's circumstances serve as a good example. There is a time for violence and I believe that Moshe used proper judgement based on the information available to him and he made a decisive decision to risk everything and save an innocent life - even if it meant he had to kill the aggressor.
for making it happen. His behavior, while powerful and inspiring, was also
impulsive, occasionally violent and ultimately inadequate. There was a whole
Egyptian system which allowed the innocent to be beaten, but Moses didn’t
address that—he simply acted on rash impulse.
I hope that over the ten days we have a chance to look at this piece. It will be interesting to discuss my perspective with the rest of the diverse group of Rabbis.
Monday, August 6, 2012
going going ghana
Today I am leaving for a 10 day trip to Ghana with American Jewish world services.
I don't know what I am going to be doing there. It is a service mission of some kind with a number of Rabbis.
I got an arm full of shots and some pretty intense anti mosquito gear and I am boarding the plane tomorrow.
AJWS does not allow the use of phones or computers on its trips so I will be out of communication for 10 days. No blogging.
I intend to do a great deal of blogging when I return.
In the meantime, if you get an e-mail that says that I am out of the country and lost my passport and wallet and need money - don't be so quick to delete it. It may not be a nigerian e-mail scam. In fact, I may actually be in nigeria. Call my wife and ask her before sending money.
But seriously, I am not sure what I am going to be doing. I am going with an open mind and I am going to throw myself in fully to get the full experience - whatever experience it is that AJWS has in mind.
I plan to report honestly about my experience when I return and let you all know if these types of service trips are really worth while, or if we would be better off giving our money to some professionals on the ground to help the people of Africa.
Looking forward to telling you when I get back.
I don't know what I am going to be doing there. It is a service mission of some kind with a number of Rabbis.
I got an arm full of shots and some pretty intense anti mosquito gear and I am boarding the plane tomorrow.
AJWS does not allow the use of phones or computers on its trips so I will be out of communication for 10 days. No blogging.
I intend to do a great deal of blogging when I return.
In the meantime, if you get an e-mail that says that I am out of the country and lost my passport and wallet and need money - don't be so quick to delete it. It may not be a nigerian e-mail scam. In fact, I may actually be in nigeria. Call my wife and ask her before sending money.
But seriously, I am not sure what I am going to be doing. I am going with an open mind and I am going to throw myself in fully to get the full experience - whatever experience it is that AJWS has in mind.
I plan to report honestly about my experience when I return and let you all know if these types of service trips are really worth while, or if we would be better off giving our money to some professionals on the ground to help the people of Africa.
Looking forward to telling you when I get back.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Rashi Questions for Eikev
According to Rashi...
1. What are the Tzirah? (7:20)
2. How did the people in the desert maintain their clothes? (8:4)
3. Why is Yom kippur a day of forgiveness and pardon? (9:18)
4. What is not in the hands of Heaven? (10:12)
5. How is a mountain better than a plain? (11:11)
6. What are considered improper motivations for learning Torah? (11:13)
7. What does it mean to serve Hashem with all of your heart? (11:13)
1. What are the Tzirah? (7:20)
2. How did the people in the desert maintain their clothes? (8:4)
3. Why is Yom kippur a day of forgiveness and pardon? (9:18)
4. What is not in the hands of Heaven? (10:12)
5. How is a mountain better than a plain? (11:11)
6. What are considered improper motivations for learning Torah? (11:13)
7. What does it mean to serve Hashem with all of your heart? (11:13)
Saturday, August 4, 2012
YU Conference Travel Blog #2
Shabbat at the Yeshiva University Championsgate leadership conference was amazing!!!
Kabbalat Shabbat was an experience from another world!!! It was lead by the great Chazan Shimon Kramer who was accompanied by the YU Macabeats!!
Then I met my new friend Rabbi Sharon Shalom.
Rabbi Shalom is originally form Ethiopia. Almost 30 years ago, at the age of 10, he walked hundreds of miles from Ethiopia to finally achieve his freedom and a new life for him and his family in the Jewish State.
When he grew up he learned in the distinguished Har Etzion Yeshiva and went on to become the first ever Ethiopian immigrant to receive Rabbinic Ordination from the Israeli Chief Rabbi.
In his short tenure so far accomplished a monumental achievement! Rabbi Shalom wrote the first ever Shulchan Aruch, code of Jewish law, for the customs of the Ethiopian community. The Ethiopians have a rich heritage of unique Jewish customs that was in danger of being lost for ever. Through diligent research, Rabbi Shalom recorded these customs into a single compendium that is considered by the chief Rabbinate of Israel to be the authoritative book of Jewish practice for Ethiopians.
Today he is the Rabbi in Kiryat Gat, an inner-city neighborhood in Israel that is challenged with extreme poverty. Rabbi Shalom is working hard to develop the community and break the cycle of poverty so the kids in the community will have a future.
Over the summer, he partnered with Yeshiva University to run a camp for the students in Kiryat Gat. 20 students from Yeshiva came to run a camp for hundreds of kids. Rabbi Shalom told us that Kiryat Gat is very segregated. The immigrants from different countries tend to stick to themselves, and the secular and religious Jews do not mingle. He said that somehow the YU students were able to break these barriers for the first time and somehow all of the kids in the community felt comfortable participating in their programs and it brought the children and parents of the community together in a way that had never happened before.
I was honored to be able to spend some time getting to know Rabbi Shalom. When I told him I was form Omaha he said, "Omaha? that sounds like an African name!"
Rabbi Shalom has already agreed to visit Omaha on his next trip to the U.S. I am already writing the grant to fund his visit. I cannot wait to introduce him to the Jewish community in Omaha.
After dinner there was an oneg shabbat with more singing and divrei Torah. Then lights out.
Shabbat morning began again with daf yomi (2 for 2! Only 2,709 to go!) followed by a beautiful davening with chazan kramer.
After davening there was a kiddush and lunch. I wished mazal tov to my cousin (my father's sister's husband's father's father's brother) Joel Shreiber for be appointed as chairman of the board of RIETS (Rabbi Issac Elchonon Theological Seminary). Most people do not understand how incredible Yeshiva Universities Rabbinic Seminary is. Most people are aware that RIETS features some of the greatest Torah scholars on the faculty. What people do not know is that the tuition at RIETS is completely subsidized. My rabbinic degree did not cost me a dime. This allows for the best and brightest students to pursue a Rabbinic career without having to think about how they will pay off their loans. This is why YU is producing Jewish leaders in great quality and quantity. It is a gift to the jewish people and the communities and organizations that YU Rabbis serve.
Most of the day was choices of lectures by YU faculty. I attended a lecture about Jewish historical responses to changing technology form the printing press to the internet, and then a fascinating lecture on the cultural distinctions of the Yiddish language.
Shabbat ended with a great shalosh seudot and a speech by YU president Richard Joel.
He spoke about the recent visit of a group of Catholic Arch Bishops to YU. The Catholic Church is very interested in YU. They have observed how YU students are passionate about learning and they want to know how they can impart that passion on their own youth.
Some time later the arch bishop from Philidelphia gave a speech in his Church and he mentioned YU.
I hope that next year I can bring some representatives from Omaha to share the experience with me.
Kabbalat Shabbat was an experience from another world!!! It was lead by the great Chazan Shimon Kramer who was accompanied by the YU Macabeats!!
Then I met my new friend Rabbi Sharon Shalom.
Rabbi Shalom is originally form Ethiopia. Almost 30 years ago, at the age of 10, he walked hundreds of miles from Ethiopia to finally achieve his freedom and a new life for him and his family in the Jewish State.
When he grew up he learned in the distinguished Har Etzion Yeshiva and went on to become the first ever Ethiopian immigrant to receive Rabbinic Ordination from the Israeli Chief Rabbi.
In his short tenure so far accomplished a monumental achievement! Rabbi Shalom wrote the first ever Shulchan Aruch, code of Jewish law, for the customs of the Ethiopian community. The Ethiopians have a rich heritage of unique Jewish customs that was in danger of being lost for ever. Through diligent research, Rabbi Shalom recorded these customs into a single compendium that is considered by the chief Rabbinate of Israel to be the authoritative book of Jewish practice for Ethiopians.
Today he is the Rabbi in Kiryat Gat, an inner-city neighborhood in Israel that is challenged with extreme poverty. Rabbi Shalom is working hard to develop the community and break the cycle of poverty so the kids in the community will have a future.
Over the summer, he partnered with Yeshiva University to run a camp for the students in Kiryat Gat. 20 students from Yeshiva came to run a camp for hundreds of kids. Rabbi Shalom told us that Kiryat Gat is very segregated. The immigrants from different countries tend to stick to themselves, and the secular and religious Jews do not mingle. He said that somehow the YU students were able to break these barriers for the first time and somehow all of the kids in the community felt comfortable participating in their programs and it brought the children and parents of the community together in a way that had never happened before.
I was honored to be able to spend some time getting to know Rabbi Shalom. When I told him I was form Omaha he said, "Omaha? that sounds like an African name!"
Rabbi Shalom has already agreed to visit Omaha on his next trip to the U.S. I am already writing the grant to fund his visit. I cannot wait to introduce him to the Jewish community in Omaha.
After dinner there was an oneg shabbat with more singing and divrei Torah. Then lights out.
Shabbat morning began again with daf yomi (2 for 2! Only 2,709 to go!) followed by a beautiful davening with chazan kramer.
After davening there was a kiddush and lunch. I wished mazal tov to my cousin (my father's sister's husband's father's father's brother) Joel Shreiber for be appointed as chairman of the board of RIETS (Rabbi Issac Elchonon Theological Seminary). Most people do not understand how incredible Yeshiva Universities Rabbinic Seminary is. Most people are aware that RIETS features some of the greatest Torah scholars on the faculty. What people do not know is that the tuition at RIETS is completely subsidized. My rabbinic degree did not cost me a dime. This allows for the best and brightest students to pursue a Rabbinic career without having to think about how they will pay off their loans. This is why YU is producing Jewish leaders in great quality and quantity. It is a gift to the jewish people and the communities and organizations that YU Rabbis serve.
Most of the day was choices of lectures by YU faculty. I attended a lecture about Jewish historical responses to changing technology form the printing press to the internet, and then a fascinating lecture on the cultural distinctions of the Yiddish language.
Shabbat ended with a great shalosh seudot and a speech by YU president Richard Joel.
He spoke about the recent visit of a group of Catholic Arch Bishops to YU. The Catholic Church is very interested in YU. They have observed how YU students are passionate about learning and they want to know how they can impart that passion on their own youth.
Some time later the arch bishop from Philidelphia gave a speech in his Church and he mentioned YU.
A few weeks ago, I visited Yeshiva University in New York for a dialogue between Jewish scholars and a group of Catholic bishops. Yeshiva is an Orthodox Jewish university that includes a focus on the study of traditional Jewish religious texts -- mainly the Torah and the Talmud. The study is done through daily lectures. But it's combined with a unique way of immersing oneself in the Word of God called "chavrutas," the Aramaic word for "friendship" or "companionship."The weekend was absolutely inspiring. I met some great people and I have plans to follow up and hope to partner with them on some programs in Omaha.
In the chavruta style of learning the young men sit together in groups of two and debate and challenge one another to a deeper understanding of the Scriptures. They're guided by senior rabbinical scholars, but the scholars themselves -- as they walk around the study hall -- become part of the learning dialogue and expand their own understanding of the sacred text.
I came away from my time at Yeshiva with three main impressions.
What struck me first was the passion the students had for the Torah. They didn't merely study it; they consumed it. Or maybe it would be better to say that God's Word consumed them. When a man and woman fall in love, a kind of electricity runs not just between them, but also in the air around them. The story of every true encounter with God is the same. Scripture is a romance. It's the story of God's love for humanity. When we give our hearts entirely to seeking God in the richness of God's Word, we begin to discover and experience that same kind of electricity. I saw it in the students at Yeshiva.The second thing I noticed was the power of Scripture to create new life. God's Word is a living dialogue between God and humanity. That divine dialogue mirrored itself in the "learning dialogue" among the Yeshiva students. The students began as strangers, but their work in reflecting on Scripture and in sharing what they discovered with each other, then created something more than themselves -- a friendship between themselves and with God.
Third and finally, I saw in the lives of those Jewish students the incredible durability of God's promises and God's Word. Despite centuries of persecution, exile, dispersion and even apostasy, the Jewish people continue to exist because their covenant with God is alive and permanent. God's Word is the organizing principle of their identity. It's the foundation and glue of their relationship with one another, with their past and with their future. And the more faithful they are to God's Word, the more certain they can be of their survival.
I hope that next year I can bring some representatives from Omaha to share the experience with me.
Friday, August 3, 2012
We are the Championsgate!
For the second year, Miriam and I have been invited to attend the Yeshiva University Championsgate leadership conference in Orlando, Florida.
Championsgate is a conference that is its own mini community that shares the Yeshiva University vision of modern orthodoxy coming together to discuss common issues and challenges, and inspire each other on building our respective communities.
Miriam and I attended last year and found it incredibly inspiring and we are excited to be here a second time.
Yeshiva University is the place where I got my undergraduate degree in mathematics and then went on to get my rabbinic ordination.
But YU is a great deal more than a university - it is a movement. Although many of the people at the conference are YU alumni, many participants attended other universities but consider themselves part of the YU community because they believe in the unique values that YU stand for.
As an example, the key not speaker this evening, Professor Tal Ben Shachar, holds a doctorate in psychology from Harvard university, and taught for many years at Harvard. His claim to fame is that at one time his positive psychology class at Harvard attracted as many as 900 students a semester, more than any other course offered at Harvard college. But as a Jew, he finds a home at yeshiva university and he strongly believes in the way that The YU community is capable of being firm in their religious beliefs and practices and yet still able to speak to, make an impact, and influence the greater Jewish and nonjewish world.
He spoke about his specialty, positive psychology and he mentioned that according to the research of others the Orthodox community rates high on a happiness index. He attributes this to the tightness of our community.
The conference runs over Shabbat until Sunday morning and the schedule is packed with speakers, panels, forums, and networking sessions. Each session has at least three options to choose from and they all look great. Miriam and I split up in order to cover as much ground as possible. Then at the meals we share what we learned with each other. (the girls are with a babysitter and having fun by the pool)
The most exciting part of the conference is all of the amazing people that we see between sessions.
Some are old friends, others are people we have met at last years conference and kept in touch with, while others are incredible passionate Jewish professionals and lay leaders.
Just to name a few, today I had a chance to speak with rabbi Steve Burg, the intergalactic head of NCSY and the managing director of the Orthodox union.
I also saw Rabbi Binny Marylis. Binny was my dorm consider when I went to Yeshiva in Israel and today he is the national director of Young Israel, a network of hundreds of synagogues across North America.
I saw my old high school friend, Rabbi Avi Bossewitch. Avi lives in Miami Beach and was recently made the head of academic affairs at the oldest and most established Jewish day school in the state of Florida.
I saw my friend Joel Mowbray. Joel is an investigative journalist and an expert in counter terrorism. I met him through my pro Israel advocacy as he is a sought after speaker and lecturer. A few years ago he became active in the modern orthodox community and he is here s a participant.
I saw Steve Savitsky, past prudent of the Orthodox Union. This summer Beth Israel has two teens who are making us proud by spending the summer in the NCSY kollel in Israel. On their way to Israel they stopped for a night in new York and Steve Savitsky told me he was proud to have hosted them for the evening.
I also got to meet some of the members of my second favorite a capella group - the Maccabeats!!! (My favorite a capella group is A.K.A. Pella - who will be visiting Omaha on September 7th and 8th this year!!!)
And of course, the president of Yeshiva University, Richard Joel, is here. He is a visionary leader and I am inspired every time I hear him speak.
I could go on and on, as everyone here is a dynamic Jewish leader in some capacity.
We are about to daven maariv, which is an event in its won right when hundreds of people daven together.
The conference has just begun and we are already having an incredible inspiring time.
Friday
This morning started at 6:15 with a daf yomi class before davening.
Daf yomi is a daily learning program that unifies Jews all over the world. Every day, the global Jewish community learns the same page of Talmud. The program started almost 100 years ago in Europe and has continued until today. There are 2,711 pages in the Talmud and by learning one a day you can finish the entire Talmud in 7 and a half years. This past Wednesday was the final page of the last cycle and on Wednesday night 90,000 Jews gathered in Giants stadium in new York to celebrate the completion of this monumental achievement.
The new cycle just began. We are now at the very beginning. Maybe we should start a daf yomi program to Beth Israel so that we can participate in the celebration next time around.
After davening was breakfast. At breakfast we heard from Jerry Silverman, executive director of the Jewish federations of north America. He was in Omaha earlier this year. But he said that he as in 115 communities throughout north America since he took the job 3 years ago. Wow! Imagine that guys travel blog! Jerry Silverman is a supporter of YU and praised YU and its alumni for their leadership in the global Jewish world and their support for Torah, Judiasm, and the sate of Israel.
Today there are great sessions to choose from before we get ready for shabbat. I am going to "Reshaping your Non-for-profit" and then to a "Attaining a sustainable Jewish educational model in your community." Miriam is going to "Meditation, Mindfulness, and more meaningful prayer." There is also a networking session for Rabbinic couples.
Miriam and I are so fortunate to be here and we hope to learn some great things to bring back to Omaha!
Championsgate is a conference that is its own mini community that shares the Yeshiva University vision of modern orthodoxy coming together to discuss common issues and challenges, and inspire each other on building our respective communities.
Miriam and I attended last year and found it incredibly inspiring and we are excited to be here a second time.
Yeshiva University is the place where I got my undergraduate degree in mathematics and then went on to get my rabbinic ordination.
But YU is a great deal more than a university - it is a movement. Although many of the people at the conference are YU alumni, many participants attended other universities but consider themselves part of the YU community because they believe in the unique values that YU stand for.
As an example, the key not speaker this evening, Professor Tal Ben Shachar, holds a doctorate in psychology from Harvard university, and taught for many years at Harvard. His claim to fame is that at one time his positive psychology class at Harvard attracted as many as 900 students a semester, more than any other course offered at Harvard college. But as a Jew, he finds a home at yeshiva university and he strongly believes in the way that The YU community is capable of being firm in their religious beliefs and practices and yet still able to speak to, make an impact, and influence the greater Jewish and nonjewish world.
He spoke about his specialty, positive psychology and he mentioned that according to the research of others the Orthodox community rates high on a happiness index. He attributes this to the tightness of our community.
The conference runs over Shabbat until Sunday morning and the schedule is packed with speakers, panels, forums, and networking sessions. Each session has at least three options to choose from and they all look great. Miriam and I split up in order to cover as much ground as possible. Then at the meals we share what we learned with each other. (the girls are with a babysitter and having fun by the pool)
The most exciting part of the conference is all of the amazing people that we see between sessions.
Some are old friends, others are people we have met at last years conference and kept in touch with, while others are incredible passionate Jewish professionals and lay leaders.
Just to name a few, today I had a chance to speak with rabbi Steve Burg, the intergalactic head of NCSY and the managing director of the Orthodox union.
I also saw Rabbi Binny Marylis. Binny was my dorm consider when I went to Yeshiva in Israel and today he is the national director of Young Israel, a network of hundreds of synagogues across North America.
I saw my old high school friend, Rabbi Avi Bossewitch. Avi lives in Miami Beach and was recently made the head of academic affairs at the oldest and most established Jewish day school in the state of Florida.
I saw my friend Joel Mowbray. Joel is an investigative journalist and an expert in counter terrorism. I met him through my pro Israel advocacy as he is a sought after speaker and lecturer. A few years ago he became active in the modern orthodox community and he is here s a participant.
I saw Steve Savitsky, past prudent of the Orthodox Union. This summer Beth Israel has two teens who are making us proud by spending the summer in the NCSY kollel in Israel. On their way to Israel they stopped for a night in new York and Steve Savitsky told me he was proud to have hosted them for the evening.
I also got to meet some of the members of my second favorite a capella group - the Maccabeats!!! (My favorite a capella group is A.K.A. Pella - who will be visiting Omaha on September 7th and 8th this year!!!)
And of course, the president of Yeshiva University, Richard Joel, is here. He is a visionary leader and I am inspired every time I hear him speak.
I could go on and on, as everyone here is a dynamic Jewish leader in some capacity.
We are about to daven maariv, which is an event in its won right when hundreds of people daven together.
The conference has just begun and we are already having an incredible inspiring time.
Friday
This morning started at 6:15 with a daf yomi class before davening.
Daf yomi is a daily learning program that unifies Jews all over the world. Every day, the global Jewish community learns the same page of Talmud. The program started almost 100 years ago in Europe and has continued until today. There are 2,711 pages in the Talmud and by learning one a day you can finish the entire Talmud in 7 and a half years. This past Wednesday was the final page of the last cycle and on Wednesday night 90,000 Jews gathered in Giants stadium in new York to celebrate the completion of this monumental achievement.
The new cycle just began. We are now at the very beginning. Maybe we should start a daf yomi program to Beth Israel so that we can participate in the celebration next time around.
After davening was breakfast. At breakfast we heard from Jerry Silverman, executive director of the Jewish federations of north America. He was in Omaha earlier this year. But he said that he as in 115 communities throughout north America since he took the job 3 years ago. Wow! Imagine that guys travel blog! Jerry Silverman is a supporter of YU and praised YU and its alumni for their leadership in the global Jewish world and their support for Torah, Judiasm, and the sate of Israel.
Today there are great sessions to choose from before we get ready for shabbat. I am going to "Reshaping your Non-for-profit" and then to a "Attaining a sustainable Jewish educational model in your community." Miriam is going to "Meditation, Mindfulness, and more meaningful prayer." There is also a networking session for Rabbinic couples.
Miriam and I are so fortunate to be here and we hope to learn some great things to bring back to Omaha!
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