Breaking News: Halachic Prenup Backed By Major Haredi Rabbis
Jew in the City was founded in order to break down stereotypes about the Orthodox community and publicize all the positive news about religious Jews that rarely makes the news. But about a year ago I realized that some of the negative ideas people have about our community aren’t based on “bad apples” or misconceptions. They’re based on real problems which WE need to fix. We can’t just make the Orthodox world LOOK good, we have to make sure the Orthodox world IS good.
Now it’s kind of hard to tackle communal-wide problems (especially when you’re trying to run and grow an organization!), but then I heard that for one of the issues which has gotten worse in the last year, there is a (nearly) foolproof solution! I am speaking about the agunah crisis…
The Orthodox Jews Who Share Their Seats and Their Hearts
Yoni Greenstein, an Orthodox Jewish man who grew up in Monsey and works in corporate America, realized something six years ago: many companies have seats at ballgames and events meant for clients which go unused, while many Jewish children suffering from illness and other difficulties could benefit from a pick-me-up that free seats at a baseball game, circus, or concert might provide.
With this simple idea of connecting excess and need, Yoni began keeping track of sporting and other event seats that were going to go to waste and started searching for sick or underprivileged children who would benefit from an outing to a ballgame which could distract them for a few hours from the hardship in their life. He knew from his own experience as a sports fan that going to a live event attended by tens of thousands of people can put a smile on most anyone’s face. And it worked.
The New York Times magazine recently published an article about an Orthodox Jewish sex therapist who helps women in the Orthodox community (they spoke mostly of her Haredi clientele) with intimacy issues. Besides the troubling word choices used by the author, like “tainted” to describe how Orthodox Jews consider a woman who’s in niddahand“semi-quarantine,” to describe the period where a husband and wife are separated, the article also gave the impression that many Orthodox Jews have repressed sex lives. While it was clear from the piece that sex between a husband and wife (in the proper time) is considered something positive, it spoke of the Orthodox approach to sex — across the gamut, from Modern Orthodox to Hasidic — in a way that made it seem as though it was very restrictive, when the basic halacha (Jewish law) on the subject is anything but, as long as we’re talking about a married couple.
Lock the kids up…do not sicken everyone. You have no right to impose your beliefs against vaccination on the rest of society.
If you don’t see it this way…advice…leave this country. Go to someplace where ignorance and stupidity are bliss. America is NOT such a place. We lose ours, you will lose yours.
M.A.
Dear M.A.,
Though you have not specified which children you’d like to lock up, based on the news, I’m assuming your message is related to a recent outbreak of measles in California and the news that a percentage of kids in Jewish day schools in California are not vaccinated.
From the tone of your email you are obviously very upset with what’s going on, but you are also misinformed. There is no Jewish law against vaccinations. In fact, most rabbis are probably strong supporters of them.
“Big Bang Theory” Producer Chats About Orthodox Jews on TV
I first heard about Eric Kaplan, senior writer and producer at The Big Bang Theory (and author of the new humorous philosophy book “Does Santa Exist?”) several years ago from my friend and Partner in Torah Mayim Bialik. Eric was doing a fair amount of Jewish learning with Orthodox Jewish rabbis and had started a weekly chaburah (learning group) with Mayim Bialik and TV writer and producer David Sacks. I had “met” him via some emails a while back. But on a recent trip to LA where I hung out with Mayim and watched her TV show being filmed (pic above), Eric and I finally met in person.
Since our mission at JITC is to break down stereotypes people have about Orthodox Jews, I, of course, wanted to schmooze with a TV writer and producer about the way Orthodox Jews are depicted on TV to make my concerns known and to hear any feedback he had.
Why Did a Hasidic Newspaper Photoshop Women Out of a Pic?
Dear Jew in the City,
I would like to know what your thoughts are on the recent articles about the newspaper Hamevaser’s photoshopping of female leaders out of the photo of the French Unity March in Paris the other day. By the way, I love your site and I’ve gained a lot of insight into how to be a more observant reform convert.
A revealing study has found that a tiny silver bowl made in Central Asia and found in Tibet is covered in Alexander legends that have a unique Jewish style, including a circumcised Alexander the Great!
Yes, I know the show is based on the diaries of a real person. But it’s not like every case they have on the show is reflected on that person’s experiences. The show has gone beyond that. Jewish women answered the call during WWI and WWII serving as nurses, and there’s a tradition of Jewish midwifery. So it would be cool to see some conflicts of religion. We got a catholic girl in Nancy. But it would be interesting to see that. Even if it’s for only a couple of episodes.
I know there’s been some amazing episodes with Jewish characters, and they’ve been unabashed by Holocaust trauma. So it would be interesting to see something like a Jewish midwife, who was a nurse during the war.
Sorry, this is a bit late, been a hectic and busy day. Grad School life ain’t no joke. I may create a Jewish representation point system at some point. We shall see. So Like the proverbial Afikoman could be worth like 10-20 points. 10 points if its a blink and you miss it Menorah, byt maybe higher if its a Bar Mitzvah photo or something other than a Menorah. IDK I’ll need to think that through a bit more.
Steven is incredibly annoying and maybe it’s because I know he’s an alternative personality, yet he thinks he’s the primary one. IDK. But I’m just done with him. I wonder if he’s a manifestation of all of Marc’s fears, doubts about himself, and shame.
Layla? Marc HAS A WIFE? And he was about to divorce her. Hmm.. let me guess. He was doing all of this to PROTECT HER! This trope is so annoying.
Also, Layla, asks him about his mother. So does that mean Steven was calling Marc’s mom this entire time and Mom isn’t picking up because it’s not Marc calling? Hmm
Konshu is a dick.
Our bad guy wants to resurrect Ammit, which seems like a really bad idea, as Steven explains. A little disappointed in the villain plot, a bit..been there, done that. Interesting that our bad guy was a servant of Konshu.
The Moon Knight Suit look is pretty dapper. The invisible monster thing is a neat idea and I like how it’s executed.
We got a very Jewish sound “Oy, Steven what the hell are we wearing?” So I will give that 5 points. Mostly because it reminded me of a disappointed Jewish mother.
OK, so we do acknowledge the servitude part of it. Oh, he’s protecting her from Konshu…. Konshu is a dick. I wonder if he’s not actually interested in Layla, he’s just using it to keep Marc in his grips.
I love how Steven gives Marc control and is like “Ok, you’re done give me my body back.” And I’m like bro….come on.
So Konshu takes Marc to…Egypt, and we see him a bit disheveled…and wait. Is that? *Zooms in* Holy Kirby! Marc is wearing a Star of David! Bubbelahs WE HAVE AN AFIKOMAN! I repeat the Afikomen has been found!
Now bear in mind, this does not mean we are done, or shouldn’t expect better. Nor does this mean much if it is never mentioned. But that is why it is called the Afikoman, it cannot be more until it is built, mentioned, or referenced. This is the minimum threshold and this show has met it. This is one grade above the background decoration Menorah in Hawkeye, which I refuse to count and accept, and you shouldn’t either.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is blessed by a religious Jewish man while posing for pictures with his guests during a meeting with a delegation of the Federation of Jews from Arab countries, at the Muqaata in Ramallah, West Bank, on March 28, 2016. The delegation met with Abbas in order to promote dialogue, good relations, and peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Photo by Hadas Parush/Flash90
An Ultra Orthodox Jewish man seen visiting Wadi Og, in the Judean Desert, south of Jerusalem, on January 24, 2016. Many Israelis come to see the flooding of the river after heavy rains, as a major winter storm hits the country, with a chance of snow coming later in the week. Photo by Hadas Parush/Flash90
Yiddish insults are renowned for being colorful, witty, and biting, but not grievously mean. This may be because the Eastern European Jews who spoke Yiddish often lived in crowded conditions, and it was not the best idea to seriously insult a next door neighbor you saw fifteen times a day. Nonetheless, the language lets speakers say exactly what is on their mind, and nowhere is this more true than in its insults:
May you run to the toilet every three minutes or every three months. (Zolst azoy farfoylt vern az tsign, tchoyrn, un chazirim zoln zid opzogn tsu forn mit dir in eyn fur)
May you turn into a pancake and he into a cat. He should eat you and choke on you - that way we will be rid of both of you. (Vern zol fun dir a blintshik in fun is a kats. Er sol dir oyfesn un mit dir zin dervargn - volt men fun ayn beyd ptur gevorn)
May your soul enter a cat and may a dog bite it. (Dyn eshome zol arayngeyn in a kats, un a hoont zol er a bis tun)
May you be invited to a feast by the governor and may you belch in his face. (Me zol din aynladn tsum gubernator oft a seydeh in du zolst im gebn a grepts in ponem arayn)
May a soft balcony fall on your head. (A vecher balkon dir in kop)
May a red beet grow out of your belly button, and may you pee borsht. (Zoln dir a vaksn burekes fun pupik, in zolts pishn mit borsht)
Taken from “If Your Can’t Say Anything Nice, Say It In Yiddish” by Lita Epstein
Correspondences for the Month of Elul⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I call Elul the moon of Making Space.
Each month of the Jewish year is packed with rich correspondences for sacred arts and spiritual alignment/growth.⠀
Most of these come from one book - the Sefer Yetzirah. It is one of the most ancient mystical/magickal texts in Jewish tradition, far older the kabbalah. It is also from a different school than kabbalah, but the original kabbalists did pull aspects of their philosophy/theology from it.
The alignment of the elements with the seasons comes from Rabbi & Rav Kohenet Jill Hammer’s - The Jewish Book of Days. There she teaches that each season has an inner and outer element - the one in need and the one of abundance. Using the classical symbols for the elements, paired with this teaching, provides the opportunity for the creation of a new series of sigils. Above the woman (symbol for Betulah/Virgo) is the sigil I created for Air within Earth which are the inner and outer elements of the season.⠀⠀⠀⠀
One of the correspondences that the founders of Kohenet Kohenet: The Hebrew Priestess Institute, developed early on, is aligning the Netivot with the Months of the Year.
Our Netivah (singular) of Elul is the Tzovah or Shrinekeeper - here shown in her three suits from the Eht/Aht: a Netivot Wisdom Oracle deck: Vessel, Offering, Ally.⠀
In my #NamingtheMoons I call Elul the Moon of Making Space. That is the gift of the Tzovah! The transformation of any space into a sacred one.
The amazing YA recently posted on IG about the month of Elul saying this, “As we call to our beloved on the field, we call to the return of our beloved within ourselves. As we clear the space, and we let things be we make space to see the lovely within. And tending the shrine that we are. "⠀⠀
This is the essence of the Tzovah. Elul is also a gateway month between the year that was and the year that will be, and the Tzovah can also be understood as the guardian of the gateway.⠀⠀
