Shmooz

Help Israel replant 5 million trees

2010-12-08T11:52:00.000-08:00

The Carmel Forest fire that burned out of control for more than three days was brought under control Sunday. At least 42 people have died. Most of those who died were trying to save lives and fight the fire. May their memories be a blessing. In addition homes were lost and more than 12,500 acres of forests destroyed. Some estimate over 5 million

2010-12-08T11:47:00.000-08:00

Hanukkah celebrates two events: the military victory of the Maccabees over the Hellenist forces of Antiochus of Syria and the rededication of the Temple after its desecration by the pagans. The Rabbis clearly chose to emphasize the rededication. First, the name of the holiday, Hanukah, means "dedication." Second, the Rabbis focus on a historical miracle that occurred

2009-07-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

This evening, the ninth of Av ushers in the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. Terrible things have befallen our people, including the destruction of the first and second Temples. The Talmud explains:Why was the First Temple destroyed? Because of the three elements, which existed in it: idolatry, immorality, and bloodshed. … However, why was the Second Temple destroyed, since at that time

Israel in the eyes of the world.

2009-07-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

Before Erev Shabbat services on July 10th, more than thirty people came for a cookout followed by a presentation by Cincinnati Shaliach Amir Yarchi. Amir, his wife Moran and their twin sons joined us for dinner. Amir and his family will be staying another year in Cincinnati to continue serving as the official representative from the State of Israel.Amir's presentation was very though provoking,

Presiendt Obama's Cairo Speech

2009-07-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SPEECH IN CAIROI was asked to write an article for the internet about President Obama’s speech. It was printed in the Journal news as an opinion piece. Many Jews have difficulty answering questions about why Israel does not make peace with the Palestinians, so here is a brief summary of some of the points.Arabs say that for the last two hundred years, Western countries have

Abandoned Jewish Cemeteries

2009-05-20T16:02:00.000-07:00

Question: According to family records, some of my mother's ancestors were buried in Uckermark, Germany. They came from Metz, France with Napoleon's army, around 1812. I just learned that the Nazis used the gravestones from Jewish cemeteries to build prisons for a concentration camp in the district of Uckermark, Germany. I suppose their stones were used. Has the German government made any

2009-04-21T16:26:00.001-07:00

In the traditional Hagaddah, we recount the ten plagues with which the Eternal strikes the people of Egypt. Then we read about the parting of sea so that the Israelites can escape Pharaoh. Following that, there is a curious section that begins with a quote from Rabbi Yose the Galilean. How does one derive that, after the ten plagues in Egypt, the Egyptians suffered fifty plagues at the Sea? Rabbi

Young Israeli woman speaks about kassam missiles

2009-02-26T22:24:00.000-08:00

Why are people not speaker out about the terror hundreds of thousands of Israelis must live with on a daily basis.

2009-02-26T22:23:00.001-08:00

February 2009I was at a Rabbinical Study Retreat this week. On the first full day, one of my colleagues died. His name was Rabbi Alan Lew. He had recently retired as a pulpit Rabbi in San Francisco and had opened a Jewish meditation center. Earlier in his life, Rabbi Lew had studied to become a Zen Buddhist monk, yet something inside pushed him to explore his Jewish roots and eventually he

Does Jewish law permit he State of Israel to attack Gaza, even if civilians are killed?

2009-01-27T16:23:00.000-08:00

1) Jewish Law Requires the Use of Force to Stop those Attacking Jews.In Exodus 22:1 the Torah states if a "thief is discovered tunneling [into a house in order to break in) and is beaten and dies, there is no bloodguilt in his case" The Talmud explains the thief knows the homeowner will try to fight off the attack and is prepared to kill the homeowner. The owner is acting in self-defense. The

Why do Jews put stones on graves?

2008-09-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

Q. Someone recently asked me why Jews put stones on graves. While I have always done so, I have no idea exactly why we do this whenever visiting a grave.A. This is an excellent question for which many answers exist. In an old Midrash (Pesikta Zutra) we read that Jacob’s twelve sons placed stones on Rachel’s grave. In ancient times, a grave was marked with a pile of stones. The mourners

Obstacles to Change

2008-08-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

Do you know how pearls are formed? Tiny particles or organisms enter the oyster. In response to the pain, the oyster encases the pearl around the particle so that it ceases to irritate its delicate tissue.The High Holidays come late this year (there was a leap month) giving us a bit more time to prepare. Yet even with an extra month, changing is not easy. In his book, “A Code of Jewish Ethics:

WILL ISRAEL ATTACK IRAN?

2008-07-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

In 1981, Israeli Prime Minister Begin ordered the Israeli Air Force to bomb and destroy Iran’s Osirak nuclear reactor. The two greatest challenges were approaching undetected and avoiding the anti-aircraft defenses. Miraculously both challenges were overcome. The jets flew undetected and began their attack when the air defense system was shut down. They struck their target and returned safely.

Zman Matan Toratenu

2008-05-27T21:45:00.001-07:00

The Time of the Giving of Our TorahThe day of a child's birth, when the mother and child both healthy, is a day filled with joy. It seems strange, since it is the onset of the most onerous task and the greatest of all challenges. Yet all of that is of little significance as we celebrate the beginning of a new life, rejoicing in the potential for love, joy and happiness. There is no comparison

Israel Turns 60

2008-04-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

A GREAT MIRACLE HAPPENED THERE - May 14, 1948 - 5 Iyar, 5708On May 12, 1948, the provisional government of Israel voted six in favor of declaring independence to four to accept the American proposal for a truce. For security reasons, invitations to the declaration ceremony were hand delivered on the morning of May 14, and guests were told to keep the location a secret.On May 14, at 4 pm in

Doing Things Differently from the (Christian) Majority.

2008-03-28T01:21:00.001-07:00

Sadly, I needed to write this reply to an objectionable posting in the Community Voice - a section of the Journal News where anonymous comments are printed, which implies using the abbreviations BCE (Before the Common Era) and CE (Common Era) instead of BC and AD, shows a hatred of Jesus and Christians by Jews. Apparently, for some it is offensive when those of other faiths do things differently

VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL LAWS IN THE GAZA STRIP

2008-03-05T01:01:00.000-08:00

Some international figures have accused Israel of violating International Law regarding its actions in the Gaza strip. What is happening and which laws are being violated?When Israel evacuated nearly 7,000 Israeli settlers and withdrew completely from Gaza, it was an opportunity for the Palestinian people. They now controlled their own land, without any Israeli interference. What happened?

Sderot at war

2008-01-18T03:42:00.000-08:00

Rockets fall on the city of Sderot. Its been happening since 2002, but few have paid attention. Terrorists have made life there extremely difficult for residents of Sderot, a small Israeli city in the Western Negev desert, a few miles from the Gaza strip. Some shelters and an early warning system have helped to reduce casualties. Yet, life remains extremely difficult. Many have fled; many who

DID G-D HEAR OUR PRAYERS ON 9/11?

2008-01-09T22:01:00.001-08:00

DID G-D HEAR OUR PRAYERS ON 9/11? On 9/11, so many of us prayed and yet so many died. Was God not listening? This question is no different than the questions asked by those hurting over the untimely or painful death of a loved one. Every human soul is infinitely precious to God. The scale of the disaster makes no difference in the nature of this question. We can ask the exact same question

Purim

2008-01-09T20:31:00.000-08:00

It's Purim time and I wrote this ditty,It's really short and not too witty.Every year in Shul it's the same old thing,The children have fun, the adults don't sing.We try real hard to get things started.But what we do is only half hearted.Let me say without exaggerationPurim is about survival of the Jewish Nation.Such a message should be serious,But our Rabbis commanded us to get delirious.So

Civilian Casualties

2007-09-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

Avoid civilian casualties. A humanitarian principle enshrined in the Geneva Convention. The international community is calling upon Israel, Hezbollah and Hamas to avoid civilian casualties. In truth, however, these requests are really addressed to Israel. It has the overwhelming military advantage; dozens of Israelis have been killed as opposed to over hundreds of(Hezbollah firing rockets in

High Holidays are late/early this year

2007-09-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

Every year, people say the High Holidays are either early or late. It is always hard to remember when the Jewish Holydays take place because they occur on different days every year. The reason they jump around is that the Jewish calendar is lunar rather than solar. This means that instead of basing the year on the sun, we use the moon.Each phase of the moon is a little longer than 29 days. 12

2007-03-09T21:41:00.000-08:00

TEN REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD COME TO THE MEGILLAH READING WEARING A COSTUME.10. Nu, so how often do you get to wear a costume ?9. It is getting close to April 15th and you just might need to start working on a second identity.8. It the funniest of the 613 mitzvah,7. Can’t make it to Marde Grais.6. Howard Cohen will pour you "a L’Chaim" or two (or three or four) but coffee for your

Israel Has Nothing To Do With Violence In Iraq

2007-01-11T22:12:00.000-08:00

Iraq Study Group Links Israel to Violence in IraqSunnis and Shiites massacring one another have nothing to do with Israel. Nor do despotic regimes that trample on human rights, economic stagnation, terrorism, Islamicist extremism or any other of the problems plaguing the Middle East. Israel has always been a convenient scapegoat for Middle Eastern leaders unwilling and unable to face the real

The Importance of Words - A Kol Nidre Thought

2007-01-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

The Importance of WordsThe chanting of Kol Nidre is probably the most moving part of our High Holiday services. Although Kol Nidre is only a short part of the service, the entire eve of Yom Kippur has been named after it. Less than 50 words in length, the Kol Nidre does not fit thematically into the rest of the service. Nor is Kol Nidre even Hebrew, it is written in Aramaic, the legal language,