Last night May 27, 2010 the White House celebrated Jewish Heritage Month by hosting a reception for a cross section of American Jewry. As the JTA stry relate one of those in attendence wasRabbi Alyssa Stanton of Greenville, N.C., the first black woman rabbi. The whatis wrong with this picture aspect of the description should go without saying. But in the President's view of Jewish America is this the view of Rabbinic Scholarship?
It seems the Oval office is trying too hard at winning Jews over and protesting how much they love Israel. .
Wooing American Jews just does not wash away the Administration's arrogant paternalistic treatment of Israel but demanding a building freeze in Judea Sameria and Jerusalem. Indeed there have been reports of American inspectors looking for new construction like a suburban code enforcement officer. The fact the Administration sees a swing set in an Efrat backyard is more of a threat to world security than an Iranian Nuke says more of what Washington believes than Having Sandy Kofax come to 1600 Pennslyvainia Avenue.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
YOM YERUSHALYIM YOM HaYEHUDIMjERUSALEM DAY A DAY TO BE JEWISH
Its been awhile the swril of events has made meaningful analysis difficult. As the 28th of Iyar 5770 ebbs and thoughts of a united Jerusalem come to the forefront it is a time to reflect.
43 years ago the words not uttered since the exile began Har Habayit B'Yadainu, "The Temple Mount is in Our Hands" Imagine the realization of every yearning spoken by generations of Jews at the end of Yom Kippur or The Passover Seder Next Year in Jerusalem became an almost reality.
The reality of return to Zion, to all of Biblical Israel, and especially the Temple Mount raised the spirits of Jews everywhere. As a 9 year old the lesson was the Jewish State was made whole.
Yet 43 years latter the future of the Holy City as a unified municipality is threatened. Not just Arab neighborhoods but even Meah Shearim are called in to question. The outrageous notion that the United States could act with paternalistic arrogance the American government at the Highest levels dares tell Jews where they build or not build . A restriction not imposed on the Arabs. Indeed Israels policies are blamed for American servicemembers being in harm's way in Afagnistan.
How did this happen?
Ultimately G-D has His reasons but one cannot help but wonder if the root of the world's hostility to Jewish claims to the Holy land may lie in Jewry's ambiguity to Eretz Yisrael being Jewry's inheritence. A reluctence to acknowledge the histortic connection as a moral basis for claiming the land as belonging exclusively to the Jewish People. Unfortunately al these claims become diluted when an Israeli Identity replaces a Jewish identity. By embracing an identity born in 5708 one cannot claim an eternal claim reaching back to Sinai on 6 Sivan 2448.
As the holiday of Jerusalem's restoration should be seen as a prelude to receiving the Torah on Shavout.
43 years ago the words not uttered since the exile began Har Habayit B'Yadainu, "The Temple Mount is in Our Hands" Imagine the realization of every yearning spoken by generations of Jews at the end of Yom Kippur or The Passover Seder Next Year in Jerusalem became an almost reality.
The reality of return to Zion, to all of Biblical Israel, and especially the Temple Mount raised the spirits of Jews everywhere. As a 9 year old the lesson was the Jewish State was made whole.
Yet 43 years latter the future of the Holy City as a unified municipality is threatened. Not just Arab neighborhoods but even Meah Shearim are called in to question. The outrageous notion that the United States could act with paternalistic arrogance the American government at the Highest levels dares tell Jews where they build or not build . A restriction not imposed on the Arabs. Indeed Israels policies are blamed for American servicemembers being in harm's way in Afagnistan.
How did this happen?
Ultimately G-D has His reasons but one cannot help but wonder if the root of the world's hostility to Jewish claims to the Holy land may lie in Jewry's ambiguity to Eretz Yisrael being Jewry's inheritence. A reluctence to acknowledge the histortic connection as a moral basis for claiming the land as belonging exclusively to the Jewish People. Unfortunately al these claims become diluted when an Israeli Identity replaces a Jewish identity. By embracing an identity born in 5708 one cannot claim an eternal claim reaching back to Sinai on 6 Sivan 2448.
As the holiday of Jerusalem's restoration should be seen as a prelude to receiving the Torah on Shavout.
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