Posted on 12/25/2014 10:16:04 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
A few weeks ago, I wrote an op-ed in The New York Observer entitled “B’nai Jeshurun: Do Jewish Lives Also Matter?” I noted that “high-profile Upper West Side Jewish temple B’nai Jeshurun led a protest after the tragic death of Eric Garner at the hands of the New York Police Department. Then, there was a pre-scheduled event at BJ honoring Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, and the attendees included such luminaries as Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, Congressman Jerry Nadler and others.” Multiple rabbis and liberal Jewish communal leaders were arrested in acts of civil disobedience during that protest. In times of injustice, rabbis and leaders should speak out.
I took (and take) issue with the fact that leaders of B’nai Jeshurun (and similar minded liberal organizations) rally quickly for perceived and real injustices when it comes to every other group – as long as they are not Jewish or pro-Israel causes. They are also quiet when it comes to causes that they consider to be conservative or right-leaning, which include traditional Judaism, Israel, and now, police officers (including those who are not white).
No protest marches or acts of civil disobedience have come from these uber-liberals defending the police officers who protect New York. Unsurprisingly, this community has been silent in the aftermath of the murders of NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu. These two men, one Asian and one Latino, were patrolling Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn when a man executed them as they sat in their police car. The killer had posted in his social media pages that he was avenging Eric Garner. Supporting police officers should not be a political decision.
On the other hand, Rabbi Avi Weiss held a prayer vigil and memorial for the cops outside of his synagogue’s local police precinct on Monday morning. As Weiss noted, “In this time of tragic loss for the NYPD and all New Yorkers, we stand here with you. You, the New York Police Department, are New York City’s finest – a racially diverse force. Every day, you risk your lives for us. You protect our synagogues, our churches, our mosques, our institutions, our businesses, our homes – for this and much more we are eternally grateful. With great empathy we declare: your pain is our pain, your suffering is our suffering.” How right he is.
If only more people of all religions and beliefs would stand up in support of decency – at all times –for all people in need. Jeff Jacoby, the Boston Globe columnist has criticized “warped Jewish liberals” on multiple occasions, saying “This liberalism isn’t rational. It isn’t sensible. It certainly isn’t good for the Jews.”
Rabbi Hillel famously asked, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And, if I care only for myself, what am I? And, if not now, when?”
Isaiah 43:11
Zechariah 14:9
Malachi 3:6
So rabbinic lectures run your life?
You surely do not turn your mind off when you hear them. You can still see “begged question” while it is taking place.
Or maybe I was too optimistic. You can’t, and now I am pointing it out. Which you do not like.
You do not even have any promise for your own personal redemption. And of that you are proud.
How about the way the Jews treated Jesus? If we want to talk about mutual evil both things have to be placed on the table.
For YOU, maybe. Not for me and not for other Jews. Wishing will not make it so. "Some Jews are coming to believe in C__"? And many non-Jews are converting to Judaism. Are you keeping score or something?
How about if you knew it was so true everyone would benefit? Wouldn't you want to share by all means possible?
Ha ha ha ha ha... at your vitriol.
He just objectively IS.. and proves it.
You might as well go out into YOUR backyard and don a bone necklace, smear yourself with blood, take some "magic mushrooms", and sacrifice a sparrow to a crocodile god, because that would be equivalent to what you propose that I and other Jews do. We don't live by the precepts of YOUR religion, nor do we insist that you live by the precepts of any other religion other than your own. Why do you insist that we live by yours?
Give it up Fuller Brush Man. No sale now or ever.
And you purport to know what is true? What a total chutzpah. You know what you have been told to know in church. Fine. Keep it to yourself.
“For YOU, maybe.”
No, for everyone - even those who deny it.
“Not for me and not for other Jews.”
Yes, even them - even if they deny it.
“Wishing will not make it so.”
There’s no wishing involved.
“”Some Jews are coming to believe in C__”? And many non-Jews are converting to Judaism.”
Converting, yes, but few are serious about their new found faith, nor are any saved by it. Most who become Jews today do so because they wish to be the same religion as their spouse for the sake of family harmony. It is not because they see any particular worth to Judaism in itself.
http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/d/dershowitz-jew.html
Intermariage might destroy Judaism in America: http://forward.com/articles/192698/jewish-woman-is-new-face-of-intermarriage-pew-stud/?p=all
“Are you keeping score or something?”
No, just seeing the obvious.
They are Leftists and always want to be cool with the in crowd.
I took (and take) issue with the fact that leaders of B’nai Jeshurun (and similar minded liberal organizations) rally quickly for perceived and real injustices when it comes to every other group – as long as they are not Jewish or pro-Israel causes. They are also quiet when it comes to causes that they consider to be conservative or right-leaning, which include traditional Judaism, Israel, and now, police officers (including those who are not white)...........
...........On the other hand, Rabbi Avi Weiss held a prayer vigil and memorial for the cops outside of his synagogue’s local police precinct on Monday morning. As Weiss noted, “In this time of tragic loss for the NYPD and all New Yorkers, we stand here with you. You, the New York Police Department, are New York City’s finest – a racially diverse force. Every day, you risk your lives for us. You protect our synagogues, our churches, our mosques, our institutions, our businesses, our homes – for this and much more we are eternally grateful. With great empathy we declare: your pain is our pain, your suffering is our suffering.” How right he is.
Amen, and I agree in response to the second paragraph about conservatives. We cannot be fighting each other.
I've seen a lot of good responses today and some friction among Christian and Jewish beliefs, but let me remind everyone we serve the same GOD, so let us not let be angry with one another.
I have neither the deeply religious background or scholarship of you guys, but I really believe before time ends, every knee will bend before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and there will be no more arguments.
May GOD bless you and keep you and may peace be with you until that time.
You sound like a nut job.
EinNYC - Is it possible that you are guilty of the very thing you accuse others of?
All in favor HiTech is not a “Nutjob...” Big “I.”
(Man, I was staying off the Jew-Christian threads today.... guess I got bored with no work to do....)
EinNYC, et al, the nature of Christians is to spread their good news. It’s one thing to call each other wrong, another thing to spread our good word.
So I’ve mainly (lately) posted shiurim (”classes” in Hebrew, mostly audio) but it’s a long upload time—to our brains. No quick rebuttal of this one’s proof-text and that one’s rebuttal. One has to plug in and listen for a while. I always recommend to listen while doing dishes... Mrs. Phinneous is cooking for Shabbos now so, well, I’ll do my part. Wash and learn...
STAY WITH ME (especially Jews)
Yidden give a listen, Gentiles, give it a try: this is Rabbi Tovia Singer’s class on Matthew and Paul. Look past the humor and even the explicit charges against Christian use of TaNaCh (”Old...) and you find a pure love of Jewish scripture. It grounds the Jew. You must listen.
Now, the Orthodox Jews on FR know (big tip of the cards Gentiles... get ready) that we do not study NaCh (Prophets and Writings, the latter books of the Bible) NEARLY as much as is warranted. Rabbi Singer gives the inspiration to get back to the Books. He sounds like Seinfeld so pretend it’s Must See TV.
Yidden do not pass go, neither shalt thee collect $200 until you make the time and listen to this. If you are Jewish, have passion to debate religion, and are on this thread, listen to this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKW9g85S-no
Apparently, you have Judaism pulling seniority on Christianity, maybe you should take a closer look at what you own Torah says. In it’s most prominent examples, Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaak, priority of one’s birth does not necessarily mean priority of grace (God’s favor). Cain was firstborn, Abel came second. Cain’s seniority didn’t count for him as God saw it. Likewise, Ishmael and Isaak…and Esau and Jacob. And in process of time, Judaism and Christianity.
Jewish writers of the New Testament, such as Paul, saw Christ as “the second Adam.” He taught that all are dead in their sins in Adam, the first Adam, whether Jew or Gentile, needing cleansing of their sins…which comes only through Christ’s shed blood. All need the “new birth,” the firstborn fleshly man regenerated through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, becoming a new spiritual man in Christ.
Pulling seniority on Christ, or on Christians, according to the book of Hebrews doesn’t work – the book of Hebrews was written specifically to Jews such as yourself – in 12:23 the Christian church is called “the general assembly and church of the firstborn.”
I was thinking about you last night. We both agree there is a happier side to heaven than most “religious” people are willing to let on. Even a happiness that doesn’t seem to make sense to the worldly.
The details is where we differ.
If someone is going to go off on “evangelization” as “insecure” then they automatically have put Chassidim in the same box that they have put Christians. The baby and bath water get tossed out together, no matter which is which. There’s a reason beyond the trappings that Christmas is considered so merry in much of the globe. The claim is a special presence of the Lord. The Lord turns our water into wine. The Lord removes our confusion about what is heavenly.
I don’t think any orthodox Jew considers Chassidic (I assume you mean Lubavitch) philosophy as evangelical.... It is understood we want all Jews to become more Torah observant in a meaningful way.
Like EinNYC I believe our way is perfect and will bring Moshiach as G-d wants.
Note that there has always been a commandment for Jews to teach gentiles the 7 Noahide Laws, though though a bit lethal through the enlightenment (thus overridden by a commandment to stay alive) until the divinely founding of America.
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