William James (1842-1910) America’s greatest psychologist of his time, quoted from a friend of his, “There is very little difference between one man and another, but the little there is, is very important.” What applies to the individual certainly applies to the world of faith. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Interfaith responses to coronavirus Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, USA
It is only in recent times that Yeshivas (post-high-school religious schools) began again to teach Bible. The problem that the rabbis faced was that enlightenment scholars raised multiple questions about the Bible, questions that seemed to show that God did not write or inspire the Bible, but that it was composed by many different authors with different agendas, some of whom made mistakes. The Yeshiva rabbis did not know how to respond to the attacks. So, the rabbis stopped teaching Bible and told students that if they wanted to study the Torah they should do so on their own. Instead, the rabbis taught only Talmud and ethical books. This situation existed when I attended a prominent Yeshiva in the 1950s. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Addressing Bible difficulties Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
For this week, we divert from the regular sequence of readings because Passover takes precedence. The Exodus passages come from Ki Tissa, which I covered for Shabbat March 14, plus a partial chapter from Numbers, to be covered later in my year-long series. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Seeing God face to face; punishments; eschewing other gods Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
On Wednesday night, many of us had Passover seders we’ll always remember, when we met by Zoom, Facebook, and other Internet devices because the Coronavirus made it unsafe for us to hold our usual celebratory family gatherings. We’ve been collecting photos from Facebook and our email of San Diegans in their unusual celebrations. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H Harrison]
A virtual Passover in passing Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USAEver since the coronavirus started, many of my congregants asked me whether this year might be the year of the Messiah’s arrival. A couple of days I ago, I came across an earlier article about how the Israeli Health Ministry Yaakov Litzman has done a poor job in managing the coronavirus crisis that we see in the Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) community in Israel. The pandemic has impacted their community, as much as four to eight times faster than elsewhere in Israel. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Will the Messiah come this year? Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
SAN DIEGO — Members of our community have been sharing their thoughts about this unusual Passover via emails and social media. We are pleased to pass along some of them: Rabbi Joshua Dorsch of Tifereth Israel Synagogue says, “One of the many things that Passover teaches us is that amidst the darkness, and challenging moments in our lives, together, we will persevere. We will emerge from the struggle and the challenges before us, stronger and more connected together.” Along with Tifereth Israel staff members Michelle Barbour, Amy Stanley, Beth Klareich, and Alissa Messian, he performed in a video parodying Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham: “I do not want you in my house/ I do not want you or your spouse/ I do not wish to eat with you/ At Seder one or Seder Two/ Don’t get me wrong: I think you’re nice/ but the CDC gave out this advice:/ You must avoid one plague more/ And shoo Elijah from your door./ At next year’s seder, we will tell/ How we were all saved by Purell.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Passing on Passover thoughts Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USA
This promises to be a Pesach / Passover for the ages! It will be completely different from anything we have previously experienced. It would be fair to ask, “How is this Passover different from Passovers of every other year?” [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]
A word of Torah: Passover during coronavirus Read More »
Jewish Religion, Yeruchem Eilfort-RabbiPassover is a unique holiday. While most people tend to see themselves as a product of the present, the Jew is different in one basic respect. Regardless of denomination, Jews are a people forged by the fiery crucible of memory. We say in the Passover Haggadah, “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt . . .Had not the Holy Blessed One taken us out of Egypt, then we and our children, and our grandchildren would still be slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt.” [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Passover awakens Jewish memory Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
Other items in today’s column include *Israel Philharmonic teams up in their homes for Pesach melodies *Coronavirus and animals *Passover doings * By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Sometimes in the morning, sometimes at night, Israel Defense Forces Corporal Sagie Shpigelman, 19, of San Diego patrols Israel’s border with Gaza along with other
Lone soldier from San Diego on patrol near Gaza Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, The World We Share, Travel and Food, USA
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted Jewish life in every area, but probably the most significant is in regard to acceptable religious practices. Synagogues and Jewish communities across the religious spectrum have struggled with questions of the acceptability of live-streamed or Zoom services, whether kaddish can be recited with a virtual minyan, or what limits to place on funeral attendance and tahara (ritual preparation of the body). Upcoming Passover seders present many unique challenges as well. Which of the following is an example of exceptions to normal practice being allowed by religious authorities during this upcoming Passover celebration? [Mark D. Zimmerman]
Jewish trivia quiz: Passover and the coronavirus Read More »
Jewish Religion, Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & SatireThe impact of the pandemic has caused a revolution in how we relate to each other: our main conduit is now the Internet, not personal contact. This year, our Seder will be attended by 15 others on Zoom. It won’t be perfect, there will be glitches, but Michal and I won’t be sitting at the table alone. (Those of you who are alone can make good use of the many websites offering special songs, prayers and more.) The pandemic has brought other, all-encompassing changes. Probably most significant is the apparent demise of globalization, which has been so trendy over the last generation. Right now, most borders worldwide are extremely well guarded, with stringent regulations for non-citizens in effect. [Steve Kramer]
Passover, the pandemic, and globalization Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Steve Kramer, USAThe Israelites’ first Passover, celebrated in Egypt just prior to the Exodus and described in Exodus 12:1–11, was radically different from the Torah mandated holiday observed after the Exodus. {Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
The first Passover was anticipatory, not commemorative Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
As I am writing this, the betting is that Benny Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu will reach an agreement about a government of national unity. There remain a few issues unresolved, and perhaps unresolvable except with transparent masks put over them. But it’s not yet done. And may never get done. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Gantz, Netanyahyu, and the puzzle of Litzman Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Jewish Religion, Middle EastAlthough Haredim, also known as ultra-Orthodox, make up only 12 percent of Israel’s population, the Haredim account for 40 to 60 percent of the coronavirus patients at four major hospitals, hospital officials told Israeli news media. The true dimensions of the epidemic among the Haredim can only be estimated because testing is rare. All of this has occurred under Rabbi Litzman’s watch. And to make the situation even worse, he himself contracted the virus. All of this could have been avoided, had he committed to the same rules of social-distancing he was supposed to have recommended to his communities.[1] [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
When the Haredim met Humpty Dumpty Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East