Mail.Liberal-Judaism

• PDZ99@aol.com

• Michael D. Landis <mdl@watervalley.net>

• PDZ99@aol.com

• Jerry Blaz <ffdog@earthlink.net>

From: PDZ99@aol.com 
Date: Mon Feb  9 17:13:52 US/Pacific 2004
Subject: Re: Abrahamic Faith

In a message dated 2/5/2004 2:58:44 AM Eastern Standard Time, Ethel writes:

> The Rabbis study the Apocrypha so why can't I?  Christians should identify
> me with the Apocrypha as a given in today's world.  The Abayudaya read the
> Protestant Bible and tore out the N. T. -- it works :)

> 2.  The Koran clearly states that there were scriptures that the Jews and
> Christians were fighting over in the time of Muhammad.  That's about 300
> years after the canonization of the N.T.  I'm not willing to allow RaMBaM to
> limit my Jewish education.  Especially since RaMBaM read all this Abrahamic
> Faith data.

I have also read the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrifa, and studied it at a Jewish
university.  Never once did I hear the word "Abrahamic Faith."  AF is a
new-age moniker for a homogneized, I-don't-know-what-kind-of
"pseudo-religion."  It has no validity in Judaism.

Patricia Daly-Zake

mine is the sunlight mine is the morning/born of the one light Eden saw play
praise with elation praise every morning/God's re-creation of the new day
morning has broken sung by Cat Stevens

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From: Michael D. Landis <mdl@watervalley.net>
Date: Mon Feb  9 17:14:57 US/Pacific 2004
Subject: Re: Antisemitism in public life

Mordechai Horowitz <mordechai@jewishpride.org> wrote:

>...Chomsky is a terrorist who presents a clear and present danger to Jewish
>lives.

OK, let's keep our powder dry, shall we? Chomsky may advocate Israel's
destruction - it's arguable, although I wouldn't - but has he ever engaged in
an act of violence against Jews, Israelis, or anyone? No. Has he ever given
funding, logistical, or other practical support to anyone who has? (AFAIK)
No. Slinging that term around indiscriminately just muddies the water, and I
find it especially troubling in a time where the Attorney General and the
President assert the right to, on their sole say-so and without judicial or
other review, strip anyone of citizenship for giving anything they define as
support to any group they define as "terrorist".

  \ | | /   Michael D. Landis       http://www.sinistersoftware.com/
[|#/-\#|]  mdl@sinistersoftware.com
   _/^\_  

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From: PDZ99@aol.com 
Date: Mon Feb  9 17:17:26 US/Pacific 2004
Subject: Re: Elaborate Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ceremonies

In a message dated 2/1/2004 4:26:08 PM Eastern Standard Time, Jay Lapidus
wrote:

EXCERPTS:
a recent article in the Wall Street Journal:

"A number of kids who aren't Jewish are bugging their parents for parties 
that resemble those following bar mitzvah ceremonies..."

"Parents will call us and say, 'My son's been to over 20 bar and bat 
mitzvahs, and I just want to do something nice for him,'" says Paul Noto, whose Carle 
Place, N.Y., party entertainment company recently staged one such 13th 
birthday party that cost $75,000
and included a tent with chandeliers, DJs and dancers.
END OF EXCERPTS 

Jay's reaction:
At one time, we Jews were a Light unto the Nations.  
Now, it seems that we have become a Party Strobe Light
unto the Nations.  

My colleague, Rabbi Mark Diamond, finds at least a
silver lining.  The article quotes him, "It shows how
much the Jewish people and Jewish customs have become
mainstream."

I guess to mainstream Americans, "Jewish customs" do
not include religion.

Patricia's reaction: When I first read this WSJ article a few weeks ago, I was
appalled.  To tell the truth, I am still!  Is this what it comes to?  Jews
should be emulated because we're party animals?

But, then I realized that there is also a Jewish example of this "borrowing"
of customs never-mind-the-religious-aspects. And that is the Jew who has a
Christmas tree within the home and exchanges gifts on Christmas because "its
just so much fun."  Having come to Judaism from Catholicism, I've always told
my husband that I find it appalling that we borrow each other's "traditions"
not even knowing the full symbolic and religious value they have to the
"owning" culture.

I don't agree that this borrowing "shows how much the Jewish people and Jewish
customs have become mainstream."  I think it shows, for lack of kindler
-gentler words, plain greed and immaturity on the part of the "borrower."
Whatever happened to the Jew and Christian who borrowed "pagan" customs and
made them holy by tweaking them with religious significance?  Are we not going
in the wrong direction?

Personally, I find it insulting and debasing to those things each religion 
holds dear to itself.

Patricia 

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From: Jerry Blaz <ffdog@earthlink.net>
Date: Mon Feb  9 17:15:52 US/Pacific 2004
Subject: supplanting judaism = Abrahamic faith

>I'm not willing to allow RaMBaM to limit my Jewish education.  Especially
>since RaMBaM read all this Abrahamic Faith data.

I want to assure Ethel that RaMBam is not limiting her Jewish education.

Jerry Blaz

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"It is not our task as liberal Jews to complain about the Orthodox attitude or to be bullied by it, but rather to choose our legitimate path according to the inner logic and development of liberal Judaism" (Rabbi Walter Jacob)

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