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| Volume 13 Number 44 | Sun May 9 9:18:19 2004 |
From: Iris <iris@hagalil.com> Date: Wed, 5 May 2004 18:50:19 +0200 Subject: Flags on a bima "I was wondering what folks on this list feel about this issue of flags on the bima" If you enter a public room (communal center, city hall ...) in Germany and you see men wearing a kippa and a tallit and an israeli flag on a bima you can be sure that it is a service of "messianic" Jews. Therefore I find the issue somewhat strange. Kind regards Iris
From: Rabbi John M. Sherwood <rabjms@earthlink.net> Date: Wed, 05 May 2004 09:30:10 -0700 Subject: Flags on the Bima Johanna Smith wrote, "I was wondering what folks on this list feel about this issue of flags on the bimah." Every synagogue that I have ever attended has had both the American flag and the Israeli flag on the bimah.
From: Marian Neudel <redemma@ameritech.net> Date: Wed May 5 11:06:38 2004 Subject: Flags on the Bima >Whatever we decided is almost irrelivent here. I was wondering what folks >on this list feel about this issue of flags on the bima. I know I'm in a radical minority here, but I strongly oppose flags anywhere in a shul. I also don't salute the flag (on the first court day after 9/11, when the judge asked everybody to stand and salute the flag, I said kaddish instead.) Many years ago when I was running a Jewish draft counseling center out of a local shul, they had an art exhibit, and their insurers required them to have armed security protecting it. I moved our operation out of that shul, because I also don't believe weapons belong there, especially for the protection of mere property. More recently, after various kinds of terrorist threats around the High Holidays a few years ago, some of our congregants insisted on having armed security or they would not come to services. I and a few others opposed it for my usual reasons, though of course this time it was life that was being protected. We did reach a compromise, because the shul was actually a room in a larger, non-Jewish building. So the armed guard stayed outside the shul but within sight and hearing. Marian Neudel
From: ethel jean saltz <nietgal@airmail.net> Date: Fri May 7 14:05:26 2004 Subject: Re: Flags on the Bima > A very volatile issue recently arose in our congregation that might be of > interest here. A member suggested that the congregation buy American and > Israeli flags and that they be placed on the bima. Johanna, fabulous information. Please keep us updated and also help us discuss by giving at least a hint of both sides of what has been discussed Just to get things going because I've never heard this subject before. And I know this list is global. What it brings to my mind is the scene a few years ago here in Dallas TX when our choir sang at an Israel anniversary at a conservative synagogue. Police guarding the parking lot because of a ring of Muslims who kept us from going to the synagogue protesting Israel. I never saw such a thing in my 68 years at that time and it was very scary. Ever since I became aware of the Muslims near my community college. Their car stickers and I knew I couldn't put a car sticker because they would damage my car. Even saying "It's Ishmael"!! That's when I knew something was very wrong with the USA and the Muslim community and scared. In fact it was in February 2001, years later, that I got me a Koran and even based my music composition on the difference between Ismail and Isaac. It turns out that the "noise" I heard was full of emet. Al Queda operated an infamous charity near where I lived. Now the college is pushing us to care for our fellow Muslim students and feel sorry for them.
From: ethel jean saltz <nietgal@airmail.net> Date: Thu May 6 8:00:07 2004 Subject: A Moral Issue - Hazing Reality TV, Iraqi War, is sure giving me insight into the male mind. I would love all Rabbis to address this moral issue. God asked me to ask: what is the difference between fraternity hazing and so-called Iraqi prisoner abuse? The media tells me there's a difference. In fact, they tell me that it's much worse in frats. Shouldn't we look at global hazing in the "brotherhood" environment. It's been an ancient tradition I suspect. Talmud Torah tells me that the ancient rabbis always included current events in biblical analysis and it boils down to discussing behavioral science. Isn't it wonderful being Jewish because God talks to each of us of every denomination every minute of the day.
From: ethel jean saltz <nietgal@airmail.net> Date: Fri May 7 14:04:21 2004 Subject: Re: When should we modify our beliefs? I don't think we can discuss all this Jewishly without also translating Rabbi Hasdai Crescas's OR ADONAI. I am reading W.Z.Harvey's THE PHYSICS AND METAPHYSICS OF HASDAI CRESCAS. RaMBaM represents the 1100's, Crescas reps the 1400's. Descartes/Galileo/Spinoza represent the 1600's. This means there's 400 years of activity concerning RaMBaM's world view that we don't learn about. This means that we are stunting our modern Jewish brains and possibly reinventing the wheel. OR ADONAI can be duplicated for $100 from microfilm now!! So the Jewish theological seminaries can now produce PH.D's, cheaply, in translating this book into English. The commentaries are enlightening. Harvey says he's doing this
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