This week's Torah portion includes a strange episode. A "mixed multitude" (asafsuf) riled up the Israelites so that they complained bitterly about their situation. They longed to eat meat. They reminisced about the diet they had in Egypt--fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onion and garlic. The miraculous mannah from heaven, that was delivered to them daily in the wilderness, did not satisfy them.
For the past 15 years, I have toiled in the vineyards of Jewish-Christian relations, trying to carve out an ennobling Torah path toward my interactions with non-Jews. Can I see Tzelem Elokim in the face of a gentile Other? If so, how does this shared divine endowment guide our relationship? And perhaps more important, how does it shape my religious commitment to the Torah's demand that Jews play a crucial role in sacred history?
We mourn the passing of Senator Joseph Lieberman, a great Jewish American leader. In his memory, we are re-posting the text of an address he gave at Brigham Young University on the role of religion in American life. Senator Lieberman was the Honored Guest Speaker at the 10th Anniversary Dinner (held in May 2017) of our Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals.
COLBEH, 32W 39TH ST, NEW YORK CITY
VIP Reception – 5:30 PM
Cocktails – 6:00 PM
Dinner and Program – 7:00 PM
HONORED SPEAKER SENATOR JOE LIEBERMAN
The Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals, founded in 2007, offers a vision of Orthodox Judaism that is intellectually sound, spiritually compelling, and emotionally satisfying. Based on an unwavering commitment to the Torah tradition and to the Jewish people, it fosters an appreciation of legitimate diversity within Orthodoxy. It encourages responsible discussion of issues in Jewish law, philosophy, religious world-view, and communal policy. It sees Judaism as a world religion with a profound message for Jews, and for non-Jews as well.
For the first time, American Psychoanalytic Association’s annual conference dedicated a panel to discussing the intersection of Orthodoxy and LGBT identity from a clinical standpoint. The panel addressed how mental health providers could approach counseling someone struggling with Orthodox Judaism and LGBT identity.
One of the most contentious religious issues to roil Israeli society ever since the creation of the State has been the role of women in national service in general and in the military in particular. Israel was one of the first states to draft women into the military; the government gave religious young women the option of entering national service. Haredi authorities considered even national service as a most serious violation of halacha, indeed an outright sin. R.
To our members and friends,
We are in the middle of a very exciting semester of classes with the Institute. Here is a brief schedule of upcoming classes and events:
On Shabbat March 10-11, I will be the scholar-in-residence at the Edmond J. Safra Synagogue in Manhattan (11 East 63rd Street, between Fifth and Madison Avenue). Free and open to the public.
On Shabbat March 31-April 1, I will be the scholar-in-residence at Congregation Emek Beracha, in Palo Alto, California (4102 El Camino Real). Free and open to the public.
The Ideal Modern Orthodox Rabbi believes that the Jewish people exists by virtue of our Torah and our religious traditions, and that Jews are happiest and most fulfilled when they conduct their lives according to our Torah. His duty is to bring the word of Torah to the Jewish public in such a manner that more and more Jews will want to study and observe Torah.