Judaism and modernity

http://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Judaism/Article.aspx?id=251448
By REUVEN HAMMER
In a recent article, Yoni Goldstein of Toronto wrote that modern Orthodoxy is the only brand of Judaism that encourages people to (a) keep Shabbat according to the letter of the law and (b) check e-mail or turn on the TV once three stars appear. Haredi Orthodoxy is only concerned with “a” – the law – while “Reform and Conservative don’t see a particular need to do ‘a.’” 

The writer thus lumps Conservative and Reform together, as do many people who see no difference between movements that are considered “non-Orthodox.” Without intending to deprecate my Reform colleagues, I must insist that there are differences and that the main difference still consists of the attitude toward Jewish law: Reform officially considers it non-binding, while Conservative/ Masorti considers it binding.

The American Shabbat

The American Shabbat

It’s time to ask: at what cost? When does commercialism without borders or restraints go beyond a momentary boost to quarterly profits and damage the national soul? We may be perilously close to that point if the unspoken agreement to keep Thanksgiving as the American Shabbat is broken.

There was a time when most colonial Americans were forced to honor the Puritan Sabbath — under the so-called “blue laws” of the 1700s, severe punishment could be rendered for even a simple misdeed. Sunday restrictions lasted well into the 20th century, and especially hurt Jewish shopkeepers who observed their own Sabbath on Saturday, and had to forego a weekend’s worth of commerce or risk heavy fines for opening on a Sunday. Bit by bit, states dropped their prohibitions, to increase tax revenues more than anything else, although there still are places where one cannot purchase alcohol on a Sunday (Mississippi), buy a car (Illinois), or hunt (most of West Virginia).

Read more: http://www.forward.com/articles/146836/#ixzz1fWxzLGB0

Why Not Grasp Great Gift That Comes Each Week With Shabbat?

Why are some people able to accept a gift gracefully and others do not know how?

What is it about human beings that we are unable to see the beauty, the necessity, the awesomeness of this natural cycle? What is it about what happens in our lives for six days that cannot benefit from this lovely rest, to be resumed with a restored spirit?

Think of the number of things we seek out in our lives to manufacture a change, a shift, a getaway from it all: recess, vacation, weekend, holiday, TGIF, dress-down day, summer reading.

Opinion: Why Not Grasp Great Gift That Comes Each Week With Shabbat? | The Jewish Exponent:

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Angels at the Table: a Practical Guide to Celebrating Shabbat

This ambitious and unusual work combines a step-by-step guide to Shabbat observance, with recipes, song-lyrics and ideas for 'fostering meaningful conversations'. Harvard-graduate Miller's work dispels myths about the value and practicalities of Shabbat observance for modern suburban families.

Angels at the Table: a Practical Guide to Celebrating Shabbat | The Jewish Chronicle:

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Unplugging and Sharing

Unplugging and Sharing Jewish Traditions | The Sag Harbor Express:

By Emily J. Weitz

Built in to many religions is the opportunity to stop and pause. Whether this means a slow and easy Saturday or six weeks without meat, in some form or another it’s a reminder to take a break from our routines, and to give thanks. In the Jewish tradition, Shabbat is a weekly observation that begins at sundown on Friday and lasts 25 hours. The purpose is to unplug, to kick back, and to remember the bigger picture.

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A Declaration Of Interdependence | The Jewish Week

Tiffany Shlain makes the point in her film, implicitly and at times explicitly, that “survival depends on our connecting to each other deeply,” a reference to mankind as a whole as well as to individuals.

In exploring what we lose and what we gain as technology rewires our brains and speeds up the pace of our existence, she came to appreciate and embrace the concept of Shabbat, especially of “unplugging” for a day each week.

She said she recently gave a talk on the power of technology and surprised her audience by extolling the virtues of turning off from the world.

“People think it’s harder than it really is, but there’s a time to unplug,” she said, adding: “Shabbat is beautiful because we are able to be fully present. We need to do things that bring us back” to our real selves.

A Declaration Of Interdependence | The Jewish Week:

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A secular sabbath

"... a few minutes before sunset, tranquility gradually sets in. My unfinished pre-Shabbat chores are now a thing of the past. Hopefully, so are any of my poor grades, money issues and personal frustrations.

The bedlam of the Shabbat preparations pays off almost immediately when I join my rabbi and friends in the Friday evening prayers - largely composed of good company and beautiful millennia-old songs. Socializing and singing with close friends typically pushes away any stressful thoughts somehow lingering past sunset. If not, the delicious dinner that typifies Shabbat will.

This specific format of the Sabbath is uniquely Jewish. Singing and praying in Hebrew and discussing insights to the Torah are neither accessible nor appealing to the vast majority of non-Jews.

But I say "this specific format" because Shabbat - or more precisely, what it provides - need not be restricted to observant Jews. Tranquility, self-reflection and social closeness are accessible to people of all faiths and people of no faith."

A secular sabbath - The Tulane Hullabaloo : Columns:

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Face to faith: Today's Sabbath of Return urges us all to ask ourselves what unique purpose we each have on earth

Today is the first Sabbath following the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. It a special Sabbath which takes its name from the opening verse of the biblical passage read in synagogue on this day: "Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have fallen because of your sin" (Hosea 14:2). The Hebrew word for return is shuvah, hence the Sabbath is known as Shabbat Shuvah or the Sabbath of Return. Traditionally on this day rabbis devote their sermons to the theme of repentance, encouraging their congregants to take advantage of the propitious time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), which falls eight days later, by repenting and making amends.

Face to faith: Today's Sabbath of Return urges us all to ask ourselves what unique purpose we each have on earth | Comment is free | The Guardian:

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Celebrate Shabbat, Burning Man style

On a Friday night in early September, more than 150 people gathered under a domelike open structure built in the desert to sing, pray, light candles and share in the traditions of the Sabbath. The open-air design, decorated with colorful scarves and an illuminated Star of David, is not the typical place you might imagine celebrating the Sabbath.

In the middle of the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, more than 53,000 participants came to experience the 25th year of Burning Man, a counterculture city that comes to life for eight days each year. Based on 10 principles, including radical self-expression, self-reliance, leaving no trace and communal effort, Burning Man is the extreme sport of summer festivals. Facing dry, sizzling summer days, cold nights and 70-mile-an-hour dust storms, participants are pushed to their limits.

Celebrate Shabbat, Burning Man style - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News:

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Tacos, pups and prayer: Local synagogues offer tradition with a twist

Once a month, San Francisco’s Congregation Beth Israel Judea welcomes Shabbat with a service of drumming and singing.

Each spring, Temple Emanu-El in San Jose designates a weekend for “Paws Shabbat,” inviting congregants to bring their animals.

On the first Friday of the month, a taco truck appears outside San Francisco’s Congregation Emanu-El so congregants can enjoy a post-service supper.

Tacos, pups and prayer: Local synagogues offer tradition with a twist 

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Central Park: Social Networking on Shabbat

"In honor of Labor Day, often accepted as the end of summer, it seems appropriate to reflect on a summer phenomenon of the Jewish Upper West Side in Manhattan.

The gathering of troves of young Jews at the Great Lawn of Central Park in Manhattan on Saturday afternoons is in many ways like a non-virtual Facebook, except without alerts of your friends in common. Like social networking sites, it is ideal for maintaining connections with those you don't see often."

Ariel Gros-Werter: Central Park: Social Networking on Shabbat

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Author sets her ‘Table’ with a Shabbat Sampler

Shabbat is “hardwired” into our Jewish souls.

That’s the notion that underlies Yvette Alt Miller’s new book, “Angels at the Table: A Practical Guide to Celebrating Shabbat.”

“Every Jewish person was made with this metaphysical connection to Shabbat,” she said in an interview. “Many are drawn to [observing the Sabbath] even if they may not be ready to accept every recommendation in the book.”  --- by brendan molaghan,

http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/62725/author-sets-her-table-with-a-shabbat-sampler1/

Challah in a Clyde summer

By Sharon Shenhav, September 5, 2011

As Israelis who find Jerusalem summers too hot for our taste, my husband and I have a unique solution. Invited to visit Scottish friends 13 years ago, we found that the cool, rainy weather in August was perfect.

Spending Shabbat on the Isle of Arran, we were delighted by the natural beauty of the island as well as the laid-back approach to life - a haven for Israelis who are bombarded with existential challenges and daily tension and anxiety.

Challah in a Clyde summer | The Jewish Chronicle:

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Hosting a Sustainable Shabbat Dinner

By Judith Belasco

One day out of seven, we have the opportunity to stop creating and start being. To enjoy the world around us, including friends and family, beautiful places, enjoyable activities. To rest and recharge. If sustainability is about meeting the needs of today without compromising the needs of future generations, Shabbat is a great place to start practicing this for ourselves—and for the world. Imagine if one day out of seven, the entire world stopped buying, producing, driving.

For thousands of years, Shabbat has sustained the Jewish people by providing a respite from the work of the week. Creating a sustainable Shabbat dinner, a meal that uses our natural resources wisely, means that Shabbat can continue to sustain us for thousands of years to come.

Hosting a Sustainable Shabbat Dinner – Jew and the Carrot – Forward.com

Author sets her ‘Table’ with a Shabbat sampler

by brendan molaghan, washington jewish week

Shabbat is “hardwired” into our Jewish souls. That’s the notion that underlies Yvette Alt Miller’s new book, “Angels at the Table: A Practical Guide to Celebrating Shabbat.”

“Every Jewish person was made with this metaphysical connection to Shabbat,” she said in an interview. “Many are drawn to [observing the Sabbath] even if they may not be ready to accept every recommendation in the book.”

Author sets her ‘Table’ with a Shabbat sampler | j. the Jewish news weekly of Northern California

Welcoming Shabbat the secular way

Every Friday at sunset, hundreds of people gather on hill facing sea at Tel Aviv Port to greet Jewish day of rest with singsong. --- Tzofia Hirschfeld

Some people express their love for Shabbat by lighting candles, other add a synagogue prayer, a meal and songs. Some love it through dancing, and others – like the Beit Tefilah Israeli organization ("Israeli Prayer House") – love it next to the sea.

Welcoming Shabbat the secular way - Israel Jewish Scene, Ynetnews:

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Shabbat Meals: At the Kibbutz Table – Jew and the Carrot – Forward.com

"In Israel, Friday night dinner is an institution. Israelis of all backgrounds, from observant Jews of Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim neighborhood to members of the artsy Mitzpe Ramon community in the south, celebrate the Shabbat meal with a homemade festive dinner. Strong Jewish tradition, a deep national spirit and the geography of this small country ensure that Shabbat dinner is mandatory for all. And so, every Friday night, families gather at the homes of the elders of the tribe. Siblings update each other on their love lives, children sing songs and aunts and uncles debate political views until everyone unites at the table to eat an honest home-cooked meal. This time, all across the nation, becomes holy." --- By Naama Shefi

Shabbat Meals: At the Kibbutz Table – Jew and the Carrot – Forward.com:

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Exclusive: New Android App “Three Stars” Let’s Everyone Know When Shabbat Is Coming | iPad News Tracker

Kwazi, an independent workshop Releases Three Stars, an app aimed at people who want to know when Shabbat and Hag are coming, everywhere in the world! Three Stars Offers ongoing Shabbat notification from its start to its end, option to automatically set your phone to silent mode, auto place locator (wifi & GPS based), ability to set your own alerts to notify you before Shabbat is in, and a beautiful Widget will tell you when next Shabbat is coming every week!

Exclusive: New Android App “Three Stars” Let’s Everyone Know When Shabbat Is Coming | iPad News Tracker

Rabbi Rafael Halperin, ex-world-champion-wrestler, dies at 87

Former world champion in free wrestling, founder of optical centers succumbs to illness at 87 in Bnei Brak. His last years dedicated to battle for Shabbat

by Ari Galahar 

Published:  08.21.11, 06:01 / Israel Jewish Scene

The Halperin family says he managed to fill up the Yad Eliyahu Stadium three times in his life: Once when he fought a Jordanian in free wrestling, then when he pressured the Israeli government to secure the release of (former Prisoner of Zion Natan) Sharansky during US President Ronald Reagan's term, and finally with his battle for Shabbat, when he established an association calling on Jews to observe Shabbat.


http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4111512,00.html

‘Words with Friends’ – the power of an unplugged Shabbat

By Rabbi Joel Seltzer

In this increasingly technological, staggeringly global world, many of us have come to the terrifying realization that our time is no longer our own; this is why, more than ever, we need Shabbat in our lives.  

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/words-with-friends-the-power-of-an-unplugged-shabbat-1.379821

The shul that fits

August 19, 2011 BY RACHEL HELLER, JewishJournal

"Several months ago, I finally put my finger on it: “Shabbat Shalom.” I yearn to give and receive the ritual greeting I’d always taken for granted in my youth.

"It happens most Friday nights. I close my laptop, pack stray work-related thoughts into my mental filing cabinet and begin to decompress for the weekend, when an insistent pang starts tugging at my brain. Something, I’ve long felt, is missing."

http://www.jewishjournal.com/tribe/article/the_shul_that_fits_20110819/

Why even ‘social justice’ workers need to rest

A Conversation on Religion and Politics by Sally Quinn

"Many of us in the world of public service and social justice feel this same sense of urgency. Even though we know that we have more than a week to do our work, we still worry that if we put down our blackberries for twenty-five hours (the length of the Jewish Sabbath), or even one hour, we’ll miss an emergency. We believe that if we could somehow work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, we would be far more productive.

"But the very point of the Sabbath is to teach us that this all-encompassing approach to work helps neither us nor the world."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/post/why-even-social-justice-workers-need-to-rest/2011/08/18/gIQAlxmhOJ_blog.html

A Woman's Spiritual Edge

Posted 8/13/2011 by David Suissa

"I got a taste of that edge last Friday night at Temple Beth Am, where a packed house welcomed their new cantor, Magda Fishman, a soulful trumpet player who sings Shlomo Carlebach melodies like Billie Holliday sings the blues."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-suissa/judaism-womans-edge_b_923776.html

At Camp Be’chol Lashon, It’s Bug Juice and More for Jews of Color - NYTimes.com

“If there’s Christians of all colors and all kinds, and Muslims of all colors and all kinds,” Amalia, 11, said over Shabbat lunch, “then why would Jewishness be any different?”

At Camp Be’chol Lashon, It’s Bug Juice and More for Jews of Color - NYTimes.com

Leaders of Jewish movements agree to promote Shabbat joys

This was originally posted Friday, March 28, 1997 by DEBRA NUSSBAUM COHEN, Jewish Telegraphic Agency


NEW YORK -- Some spend the day praying in synagogue, sharing a meal with family and friends, resting and then praying some more.  For others, Shabbat is a time for a family outing or a walk in the woods.

Jews from all denominations separate the day of rest from the work week, cherishing the gift of time set aside for spiritual and physical restoration.  And though the leaders of the Orthodox, Conservative and Reform movements are warring, they all agree on the need to promote Shabbat.

Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald wants to bring the gift of Shabbat to all Jews. And according to surveys, it's a gift most American Jews have never gotten.  Buchwald is the founder and director of the National Jewish Outreach Program, which tries to bring basic Jewish literacy to everyone by sponsoring short courses at synagogues.

So he designated Friday, April 4 as "Shabbat Across America." He hopes that at this time, some 40,000 Jews of every religious stripe will welcome Shabbat with worship and dinner at their local synagogues.

http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/5397/leaders-of-jewish-movements-agree-to-promote-shabbat-joys/

Lieberman Wants His Legacy to Be About Beauty of Shabbat

August 10, 2011 - Ron Kampeas, Jewish Telegraphic Agency

The book also provides a glimpse into how religion shaped this most adamant of congressional centrists, whose stubborn hewing to his beliefs brought him within shouting distance of the vice presidency before propelling him toward the end of his political career (Lieberman announced in January that he will not seek re-election in 2012).

One potent example of Lieberman's championing of freedom through restrictions is how the dictates of the holy day liberate him from his BlackBerry.

"Six days a week, I'm never without this little piece of plastic, chips and wires that miraculously connect me to the rest of the world and that I hope makes me more efficient, but clearly consumes a lot of my time and attention," he writes. "If there were no Sabbath law to keep me from sending and receiving email all day as I normally do, do you think I would be able to resist the temptation on the Sabbath? Not a chance. Laws have this way of setting us free."


http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/24159/Lieberman_Wants_His_Legacy_to_Be/

Impressive background takes back seat to Shabbat for this author

Written by Brigit Katz

Wednesday, 10 August 2011

TORONTO – Dr. Yvette Alt Miller boasts an impressive academic and professional background. She earned graduate and post-graduate degrees from Harvard, Oxford and the London School of Economics. She then went on to teach as an adjunct professor at several universities and work as an international Trade Analyst with the US International Trade Commission. It may come as a surprise, then, that Alt Miller’s first book is far removed from the worlds of academia and politics. Instead, Angels at the Table: A Practical Guide to Celebrating Shabbat is a comprehensive introduction to the practices involved with observing the Sabbath, and the book is deeply rooted in Jewish religious tradition.

“I think everyone craves real experiences, especially these days, when everyone is twittering and IM-ing,” she said. “[Shabbat] is a day to connect with other people…. Any exposure to a traditional Shabbos is nothing but positive."

http://www.jewishtribune.ca/TribuneV2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4596&Itemid=53

Joe Lieberman releases book about beauty of Shabbat

http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=233112
Upon meeting with Lieberman in his Senate offices last week, before the Aug. 16 release date of his new book, “The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath,” he laughed at the term evangelical. But he also embraced it.

“In a way it is” evangelical, he said.  Not that he wanted to convert anyone, Lieberman emphasized.  “This gift, I wanted not only to share with Jews who are not experiencing it, who haven't accepted it, but also in some measure to appeal to Christians to come back to their observance of their Sabbath on Sundays,” he said.

‘Chick Shabbat’

‘Chick Shabbat’ brings congregation together for service

MARLTON — When volunteers were needed to fill in during Shabbat services a few years ago, mostly all women stepped up. They had so much fun with their “Chick Shabbat,” they decided to make it an official event, and it took place again recently.

http://www.southjerseylocalnews.com/articles/2011/07/29/entertainment/doc4e33074259953799001675.txt

Shabbat - Just Do It!

Unwrapping the Gift of Sabbath / Shabbat

Today...I invite you to join in receiving and unwrapping this precious gift which God has placed into our hands: Shabbat / Sabbath!

The Electronic Sabbath Challenge - Abdi Assadi

Want to really go wild? Have an electronic Sabbath one day a week. Cease carrying, mindlessly and addictively staring at or using any of these communciation tools one day of your weekend. You can do it, really. May be a whole day might be too much without medical supervision. You can certainly begin doing it for one hour every day and attempt at rebuilding a relationship with yourself. with time, gradually increase your withdrawal. Symptoms can include anxiety, restlessness, boredom, grumpiness, and deep fatigue -- did I mention anxiety? But they do pass, followed or accompanied by a sense of serenity that is beyond delicious. Just remember, easy does it. One step at a time.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/abdi-assadi/electronic-sabbath_b_888826.html

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

The Rev. David Wilkerson, an evangelical minister and author who founded the Times Square Church to minister to the downtrodden in one of Manhattan’s seedier precincts, but whose later writings included apocalyptic predictions for New York City and beyond, died on Wednesday in an automobile accident in Texas. He was 79 and lived near Tyler, Tex.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/29/nyregion/rev-david-wilkerson-79-evangelist-dies-in-crash.html