"This Shabbat at Anshe Sfard:
This Shabbat, we will have a special program in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. After the conclusion of services, Rabbi Polsky will speak briefly about "The Moral Message of the Exodus." After Rabbi Polsky's discussion, we will be privileged to hear from Rev. Martha Orphe. Rev. Orphe is the pastor of First Street Peck Wesley United Methodist Church, one of the organizations we are partnering with this weekend. Rev. Orphe will speak about the meaning of the Exodus in the civil rights movement. After Rev. Orphe's presentation everyone is invited to our delicious buffet Kiddush Lunch. We hope you will join us for what will be the perfect kickoff to MLK weekend."
It used to be that you needed to be Avi Weiss to do things like this. Or before that it was A.J. Heschel. All that Jewish guilt that they do well and prosper, whereas their African-American brethren wallow in poverty and despair. Now YU musmakhim do it too. אשרינו שזכינו. Maybe Rabbi Weinbeger can do some positive influencing at YU. I wonder if the right Rabbi has a Rabbinic advisor with whom he discusses issues such as this? It may be a totally independent shul. Or, even if the shul does belong, there is no real oversight. Who knows.
33 comments:
is the pastor speaking from the pulpit?
Its terrible.
and the zionist rabbinate suddenly is soimech on avi weiss today.
Ah, pinchas is relevant came back!
The fringes of orthodoxy are sadly falling away.
Would that there were more Rabbis like Rabbi Polsky! MLK was a Tzadik in terms of his support for Israel, his support for Soviet Jews, and his opposition to anti-Semitism. He deserves to be honored by every Jew in the world.
And we do so here in Riverdale:
http://www.thebayit.org/event/martin-luther-king-jr-day-concert.html
charlie hall- he was a tzaddik in his support for israel? You mean he held that it was an egregious sin to establish the state? that its existence is a stain in jewish history?
charlie, i think the problem people have is that a christian clergywoman is speaking in a shul. it's not a problem with mlk.
same mashpia as 8th day and avi weiss, its called do whatever you feel like
Can I ask what the objection to this can possibly be on halakhic grounds?
1) MLK devoted his life to the highest Jewish ideals. He frequently made reference to Amos 5:24, and the imagery of the exodus was a major influence in his liberation theology.
2) Shuls commemorating the lives of righteous gentiles is nothing new.
3) When Isaiah says that "My House shall be a House of Prayer for all peoples," he meant it. If we're going to say a shul is a mikdash me'at, then we really have to mean it, and not be selective, and Isaiah's statement is a testament to the fact that HaShem desires the prayers of gentiles, as well. Ironically, in our parsha, Yitro the Midianite is the one who shows Israel how to praise God.
4) Interfaith coexistence and cooperation is something you either embrace or don't embrace. Courageous Orthodox rabbis such as David Rosen, Shear Yashuv Cohen, and Jonathan Sacks have long engaged in such relationships, and wouldn't even object to entering a church, on the grounds that Christianity is not avodah zarah (are God-fearing Christians, who donate thousands to Israeli causes, reject replacement theology, as the UMC does, and who pray our psalms, read our scriptures, believe in our God, and follow a Jewish rabbi of the 1st century as their messiah pagan, idol worshippers?)
I'm curious to see what sort of answer this elicits.
" Interfaith coexistence and cooperation is something you either embrace or don't embrace."
its not an issue of embracing or not, its a matter of "is this something which our sages permit or not?" And the greatest have all said NO.
not the first time - see here:
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=27853&hilite=86890e66-dfd0-4713-9d85-3733d944c96b&st=%u05db%u05d5%u05de%u05e8
Mr. Sayani
what is this "highest of all Jewish ideals" that you speak of?
I cannot continue to your next points until I've established that.
Since you raise the issue of Jews and Christians which directly relates to intermarriage and the zaddik Rick Jacobs was given a seat of honor at the Chabad convention, let me add the Jewish Week cover story this week, reports that rav Jacobs said that fighting intermarriage today is like fighting gravity. So here we go a group like Chabad which claims to fight intermarriage honors a rav who supports intermarriage ! And your readers claim Reform has surrendered to Chabad, it seems the opposite is true. So how long before the shluchim konferenz has a galach attending or maybe it already happened ?
The values of our Prophets are the highest Jewish ideals. The things Isaiah, Amos, Jeremiah, and others taught and devoted their lives to teaching. These values are things like peace (which Jews pray for multiple times a day, and Shalom is even one of HaShem's names), social justice, and liberation, namely, the breakdown of oppressive social structures into social forces affirmative of the common good. This is the vision that MLK promoted in his life, and the vision that lies at the heart of Judaism. Our nevi'im constantly spoke of the need for justice and the repair of our broken society, and MLK devoted his life to fulfilling that mandate and vision. Hence, that's why Amos 5:24 was a fixture of his preaching. Can't get more Jewish than our own prophets, from our own Tanakh.
Schneur
" let me add the Jewish Week cover story this week, reports that rav Jacobs said that fighting intermarriage today is like fighting gravity. "
I am not the spokesman of Rick Jacobs, but Rick was saying a fact, that it is unfortunate the truth, Chabad and all outreach are trying the outmost, but it will help very little. He obviously does not not believe (as he does not believe in other parts of torah) that Ki Loi Yidach Mimanie Kol Nidach
Schneur
"Since you raise the issue of Jews and Christians which directly relates to intermarriage and the zaddik Rick Jacobs was given a seat of honor at the Chabad convention"
No matter what the Hungarians/satmar labeled non frum jews. In Chabad theology they still believe that rich Jacobs has a Chelek Elokai Mimaal Mamesh..so its not the same at all. I know you will find some Reshab quotes, but rick still has the Chelek Elokai Mimaal Mamesh.. vs. Umois Oilem.
Krule Rav
""Since you raise the issue of Jews and Christians which directly relates to intermarriage and the zaddik Rick Jacobs was given a seat of honor at the Chabad convention"
Chabad does not need an excuse for inviting a Yid (no Matter his position) to a chasidic night. They believe(you can claim that they are naive as Rick Jacobs probably believes too) that he definitely had a hirhur teshuva Just from participating in such a holy place where 1000's of chasidim are there for the one and only reason of Lesaken Oilaem Bemalchus Shakai Hashem.
"In Chabad theology they still believe that rich Jacobs has a Chelek Elokai Mimaal Mamesh"
You mean like Yoshke, aka JC?
huh
I dont know what happened with Yoshkes Jewish soul? maybe you know?
Even he will have tikkun one day
The am haratzus here is spectacular at times.
The Maharal writes explicity that Yoshke had a complete tikkun already.
How do you like that ?
I love when people shoot from the hip, ( or gut ) all while being clueless.
Well at least he is not spouting off, all that garbage, that all you lubav's went to hear at call of the shofar.
DO you not realize it, you lubav's have no credibility regarding others, when in their own backyard, there are snails crawling all over.
D.Sayani
Rabbi sacks attending the wedding of a member of British Royalty as the chief Rabbi of England is Halachicly permitted for reasons beyond the scope of this comment
However the vast majority of the poskim agree that Christianity is considered avodah zarah and a Jew is forbidden to enter a church. The following reasons are offered:
Most poskim consider Christianity to be avodah zarah.
Even if avodah zarah b'shituf is permitted, it is only permitted for a non-Jew. For a Jew, however, there is no difference between avodah zarah and avodah zarah b'shituf. For him, therefore, a church is considered a house of avodah zarah.
The view of the Ran (Sanhedrin 61b) is that the belief in any religion except Judaism constitutes avodah zarah. He says the following: “...even the Christian saints, and even the...leader of the Ishmaelites, even though their followers do not consider them gods, nevertheless, since they bow to them to acknowledge that they are human incarnation of their divinities, they all have the halachic status of avodah zarah...”
Even if present-day gentiles do not worship idols, nevertheless their churches are considered houses of idol worship, since all the services conducted therein are performed in the name of avodah zarah.
http://www.tog.co.il/en/TorahNew.aspx?id=2304
The Maharal writes explicity that Yoshke had a complete tikkun already.
Reb Hirsh, can you please, l'toeles haklal, give us a reference?
R hirsch... There is no such maharal. Mabee u meant rabbi ectstein.
Rav shraga feibel mendelivtiz זצ״ל used to say that after 50,000 yovels yoska will have a tikun in the שם אריזל.
The arizal is unknown. ( heard from rav moshe wolfson shlita.
The halakhic status of Christianity isn't as simple as presented, but this isn't the forum for an argument such as that.
I suggest you read R' Eliyahu Benamozegh's sefer for a clear explanation of how a Jewish theology can be both traditional and affirmative of the dignity of difference, as R' Sacks phrases it.
On this most sacred day, build bridges and increase love and peace in the world. Don't sow the seeds of hatred and fundamentalism.
Snagy
"Well at least he is not spouting off, all that garbage, that all you lubav's went to hear at call of the shofar."
you can use some help the Shofar organization or the Lulov organization , but go for help
OBzerver
"Mabee u meant rabbi ectstein."
who is that?
Obzerver
"that after 50,000 yovels "
is this in accordance with our emunah of Shit Alfie shnin,?
Anon 3
the Remah in shulchan OC 152 holds different then the Ran and the famous Nodah beyehudah
What is sacred about the day?
מדאורייתא
מדרבנן
מדברי סופרים
מנהג הנביאים
רבנן סבוראי
?
Unbelievable! So many Jews were instrumental in the Civil Rights movement including A.J Heschel and other "rabbonim"! Jewish freedom fighters even died for the cause, which I hold eventually led to what we have today, Obama in the White House and an ever growing welfare state. What did we get in return? Farrakhan, Jesse Jackson and their ilk yemach shemam etc... The liberal black establishment is anti Jewish and anti Israel. So many better more worthy causes to support. I wonder if the good Reverend celebrates Yom HaShoa. For a frum rabbi to do this is a joke.
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