Passover
So someone reminded me today about this blog....so I decided to allow the world back into my mind and discuss Passover.
Why is is that most Christians have no knowledge about Passover? Some of them do not even realize that the Last Supper was Jesus at a Passover Seder. Yes I know some people might find it shocking that Jesus, whose name was most likely Joshua, was Jewish. Although many Christians deny this, most people acknowledge this fact. The similarities between Passover and Easter aren't many other then they both are a kind of celebration for Spring.
Passover, contrary to many people's beliefs has nothing to do with Jesus, which for some may be obvious, but I cannot tell you how many times this semester I have had to explain to relatively intelligent people that Judaism has nothing to do with Jesus. Rather, Christianity comes from Judaism.
Passover, in short, is the story of Moses, in other words go watch The Prince of Egypt, and you'll have some idea what Passover is about. What is most important about Passover, at least from my perspective, is that idea that the Jews were once slaves in Egypt and because of Gd and Moses, they are a free people. This helps me to be grateful not only because I lead a pretty privileged life, but also for Israel. I consider Israel central to my Jewish identity and I believe that without the state of Israel the Jewish people would be like slaves maybe not literally but possibly metaphorically. The state of Israel allows the Jewish people to be free, to have open conversations about Jewish text, something they were unable to do freely for hundreds of years. That's my rant for the day....
Holocaust Denial
http://www.adl.org/PresRele/HolocaustDenial_83/4945_83.htmThe above is a link to the ADL's press release about the Conference being held in Tehran. The entire thing seems absurd! But the part that I found most interesting is that apparently the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad thinks that, "believes that if he can prove that the Holocaust is an historical fiction, then not only will Israel's legitimacy disappear, but it will be revealed that Jews are frauds and imposters who tricked the world into giving them a state they did not 'deserve."
What kind of crazy person thinks that we can make up all those pictures, keeping in mind that the technology that we have today did not exist then. How would we magically make 6 million people disappear? It's just the craziest think I've ever heard and the whole thing makes me mad. And the fact that well educated people would chose to attend this conference makes me even more mad! Who gave these people their degrees? There are at least three Americans there, which just blows my mind, how embarrassing that some wack job from this country is at that conference.
Obviously the Holocaust is not fiction, but would the state of Israel not exist without it?
I personally believe that the creation of the Jewish state would have happened with or without the Holocaust. I think the world already knew that the Jewish people needed a state of their own because of the persecution that they faced in other countries for years.
Imus
http://www.adl.org/media_watch/radio/20061208-Imus.htmThis is a link to a letter from the ADL to Imus, a radio host who apparently made anti-semitic remarks on the air last week. Apparently this is not Imus' first offense, if you look in the box that says "related media" there is a link to another letter written to Imus in 2004 about anti-semitic remarks he made then. If Imus seems to be a repeat offender of making anti-semitic remarks, do you think that any action should be taken? In the 2004 letter the ADL writes "We realize that your show often uses humor to debunk stereotypes by poking fun at them, and we do have a sense of humor." Do you think that if Imus had been Jewish the reaction would have been different from both the audience and the ADL? I am not sure how I feel on this because I think the tone at which Imus said what he said could really effect how it comes across. Is it okay for anyone who is not Jewish to use Jewish stereotypes as humor? I'm still not sure how I feel about it! I mean isn't it really hypocritical to tell one person not to make antisemitic remarks for humor and then allow someone else to do so because they are Jewish. Or perhaps it is okay because it is just like when someone makes fun of themselves, its an attack on something they understand or where they are coming from.
A Rabbi's opinion on the Christmas Tree
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16158752/site/newsweek/This is an article written by Rabbi Gellman, I think he has an interesting look at the situation. He points out that greatest threat is not that the airport displayed the tree in the first place, but that the airport would not allow the Rabbi to erect a Chanukah menorah. Gellman suggests that any group that wishes to erect a holiday object should be allowed to. I don't necessarily agree with this idea, because I am one of the people whom he talks about want no religious objects displayed in public places, especcially when the objects are paid for by government money. I just thought the article was interesting and it was kind of a follow up to my last blog.
Christmas Tree in the Airport
I don't know how many of you heard the news story about the Christmas Tree that was taken down in the Washington Airport after a Rabbi complained, but here's the link to the story:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16150563/I always thought it was strange that the Christmas Tree was allowed to be put up in public institutions like in the state house. I know that the supreme court has ruled it a non-religious object, but that does not make sense to me. The thing is called a "Christmas Tree," it's not a holiday bush or tree, it's specific to a holiday which is specific to a religion. I was just wondering what everyone's thoughts on it were.
I just think that religion has no place in any public institutions, there's a difference between snowflakes and snowmen from Christmas wreaths and trees. It really makes me feel uncomfortable when public places decorate for what they call "the holidays," but the objects that they usually decorate with are usually pretty Christmas oriented.
Christmas
I don't know about anyone else...But I cannot stand the Christmas season, which by the way seems to start earlier and earlier each year. I cannot stand how everyone wishes everybody a Merry Christmas, I just want to shout back "And Happy Chanukah and Kwanza to you!" I cannot stand Christmas music, listening to songs about Jesus or the Christmas tree does not entertain me.
When I was in High school and middle school I was in choir and every year they would make us sing a bunch of what they called "holiday songs," which most of them were about Christmas, there was even religious songs thrown in, and there would be like one Chanukah song, usually "Dreidle, Dreidle, Dreidle!" I never sang them, I just lipped them. First of all my HS was a little messed up to begin with, it had a gospel Choir and every year put on the Messiah musical. This by the way was at a High School that at least 10% of the school was Jewish.
I just do not think that any religious material should be sang in school to begin with, I do not care if it is "art."
And why do people always equate Chanukah with Christmas? Chanukah is not like the biggest Jewish holiday! It makes me angry!
Last names
I've been watching Gentleman's Agreement several time this week because I'm viewing it for my paper. There is a character in the film that changes her last name because it was obviously Jewish and she was unable to get jobs, once she changed her last name she was able to get a job. I just don't think it's okay to change your last name because it appears to be "too Jewish," I know many people in Hollywood have done this, but I just don't think it's right, and it really bothers me. In a way it seems as if they are running away from who they really are and they feel they need to hide their heritage.
