Jewish Identity Today

Final Paper!

2006-12-14T08:17:00.000-08:00

Here's my final paper....enjoy! And everyone have happy holidays!!!

Jewish Identity in Present Day Mississippi

Deep in the heart of Dixie, from the Gulf Coast to Memphis, lives a vibrant population that is often unseen. Jewish communities are present throughout the state of Mississippi, as well as the rest of the South. Though other American Jews may not know of their existence, these communities have a very rich history which dates back to before Mississippi joined the Union in 1917 (Nelson 33). Many Jewish communities have died out or moved away in the past 180 years, but there are still several communities which remain strong both culturally and religiously. These Jews have become accepted members of their local community and have created a tight Jewish network throughout Mississippi. Jews of Mississippi continually face challenges such as assimilation, anti-Semitism, and preservation of distinct Southern Jewish culture. In order to evaluate the current state of Jewish identity in Mississippi it is important to reflect back on changes of the past 180 years in comparison to what remains. No community can move forward without knowing it’s past.
Jews have lived in the South since the late 17th Century. Most were Eastern European Jews who came to America during one of the many waves of immigration. A large number of Jews arrived in the United States by way of Ellis Island. While many opportunities existed at the time for immigrants in New York, there were also lots of opportunities in the South as well. Many Jews in Mississippi can trace their family history back to a single peddler. Jewish peddlers moved down South looking for business. They traveled with a pack full of merchandise and wandered around the rural South selling supplies to farming families. These peddlers were often in their late teens or early twenties and traveled down through New Orleans, a thriving port city, and then looped back up through the Mississippi Delta. The peddling trade proved to be very successful; it was needed as parts of the rural South had no stores from which families could buy supplies. After a few years of peddling, it was common for the peddler to establish a business in a small town (Turitz xii). Charlie Goldberg, owner of Goldberg’s Department Store in Greenwood, agrees that opening a business was the next step for most peddlers. “Many Jews opened stores in small towns after peddling their way through the back roads of the rural South, bringing much-needed merchandise to the scattered population” (Fox 32). Phil Cohen of Lexington recounts the story of how his grandfather found his way to Mississippi to establish the business Cohen’s Department Store which has been in business since 1900:

“Grandpa Cohen came down South because he had a relative in Memphis. He began peddling around the Memphis area and down a little ways in to the Northern parts of Mississippi. He was a sick man and his doctor told him that better water would make him feel better. He decided to move a little ways south near some natural springs. He took the train south looking for a town to settle in. He got off the train in a town called Tchula, Mississippi, where he met three Jewish men that really needed a fourth Jew so that they could play pinochle. So the Cohen family moved to Tchula, and he opened a store. A few years after moving to Tchula, Grandpa decided to move one town over to Lexington because a Jewish merchant had just built a block on the town square and offered him a store there. They had also just built a synagogue, so Jewish life would be better (Cohen).”

Over a hundred years later, Cohen’s Department Store is still in business. Now the only Jewish owned business in the town of 3,000, Cohen claims that at one time, there were at over a dozen Jewish owned businesses in Lexington. Jewish merchants became a very important part of Southern life. Most small towns in Mississippi had at least one “Jew store.” According to Cohen, today there are Jewish owned businesses in small towns such as Belzoni, Greenwood, Lexington, Indianola, Greenville, Columbus, Batesville, Vicksburg, and Grenada (Cohen). At least one Jewish owned business from Mississippi has made a big name for itself on a national level. Stein Mart, which was started in 1908 by Jake, Bernard, and Sadie Stein of Greenville, now has over 200 stores around the US. Though the business now has its headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida, the company still proudly claims its roots in the Mississippi Delta (Stein-Cohen).
Because of the successful nature of the Jewish merchant, Jews were accepted in to Southern society. Perhaps the locals did not understand Judaism, but most towns welcomed Jews to take part in the community. Ben Lamensdorf tells the following humorous story about the ignorance of Judaism among non-Jews in Cary, Mississippi: “One evening, the day Sandy Koufax announced that he wouldn’t pitch in the World Series on Yom Kippur, some workers on my father’s farm knocked on the door and asked him: ‘You’re Jewish, can you talk to Sandy Koufax about this and convince him that it is all right to play?” (Fox 25). Though the workers did not understand Judaism, they tried to include Lamensdorf’s father in the community’s concern of losing the World Series. Many towns throughout Mississippi have had Jews serve as politicians on the local, state, and national level. Vicksburg and Brookhaven both had Jewish mayors at one time (Cohen). Some towns, such as Marks, were even founded by Jews. Though Marks no longer has any Jews residing there, it was founded by Leopold Marks who traded and sold land in the Coldwater River region. He also served as Quitman County’s first representative to the state legislature (Fox 1).
Today, the Jewish population in small towns around Mississippi has significantly dwindled. Towns like Lexington, which at one time had a thriving Jewish community, now has seven Jews (Cohen). This is the trend of all small towns in Mississippi as well as the rest of the South. This drop in Jewish population could be attributed to children’s desire to leave their small town to attend university. Historian Vicki Fox says, “Like many other Jews, I left my small hometown to attend college in a big Southern city and did not return. This exodus of young Jews ultimately meant the demise of small-town Southern Jewish life as I knew it, even as Jewish communities in larger Southern cities became invigorated by the growth they experienced” (Fox XVI). Few Jewish teens attend university in Mississippi. In the 1950’s, Tulane was where all the Mississippi Jews went (Cohen). Today, trends seem to show that Jewish students are attending larger state schools such as Texas, Arizona, or Louisiana State University. After completing their schooling, most students do not move back home. Lawrence Chiz of Shaw was an exception to the rule. “Every town along the Delta had Jews in it. But nine out of ten of my contemporaries did not come back. I am a remnant” (Fox 28).
Jews in the South find themselves in a very unique position; they are wedged between two extremely rich cultures: Southern and Jewish. At times these cultures can clash with one another. For example, southern accents are not generally associated with Judaism. “Whenever I traveled outside of the South, my Southern accent was heard as being at odds with my Jewish identity” (Fox XV). Because of such clashes, Jews in Mississippi have had to craft a personal Judaism which adheres to the principles of each culture. Over the years, they have been able to find a place in Southern culture while remaining Jewish in a land so far removed from larger Jewish communities (Ferris 6). Food is as huge of a part of Southern culture as it is of Jewish culture. Southern heritage combined with Jewish tradition creates a delightful “mix of flavor and methods with Old World ingredients and techniques” (Ferris 7). Jews in the South have come up with many ways over the past 200 years to combine Southern delicacies with Jewish cuisine. In her book Matzoh Ball Gumbo, Marcie Cohen Ferris talks about how some Jewish families in Mississippi created their own way to keep kosher in the South. She calls this “southernized kashrut.” Keeping kosher in Mississippi is very hard. There are no kosher delis and there is nowhere to get kosher food. Jews who wish to keep kosher must order their meat from Memphis, Atlanta, or St. Louis. As a result, many Jews compromise the strictness of traditional kashrut, and implement a personal form of this “southernized kashrut” which could include not eating traif at home, no bacon on Shabbat, or even having a special set of dishes on which to eat traif (Ferris 11-12). “Southernized kashrut” can also mean taking a traditionally Southern meal and making slight alterations that make it kosher. African Americans played a huge part in creating this type of Southern kosher food. African Americans were cooks and servers for white Jews in the South. They used their cultural cooking knowledge and prepared the food according to Jewish dietary laws (Ferris 6-7). The outcome was dishes such as “Creole Matzoh Balls” or “Pesach Fried Green Tomatoes” (Ferris 135-137).
Jews in Mississippi also use the holidays as a way to observe rich Southern culture. “Even today during the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot, communities along the Mississippi River use freshly picked cotton from nearby fields to cover their sukkah” (Fox XVI). The Cohen family of Lexington would use the holidays as a way to educate the community about Judaism.
“My two sons used to decorate the house with Chanukah lights so that we could compete in the town Christmas lights competition each year. We would have this huge Magen David hanging from a tree in the front yard strung in blue lights and it always made people ask questions which we would gladly answer. I wanted to educate the community so that the kids would feel okay about being Jewish” (Stein-Cohen).

It’s important for all Jewish families in Mississippi to assure the children that it is okay to be Jewish, because in many small towns there are very few Jewish children. It was easy to feel alienated. Jack Cristil, who is best known as the “voice of the Mississippi State Bulldogs,” grew up in one of the only Jewish families in Tupelo.

“When you live in a big city, like Miami, Chicago, or New York, there are thousands upon thousands of Jewish people. You can let somebody else represent Judaism because of the large numbers. This is not true in a small community. You are the Jewish community, whether you like it or not. You accept this responsibility. You do the things that are expected of you. You go a step beyond and you consistently keep in the back of your mind that you have got to be a little different and a little special. You go out of your way to make sure that you do not cast aspersions upon the Jewish people by your individual actions” (Fox 65).

Though many Christian neighbors might have been uninformed about Jews, anti-Semitism was never overly rampant in Mississippi. Sara Stein Cohen, originally of Greenville, suggests that this is because many Jews had a good standing in the community. “They had built a name for themselves first as peddlers then as merchants. They always helped out the community, and as people got older the good name got passed down to the children” (Stein-Cohen). Susan Hart, originally of Lexington, says that she never experienced anti-Semitism growing up. She suggests, “It depended on your personality. If you were a nice person and got along with others then there wasn’t a problem. The people who didn’t have strong personalities were the ones who got picked on, but that goes in any case” (Hart). Jew were accepted in most parts of society in the South, Betty Goldstein of Greenville recalls that the only place Jews were not welcomed was the garden club (Fox 1).
It was not until the 1960’s that Jews began to draw the wrong kind of consideration.
With the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, Jews in the South began getting the unwanted attention of being a significant driving force behind the civil rights movement (Nelson 20). The Freedom Rides of 1961, in which many young adults traveled to Mississippi to challenge segregationist laws still in practice, shone much light on Jewish involvement with the civil rights movement. Though most local Jews kept to themselves during this time, the unwanted attention came from the many Jewish riders who came from the North and found themselves in jail (Nelson 37). Rabbi Perry Nussbaum, the rabbi of Beth Israel Congregation at the time, tried to keep a low profile for the sake of his congregation. Unbeknownst to his congregants, Nussbaum was secretly traveling 150 miles to the state prison to visit the Jewish activists who were locked up (Nelson 27). In 1964, Nussbaum finally stepped out in to the light and openly supported civil rights. He stepped up and accepted a position in leading a group called Committee of Concern, which focused on raising money to rebuild black churches that were burned by the Klan (Nelson 44). Many people from Nussbaum’s congregation blame him for the actions that took place next. On September 18, 1967, much of North Jackson was awoken to a loud explosion. Temple Beth Israel had been bombed (Nelson 31).
Since the bombing in 1967, much has changed. Even though Mississippi remains ranked as the poorest state in the United States, there are many positive aspects, great people, and encouraging opportunities which are produced by the state. A new campaign started by Rick Looser of Jackson is striving to stress these positive examples and attempt to show people that Mississippi is not the same place it was thirty years ago (Believe It!). As race relations get better, so do opportunities for Jews. In 1970, a Reform Jewish summer camp was founded in Utica for Jewish children from Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Western Tennessee. Henry S. Jacobs camp educates children and allows them the opportunity to experience a Jewish environment. As Vivian Levingston of Cleveland points out, “That’s why camp is so important to our children. The first time one of my little granddaughters went she said, ‘There’s nothing there but Jews.’ She was used to being the only Jew wherever she went” (Fox 86). In addition to Jacobs camp, the Goldring/Woldenburg Institute for Southern Jewish Life was founded by Macy Hart in 2000. The Institute, which began as the Museum of Southern Jewish Experience in Utica, is dedicated to “providing educational and rabbinic services to isolated Jewish communities, documenting and preserving the rich history of the Southern Jewish experience, and promoting a Jewish cultural presence throughout a twelve state region” (Our Mission). The fight to preserve Jewish culture in the South is extremely important now as more and more Jews move away from their small hometowns.
The most recent challenge for Jews in Mississippi comes from the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Several Jewish communities were uprooted by the storm; all congregants evacuated either before or after the storm, but not everyone has returned. In New Orleans, one Orthodox synagogue claims its membership is down 30% since the storm (Roan). Trends seem to be similar along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Several synagogues were either damaged or destroyed in the storm so returning members are forced to find alternate places to conduct services. A year after the storm, congregants of Temple Beth Israel in Biloxi prayed at Keesler Air Force Base for Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur services (Prescott). While several Jews from the hurricane stricken area have relocated to places such as Houston and Atlanta, a fair share have made their home among the Jackson community (Stein-Cohen). Though it has been fifteen months since the storm, insurance policies remain open, FEMA trailers and blue tarps are still common sights, and vacancy is a common neighbor along the coast. Time has not yet told the story of how many Jews shall return from this modern day Exodus.
History and heritage are very important to both Jews and Southerners. It is evident that Southern Jews have always lived true to these values. Though the Jewish population in many small towns around Mississippi is diminishing, the accomplishments and history of the once thriving Jewish population can never be erased. “As long as there’s a South, there’ll be Jews inhabiting it-upstanding, strong, Jews like the ones who had the vision and fortitude to immigrate all those years ago” (Uhry, Fox XIII).

Ansley, Roan. "Hurricane-Ravaged Jews Prepare for Passover on Gulf Coast." Washington Post 8 Apr. 2006. Nexus Lexus. Herman B. Wells Library, Bloomington, Indiana. 8 Dec. 2006. Keyword: Mississippi Jews.

Cohen, Phil R. Personal interview. 25 Nov. 2006.

Ferris, Marcie C. Matzoh Ball Gumbo. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 2005.

Fox, Vickie R. Shalom Y'All. Photos Bill Aron. Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books, 2002.

Hart, Susan. Personal Interview. 21 Nov. 2006.

Mississippi: Believe It! 7 Dec. 2006 .

Nelson, Jack. Terror in the Night. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993.

"Our Mission." Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life. 2006. 7 Dec. 2006 .

Prescott, Jean. "Jewish High Holidays." The Sun Herald 15 Sept. 2006. Nexus Lexus. Herman B. Wells Library, Bloomington, Indiana. 8 Dec. 2006. Keyword: Mississippi Jews.

Rosen, Robert N. The Jewish Confederates. Columbia: University of South Carolina, 2000.

Stein-Cohen, Sara. Personal interview. 25 Nov. 2006.

Turitz, Leo. Jews in Early Mississippi. Jackson: University P of Mississippi, 1983.

Christmas Tree

2006-12-13T17:11:00.000-08:00

This past week there was some controversy in the Seattle airport. A Jewish man requested that a menorah be put up in the airport for holiday decoration in addition to the 40 Christmas trees. The airports response to this was to take down all the Christmas trees. The reasoning was that they didn't have the time to come up with a Chanukah decoration. They also said that if they put up decorations for Chanukah then they would have to do something for all cultures that are celebrating this time of year and they didn't feel right spending all that money on holiday decorations when they needed more security funding. Personally I think that's crap. Yes, the trees weren't decked out in little baby Jesuses (is that the plural form?) but a tree around Christmas time represents Christmas! I don't think there's anything wrong with them putting the trees up, but I do have a problem with them ignoring all other cultures and religions. And the fact that they can't validate spending money on putting up a menorah but it's all fine and dandy to put up FORTY Christmas trees really burns me.

The Jewish man that initially filed the request for a menorah to be added later said that he did not want for the trees to be taken down. He only wanted that other cultures/religions be acknowledged. The media, on the other hand, really played it off as "uh-oh the Jews are mad." When I first saw the story on cnn.com, the headline made me mad at the man becuase it made it sound like he was angry and asked to have the trees taken down. Once I watched the video online though I saw that that was not the case. I dislike how the media portrays events like this. For people who may not have read the article or watched the video they might be mad that the Jews had the trees taken down.

A New "Jewish Language"

2006-12-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

This may be a rather random post, but it is just something that I was thinking about on my walk home from class today.

We talked a moment about how Jews aren't the only ones that control Jewish identity. This made me think about the way that non-Jews have taken on using Jewish words or Jewish references which come from the American media and pop culture. For example, I have heard lots of non-Jews say things like, "I don't bowl on Shabbas" when they don't want to do something. Or "that's not kosher" when they want to say something is not nice or not acceptable. I think it's really interesting how these Jewish references, or "phrases" if you will, have become mainstream due to their exposure by the entertainment industry. Do you think it's because Jews are so big in the industry? I have never heard anyone say, "That's not hallel."

I almost like the references such as those mentioned above. Even though they are not used in the correct context ("kosher" never means food, and I'm pretty sure that none of my friends at home understand why a Jew wouldn't bowl on Shabbas) it makes me feel like they are at least making an attempt to understand something about me.

Left Behind

2006-12-04T12:47:00.000-08:00

In class, I got the feeling that a lot of people were put off by the Left Behind book. I definately understand that, but I think I see the book differently from most people in our class.

This book represents people's beliefs (though a Christian friend defensively told me upon hearing that I was reading the book, "Please just know that not all Christian's believe that!"). It doesn't matter if I believe the values or the story or the prophecies made in the book, the fact remains that some people do believe it. I find it very important, for that purpose, to not laugh at it. I wouldn't want anyone laughing at me for believing that Jacob wrestled with angels in a dream and woke up a new person named Israel.

Since this book does represent people's beliefs, I can't help but see it as a fantastic educational tool. I only wish that Jews could produce something so educational and so favorable to read. This series of books is aimed at a younger crowd (though I'm sure there are a lot of adult readers). What have Jews produced to teach about religion? I read a children's book a few weeks ago at Chabbad about what will happen when Meshiach comes (which is comparable to Left Behind in one sense). But this book at Chabbad is nothing compared to Left Behind. I've read tons of novels written about Jewish History. I learned a lot about Jewish rituals and history from Michener's The Source but to be honest, it was way too long. Children can't read that book. I challenge anyone to write a book as informational and appealing to Jews as Left Behind is to Christians.

Another key point that I noticed in Left Behind, is the fact that there is no regard to any religions besides Judaism and Christianity. When the idea of a world religion is suggested, Buck says, "Oh, well the Jews will never agree to that." No mention of Muslims or any of the Eastern religions. There are a bunch of Muslims out there who would not be very happy to hear that the world is moving to one religion but the Jews are allowed to keep their own religion! And what about all the Muslim countries that are members of the United Nations? They would never vote to have that happen. This one small thing really put me off; I felt like the author owed more of an explanation to that specific detail.

The Flying Camel

2006-12-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to read several essays in Flying Camel and I had somewhat differing opinions on each article that I read. I'm sad that I missed class discussion about this topic (I was in LA), becuase I find it very interesting and I am curious to read others blogs to see what ya'll think about it. I want to talk about two different essays which really struck me in different ways.

Benign Ignorance or Persistant Resistance?
I thought this was a very honest, straight-forward essay. Rachel Wahba does a fantastic job telling the stories of her mother and father and their entire family's quest for identity. She describes the anti-Semitism that forced her parents to leave their native countries, and tells of their struggle to find a new country. Upon her arrival to America, she learns of the one-sided nature of American Judaism: that of eastern european descent. I never realized how excluded Sefardim are from history books and from general knowledge among other Jews. It blows my mind! What seems even crazier to me, is that I don't think i ever really thought about it before this year. I knew about Sefardim/Mizrahim, but I never thought about the fact that they have a different history and a different culture from Askenazim. I guess I prove Wahba's point.

Ashkenazi Eyes
I did not particularly care for this essay. I thought above all the author just sounded angry. Though Julie Iny does bring up some good points about racism that exists in Israel, I felt a little weary about some of her examples. For instance, she talks about the political party Shas. She acknowledges that Shas is a religious party that is predominately Sefardic. I felt like she ignored the fact that Shas is extremely right wing. Israeli's vote on their government; the fact remains that most Israeli's are not really religious (in whatever sense of the word you want that to mean) so voting for a right wing party may not be very appealing. This results in a low representation of Shas in Israeli politics. I do not know how Mizrahim/Sefardim stand in other political parties, but if they stand for the values that the voting Israeli wants, then I give Iny the right to call it racism. In any case, Iny did open my eyes to the racism and class differences that exist in Israel. I almost wish that her essay were not a reflective one, but rather one with a purpose, because I would like to see what her suggestions for change would be.

Messianic Judaism

2006-11-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

I have spent every New Years in New Orleans since I was in the fifth grade. Every year all the Jews in the South flock to New Orleans to celebrate; it's become known as Jew Years. It's a great time for all the people from my camp and from my NFTY region (which includes New Orleans) to get together for a reunion. It normally includes well over 100 Jews taking over the French Quarter and sometimes organized Mitzvah Projects the following morning (I mean we have do our part in Tikkun Olam right?)

Last year everything changed. After Hurricane Katrina, we didn't know what was going to happen to Jew Years. None of our Jewish friends had homes to host people, and several of them had moved away. After a long debate (conducted mainly through a facebook group), everyone decided we wanted our lives to be normal despite the storm so Jew Years was going to happen in New Orleans once again.

Call me silly, but one of the first thoughts that went through my head when I realized I would be ringing in the New Year once again on Bourbon Street was, "I hope the crazies are back!" (By "back" I mean that they have returned to the city since the Hurricanes.)

"The Crazies": endearing term given to those eager Christian Evangelists who stand and preach on the corners of Bourbon Street.

I always laugh at the signs that they hold up and the way that they preach; I've been told several times in the French Quarter that I'm going to Hell. And for a lot of great reasons: drinking (my kiddush wine of course), laughing at them, being a Jew, etc...

Flash forward to New Years Eve 2006: I'm walking down Bourbon Street with some friends on our way to meet the rest of the group and that's when I saw the big signs: JESUS SAVES. "Yay! The Crazies are back!" I run to greet them, and then I notice something strange...kippot? Why are these crazies wearing kippot? I decided to find out.

I went and talked to the guys for a while. I told them that my biggest problem with them was the fact that they use the term "Jew" when they are not Jews...they belive in Jesus. To me, this seems like a fundamental difference. They tried to assure me that it wasn't.I don't remember all of what the man said to me, but I do remember one main point that he hit on. I asked him something about taking the Bible literally, then he should keep kosher and all that stuff (which he didn't...which is fine becuase I don't either!). I also told him that he should be making sacrifices like the Bible commands. This opened the door for him to preach "Jesus" to me. He told me that Messianic Jews believe that Jesus was the "ultimate sacrifice" and therefore, there shouldn't be any sacrifices made anymore. I thought that was an interesting way to look at it. I'd pick the Amidah over Jesus any day though.

I have no problem with the beliefs of Messianic Jews; I would just rather that they not call themselves Jews. Their belief system is fine with me; who am I to critique the beliefs of someone else. I only wish they wouldn't label themselves as Jews when there is such a fundamental difference between the two religions.

On a different note, I just waned to make one comment about something I found very interesting on the website for the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America website. The site says, "We recognize that Jewish people (physical descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, whether through the mother's or the father's blood-line) who place their faith in Israel's Messiah, Yeshua, continue to be Jewish according to the Scriptures (Rom. 2:28-29)." They make sure to refer to the bloodline of Jews. I thought this was very interesting after our discussion in class about whether Judaism is only a belief or if it is a race. This statement leads me to believe that Messianic Jews would consider it to be a race--it's in one's blood. But does this mean that a Christian (in the normative sense of the word) could convert to be a Messianic Jew?

Sarah Goes to L.A.

2006-11-26T14:53:00.000-08:00

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the United Jewish Communities General Assembly in Los Angeles. The General Assembly (GA) is an annual conference held for Jewish professionals (and students) in the US and Canada. This year there were about 5,000 people in attendance. There were tons of speakers (including Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Olmert) and an expo fair comprising of over 100 Jewish organizations.

Had I only missed my flight to LA, gotten to go to the recording of Deal of No Deal, met Magic Johnson, and seen the second round of tryouts for American Idol in my hotel room Dayeinu! But no....on top of all that Sarah won free trip to Israel from a raffle with the Jewish Agency.

I had signed up for a free lunch for students through Masa and the Jewish Agency the first day of the conference because I figured why not? I want to do one of their programs next year so I might as well hear them and see what they say...and eat. Next thing I know the whole room is looking at me and my friend Amanda is saying, "Sarah...they called your name. That's you!" Turns out I had entered myself in a raffle when I signed up for the lunch.

After I figure out what is happening and the lunch ends, I sit down with a man from the Jewish Agency to discuss my possibilities for using my free trip. It is for an aliyah based program. This doesn't mean that I have to make aliyah, it just means that the program must be focused on it. They will pay for my airfare and program fees. Incredible? I think so. Although they can't give me the program that I am planning on doing next year, I will be able to do a few weeks with them before my 10 month adventure begins. And I get free airfare. What's better than El Al? Not too much.

It really made me think about the Jewish Identity that the Jewish Agency is creating in America. It's all about aliyah. The panel that talked during the lunch was comprised of 5 olim chadashim. Some were religious, some were not religious, some were in the army, etc... I belive all of them were American by birth (I could be wrong about that though....but definately the majority were American). Through the Jewish Agency they had created a whole new life for themselves in Israel. Different language, different culture, different people; but they are all Jews. The emphasis on making aliyah made me really think about the Diaspora. The American Diaspora is like un-religious Jewish Israeli on Shabbat (or rather Jews who are not Shomer Shabbas). We need both to survive! If no Jews worked on Shabbat then what would the IDF do? And what about the hospitals? Similarly, what would Israel do with the backing of the American Jewish population? When Prime Minister Olmert spoke at the GA he told us that the UJC had raised over $225 million for Israel in the past few months since the war against Hezbollah began. That's a lot of money! Without a strong Jewish population in America today that would not have happened. Aliyah is not for everyone; it's a definate possibility for me, so I consider myself to be extremely lucky for winning this trip, but what if it had been someone had no interest in it?

In conclusion: I love Israel, I love the Jewish Agency, and I'm going to Israel for free! (oh yeah, and watch for me in the background of Deal or No Deal in January...I'm wearing a blue shirt!)

Rak Barak

2006-10-31T16:12:00.000-08:00

Last night I had the opportunity to see former Prime Minister Ehud Barak speak at the IU Auditorium. I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity. While I don't necessarily agree with all of Barak's politics, I thought that he was a fantastic speaker. His thick accent was a little hard to understand at points, but his knowledge of the English language was very impressive. As one person said during the Q & A, "Your English is quite impressive as a second or third language...I wish we had a leader who could speak one language correctly."

Attendance was very impressive. I think it is pretty safe to say that the majority of the crowd was Jewish though many Muslim and Christian students and Bloomington residents were there as well. I felt very connected with the audience. When Barak would say something good there was a lot of applause. Of course there were protestors who tried to make points to object to what Barak was saying (both Jews and non-Jews). I thought that Barak handled these comments very elegantly. I was extremely impressed with his responses to these questions.

Overall I really enjoyed the lecture. It made me extremely happy that Union Board brought someone so influential for the State of Israel to IU.

Jewish GLBT Communities

2006-10-30T14:56:00.000-08:00

In 1492, the Jews of Spain were given a choice: convert or leave.

I watched the movie "Trembling Before G-d" this morning before class. It really made me sick to see how people within the Jewish community are shunned because of their sexual orientation. There were many instances in the movie of people being told that in order to fit in and be accepted in the community they must change who they are. In class we watched the story of David, a man from Chicago who was told 20 years ago by a rabbi to get therapy to "fix" him. Twenty years later and he's still gay. The same rabbi told him this time he must not live the lifestyle that makes him comfortable because it is just not right.

Essentially David was given a choice: be straight or leave.

Do you see my connection?

Gay Jews are being shunned just as the Jews of Spain were over 500 years ago. Only this time it is by other Jews. In Spain the Jews were expelled because of their beliefs. Many Jews left because they identified as Jews; they couldn't change who they were. And now gay Jews are being told that they must change who they are or else they will be expelled as well. It just seems very hypocritical to me. How could that rabbi say this to David when he knows the history of his people and he knows what it is like to be shunned based on personal feelings and beliefs?

I think by watching this movie I gained a lot more respect for the greater gay community. Jewish or not, it gave me a sense of what people who identify as homosexual must go through in order to be true to themselves.

Jewish Literature

2006-10-29T21:29:00.000-08:00

I was just reading over my blogs and I realized that I forgot to write about Jewish literature. This makes me sad because I love reading books about Judaism. Specifically, I love reading fiction novels about Judaism.

Two years ago I took a class at IU about Jewish American Literature. It was a great class (H303 in the Honors college for those of you who haven't yet registered for next semester). We read several books about Jews living in America. One of the books was called The Far Euphrates by Aryeh Lev Stollman. This book is now in my top five favorite books of all time. After we read the book, Mr. Stollman came to IU to give a lecture and came to my class to talk to us. It was a really interesting experience to hear the story behind the writing and to hear him explain how he came up with the storyline. Needless to say, when I saw we were reading one of his short stories for class I knew it would be good. :)

Mr. Mitochondria reminded me of The Far Euphrates in that it uses Judaism as the background for the story, but it is never really mentioned as the main focal point. Yet both are described as "Jewish Literature." Perhaps this could be because Stollman uses Biblical allegories in his stories such as, "Outside the kitchen lay heavy rolls of transparent plastic between the purple pinnacles of Sarah's Handmaiden and the waxy crimson blossoms of Job's Wife."

The most interesting part of the story to me, was the way that Stollman uses mitochondrion to describe Judaism. At least that's what I thought was happening. Adar, the main character, does a report on mitochondria and explains that it is actually a parasite that lives in the cell. It has evolved from a type of bacteria which has evolved and now is accepted by the cell and works to aid the cell by providing it power. Mitochondrion are passed down through a mother's genes.

The way I interpreted this science report was that Judaism is like a mitochondria. Jews went in to exile 2000 years ago and have eventually "evolved" or assimilated in to different cultures. Slowly but surely Jews have been accepted (in the West anyways) and now are able to work hand in hand with the rest of the surrounding communities to contribute to common goals of the community. A Jew is also historically defined as someone whose mother is Jewish; once again matrilineal descent is a commonality between mitochondria and Jews.

Two observations:

Jews are not bacteria. (this is me being sarcastic by the way)
I wonder what others think of Stollman's comparison and definition of a mother's genetic makeup being passed down to her children.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I've added The Dialogues of Time and Entropy to next summers reading list.

Dan Nichols

2006-10-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

Last night Dan Nichols visited IU. He led Reform services at Hillel and then had a concert after later on in the night. I love Dan Nichols. Dan is the man. For those of you who may not be familiar with him, he is a Jewish musician who is well-known among the Reform camping/youth movement. Check out more about him at his website www.jewishrock.com.

This was the fourth time I have seen Dan perform. I have seen him perf0rm in New Orleans, Washington DC, and Utica, Mississippi. All of the other performances have been for many more people, but there is just something about his music and the way that he sings it that brings ruach to the community no matter what the size.

During the concert, Dan told us a story about a quote that someone had showed him. The quote was, "Do as much as you can with the time that you have in the place that you are." It just happens that this quote, which was said by a young boy who was the oldest person at age 11 to still be living after having been born with AIDS, has 18 words in it. Dan's band is called "E18ghteen" so this appealed to him. The boy was not Jewish and had no ties to Judaism, but this woman showed this quote to Dan and challenged him to "find the Jewishness" within it. He said that he loved the quote and could feel a connection but had no idea how to find the Jewishness that existed. He talked to a rabbi about this and the rabbi suggeted that maybe there was a connection to something that Rabbi Tarfon once said, "Lo alecha hamlacha ligmore, v'lo atah ben chorin l'hibateil memenah" (It is not your duty to complete the task. Neither are you free to desist from it.) Through this teaching from Rabbi Tarfon, Dan was able to apply "Jewishness" to something that was not related to Judaism. I think that this really relates to what we talked about in class a few weeks ago about what makes music Jewish. Through this song, Dan shows that music is Jewish based on its interpretations. He interpreted the quote to say something about a Jewish outlook on life.

If you're interested, here are the lyrics for the song. You should really check it out on his website. The song is going to be released this year on Dan's latest CD.

"Do as much as you can
With the time that you have
In the place that you are"
Eighteen words from a kid
With less than a year to live
He knew so much more than we thought he did.

Lo Alecha Hamlacha ligmor
V'lo atah ben chorin l'hibateil mimena

What can one person do
The task is great and the day is short
Words our fathers knew
We can't do it all, but we can all do more

Lo Alecha Hamlacha ligmor
V'lo atah ben chorin l'hibateil mimena

From all that used to be to all that might have been
There's no mystery when we work with what's in-between
All we can do is all we can do, all we can do is all we can do.

Lo Alecha Hamlacha ligmor
V'lo atah ben chorin l'hibateil mimena

Ties to Israel?

2006-10-25T22:43:00.000-07:00

The following is a conversation that I had with my boss at work early last Saturday morning:

Boss: So, Sarah, you're a senior right?
Me: Yep.
Boss: Do you know what you want to do next year?
Me: Actually yeah. I'm moving to Israel for a year to do a volunteer program for 10 months and then see where I want to be after that.
Boss: [puts his hand on my forehead to see if I have a fever] Are you OK? You want to go in to a war-ridden country?
Me: Ummmmmmmmm....

Please remember that this conversation took place at about 8:30 in the morning so I wasn't entirely functioning quite yet, but I was completely at a loss as to how to respond. I've gotten questions like this before from people who don't know much about Israel; most of the people who say things like this are not Jewish (though I must admit my grandmother says this same thing to me). I never know what to say. How could my boss ever understand? I can't stand there in the middle of the kitchen at work and explain to him the connection I feel to Israel because of the history, the heritage, the land, the people, the spirituality, etc... How do I describe my Israel education which my camp and synagogue have given me throughout my life? I don't want to describe the feelings I've often had of not fitting in simply because of my religion. He can't possibly understand what it feels like to stand at the Kotel because he's never been. And he never will because he doesn't understand. It's extremely frustrating to try to answer this question because I'm not sure that I entirely understand why I feel the way I do about Israel. I don't know the best way to explain it to others becuase I don't know how to explain it to myself. So, F358, what is the best way to do it?

Jewish Film Festivals

2006-10-20T11:56:00.001-07:00

In class on Wednesday, we talked about the rising popularity of Jewish Film Festivals. My community at home has a Jewish Film Festival each year. It is called "Jewish Cinema South" and it travels around the South showing several different films to the local communities. Though most of the communities where the films air are extremely small compared to the Jewish communities of LA or NYC, there is still a big outpour of support from the local communities to support this event.

I think that the main purpose that Jewish Cinema South serves is education. It brings in information about Judaism and presents it to audiences of Jews and non-Jews. Many non-Jews in the area may not know much about Judaism and they may have never actually met a Jew, but they normally know the sterotypes about Jews that popular media portrays. I think that this film festival is a great way to reach out and educate others about all aspects of Judaism.

"Caroline, or Change"

2006-10-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

In class today, someone asked the question, "Why is 'Jews in the South' an uncomfortable topic?" To me, Southern Jewry is an extremely comfortable topic, but to others who don't know much about Jews in the Deep South I can definitely understand why it would be uncomfortable.

I can appreciate the issues which the musical "Caroline, or Change" brings to light. The play is about a black maid named Caroline Thibodeaux (what a fitting name for a woman from Acadia) who works for a Jewish family in Lake Charles, LA. Throughout the play, Caroline is faced with many issues of race and struggles to find her role in the world. This play premiered in the American haven for Jews-- New York. This brings up an uncomfortable topic all in itself: there are Jews from other places besides New York! I genuinely think that New York Jews sometimes really don't understand that Jews exist outside of New York and Israel. I know that is a huge exaggeration, but sometimes it really feels that way. Last summer in Jerusalem, I literally spent half an hour trying to explain to a cab driver in broken Hebrew that I was actually Jewish and from Mississippi. He was intrigued. All he kept saying was, "No, you are from New York." For those who are unfamiliar with Jews in the Deep South, this musical could seem very foreign.

It may also make people think back in time to the Civil War. Jews are not often associated with the Confederate States of America, but in fact, the Jews had a bigger role in CSA than one might think. People don't realize that the Attorney General of CSA was Jewish.

And then there's the small issue of race. I wish I could tell you all the questions about race that people ask me when they find out I'm from the South. Generally, however, it has been my experience that Jews and Blacks get together nicely in the South. Perhaps this is because both groups of people have been victims of hate and oppression; and both groups are often the only Democratic voters in the South (I do not mean in any way that all Jews and all Blacks vote Democratic, and I certainly don’t mean that no other people in the South vote Republican; I am just going along with the stereotype that, from my experience, seems valid). Like I mentioned in class, around the time of this play, the Freedom Rides were taking place. This was when young people from the North (generally New York) came down South to try to help black people register to vote. A good number of the Freedom Riders were in fact Jewish, and in most cases, they were not well received by the general white population. There were a few instances where lives were lost over this issue. While in Israel last summer, I was shocked when I told an Israeli that I was from Mississippi, and his response was, "Mississippi? Like Mississippi Burning?" He was of course referring to a movie which tells the true story of the brutal murder of 2 Jewish Freedom riders and a black man.

A few years after "Caroline, or Change" took place, my synagogue in Jackson, MS, was bombed along with our rabbis house. The KKK did it because they didn't exactly like the civil relations between the Jewish community and the Black community. I can remember learning about the bombing when I was in 1st or 2nd grade at Religious School; the congregation left a part of the foundation uncovered so that everyone could see the cracks and remember what had happened. It was scary when I was that young to know that something had happened at my synagogue just because a few radicals didn't like my religion. It was even scarier when I read about it in Jack Nelson's book Terror in the Night.

There are of course people who are a combination of everything in Caroline Thibodeaux's life. Rebecca Walker, daughter of the famous author Alice Walker, wrote a book entitled Black, White, and Jewish. This book recounts her life growing up in the South (mainly Jackson, MS, I believe) as the daughter of a Black mother and a Jewish father. If I could guess, I would say that Rebecca Walker would greatly appreciate this musical because it gives a taste of the racism (from both ends) which she undoubtedly endured during her life in the South.

Reading over my post, I feel like I am making the South sound like an awful place. It's really not. Growing up, I never personally experienced any anti-Semitism that goes beyond what any of my friends here at IU experienced. I was able to grow up in a close knit community compromising of about 4 states of Jews. Everyone knows everyone; we enjoy all of the rich culture advantages of being Jewish (such as the food) and of being Southern (such as the food). Needless to say, we eat very well.

In conclusion, there’s not much left to say except:

Shalom Y’all!

Neshama Carlebach

2006-10-08T20:03:00.000-07:00

Neshama means "soul" or "spirit" in Hebrew. What a fitting name for a child of Shlomo Carlebach. He was such a spiritual man, and it seems that his daughter has the ability to touch others souls through music just as he was. She has a beautiful voice, and I really like the production of the songs.

The music included on this album covers a wide range. Neshama sings traditional Jewish songs such as "Adon Olam", music of her fathers, and a few of her own songs. There is a little bit of everything on this cd.

My favorite song (that I was able to listen to from the website) was "Niggun Neshama". A niggun is a melody without words. I love to sing niggunim. It reminds me of Kabbalat Shabbat at camp. Together my entire camp would walk from our cabins to the flagpole all dressed in white to welcome the Sabbath--and we would all sing a niggun. There is something magical about niggunim; a song without words just leaves so much open to the imagination. You are free to imagine the song is about anything you want. With no pre-prescribed words, the mind wonders and you are welcome to connect in your own personal way. I like upbeat melody that Neshama sings in her niggun. The tune is very catchy and easy to get caught up in. I can just imagine humming that tune at camp with a rabbi telling us all a story about the sanctification of the Sabbath or the importance loving your neighbor.

I think that Neshama is a very talented musician, and I really respect the fact that she uses her music to continue what her father started: reviving Jewish spirtuality through music.

"...you're never alone when you say you're a Jew"

2006-10-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

Wherever you go there's always someone Jewish
You're never alone when you say you're a Jew
So when you're not home and you're somewhere kind of newish
The odds are don't look far 'cause they're Jewish too.

Some Jews live in tents and some live in pagodas
And some Jews pay rent cause the city's not free
Some Jews live on farms in the hills of Minnesota
And some Jews wear no shoes and sleep by the sea.

Amsterdam, Disneyland, Tel Aviv
Oh they're miles apart
But when we light the candles on the Sabbath's eve
We share in the prayer in each one of our hearts
la da da da da da da da da da

Some Jew wear hats and some Jews wear sombreros
And some wear kafiahs to keep out the sun
Some Jews live on rice and some live on potatoes
And waffles, falafels, and hamburger buns.

These are the lyrics to one of my favorite camp songs. I felt this was relevant to our class discussion regarding a type of Jewish Imagined Community. Why do Jews often "feel something different around other Jews"?

Here's my answer:

Jews often feel an innate bond to other Jews because of a collective consciousness that connects them to one another. Similar beliefs and seniments contribute to this feeling of connection. My favorite sociologist Emile Durkheim would say that Jews have a strong sense of collective consciousness because of shared values; this is exactly like Americans connecting over the value and appreciation of a democratic government. People simply seem to feel more comfortable with others who share common views--especially tradition.

So how exactly does Durkheim's theories connect to my song? Let's take a look at these two lines:

But when we light the candles on the Sabbath's eve
We share in the prayer in each one of our hearts

Lighting the candles on Shabbat is a Jewish tradition. Some Jews do it and some Jews don't. But there is much more to this tradition. I want to focus on two thingst: sacredness and ritualism.

In a sense, one could see this tradition--or even the thought of this tradition-- as being sacred. It represents Judaism. Just as the bald eagle has come to be a patriotic symbol of America, images such as candle lighting or the Magen David have come to represent Judaism. I must admit, when I first visited Bloomington I met a girl who was wearing a Star of David necklace and I got really excited. Sometimes I still get a little excited. But do I get excited over the star? No I get excited over what it represents: a community of which I am part.

Lighting the candles is also a ritual. Like all rituals, it seems to reenergize group sentiments by making a connection. In the songs case, it connects two people who maybe don't even speak the same language. These two people,however, are both capable of lighting the candles. It becomes the common ground; something to share, which in turn will strengthen a sense of traditional solidarity.

I hope my sociological babbling makes sense to anyone who may read it. If not, you can still check out this hilarious video of some kid singing my song... (really...check it out...it's hilarious).

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2193878865485206581&q=Jewish

New Voices

2006-10-04T05:58:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed looking at the New Voices magazine. I really like the idea of having a Jewish publication produced by college students for college students. A lot of the articles really connected with me because they somehow relate to my college experience. One odd example of this was the book review of The Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be G-d and Other Short Stories. We read this book in my Hebrew class semester! The Campus Briefs section is also very interesting to read. I like to be able to know what is going on in other Jewish communties around the country just as I like to know what is going on in my Jewish community.

The website for New Voices really speaks to college students. There is a humor section (and the jokes are actually amusing). There is a job section with ads seeking interns and submissions for the magazine by college students. There is even a section calling for Jewish Students to start blogging on their website. Ironic? Just a little bit.

Overall, I think that this publication serves as a great resource for Jewish students.

Recognition of Philanthropic Giving

2006-09-27T05:27:00.000-07:00

After class the other day I kept thinking a lot about our class discussion. To be honest, it's something that I think about quite often. As a Jewish Studies major who is obtaining a certificate in non-profit management, this discussion really seemed to suit me.

Jewish communal services are absolutely incredible. Seriously. Amazes me. There are so many different types of Jewish organizations that exist. To consider that Jews are a big minority in the US (and the world) and then to consider all the "Jewish" services available for those communities just makes me say "wow". I know that when the day comes (oh no) to find a real job and to be a real person, I will be able to find a job that I love and that allows me to do what intrests me becuase I will be searching for a job within the "Jewish" world. There are so many options.

And with this comes the realization that I will be one of those people asking for money. It will undoubtedly be part of my professional career. Making the ask is always the hard part of the deal; congratulating and honoring the donor is the easy part. But why is it so hard for me? In class I refered to Ram Bam's (Maimonides is way too hard to spell) principles of mitzvot (commandments). He said that giving in a way so the the donor and the recipient are blind as to where the money went/came from is the best type of giving. This could mean giving in a monetary sense or another sense (ie. through service). I think that Ram Bam was just a guy who valued modesty. There are definately some people who give to causes and then praise themselves and let everyone know about it; these people are needed in communities because, we'll let's face it....they help the greater good.

There are also the people who give publicly in order to convince others to do so as well. We briefly discussed this in class on Monday. Last year, after Hurricane Katrina, millions of Americans stepped up and became civically engaged by donated time, money, and materials to relief efforts. Celebrities and others of wealth were some of the first to come out and make donations. The causes that received these public gifts were the ones who raised the most money overall and were able to provide more relief services and action to the affected areas. Without the publicity of Jennifer Aniston or Oprah (etc...) some people would not have thought to give to the United Way or to Red Cross. The gifts in this sense served as an advertisement of how dollars could be spent serving the public. Had these people listened to Ram Bam there is no telling how much of a negative impact it could have had on fundraising efforts for rebuilding lives on the Coast.

To end with a Jewish twist: Rabbi's of the Misnah say that if you destroy a life you destroy a world, but if you save a life you are saving a world. Donors and supporters of any kind take part in a role which saves lives. And a world that is saved can't be bad no matter how you look at it.

Cultural Judaism

2006-09-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

I found today's discussion of Cultural Judaism to be very interesting. My first thoughts upon hearing the concept of "Cultural Judaism" was, "I didn't realize that's a real movement!" I have always heard friends/acquaintances refer to themselves as cultural Jews because they observe traditions but perhaps don't believe the background. I had never heard of an organized movement or organization of people who identify as Jews based solely on their cultural observance. My reaction to that is "great"! In 1990 a survey came out that said 50% of Jews in America will intermarry. Personally, I am terrified by this fact. When I look at the setup of the Center for Cultural Judaism, I see Jews who are struggling to hold on to their Jewish roots despite their inability/skepticism to believe in the religion. They reach out and hold on to one of the strongest facets of Judaism: the culture.

In class, we also briefly discussed Israel's cultural Judaism in comparison to America's. Here's my thought on this (which are most likely biased as I am from the Bible Belt where religion is life)... In America, it's so important to be Jewish because Jews make up such a minority. It's as if Jews must stand out because they are the only ones. Take a look at the Christians around us. It seems that all of my friends from home (once again...the ones from Mississippi) claim to be Christian though they never go to Church (except for Christmas and Easter or when their parents make them) and most of them probably couldn't answer simple questions about the church to which they belong. And when they get married you better believe they will be wed in a church with a priest. I consider them to be Cultural Christians; they go through the rituals, but maybe don't have the beliefs. It's the same thing for Israeli's. In Israel, Jews are the majority. You don't have to act like a Jew because for the most part it is expected that you are one. When everyone is similar then you don't have to stand out. If you put a secual Israeli in Mississippi I can promise you that they will go searching for a synagogue within a month (I've seen it happen several times).

My point is that Cultural Judaism is a valid practice of Judaism because it keeps alive Jewish Culture, and reminds cultural Jews of their background and history.

Generational Gap in Reform Judaism

2006-09-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

My great-aunt and great-uncle recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. All of their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren came in to town for the event. As my synagogue only has 7 members, I convinced my dad that he should put together a Friday night service since this could possibly be the last time that a minyan comes together for a happy occasion in our synagogue. He finally consented to do so (after other family members agreed). Since I'm the "Jewish Studies" student in the family he always asks me to look over everything Jewish that he does...when I looked over his service, I found that he had left out many essential prayers in the service. His response was of course, "Sarah, we're reform so it doesn't matter." This is one of my biggest pet peeves in a religious argument. We argued for a bit and eventually I won. But it really made me think about the two different types of Reform that he and I practice. It wasn't until Monday that I was really able to put a label on these types: my father is classical reform and I am today's reform (though I do not like labels at all). When we began reading through the Reform Movement's platforms it all began to make sense to me. My synagogue at home is completely ran by older lay leaders...and an organ. We only pray in English. While my brother and I (and even my mother) had the opportunity to learn Hebrew at a synagogue 60 miles away, my father still only knows six words in Hebrew: Shema Yisrael Adonai Elohainu Adonai Echad. Five words really...since one is a repeat. I also had the opportunity to go to Jewish camp evey summer to get a better Jewish education. My father on the other hand ended his Jewish education after his confirmation, which happened before the 1976 Platform. In class on Monday I realized that this explains why he can't understand my desire to move to Israel upon graduation. He was never taught to love and support Israel as I was in Religious School and at camp. With the newer (1999) move towards more Hebrew in services and the more recent move towards spirituality it seems that Reform Judaism has completely changed it's focus since my father's time. And it makes my father and I two completely different Jews. I still appreciate going home and attending services with the organ. I also enjoy using the 1967 Union Prayer Book and singing from the red hymnal ( "G-d is in His Holy Temple" still remains the favorite of the congregation). I think it helps now that I understand the differences between us.

Tester

2006-08-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

Just making sure I did this right...and to see what it looks like!