Posts Tagged‘Words of the Week’

Home » Words of the Week » Page 30

Words of the Week

by Erika Dreifus on
1

“In order to help make a positive impact on this world, and to foster compassion and gain a better understanding of antisemitism, we ask that our literary organizations include Jewish representation in our diversity conversations and programs. The goal is to show respectful, thoughtful, and non-stereotypical portrayals of Jewish people. We add our names to help unite our community to educate, support, and share resources that promote such understanding and counteract antisemitism.”

Source: “Book Community Statement Of Solidarity Against Antisemitism”

Words of the Week

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

“The facts show that American Jews are mostly safe in this country, New York City included. But recent violent events also show that we cannot take this safety for granted. We can be grateful that anti-Semitism in America today is primarily nonviolent — and all Americans should work hard to make sure that doesn’t change.”

Source: Laura E. Adkins, “Anti-Semitism in the U.S. Isn’t Usually Violent. What If That’s Changing?” (Washington Post)

Words of the Week

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled
Facebook post from Deborah Lipstadt, including photograph of her on stage at the URJ Biennial in Chicago and the following text: I am so deeply honored and touched by the response to my message. “I can’t answer everyone but clearly Jews are gratified to be reminded that we are so much more than victims. We are a people with an ancient, yet modern, tradition that has given so much to the world. Spread the word. That’s how we defeat the haters.”

(Thanks to Joanne Intrator for leading me to this.)

Words of the Week

by Erika Dreifus on
3

When we ask God to remember the souls of our departed at Yizkor, we request more than a mere mental act. We pray implicitly that by focusing on our loved ones’ souls, God will take action on their behalf and save them from whatever pain they may be suffering, wherever they may be. At the same time, the implication is that this act of remembrance also constitutes a guarantee of Jewish community—well beyond just those we remember, and far beyond us as well. In remembering and in asking for God’s remembrance, we request divine help in continuing our people’s trajectory beyond ourselves, to achieve the ultimate aims of our people’s history. Yizkor is, in the end, not a prayer for the dead, but a promise by the living.

Source: Rabbi Aaron Panken (z”l).

(more…)

Words of the Week

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

“You don’t have to pretend that text study isn’t a religious pursuit just to be hip. And you don’t have to be hip to be culturally relevant. I didn’t understand all of the art I saw, but what I understood that night was relevant, and meaningful, an act of bringing Torah into the world.

When you study a Jewish text and create new meaning out of it, you engage in the most central practice in the Jewish religion.”

Source: David A.M. Wilensky, “Getting Drunk on Jewish Texts and Arts at LABA Launch” (J, The Jewish News of Northern California)