#jewish education

[magnetothemagnificent]

Hello! I do hope this doesn't come off too presumptuous, but looking through your blog, you seem like the kind of chap who'd be able to answer my question better than the hodge-podge Google's been throwing at me

I was raised by Messianic "Jewish" parents (not Jews, just Christians stealing your traditions and holidays, but I'm sure you're familiar), and now that I've left Whatever That Faith was, it's become more and more obvious to me how much my parents basically just forced Christian Doctrine onto Jewish tradition.

Anyway, when I was a kid, I was taught that the reason people fasted on Yom Kippur was so that in denying our bodies of sustenance, we would learn to more fully rely on God, with an added bonus of: we're supposed to be too guilty for our sins to eat on Yom Kippur. To me that feels very Christian, specifically extremely Baptist.

So my question for you would be: Is that actually why Jewish people fast on Yom Kippur? Or is there a different reason?

First off, I applaud you for recognizing the problematic environment you were raised in and doing the work to educate yourself. That takes a lot of courage and strength and I'm proud of you.

You may notice that in Judaism, we rarely agree on anything, so I'll talk about three reasons.

One of the main reasons I was taught for fasting on Yom Kippur was to remove any distractions so that we can focus purely on reflecting on the past year and working towards bettering the new year and ourselves. If it was about suffering, then people who medically or psychologically cannot fast would be commanded to fast anyway, when in reality it is forbidden to fast if you physically cannot. In fact, we are commanded to eat a lot the day before Yom Kippur so that we don't suffer while fasting. Yom Kippur has a lot of additional prayers, and so we really end up spending most of the day and night before in synagogue, and don't really have time to eat, anyway. Essentially, we're supposed to "hyperfocus" in a sense on our spiritual reflections of that the day.

Fasting isn't the only commandment of Yom Kippur- we are also commanded to refrain from excessive annointing or bathing (in modern applications- don't shower, don't use skin creams if you don't have to, don't have a foot bath, etc), sexual intercourse, wearing leather shoes, and more also don't wear jewelry. This is in line with the commandment to "afflict" one's soul on Yom Kippur, which actually isn't the same as the Christian idea of affliction- we're not supposed to be in pain or suffering, but rather just depriving ourselves temporarily of certain pleasures or desires so that we can focus on a more spiritual mindset that is unique to Yom Kippur.

There is another interpretation of why we fast which is so that we become more akin to angels. Angels are entirely spiritual beings whose entire purpose is service of G-d, and many interpret the different rituals of Yom Kippur as attempting to emulate angels. We pray a lot of Yom Kippur prayers standing (if we're able to) with our feet and ankles together to mimic the appearence of angels, who do not have legs or any lower-body but rather "stand" as a column. We do not eat or have sexual intercourse or bathe or anoint because angels do not need to and are even unable to engage in such actions. We wear white to appear like angels. And because angels don't have free will and are therefore incapable of sin, they have nothing to be forgiven for, and therefore in this way we may encourage G-d to see us as angels and see us as blameless.

Some more reading:

Why Fast on Yom Kippur?

Yom Kippur Customs and Rituals

Yom Kippur Fasting

#jumblr #halakha #yom kippur #judaism #education #fasting #jewish practice #jewish culture #jewish education

[itsheckinwes]

I've got a question I need a Jewish perspective on. Is the biblical story about Jesus cursing the fig tree antisemitic? I've seen some people claim that it's against israel and not necessarily Jewish people specifically but I haven't come across any Jewish sources.

Shout out to the post I saw somewhere in response to wizard blood libel game being antisemitic teaching me the connection between figs and Judaism. Never would have thought there was any meaning to the cursing of the fig tree otherwise.

Also is the bit about Jesus "cleansing the temple" of merchants playing into antisemitic stereotypes too?

Non Jewish people reblog please!

#tw antisemitism #tw religion #tw christianity #tw Jesus #tw Bible #Judaism #social issues #social justice #Jewish Education

[anonymousdandelion]

Okay, Jumblr: educational resource question!

If a Catholic therapist with no familiarity with Judaism was working with their first-ever traditionally Jewish client, and requested source recommendation(s) for learning more about Judaism (so as to better understand and work with the client), what would you recommend?

There are some great general resources (e.g. My Jewish Learning) that I’d suggest to someone looking for information on something specific. But “learning about Judaism” is such a broad and encompassing thing... where to start? Any favorite articles or other resources that give a good overview for someone without prior knowledge? What might be most important to know, whether in general or for a therapist in particular?

#jumblr #judaism #jewblr #jewish resources #jewish education #professional development #any suggestions are appreciated! #dandelion says #more like #dandelion begs for help #jewish dandelion #the trouble with looking at a religion/culture/way of life from the inside is that it’s very hard to know what needs explaining

[ayin-me-yesh]

Hey if you're interested in either converting to Judaism OR reconnecting with Judaism, but cost and/or physical access is a barrier, I have found a few resources that may be of interest! They're predominantly Reconstructionist.

Mekom Torah is run by Rabbi Helen Plotkin, a graduate of Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. It offers study groups online via Zoom. Exploring Judaism meets twice a month and is free; they just encourage donations if you can afford them. Learning Hebrew will take you from learning the letters to reading Biblical texts. Tuition is flexible with a suggestion of about 15 USD per session, but you can pay whatever amount works for your budget.

If you'd like to learn the alef bet on your own, and for free!, you can check out Kamionkowski Beit Midrash's Learn to Read Hebrew in Two Weeks. The course was created by Tamar Kamionkowski, a two-time winner of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College’s Yaakov Gladstone Award for Fine Teaching.

If you want to learn Biblical Hebrew on your own, the Internet Archive has a copy of Teach Yourself to Read Hebrew which you can follow with The First Hebrew Primer for Adults.

As a non-denominational option for Torah study, The Torah Studio aims to be an accessible, online, and inclusive learning space. Besides offering quarterly classes on a sliding scale (generally from 5 to 25 USD per session), they also have a Discord channel for group discussions.

#judaism #jewish education

[kadimadayschool]

Kadima is the best private Jewish day school in Los Angeles rooted in academic excellence and Jewish learning. Explore the greatest benefits of Private Jewish Schools near West Hills. Making an exceptional Jewish day school education accessible and sustainable for both families and schools is an ongoing challenge facing our Jewish community.

To know more information visit us on: https://www.kadimadayschool.org

#jewish preschool #jewish day school #jewish education

[professorgtnt]

在猶太人家裡，小孩子稍微懂事，母親就會翻開聖經，滴一點蜂蜜在上面，然後叫孩子去吻聖經上的蜂蜜。這儀式的用意是：書本是甜的。猶太人家庭還有一個世代相傳的傳統，那就是書櫥要放在床頭。要是放在床尾，就會被認為是對書的不敬。

#jews #jewish education #bible

[thejewitches]

This post is meant to serve as a jumping off point. Those citations exist for a reason and we encourage you to read further. This post can only address so much.

There was so much that simply couldn’t be covered in such a short post; not to mention a breadth of research that feels like it should be must read material for this topic.

A huge thank you to willatheewisps and a.hearth.witch (on instagram) for going over this prior to posting.

Let us know in the comments if you’re interested in a post going over the origins of the Christian Zionist movement, as well as how it inspired Jewish Zionism.

Did you know that it was a “proto-Christian Zionist” Church of Scotland clergyman & author Alexander Keith who coined the phrase, “land without a people and a people without a land” in his 1843 book?

#jewish #judaism #christian zionism #jumblr #education

[mental-mona]

#rabbi lord jonathan sacks #chanukah #hannukah #hanukkah #jewish education #judaism #jewish thought #jumblr

[7amaspayrollmanager]

Alright let's imagine a scene that is all too normal in palestine. A palestinian business owner finds his building covered in graffiti stars of Davids and Hebrew that says "gas the arabs" and "death to arabs"

Now imagine there's a reporter there and asks the palestinian business owner what happens and they say "the jews attacked my business"

Pause. Now your response might be "uncle no. Say israelis not jews" and then this is when he would look at you like youre stupid because the israelis doing this are jewish. They are not the Christians or the druze or the palestinian ones with Israeli citizenship. They are Jewish israelis who believe in their religious supremacy. When you graffiti stars of david all over a palestinian business, car, or the street you seek that conflation. it sends a message, this is jewish land and you're next.

The problem is that these videos circulate in zionist circles. "Watch this video of children in gaza calling for the death of jews" "watch how they say they want to fight and kill jews" those children are referring to Israeli soldiers that come in night and do their raids with the star of David attached to their uniform or the ones that bomb them. It's easy to watch those videos and assume that palestinians are indoctrinating their children on anti semitism or you can realize that those children's only interaction with jewish ppl is through violence and parents cannot protect their children from this. Doesn't matter context is lost

Abby Martin went to Jerusalem and interviewed israelis for 2 hours and she says every israeli was extremely confident to say that this land is for them and that they should push the Arabs out and when she interviewed palestinians they spoke of freedom from occupation and their dreams. That's reality. Not the soundbites.

And yet we have invasive youtubers and interviewers constantly in the street of ramallah or wherever in palestine asking palestinians "do you hate jews?" And in those videos you hear those palestinians say "no we have no problem with jews we have a problem with occupation and we have a problem with zionism." Bc this is how we are trained to respond to this trope. Palestinians are very aware what the world thinks of us and the reality is that many palestinians have internalized it and we grow up reading books on the Holocaust and train ourselves to recognize anti semitic dog whistles so zionists don't get the soundbites they want.

So we say "anti zionism is not anti semitism" and we say "israeli zionists" and we do not say "jewish supremacy" even thought it exists in palestine but "zionist supremacy" and in these carefully worded speech we water down what is happening to us in an effort to not deter people away from solidarity. But it means nothing. The world categorically blames palestinians for rising anti semitism they blame us for jewish insecurity globally.

[that-rad-jewish-girl]

The irony of saying #landback and “we live on stolen land” while condemning Israel’s existence is so strange.

You want land to go back to the natives - no matter how long ago the land was taken - unless it belongs to Jews. Then they can go F off.

And because you don’t have a reasonable defense for this weird combo of beliefs, you just deny the indigeneity of Jews altogether. This is something that can be proven with simple google searches and logic. Our ancient artifacts and structures are in the land, and our “origin stories” are largely about the land and us residing in it. Yet, you refuse to believe we are indigenous.

Even more funny is that you then argue Arabs are the real indigenous people to this land. Arabs are colonizers in the Middle East and North Africa. Arabic is a colonial language. They originated in the Arabian peninsula, and took over MENA countries. They had nationalist policies that largely eradicated the people and/or cultures already present in those lands. A lot of the people present were Jews, who were killed or driven out by pogroms.

Educate yourself for crying out loud.

#jewish #israel #pro israel #israel 🇮🇱 #idf #israeli military #jewblr #jumblr #hamas is evil #antisemites #antisemitic #it’s getting ridiculous #like really old #sick and tired of explaining basic history to these people #read a fucking book #educate yourself #the only colonizer here is you

[yeshowdy]

Aseh l'cha Rav, Aseh L'cha Chaver: Get Yourself a Teacher, and Find a study Partner

Aseh l’cha Rav, Aseh L’cha Chaver: Get Yourself a Teacher, and Find a study Partner

My second day of Rosh Hashanah sermon continues my theme of reviewing the seven most important sermons that I have given through the years. As I make my way to retirement from the Pulpit, this High Holy Days I am sharing important themes and motifs that I have touch upon during my 35 years in the rabbinate. On the Second day of Rosh Hashanah this year, 5783, I share this sermon about the value…

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#Jewish education #Judaism #Rosh Hashanah #Talmud #Vimeo

[magnetothemagnificent]

is there a good way to ask my mom if i can attend a judaism 101 class? she doesn’t even know i am interested at all

Hm....

From your language of asking your mom for permission, I'm going to assume you're either a minor or in some way dependent on your parents (no shame in being an adult dependee, if you are).

I think it entirely depends on:

-What your mom's feelings about Judaism are in general

-Whether you have a class in mind already or not

I don't think there's a right way to ask, but I think it helps if you already have a specific class in mind, because it shows you already put a lot of research into it and know what you're doing.

If you are a minor, I think it's important you have an open conversation with your mom, and anyway, a lot of synagogues wouldn't be too happy to encourage a minor going behind their parents' backs. Judaism shouldn't be a point of contention between you and your parents, and I think you should be honest with your mom from the start. Whether you're Jewish but want to learn more about Judaism or are considering conversion, it's really important that you at least try to not let Judaism drive a wedge between you and your family.

If you're not a minor, I think being assertive that you are an adult is important. When I (an adult) talk to my parents about my gender transition, I say something along the lines of "While I don't legally or socially need your permission, I care about our relationship and I want to keep you informed about my journey and decisions, because I love you and hope you'll want to be involved." I think saying something similar to that would be appropriate.

Opening this up for others in jumblr to chime in!

#jumblr #judaism #jewish education

[cata613]

#educate yourself #educate yourselves #Jewish hate #stand up to jewish hate #proud jew #jewblr #actually jewish #eretz israel #am yisrael chai #jumblr

[sunbeamedskies]

People on here spreading propaganda that the Iranian government is good...stop.

You are hurting Iranians, Jews, Muslims, Arabs, and more.

The Iranian government does not give a fuck about Palestine. All they are interested in is spreading their power and influence across the Middle East. They even hurled missiles at Al-Aqsa Mosque, which potentially could have destroyed or damaged it if the Iron Dome didn't exist. The only seriously injured victim in Israel was a 7 year old Muslim Bedouin girl. Many Arab countries understand how dangerous the Iranian government is and intercepted some of their missiles.

Iranians have been screaming at the top of their lungs that they don't want war and they are tortured and murdered by their government, but your desire to view the Middle East as a sports match makes you want to root for anyone who is against Israel. The Iranian government literally hosted a Holocaust denial convention in 2006 which included David Duke, one of the former leaders of the KKK. They are not against the Israeli government for the right reasons, but for antisemitic ones. The growing antisemitism in Iran due to their rule drove out thousands of Iranian Jews, many whose only option was to move to Israel.

Please do research before spewing ignorant bullshit that harms everyone. There is no shame in admitting you were misinformed. Peoples' lives are worth more than your bruised ego.

#jews #jew #judaism #iran #war #middle east #israel #palestine #social justice #justice #freedom #racism #racist #holocaust #shoah #politics #political #ally #allyship #muslim #education #feminism #feminist #left #leftist #liberal #misinformation #iranian #jewish #intersectionality

[meirmakesstuff]

I vaguely remember seeing something where Art Spiegelman was endorsing people using pirated PDFs of Maus, but now I can't find it to verify. Does anyone know offhand whether that was real or whether I'm misremembering, or correctly remembering something that wasn't true?

#Jewish education #Maus #Jewish books #holocaust education

[kadimadayschool]

Kadima is the best private Jewish day school in Los Angeles rooted in academic excellence and Jewish learning. Explore the greatest benefits of Private Jewish Schools near West Hills. Making an exceptional Jewish day school education accessible and sustainable for both families and schools is an ongoing challenge facing our Jewish community.

To know more information visit us on:

#jewish education #kadima day school #jewish day school