lol just kidding! XD
sometimes stupidity has to be made fun of.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Rabbinical Lunatics
Enter Rabbi Avigdor Miller, an influential rabbi who passed away in Brooklyn in 2001.
From his Wikipedia article:
Avigdor Miller
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rabbi Avigdor Miller (1908-2001) was a Haredi rabbi, author and lecturer in the United States. He served simultaneously as a communal rabbi and as the mashgiach ruchani ("spiritual advisor/supervisor") of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin and as a teacher in Bais Yaakov for many years.
Contents
1 Biography
1.1 Yeshiva University
1.2 Slabodka yeshiva
1.3 Chelsea, Massachusetts
1.4 Mesivta Chaim Berlin
1.5 Yeshiva Gedola Bais Yisroel
1.6 Character and personality
1.7 Quotes
1.8 Awareness of creation's good
1.9 Anti-Zionism
2 Death
2.1 Funeral
3 Bibliography
4 Footnotes
5 References
Biography
Rabbi Miller was born to a non-rabbinical family in 1908 in Baltimore.
Yeshiva University
At age 17, Miller went to New York and attended and graduated from Yeshiva College and RIETS, attaining a B.A. and rabbinical ordination, respectively.
He was elected the student body president at the time, and was also the baal korei.
Rabbi Moshe Bick, known as the Mezubizher Rav, who arrived in the United States in 1927, was one of Rabbi Miller's early study partners.
At that time in YU he joined a chabura together with five other young men (who all later became notable Hareidi rabbis) to study Mussar from the book Mesillas Yesharim under Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Herman, a pioneer in Orthodox Judaism in America in the early 20th century. Rabbi Herman encouraged Miller to travel to Europe to learn Torah in the prestigious yeshivas there. Miller met Rabbi Isaac Sher, the son-in-law of Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, who was in New York to collect funds for the Slabodka yeshiva. Although it was during the Depression and he did not raise much money, he later declared this trip to America his most successful, since he was able to recruit and bring such a bright student to Slabodka.
Slabodka yeshiva
In 1932, at the age of 24, Rabbi Miller arrived in Europe to study at the famous Slabodka yeshiva in Lithuania. There, he studied under Rabbi Sher. While he was in yeshiva, Rabbi Shulman of Slabodka, son-in-law of Rabbi Sher, introduced Rabbi Miller to Ettel Lessin, daughter of Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Lessin of Slabodka. The two married in 1935.
In all the prefaces for all his books and on many of his tapes he says that everything that is un-sourced should be considered the teachings of Rabbi Isaac Sher, who was his primary rabbi.
Chelsea, Massachusetts
In 1938, due to the rise of Nazism and the tensions leading up to World War II, Rabbi Miller sought to return to the United States with his wife and two children. Fortunately, the American consul in Kovno at the time was a Baltimore acquaintance of Rabbi Miller's, a public high-school classmate, who speedily arranged passage for Rabbi Miller's wife and children who had not been born in the United States.
Upon his return, Rabbi Miller became the rabbi of a synagogue in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Initially, the community was taken aback by Rabbi Miller's audacious and intense volume of Torah presentations, attempting to restrain his unconventional approach. However, within a few years the community had radically changed their minds, and indeed besought Rabbi Miller to stay longer.
Mesivta Chaim Berlin
In 1944, Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, persuaded Rabbi Miller to become its mashgiach ruchani, in which position he served until 1964. In 1945, Rabbi Miller also assumed the pulpit of the Young Israel of Rugby in Brooklyn, New York City. In 1975, with neighborhood demographics changing, Rabbi Miller established the Bais Yisroel of Rugby Torah Center on Ocean Parkway in Flatbush, which served as his main vehicle of Torah dissemination until his passing.
Yeshiva Gedola Bais Yisroel
In 1986, Rabbi Shmuel Miller, Rabbi Avigdor's son, opened Yeshiva Gedola Bais Yisroel in Flatbush, where his father served as mashgiach and rosh yeshiva. Rabbi Miller was also a revered and honored lecturer at many yeshivas and Bais Yaakov schools throughout the years, cherished by his students.
Character and personality
Rabbi Miller was a master orator, having superb command of the English language. His personal magnetism drew students, young and old, from all Jewish backgrounds.
Rabbi Miller also trained himself to demand very little physically. For more than sixty years, he slept on a board.
[END WIKIPEDIA] The rest of the article can be seen here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avigdor_Miller.
Now, this dude slept on a board for over 60 years. Let me ask you, is this normal behavior? Is this something mainstream Judaism should condone or condemn as stupidity in the name of God?
This is one reason why people who are passively orthodox or not orthodox should run from the regular black-hat orthodox. While one may say, oh so its just a different lifestyle, he ain't bothering you, this kind of idiocy gets purported as true authentic Judaism while we are such horrible apikorsousiem for sleeping on normal beds. THERE'S NO RULE THAT SAYS YOU NEED TO SLEEP ON A BOARD TO BE CLOSE TO GOD. THIS IS STUPIDITY IN THE NAME OF GOD!
As an important step in returning sanity to orthdoxy, there has to be a consensus inside the orthodox community that this sleeping on a board for over 60 years nonsense is not a legitamate way of being Jewish, nor are other forms of insane ascetecism.
From his Wikipedia article:
Avigdor Miller
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rabbi Avigdor Miller (1908-2001) was a Haredi rabbi, author and lecturer in the United States. He served simultaneously as a communal rabbi and as the mashgiach ruchani ("spiritual advisor/supervisor") of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin and as a teacher in Bais Yaakov for many years.
Contents
1 Biography
1.1 Yeshiva University
1.2 Slabodka yeshiva
1.3 Chelsea, Massachusetts
1.4 Mesivta Chaim Berlin
1.5 Yeshiva Gedola Bais Yisroel
1.6 Character and personality
1.7 Quotes
1.8 Awareness of creation's good
1.9 Anti-Zionism
2 Death
2.1 Funeral
3 Bibliography
4 Footnotes
5 References
Biography
Rabbi Miller was born to a non-rabbinical family in 1908 in Baltimore.
Yeshiva University
At age 17, Miller went to New York and attended and graduated from Yeshiva College and RIETS, attaining a B.A. and rabbinical ordination, respectively.
He was elected the student body president at the time, and was also the baal korei.
Rabbi Moshe Bick, known as the Mezubizher Rav, who arrived in the United States in 1927, was one of Rabbi Miller's early study partners.
At that time in YU he joined a chabura together with five other young men (who all later became notable Hareidi rabbis) to study Mussar from the book Mesillas Yesharim under Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Herman, a pioneer in Orthodox Judaism in America in the early 20th century. Rabbi Herman encouraged Miller to travel to Europe to learn Torah in the prestigious yeshivas there. Miller met Rabbi Isaac Sher, the son-in-law of Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, who was in New York to collect funds for the Slabodka yeshiva. Although it was during the Depression and he did not raise much money, he later declared this trip to America his most successful, since he was able to recruit and bring such a bright student to Slabodka.
Slabodka yeshiva
In 1932, at the age of 24, Rabbi Miller arrived in Europe to study at the famous Slabodka yeshiva in Lithuania. There, he studied under Rabbi Sher. While he was in yeshiva, Rabbi Shulman of Slabodka, son-in-law of Rabbi Sher, introduced Rabbi Miller to Ettel Lessin, daughter of Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Lessin of Slabodka. The two married in 1935.
In all the prefaces for all his books and on many of his tapes he says that everything that is un-sourced should be considered the teachings of Rabbi Isaac Sher, who was his primary rabbi.
Chelsea, Massachusetts
In 1938, due to the rise of Nazism and the tensions leading up to World War II, Rabbi Miller sought to return to the United States with his wife and two children. Fortunately, the American consul in Kovno at the time was a Baltimore acquaintance of Rabbi Miller's, a public high-school classmate, who speedily arranged passage for Rabbi Miller's wife and children who had not been born in the United States.
Upon his return, Rabbi Miller became the rabbi of a synagogue in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Initially, the community was taken aback by Rabbi Miller's audacious and intense volume of Torah presentations, attempting to restrain his unconventional approach. However, within a few years the community had radically changed their minds, and indeed besought Rabbi Miller to stay longer.
Mesivta Chaim Berlin
In 1944, Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, persuaded Rabbi Miller to become its mashgiach ruchani, in which position he served until 1964. In 1945, Rabbi Miller also assumed the pulpit of the Young Israel of Rugby in Brooklyn, New York City. In 1975, with neighborhood demographics changing, Rabbi Miller established the Bais Yisroel of Rugby Torah Center on Ocean Parkway in Flatbush, which served as his main vehicle of Torah dissemination until his passing.
Yeshiva Gedola Bais Yisroel
In 1986, Rabbi Shmuel Miller, Rabbi Avigdor's son, opened Yeshiva Gedola Bais Yisroel in Flatbush, where his father served as mashgiach and rosh yeshiva. Rabbi Miller was also a revered and honored lecturer at many yeshivas and Bais Yaakov schools throughout the years, cherished by his students.
Character and personality
Rabbi Miller was a master orator, having superb command of the English language. His personal magnetism drew students, young and old, from all Jewish backgrounds.
Rabbi Miller also trained himself to demand very little physically. For more than sixty years, he slept on a board.
[END WIKIPEDIA] The rest of the article can be seen here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avigdor_Miller.
Now, this dude slept on a board for over 60 years. Let me ask you, is this normal behavior? Is this something mainstream Judaism should condone or condemn as stupidity in the name of God?
This is one reason why people who are passively orthodox or not orthodox should run from the regular black-hat orthodox. While one may say, oh so its just a different lifestyle, he ain't bothering you, this kind of idiocy gets purported as true authentic Judaism while we are such horrible apikorsousiem for sleeping on normal beds. THERE'S NO RULE THAT SAYS YOU NEED TO SLEEP ON A BOARD TO BE CLOSE TO GOD. THIS IS STUPIDITY IN THE NAME OF GOD!
As an important step in returning sanity to orthdoxy, there has to be a consensus inside the orthodox community that this sleeping on a board for over 60 years nonsense is not a legitamate way of being Jewish, nor are other forms of insane ascetecism.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Change of Mind (sorta)
Okay, so recently I have been getting over being sick (bad congestion), and I changed my mind over two things. One, beforehand I viewed agnosticism as the only intellectually honest approach to religion although I was atheist leaning. That changed, simply because the personal need for a higher power was just too great. It was more of an emotional change than a rational change.
Secondly, in reference to the Shabbat, I now feel that being able to shut down one's self to the maximum amount possible before falling asleep for an extended period of time is just as important to one's health as anything else important to one's health.
(I changed in a third way also, I am finished with soda, Burger King and McDonalds, I was having these things on a rather regular basis ... and if I go back to them its gonna disarm me and I am going to be right back where I started -.- )
Do not take this as all of a sudden me agreeing with everything orthodoxy says. lol, far from it. I will not join a society in which talking to girls is discouraged. I will not join a society in which jeans are not allowed in schools (that's just stupid). These are among my issues with orthodoxy, among others, but for the sake of brevity I shall save them for other posts.
Basically the orthodox gotta understand- if they want "paloni ha-cheloni" to join their society then its the orthodox that gotta do the changing and the convincing ... not vice versa.
In other words, if secular people are saying that orthodoxy is simply too strict (which I would imagine is exactly how many of us feel), then its the orthodox that gotta take heed of these concerns if they wish to mekaraiv us.
Secondly, in reference to the Shabbat, I now feel that being able to shut down one's self to the maximum amount possible before falling asleep for an extended period of time is just as important to one's health as anything else important to one's health.
(I changed in a third way also, I am finished with soda, Burger King and McDonalds, I was having these things on a rather regular basis ... and if I go back to them its gonna disarm me and I am going to be right back where I started -.- )
Do not take this as all of a sudden me agreeing with everything orthodoxy says. lol, far from it. I will not join a society in which talking to girls is discouraged. I will not join a society in which jeans are not allowed in schools (that's just stupid). These are among my issues with orthodoxy, among others, but for the sake of brevity I shall save them for other posts.
Basically the orthodox gotta understand- if they want "paloni ha-cheloni" to join their society then its the orthodox that gotta do the changing and the convincing ... not vice versa.
In other words, if secular people are saying that orthodoxy is simply too strict (which I would imagine is exactly how many of us feel), then its the orthodox that gotta take heed of these concerns if they wish to mekaraiv us.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
I am so proud of myself- I gave myself my own heter! XD
Ok here is the thing. I do not like most sea foods (not even tuna fish), except for the ones that are not kosher namely shrimp and clam. The thing is this-
"Seafood is an excellent source of minerals. Fish are one of the most important sources of calcium. The soft bones of small fish such as sardines and smelts and canned varieties such as salmon are especially valuable sources of calcium. Other minerals in seafood include zinc (oysters and crustaceans), iron (oysters, bluefish, and shrimp), copper (oysters, crabs, and lobster), potassium (mussels, scallops, and clams), and iodine, phosphorus, and selenium (all seafood in general). Fresh seafood is low in sodium. For those who have to restrict the intake of sodium, fresh seafood is an excellent choice, although you should limit your intake of processed seafoods such as smoked, cured, and most canned seafoods. Salt is added in the processing of these seafood products as it is in imitation seafood products. " from http://www.ocean.udel.edu/mas/seafood/nutritioninfo.html.
So basically due to the fact that I can't stand sea most foods (I love gefilta fish but one can't keep having the same thing every day) and sea food is very important for nutrition, and one would think that nutrition trumps kashrut, I hereby give myself heter leechol bi-shrimp vi-tzedpah. XD
"Seafood is an excellent source of minerals. Fish are one of the most important sources of calcium. The soft bones of small fish such as sardines and smelts and canned varieties such as salmon are especially valuable sources of calcium. Other minerals in seafood include zinc (oysters and crustaceans), iron (oysters, bluefish, and shrimp), copper (oysters, crabs, and lobster), potassium (mussels, scallops, and clams), and iodine, phosphorus, and selenium (all seafood in general). Fresh seafood is low in sodium. For those who have to restrict the intake of sodium, fresh seafood is an excellent choice, although you should limit your intake of processed seafoods such as smoked, cured, and most canned seafoods. Salt is added in the processing of these seafood products as it is in imitation seafood products. " from http://www.ocean.udel.edu/mas/seafood/nutritioninfo.html.
So basically due to the fact that I can't stand sea most foods (I love gefilta fish but one can't keep having the same thing every day) and sea food is very important for nutrition, and one would think that nutrition trumps kashrut, I hereby give myself heter leechol bi-shrimp vi-tzedpah. XD
Angry Old Rabbi Spits At Reform Jews
From Haaretz:
BEGIN ARTICLE
Israel's Conservative movement threatens to sue ex-chief rabbi
By Yair Ettinger, Haaretz Correspondent
Israel's Masorti (Conservative) Movement is threatening legal action against former Sephardi chief rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu for saying that "the reek of hell wafts" from Reform and Conservative synagogues, and it is therefore forbidden to walk by them. Eliyahu, a leading religious Zionist rabbi, made the remark last week during his weekly Torah lecture. It was later reprinted in the bulletin Kol Tzofayich, which was distributed in synagogues throughout Israel over the weekend. In his lecture, Eliyahu related that he was once invited to a circumcision in a building that contained three synagogues, one Orthodox, one Conservative and one Reform. The Orthodox synagogue, he said, was on the top floor, "and I wondered how I would enter and pass by these synagogues, from which the reek of hell wafts ... They told me that there was a sort of side kitchen through which one could go up without passing those synagogues, and I told them that I would only go up via that kitchen, and only if I would not pass the entrances to those forbidden synagogues."
Advertisement
Attorney Yizhar Hess, secretary general of the Masorti Movement, responded that "Rabbi Eliyahu crossed the border of good taste, and his hateful, malicious words scorned an entire community. It is inconceivable that a religious leader should use expressions that constitute a call for civil war. The rabbi would do well to retract his statements and apologize to the millions of Jews whose honor he impugned."
END ARTICLE
One would think that from a religious perspective, one should appreciate that conservative and reform jews maintain a connection to Judaism, even if they can't deal with the stringent lifestyle that orthodoxy has to offer. But instead, pin heads from the orthodox world would rather drive people away with their counterproductive all-or-nothing attitude in following halacha.
As for Eliyahu, I hope for the Masortim to sue him and win.
BEGIN ARTICLE
Israel's Conservative movement threatens to sue ex-chief rabbi
By Yair Ettinger, Haaretz Correspondent
Israel's Masorti (Conservative) Movement is threatening legal action against former Sephardi chief rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu for saying that "the reek of hell wafts" from Reform and Conservative synagogues, and it is therefore forbidden to walk by them. Eliyahu, a leading religious Zionist rabbi, made the remark last week during his weekly Torah lecture. It was later reprinted in the bulletin Kol Tzofayich, which was distributed in synagogues throughout Israel over the weekend. In his lecture, Eliyahu related that he was once invited to a circumcision in a building that contained three synagogues, one Orthodox, one Conservative and one Reform. The Orthodox synagogue, he said, was on the top floor, "and I wondered how I would enter and pass by these synagogues, from which the reek of hell wafts ... They told me that there was a sort of side kitchen through which one could go up without passing those synagogues, and I told them that I would only go up via that kitchen, and only if I would not pass the entrances to those forbidden synagogues."
Advertisement
Attorney Yizhar Hess, secretary general of the Masorti Movement, responded that "Rabbi Eliyahu crossed the border of good taste, and his hateful, malicious words scorned an entire community. It is inconceivable that a religious leader should use expressions that constitute a call for civil war. The rabbi would do well to retract his statements and apologize to the millions of Jews whose honor he impugned."
END ARTICLE
One would think that from a religious perspective, one should appreciate that conservative and reform jews maintain a connection to Judaism, even if they can't deal with the stringent lifestyle that orthodoxy has to offer. But instead, pin heads from the orthodox world would rather drive people away with their counterproductive all-or-nothing attitude in following halacha.
As for Eliyahu, I hope for the Masortim to sue him and win.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Orthodox Leadership and Anti-assimilation
As far as I am concerned the position of the orthodox, that is that one should be orthodox, is indefensible. It is an unnecessarily difficult lifestyle. They may say, oh so its like the Olympics, an Olympic runner wants to be in prime physical shape so he changes his lifestyle completely to this end, and we (orthos) want to be closer to God, so we change our lifestyle completely to that end.
Ok. Interesting point. Lets analyze. How does not being able to boil a young goat in its mother's milk (indeed, not a nice thing for someone to do) translate into meat and dairy products not even being able to be in the same room? It seems like too much of a stretch if you ask me.
The thing is orthodox leaders rant and rant about how one should not assimilate into secular society, it is not inherently *jewish* and *gasp* it can lead to intermarriage! Oh no! We should all live by stringent insane rules instead and be branded heretics for disagreeing with any of them.
Lets take for example two of the many horrors of assimilation that orthodox leaders want to protect us from- jeans and Superman (orthodox leaders want to protect us from television as a whole). I don't know of a yeshiva that allows jeans and once I was at a beit midrash where the rosh asked that I not talk about Smallville there with friends cause its secular (Puritianistic religion going way too far if you ask me).
Jeans was invented by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss, both Jewish. Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, both Jewish. While they may indeed be apart of secular society, they are apart of a secular society that Jews have contributed alot to, and that is why it is silly for orthodox leaders to view the outside world as something completely not Jewish that we secular jews and jews who are religious on one level or another needs to be saved from.
About that intermarriage thing, orthodox leaders whine, rant, and cry about people marrying out of the faith more than any other denomination, yet orthodoxy keeps guys and girls separate more than any other denomination.
Why someone who is a guy not born into orthodoxy, want to join into that society where talking to girls is greatly discouraged?
That, orthodox leaders need to think about.
Ok. Interesting point. Lets analyze. How does not being able to boil a young goat in its mother's milk (indeed, not a nice thing for someone to do) translate into meat and dairy products not even being able to be in the same room? It seems like too much of a stretch if you ask me.
The thing is orthodox leaders rant and rant about how one should not assimilate into secular society, it is not inherently *jewish* and *gasp* it can lead to intermarriage! Oh no! We should all live by stringent insane rules instead and be branded heretics for disagreeing with any of them.
Lets take for example two of the many horrors of assimilation that orthodox leaders want to protect us from- jeans and Superman (orthodox leaders want to protect us from television as a whole). I don't know of a yeshiva that allows jeans and once I was at a beit midrash where the rosh asked that I not talk about Smallville there with friends cause its secular (Puritianistic religion going way too far if you ask me).
Jeans was invented by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss, both Jewish. Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, both Jewish. While they may indeed be apart of secular society, they are apart of a secular society that Jews have contributed alot to, and that is why it is silly for orthodox leaders to view the outside world as something completely not Jewish that we secular jews and jews who are religious on one level or another needs to be saved from.
About that intermarriage thing, orthodox leaders whine, rant, and cry about people marrying out of the faith more than any other denomination, yet orthodoxy keeps guys and girls separate more than any other denomination.
Why someone who is a guy not born into orthodoxy, want to join into that society where talking to girls is greatly discouraged?
That, orthodox leaders need to think about.
Monday, November 5, 2007
correction
>> save me your harassment
save me *from* your harassment.
spare me.
that works too
etc.
Its late and I'm tired. :-
save me *from* your harassment.
spare me.
that works too
etc.
Its late and I'm tired. :-
Responsibility of the Synagogue
Okay so let me sidetrack for a moment. Today I was speaking with this religious girl who is a former friend of mine. Here is what happened.
I asked her to look at my blog. She says "I don't care." So I said, "come on, as a friend." And she said, "we're not friends." I said "why?" she said "you argue too much."
Okay so I'll admit that I like to argue sometimes but, I am a good person and an amicable person. She was just being to use a non-academic word for a moment, pissy.
The thing is she thinks she is punishing me by not being friends with me anymore. Oh no, I can just feel the pain now.
This is what would happen if I end up with a religious girl for the rest of my life - I would eventually end up bored on one Shabbat and play a computer game. And then the religious girl would be like "waaaaah why are you playing this computer game, God will smite you! Its the Shabbos!"
And then I would be like, "oh my God its just a computer game." And then she would be like "And you are just a sinner!!!!!"
Honestly, who do these religious girls think they are. She is not punishing me by not being friends with me any more, she is SAVING me from future possible harassment; I'm not saying I was interested in her though, no one knows what the future will bring, and she saved me from this harassment, at least from her.
Now of course, nothing is possible. Boo hoo. I do not know how I can live! I take that back, yes I do know how I can live. Who do these religious girls think they are? I'd say something along the lines of self righteous.
Please, religious girls, save me your harassment. I prefer my weekends to be fun, which is one thing that synagogues don't understand either.
Note to synagogues- if you can't find a way for religion to be enjoyable you can't expect people to follow it. In being the house of worship for us Jews, it largely the responsibility of the synagogue to provide a POSITIVE experience in being religious, and that means that orthodox synagogues (I live in an area where orthodoxy is the norm) have to drop the current trend towards synagogues being places for only ascetic prayer, and start providing forums for socialization and having fun, or you are going to BORE people.
I asked her to look at my blog. She says "I don't care." So I said, "come on, as a friend." And she said, "we're not friends." I said "why?" she said "you argue too much."
Okay so I'll admit that I like to argue sometimes but, I am a good person and an amicable person. She was just being to use a non-academic word for a moment, pissy.
The thing is she thinks she is punishing me by not being friends with me anymore. Oh no, I can just feel the pain now.
This is what would happen if I end up with a religious girl for the rest of my life - I would eventually end up bored on one Shabbat and play a computer game. And then the religious girl would be like "waaaaah why are you playing this computer game, God will smite you! Its the Shabbos!"
And then I would be like, "oh my God its just a computer game." And then she would be like "And you are just a sinner!!!!!"
Honestly, who do these religious girls think they are. She is not punishing me by not being friends with me any more, she is SAVING me from future possible harassment; I'm not saying I was interested in her though, no one knows what the future will bring, and she saved me from this harassment, at least from her.
Now of course, nothing is possible. Boo hoo. I do not know how I can live! I take that back, yes I do know how I can live. Who do these religious girls think they are? I'd say something along the lines of self righteous.
Please, religious girls, save me your harassment. I prefer my weekends to be fun, which is one thing that synagogues don't understand either.
Note to synagogues- if you can't find a way for religion to be enjoyable you can't expect people to follow it. In being the house of worship for us Jews, it largely the responsibility of the synagogue to provide a POSITIVE experience in being religious, and that means that orthodox synagogues (I live in an area where orthodoxy is the norm) have to drop the current trend towards synagogues being places for only ascetic prayer, and start providing forums for socialization and having fun, or you are going to BORE people.
So How Would I like to see Judaism Changed?
My experience with Orthodox Judaism is that it focuses mainly on scare tactics and the suppression of disagreement in order to keep people in line; rather then the noble doctrines of Judaism.
Plus, it is just plain BORING.
All orthodox rabbis do is hand you a big list of don't do this and don't do that with no incentives but rather with scare tactics and the threat of being shunned.
My answer is to change the role of synagogues in the orthodox world so that instead of them being places of supposed spiritual purity (or are they just being a little misogynist?), synagogues should take on the role of a community center where people can hang out, have events hosted that are actually FUN, go on trips that are actually fun, and even be places where guys and girls can talk.
Implementing this idea in synagogues that don't already do stuff along those lines will make Orthodox Judaism a lot less boring. People can acutally enjoy being Jewish on a religious level rather than on an ethnic level alone; as opposed to being handed a big list of don'ts on pain of shunning.
Plus, it is just plain BORING.
All orthodox rabbis do is hand you a big list of don't do this and don't do that with no incentives but rather with scare tactics and the threat of being shunned.
My answer is to change the role of synagogues in the orthodox world so that instead of them being places of supposed spiritual purity (or are they just being a little misogynist?), synagogues should take on the role of a community center where people can hang out, have events hosted that are actually FUN, go on trips that are actually fun, and even be places where guys and girls can talk.
Implementing this idea in synagogues that don't already do stuff along those lines will make Orthodox Judaism a lot less boring. People can acutally enjoy being Jewish on a religious level rather than on an ethnic level alone; as opposed to being handed a big list of don'ts on pain of shunning.
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