I made a mistake when I picked out my Jewish neighborhood and because of it, I'll not get a shiduch until I graduate college and move. Where I live is the next neighborhood over from a nice vibrant Orthodox and observant area. However, where I live... well, the shuls are Orthodox. I saw in the shul for Purim many observant-looking women with their children but, since the women don't normally come to shul, how would I get into families for meals? Well, it seems like the sane thing to do would be to contact the shul's office and the rabbi and ask to have meals arranged for me. I have tried this to no avail. Eventually, I gave up. Then I tried to find people online. I found one couple who's children were in their 20's and living elsewhere. At the point that this woman screamed at me that no one wants to host people and I'm not welcome here. Ok, I'm done. Oh, but, I started college shortly after this. So, I figured that I would move near my college. I was all set to move until I realized the place was completely misrepresented to me. So, I backed out of the move.
I just ran into a woman from the community outside my house. She was walking her dog and I was coming in from the megillah reading. Although, I had stopped at the grocery store and Pizza Palace Cafe for food and drink, so perhaps she was at the same megillah reading but, in one of the other women's sections. I flapped my giant Purim hand a "hello." She greeted me, "I thought you moved?" "Nope, I didn't end up moving." "Well, are you happy here... there's no singles here." "I'm looking for families. I find single women to be catty." "Men? Don't you want to meet single men?" "They don't want me. I'm on Frumster. They don't want me there."
I have to rant here because I get turned down for Shidduchim all the time ... because the men start asking who I eat by and where I daven. I have to explain that I stay home because I was told Im not welcomed here and I don't want to move to ghetto Ocean Ave in Brooklyn. At which point, the men kindly claim they will call back and that is the last that I hear from them. We have a real backwards society, us Jews. Normally, men are supposed to want the women and WORK for us. Remember? In the Torah, Yaakov WORKED for Rachel fourteen years, really because he worked seven for her then her father pulled bait and switch deciding that he should first take Leah whom Yaakov didn't want and yet Yaakov worked another seven for her again. The men should have such respect for women nowadays. Instead, us women are asked to throw ourselves at men to the extent that we should move. Meanwhile, some men complain that the women are too picky. Yet these same men turn me down, like a guy on Frumster who is two years older than me always pissing and moaning in the forum. However, he won't date a convert and he won't date anyone under a certain height...
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
פורים שמח
So far, I have nothing interesting to report about my Purim. After Shabbos and a quick havdalah, I hightailed it on over to the shul. I was not fast enough though. Some, no doubt yekkish type, had started the megillah reading. So, I was stuck in the children's reading. The one reading the scroll in the basement for the kids was the Chabad assistant rabbi at the non-Chabad shul. Young and energetic, he floated around the room with the scroll in his hands. Whereas, most would be at a podium for their reading. He said it's his custom we were only to make noise if there was a title immediately following H***n's name. In this manner, we would only stomp and make noise ten times. I was totally bummed. I brought my brand new giant flapping hand and I wanted to use it. Well, it wasn't so bad because the ten noisemaking sessions we got it in were really good. Furthermore, we were finished in 27 minutes. He was reading at the speed of lightning and surprisingly I was able to follow not so badly.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Ordaining of Orthodox woman rabbi or not?
So, it seems that R. Weiss has finally ordained Sara Hurwitz which is something that has been in the rumor mill as being in the works. Also, previously in the rumor mill, is the idea that Rabbi Weiss might be asked to leave the RCA for this. So, I'm not really sure if these are more rumors but, the word on the cyberstreet is that this has happened. Of course, the question has been asked as to WHY she can't be. The best answer was that the Torah says only men can be judges. Well, I have pasted in a comment from the VIN article.
While, I'm packing up and moving to Riverdale, I haven't heard a good Torah argument against her smicha.
Pashuteh Yid Says: Because I feel sorry for the fellow who complained about all the negatives on Jewish blogs, maybe one should be dan Rabbi Avi Weiss lchaf zchus, as gemara says that if a beis din unanimously convicts somebody, he goes free because they were not mehapech bzchuso.
1) So far, we have not heard that the woman will be doing anything against halacha. I.e., if she was going to serve as an eid kiddushin, that would not be allowed. Merely giving speeches in shul and visiting the sick in a hospital does not seem to be a major issue.
2) She is not paskening halacha, only teaching existing halacha, as women teachers in Bais Yaakov do all the time.
3) Many thought Sara Schnirer broke with the mesorah as well, for initiating the idea that girls should go to school.
4) Women have now in general become more educated. Whereas at one point there were no women doctors, now it is commonplace. Should we tell our daughters that secular careers are open to you, but religious ones are not?
5) Is this woman trying to become less religiously committed or more? I could understand if she wanted to go to a baseball game on Shabbos and eat a treifeh hotdog, she should be roundly condemned. However, she is trying to learn and teach Torah and help others. Is that a terrible crime?
6) As far as mesorah goes, we have women Neviim and Shoftim such as Devorah and Chuldah and Miriam and Sara, etc.
7) The gemara says that at one point, women used to get aliyos and lein.
8) In the time of the gemara, people were not allowed to read by candle on Shabbos. However, times changed, and because we now have bulbs that don't need adjusting, everybody accepts that they can be used. Do you ever hear a complaint that we are violating our holy mesorah of not reading?
9) When Moshiach comes and we abolish Tisha B'av will that constitute a breach of our mesorah?
10) Rashi's daughters put on tefilin. Women are not obligated in Shofar or Sukkah, but universally do them anyway. They can take on additional mitzvos if they are sincere. I personally don't judge people's sincerity. I leave that to the RBSH.
This debate ought to center around specific halachic issues, as to what she can and cannot do with each point being brought from a source. Merely throwing around vague terms like yes Orthodox, not Orthodox, yes Mesorah, not Mesora have very little meaning. Our Mesorah is to follow halacha, so that is where the debate must center.
I am not saying I agree with this new idea, as I don't know enough about what she does and the whole arrangement. I am just suggesting we analyze it without letting our emotions run wild and instead focus on the intellectual and halachic ramifications. Rabbi Weiss has done much good for the klal in the course of his career, and he deserves to be given a fair hearing.
While, I'm packing up and moving to Riverdale, I haven't heard a good Torah argument against her smicha.
Pashuteh Yid Says: Because I feel sorry for the fellow who complained about all the negatives on Jewish blogs, maybe one should be dan Rabbi Avi Weiss lchaf zchus, as gemara says that if a beis din unanimously convicts somebody, he goes free because they were not mehapech bzchuso.
1) So far, we have not heard that the woman will be doing anything against halacha. I.e., if she was going to serve as an eid kiddushin, that would not be allowed. Merely giving speeches in shul and visiting the sick in a hospital does not seem to be a major issue.
2) She is not paskening halacha, only teaching existing halacha, as women teachers in Bais Yaakov do all the time.
3) Many thought Sara Schnirer broke with the mesorah as well, for initiating the idea that girls should go to school.
4) Women have now in general become more educated. Whereas at one point there were no women doctors, now it is commonplace. Should we tell our daughters that secular careers are open to you, but religious ones are not?
5) Is this woman trying to become less religiously committed or more? I could understand if she wanted to go to a baseball game on Shabbos and eat a treifeh hotdog, she should be roundly condemned. However, she is trying to learn and teach Torah and help others. Is that a terrible crime?
6) As far as mesorah goes, we have women Neviim and Shoftim such as Devorah and Chuldah and Miriam and Sara, etc.
7) The gemara says that at one point, women used to get aliyos and lein.
8) In the time of the gemara, people were not allowed to read by candle on Shabbos. However, times changed, and because we now have bulbs that don't need adjusting, everybody accepts that they can be used. Do you ever hear a complaint that we are violating our holy mesorah of not reading?
9) When Moshiach comes and we abolish Tisha B'av will that constitute a breach of our mesorah?
10) Rashi's daughters put on tefilin. Women are not obligated in Shofar or Sukkah, but universally do them anyway. They can take on additional mitzvos if they are sincere. I personally don't judge people's sincerity. I leave that to the RBSH.
This debate ought to center around specific halachic issues, as to what she can and cannot do with each point being brought from a source. Merely throwing around vague terms like yes Orthodox, not Orthodox, yes Mesorah, not Mesora have very little meaning. Our Mesorah is to follow halacha, so that is where the debate must center.
I am not saying I agree with this new idea, as I don't know enough about what she does and the whole arrangement. I am just suggesting we analyze it without letting our emotions run wild and instead focus on the intellectual and halachic ramifications. Rabbi Weiss has done much good for the klal in the course of his career, and he deserves to be given a fair hearing.
Updates and question about NYC in 1975...
So, the gabbers behind me have actually gotten quiet, who woulda thunk it? Also, the professor cracked the whip a little better on Monday when students were talking.
Now, I have been given an informal assignment. The professor was telling us about something that happened in 1975 in the NYC economy. He said, "go home and ask your parents." Well, my parents are dead and actually they didn't live in NYC in 1975, either. That's the year I was born. My mother never lived outside of Buffalo but, my father was actually stationed in Bayonne, NJ when he was in the Navy. That would have been in the sixties, though. Also, he's dead, so... So, I turn to you, my readers, many of whom who are in NYC and some might be old enough to remember, to tell me about the financial crisis in NYC in 1975.
Now, I have been given an informal assignment. The professor was telling us about something that happened in 1975 in the NYC economy. He said, "go home and ask your parents." Well, my parents are dead and actually they didn't live in NYC in 1975, either. That's the year I was born. My mother never lived outside of Buffalo but, my father was actually stationed in Bayonne, NJ when he was in the Navy. That would have been in the sixties, though. Also, he's dead, so... So, I turn to you, my readers, many of whom who are in NYC and some might be old enough to remember, to tell me about the financial crisis in NYC in 1975.
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