The Jewish Press has a bi-weekly feature in which several rabbis are asked questions relating to Jewish values, observance, customs. One of the respondents is Rabbi Marc D. Angel. Here are Rabbi Angel's responses to four recent questions from the Jewish Press.
Centrist Orthodox Jews are overwhelmingly not only pro-Israel but view the State of Israel as having religious significance and, thus, pray in synagogues that recite the prayers for the Welfare of the State and for the Israel Defense Forces. At the same time, some leaders of Centrist Orthodoxy have become increasingly assertive and acerbic, and they attempt to define Centrist Orthodoxy in more rigid terms.
Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, a leading Religious Zionist rabbi in Israel, recently proclaimed that women should not be engaged in political life. His statement--bolstered by a group of other rabbis--has been sharply denounced by many Israelis, including other Israeli rabbis. One of the early proponents of women's involvement in positions of political leadership was Rabbi Benzion Uziel (1880-1953).
We are thrilled by the creative programming of our Campus Fellows across the country and in Canada. Here is a brief summary of their latest activities.
Thank you all for your support,
Rabbi Hayyim Angel
National Scholar, Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals
Yona Benjamin, Columbia
To our members and friends
At this time of crisis, we pray that Hashem will bless all of us with good health and wellbeing. I offer this interpretation of a passage in the Haggadah and hope it provides a framework for coping better. It originally appeared in this week's issue of the Jewish Press.
It seems to have become "politically correct" to speak of narratives, rather than to focus on historical truth. This tendency is blatantly evident in some discussions about Israel and the Palestinian Arabs. We are told that each group has its own narrative, implying that each group clings to its own version of truth and should be respected for its views. This approach--seemingly objective and non-judgmental--actually leads to the distortion of facts and undermining of historic truth.
I hope in this essay I have been able to transmit a vision about the transformative role of community, a community in time, where we find meaning through entering into relationship grounded in history as a way to come home. May we remember before Whom we stand, before the Holy One, before each other in generations past, present and future, and before the unique vision of a community in time that is Sephardic Judaism.
I believe that if we want to increase moral behavior in our generation, as well as ignite a Jewish renaissance in the Diaspora, Intentional Communities could and should play a major role in this effort. My hope is that this article will contribute, if only little, to this joint effort.
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