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January 26, 2012

A little Birthright humor

By Alia

I hope you enjoyed reading about Alexa’s trip on Birthright Israel, which in Hebrew is called Taglit. This week we follow it up with a sketch from Israeli television:

I barely speak any Hebrew and I still thought it was really funny. How about those of you who do speak Hebrew? Or any Birthright alumni? Does it ring true?

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January 25, 2012

‘Big in China’ is big here too

By Alia

I’m really excited for my friend Alan Paul. Alan is the author of Big in China, a chronicle of his three and a half years in China with his wife and family in support of her career; while he was there he started a Chinese/American blues band which became, you guessed it, big. In China.

He was a guest blogger for me about a year ago, and I just saw this interview with him on the website Asian Jewish Life. My favorite quote: “I had an option to take a few years off from religion and I found that I really did not want to. I had a profound sense of just how tiny of a minority we are in the world, as well.”

The book has been optioned as a movie, to be directed by Ivan Reitman, and although Alan says he has no preferences as to who plays him, I do: I vote for James Marsden. He has the singing chops, and – to me – the same laid back, great-guy-to-have-a-beer-with vibe that Alan brings to a room. And yes, there’s enough of a resemblance:

Alan

James

 

 

 

 

Anyone who know them have any ideas of other actors? Anyone for Rebecca?

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General

January 24, 2012

Family bed

By Alia

I have never been a proponent of a family bed, at least not in my family. I could never get any sleep with a baby or toddler in my queen size bed. Now although after 17 years of marriage we finally have a king size bed, everyone’s trained not to come in, and they’re too old to want to, mostly.

click to enlarge (ripped from Facebook)

It’s funny, but when I titled this post, I was going to call it “co-sleeping.” But then I found I had already written a post called “co-sleeping“! That one’s about my boys sleeping together. Often.

Last night, I scared Bulldog when he scared me by appearing at my bedside at 1:30 a.m. for no reason other than he woke up. So, figuring we have this big king bed now, I let him in. I enjoyed the snuggle, at first. Who knew a 7 1/2 year old could take up 2/3 of a king size bed? I shoulda! He slept great, at least.

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January 20, 2012

Mothers Circle in Bergen County

By Alia

The Jewish Outreach Institute is hosting a free three-session workshop for women of other religious backgrounds raising Jewish children in Paramus starting Feb. 5. They were kind enough to send me their press release, and I hope they get a great turnout! Here’s the info:

Have you ever wondered how to create a Jewish home for your children, when you’re not Jewish yourself? The Mothers Circle, a series of free programs for women of other religious backgrounds raising Jewish children within the context of intermarriage, is excited to present The Mothers Circle Mini Course, a free 3-session introductory workshop to Jewish parenting. The three sessions will cover topics such as how to create a Jewish home, the Jewish child’s life cycle events, and an overview of the Jewish holidays. The sessions will take place at the Panera Bread at 165 W. State Rt. 4 in Paramus, NJ from 10 AM to 12 PM on Sunday February 5th, Sunday February 12th, and Sunday March 4th.

Through experiential education and a supportive, relaxed environment, participants will gain confidence through knowledge, addressing the questions many women of other religious backgrounds have when raising Jewish children. Participants will explore various subjects such as the blessings for Shabbat, the meaning of the high Holidays, and what a bar mitzvah represents in the Jewish life cycle. The overview of Jewish holidays will include holidays such as Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah, and Passover.

Rabbi Kerry Olitzky, Executive Director of the Jewish Outreach Institute, the organization that operates The Mothers Circle nationally and created the Mini Course, says, “The Mothers Circle Mini Course provides participants with a unique and informal opportunity for hands-on learning about raising Jewish children in the context of intermarriage. More importantly, the sessions meet the needs of those who might not yet feel fully comfortable creating a Jewish home with their Jewish partners and children.”

The Mini Course is locally hosted by Temple Avodat Shalom in River Edge, NJ. Rabbi Neal Borovitz of Temple Avodat Shalom is excited to be able to offer this opportunity: “Our congregation has worked successfully in offering joint programming with the Jewish Outreach Institute to serve the interests of both Jewish and non-Jewish men in relationships through the Answering Your Jewish Children and How Should I Know programs. It is out of that experience that we received interest from non-Jewish mothers in our community to offer a parallel program. We are grateful for this opportunity to offer the Mini Course to the community.”

The Mothers Circle Mini Course, made possible by a joint grant to the Jewish Outreach Institute and Temple Avodat Shalom from the Adler Family Innovation Fund, will be held at the Panera Bread at 165 W. State Rt. 4 in Paramus, NJ 07652 from 10 AM to 12 PM on Sunday February 5th, Sunday February 12th, and Sunday March 4th. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Stephanie at administrator@avodatshalom.net or (201) 489-2463 ext. 202.

The Jewish Outreach Institute (JOI) is an independent, national, trans-denominational organization reaching out to unengaged and intermarried Jewish families, and helping the organized Jewish community better welcome them in. JOI conducts research, runs programs, and serves as a national training institution and network for outreach professionals, guiding and supporting innovative outreach in communities throughout North America.

 

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January 18, 2012

Guest post from Birthrighter Alexa

By Alia

One year the two big kids came home from day camp loving their bus counselor. She became a great babysitter and (now that she’s in college) my Facebook friend. So when I read that Alexa Wasserman had just come back from a Birthright Israel trip, I asked her to be a guest blogger. And what a fabulous guest blogger to have! She had so many beautiful photos it was hard to pick just three.

It was always assumed that I would go on Birthright in college just as my older brother did before me after his freshman year at NYU. I had heard all about the camel rides and the Dead Sea before and had even seen the sights myself at the age of twelve for a family wedding. At just twelve years old, I was not able to appreciate Israel for all that it is: a country where I will always feel at home amongst my own people.

A trip to the Western Wall is a must

After applying to the trip three times I was finally accepted on the third try (so apply now*). Since the acceptance came as I got the news of a brand new Israeli boy cousin, I was extremely excited for the adventure. The trip was scheduled during the winter break of my junior year at Muhlenberg. This time, I had applied through my school’s Hillel to a program called Kesher, which is run by the Reform organization NFTY (National Federation of Temple Youth). I was looking forward to meeting young Jewish kids from all around the country and also for the amazing opportunity to appreciate Israel, a country I have learned about for most of my life.

Alexa and her new friends

Even after about fifteen years of Hebrew school and Hebrew high school I still was not even close to prepared for what I would find. I have come away from this trip realizing that I just experienced a gift which per person would cost roughly five thousand dollars; Jews around the world believe that it is my right to visit Israel before making some very important decisions in my life and so donated the money for me and my generation to go. I believe that this is a beautiful concept. Not only did I visit the place but also the people, as we were paired with eight incredible soldiers in the Israeli Defense Force for five days of traveling and experiencing.

These people changed my life. I could not believe that they were around my age (20) and while I am at school studying, they are fighting hard for my values, culture, religion and people. Hearing their stories and interacting with them truly enhanced the trip and the programming as well. There was never a dull moment with constant guitar playing, singing and nature. Hiking Masada was a great highlight of the trip. I was proud of myself for accomplishing the route and I even taught a Yoga class to my peers at 5 a.m. on top of the mountain as the sun came up. We visited Sderot, Svat, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, which was my absolute favorite place for its uniqueness. We also saw the Gaza Strip and Lebanon from across a hilltop. I did not feel in danger and instead felt comfort in knowing that we strive so hard to protect an area that we hold dear to us for it brings the Jewish people together and provides a sense of unification and security for my family and many others as well.

Alexa's trip photos are enough to make you drool.

Five of my friends had a bar and bat mitzvah aliyah at a synagogue in Tel Aviv on our final Shabbat in Israel. They had never received one before and it was incredible to watch as they experienced this at last. I was lucky enough to extend my trip and stay for a total of 22 days, 12 days past the 10-day trip. My parents joined me in Israel and we traveled to El Ad and Eli where my first cousins live. In Eli, I stayed at my cousin Hadassah’s house for Shabbat and had a great time with my four little cousins (including the new baby). They live in a settlement on the West Bank very close to the Arab people. Being with my family in Israel meant a great deal to me. I look back on my trip and think about the wonderful experiences I had, the friends I made and I realize how much I changed. I would highly recommend Birthright to any Jewish citizen of the world who is lost, found or searching for something. I think Israel is an unbelievable place filled with distinctly special people and we can never give up defending what is ours.

 

*Many tour operators host Birthright trips, so whether you want one that will concentrate on history, culture, outdoorsy-adventure, or just a great all-around tour, look into it! United Jewish Communities of MetroWest hosts a Birthright tour for New Jersey kids (the “kids” being 18-26). Contact Justine Reuben at 973-929-3054 or jreuben@ujcnj.org. – Alia

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General

January 17, 2012

Here we go again

By Alia

“We booked the location for Big Girl’s bat mitzvah 14 months in advance,” DB reminded me while driving somewhere this weekend.

“Uh huh,” I said absently.

“Right now it’s 14 months before Skater Dude’s.”

“Oy. Can he and his friends just play Wii in the basement after having some bagels at shul?”

“Okay.” Great, glad the planning stage for that is outta the way.

From the back seat: “Maaaahmm! That’s not funny.”

 

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January 16, 2012

MLK Jr. Day fact

By Alia

This is from Jewish Treats:

TODAY’S FACT
Rabbi Dr. Joachim Prinz
Can you name the speaker who preceded Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the 1963 March on Washington? It was Rabbi (Dr.) Joachim Prinz, a German Jew who had been expelled by the Nazis in 1937. A passionate player in the fight for civil rights, Rabbi Prinz consistently spoke out against the great crime of silence.

Born in 1902 in Burkhardsdorf, Silesia, and ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in Breslau in 1925 (two years after earning his PhD in philosophy with a minor in Art History at the University of Giessen), Rabbi Prinz began his oratorical career at the Friedenstempil (Peace Synagogue) in Berlin. From early on, Rabbi Prinz was recognized as a brilliant and popular speaker who drew crowds, but he also upset many by his early warnings about National Socialism and by encouraging Jews to emigrate. When he himself arrived in the United States under the sponsorship of Rabbi Stephen Wise, his message portraying the dire circumstances in Germany, was met by charges of exaggeration and pessimism.

In 1939, Rabbi Prinz assumed the position of rabbi at Temple B’nai Abraham in Newark, New Jersey. Once again, his oratorical ability drew large crowds. Thereby, revitalizing a synagogue that was faltering under great debt and failing membership. He served Temple B’nai Abraham until his retirement in 1977. Additionally, he was active in many Zionist and national Jewish organizations such as the World Jewish Congress, the World Zionist Organization, the American Jewish Congress and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

TODAY’S ACTION
Basic Values
Treating every person with respect is a basic Jewish value.

SAY THE SHEMA
The Shema
The Jewish people have said this prayer daily for thousands of years.

“Sh-ma Yis-ra-el A-doh-nai Eh-lo-hay-nu A-doh-nai Echad ”

“Hear O Israel, the Lord is Our God, the Lord is One”

(Deuteronomy 6:4)

For the full text of this prayer, click here.

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January 11, 2012

Giving creatively, outside the tzedakah box

By Alia

The American Jewish World Service, which, because Judd Apatow is a close friend, has the best PSA, is sponsoring a contest at wheredoyougive.org.

The contest is to design a tzedakah box, physical or metaphorical, by thinking outside the actual box. There are categories to design a real tzedakah box, a web/interactive way to connect with tzedakah, an “out of the box” category, and a student track for those under 18.

I know several artists and artsy-types. You should all enter. Deadline for submissions is March 1. Let me know if you enter. Definitely let me know if you win!

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January 9, 2012

Beit Shemesh flashmob

By Alia

My sister and a few other people shared a link to this video this morning:

If you don’t know the backstory, Beit Shemesh, a town to the west of Jerusalem and the east of Ashdod, has been ground zero for a spike in intolerance by the some super-ultra-fervently Orthodox men toward everyone else, especially women – and even girls – most of them Orthodox by anyone else’s standards. Women, and girls(!), have been yelled at, cursed at, called cruel names, and been generally harassed by these men for walking on the wrong side of the street and wearing what they deem inappropriate clothing. Again, to a normal human being these women – AND GIRLS – are dressed in an Orthodox, modest way.

This highlights a growing and disturbing trend.

My heart was happy to see the video, but my brain had a lingering question: Where are the men?

I understand that they can’t dance mixed in with the women, but what about a concurrent group of men dancing on the opposite side of the square? What about making sure there were plenty of men cheering them on? If 250 women were dancing, where were their husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, and friends?

Of course women need to stand up to this kind of bullying and abuse. But so do the men that love them.

 

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January 4, 2012

Parenting discussion Jan. 12

By Alia

How do we teach our kids how to be safe in the big bad world without being a helicopter parent micro-managing their every move and choice? The Golda Och Academy Parents Association is hosting an evening with Shari Bloomberg, LCSW, who works with kids and families for Jewish Family Services of MetroWest New Jersey. There is no admission charge. Hope to see you there!

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