60 Days for 60 Years: Israel - Chicago Learning Project

Day 61 - Afterword

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Day 60 - Our Israel: A Youth Perspective

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DAy 59 - Dona Gracia: An Inspring Example

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Day 58 - Listening to your Inner Voice

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Day 57 - A Modern Day ' Dayeinu' Song

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Day 56 - Kids: A Public Commodity

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Day 55 - Chevron: Connecting Heaven and Earth

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Day 54 - Behind the Mask

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Day 53 - Chesed and Gemachs

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Day 52 - Mezuzah: Faith and Conciliation

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Here's my contribution to the many stories of how mezuzahs protect our homes. We just moved into a new home a few weeks ago. Although there were mezuzahs on our doors, we had to replace them. There was no urgency so I left it for a while. During that time my wife and I were occasionally woken up in the middle of the night by strange noises. At first we put it down to getting used to the new sounds of the house. But it was nerve-wracking. Finally last Friday I had Rabbi Wolf come in to put up new mezuzahs. As it turns out, we needed a number of mezuzahs in places where there hadn't been one before, one or two were on the wrong side of the door and one needed to be replaced. Needless to say, after we put up all 20 mezuzahs! we had no more problems with strange noises.

Day 51 - Aliyah: Making the Move

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Day 50 - Succot: The Joy of a Restored Relationship

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Day 49 - My name is Esther Wachsman

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Day 48 - Making it Happen

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Day 47 - Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk

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Day 46 - Destination and Destiny

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Day 45 - Hide and Seek

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Day 44 - The Kotel and the Gate of Prayer

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Day 43 - Pesach: One Great Jewish Community

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Day 42 - Black Fire on White Fire: The Sanz-Klausenberger Rebbe

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Day 41 - The Jewish Family

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Day 40 - To Listen and to Do

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Day 39 - The Land and its Unique Mitzvot

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Day 38 - Jewish Identity: Let's Make it Positive!

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Day 36 - Chanukah: Accepting Others

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Rabbi YY is one of my favorite rabbis. I met him many years ago in Israel and we have stayed in contact. What I most like about him is he has the ability to get you to think outside the box. (He also has a great sense of humor and a great Scottish accent).

In this essay, he again gets us to think about how we deal with people who are different to us. In the work I do, I am constantly moving between two different worlds - the secular and observant worlds. I believe one of my missions is to try bridge the gap between the two worlds.

So for example, we love inviting people who have never observed Shabbat to spend Shabbat in West Rogers Park. We introduce them to great families, some who have kept Shabbat all their lives. It's a beautiful thing to see how friends can be made at a Shabbat table.

If you have any other thoughts to share about building bridges between people who are different, I'd love to hear them.

Day 37 - King David: Our First and Greatest CEO

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Day 35 - Delivering in Dallas

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Day 34 - A New Look at the Shemoneh Esrei

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Day 33 - Pride in our Judaism

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Day 32 - A Divine Document

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Day 31 - Successfully Meeting Life's Challenges

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I had started this blog with good intentions, aiming to write every day (or at least every couple of days) and this way motivate myself and others to keep reading this great book. However, I fell behind. Then one day I got inspired to continue again. I picked it up and opened to where I was - day 31. The essay was by Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis - and 'coincidentally' I had just heard her speak the night before in West Rogers Park to an audience of over 500 people! If I had told her the story, she would not have been surprised.

Day 30 - Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach: Torah Leader of the Modern Age

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Day 29 - A Diaspora Yearning

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Day 28 - Coincidences: G-d's Way of Saying Hello

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Day 27 - An Inspirational Shavuot

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Day 26 - Love, Relationships and Parenting

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Day 25 - The Blooming of Israel

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Day 24 - Jerusalem: Peace and Beauty

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Day 23 - Luggage versus Baggage

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Day 22 - What does the Shema Really Mean?

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Day 21 - The Tzaddik Reb Aryeh

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Day 20 - Yom Kippur, Repentance and the Land of Israel

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Day 19 - The Nobel Prize for Literature

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Day 18 - Science and Religion: Partners or Adversaries

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Day 17 - Esther Cailingold - A Jewish heroine

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Day 16 - Some thoughts about Jewish memory

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Day 15 - The Mystical City of Tzfat

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No words can describe this city. I have spent many Shabbats in Tzfat and the place is quite simply the most spiritual place in the world. I love going there and please G-d, in a couple of weeks I'll be back there with a group of Russian students and young professionals on a first ever trip of this kind for JET.

Day 14 - When breaking the law was breaking my word

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This story resonated with me. I do my very best never to cross on a red light even if there is no traffic in sight, and no one around to see. And especially when there are people around, who might be crossing, for example downtown. The reason is a class I once heard from Rabbi Cardozo in Jerusalem about keeping the laws of the land we live in. Before I really knew the extent of the concept, Rabbi Cardozo introduced me to the idea of 'chilul Hashem' (desecrating G-d's name). How can an observant Jew who keeps G-d's commandments not keep the laws of the country that everyone else is expected to keep?

Your thoughts?

Day 13 - The Essence of Purim

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Purim is my favorite holiday to celebrate in Israel. It's not because we get drunk (I never drank very much on Purim in Israel). What I love about it is seeing everyone running around on Purim giving everyone shaloch manos (gifts of food), one of the mitzvos of the day. It is an outer expression of the unity of the Jewish people and the love we have for each other. Unfortunately, (and for many reasons), that expression is lost for most of the year. But at least on Purim we can see our true colors. It's a beautiful thing to see.

Day 12 - Living in Israel

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Here are some musings from someone living in Israel. I lived in Israel for 6 years and I think about it every day. Any opportunity I get to go back, I do. Fortunately, since I've been working with college students I've been back every 6 months. And I would move back with my family tomorrow if I could (that's a much longer story). I love this book because it gets me thinking about Israel, the place that will always be home.

Day 11 - Living Peacefully - A Simple Guide to Life

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Rabbi Abraham Twerski has got to be one of the most amazing Jews alive. He has written literally dozens of books and keeps on coming up with great ideas for writing. For all of us who have had a 'book in the back of my mind' it is astounding how prolific he is. And to top it all, his advice is so good.

My favorite is:
I'd Like to Call for Help but I Don't Know the Number: The Search for the Spirituality in Everyday Life

It's a great introduction to spirituality

Day 10 - Rabbi Kook : Chief Rabbi of Israel

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JET is dedicating the learning of the 60 Days book in memory of the 8 students who were murdered in March at the yeshiva named after Rabbi Kook. I visited the yeshiva only once many years ago when I was learning in Yerushalayim.

Some of the stories of the lives of the students are so sad, and yet very inspiring at the same time. You can read about two of the boys, Neria Cohen and Avraham David Moses at
http://www.aish.com/jewishissues/israeldiary/The_Candle_of_God.asp and
http://www.aish.com/jewishissues/israeldiary/Torn_from_the_Heart.asp

Other articles you might like to read can be found at:

http://www.aish.com/spirituality/philosophy/Remember_Amalek.asp

http://www.aish.com/shavuottorah/shavuottorahdefault/Shavuot_Learn-a-thon1.asp

Day 9 - Jewish Medical Ethics

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This is such a fascinating area of Jewish thought and law. I'm not a medical person in the slightest but I've listened to Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz talk on medical subjects like Triage (the use of limited resources for multiple patients) and have become a lot more interested.

In fact, Rabbi Tatz has a series of lectures on medical ethics that you can find at www.tatz.cc.

What is most fascinating is how Traditional Jewish methods of logic are used to decide on cutting edge technological issues in the medical field.

Day 8 - The Holiness of the Land of Israel

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Rabbi Becher explains some of the reasons connecting the physical land of Israel with its kedusha (holiness). In particular, he highlights the observance of the shmitta (sabbatical) year.

This year is a shmitta year in Israel. I was fortunate to have one shmitta year while I was living in Israel. I definitely felt a closer connection to the land during that year. I did have to make certain adjustments to my eating habits and be careful about kashrut considerations, but it was so worth it.

There is still a few months of the shmitta year left this year. If you can, you should try visit this year.

Day 7 - Touching Every Human Need

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Stories like this one of Rabbi Israel and his amazing chesed organization, Hazon Yeshaya, make me very proud to be a Jew and inspire me to make my organization the best it can be.

If you'd like to share your story of an inspiring person or organization, we'd love to hear about it.

Day 6 - Our Holy Language: The DNA of Creation

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Hebrew is a fascinating language. One of my teachers, Rabbi Akiva Tatz, often shows how words are connected and have a deeper meaning.

Over the years, I have taught many people how to read Hebrew using the excellent material from National Jewish Outreach Program (www.njop.org). If you don't know how to read Hebrew, you'd be amazed how easy it is to learn using this program. And then the whole world of Hebrew and it's spiritual connections will be open to you.

Day 5 - A Journey Through Israel

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One writer's thoughts on some of his favorite sites in Israel.

My favorite place in Israel is the holy city of Tzfat and I've been fortunate to spend a number of Shabbats there. It's not just the place, it's also the time and there's nothing like a Shabbat in Tzfat.

Although I've visited Israel many times and lived there for 6 years, there are a myriad different places and I'm always excited to visit a new place I haven't seen before. This last visit over the winter break, I spent a Shabbat in Ramat Beit Shemesh, in the Judean Hillls between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Perhaps you'd like to share your favorite site.

Day 4: From Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur: Actualizing your Potential

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Sara Rigler is my favorite Jewish writer. Her articles, including this one, appear on www.aish.com. I have been fortunate to meet her and she has spoken for JET a number of times. (You can hear one of those talks on my podcast www.rugbyrabbi.podomatic.com).

This essay is related to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. However the message of learning from the paing of others, and putting our lives in perspective compared to those who have suffered tragedies, is an ongoing one.

I just read an email today about the ongoing medical struggles of an infant child and the amazing strength and faith of their parents.

As I write this, we are approaching Pesach. You can read another great essay by Sara Rigler with a Pesach theme, also discussing achieving greatness through struggle at www.aish.com or at http://www.aish.com/passthought/passthoughtdefault/The_Catapult1.asp if it is no longer on the home page when you read this posting.

Day 3 - Tehillim: The Ultimate Connectivity

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Another delightful essay, this time a concise and carefully crafted summary of probably the most widely used book of Tanach of all times, Tehillim - Psalms.

There are Psalms for all occasions.

Currently, synagogues around the world say two Psalms at the end of Shacharit (the morning prayer) to ask for G-d's help to protect us in Israel from all the enemies we face.

When I lived in Jerusalem, I would always see people on the buses reading the book of Tehillim. Some read the whole book every day! And many know all 150 Psalms by heart! Many others cover them in the course of a month. In the 60 Days book there is a suggested Psalm to read each day.

There are many translations today and I recommend the interlinear one by artscroll to help you learn how to read them in the original hebrew and understand what you are reading. Go to www.artscroll.com and search for tehillim.

Another recommendation is a great commentary on Tehillim, Growth Through Tehillim, by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, noted author of numerous inspiring books. "He presents us with the key to Tehillim's hidden treasures. In his captivating style, he offers analyses of many verses of Tehillim with practical suggestions for how to implement their message to transform our lives. This work is replete with anecdotes illustrating how such sage advice has helped people achieve success. Growth Through Tehillim is an invaluable aid to anyone seeking a happier, more meaningful life. Go to http://www.artscroll.com/Books/gtth.html for some sample pages.

Day 2 - Tiberias: A Tale of Romans, Rabbis and Renewal

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I learnt so much from this short historical vignette of Tiberias. For example, I had no idea that the pronounciation (sorry, this is the way, we South Africans spell that word) of Hebrew as we know it today was introduced in Tiberias.

It is another reminder that there is always something new to learn about Israel and its history. Knowing more about the places you visit makes the visit more meaningful.

Rav Mendel Weinbach, Rosh Yeshiva of Ohr Somayach, has been writing a column for years, called Love of the Land, with short pieces on familiar and unfamiliar places in Israel.

Go to http://ohr.edu/yhiy.php?seriesid=6&archive=1 to see the archives.

Day 1 - The Miracle of Israel

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Rabbi Sacks is so eloquent. He captures our thoughts and feelings so powerfully. What a great introduction to this project.

Chicago Launch of 60 Days for 60 Years: Israel set for April 8

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Coinciding with JET's 2nd Annual Benefit Event, The Great Debate, JET will be launching its new learning project: the 60 Days for 60 Years: Israel - A commemoration and celebration.

Attendees will each receive a copy of the new book which has 60 essays by prominent Jewish writers.

The Chicago learning is dedicated in memory of the eight students of Merkaz HaRav Kook yeshiva who were murdered in a terrorist attack in March, 2008.

To be among the first to join this exciting project, order your tickets online at www.jeteam.com

The Great Debate is on Tuesday, April 8th at the NorthShore Center for Performing Arts in Skokie.

If you are unable to attend, but would like to order your copy, call 773-465-5378.

We will have an online option to order books soon.

Regards
Rabbi Zev Kahn

Day 60 - Shabbat, December 23 - 60 Days for 6 Million

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Mazaltov!

Rabbi Shaw's words speak for themselves.

I give you all a bracha, a blessing, that this project you undertook should inspire you to continue your Jewish learning - and inspire you to get others to participate.

Day 59 - Friday, December 22 - Why am I a Jew?

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Read this as if you're speaking in front of a thousand young Jewish students and you'll get goosebumps. Rabbi Sacks has so eloquently captured the challenge of our times as Jews.

Day 58 - Thursday, December 21 - A Prayer

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I have found that the last five or six essays have been the most powerful of the book.

This one by Eli Wiesel is another very important one. Many people have read Eli's book, Night, in which he questions G-d. As he explains in this essay, later in his life, his faith returned.

His struggle to maintain his relationship with G-d is an inspiration to us all who face lesser struggles than he did.

Day 57 - Wednesday, December 20 - End of Days

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Quite an appropriate title as we approach the end of this historic first cycle of 60 Days here in Chicago. I hope you've enjoyed this project as much as I have and that you have learned a lot. At the very least, I hope it has aroused your desire to learn more.

Please encourage your friends to sign up for our next cycle, beginning January 3rd and concluding the day before Purim.

This essay draws on the story of Purim to describe a fundamental idea about the Jewish view of the coming of the Messiah. The headlines of today's newspapers confirm this outlook in a very strong way.

Day 56 - Tuesday, December 19 - Spirituality without G-d

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Sara Rigler is the best Jewish writer I have read. You can read many of her articles at www.aish.com. This essay is a typical piece where she beautifully compares the difference in outlook between Judaism and Buddhism. Her first published work, "Holy Woman" is life-altering. I strongly urge you to read it (You can buy it online at www.artscroll.com and get a discount during their Chanukah sale on right now).

We are nearing the end of the first cycle of 60 Days here in Chicago. We have given out over 500 books, bli ayin hara.

Today, I took a look at www.yadvashem.org at one of the names on one of the cards that I stil have.

Lola Meirowicz was born in Lodz, Poland in 1914. She was married. Prior to WWII she lived in Lodz, Poland. During the war she was in Lodz, Poland. Lola perished in 1942 in Auschwitz, Poland. This information is based on a Page of Testimony submitted on 18/04/1957 by her sister-in-law.

May her memory be for a blessing.

Day 55 - Monday, December 18 - Freedom of Will

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Great teachers throughout history have grappled with the contradiction between Free will and Divine foreknowledge.

It is definitely a fascinating philosophical dilemma.

However, personally, I've never had a problem with the concept of Free Will because I feel deep down that I have the ability to choose.

When our philosophical problems cause us to abdicate the responsiblity for our actions, then we need to step back and honestly examine how philosophical and how practical our 'problem' is.

Day 54 - Sunday, December 17 - Private Winneger

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And perhaps you'll say it is a coincidence too that we are reading this story during Chanukah!

Day 53 - Shabbat, December 16 - From Vision to Reality

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Go to http://www.laniado.org.il/ to find out more about this incredible hospital and the 'angel in human clothing' who founded it.

Day 52 - Friday, December 15 - The wonder of creation

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I was just reading two articles on evolution on the Jerusalem Post site today, one by Jonathan Rosenblum and one by Shmuley Boteach. Jonathan points out some of the inconsistencies in the theory and the steadfastness of its proponents. Shmuley gives another angle and a more positive look at the animal world than Darwin did. You can see both articles by clicking on the links below.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1164881893390&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1164881913788&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

The essay in the 60 Days book also provides ample food for thought to reconsider the theory of evolution.

The prerequisite is an open, intellectually honest mind.

Day 51 - Thursday, December 14 - Have we lost G-d in the Details?

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One of my favorite teachers of all times is Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo. One of his most masterful lectures was titled: "Halacha as a symphony."

This essay follows a similar theme, as it concludes: "The Divine is in the detail."

Again, with a little thought, a major misconception about Jewish law is vanquished.

A little like the little light of the menorah vanquishing a lot of darkness on a dark winter night.

Day 50 - Wednesday, December 13 - The Role of Jewish Women throughout the Ages

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It is clear to me that it is the women who have saved the Jewish people throughout history. That is because at my classes throughout the years, there have always been more women than men who are searching for spirituality. Whatever reasons you want to propose, the numbers cannot be denied.

Day 49 - Tuesday, December 12 - Why Marry Jewish

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After reading all these essays up until day 49, I believe the question is moot. But if you still have this question in your mind, this essay will give you another few reasons. Doron Kornbluth speaks all over the world and has spoken here in Chicago for JET a number of times. He is another one of those Jewish heroes we read about in this book

Day 48 - Monday, December 11 - The Holocaust: Were they Sheep to the Slaughter?

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Probably the most powerful essay in the book in my opinion. One that requires no words to embellish it.

Day 47 - Sunday, December 10 - Who Will Win this War?

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Where does a people like ours get the strength to survive the way we have?

Read this essay and you'll see why. At the end of this essay, a German soldier is quoted as saying:

"I don't know who will win this war, but one thing I am sure of - people like you, a nation like yours, you will never be defeated, never!"

Each of these essays carries a positive message. Jews of today, especially the young, are so ignorant of our heritage and the heroes who lived and died to protect it. A book like this, an essay like this, will hopefully ignite the neshamas of so many Jews. Our future depends on it.

Day 46 - Shabbat, December 9 - Coping with Bereavement

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This book is like a little encyclopedia of Jewish life and I am more impressed with it with each passing day.

Again today, the concept of shiva, the beginning of the bereavement process, is explained in such a beautiful way. Many of us have been on shiva calls where it is nothing more than a cocktail party. If you have a friend or family member who has lost a loved one, you could do so much to help them by reading this essay and having them read it too.

Day 45 - Friday, December 8 - Mikveh: Gateway to Purity

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One of the highlights of the Maimonides Leaders Fellowship program that I run on campuses around Chicago is the Sunday tour of West Rogers Park, the observant neighborhood of Chicago. We visit the Ark, the boys school (yes, they have school on Sunday mornings), sometimes the Matzah factory. While the boys visit the Chicago Community Kollel, the girls visit the Bnei Reuven mikveh. As you'll read in this essay, the mikveh is the cornerstone of Jewish life. With so much of Judaism, it is so misunderstood and maligned. A visit to the mikveh is my way of introducing the girls to the beauty of Jewish purity and sanctity in a world which has become so jaded.

Day 44 - Thursday, December 7 - A Gutte Yid

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I teach a lot of classes to a lot of different kinds of Jews; downtown, in the suburbs, on campuses. I tell my students that there is only so much Judaism you can teach in a classroom. To really understand the power and beauty of the Jewish life, you have to experience it - and you have to experience those who live that life at its fullest. Fortunately in Chicago we have the kinds of Jews mentioned in this essay. I encourage you all to one time visit one of these Gutte Yidden.

Day 43 - Wednesday, December 6 - Finding Love in the Maelstrom

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In four short pages Rabbi Kelemen provides hope and comfort for Jews who wonder at the millenia long struggle we have had against brutal anti-semitism. If only we Jews could stop and think and discuss these issues among ourselves we would be more united and determined.

Day 42 - Tuesday, December 5 - Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People

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This is the eternal theological question. I have given a class on this subject many times and feel it is so important to give the correct Jewish perspective on this.

Day 41 - Monday, December 4 - A Taste of Kabbalah

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Day 40 - Sunday, December 3 - Shabbat: A Gift Forever

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The author of this essay, Esther Jungreis, will be JET's guest at our inaugural benefit event, Jewish Unity Live, on Tuesday, March 20.

Day 39 - Shabbat, December 2 - The Art of Giving

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A cute story at the end of this essay highlights the correct attitude towards our material possessions.

Day 38 - Friday, December 1 - A Soldier's Boots

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A message of hope

Day 37 - Thursday, November 30 - Brit Milah: Completion Through Incompleteness

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Day 36 - Wednesday, November 29 - Death with Dignity

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It amazes me how we stand in stark contrast to the current values of the modern world. And we've survived doing this for thousands of years.

Day 35 - Tuesday, November 28 - Keeping the Flame Alive

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Another heartfelt plea by Chief Rabbi of England, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, for all Jews to contribute to Jewish continuity.

Day 34 - Monday, November 27 - The Wonder of the State of Israel

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Whoever reads this will be proud to be a Jew. For me it made me want to go back to Israel. Fortunately, I'm planning on going for a short visit at the end of the year.

Day 33 - Sunday, November 26 - The Torah that journeyed from the depths to the Heavens

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An inside look at the Torah scroll that accompanied Ilan Ramon on the ill-fated Space Shuttle flight.

I read an article in JTA that described a trip that another Torah scroll took into space.

Torah honoring Ramon returns from space journey
By Racelle R. Weiman
December 6, 2006
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=17360&intcategoryid=5

CINCINNATI, Dec. 7 (JTA) — Rona Ramon, the widow of Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut, and Steve MacLean, a Canadian astronaut, helped mark the homecoming of a small Torah scroll from space.

As a tribute to Ilan Ramon, MacLean brought a Torah aboard the Atlantis space shuttle.
It was returned Tuesday to Professor Henry Fenichel at a ceremony at The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education in Cincinnati. Fenichel is a physics professor in Cincinnati and a child survivor of the Holocaust.

“Ilan Ramon was my best friend,” MacLean said at the ceremony.
A small Torah scroll was brought aboard the 2003 flight of the Columbia space shuttle by Ramon, who was the son of an Auschwitz survivor. It belonged to Professor Joachim Joseph of the University of Tel Aviv, a Holocaust survivor who brought it out of the Bergen Belsen concentration camp, where as an inmate he secretly held a ceremony for his bar mitzvah.
Joseph, too frail to attend the Tuesday ceremony, sent a videotaped message from Israel.
The Columbia shuttle crashed, killing its crew.

To honor the memory of her husband and the crew of the Columbia, Rona Ramon appealed to a friend, MacLean, to bring another small Torah from Fenichel, a survivor of Bergen Belsen, aboard the 2006 flight of the Atlantis.

She had discovered Fenichel in April on Yom HaShoah as part of a videoconference between Cincinnati and Israeli schoolchildren.

“There was this modest man, a Dutch survivor of the Holocaust, holding a small Torah that was like a sister to the Torah that Ilan took up in space,” she recalled. “I knew that I needed to ask him for a very big favor — to allow his Torah to go up in the next shuttle, and make the return back to Earth — for Ilan’s sake, for his memory, to complete his mission.”

Fenichel expressed the hope that Joseph’s “Torah — the Columbia Torah — and by extension my Torah, — the Atlantis Torah — represents the survival of the Jewish people and the hope for the future, as well as the ability to rise from the anguish of the Holocaust, and to reach for the stars.”

The Atlantis Torah will be the centerpiece of a traveling exhibition in 2007.

(Racelle R. Weiman is founding director of the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education on the Cincinnati campus of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.)

Day 32 - Shabbos, November 25 - Why Should I Marry?

2006-11-24T10:40:00.000-06:00

This Shabbos is a very special Shabbos. It is the Shabbos Kallah of one of my Maimonides students, Jennie Lev.

A Shabbos Kallah is a celebration held for the bride-to-be on the Shabbat preceding the week of one's upcoming marriage.

Jennie completed the Maimonides program this past year, went to Birthright in Israel in winter, where she met Avraham Berkovich on the same program.

This past summer they both returned to continue their Jewish studies at Neve Yerushalayim (for young women) and Ohr Somayach (for young men). At the end of the summer, they announced their engagement.

And next Thursday is their wedding, please G-d.

May what Dr. Shindler writes in his essay be a blessing to Jennie and Avraham:
Marriage has proved to be the best framework for a man and woman to find lasting meaning and fulfillment in life.

Day 31 - Friday, November 24 - Treatment of Animals

2006-11-24T10:36:00.000-06:00

Each essay only takes a few minutes to read but is so profound.

This one has so many excellent points that could be discussed at length.

Just this past week at the Maimonides class at CTN, Rabbi Moshe Katz discussed this topic and through textual analysis of some of the verses quoted here in the essay, he showed the fine balance the rabbis made between caring for animals and distinguishing them from humans.

I hope to post this class online soon.

Shabbat Shalom.

Day 30 - Thursday, November 23 - How can 'Religious People' fail in their Moral Conduct?

2006-11-24T10:30:00.000-06:00

You did it! You're half way through! Well done.

I've really enjoyed the project so far and I've also enjoyed posting these short thoughts on each essay. Some days I've missed and had to catch up, so don't feel bad if you've done the same. Keep on going. We'll be done at the end of Chanukah. Then we can really celebrate!

Today's is a particularly appropriate essay in light of recent events in the US and most recently rioting by hooligans in Jerusalem.

However, I don't want this to be a forum for 'religious' bashing. Rather, it should be a lesson to us on two levels:

1) Our personal responsibility to behave correctly in all aspects of our lives.
2) Our responsibility to ascertain the truth behind so-called accusations before judging people.

Day 29 - Wednesday, November 22 - Saving the World - A Kabbalistic View

2006-11-24T10:23:00.000-06:00

We hear the phrase 'tikkun olam' so many times. This essay makes this concept real for each one of us. Rabbi Haber concludes his essay with these words: "A good word, a little causeless love and a little forgiveness may just save the world."

We don't need to take on 'big' projects to save the world. Little acts of goodness are what we all need.

This project, reading one essay a day, in memory of one Jew, and to increase one's own understanding is an excellent example of this, and I commend you all for doing your part to save the world.

By the way, I'm busy listening to a series of lectures on CD by Rabbi Yaakov Haber on prayer. I highly recommend it for beginners and advanced learners. Go to http://www.torahlab.org/ for more information on this and other fascinating Torah material.

Day 28 - Tuesday, November 21 - The Chosen People - An often Misunderstood Idea

2006-11-24T10:17:00.000-06:00

Another fantastic essay. Short but very powerful.

This is one of the most important ones too, dealing with the concept of Chosen-ness.

If every single Jew would read this essay, once, or better yet, once a month, the world would be a better place.

Day 27 - Monday, November 20 - Absolute Morality

2006-11-24T07:09:00.000-06:00

This issue of Absolute Morality is a very contentious one and I would love to hear some comments on this essay.

I do believe in absolute morality coming from a Divine source so I feel secure in my position. But I wonder how those who believe in relative morality defend their position. I'm sure there are many who do. I just haven't heard them.

Day 26 - Sunday, November 19 - The long journey Home

2006-11-24T07:05:00.000-06:00

This is a truly heartwarming story by Andrew Shaw, the founder of the 60 Days for 6 Million project.

It is a privilege to be involved with such a fine Jew and human being.

Day 25 - Shabbat, November 18 - Jewish Business Ethics

2006-11-24T06:54:00.000-06:00

A line worth posting on your wall from this essay reads: "It is only when we believe that something is scarce that we need to hoard it or fight for it."

In other words, if we see our resources coming from an infinite Source, we are less likely to be create conflict over it.

I read this essay together with a business student at DePaul and he was excited to see that Judaism deals with all the issues in modern day business.

In fact, here in Chicago, there is an advanced learning program devoted exclusively to the study of these laws.

If you are interested in Jewish business ethics there is a great resource at the following site:

http://www.aish.com/search/article_search_results.asp?article_author=Rabbi+Dr%2E+Asher+Meir%2C+Business+Ethics+Center+of+Jerusalem&title_text=&date_amount=&date_option=year

This week's question is: Is a press release masquerading as a news article ethical?

Day 24 - Friday, November 17 - The Secret of Jewish Survival

2006-11-17T14:57:00.000-06:00

A line in this essay by Alan Dershowitz sums up the mission statement of my organization JET, so I'd like to repeat it

"The secret of Jewish survival is learning, learning, learning."

By participating in this project you are a partner in our work and I thank you and encourage you to continue and spread the word.

Shabbat Shalom

Day 23 - Thursday, November 16 - How can we believe in G-d after Auschwitz

2006-11-17T14:53:00.000-06:00

I read this essay with students at Loyola university today and we had a great discussion. There were so many interesting issues brought up in this essay.

Rabbi Rubinstein, or Rabbi YY, as he is affectionately known, is a very popular speaker worldwide and is also writes regular columns.

I found his final statement the most thought provoking:

The question: "How can we believe in G-d after Auschwitz?" begs another another reply,
"After Auschwitz, how can we believe in anything else?"