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October 30, 2009A roundup of new offerings at http://blogs.jewishtimes.com/
The Right Thing
Every once in a while, it’s nice to get a nod to know you’re doing the right thing. I mean, our mission is to strengthen the community that we serve. But it’s a difficult thing to measure.
Recently, we got a little validation.
Right there on the front page of one of the leading dailies in the world — The New York Times — was a story about how the fervently Orthodox are finally starting to change. They are now for the first time starting to report sexual abuse to the legal authorities, and not just to their rabbis …
— Andrew Buerger
Esther Rosenblatt
Every so often a person passes away, and we feel awful for that person. We hope that she didn’t suffer. And we look at her age, and if that age is, say, 80 or above, then we add the line, “Well, she lived a good life.”
I think Esther Rosenblatt died at the age of 92 because God needed help with something.
Mrs. Rosenblatt, the wife of the late Rabbi Morris Rosenblatt, spiritual leader of Kneseth Israel in Annapolis, was just the person to listen and to help out …
— Phil Jacobs
Tevye As Teacher
How can it be that an “old, tired play” can still be performed so well and spark Jewish identity anew?
I had that thought Tuesday night after taking my 11-year-old daughter to the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore to not only see “Fiddler On The Roof,” but to see the lead role played once again by the iconic Topol.
We began talking about my great-grandfather, the Ukrainian-born pauper for whom I am named. Then we spoke of life in general for Eastern European Jews, so mixed with the joys of klezmer and the tragedy of pogroms. Then, of course, came the topic of intermarriage …
— Neil Rubin
Saving Face
Among those in attendance [at the funeral of Rabbi Mark G. Loeb] was Rabbi Jacob A. Max, the former rabbi emeritus of Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah Hebrew Congregation. As you likely know, Rabbi Max, 85, was convicted last April of molesting an employee at the Sol Levinson & Bros. funeral home …
I couldn’t help but think of those women who say their lives have been greatly marred by Rabbi Max’s alleged behavior over the past decades and the community leaders and members who turned their eyes away and made excuses for him. I wonder how these women would feel about seeing him there, smiling and laughing and shmoozing.
But then again, he has been punished in a court of law and, worse yet, in the public eye. And my guess is that in his most private of moments, he beats himself up pretty good as well.
— Alan H. Feiler
When Someone Is Seriously Ill
Do you have a family member who is seriously ill, or does your child have a friend who is ill?
As difficult as it can be for adults to deal with this, often it is just as hard for children.
Deciding what to say to the person who is ill can be difficult, but our tendency to avoid that conversation may make the situation more uncomfortable.
It may be better for adults to handle some situations differently from how a child would, but in the case of a sick friend or family member, the ways to show concern and offer support are pretty much the same …
— Donna Kane •