This past weekend I took my son to one of the area street festivals. We spent a few hours there on Sunday. As we were leaving, my son pointed out a shirt that was all in Hebrew. He was very excited to see it. I did not get a close enough, or long enough look, but I was under the impression it was a shirt supporting Jews for Jesus, or some other cult organization.
I find this scary and dangerous. Here my son is proud of his Jewish identity and all excited that he found someone wearing a “Hebrew Shirt”. To think that it could be someone looking to twist things around and try to get him to believe in things that are not “Jewish” is very frustrating.
Since I was not sure about the shirt, I simply did not say anything about it. Still, at some point in the future, we will certainly have the discussion about cults. At this point of his life, he knows to appreciate our religion and to enjoy it and also to enjoy other people enjoying their religion (Jewish or not). I firmly believe this is how must adults should view things.
Since, however, not everyone shares my philosophy, and there are those who do try to proselytize, and convert others, I cannot just ignore what does happen in society.
As I said, I find it scary and even sickening when others are going to try and convince my son that “Pure Judaism” is not the answer, and whether this individual was a member of a cult or not, at some point he will end up meeting someone trying to convert him.
It is important to ground today’s youngster strongly in Judaism, to give them a Jewish identity so they have a better chance of being able to ignore those who would try to convert them
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Monday, August 6, 2007
Holidays Fast Approaching
Is it too early to be thinking about the High Holidays? Why does it always seem like we have either just gotten past them or they are rapidly approaching? I guess from my perspective, once we get past Tisha B’Av, it is time to start focusing on the holidays. Now, with Rosh Hashanah a little more than a month away, I guess we can honestly say they are rapidly approaching.
While preparing for the Holidays can be time consuming and difficult in terms of figuring the time needed to take off from work, it is also exciting. I enjoy all the holidays. I remember one time making a comment to a friend, as a teenager, about how each holiday had its own flavor and was enjoyable. The friend ask, "Even Yom Kippur"?
The truth is, as far as I am concerned, "Yes, even Yom Kippur". If in the proper frame of mind, it is truly awe inspiring and even enjoyable. As was once pointed out to me, the day is actually meant to be a joyous day. The fact is we only say the She-che-che-yanu prayer on joyous occasions. It is not said on Tisha B’av, it is not said at a funeral or upon hearing that someone has passed away. On Yom Kippur, we thank G-d for enabling us to see this time.
Yes, the day can be difficult. Yes it is tiring. Yes, it is difficult getting ready for the holidays, all of them, especially for me, if they fall during the work week. Still, each holiday does have a special feel, a special flavor and excitement about it. I do look forward to experiencing each one of the upcoming holidays.
While preparing for the Holidays can be time consuming and difficult in terms of figuring the time needed to take off from work, it is also exciting. I enjoy all the holidays. I remember one time making a comment to a friend, as a teenager, about how each holiday had its own flavor and was enjoyable. The friend ask, "Even Yom Kippur"?
The truth is, as far as I am concerned, "Yes, even Yom Kippur". If in the proper frame of mind, it is truly awe inspiring and even enjoyable. As was once pointed out to me, the day is actually meant to be a joyous day. The fact is we only say the She-che-che-yanu prayer on joyous occasions. It is not said on Tisha B’av, it is not said at a funeral or upon hearing that someone has passed away. On Yom Kippur, we thank G-d for enabling us to see this time.
Yes, the day can be difficult. Yes it is tiring. Yes, it is difficult getting ready for the holidays, all of them, especially for me, if they fall during the work week. Still, each holiday does have a special feel, a special flavor and excitement about it. I do look forward to experiencing each one of the upcoming holidays.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Visiting The Sick
Normally on a Sunday I take my son over to see his grandmother, my wife’s mother. Following a stroke and concern that she was no longer able to take care of herself, we moved her into an assisted living program. We wanted to make sure she was moved to an area where she had family and since there is a Jewish facility up here (Kosher Food, Jewish Events, etc) we decided to move her by us.
She still fights being there and resents it but my son is great with his grandmother and she likes seeing him most chances she gets. Just about every Sunday, I take him over to see her and she is happy to see him, he makes her day.
As far as I am concerned, this is a real mitzvah, both literally and figuratively. Visiting the sick is an important mitzvah and one we learn directly from G-d as he visits Abraham, following the circumcision,. I do not know if someone in a nursing home is truly considered being a sick individual, but to my mind, it is one in the same.
In the more general term, and less accurate, viewing a Mitzvah as a good deed, certainly my son is engaging in that and this is a very important lesson for us to teach our youngsters. I hope that this is a lesson he passes on.
Today, my son did not feeling like going over to Grandma’s. Since we are there just about all the time, I was certainly willing to give him a pass. We did call and I made sure he spoke with her. She even said to me, as per her usual routine on those rare occasions when he does not want to visit, I should not force him. How she will view this later in the week, or how she will recall it, I do not know. Still, I appreciate all he does and how he usually goes over.
She still fights being there and resents it but my son is great with his grandmother and she likes seeing him most chances she gets. Just about every Sunday, I take him over to see her and she is happy to see him, he makes her day.
As far as I am concerned, this is a real mitzvah, both literally and figuratively. Visiting the sick is an important mitzvah and one we learn directly from G-d as he visits Abraham, following the circumcision,. I do not know if someone in a nursing home is truly considered being a sick individual, but to my mind, it is one in the same.
In the more general term, and less accurate, viewing a Mitzvah as a good deed, certainly my son is engaging in that and this is a very important lesson for us to teach our youngsters. I hope that this is a lesson he passes on.
Today, my son did not feeling like going over to Grandma’s. Since we are there just about all the time, I was certainly willing to give him a pass. We did call and I made sure he spoke with her. She even said to me, as per her usual routine on those rare occasions when he does not want to visit, I should not force him. How she will view this later in the week, or how she will recall it, I do not know. Still, I appreciate all he does and how he usually goes over.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Yahrzeit
I recently met up with a friend of mine at shul the other afternoon. He was at minyan saying Kaddish for his father. Afterwards he asked me if I wanted to grab a cup of coffee and I agreed. I had a feeling he just needed to get away for a little bit and that he was having a little bit of a tough time with the yahrzeit. I agreed as I enjoy spending time with him and I thought he might need the time out.
My buddy told me he thought he did not have any trouble handling yahrzeit but his wife told him that was not the case. I began thinking how we all handle this differently. Of course there is the custom of celebrating the person’s life on the yahrziet; the reason for getting an aliyah, reading Haftorah or sponsoring a Kiddush or siyum.
When I first learned of this custom, it seemed foreign to me. I thought the Yahrzeit should be a quiet time for introspection. I think that it would probably be a tough time and not the proper time to celebrate.
While I know we all handle it differently, and I like my buddy usually have a difficult time of it, the more I think about the custom, the more I like it. It really is a wonderful idea to celebrate a person’s life. And, just like during the shivah period, when the mourner is not alone, on the Yahrziet, if you are celebrating the accomplishments of the individual who passed away, you are not alone either.
It has been my custom to read Torah on the Yahrzeit of my parents. This year, as my mother’s is approaching, I actually will be doing a little more. I will be chanting to Aliyot from Torah and I will be reading Haftorah as well. At least that is the game plan right now, so I should get started practicing.
My buddy told me he thought he did not have any trouble handling yahrzeit but his wife told him that was not the case. I began thinking how we all handle this differently. Of course there is the custom of celebrating the person’s life on the yahrziet; the reason for getting an aliyah, reading Haftorah or sponsoring a Kiddush or siyum.
When I first learned of this custom, it seemed foreign to me. I thought the Yahrzeit should be a quiet time for introspection. I think that it would probably be a tough time and not the proper time to celebrate.
While I know we all handle it differently, and I like my buddy usually have a difficult time of it, the more I think about the custom, the more I like it. It really is a wonderful idea to celebrate a person’s life. And, just like during the shivah period, when the mourner is not alone, on the Yahrziet, if you are celebrating the accomplishments of the individual who passed away, you are not alone either.
It has been my custom to read Torah on the Yahrzeit of my parents. This year, as my mother’s is approaching, I actually will be doing a little more. I will be chanting to Aliyot from Torah and I will be reading Haftorah as well. At least that is the game plan right now, so I should get started practicing.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Reaching More People
This is a paid post, sponsored by Video Conference
As I mentioned in a previous post, I enjoy listening to sermons. The truth is the are conferences and presentations I would enjoy attending, but often time they are just to far out of the area. There is a possibility that it maybe more of a reality than one would think for me to e able to attend, without leaving my own home, thanks to video conference.
One of the nice things about this program is, only one individual needs to be running the program. If a speaker, for instance, has the video conference technology set up on his or her computer, other invited people can attend the conference or webinar. If the speaker is referring to pictures on the computer, or any other material on the computer, everyone who is invited sees it on their computer as well. While the software looks to be helpful and open up new avenues, I felt it was not so easy to find out information about the cost of such a product, just by visiting the site (although that information can ultimately be found on the site). A lot of it has to do with the version you want and can be as low as $29 a month (you decide the number of months) but the private branded version can cost around $15,000.
Video conference does provide a free trail for the personal version. It also has a live demonstration option. A little box with the picture of the person I was talking to appeared on my screen. I was able to hear him through the speakers on my computer and he could hear me through the computer’s microphone. He opened up different documents on his computer that I could see and he answered my questions. Purchasing the program includes an hour to an hour-and-a-half training. He did end the conversation asking when he could follow-up with me and I did need to enter my name, phone number and e-mail address before I could take advantage of the live demo (so if you want to remain anonymous or not get calls asking you to purchase the product, you might not want to run this). Still, it appears as though this could be a relatively inexpensive way to open up sermons, speeches and discussions to other individuals.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I enjoy listening to sermons. The truth is the are conferences and presentations I would enjoy attending, but often time they are just to far out of the area. There is a possibility that it maybe more of a reality than one would think for me to e able to attend, without leaving my own home, thanks to video conference.
One of the nice things about this program is, only one individual needs to be running the program. If a speaker, for instance, has the video conference technology set up on his or her computer, other invited people can attend the conference or webinar. If the speaker is referring to pictures on the computer, or any other material on the computer, everyone who is invited sees it on their computer as well. While the software looks to be helpful and open up new avenues, I felt it was not so easy to find out information about the cost of such a product, just by visiting the site (although that information can ultimately be found on the site). A lot of it has to do with the version you want and can be as low as $29 a month (you decide the number of months) but the private branded version can cost around $15,000.
Video conference does provide a free trail for the personal version. It also has a live demonstration option. A little box with the picture of the person I was talking to appeared on my screen. I was able to hear him through the speakers on my computer and he could hear me through the computer’s microphone. He opened up different documents on his computer that I could see and he answered my questions. Purchasing the program includes an hour to an hour-and-a-half training. He did end the conversation asking when he could follow-up with me and I did need to enter my name, phone number and e-mail address before I could take advantage of the live demo (so if you want to remain anonymous or not get calls asking you to purchase the product, you might not want to run this). Still, it appears as though this could be a relatively inexpensive way to open up sermons, speeches and discussions to other individuals.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Hang In There, Shabbos Is Coming
It has been a long week. It just feels like I have been beating my head against a wall and fighting with everyone and everything (Not real fighting, but enough to make me exhausted). I have been fighting with my computer, fighting to meet some deadlines, and fighting with some co-workers. Nothing major and I know it will all get worked out but, I am exhausted. That is the beauty of Friday night.
I look forward to the start of Shabbat. I look forward to sitting down with my family and having an enjoyable meal. I look forward to blessing my son (something that from day one, literally, has meant a lot to me). It is all of these things, the important things, the time together, that allows me to put the current week in the past.
I still have one more day to go (one more day and a few hours technically), but it is time now to start looking ahead. I truly find Shabbat a chance to recharge the batteries and help me relax as well as get ready to face the challenges of the coming week. It would be nice if those challenges never come, but that is not realistic, so I will just take advantage of the time when it comes.
I look forward to the start of Shabbat. I look forward to sitting down with my family and having an enjoyable meal. I look forward to blessing my son (something that from day one, literally, has meant a lot to me). It is all of these things, the important things, the time together, that allows me to put the current week in the past.
I still have one more day to go (one more day and a few hours technically), but it is time now to start looking ahead. I truly find Shabbat a chance to recharge the batteries and help me relax as well as get ready to face the challenges of the coming week. It would be nice if those challenges never come, but that is not realistic, so I will just take advantage of the time when it comes.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
A House
My wife and I are close to closing on our house. Since we have been married, we have been living in an apartment complex. I am thrilled to be moving out and think it will be good all around, for a number of reasons. Sometimes I can even surprise myself as to my thoughts.
When we started looking at houses, one thing I told my wife was, I was thrilled we would be able to build a sukkah this year, or at least put one up. It is not so easy in an apartment complex. My wife can tell you thousands of things that need to happen first, other priorities, etc., etc., etc.
For me, however, having a house signifies the ability to perform various mitzvot. I truly am looking forward to having a sukkah. We easily outgrew our apartment and thus had no room for guests. Now, with a house, shabbat guests, as well as large Passover seders are a very real possibility.
For the past few years I have thought how nice it would be to go to the Rabbi of my shul and let him know that if he was aware of a person who wanted to be somewhere for a Passover Seder, but had no where to go, my wife and I would be glad to take them in. This could be an elderly couple, a college student who had no place to go, any one of a number of different situations. Now, I am looking forward to having the opportunity to practice what I have been preaching.
When we started looking at houses, one thing I told my wife was, I was thrilled we would be able to build a sukkah this year, or at least put one up. It is not so easy in an apartment complex. My wife can tell you thousands of things that need to happen first, other priorities, etc., etc., etc.
For me, however, having a house signifies the ability to perform various mitzvot. I truly am looking forward to having a sukkah. We easily outgrew our apartment and thus had no room for guests. Now, with a house, shabbat guests, as well as large Passover seders are a very real possibility.
For the past few years I have thought how nice it would be to go to the Rabbi of my shul and let him know that if he was aware of a person who wanted to be somewhere for a Passover Seder, but had no where to go, my wife and I would be glad to take them in. This could be an elderly couple, a college student who had no place to go, any one of a number of different situations. Now, I am looking forward to having the opportunity to practice what I have been preaching.
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