Jackie Mason is Dead

In Judaism we are encouraged to speak the truth about somebody when they have died. We shouldn't be mean, but we should be honest. 

Jackie Mason was quite a well-known comedian in the US, whose humour was based on a sense of outrage. He came from a long line of rabbis - apparently his sermons were funny, and got funnier and funnier until they became a stand-up routine and he dropped the service part and went professional. My father knew him a little, because he was friends with one of Mason's rabbi brothers back in the day in Pennsylvania, and this brother took my dad to some of the early performances.

Several years later, I met Mr Mason in London. I went to his hotel with an appointment to take his photograph for the Jewish paper I worked for at that time. He was sitting with his entourage at a large round table in the hotel dining-room, and invited me to join them. After discovering that I was my father's daughter, he proceeded to tell a story to the group about the olden days that included rude comments about my father (I am blanking on the details. I only remember feeling humiliated). He then gave me 30 seconds to take a shot, and sent me packing.

He was clearly an intelligent and talented person. He was also full of rage. He may well have had good reason to be so angry, but I watched his act a few times over the years, and am sad that rather than working things out, he seemed to me to become more and more bitter. I wish he could have found a better way to use his gifts. May he rest in peace.

 

Mazeltov Classmates for our 25th!

Here we were, way back in the last century.

And five years later, the ordinands of 1996 at Emanu-El.

Mazal tov to us all, 25 years later. Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa. So many different journeys. Stay safe and well everyone, and hopefully one day we may have our reunion in person!

 

Rabbi Streep

The rabbi from the Bronx Home for the Aged gives a eulogy in Angels in America (I used to do Shabbat services for the Jewish Home for the Aged in the Bronx, and they were my first High Holiday pulpit during rabbi school!). This is taken from a 2003 TV performance of Tony Kushner's work - I have the DVD but somehow never watched it. Thus I was pleasantly surprised by an online article I read today once again demonstrating the magnificent versatility of Meryl Streep.

Tu Bishvat Greetings

an oldie but a goodie!

Nu, yesterday I was interviewed by a class of 7-year-olds in their Religion School who wanted to know what rabbis do. They asked some great questions, the very first of which was 'do you ever make mistakes in your Hebrew?' (Of course, I said, but the more I practice, the fewer there are!)

A girl at the back asked why I'd wanted to become a rabbi. I found that both easy and terribly difficult to answer. The easy part was telling them that my father had been a rabbi and rather a good one IMO so I wanted to follow his example. At some point, I don't remember when, I must have mentioned that he had died some time ago.

What felt more difficult was how to explain why I love what a rabbi does. I looked at the class, and saw the plastic pots on the tables filled with dark earth into which they'd just planted cress and sprout seeds. I said to them that the best part of being a teacher was that you get to plant seeds and help them to grow, but instead of putting them in the earth, we get to plant them in the hearts and minds of our students. I wasn't sure if I'd explained it well enough. A boy in the middle raised his hand with what looked like an urgent question. His teacher called on him. He looked at me and said gently, "I'm sorry about your Dada."

Happy Tu Bishvat!

Newsweek Names Their Top 50 Rabbis in the USA

One of those lists that usually appears near the end of the year, Newsweek magazine is looking forward and naming the rabbis they think are the top 50 now and will continue to be for the rest of 2009. The whole list is here. Have a look and see if it matches your personal favourites. Of note to the ravaj: the top woman at number 18 (chai, noch) is Ellen Weinberg Dreyfus, old friend to the ravaj and recently elevated to head of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR). I wonder how she feels about this honour?

NB the ravaj was once the only girl on the West London Under-11 Chess team that won the league. She got a medal and was very proud.

jts to accept out g/l rabbinic students

found this on yahoo:

"The major seminary and flagship institution of Conservative Judaism said Monday it will start accepting openly gay and lesbian students, after scholars who interpret Jewish law for the movement voted to allow it.

Arnold Eisen, the incoming chancellor for the Jewish Theological Seminary, said the decision was made after extensive discussion with faculty and students, a survey on views of the issue within the movement and a meeting of the school's trustees.

"The larger issue has been how we can remain true to our tradition in general and to halakah (Jewish law) in particular while staying fully responsive to and immersed in our society and culture," Eisen said in a statement distributed to the school community and its supporters.

Earlier this month, a smaller Conservative seminary in Los Angeles, the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism, announced that it has accepted its first openly gay and lesbian applicants.

The Conservative branch holds the middle ground in American Judaism, adhering to tradition while allowing some change for modern circumstances.

The larger and more liberal Reform Jewish movement, as well as the smaller Reconstructionist wing, allow gays to become rabbis; the Orthodox branch bars gays and women from ordination.

In December, the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards voted to allow the seminaries to decide on their own whether to admit openly gay students. However, their decision also left leeway for synagogues to reject gay and lesbian clergy if the congregations believe that same-sex relationships violate Scripture. (Rachel Zoll, AP)"

the new york times report

hurrah.