Jewish Fridays - (Miami Kosher Dining - I)

I must admit that although I've "signed up" to do Jewish Fridays 3 weeks ago, I've been remiss since erev Shabbos is such a busy time for me. So I figured I would make these posts more of a "fun" nature. Or share a good story from someone else.

But I also wanted to do some other things that are out of character with my normal blogging. A "Kosher Dining" guide is one of them. So I thought I might start today.

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It's true that South Florida has nothing on New York when it comes to Kosher eateries; but it's much better than even 15 years ago when you could count the restaurants with reliable supervision on two hands. Now Kosher Miami is on the scene, it's gotten much better. So here's my opinon, on some of the places I've been too.....

Tea For Two - Miami Beach - (KM/Milchig - Cholav Yisrael). Although it has taken me a while, I've really warmed up to sushi. Tea for Two has the best in my opinion. Not only do they have a large selection, but the rolls are the perfect size and the presentation is gorgeous. For those who have eaten the treif stuff, they say that Tea for Two's sushi is on par with the best. I haven't had anything else from Tea for Two though. Maybe sometime in the future. Pros: Atmosphere, taste, variety. Cons: Parking/location, dining area is tiny, service when busy - especially on the patio outside where they seem to just forget about you.

Shem Tov's - Miami Beach - (KM/Milchig - Cholav Yisrael). I love Shem Tov's. The pizza by the slice is excellent. I've had some of their pitas too. If Miami Beach has a kosher fast food joint, this place is it. Unfortunately, it also works against them. During Motzai Shabbos, or Thursday night, or lunctime the place is a zoo. This tries the patience of both customer and staff alike (although they've always been super nice to me - since I'm a regular and I understand that kvetching gets you nowhere). Pros: Price, great pizza, location. Cons: Swarming with tourists at times, limited seating.

Thai Treat - Miami - (KM/Fleishing). Thai Treat is one of my favorites. While the food is not as good as some as the non-kosher Thai I've had years ago, it's not bad. The have creative sushi recipes and their service is excellent. However if you go with a big group - good luck. The dining area is small and the noise level when there's a big party can be intolerable. It's a shame, it spoils the vibe. Pros: Service, food is decent. Cons: Location (out of the way), dining area.

Dougie's - Miami Beach - (KM/Fleishing). People have been waiting for Dougie's to come to Miami forever. I've been to two Dougies - the one in Queens and the one in Teaneck - and I dunno, the one here doesn't feel as haimish (maybe it's the "loft" syle decor). While the food is off the hook (especially the portobello mushroom burger) the price is like Whoa! I little too pricey for a regular eatery for me. Pros: Best tasting kosher burgers by far, convienant location. Cons: Price, the place has only been open a month so the staff is all teenagers.

Fu Xing - North Miami Beach - (KM/Fleishing). Typical kosher Chinese joint; open late, nice prices, delivery, nice selection (although I always order the same stuff). Nothing of note either - just the same run of the mill stuff. Although my Father says it's good; and I do agree that it is good in comparison with Chinese food available in Miami, but pales in comparison to some of the Chinese food I've had in the Northeast. Pros: Hours, location, delivery, price. Cons: It's nothing special, you feel like a true bachelor/college student/stepchild while eating it in front of the tube.

Pita Loca - South Beach - (ORD/Fleishing). I think Pita Loca has the perfect kubbe. They also seem to be open 24-7 (they are not officially, but I think those guys are just always there for the fun of it), they deliver, and they have those wild Shabbat parties (so I hear). Ironically, I ordered a chicken schwarma and didn't like it to much because it was just an overkill on the onion and garlic. Just my taste though. Pros: Hours of operation, very Israeli vibe, speed and delivery. Cons: Very Israeli vibe, good luck finding parking if you drive there.

Jerusalem Pizza - North Miami Beach - (KM/Milchig - Cholav Yisrael). Although I like the taste of Shem Tov's better, Jerusalem Pizza is in my neighborhood and is far from bad. Great service, although it would be nice if they stayed open past 6pm. Pros: Staff, service is uasually quick. Cons: Operation hours, no delivery.

JP Bistro - Hollywood - (?/Milchig). They used to be Jerusalem Pizza, but they remodeled and are now "JP Bistro". They changed their menu to fancier dishes along with fancier prices. In my opinion (and that of others I've talked to) is that they shouldn't have tried to fix something that wasn't broken. I've gone there a few times, but the food didn't impress as much as it should have given the relative depletion of funds in my wallet. Pros: I hear they cater. Cons: The price, the same family runs the place and you keep stifling the urge to blurt out, "What were you thinking?"

Bon Ami - Hollywood - (ORB/Milchig - Cholav Yisrael). They have the best burekas I've had! Plus they serve their food up right, with the salads and hard boiled eggs and the schag on the side. The just redid the decor and it looks splended. The cappachino machine is the centerpiece of the bar, but all of their coffees and drinks are good. Pros: Taste, price, atmosphere. Cons: The staff hides away, sometimes you walk in and you wonder if the place is open.

Mangia Cafe - Miami - (KM/Milchig - Cholav Yisrael). If you blink, you'll miss this cafe because it's just a quaint little thing in the Design Destrict. Out of the way for most frum Yidden here, but right up the street from my office, so I can't gripe about location. The staff speaks English, Spanish, Hebrew and French; their prices are very reasonable, and they have a special menu just for smoothies. Pros: Price, staff, brownie points for setting up the only kosher eatery in the hot Design District of Miami, delivery. Cons: Small or no sign because I go there a lot and still drive past it (I can only imagine what it's like to got he first time), the menu doesn't have a large selection, they don't make sushi "on site" so unless you get there early, they'll be sold out.

The Gourmet Carrot - South Beach - (KM/Vegetarian - Fleishing {chicken only}. I think more health nuts eat here than frum Jews, but the food is very good nonetheless. Nestled on West Avenue - away from the beach and closer to the condos on the bay, it's a nice quiet eatery. I love the veggie burger (made with grains, not soy) and the chicken florentine - both are just scrumptous. I've gone on more than one occasion where it seems that the staff is just daydreaming though (Where's my drink yo?). Pros: Food is health-concious and fresh, away from the beach-craziness, not all that expensive for what you get. Cons: Spanish speaking staff seems a bit clueless, uncomfortable bar seats, that fugly painting of the rabbit inside the restaurant (if you can help it, sit facing away from it - it's really a disturbed-looking cartoon!).

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To be continued of course! To everyone, שבת שלום!

The Neighborhood

Mi buy wan posh house inna Beverly Hills,
So one day while dusting my window sills,

Who me see a move next door?
No de Boogooyagga dem,
Same time me stop do mi chores,

Me run to hevry room and shut down de levelors,
De nex ting me knoe, Mrs. Boogooyagga was knocking,
Asking to borrow some coors,

Coors? I remarked,
Dem mussey tink me is a loafer who love fi skylark,

Me tel har sey mi no have no beer,
But go ask Mrs. Stocious if she dare,

But see ya!

Dem tek Beverly Hills mek "poppy show",
De next ting me knoe,

She a hang out bedspread pon de porch,
Fi shade de evening glare,
While ar meat de pon de lawn a scarch,

Lawd mi feel shame till me can't explain,
Mi call me real estate Broker Mr. Blane,
Mi tell him fi cum quick ar mi ketchin de first plane,

Thank God fi de U.S. Airforce dem come instead and get rid of de Boogooyaggas,
Dem lef so quick, mi nevva get fi offer dem crackers,

Anyway, it was far de bes,
I can tell when people are planning on being a pest,

Lawd I am so happy!
I feel so sentimental and sappy.

(written by Margaret Bailey - from Jamaicans.com)

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From this thread on Hashkafah.com, the topic came up about how well do Gerim fit in. Well I gave my experience which prompted a few responses from others. One of the responders stated that "There's more said behind closed doors than you'll ever know. Somehow I don't doubt that. Although I am not preoccupied by the fact, I wonder just what may be the prevelant theme of these conversations (for curiousity's sake).

I definitely don't feel as if I am the "Boogooyagga" of NMB, but I have also heard that while people may welcome gerim and baaley teshuva, they would like to keep the ratio "respectable". On one hand, I suppose it gives the community a sense of stability. On the other hand, in my own experience, a ger/BT will have an easier time in a community/shul where there are others like them. The Rav and kehilla recognize that these individuals needs support when necessary and (in most cases) is eager to be of assistance.

I feel that in all of the Jewish neighborhoods in South Florida, mine is pretty scarce of gerim & BTs (in respect to the other ones). While I love living in the heart of a neighborhood that pulsates with kosher activities, shopping, and events - I feel that I am developing my own pet peeves (thankfully, they are minor however). So as much as I am the local oddity, I also feel that many things can be improved. I am not the only one to notice. The young daughter-in-law of a couple I have had many Shabbos and yontif meals by, voiced her surprise that although see moved to FL 3 years ago, she knows of no one except for those living in the houses right around hers. She laments that although the community is not that large, "newbies" are not really reached out to. But she has 3 little ones to worry about, so for her it's secondary. But for those of us without families, it's a bit of a different story.

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In some ways, I'm probably making it hard on myself as well. Hashkafically, I find myself on the Yeshivish/Charedi side of the spectrum. I don't deal with TV, I feel at home in my black skirts, long sleeves and tights, and (if G-d wills it) once I get married, my husband can learn at the expense of us not having a new minivan and I'll have no issue with hacking off the majority of my hair and cover it fully. On the other hand, I find myself bonding quickly with those who are "Modern Orthodox" because they have a bit more tolerance, if not geniune interest, in my past and how I got to be where I am. Then again, MO kehillim seem to have more gerim and BTs in general it seems. And since I don't daven regularly at a MO shul, that cuts significantly into my opportunities to foster more such friendships. Not that I haven't tried however. In the three MO shuls I've attended, I just couldn't get into my davening. In each case the mechitza was lower/more see-through/more open than what I was used to. Also many of the women were talking during key parts of the service (I'm sure this happens in non-MO shuls as well - just my experience). Also the pritzus present grabs my attention more often than I feel it should. Then on one Kabbalas Shabbos service I attended at a MO shul, I was practically the only woman there (with the exception of two other young girls); while I hear this is also the case in Chassidshe shuls, such a kehilla is just not for me.

I guess the bigger question is what is your community? The people who live on your block? Who goes to your shul? Who you are friends with? What?

The problem with me (and I'm sure is the same with other gerim/BTs) is that most of my involvement with the community comes from going to shul. However, unlike with the liberal movements of Jews, shul is not a social gel but a place where you daven, execute relgious ceremonies, and come to learn. All the social stuff happens in peoples homes or other sites. Even when there is a kiddush at shul, more often than not, half of the people there don't attend that shul and half of the shul members don't attend. I myself don't feel I should compromise by davening in a shul I don't feel comfortable davening in for the sake of social relationships. But it does feel lonely time and time again eating Shabbos meals alone.

Not that I haven't been invited on numerous occasions (and even have a "standing invitation" of sorts with two families to come whenever I want), but as lovely as it is to "break challah" with others, it is still "someone else's table". Ironically I feel much more at ease at the monthly Shabbos meals at Aish HaTorah and the Shabbos "camp-out" that Rabbi & Rebbetzin Glixman host in Homestead. Instead of creeping into another family's precious Shabbos time, you are surrounded by other "family-less" Jews (and non-Jews) and you're part of an instant make-shift family of sorts. Not to undercut the pleasure that frum Jews get from extending Shabbos hospitality, or my flattery of being extended an invitation. These are just my instinctive feelings. I have a hard time believing that no one else in my neighborhood is in a similar predicament. But I have no idea who they are or no way to meet them.

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I was considerably surprised by this post on Beyond BT where the poster heralded the experience of living a frum life in State College, PA. Now I had the opportunity to go to Penn State being that I was a resident, but the idea of being in the middle of nowhere for the sake of higher education just didn't appeal to me. However, this person is married; so although they are growing in their frumkeit, it's a totally different situation than mine. I mean if I were married, also could probably deal with living in Small Town, U.S.A., just as long as their were no children where their Jewish education could be compromised. Even then, if there is an option to commute a bit, why not? I have some friends where the wife is Israeli and her husband is West Indian. They have a local Chabad House where they daven, but they are among only a few observant Jews in the area. Their son goes to an Orthdox Day school and is FFB. What their exact reason were for not living in a denser Jewish neighborhood is I don't know. But they seem to be doing ok.

Isn't it ironic that the very same community I feel so dependent upon may not be so consentual towards having me among their ranks? Again I have never heard this voiced or even implied. However there is also no obvious acknowledgement and programs geared to those who are still learning. Now I do not know of every shiur and event, but I know about a good number of them. And usually, I must go elsewhere for events that are geared towards those whose Yiddishkeit is still in it's larvae stage. On the other hand, maybe I too am guilty of believing of the "false prestige" that comes from living where I live. My neighborhood is where are the schools, bookstores, and grocers are. It is also the neighborhood that many from the other communities have "graduated to" once being observant for a while. What insanity! But again I am not immune; I was thrilled to land my apartment where I did, because I was worried about the observance level in some of the other places I was looking at.

I am conviced that this is not a situation that is a pandemic; in many places you can have your cake and eat it too (for example, I think Miami Beach is one of those places, but it's just out of my price range for the most part). You also have Rabbonim such as R' Shlomo Riskin, shlita and R' Ephraim Buchwald, shlita (whose Hebrew reading course offered through his NJOP organization taught me Hebrew) who have stressed the importance of kiruv. But I suppose it's sort of like doing your taxes in February; you know the benefit and that reaching out to "family=less Jews" is better - but sometimes you just either can't be bothered, or you don't want to deal with the potential problems that can arise.

שלום

Waving What Flag?

****Disclaimer: I may inadvertantly offend, show my ignorance, and/or hurt some people with what I say in this post. I apologize in advance!****

I really wanted some more time to research and look into this topic before writing about it - but who am I kidding? I don't have time to even cook myself dinner on most nights. So what if my ignorance shows? (Hence by "disclaimer" given above...)

In a nutsell, I guess this post is about policts ("politricks"), but since I don't get too excited about polictical rants in any depth, I don't see myself presenting my own rant. Let's just say that "I'm exploring". Just like with my official philosophic stand within Judaism. However, I never knew that the two aspects of my life would collide.

While looking into the Satmars, I found some more concrete information on religious Jews who oppose Zionism. Just being on the site sent me a shiver. Not because of the topic; I'll read anything and try to respect it; but because my community is very Zionistic. My shul recites prayers for the State of Israel on Shabbos - the one I go to mainly (the other one, which is headed by an Agudath Israel Rav curiously does not include these prayers). And I have sensed (if not heard) comments from some of these religious Zionists which borders on racism - where they regard the Arabs/Palestinians as children of evil incarnate.

Not that I have any questions as to who I support. I truly desire for Israel to be successful overall because it is the home to millions of Jews. But....but.....but....

Don't ask me to erase my experiences, what I am, and what I know.

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Look at Israel. It used to be Palestine - and it used to be British. I am convinced that the British have the "Midas Touch" in gross reverse. They seem to curse every land they stumble upon. Let's look at the roster here: India, Jamaica, South Africa (a real winner there), Hong Kong, Israel, and the good ol' U.S. of A. What!? That's right, I said it. Selective memory will have us forget that our precious "Sweet Land of Liberty" was the haven for the most atrocious form of organized slavery in recorded history and the poster child of hypocrisy to the rest of the world. We make the Canadians look like boy scouts! So perhaps the old "Birds of a feather flock together" applies in our allegiance to Israel.

Now I'm not ready to put a sticker on my head just yet.

Let's look at this fiasco that occured with Ariel Sharon and his buddies. Of course my overall stance is that, "Hashem controls it all", no matter who's in power, a man is just a man. The hurt from the relgious Zionists was real when Sharon, someone who was a big proponent of new settlements beyond pre-'67 borders, changed his tune and handed this land back to the Palestinians. Perhaps this is just the kick that Hamas needed to win the elections. Is this what Sharon anticipated - even in "worse-case scenario" thoughts? Will we ever know at this point?

Now for the relgious Zionists, the future is hazy with a thick fog. But why is it not always that way? Why do we think we can beat out our own destiny? Not that we should sit back and be the whipping boy. Given the circumstances fueled by the Holocaust, the establishment of the State of Israel saved countless lives. That cannot be denied. Perhaps that is why Hashem willed that the "State" even come into existence. I mean if G-d is in control of it all, and if he didn't want Israel to be established before the coming of Moshiach then it wouldn't have happened and 1/3 of the world's Jews would be living in Uganda right now.

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Denying what has happened is one thing; endorsing wrong behavior is another. Blame my polictically-left leanings, but I found the site If American Knew quite interesting. Without a doubt, all the statistics only tell a portion of the story; but lets revisit the whole idea of "selective history" again. 60 years ago, Britain did not give a rat's ass (excuse my French) about the well-being of their denizens in Palestine and what would happen to them in a state controlled by the Israelis. Not to get into specifics, I'll leave it at that - but let me just blurb about something that may really hit close to home.

The thought that Jews are somehow inherently better than other human beings is probably the notion that just does not resonate with me - and probably never will. It is beyond "racism" but along the lines of a haughtiness that counters the core tenets of the Torah. Listen closely kids, but every man and woman alive is a precious jewel in the eyes of the creator. Now the Torah is a key; a key that if used the right way, contains uspeakable rewards. But guess what, anyone alive is free to take hold of that key, and just because you hold the key does not mean you know how to use it or get inside the door.

I do not mean to pick on the religious Zionists; if you think there are no Satmars who feel they are somehow inherently superior to whoever, I invite you to spend a week in Williamsburg the next time you go to Brooklyn (true, you'll have to brush up on your Yiddish first). But any banter about Jews being blameless is inherently wrong. Everyone, you, me, Jew, non-Jew, Asian, White, have things about our mindset that are our downfall. And because we are limited by our faults sometimes we just can't get past them. Especially if you don't see any problems with your current mindset.

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What can I say except that I choose not to be blind to injustice and dogma that sanctions abuse to other people. I am not pro-terriorist. I am all about finding Osama and stringing him up on a pole. I don't empathize with suicide bombers and I'm not going to go see Paradise Now . I heart that saying that "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything". But how about just being able to say, "Hey, what you stand for just does not resonate with me". Who knows, maybe I'll be introduced to something or learn something that will sway me more one way than the other (as has happened with my American political leanings to be a Democratic Socialist although I don't agree with about 1/4 of their platform). But I have to hand it to the Orthodox Jews who speak out against Zionism. The early Zionists were anti-relgion and worse yet anti-Torah. Perhaps the obvious shortcomings of the state is what is needed to show that an Israel established by Jews and not by Hashem just will not work like clockwork. Daily I pray for peace and for a cessation of the bloodshed for both Jews and Palestinans. Sooner better than later.

Leave It To CNN

Someone passed on to me a link to a video CNN made on the Satmar chassidim. While my friend was infuriated with the short, my own personal whe more of "ho-hum" annoyance.

But then again, my expection for the media to give an accurate protrayal of chassidic Jews is about as high as my expection of us discovering life on Venus.

My community is not chassidic by any means; but using the Chassidim as a model for "fundamentalist religion gone wrong" is getting really old. How about discussing far more disturbing issues like complaints of indecency being filed against major networks. I mean, this is something that effects the viewer directly; not a random Satmar who decided to leave behind the tradition he was born into.

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I am tempted to start listing the accolades of the Satmar and other Chassidim, but I will refrain (since I would probably do an injustice anyway). Instead, I just say that we all have different pieces that come together and make us into the person we are. With some of us, the traditions and ways of our family makes up a big part of who were are - with others, this is not the case. I think of my Grandmother for example, whose parents were East Indian Hindus but she learned none of the language, did not wear the "garb", and did not feel the need to marry within the Indo-Caribbean community exclusively. There are also people where the personality is what pushes them to the forefront - like Madonna. Now I never looked into her ancestral background, but I think it's pretty safe to say that none of her forefathers/mothers led a life anywhere close to the one she currently lives. The final factor is the environment we come into. Phyllis Wheatly immediately comes to mind - because here you have an African slave who was brought up in White American environment and educated as such. Now why in the world would a person born to two Satmar parents be exempt from this phenomenon?

None of us are automatons. In the video, Heschy talked about how the chassidim don't see movies or TV. Ok. My Grandmother is a Pentocostal X-tian and also has never seen a movie (in the theater at least) in her life (she has also never worn pants). And I don't have a TV. Does that make us fundamentalists? And doesn't the reason behind the action count for anything? I mean who would highlight someone who is just so poor, that they cannot afford to by a TV. No one. But if you say that they choose not to watch TV because of the negative influences of most of the programming - that's somehow not normal? What ever happened to respect for other people's standards and freedom of religion?

I almost laughed out loud when the woman with the dark hair (I don't remember her name) said "That in the Satmar community...if you don't conform....you have a very hard time". Well guess what Charley? Growing up as a young Black girl who read Edgar Allan Poe for fun, would wear Fred Perry's instead of Karl Kani or Cross Colors, and didn't know all the lyrics to the latest Tupac song, I had a hard time too! That's just normal in any social situation where you don't "behave as expected". They were also way off track when they said "Satmar's feel their Judaism is the only form of legitimate Judaism. Perhaps they are mixing the Satmar's up with the Neturei Karta , and even there, the dispute is over acceptance of certain concepts and not the the halachaic distinction of who is and isn't a Jew. I mean, all Orthodox Jews are that way to a degree. If they did not feel legitmacy in "their" flavor of Judaism then they wouldn't be practicing it (or they are prevented by some ulterior reason of not changing).

They curiously glossed over the fact that Heschy is still Torah-observant. Did they fail to dig just a tiny bit deeper to see that in even the "Modern Orthodox" movement, women wear skirts? Why did they not highlight the "freakishness" of the fact that Heschy doesn't touch a light switch on Shabbos? How about not eating a bagel with cream cheese 3 hours after you ate a piece of chicken. I mean, aren't those actions more "odd" than encouragement to get married at a young age?

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Bottom line is, "Nice try CNN, but you came significantly short of the goal line". Unfortunately, CNN assumes both ignorance and intolerance from the majority of their viewers. Even if it's true, thumbs down on playing on the fact. Remember when punk rockers used to make the news? Not so anymore, because now just about everyone has a "Cousin Joey" somewhere in the family that shaved his hair into a mohawk. Better yet, how about the club-hoppers? Popping pills, getting wasted, and having one-night stands weekend after weekend seems to me, in my own humble opinion, a lot more dysfunctional than the life of a Satmar Jew.

CNN needs to stick with what they do best; follow the President around, show pictures from far-away of bombs going off, and showing graphs of the GNP that no one understands. By publicizing misconstrued stories of people many Americans would never meet anyway just dupes the Average Joe into thinking he's knowledgeable about cultures other than his own. And we really don't need any more Charles Murrays on the scene.

Don't Get Too Comfortable

There's a war going down between my brothers tonight,I don't want no war going down, going down tonight.

Stop this war
Stop this war....

All so different yeah, I say we're all the same
All caught, you know, in the division game.
Self destruction fast impending like a bullet.
No one can stop it, once it's fired, no one can control it... (from Operation Ivy's "Unity")

There are so many issues that grab my attention in day-to-day living. However, one has come up a lot recently. Reading stories in the Florida Jewish News about Israelis rioting against their neighbors because the children wear knitted kippot, this Abramhoff guy, and discussions on e-mail lists about the Rosh Yeshiva in Lakewood going off the deep end. It all comes back to unity. I think I said before that while these situations are few and far between, as a newcomer to Judaism, these situations are distressing.

On Motzei Shabbos Shemos, Rabbi Y. Reisman spoke about "emulating Hashem". One of the keys is that when someone wrongs you, do not only resist holding a grudge, but stick your neck out to help that person. He gave the example of when a Yid eats treif, Hashem does not turn his back on him from that time on (not that this is encouragement to eat treif, he is just saying...). If anything, when you have been wronged, and embarrassed; you should see it as an opportunity to do chessed and a mitzvah. If only I had heard this only 24 hours prior...

Last Shabbos, there were two instances where I just could not wrap my mind around things that were being said to me. This past Shabbos, I had to step out of my regular routine. I usually get showered and dressed, then bentch licht, and head straight for shul. But I was running late, so I bentch licht first, then got dressed, and decided to go to the shul next door (not my regular shul) to catch the tail end of davening.

This shul had an oneg Shabbat lecture. I usually forgo these things, but since I was doing dinner solo, I thought it might be nice to attend instead of just heading straight to bed. While waiting for the lecture to begin, this man comes up to me, and right after saying "Hello," progresses to ask, "Are you Jewish?". For a minute, I thought this man was going to ask me to leave or something, but I read surprise more than sterness in his expression, and felt better when he decided to sit and address me. I did not lie; I explained that I have not converted yet, and I usually attend the shul a couple blocks away. After a bit of small-talk, he again went into non-comfortable territory by saying, "Wow, I don't believe I'm talking to a Black woman who knows so much about Judaism!"

The next afternoon, after walking home from a lunch invation, a woman greeted me with a "Good Shabbos" and paused for conversation. She asked if I was new to the community and where I lived. Although it took 2 minutes longer, she also asked 'those' sort of questions, "Did your family convert? Are you doing this all by yourself". I told her I've lived on my own for a while, and yes, I was converting 'by myself'. She then proceeded to lament, "Oh your family must be beside themselves! I mean you were born Black, and now you are making yourself Jewish too! People will hold two strikes against you. It is going to be very difficult for you!" This time however, I was in a position to counter. I told her, "Anyone who finds a problem with me on the basis of race or religion is doing themself more of a disservice than they are doing to me. Hashem sees our neshamot first and foremost. Hashem knows my intentions and I do what makes me the happiest. What anyone else feels really has no significance." Her response was, "Well as long as you are happy. Stay happy."

Both of these individuals were 50+; although I don't know if that is an indicator of anything in that younger Jews could harbor the same thoughts, but just not have the chutzpah to voice them. Now in both of these situations, I was not upset or offended. Such comments truly seem silly in my eyes. However, my feelings aside, I am worried for the future and priorities within the Orthodox Jewish community. For example, it's like taking a tiny army who is struggling and fighting for survival; here comes an "outsider" to join their ranks. This outsider is a supreme marksman, but is short and obese. Instead of heralding the gains, you bemoan the "handicap" which, in the larger picture, is really insignificant.

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Rabbi Horowitz wrote a very interesting piece on how some obviously non-frum youth went up to a tzadik for a bracha. Now these are boys who have the piercings, the spiky hair, the hands-on-the-head-because-we-have-no-kippa type. The Rebbe freely blessed them and kissed them. Ok, so I guess that is why he is a tzaddik. But really, can expectations of Klal Yisrael be so low? As a frum Jew, no one is asking that you do backflips on a balance beam. Just hold some consideration for those who happen to exist outside the bubble of your Jewish community.

Of course there is the very real danger of endorsing blatantly goyishe behavior, and to instill pride and a feeling of distinction among Jewish youth. There is also the very real problem of converts who are not kabbalot al mitzvot, but who have made their conversion to Judaism a sham for all involved. But the "fear instinct" should not govern our actions when it comes to dealing with differences. I mean the problem is still there, you don't have to ignore, but you have to behave correctly regardless. For example, everytime you pull out of your driveway in your car, there is the very real danger that your brakes will fail, and that will be the end of life as you know it. Now, you are not naive, you put your seatbelt on, and do maintenance on your vehicle, etc. But the thoughts of the worst are not on your mind as you turn that ignition key.

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In another post, I will write more about the whole "Chosen People" notion, but for now I will say that the "Choseness" is linked to the Torah. The Torah makes it quite clear that the gift of speech given to man by Hashem is our "special connection" to the divine. It is also a huge responsibility. This includes, but goes beyond lashon hara. Speech is the fondation for human emotions and relationships. When you look at animals, they get turned on to their mates by sniffing them. I can't tell you the last time I smelled a guy, and decided I wanted him to be my life partner right then and there. Likewise, when you speak to another person, you can't use words carelessly. You must consider, "What will I be saying implicitly and subliminally? How do my words portray me and my geniune thoughts of this person?". These thoughts should not only come up when speaking to a fellow Jew, but in every instance and relationship a frum Jew encounters.

MLK

Dear Martin,

You don't know me (I was born 11 years after you were killed), but I would like to write this letter to you anyway. It is the least I can do - since the life I enjoy, the choices I can make, and the opportunities that come my way grew out of the foundation that you, as well as the other great civil-rights leaders who came before and after, laid down. No one knows if segregation and legal discrimination would have survived much longer, with or without you. Nonetheless Americans of any race could not have picked a better person to represent and give voice to the oppressed people who received treatment and regards along the same level of animals, right here on our own soil.

You are two years younger than my Grandfather; half of the wonderful couple that raised me. They are your contemporaries. They still hold the utmost respect for you and your actions. You and JFK. More than 40 years after you last saw the light of day, I imagine that their impression of the new millenia would mirror yours a bit. Pride in watching the Oprah Winfrey's and Condolezza Rice's of the country; disdain in seeing the perpetuation of the "loud, rauncy, and Black" stereotype. It took a comedian to bring to my attention that just about every street named in your honor is in the ghetto. And it took me seeing in flesh the most outlandish, wild, malt-liquor induced frenzy held in your honor in Liberty City - Miami, FL (but I've never been to Mardi Gras). But do not get discouraged. For every fool making a bad name for your people, there are 2 children playing in an integrated playground, 1 graduate preparing for their freshmen year at Harvard, a Black surgeon saving someones life.

But all this, you can find out after spending a day or two 'online' (that's what we call using the internet or "World Wide Web" which connects information and people via personal computers). I am sure you would like to hear a little bit about me. What can I say? Originally born in the Pennsylvania, I am now a Floridian. I am also a relgious Jew-in-training (Jew in some circles since I had a Reform conversion). Needless to say, I take particular notice of injustice handed out on superficial bases such as race. Thank goodness I have never in my lifetime been called a nigger, been brutalized by police officers, or prevented from drinking from a water fountain. But I still must combat the myths that all Black men walking on the street at night are criminals, Black people have a lower average I.Q. then their white counterparts, and that nothing good ever came out of the African continent. We are not there yet, but some of us are working on improving the situation.

Americans from all backgrounds have grown either apathetic or increasingly adamant about their self definition. We went from the lecture hall to the Wall Street trading floor. Everyone has a gripe. Jews do not want to be "white", gay people want to be married, and people want pets in their wills. I guess we have bad short term memory. Only 35 years ago, it was illegal in the Commonwealth of Virginia to marry someone of a different race; nonetheless the same gender! One day, we will have a Utopia when moshiach (the messiah) comes, but until then, it feels like American society went on a coke binge and now we are crashing hard. In the wake of all these other "groups" (with valid claims I'm sure), the injustices done to Black people are "written off". We are just too touchy now. Of course it does not help that some of our most visable "leaders" (imposters really) such as Louis Farrakhan and Al Sharpton, seem to have no problem insulting and alienating other minority groups, the Jews especially, that assisted the Black community in dire times.

You and I share two different relgions formally; but I believe you will agree that G-d gives us tests - and he doesn't put to much on us that he knows we cannot bear, right? When you sat in jail, did you entertain doubt that your suffering just did not make a difference? Did it feel like David & Goliath all over again? But still, you found strength from somewhere to pick yourself up, and carry through with your plan. I wonder why we have no public person to do this today - in any arena? Our world leaders sway whichever way pays the most. Our American President speaks half-truths. Our populace thrives on finding the faults in all people of stature.

Even now, Rev. King, you have so many lessons to teach. Although you can no longer walk out in front of the crowd and led us down the street, you proved that humans can change their destiny and be better men. Whether Black, Jewish, female, American, or Iraqi, when you acknowledge the shortcomings of the world in which you live and take actions to correct whatever you see is wrong; that is the foundation of miraculous change.

May we all forward on to Zion under his divine presence; speedily and in this time,

R.

Inspired

This past weekend has truly been a source of special inspiration to me. Rabbi Leff shlita came back to visit his hometown of Miami. I had the privilege of hearing him speak three times.

I guess I will need to reveal a little bit about my neighborhood here before I continue (and what I know is just from talk - I definitely was not there myself!). In the 1960s, my neighborhood had a lot of Jews; but only a few were observant. Most were of the Reform/Conservative variety. As South Florida grew, these Jews out to newer, more developed neighborhoods. Rabbi Leff came in when this change was occuring. On top of that, the Orthodox Jews that were in the area were of the older generation and it was a true battle to keep the younger people coming to the Orthodox shul.

Under Rabbi Leff's guidance, the shul started to revive. Rabbi Leff is a baal teshuva and very "matter-of-fact" about the mitvot. On on hand, he lit a fire under the youth to learn, study, and live Torah amidst a world that was moving increasingly away from observant Judaism. On the other hand, you had the "old school" who were not as machmir as the Rabbi, and just sort of tolerated it all.

How exactly 1 shul turned into 3 is something I don't know all the details about. I heard that the original shul (which is Modern Orthodox now, perhaps even then the kehila was) wanted to slant towards the Zionist side of the spectrum, but Rabbi Leff did not agree on including prayers for Eretz Yisrael in the service. So they broke away to create the shul I mainly go to - Shaarey Tefillah. When Rabbi Leff made aliyah, he appointed Rabbi Bensinger shilta to succeed him; but he was even further "to the right" than Rabbi Left was. So he (along with some others) founded Torah V'Umunah.

Currently, the community is moving towards being overwhelmingly Orthodox. Within the eruv, there are hardly any non-Orthodox Jews left; only the Orthodox and non-Jews. The shul count is now around 7 due to the addition of a Chabad House, non-Lubavitcher Chasidishe shul, and two Sephardic shuls. In some ways, the growing pains are obvious. As the new shuls start, the old ones lose members and money; and the new ones struggle to get "off the ground" and forgo the luxury of legacy. This is what Rabbi Leff came home to. And he joked about it all; with a smile on his face. I could not help but wonder if he could forsee this 20 years ago - when his decisions were met with such opposition. Did he have any idea of the seeds he would be planting?

But I am not writing this entry just to praise Rabbi Leff only (although he certainly deserves it! His humour and candor are one-of-a-kind); for he is a living testament of something bigger. That is the fact that when things happen to us, even if they seem negative at the time, we don't always see the good it can create in the long run. I will not pretend to know what Rabbi Leff was feeling personally when his kehilla decided to fragment off. From accounts of some of those who were there, it was not exactly a friendly split from member to member (synagogue politics is usually "involved"; I can only imagine what is would be like when some members want to break away and form a new shul!). But by looking around to those who came to see the Rabbi speak; they came from all the shuls. And the Rabbi had nothing but satisfaction on his face when hearing and seeing all that was going on locally. If I could bottle the contentment of Rabbi Leff, that would be the only satisfactory way to convene his attitude towards his base community.

This further convinces me of the strength that lies in the unity of Klal Yisrael. Different minhagim should not create a stance of being at odds. Sephardic food is good, take the recipe; the Chassidim have a wealth of lessons to convey, read them and learn; the secular Jews love to fundraise Israeli orphans, help them out. Know your own way, and be proud of it. If you catch strife for sticking to your guns, don't feel bad. Someone, rather it be your children, your community, or your parents will be strengthened. It took more than 100 for Black Americans to get equal rights; can you imagine what life would be like for me if in the 1920s, the Black Americans gave up hope and said, "You know what; White people are right. We are inferior!". I shudder to think about it. Because a certain Black man in South Carolina stood up to the KKK and got lynched is why I have the life that I have today. This is what Rabbi Leff said loud and clear to NMB this past Shabbos without those specific words ever being uttered from his mouth.

Chag Sameach! (Courtesy of Chabad)

Ok, so I've been thinking about how to write this post for about 3 hours (not exclusively, I've been doing other things as well). Again, I must re-iterate, that I am a "newbie" to Orthodox Jewish living. I did not grow up with any influence one way or the other; I'm just learning as I go along.

Chanukah is now over; and I must say that I was sad to see it go. As I lit the eighth candle with the menorah aflame - I started wondering why we didn't side with Rabbi Shammai? (To half the 'climax' of Chanukah be the first day, with 8 candles lit and then work backwards from there). I went into the chag thinking, "Feh, Chanukah - a minor festival for traditional Jews!" and the simple two flames on the window sill only reinforced this.

This was my first recitation of Al Hanisim and the other Chanukah brachot, so the first night felt awkward. Also it was X-mas, so it felt especially plain. On the second night of Chanukah, the Chabad next to my office threw a Chanukah bash. It was very entertaining and was good to see. The crowd was mainly Israeli so it had an air of sophisticate to it. On the 5th night of Chanukah, (yikes, I feel as if I should be singing a song) I saw Avraham Fried perform which was sponsored by the Chabad in Hallandale. That was also great, with the bleachers filled with Jews from (most) persuasions. I then had some livety in my own community that was not directly related to the holiday. Back to Chanukah stuff, on the last night, I went to see the Moshav Band who was sponsored by HCS Chabad. It was a great show and a lot of fun; and as they lit the angular tradmark Chabad menorah high atop the building I was thinking - "Yes!"

It's hard to convey my true opinions without sounding hopelessly corny; but I was so appreciative of these things that were provided and made available to the Jews in South Florida by Chabad. Now unlike the "major" yontifs, Chanukah has no work limitations (which almost always includes driving) and for someone in my position who has no Jewish family to celebrate these moments in the Jewish calendar with, these community events are vital.

But is everything coming up roses here? In South Florida we are blessed to have a strong Lubavitch presence. I can not honestly say that the other shuls and organizations did not also provide festivities for Chanukah - that would be an outright lie. However many of these events were not things that a non-shul member could readily find out about or even events where I would enjoy myself (such as a child-oriented "Chanukah fair" that was sponsored by my shul). So Chabad came in to fill that void.

Those who are converting/converts or are baaley teshuvah past the age of 22 (out of college) are drawn to Chabad for these reasons. And yes, it does make some Jews clear their throat. Just in case you may be scratching your head, despite the numbers, Chabad is not exactly "mainstream" Judaism. Some Lubavitchers believe that Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (may his memory be blessed) is the moshiach. These meschichists are singled out as the black sheep of Orthodox Jewry. There are also those who cite arrogance from Chabad on other kiruv issues where they would "pick and choose" which Jews to bring into their ranks.

Who can pretend to know the ways of Hashem? Of course I will not condone any sort of belief that the moshiach has come; just like I will not condone any sort of belief that European culture is superior to others. But this goes on. Do I throw my nose up in indignance at America because there are White-Supremists who also call themselves American? Hashem sees fit to rain blessings on Chabad for their efforts - who am I to judge?

Of course we should have our opinions; we should cite improper behavior when it is done (yes, this applies to the Jews in Israel who humiliate those who desecrate Shabbos - Who died and put you on the Sanhedrin?); and yes we have the right to support who we please. But while the bad is obvious, why is the good so hard to see? What happens to the child who only hears criticism and no praise? What happens to those who are new to Orthodox life who hear disdainful remarks about fellow Orthodox Jews thrown around?

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Let's switch the focus over to kiruv and hashgafa. I think what made that last night of Hanukah for me was when the Rabbi got on stage at Revolution and suggested that the crowd "separate the dancing a bit" between the guys and the girls. Now he said this in the most gracious way possible. It was received wonderfully by the crowd. They obliged, and finally I could let loose (within limits of course!). Now this is how I feel comfortable as a "religious" person. Going out and proudly being myself instead of hiding behind a label. In the force of numbers, you don't have to compromise but rather you can reinforce your practices. Bring the kosher food along, pass out the bottles of Budweiser and huddle together with the "kippas" on one side and the "skirts" on the other. Chabad seems to be experts at accomplishing this in the most surprising of settings.

I also must give props to Aish HaTorah and Ohr Somayach; but they are not nearly as accessible as Chabad is. And it's not that Lubavitcher Chassidim are so great; it is that Judaism is so great. The seeds for this ahavas for Klal Yisrael is taught to all Jews. Yet somehow we get caught up in non-important details like where you/your parents are from, what yeshiva you went to, if your hair is blonde, and if so, are the parents converts? Such pas nischt for Jews to do this to their own! As a Black women, I get a bit of a break in the Chabad Houses (and other outreach organizations is South Florida) because many who mosey in include Hispanic and "ethnic-looking" Israelis. With the mainstream shuls, the initial reaction is a bit more chilly (there are two exceptions to this rule I have experienced however). It is a shame that it is not the other way around.

I guess the point I'm trying to make, but sort of failing at, is that we should take Chabad as a "look and learn" opportunity. I am fine* with my current community and it suits me just fine - but a hefty "yasher koach" to the Chabad Rabbonim in South Florida who brought some Chanuakah magic home to a single aspiring ger-toshav who was a welcome recipient of it all.

* - Orthodox Jewish custom is that the woman takes on the minhag of her husband; so this may change if 1) I convert successfully and may change yet again if 2)I am ever blessed to get married.

Chanukah: Making Mountains out of Molehills

Countless articles and comments have been made about the Jewish holiday of Chanukah vs. the most widely celebrated X-tian holiday there is. The irony, in the fact that a holiday, which commemorates the victory of the Jewish traditionalists who were able to reclaim the freedom to remain distinct from the Hellenists, has spawned symbols such as blue Santa Claus suits and non-kosher dreidel marshmallows.

{Random musing: How on earth did the color blue get tied to Chanukah anyway?}

Like many other traditional Jews, I shake my head and am saddened by this phenomenon. However, as someone who has actually celebrated X-mas and had at one time felt the contagious feelings of goodwill that surmount during the month of December, I have gotten over feeling hostile about it.

When I was very young (around 3 or so) I had my own record player. One of the best times of the year is when my Grandparents would bring "The X-mas box down". In this box were decorations, heirlooms, and X-mas records. I used to play these records, with carols heralding the divine arrival of JC, and everyone knew that X-mas was not far away.

This was such a magical time; the downtown area would be transformed from winter drab to holiday festive overnight. Some nights we would just drive around the neighborhood in awe of the lengths that some of our neighbors went through to decorate. People would smile, give you candy, the post office even set up a "Letters to Santa" mailbox where you placed your letter and would then get a reply. On the relgious side, X-mas eve service was done in the dark and candlelit. With carols being sung into the cold night air and an atmosphere to solemn, you could just reach out and touch it. Despite being up very late, we always managed to wake up early X-mas morning to open our presents. To be surprised with stuff "you always wanted" and reading tags to see who was gracious enough to contribute to your holiday cheer.

So it may surprise people when I say that I don't miss X-mas at all. True, I have many, many fond memories of it. But was makes X-mas so special is not something that X-tians have exclusive rights on. Songs, gift giving, being cordial to strangers, even some unique approach to worship services are not assur to Jews. But somehow you feel this angst in some Jews. Our Chanukah is somewhat inferior, with its simple menorahs and driedels, to the pomp and circumstance of X-mas. And while these same Jews will never "give in" (or "assimilate"), they don't feel satisfied with what they have.

As an outsider coming in, it is sad to see how some Jews (Orthodox and non) just "go through the motions" with scarcely a smile or a sense of contentment. Instead they kvetch about the latkes not coming out right, or how frightful the weather is, or how bad the traffic is because everyone is holiday shopping. They lament over forgoing the company holiday party and receiving solicitation phone calls from the Salvation Army.

As Jews are a gross minority in America you can understand if it just becomes too much. But there is nothing new under the sun (as it says in Kohelles) and the Jews have been down this road before. Jewish life and holidays should not be compared to their non-Jewish counterparts in any way. Just like a schoolteacher should not compare their job to that of a babysitter; it may at times seem to overlap, but it really does not.

Sure, non-Jews have the "Magical Month of December" where everything is decorated to look visually stunning, and caring and giving run amok. But the Jews should have this year round. Decorate your home with flowers and special diningware for Shabbos, give tzedakah with a smile and kind words, get some creative ways to make each yontif memorable for the young ones. That should be the secret to wading through X-mas Land with your head above it all. Judaism teaches us to radiate this magic all year long.

I'm a Feminist...and I'm Pro-Mechitza

I've noticed that one issue that crops up time and time again in reference to how "backward" liberal Jews view the Orthodox is the מחיצה. It is a hotbed topic on heterogeneous forums like Beliefnet.com and can be evidenced in the responses to this article written by Stephen Greenberg on the subject. You even have 'mixed' feelings from Orthodox Jews as well (as Erica Brown writes about in her article ).

I can only speak for myself, but I can understand the misconceptions and the reasons for the active disdain from women about the mechitza. Not so long ago, I was an active Reform Jew; I opened the ark, removed and held the sefer Torah, got called for aliyot (never did a hagbah though!). I enjoyed those moments; but I was also ignorant of what Judaism was all about.

I will go out on a limb here and say that the Reform shabbos services were an orderly group social event. Sure there are many, many people who recieve some sort of spiritual boast in liberal Judaism. But I remember - sitting there and reading out loud in unison from their siddur...

These are the precepts which merit reward; honoring your father and mother, visiting the sick, respect of the deceased, celebrating with the bride and groom, and the pursuit of Torah is equal to them all.

Really?

Of course we believed what we were saying - but it was rote. We "did our duty" each Shabbat and many congrents would run off to the mall or to go eat lunch at Chili's. There was no "seperation" between Shabbat and any other day; if anything, Shabbat included another "to-do" which was to go to services.

Back to the mechitza; the biggest complaint by far is that women are excluded from Orthodox services. Thinking about it - that statement is true. Woman have no requirement to daven with a minyan, so the service is not really for them. Whoa - draw and pull up (wait a minute in non-patios English)! This is coming from...a proclaimed feminist?

I'll get to the feminist point in a bit. But lets talk football (I'm a big Steelers fan, just to warn you); I like football. In football, as in most sports, each player has his role. The actualy contest is between those 9-12 guys on the tarmarc, not the coaches, the 50 players standing on the sidelines, trainers, and 50,000 fans in the stadium. But tell them that. When the the wide reciever runs in a 30 yrd touchdown, he is the only one doing the action, but believe you me, the whole team, most of the stadium, and even the thousands (millions if it's the Super Bowl) at home watching on TV feel it too. My goodness; you have some people who remember exactly where they were when Franco Harris made his "immaculate reception" more than 25 years ago - just like they did it themselves.

Now if only we can conjure up the same emotions towards our service to Hashem!

This being said, I curiously don't see women getting offended, even the die-hard football fan women, at the notion that women cannot "participate" fully in the NFL. I don't see criticism directed towards the NFL that they are excluding women and treating them like second-class citizens because there are no women on the rosters of any team. Oh, but wait! No one is giving the NFL a hard time because everyone knows that women are not physically able to play football on a professional level. Nevermind the 6'3", 240 lb Swedish woman that plays basketball who may be able to cut it; we still need to keep the women regulated to their own sports because of their physical differences.

So physical differences can be recognized, but spiritual ones cannot?

....

The 1st time I went to an Orthodox service - it was a Sephardic minyan in a hotel on Miami Beach. I had only a vague idea of the structure of an Orthodox service. The mechitza there was a simple wooden divider with a crosshatch design; that probably would not have be kosher if it were not for the fake flowers and vines they weaved throughout it. It was beautiful. And just like anyone else who stumbled upon traditional Jewish services late in the game, I was thoroughly lost! And although some men who have 'been there, done that' may be jealous of hearing me say this, but that mechitza made that particular Friday night bearable. I did not have to worry about stares or 'being off'. I could just drink the atmosphere in, and join in on the tefillos I knew. The couple other women there were not a threat because they two would daven a bit and then go 'off tangent'. Now it sounds as if the women are copping out. That we just want to socialize. Here's where the feminism comes in.

Feminism by definition is a focus on equality for the sexes on a social, economic and political level. Ah-ha (virtual light bulb by head goes off), if liberal Judaism is focused on the social aspects of being a Jew and that's the main sha-bang; then of course feminism in it's classical definition becomes an issue. As much as the leaders of liberal Judaism trumpet otherwise, the Torah is not central to their movements; so what you are left with is a group of Jews who try to maintain a social structure of some sorts...not a religious one.

I am not undermining non-Orthodox Jews. It is very hard to walk into a display of Torah-observant life and just 'get it'. It takes extra effort to scratch beneath the surface; to work through the grime until you see the glimmering gold shine through.

Leaving Judaism alone for a bit; I have my own profound experience with feminism and it's relevance in our day and age. I went to college for Electronics Technology and got certified in Aviation Electronic Systems. So, um, yeah...it was a male dominated field by far! I mean no one scoffed at my choices; after all I grew up in the 1980s when Barbie had that "We Girls, Can Do Anything...Right Barbie?" diddy and you had women like Judith Resnick and Sharon McAuliffe who where flying into space, you had politicians like Madeleine Albright, and actresses like Linda Hamilton who were annihilating killing machines from the future. It had been 60 years since Amelia Earhart strutted her stuff so feminism was well on it's way...

Instead I realized something quite late in game. I realized that a woman can do whatever job she wishes as long as she is willing to compromise. Of course that goes for men too; but for most jobs, men do not have to compromise on their masculinity - unless they are working as drag queens. Women in 'non-traditional' careers however must compromise a bit on their feminity. There are exceptions, and there are women who go against this trend, like in just about everything. In my case, it was "the little things" but they bothered me nonetheless. Things such as fibbing about my periodic runs to the restroom because I was on my period, or apologizing for asking for help in lifting something, and even growing callous to the 'cat-calls' my peers threw out to female passer-bys (not to mention the derogatory comments made towards the "fairer gender" in general).

I have the utmost respect for women who have beat the odds and have achieved success in male-dominated professions. But me myself I did not have have the talent to be able to switch my mindset back and forth. But for the women who can and choose to go out there; there is no reason why they should not be compensated, celebrated, and supported as much as their male counterparts.

To me, that is what feminism is all about; and it is not contrary to the accepted definition of feminism either.

So these are my feelings; I have crawled up in aircraft cowlings alongside men and I have davened on the women's side of the mechitza. In both situations, the culmination of the experience was dependent on my mindset at the time and nothing more. Hashem is everywhere; if I daven at the Kotel or if I daven on the beach in Key West, he hears me. Service to G-d does not only come from reading from the bima or leading the Amidah. It comes from preparing kosher food for your children; it comes from making sure to acknowledge the sexuality of the female physique by keeping covered what should only be seen by your husband; it comes from saying tehillim for the sick and elderly.

The Creator of all knows us so much better than we know ourselves.

The Rasta and The Jew

Why?

In a previous post, I mentioned that Torah-observant doesn't seem so strange from where I came from; however I was referring to home and ways of my maternal Grandmother. Truth be told, there was a bit of 'preparation' from my Father's side as well - as in he himself is a Rastafarian. Although he's more of the universalist than fundamentalist Rastafarian (I'll differentiate between the two later), I grew up on familiar terms with what Rastafarianism is all about.

In the past, I gotten into conversations with both Jews and non-Jews upon the similarities between the two; to the point where I feel Rastafarianism is closer to Judaism than Christianity is. Nonetheless, the two are still different. Bob Marley (as much as some Jews would like to think) is not an "honary Jew", just because he didn't eat pork and wrote a song about the Exodus. (I'm always humored by the attempt of liberal Jews to find remote tribes somewhere and see that they keep some rudimentary aspect of kashrus, or pray with headcoverings, or believe in on G-d - and then "boom!" try to go out and prove their Jewishness. Nevermind the fact that they know nothing about the Torah - the very thing that makes a Jew a Jew. Even a non-observant Jew by birth who can prove his lineage "loses" many privledges allotted to the Jewish Nation because he is forsaking his side of the covenant. Of course, by secular/liberal Jewish standards, just about anyone can become a Jew as long as they have an "affinity" for Jews and Judaism. However, I'm getting off topic here, so I'll stop!) I don't feel as if I should get any "brownie points" just because of my background. There is only a small population of people who fall in the grey area of "Who Is A Jew", and I am definitely not one of them.

Jews in Jamaica

Like many Caribbean islands, Jamaica, in the 16th to 19th centuries, was a place to escape all of the Jewish persecution in Europe. Not that life in the Caribbean was the picturesque Sandals resort type life people would associate with the Caribbean today, no way! The Jews were regulated as merchants and middle people. Some Jews grew to be quite wealthy (more so than their American counterparts); but because the islands in the Caribbean were constantly changing rule (Jamaica has had 5 foreign flags flown over it) life was precarious and wealth could be revoked overnight - depending on the ruling country's "policy" on Jews.

In the 19th century, the Jewish population peaked at around 2,000. Most of the Jews were of Portuguese origin; although later on (in the 19th century) you had a small population of Syrian Jews (this page, this page, and this page are great resources on Jamaican Jews). After Jamaica became independent from Britain (in the 1960s), the country fell into an economic downspiral and many Jewish (and non-Jewish) professionals relocated to the UK, Canada or the US. Today the Jewish community is around 300; those are people who identify as Jews (many may or may not be halachically Jewish). The synagogue is open, but without a Rabbi and the Hillel school has a population of mainly non-Jewish students.

Today when you walk around Jamaica, you may see a lot of Magen Davids or even חי's around, but you would be hard pressed to find any Jews. But like the Indians and Spanish, the Jews have influenced the Jamaican populace in unquantifiable ways.

Rastafarians

I've read books on Rastafarianism and any sort of history really does not do the movement justice; so I'm going to ad-lib a bit (all through my personal knowledge and experience - and what is known as fact). The Rastafarian faith began in the 1920's as a response of the teachings of Marcus Garvey, O.D.; although Mr. Garvey himself never advocated to start a new religion. The icing on the cake was the crowning of Emperor Haile Selassie as ruler of Ethiopia; the last in a line of monarchs who claimed descent from King Solomon (via the Queen of Sheba). The Emperor himself was a member of the Ethiopian Coptic (Christian) Church. His name before coronation was Ras Tafari.

The concepts where there, but they needed to be plugged into something larger. Hence how Rastafarianism became "improvised Judaism". The Rasta founders could have borrowed off of the X-tian church a bit more; but being that they saw the Church as an aid to colonial oppression, that wasn't going to happen. Islam had no presence on the island so the ghost influence of Judaism, infused with the idealism from Garvey and sprinkled with African folkways gives birth to the Rastafarian mantra.

The fundamentalist Rastafarians a number of things:

1) That Haile Selassie is the moshiach/world's redeamer/Jesus X re-incarnate;
2) That marijuana first sprouted on the grave of King Solomon (although smoking it is not mandatory, they feel it aids in Bible study);
3) You are what you eat - they have an "I-tal" diet that needs to be adhered to which is far more strict than keeping kosher (i.e. no processed food - period, no salt, vegetarianism is the ideal...);
4) They take the Nazarite vow which, if you know your chumash well, includes not drinking alcohol or cutting your hair (enter in to center stage, "dreadlocks");
5) Ethiopia is Zion.
6) Women who are menstruating should not be touched.

You have sects within Rastafarianism but it's just a matter of "pick your leader/affiliation". Some minor differences but nothing of note.

Universalist Rastafarians are just about every non-Black and many non-Jamaican Rastafarians I've seen. We're talking about of the Big Mountain strain. Universalists pick and choose. To a big extent, Bob Marley was of this camp just because he became disenchanted with the dogmatic aspects of it all and did not throw out the 'Black Power' aspect of classical Rastafarianism (he said that since he himself was part White, how could he?). It is also hard to push over the masses that an Ethiopian monarch is G-d reincarnate.

Reggae

Thanks to Mr. Marley, the world ties together reggae with Rastafarianism. Although many prominent reggae artists are/have been Rastafarian, reggae developed much later and in it's early years, was suspiciously void of Rastafarian references (even if the singers were Rastas themselves). But you had plenty of non-Rasta reggae songs which drew from the Bible; like Desmond Dekker's Israelites and Rivers of Babylon by the Melodians. However, songs of a Christian aspect were curiously missing.

Reggae is a topic that has not dearth of information out their on it; however, I'll point out one thing (and I'm not just saying this because I like the music), reggae was "invented" less than 40 years ago - and in a country that has a population of 2.5 million people (London and New York have populations of 7 million and 8 million respectively). On top of that, you can count on one hand the number of truly successful reggae musicians. Keep this in mind (for later).

The Link?

Getting back to me; growing up I had to "deal with" my father who opted to switch out his elevated status ('elevated' being relative to the race/class norms of 1960s Jamaica where if you were of mixed race instead of fully Black, you were a little better off) to grow long dreadlocks, a beard, and hang the Ethiopian flag on his car. Similar to the reaction of many secular Jewish families when they see their "dear Michael" don the black hat and grow peyes. In fact, a Lubavitcher friend of mine saw a picture of my Father and asked if 'he converted'; she never saw a non-Jewish man with the beard and long strands of hair on the side (my Father's hair grows too straight by the ears to mesh with the drealocks elsewhere). In the 1980s, I knew my father dealt with the job discrimination, stares, and misconceptions the people had about Rastas; just like today I have to deal with the stares and misconceptions (B'H, I've been blessed to have understanding employers so far) that people have about Jews.

Another, not so obvious lesson I learned in being around Rastafarians growing up is that you can't judge a book by it's cover. I've seen 'Rastas' who were doctors; who were pot-smoking musicians; who were cocaine dealing gangsters; who owned health-spas and meditated everyday. As a newcomer to Judaism, I see all of these "different" Jews - Yeshivish, Chassidish, Mizrachi, blonde, Black - and my naivete acts as an aid to really get to know these people in spite of the label. This I learned from witnessing people mis-judge someone time and time and solely on a hairstyle.

What's Going On?

Looking at the big picture, I'm in awe of just how חירבונו של עולם runs things. Take the insignificant island of Jamaica and this strange faith of "Rastafarianism". Even if it is way off base - millions have found some affinity of it. Remember that Rastafarianism has no leader, and the vast majority of "Rastas" pick and choose and are not into dogma, but are into being spiritual. The hang around and sing "One Love" and get high and try to broaden their horizions. It's great; these are non-Jews who would not go near a church or any form of organized religion - yet their "Rasta hippie cult" keeps them in line with the 7 Noahide Laws. And what about the Jews who are among them? Well I know of 3 Jews who were "re-awakened" to their Judaism by reggae. Then you have folks like Matisyahu who are using reggae as a means to 'reach out' to secular Jews. Afro-Caribbean music as a tool to rope in Am Yisrael; this scenario couldn't be made up!

With working knowledge of both Judaism and Rastafarianism it is plain to see that you do not need to be a Jew to be a good person or even believe in the Creator. I also can see that while the Jews may be "chosen" they are still humans. And they are not the only humans who have experienced plight or have been aided and blessed by Hashem. It is also plain to see that Judaism's influence of 'ethical monotheism' didn't end yet, but still goes on; in my case it went a little too far, but I'm boundlessly thankful for that!

Walking The Fine Line

Wow. So many times, I've come up with an issue I've wanted to write (type?) about on here; but my job has been keeping me so busy - B'H - I always get pulled into something else.

Since March of 2005 I've pretty much tried my best to change my lifestyle. The external stuff was the easiest (well almost; taking out my dreadlocks was 2 months of hard work!). But I choose to ignore the things I just was not ready to tackle. Mainly, the friendships and social events I had before becoming 'religious'.

Now I should also say that I probably have it a lot easier than other people who choose to become Orthodox Jews. My family has put their love for me above difference of religion. And I've only lived in South Florida for 3 years. Those I know of here before I started on this path I've only known for that short period. Others have had to go through losing lifetime friends in the on the road to Torah observance.

The strangest situation for me by far is the one I have with members of my old [liberal] Jewish congregation. Although I had a bit of an awkward relationship with the Rabbi, the congregants there really welcomed me warmly. However, I they also put their heart and soul into that congregation because it's young and they are trying to establish themselves. One of the members admitted that he sometimes goes to the Chabad House to daven (since that congregation does not have Friday night services). He said that he mentioned it once at a kiddush and got the disdainful reaction that only reads, "you pray with those crazy people". In my case, even with my haphazard means of keeping kosher, not shopping on Shabbat, or wearing pants to shul I felt I was standing alone for doing "extra stuff" and had to endure the hollow compliment of, "My oh my, you're more Jewish than I am!". I can only imagine if they knew I "went Orthodox".

About 2 weeks ago I found out that a member of the sisterhood at that congregation that I had been quite active in for the duration of my membership passed away. She died while I was in New Jersey, so it was not really an issue of me going to the funeral services or not. The only way I found out is because there is one woman (another Black woman who is a sisterhood officer) that I still keep in contact with. When she told me, there was a tone of sadness in my response. Partly because this nice, friendly Grandmother had passed on and partly because I felt I had abandoned ship in the wrong way. Perhaps it's not right, but even if I was in Florida I honestly think I would not be able to bring myself to attend services for her. To show up and have to deal with the questions...

Oh, and the woman I keep in contact with also questions me. But I have gotten very deft at dealing with most of them. In fact, my move assisted me on that front too because even for a devoted shul member, driving from North Miami Beach to downtown Ft. Lauderdale for Shabbos services is a bit much. You pass at least 8 Reform shuls alone! But the questions about my current shul/community is a bit tougher. I also feel as if I left a strage picture of converts behind me. That converts are whimsical and go through these "stages". Sometimes I want to write them a letter and say, "No, just the opposite is true! I left so that I could grow! I am no longer around because I have experienced authentic Judaism and I love it!". But I doubt my ability to write such a letter saying such without offending someone deeply.

The other aspect of my life is perhaps a shadier one. I may have been a 'Reform Jew' for years but I was far from religious. Back in Pittsburgh I was deep into the world of indie/punk/hardcore music as well as the youth subcultures that revolved around that scene. That did not change when I moved to Florida. Some of my first friends were "punks" and "skinheads" (please refer to this page for clarification of what a skinhead really is; I'm not going to elaborate here, but "skinhead" is not synomous with "Neo-Nazi, racist person"). I noticed that in South Florida, there really was not a lot of diversity to be found - so I stayed away from groups. But I did pull out a couple of close friends; all of them male.

The law of shallow friendships, which are based on externalities such as what music you listen to, or how you dress, weeded out all of the friendships except for two good ones and a handful where we are still are speaking terms. One in particular, I was very frank with. He's in a [good] punk/oi! band that performs only about 1 a month or so because the band members are older and they work. Although I usually cannot attend because they are on Shabbos, he calls to let me know anyway. About 5 weeks ago, I was able to attend a Thursday night show. It felt good to see them play, and I still find punk music pretty enjoyable (the profanity, just like most of the other lyrics, can hardly be heard through the wailing guitars and pounding drums); but on the other hand I felt very 'alone'. Around me I saw the girls flirting with guys, the crazy alcohol-fueled dance-antics, and the abandon of living for the moment. Stuff that I cannot bring myself to do, but I still remember what it feels like. Not that I want to go back. I will take a chumash shiur any day over drunken kisses with a guy I hardly know. But all of that did give you a 'rush'; it made you laugh; although it was all very fleeting and gave you a false sense of acceptance. I felt like a ghost; like the dead watching the living. I work every day, very hard, on trying to bond with others in the frum Jewish community. In the bars, you drink 2 Guinesses with the person next to you and you're old pals.

That night I went home alone. My friends, although glad to see me, went home with either their significant others for the moment or someone they had 'picked' up. They respect that I have changed; to the point where they don't even ask. Not that I would accept an invitation to go and hang out at someone's house to have a beer (or two, or three...) but just to decline it - would feel good. It would feel like I still existed.

I changed out of my clothes and on my couch and just cried. I felt like the most alone person on planet Earth. However, 15 minutes later when I went to read קריאת שמע על המטה , I felt immensely better.

I don't know what this says 'about me'. Although I'm sure that it was not exactly what I should have been doing by being at that show; but perhaps it was needed (it feels that way). Is this right? Is it normal? To me the scenario seems like that of a drug addict; you do well for a little bit, you slip up and smoke/snort/shoot your drug of choice, you feel terrible, you rebound, you feel much better. I really don't like to compare my former life to that of someone in rehab, but you can't ignore the simliarities.

Inside, I know (and don't question) what I feel. I feel peace and comfort in Judaism. The Torah is the most precious gift handed down to humans. Truth and knowledge pour out the more you dig in. So why is it still not enough that we (converts or baalei teshuvah) move on without ever looking back? Or am I projecting here? Am I any better than the wife of Lot when I don't put all faith in Hashem and don't look towards the Sodom and Gemorrah she was blessed to escape from?

Currently, I don't have a nice resolution to this issue. With each day that passes and another cycle of tefillot are said, I hope that I am creeping towards becoming a little stronger in my personal dedication to Yiddishkeit.

Jewish Matriarchs

This Shabbos is parshas Vayetzei. This link on Aish HaTorah's website discusses the dynamic between Rachel and Leah (which I won't try to paraphase or discuss here!). Now this is a story I've been familiar with since I was a little girl. And I remember being able to relate to Leah. The poor girl was 'overlooked' and left for her fairer sister Rachel. Ok, ok, so now I know that Leah was not exactly a straight-shooter; turns out she had a few character traits inherited from Laban it seems.

Genes, lines, families. I wonder, if Leah had this "blemish" on her character, why did Hashem find it suiting to give Leah most of Jacob's children? True the 'redemptive' line is brought down through Rachel, but why should the tainted outweigh the bad? This is of course conclusions based on the idea that intangible traits like attitude, intelligence and character are influenced by your forefathers (and foremothers).

Since I'm a woman, I'm going to be biased and look at the women in my own family. Hmmm...ok, so my Mother and I are like night and day. Physically, we look alike; personality-wise, we may as well be from two different planets. Moving up the line - to the Grandmothers; my Father's mother had a lot more courage than I have. She was also willing to put her own wishes aside to cater to every need of her children. I don't know if I can compare her and I because I don't have children and her's were so central to her existence. My Mother's mother is like a living doll; too delicate to be real. She is the type of woman who does things such as tapping you one the shoulder and saying "Hey, I love you!" and praying over you before you do - well anything. Things that you to embarrass me immensely when I was younger. She gives me a great example to shoot for; but we don't have much in common either. Going up even further (staying on my Mother's side because that is all I know); both Great-grandmothers were very strong, religious women with forceful conviction in their faith. Active no only in their respective churches but also known nationally as achiever's in the C.O.G.I.C. (Church of G-d in __ ) movement. I am descended from such women?

This Shabbos, hundreds of thousands of Jews will sing אשת חיל to the woman of the household. A Jewish woman who is the cornerstone to the continuation of the Jewish people. But in each stanza of that zemirah, I can see at least one of my own, non-Jewish matriarchs. What a surprise - Shlomo HaMelech sees what I see (or perhaps it should be the other way around)! As a potential convert, many people ask me how I can "change" so much? Don't I feel "strange" doing all of these things. Truth be told - I feel more as if I am coming full circle than anything else. Tznius? My Grandmother who raised me never wore slacks a day in her life - she sees the value in modest dress, that's for sure. Kashrus? My Father's mother had to deal with raising two vegetarian sons in the 70's - back in the days when there was no Whole Foods Market in every shopping center. Hair covering? Black women with their hats in church is a subject that books have been written about.

Of course the differences are great; but the life of a Torah-observant woman feels much less strange to me than the life of a woman in a mini-skirt and heels in the clubs on the beach.

Jewish women, no matter how they secular world may try to corner them off and say, "Look, she's so oppressed! She's not seen as equal in the eyes of the Torah!" are not phased or detracted from what they are. They know their essence is their neshamot. I remember that as a young child, I did not daydream about "girlie" stuff like getting married or having children. I was not opposed to the idea either (I understood that women should feel pride in playing "the mommy role"), but it was not central to my future. I wanted to "do stuff" and "be somebody". The older I became, the more pressing this idea was on my mind. But was I not already "somebody". I was at that point (17, 18 years old) what Hashem wanted me to be. But in my eyes it meant nothing. Perhaps deep down it did; but society was saying, "Hey, you need a title; you need some accomplishments; you need a trip to the salon and a personal trainer!". Just so that you can be - what? So I can complete myself? So tell me, when will I be complete?

Last night I took a walk from my office to Pita Loca; which takes me through about 8 blocks of South Beach; the essence of trendy materialism in it's highest style. I saw a young woman who was trying on a dress in a boutique. Although she wasn't looking for the attention - just trying to model in front of the mirrors to see if she wanted to spend the oodles of money on the outfit, a couple tourists started playing amateur photo shoot and she had a bit of a crowd. I cannot say that I know what it feels like, but if I was in that position I would feel dehumanized. Here are people who don't even know my name - who haven't even heard my voice - yet they want to get close to me and take my picture. Then they will take that picture and do what with it? What will they say about me upon showing it to whoever? It probably won't be bad, but it will surely be about my appearance. The essence of me - my soul - will be constantly overlooked and glossed over.

I found myself thinking about if I ever had a daughter what would I say so that she is never in such a position? Through dejection, disappointment, and heartache I learned that those attracted to you on superficial aspects such as appearance have a very tough time getting an accurate idea of the person you are. On the other hand, personal pride in healthy doses does manifest itself in good hygiene, keeping your body in shape, and having a stylish appearance - much like the models on this site.

I mentioned that my own Mother and I are very different; however I don't think that words can give proper justice to the comparison between us. Sure, we look a lot alike - to the extent that some people have mixed us up with each other. However the personality of the woman who gave birth to me was not passed on. She did not live with me; she had little if any effect on my daily environment as a child.

I have 4 younger sisters; one who's name is Rachel as well. She on the other hand looks nothing like her mother; to the point where some people (even she) have voiced surprise over my sister's appearance. Because Rachel is very young, it's hard to see which parent her "spirit" follows; maybe neither.

I made a huge detour trying to get to the question - Is the Jewish soul passed through heredity or environment? I mentioned how in אשת חיל I find familiarity. But in relation to the environment I was raised in, and not necessarily the woman who is my immediate predecessor. Could this be the hidden secret of the importance of the Jewish woman? The tribal affiliation (i.e. - "name") is passed on through the father but the Jewish home itself, the בית הקדש is maintained by the women.

A convert in Judaism 'loses' the familial ties to their natural cases simply because they become a Jew, while the family remains non-Jews - which prohibits them from specific Jewish ritual and services. But my family has helped cultivate me. Hashem created the seed, and put into impetus the growth but they are the ones who watered me, threw in some fertilizer, and pruned me every now and then.

Perhaps it does not matter so much the characteristics of the Jewish matriarchs - or patriarchs for that matter. Jews do not have "magic genes" that make them better people than gentiles. But they do know the secret; or more specifically, Jewish women know the secret, of how to transfer "character" to the next generation. What an awesome responsibility; what a priviledge to be endowed with such a task!

Intelligence of (and from) the Creator

Last Thursday, I attended a lecture given by Dr. Gerald Schroeder and it was a good use of $10 for sure! Dr. Schroeder presented a clear-cut connection between the Torah's account of 'the beginning' and what scientists can verify and agree upon. He also discussed the flaws of the evolution theory and the method of education of science and it's deliberate omission of the suggestion of any metaphysical (divine') influence. So much to the point that they would perpetuate myths (such as evolution) instead to rule out the notion of there being a Supreme Being.

Now, me personally I have never doubted the existence of a Creator. I also (with the exception of 3 years of elementary school) always attended secular schools and universities. To be honest, I don't remember any distinct teachings that totally debunked the idea of a Higher Power. On the other hand, I studied mainly chemistry and physics and not biology or astronomy; those sciences are very grounded on what you can see and observe (at least on the level I was on). So I will be the first to admit that I am not very knowledgeable able the 'classical approach' to the instruction of these subjects.

On Friday night, I had the pleasure of having Shabbos dinner with Rebbetzin Toby Katz of Cross Currents fame and she offered some very interesting perspectives. She said that as Jews we have different approaches to coming to terms with science. There are some Jews who wholly accept the classical teaching of science 6 days a week. They are able to compartmentalize what secular science teaches us to believe and what the Torah teaches about the world around us. On the other extreme, you have Jews who believe that this 'secular science' with it's faulty logic should just not be taught.

Another one of the guests at the Katz's table inquired why scientists like Schroeder even struggle to validate the Torah scientifically. Having pursued technical subjects at the post-secondary level, I can understand Dr. Schroeder's goals. Scientists like to have something to work with; they are not philosophers. They see a resultant and want a formula and method that will adhere the confines of that resultant. For a Torah-observant Jew, the Torah has provided the skeleton framework for all that we know of as a part of our physical world. On the other hand, they can not discredit the scientific method, so the use it to show the validity of the Torah. But getting back to the guest's original question; a minority thinker in the scientific world never has an easy time. Plus the goal of many scientists is to use nature as a model to learn from; and [in their minds] once science has been perfected, they will be able to re-create or even surpass that which is readily found in nature. These sort of scientists have no room for G-d in their minds. To admit to the existence of G-d is an admission of sorts that they will never be able to attain their goals because we do not possess the infinite intelligence that G-d possess.

This makes me think of a phenomena I found out about while in New Jersey - from TV. There was a program on about chimerism. Today this is an accepted (although not widely known) aspect of DNA research and testing, however when the problem first emerged scientist had a hard time accepting it. A little bit of background to the program: two women had routine DNA testing performed between them and their children and with one woman 2 of her 3 children failed a paternity correlation between them, and the other had all 3 of her children fail. Which means, according to the DNA test (which is considered to be 'reliable'), these mothers we not the mother's of their own children!

Now here I am, pretty unlearned in biology/genetics - and my 1st thought would be that the DNA test itself is not so foolproof. In the case of these women, no one questioned the tests - but they in fact questioned them! We're talking about accusations of surrogate motherhood, baby swapping, and various other means of fraud. So much in fact, that when one of the women were expecting, they had a court appointed witness (she was involved in a civil case at the time) in the room when she delivered to verify the baby was hers. This is to the extent that we put blind, unwavering faith in science; we forcefully believe that we have it all 'figured out' and all anolmalies have a simple explanation.

In a few years, the realized there was not such simple explanation for these women. After many tests, it was found that these women had two different DNA patterns present in their bodies. The hypothosis is that they are actually a fusion of two people; meaning their natural children are a combination of the minority DNA (in the case of the children who failed the paternity test) and the father. This blew the mind of scientists; but why? To me, it seems perfectly logical. Just like science cannot explain why this sister is 8 inches shorter than the other, science can not expect to know all of the variables and occurances that go on at conception to make us into who we are today. Of course, the implications of such findings are much more severe. If you have a chimara who is a criminal out there murdering people, there is a chance that the hair they leave on the crime scene will not have the same DNA pattern as the blood sample given. Then you have others being convicted on the basis of a science that is not throughly understood...

And then from a statistical standpoint, what percentage of the modern populace has had a DNA test? And of that portion, have there also been tests performed among that sample's family to see all the possible links and/or expose the faulty logic?

Yet the modern, 'progressive' mind takes science to heart; even when it's obviously far from infallible. Yet the modern mind can't come to terms with the acceptance of Torah. Why?

I am thankful to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for the priviledge to be shown so much in the last year or so. Not nearly so much for the answers given to the 'tough questions' of existence, but a means to accept the sovereignity of a Higher Power and the pleasure to enjoy his creation.