tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.comments2024-03-05T10:07:27.166-08:00Minyan Dorshei Derekh @ Germantown Jewish CentreUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-49420312207313475992021-02-14T07:45:18.581-08:002021-02-14T07:45:18.581-08:00Thank you so much Atenea for this wonderful explic...Thank you so much Atenea for this wonderful explication and drash! I am reflecting on the fact that the next time we hear about this particular line of the family it is in the story of Ruth and Boaz. Ruth - an outsider, a widow, and dependant on other people for her security - also takes action into her own hands, exhibits agency, when she approaches Boaz and sleeps with him, and then later tells him who she is and how she is his responsibility. It is also a form of trickery - of sorts - and also results in the "right thing" being done. And Rush is praised for her action and is also a mother of the line that begets David and ultimately, the Messiah. So women taking action, exhibiting agency, is clearly tied to the hope for the future. And maybe, as we know with all the stories of ancestors using some form of subterfuge or trickery to get to the right place, when you have no overt power, no overt standing, using means that are slightly askew may be the only form of power one can utilize when one is oppressed. Elyse and Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10207720997462379872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-24626050834721406812020-12-29T09:51:09.254-08:002020-12-29T09:51:09.254-08:00Wow. Thank you Bobbie. Very helpful.Wow. Thank you Bobbie. Very helpful.Elyse and Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10207720997462379872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-3220118678843069802020-07-03T17:07:06.856-07:002020-07-03T17:07:06.856-07:00Brilliant, freeing and deeply meaningful. Brilliant, freeing and deeply meaningful. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-87320736863019418502014-08-24T20:00:00.596-07:002014-08-24T20:00:00.596-07:00Zilpah: Amain, sister!Zilpah: Amain, sister!בְּשֵם יְהוָֹה וְיֵשׁוּעַ וְרוחַ מִרְיָםhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08593237857512480573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-52220484977902320792014-08-24T19:58:38.017-07:002014-08-24T19:58:38.017-07:00Bilha: Do it and include them. The World is Watchi...Bilha: Do it and include them. The World is Watching! Jk. just us.בְּשֵם יְהוָֹה וְיֵשׁוּעַ וְרוחַ מִרְיָםhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10944036746444807053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-30589323961495718042013-12-22T18:09:54.895-08:002013-12-22T18:09:54.895-08:00I can't applaud your article enough! I initia...I can't applaud your article enough! I initiated the first GLBT synagogue in Tampa, Fl twenty years ago. I studied for smicha under an Orthodox rabbi who felt I was deserving of this knowledge. I am currently a licensed psychotherapist who has received extensive training in working with the transgender community and work exclusively with this community as well as educating the community at large about Transgender Education 101. I am so excited about finding you. Thank you.<br />Sara FackelmanAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05602792745347218230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-53426525077817621812013-12-04T15:46:57.966-08:002013-12-04T15:46:57.966-08:00WOW! -- Is that a comment? Does it need to be in ...<b>WOW!</b> -- Is that a comment? Does it need to be in Hebrew or Yiddish? Is "yashar kocheych" enough?<br /><br />Barely!<br /><br />With thanks to Bobbi for the teaching & Betsy for the posting -- With admiration & blessings of shalom -- ArthurArthur Waskowhttps://www.theshalomcenter.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-46912808136138582532013-08-24T07:32:00.025-07:002013-08-24T07:32:00.025-07:00Dayle you speak beautiful wisdom. I was not presen...Dayle you speak beautiful wisdom. I was not present to hear this dvar, but if I had been I would have told you how much I appreciate the wisdom of your message. As 1 of my recent learnings, I must confront my demons even if the confronting requires doing so into the 8th delcade of my life. Having done so brings an immeasurable joy and appreciationfor those you have so <br />ably described that bring meaning to our lives: our spouse, our children, our siblings, our family, our friends and acquaintances,finding meaning in work and or similar endevers and continuing to learn, to love and to praise. donald k. Josephnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-61927368316259315662013-06-12T18:36:28.470-07:002013-06-12T18:36:28.470-07:00Lovely! Thanks for sharing this!Lovely! Thanks for sharing this!Abby Weinberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10621223145279641996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-30448699541210868922013-04-25T16:37:27.210-07:002013-04-25T16:37:27.210-07:00For the Israel Garden activity 6:30-7:30 pm, you a...For the Israel Garden activity 6:30-7:30 pm, you are also invited to bring a cutting from your own garden, including bushes and trees that are in bloom or other flowers. We will create a community vase(s) of flowers for the Charry Sanctuary. oliveseekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00689106664491324939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-91479864192967207292012-12-01T18:14:31.665-08:002012-12-01T18:14:31.665-08:00This is from Ken Cohen: Naomi,
Thank you for orche...This is from Ken Cohen: Naomi,<br />Thank you for orchestrating this very thorough inquiry into the issue of Bilhah and Zilpah.<br /> <br />I was going to write a more lengthy response, but I just read Reena Spicehandler's posting, which said (more expertly than I could have) almost exactly what I was going to say, so I'll keep this brief. Although I'm generally in favor of experimenting with changes in the liturgy when it makes sense to do so, in this case it doesn't make sense to say in the Amidah, "the God of Bilhah and the God of Zilpah" when we have absolutely no indication, and no tradition, of what the religious beliefs of Bilhah and Zilpah were, or which deity or deities they worshipped. I appreciate the point David Mosenkis made about activism, and I agree that it would be right to find a way of recognizing Bilhah and Zilpah as being included in the ancestry of the Jewish people, but in my opinion this has no place in the Amidah. I wouldn't be opposed to inclusion of Bilhah and Zilpah in the mishebeirachs, since the text there doesn't refer to "the God of...", though I think Reena's suggestion of a kavannah elsewhere in the service could be more meaningful.<br />Betsy Teutschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05964884829775351225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-22380663682577779112012-11-27T19:09:17.195-08:002012-11-27T19:09:17.195-08:00This is from Reena Spicehandler: Hi Naomi,
I want ...This is from Reena Spicehandler: Hi Naomi,<br />I want to thank you again for initiating this interesting discussion. As I mentioned to you, I am not fan of adding Zilpah and Bilhah for two reasons<br />First, I think we are confusing a spiritual issue with one of social justice and fairness. I see no evidence in Breishit that Bilhah and Zilpah considered the Jewish God or religion to be theirs. The other matriarchs do appear to have chosen to follow a Jewish path and in many cases to pray to God or to be following God's plan. So to say God of Zilpah and Bilhah seems inaccurate to me and would not enhance my sense of spiritual connection. If we want to honor those (especially women) who are our ancestors, I suggest a kavanah at some point in the service. There are many others, such as Ruth or Tamar who could be included as important matriarchs!<br />My second concern is related to the importance of the number 7 (4 matriarchs+ 3 patriarchs) in Jewish mysticism and gematria. 7 days of the week, seven wedding blessings, 7x7 years to the Jubilee etc. If we add B and Z we would have 9. In general the rabbis have shied away from multiples of 3 because of trinitarian concerns.<br />This is only a brief account, but I feared I'd never get around to writing something up if I waited for an opportunity to more fully formulate a response. <br /><br />Reena<br />Betsy Teutschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05964884829775351225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-69745898437250595162012-11-26T12:42:00.375-08:002012-11-26T12:42:00.375-08:00Your study seems to have missed the
article below,...Your study seems to have missed the<br />article below, written by a late member of our havurah (Shir <br />Hadash Reconstructionist Havurah, Newton, MA):<br /><br />Elizabeth Wyner Mark, "The Four <br />Wives of Jacob: Matriarchs Seen and<br />Unseen, The Reconstructionist 63,<br />no 1 (fall 1998) 22-35.<br /><br />Our havurah has incorporated all<br />the mothers' names for some years,<br />but not by an organized process.<br /><br />Candy Sidner<br />Shir Hadash<br />Newton, MACandy Sidnernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-42077841286085269882012-11-26T07:30:37.708-08:002012-11-26T07:30:37.708-08:00I have been passive about this topic, but reading ...I have been passive about this topic, but reading both the commentary and the comments encourages me to share. So thanks to Naomi for collecting all these entries and to Betsy for finding a way to put them on our blog!<br />The bottom line is that I am uncomfortable with mandating inclusion of Bilhah and Zilpah, but am fine with our continuing non-mandatory experimentation. (I particularly like the idea of leaving a silent space after the parents to recognize the unknown mothers -- and that makes me realize there are probably unknown/minimized fathers too who can be included this way. But, letting service leaders who wish to use B and Z is also okay by me.)<br /><br />I don' think this change is like adding the imaot or "yoshvei tevel." First, I don't recall any squeamishness about either of these. Second, at least in the case of the imaot, I recall that the addition was somewhat organic; before we had Kol Hanishama, darshanim were adding them spontaneously. And, I think that for egalitarian/progressive groups like ours, it was a no-brainer: whatever the status of other mothers, there was no question that Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah were our matriarchs, parallel to the 3 patriarchs. (And, again, for progressive Jews, extending the wish for peace to the whole world seemed non-controversial also. Although, I admit that there could have been objectors or those discomfitted that I never tuned in to.)<br /><br />I see the Bilhah and Zilpah issue as similar to other spontaneous experimenting we've done with the liturgy over the years: for a while, we used both masculine and feminine forms in Ose/Osa Shalom; there was some experimentation with using a more general "parent" or "ancestor" term to supplant some uses of avot and imaot; similarly, there was experimentation with using "knesset" Israel instead of "bnei" Israel in the Micha Mocha. Some of our experiments more-or-less stuck -- i.e. were adopted by other service leaders than the one who started the use, and others never caught on.<br />I think we should treat adding Bilhah and Zilpah this way -- let its use sink or swim over time as the k'hal either organically finds it meaningful or not. <br />B'shalom,<br />Rona<br />Rona Pietrzaknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-40290219436580768702012-08-25T19:14:25.730-07:002012-08-25T19:14:25.730-07:00"What happened to my tallit?!"
Hazza..."What happened to my tallit?!"<br /> <br /> <br />Hazzan Naomi Hirsch<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-84371127521972620182012-08-25T19:12:27.127-07:002012-08-25T19:12:27.127-07:00...and the blessing gives us peace, and the courag......and the blessing gives us peace, and the courage to dare...JemScout11https://www.blogger.com/profile/12810409395922319414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-55046154912876323312012-08-25T19:11:27.533-07:002012-08-25T19:11:27.533-07:00Excuse me sir, could you move over so I can get to...Excuse me sir, could you move over so I can get to the tree behind you?Neysahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03749366413099627836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-10551365003635810412012-08-25T11:04:45.265-07:002012-08-25T11:04:45.265-07:00Another possibility is not a caption, but a second...Another possibility is not a caption, but a second picture (actually a Quaker religious painting) alongside this one. It's Edward Hicks, "The Peaceable Kingdom" (http://www.worcesterart.org/Collection/American/1934.65.html) It goes with the words "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and fatling together" Also in Hicks's picture is a vignette of William Penn making peace with the original people of the land. It leads to a second thought, which is that there's an important story here that you don't see. David is communicating very effectively with the lion just behind him, outside the frame of the picture. <br /><br />Steve Feierman<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-12136352626173696862011-12-22T14:12:21.081-08:002011-12-22T14:12:21.081-08:00bee-you-tee-ful!
yafeh b'yoter!bee-you-tee-ful!<br />yafeh b'yoter!oliveseekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00689106664491324939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-24486456598447014122011-06-30T05:30:45.355-07:002011-06-30T05:30:45.355-07:00Mazel tov to wonderful leaders of our minyan, with...Mazel tov to wonderful leaders of our minyan, with appreciation for all they do for us as well as the joy that they now are experiencing.<br />DonaldProf Josehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06654896618008532587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-58843747399152832452011-06-19T22:21:10.861-07:002011-06-19T22:21:10.861-07:00Mazal tov, Barb!Mazal tov, Barb!Naomi Hirschnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-13557019946850553602011-06-19T19:15:37.101-07:002011-06-19T19:15:37.101-07:00way to go, Barb. you are in great shape and a mode...way to go, Barb. you are in great shape and a model for the rest of us.<br />love the idea, meenal, of car mitzvah, celebrating a ritual passing indeed.Avivahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16146843170550521813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-42291523562803908032011-06-05T22:01:45.665-07:002011-06-05T22:01:45.665-07:00SO pleased to be included in the article! We love...SO pleased to be included in the article! We love our ketubah Betsy! (for anyone reading this, I was not one of the people who got married on Yom Kippur).<br />-Joshbergler71https://www.blogger.com/profile/15011211127997912031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-86148931445219256662011-06-05T20:29:05.296-07:002011-06-05T20:29:05.296-07:00I have also noticed the migration of names. When i...I have also noticed the migration of names. When is the last time you had a contemporary Shirley or Stella?. Yet Rose, Sophie and Hannah have been rescued from the Bubbies .Regarding wedding dates, I was told not too long ago, that " October is the new June"! I often have many fewer ketubah orders for June than Sept or Oct woven around that years' High Holidays. Remember when no one got married in the summer?!<br />Your article was accurate and right-on!. Congrats!Karen Schlosshttp://calligraphicsgallery.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806678717764965094.post-17584103166188379982011-06-04T20:11:28.254-07:002011-06-04T20:11:28.254-07:00So wonderful, insightful and well written. NinaSo wonderful, insightful and well written. NinaNinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14636535994900771134noreply@blogger.com