PunkTorah

Independent Jewish Spirituality Online

Jewish Pluralism Means Orthodoxy Too

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I have a friend who is an Orthodox rabbi. OK, several. But one in particular has a great philosophy: it is fun to be Jewish.

I like that. And people like him.

But something isn’t fun for my friend, and that’s a perceived bias against religious people. As he once mentioned, “people talk all about pluralism and diversity. Yet, there’s no place at the table for me.”

I never really thought about this issue until I was taking part in a webinar hosted by Joshua Venture. During the webinar, the presenter stressed that the cohort (the group of people who would be receiving their grants) needed to get along and be cohesive, while at the same time diverse. They wanted people to “meld well together”, I believe was the term.

At one point, a participant asked the question, “what if I am Orthodox? Will I fit in? Will I be a part of the cohesive [Read more…]

Ginny Adams on “What is G-d?” part 2

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Filmed at Georgia State Hillel, Ginny continues her thoughts on What is G-d and how she questioned when she was young but came to realize G-d’s presence when driving through Zion National Park and seeing the mountains, the canyons, the road and everything. Of how that presence helped her through a mourning process.

Watch more videos at www.theg-dproject.org

Brought to you by PunkTorah.org

Parsha Miketz: No Frum (Gen 41:1 – 44:17)

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Miketz is the portion where Joseph finally gets his happy ending. Joseph’s divine blessing of dream interpretation is remembered within Pharaoh’s court which leads to his release from prison and promotion from foreign prisoner to revered Egyptian Statesman, and as an added treat he reconciles with his brothers. This week’s portion screams abuse survivor, over comer, and liberation the only problem is I am not a victim of abuse and therefore being a survivor is lost on me. What Miketz means to me is completion and balance in all aspects of a person’s being and this week Joseph exemplifies this.

When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit one of the seeds they swallowed was that of privilege and conceit. We all have this seed embedded within in us from birth, but like all seeds for the weed to sprout and grow it must be tended to by a dutiful gardener tending flowers. The remnant of Jacob left in Israel watered, pruned, and nurtured this seed within Joseph causing the weed’s root to sink through his heart piercing his soul. When a weed is that embedded plucking it is no easy feat only completely removing the root will remedy the unwanted affliction.

The only hope for Joseph is an extreme one, sold out of jealousy into slavery by his brothers, he works his way into as good of a situation as a slave can. Due to lust he is cast into prison only to once again make a positive impression with his fellow inmates. The sin of forgetfulness rears its head leaving Joseph abandoned behind bars for a couple more years. Finally, Joseph’s crop of privilege and conceit has withered and been plucked from his soul, mind, and body, he is redeemed and ready for his place as a lynchpin in the Patriarchal succession within Judaism.

Only by the grace of Hashem is Joseph pulled from prison after interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams predicting 7 bountiful years followed by 7 lean years. He shaves his beard…OH NO!!! marries a nice Egyptian girl…WHA WHA WHAT! and starts a very successful and important career as a freed man.

After what seems to be a long agonizing journey Joseph is complete. He has the spiritual integrity, the physical confidence, and the mental wisdom to provide for everyone in the region. Joseph knows what’s coming in just a few short years and yet he is mature enough to start a happy family in the present while working to provide for their needs in the near future. When the 7 lean years arrive and people start to go hungry, because of Joseph Egypt becomes the humanitarian capital of the ancient world. The balance Joseph has achieved within himself has allowed him to enjoy the present while preparing for the future, but what about his past?

No truly complete person can live only in the present with a nod to a prosperous future without coming to terms with lessons learned from their past. Joseph is no exception. When his brothers come to Egypt to purchase food he recognizes them immediately and manages the situation in a way where he will not neglect his duties but will still be reunited with his beloved elderly father. Joseph at this point in his life knows what happened in his past is not all his fault or his fathers or even his brothers. He knows they all played a part in the evil that transpired this realization alone allows for him to finally be reunited with his family.

The concept of patron saints is foreign to Judaism, however if it was part of our tradition I feel Joseph would play a much more prominent role in some circles. I feel a bond with him which I haven’t felt until this week. Like Joseph I do not live in Israel, in fact I am happy living in the southwest region of the United States. Like Joseph I have a Hebrew name and a “Gentile” name. Like Joseph I have been in serious relationships with non-Jews and while in them never compromised my beliefs (don’t worry Kosher Gals I am currently on the market wink wink!) . Most importantly, like Joseph I like to think of myself as someone striving for balance in all aspect of my life.

How have you reconciled your past, present, and future? Where do you struggle when it comes to balancing the mind, body, and spirit? Does being orthodox help solve these problems? Reflect and grow and share. Comment below or send me a message

jeremiah@punktorah.org Twitter: CirclePitBimah

Rabbi Josh Yuter: More Than Denominations

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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_UQeFseoWc

Orthodox Judaism as a social movement. The G-d Project is the world’s first social media platform dedicated to Jewish spirituality. We bring God back to the conversation.

The Chabad Rebbe and Jewish Marketing Strategy

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Today is the yahrzeit (anniversary of the passing) of Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, aka the Chabad Rebbe. Whether you think that Chabad is the greatest thing ever or that Chabad secretly thinks the Rebbe was the messiah, you have to admit that Reb. Schneerson had a gigantic impact on how religious Jews engage with secular Jews…and frankly, how Jewish people deal with the outside world all together.

In his honor, I give you the three things that I learned from Chabad:

Don’t Call It Outreach, But Make Sure To Do It

The Rebbe taught that Chabadniks should never use the term kiruv, or outreach, to promote their work in the Jewish community. Outreach implies that there are insiders who are (duh!) “reaching out” to those on the outside. The Rebbe explained that this hierarchy was wrong: that it puts one set of Jews as higher on the Great Jew Ladder over others, and that everyone was equal in the eyes of God. I like that.

Don’t Judge, At Least Not Openly

In my conversations with Chabadniks, the one thing everyone says that they love about Chabad is that they do not judge. Frankly, that’s a load of nonsense. Everyone judges everyone all the time! What people really mean (and what Chabad really does) is to set aside open judgement of others. The motto of Chabad can be best summed up as: we don’t get in the way of you being Jewish incorrectly, but if you ever want to do it right, we’re here for you.

Technology Is Everything

Chabad was the first Jewish org to radically embrace the internet. I will be the first to admit that a major amount of my research for articles starts with Chabad’s website. While PunkTorah goes further with using technology and the sacred with OneShul and The G-d Project, it must be said that Chabad laid the groundwork.

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