"Have we done enough?" For Palestinians, for hostages, to bring an end to this war?

Many of us have been doing so much. I know I have had conversations with people I deeply disagree with, met with people I am deeply uncomfortable with, >

Parts of my Kol Nidrei sermon:
1/5 > and done many public and private actions - some quite intense. All with the hope and thoughts "of what else can we do" to end this war, to bring people home, to bring true liberation, justice, and then peace to all.

These entire high holidays, I couldn't stop thinking >

2/5

Quote of interest here about the Temple Mount/Al Aqsa, from 1929:

"The Jews do not want, in any way, to take what is not theirs. And definitely not to hurt the rights of other residents on places that they currently hold, towards which they feel honor and holiness."

1/6 The quote goes on to say that in addition to that (that Jews don't wanna take away places from other people politically), it's also forbidden by Jewish law for Jews to enter to Temple Mount (an opinion still held to this day by like 90% of Orthodox rabbis of all backgrounds).
2/6

"I said in Sinai: do not kill and spill blood,
And they are in Zion; their hands are full of blood.

I said in Sinai: do not steal and split with theives,
And they are in Zion; disobeying and friends of theives.

I said in Sinai: do not steal fields and houses,
>
1/3 >
And they are in Zion: they coveted fields and stole houses."

The above is part of a "Kinah" - a traditional lament poem - for today's fast-day Shivah Asar b'Tammuz. A fast day that, among other things, marks the breach of the walls Jerusalem by the occupying Romans, >

2/3

Reposted from Stas Ginzburg:
“Can a boy turn into a girl” were the first words in Hebrew that Abby Stein typed into Google when she logged onto the internet for the first time at the age of 20. Abby, an ordained rabbi, was raised as a boy in an Ultra-Orthodox >

1/6 > Hasidic community in Williamsburg, which she left in 2012 shortly after discovering a vocabulary that helped her crystallize something she had felt her whole life: she was a woman. Navigating secular society as a young transgender woman was like being an >

2/6

The incoming interim @kolotchayeinu clergy team at #ShavuotAcrossBrooklyn ❤️

It was such a pleasure to start this Yom Tov (holiday) #Shavous with this powerful group of leaders (and all women at that), along with teams from Beth Elohim Brooklyn and @LabShul.

1/

Plus, my first rabbinical D'var (sermon) representing Kolot as part of our incoming team!

We got a lot of work to do to keep building and holding our communities, especially through these intense times. As Shavuot teaches us, the Torah, and Judaism, >

2/

Today, along with 10 other @rodfeishalom:#Rabbis4Ceasefire and many more local activists, we attempted to deliver aid directly to Gaza.

We were stopped 1 km from the Erez crossing, along with a truck filled with >

Caption reads:
"A protester outside the Erez crossing."
1/ Essential foods. After some of my rabbinical colleagues, along with local Israeli activists, insisted on delivery, the Israeli police arrested a few American and Israeli rabbis and locals activists.

More to come, along with my remarks. For now, some photos.

2/

Every #CeasefireNow post seems to get an automatic version of "but the hostages" response from some.

Let's repeat:
The best thing for the hostages is an immediate ceasefire, and if you actually care about their lives - besides as a talking point - support a ceasefire now.

1/5 The only thing that has saved hostages so far has been a negotiated ceasefire and exchange. As so many Israeli families and former hostages scream:
כולם תמורת כולם -
Everyone for everyone.

The war has literally killed more hostages than it saved, directly and indirectly.

2/5

Let's talk about the 3 Yom Kippur meals:
I deeply hate all the anti "happy" Yom Kippur, and "YK isn't a happy day" takes.

In so many communities, like those following Kabbalistic and early Hasidic customs, Yom Kippur is deeply happy.

A day of joy and Simcha.

1/6 Already in the Zohar, its happiness is compared to the happiest day of the year: Purim.

The literal mention of "Simcha" (happiness) on Yom Kippur is all over Jewish texts, from the earliest Halachic texts, to Tor and Shulchan Aruch, to philosophical and theological texts.

2/6

My great-uncle passed away last night.

He was quite an interesting person, and got some interesting memories with him. A unique quality I admired - and do to this day - about him, is that he was an "איש אמת" a man of truth.

There was nothing fake or blown up about him.

1/4

https://twitter.com/KollelNiyes/status/1681090945985441792

He couldn't stand the "blowing up" most Hasidic Rebbes* made of themselves.

If he wanted, he could've turned into a big leader, living like a king. He was admired by so many, respected by warring factions of Hasidic Jerusalem, married into a prestigious Hasidic dynasty, >

2/4

Repeat:
Criticizing a country doesn't always come from a place of hate. In fact, very often it comes from a place of caring, and even love.

I criticize 2 countries the most: the 2 countries I am a citizen of (by birth) and carry their passports.

Because I care.
1/4 Yes, if I was a great selfless person, I would care about human rights equally everywhere. I would criticize human rights abuse across the globe equally.

Yet, while we try to fight for human rights everywhere, I guess I am still not selfless:
I fight my own countries more.

2/4

My youngest sister (8/8), age 18, got engaged yesterday - arranged of course, after one meeting of less than an hour.

Mazel Tov, I guess.
As usual, got mixed feelings.

On one hand: teenagers shouldn't get married, especially not arranged marriages to people they don't know.

1/ At the same time, in all likelihood (I mean I haven't seen her since she was 12, so hard to say I really know her), she is happy.

We grew up in a culture where that's the one, and almost only, goal of a teenager: get married, have a lot of kids.

It's sad and messed up >

2/

The only "crisis" involving interfaith/multi-faith (or faithless) marriages within our Jewish community - is how some mainstream community, in the name of "tradition," treat loving families.

The only threat to "continuity" is when you exclude loving families, who choose to be >

https://twitter.com/temasmith/status/1523319749320527872

> part of our communities.

Some of the most engaged, deeply Jewish, families and children I have met, have been part of beautiful interfaith families.

When a family chooses to stay involved, we need to embrace and celebrate them. That's how we build community.

If you plan on using us, using our Jewish community, to justify Islamophobic and racists rants over the next few hours and days:

DO not. Just don't.

You are not helping us. You are not fighting antisemitism.

We get through this together. Not by dividing us.

https://twitter.com/AbbyChavaStein/status/1482477683040821251?t=JJG4MJ0KsoJItZU31muwyg&s=19

No words.

At Reform Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, TX - a gunman holding the rabbi and community hostage during #Shabbat services.

This is at least the 3rd time in so many years a #Synagogue has been attacked on Shabbos.

Our hearts 💔

star-telegram.com/news/local/cri… * in the US alone.

Tradition (Hasidic) has it that for a special Shabbat we make an extra kugel.

So, here I am, for the first time ever, making Onion Kugel from scratch (dough and filling).

Shabbat Shalom - Git #Shabbos, and #HappyNewYear 🥮🎉

#שבתשלום 💕 After baking!

#NewYears is on Shabbos - aka, as Jews we have rich traditions on how to celebrate at home.

One of the most beautiful parts of Jewish year-cycle rituals and celebrations, is the "do at home" parts.

This year, let's #StayHome and put it to use celebrating New Year's as well 🎉 Some traditions to put to use:

- if you can, prepare foods that "set the mood" for you. Whether historically traditional, or just traditional for you.

- set the table. Traditionally on Shabbat that means a white tablecloth, candles, etc. Use what sets the table for you.
2/

Never going to forget this:

When I was doing my post-Rabbinical ordination in a Hasidic school, there was a woman who was told SHE IS REQUIRED by Jewish law to have a 3rd trimester abortion/induce labor (with almost no chance of fetus survival).

Many states now outlaw it.

1/4 The husband got really upset, and didn't wanna go through with it (sadly, he had that control), till we asked the Rebbe (my former community's Supreme Leader).

He and the Rabbi (I was shadowing at the time) went to ask the Rebbe.

The Rebbe's response: if the doctors say >

2/4

Let's talk about cheese latkes, #Chanukah, and powerful women ✊

Cheese latkes are a traditional Ashkenazi #Hanukkah dish that combines two holiday foods, oil and cheese.

While the cheese might be less known, it has IMO a far cooler story: Judith.

(See @TheRaDR thread below). The story of Judith, a mythological tale from the Book of Judith, a book of the Biblical Apocrypha (my favorite part of the Bible, in some ways), is the story of a Jewish woman heroine.

A woman who uses her power to sacrifice, seduce, help her community, and destroy patriarchy >

I hate all the "#Chanukah is just a minor holiday" and "historically #Hanukkah wasn't a big deal holiday" talk.

Hasidic Jews, and others following Kabbalistic teachings, have made a huge deal out of it for centuries.

Big enough to call it (Day 8) a High Holidays extension!

1/6 I get that we hate the comparisons to Kratzmach (the Yiddish nickname for Christmas), and the commercialization of #Hanukka. Yes, it's not one of the 3 biblical festivals, but after that, it's undoubtedly the biggest holiday - albeit in many ways even bigger.

Some details:

2/6

Another visit to an ancestral grave, in Mannheim, Deutschland.

2 years ago I tracked down my paternal grandfather's great-grandfather's grave: Yosef Stein my closest ancestor (and last in a long line - Stein name is German and originated there) buried in Germany.

1/5 While I knew a bit about him growing up, including that he is buried in Mannheim, as far as family stories and traditions go I didn't know much

Yosef was also the Zaide (grandfather) who I share with the closest non-Hasidic (multi-generational) family I have >

2/5

A favorite Hasidic teachings:
Noah* utterly failed. He failed his mission, and life.

He was supposed to argue with the Divine, and to do more to save the people of his generation.

Creating your own surviving arc is failure 🤦‍♀️

* of Biblical Arc fame - this week's Torah portion The source of the idea is Zohar (3:15a):

"And he didn't ask mercy for the world, and the water came, and all the people died. That's why it's called Noah's waters. Noah's water of course, because it was his fault. For he didn't ask mercy for the world."

sefaria.org/Zohar.3.15a.1