Leviticus 19:11 - Cale

Jewish History

Leviticus 19:11

"You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard, you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger"

This commandment from Leviticus 19 talks about providing for the less fortunate before using all resources for yourself first. It relates to equity over equality, and instead of sharing the fallen fruits evenly, to disperse them between the more needy before the wealthy. I believe this is a very important rule to live by because all people need some things more than others, and in this case it talks about certain people needing food more than others, specifically the fallen fruit. All people are different and their levels of needs very so resources should be granted by need. I interpreted this mitzvah as providing to the poor and less fortunate what they need rather than what is even. If there are 10 apples, and a woman with lots of wealth wants apples, and a poor man needs apples, the wealthy man will be given less apples than the poor women as it is less of a necessity for him. The rich man can afford several more apples, but the poor man needs more now to survive. The way I fulfill this mitzvah is by giving back to the community, specifically volunteering at the shelter that is hosted by my synagogue once a week. The shelter is called Out of The Cold, and they provided three meals, clean clothes, a comfortable bed, new essential toiletries, and entertainment and activities. I believe giving back to the community could be a guideline for me in the modern jewish world, because we cannot take for granted what we have. It opens up your eyes and shows that not everyone is as fortunate that they can order a pizza then throw away the last slice or two. For a lot of people that slice of pizza is all they need to get them through one day.

The photo I chose is a group of rocks stacked on top of eachother. The rocks symbolize strength and are working together to create a supportive wall. One rock would not be able to support the the people on top, but all rocks together create a strong supportive kehila. If one rock falls out of place, all the rocks fall. This relates to the mitzvah I chose because if only one person tries to change the world and help the less fortunate, they will never succeed. If one person gives up and falls off the wall they will all fall and never succeed, but if several people are working together towards the same solution they will change many more lives for the better. In conclusion we need to form a strong wall in our society that can provide them with all the support that the less fortunate need to live a more healthy life.

Leviticus 19:23 - Arden

 “When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten.” Obviously this focuses on the rebirth of the vegetation in the land of Israel. The relationship between the עם ישראל and the ארז ישראל, as shown in the north and every tiyul we’ve gone on, equally holds respect and tender care for each other. Not only does this verse speak of the environment, but human contribution. I see the land as someone or something that has potential for much more. When one plants a fruit tree they are motivating inspiration to allow others to grow from the stance they’re in currently. If what is being helped happens to be the earth, you must stand back and allow the vegetation to grow in its own way. You must wait for the blooms and fruit to get into their own schedule to further grow and give back to others. Regarding people, this is a very ‘pay it forward’ method of life. Also, it’s a common rule of therapy to help a client out of their rut and leave them once they’re ready to contribute to society again. This is all interpreting the forbidden fruit, but not being able to consume the fruit touches on a different topic.

 

Once the something or someone has changed for the betterment of it/themself with help from you, you cannot ‘consume’ their new abilities as your own. You must be humble and only plant the tree or help your friend for them or the environment. You must not take credit for their growth. You might have aided their journey, but it no way did you walk their path or make the sapling into a tree, it/they did. After three years and settled time you can receive aid from the person or thing you’ve contributed to in the past. Only after a certain amount of time can you ask for help because they are still growing and adapting to their change you instilled in them.

Belvoir - Crusader Fortress - Justin's blog

Crusader Fortress Blog

On Thursday, we toured an Crusader Fortress in the Galilee. The era of the crusades

is the time period generally from 1100-1300, in which Christian Knights returned to the

Holy Land to retake it from Muslim Rule. There is a lot of mysticism and glamour

regarding the crusades as a religious conquest or a quest for the Holy Grail. The

Crusades began in 1095 when Pope Urban II urged for troops to conquer the Turks

and retake Israel. Jerusalem fell in 1099. After this there were a series of crusades as

the Muslims pushed back with it ending in the 1200s, correlating with the rise of Mamluk

rule of Israel.

The Fortress itself was very interesting. With its dark basalt walls, and its interwoven

secret passageways, the fortress is living testament to the time of the Crusaders.

The castle itself dates back to the 12th century. Its purpose was defend the newly

conquered kingdom of Jerusalem. In 1189, the fortress finally fell to Saladin's forces

after a year and a half siege, a few years after the battle of the Horns of Hattin. The

site laid in wait until archeologists in the 1960s began to excavate it. The fortress itself

is composed of many defense features. This includes its deep land mote and high steep

walls. Also the its secret escape routes and archer towers.

But there is another narrative about the crusades that goes fairly untold. And that is

the slaughter of thousands of Jews on there way to the Holy Land. The Age of Legend

of knights and kings also has a deep underlying theme of anti-semitism. The glorified

story of the noble knights who fought to retake their holy city is an utter lie in spite of

the numerous atrocities they committed. While persecution of Jews has existed since

biblical times, the routes of modern day anti-semitism begin in this era, the Middle Ages.

Ultimately the Jews are seen as Christ-Killers which a lot of hate stems from. And it

doesn’t help when the Pope accuses an entire people of deicide, or the murder of G-d.

But anti-semitism during this time can be divided into three main tropes.

Firstly is something called the Blood Libels. In some village somewhere in Europe,

a child is murdered. The only explanation is that the Jews were behind it. There is no

historical evidence of the Jews murdering children. Can we prove a Jew didn’t murder

this specific child in this specific village, no. But what comes after is what is more important.

After events like this, people start to believe that the Jews are ritually murdering children,

and using their blood in religious rituals like baking matzah for Pesach. Blood Libels

spread across Europe. What kind of hate can inspire such a lie? That the Jews are

murdering children for their blood, it’s unbelievable to a modern lens.

Second comes the desecration of the host. In Catholicism, there is a ritual in which church

goers drink wine and eat a wafer which represent the blood and body of Christ. The wafer

itself is referred to as the host. Rumors start to spread during the medieval ages that Jews

would go into churches and stab the host, the wafer. Supposedly, when they did this, the

wafer would bleed, as if they were murdering Christ a second time. This form of

anti-semitism relates specifically back to the before-mentioned idea of Deicide, or

the murder of G-d. This idea of deicide is a trope of anti-semitism that is still very

prevalent today, that the Jews killed Jesus. First off, the Jews were not directly responsible

for Jesus’ death. Rome executed him, and more specifically a man by the name of

Pontius Pilate. The New Testament portrays Pilate as sympathetic character that did

not want to kill Christ. Yet, other historical documents beg to differ. According to

Josephus’ account, Pilate was a headstrong authoritarian with a goal to provoke the

Jewish People. So the blatant statement that Jews are responsible for Christ’s death,

is an utter lie.

Lastly, the third trope of anti-semitism to evolve during this time was the poisoning

of the wells. It can be argued that the most defining event of the Middle Ages was the

Black Plague. Highest estimates reach around 60% to the amount of people killed by

the plague in Europe. And while Jews did suffer from the plague, because of our isolation

and the fact that we ate our own meat, the plague did not affect us as bad. This led to the

assumption that since the Jews were not getting sick, they must be responsible. Jews

across Europe were blamed for poisoning the wells therefor spreading the plague. It’s

no small thing to be blamed for a disease that killed 60% of Europe's entire population.

So the untold story of the crusade is anti-semitism. Underneath all the lore and

valor of the knights is the slaughter of thousands of our people. Never forget. But I’ll

leave you with a couple questions. How do these ancient forms of anti-semitism relate

to more modern stigmas regarding Jews? If you wish to share, what forms of anti-semitism

have you experienced in your life in America? And to what extent, if at all, should Europe

bare the weight of these atrocities, even though they were committed almost a thousand

years ago?

Guest Speakers: Different Sects of Judaism by Sylvia Smily

     This Tuesday March 19th, all of the Jewish History classes gathered together in the Belmont for an educational seminar on different sects of Judaism. We welcomed Yehosua and Bracha Weinberger who represented the Modern Orthodox, Rabbi Alona nir Keren of Reform Judaism, and Rabbi Arie Hasit who representd Conservative Judaism.
     We first heard from the Weinbergers, both originally from New York, who's main topic of discussion was their work in Kiev, Ukraine (in the former Soviet Union). Yehosua and Bracha moved to Kiev in 1990 with the intent to revitalize the Jewish community there. The community in Kiev had only a few members under the age of 75 years old, the overall population was dwindling, and the entire fabric of the community was falling apart. Hearing about the community from personal connections, the Weinbergers decided it would be a worthy endeavor to move their to restore the Jewish community and make it a new and up-and-coming spot for Jews to live and worship. Yehoshua and Bracha taught ulpan classes, yeshiva lessons, and Sunday school. In addition to their time in the former Soviet Union, the Weinbergers talked about how proud they are to be Jews and their lifestyle as Orthodox Jews; Yehoshua said that "Judaism to us is life" and that their life revolves around being Jewish and following Halakha.
     Second, we heard from Rabbi Alona nir Keren who represented Reform Judaism. Rabbi Alona, originally from Haifa, was brought up in an Ashkenazi Jewish family that did not believe in God. Her experiences growing up, her time in the IDF as a nature guide, working at the Jewish Agency, and being a part of the LGBTQ+ community all shaped Rabbi Alona's views and Jewish practices. She was first introduced to Reform Judaism while working on a summer program with the Jewish Agency. After being exposed to the world of Reform Judaism in America through the Jewish Agency Rabbi Alona wanted to bring back the philosophies and ideas back to Israel, and that is exactly what she did. She became a Reform Rabbi in 2016 and now works at a synagogue in Mevaseret Zion. Rabbi Alona shared her view on Reform Judaism which is as follows: Reform Judaism takes the responsibility of being Jewish and put it on the individual. She also described Refrom Judaism as being an evolved part of traditional Judaism's religious side and cultural side.
     Lastly, we heard from Rabbi Arie Hasit who represented the Conservative movement. Arie, originally from Cherry Hill, NJ, grew up in a half Ashkenazi and half Sephardi, Conservative family and he was involved with youth group iwhen he was young. Arie explained that his profound love for Israel started from a young age; he visited Israel many times and fell in love with the country. After moving to Israel he became ordained as a Conservative Rabbi in 2016. Rabbi Arie shared his ethical views and religious beliefs. He is a proud ally of the LGBTQ+ community, a feminist, and an equal rights supporter. In addition to his personal story and details, Rabbi Arie gave us a description of Conservative Judaism: everyone has the right to hear God's voice in a different way, and Conservative Judaism builds onto the "chain link" of the Jewish faith. He also explained to us that as modern times progress, we as Jews have the right to adapt certain aspects of the culture; however, he said that we should still attempt to understand why the original laws were made and how we can still respect them while adding on to the "chain link" of Jewish culture and religion.
   After hearing all three guest speakers, I shocked myself with how little I knew about all three sects. Listening to the opinions and practices of the Weinbergers, Rabbi Alona, and Rabbi Arie definitely opened my eyes and even shattered many of the stereotypes I held. I personally felt very connected with the views, philosophies, and ideas that Arie holds; I really admire the way that he combines religion and ethics in a very fluid, balanced way. Think back to the lectures from each speaker and think: which speaker did you connect the most with, and why?

Women of the Wall Protest

A 5 AM wake up on March 8th was easy for us at Heller High. We were eager and excited to travel to Jerusalem and be part of a historical protest by Women of the Wall, an organization that advocates for women’s equal rights and abilities to pray at the Western Wall. It is not kosher to hear women pray or allow women to read out of a Torah according to Chasidic law, and Women of the Wall and their supporters are often harassed by the Ultra-Orthodox for doing just that. For reform Jews, equal rights to prayer is one of our fundamental values, and we students wanted to advocate for a change. Our hopes ended in devastation when it was revealed how severe the protest was, which resulted in us being prohibited to go down into the action. Many people cried; others were struck with silence; others were engrossed in pure anger. Rabbi Sykes explained his decision to us, and he and his daughter reassured us that it was best for us not to participate.

Women of the Wall protests occur on Rosh Chodesh, the beginning day of the Hebrew months. This month was the month of Adar II, the month of Purim, so naturally, there was going to be a bigger crowd at the wall than normal, in addition to the Women of the Wall protest. To make matters worse, for weeks before, countless ads were put out in Israeli papers calling for Chasidic and ultra-orthodox Jews to converge on the women praying and stop the protests. Thousands of Chasidic men, women, and children skipped school and their plans that day to travel to Jerusalem and harass the protesters. They did not hold back and were extremely malicious.

Rabbi Sykes and his daughter, Mira, recounted their experiences and told of the horrors they faced. After entering the plaza, they were immediately separated, and Mira was harassed verbally by the Orthodox men while Rabbi Sykes was attacked physically. He explained that he would have bruises all over his body within the next couple days as a result of him protecting an elderly woman while at the same time being kicked and pushed by the Haredi men. When Mira was speaking, the pain behind her voice was clear. She said she was overwhelmed to the point of being fearful of her life. All while simply trying to pray on Rosh Chodesh and bring in one of the happiest months of the year.

I felt so many emotions at this experience. I was repulsed by the Sinat Hinam, senseless hatred, coming by people who claim to live by the Torah and be the holiest Jews. I was disappointed and disgusted that this is what Judaism had come to. I felt violated to be a woman and not have equal rights. It seemed so unjust and unreasonable, and I felt so helpless standing at the lookout point and feeling like I had absolutely no ability to do anything.

However, there is hope. There is a ripple effect from every protest, and the Ultra-Orthodox show that they feel threatened every time they show up to try and stop a protest. No matter how inferior and powerless we felt, the emotions we felt and our presence at the protest are a step in the direction of change.

Recount your experience at the Women of the Wall Protest. What emotion would you say was your dominant emotion felt and why?

Tzfat Tiyul

Tzfat Tiyul!

This past Thursday, we visited the unique city of Tzfat. We learned about multiple things about one of Israel's holy cities. One prominent topic we covered was the three main Rabbis: Yosef Karo, Moshe Cordevera, and Ha'ari. These Rabbis all have their particular beliefs and characteristics that make them contrast each other. First is Yosef Karo. Yosef is well-known for writing Halacha while siting certain sources. This work is called Shulchan Aruch. He was very practical within his practices and values. Next, Moshe Cordevera was much more invested in Kabbala. He was much more mystical thinking within his values. Last is Ha'ari. Ha'ari was a solid mix of the two previous Rabbis. He believed in the balance of Mysticism and Halacha. Around 1500, Tzfat was thriving. The development of Kabbala was beginning and growing. The belief in bad things leading to good events was a huge belief and applied to the belief of the return of the messiah. Tzfat was the center of Kabbala and the belief in mysticism. Here are a few pictures from our trip up north to Tzfat -

 

Israel Museum - June

Today we met our parents and grandparents at the Israel Museum, for our second visit.
I was surprised that there was so much more to see inside. We started by recapping the
past few days’ lessons, about Ashkenaz and the distinct traits of the Jewish People
(names, dress, and language). We then walked into a small area displaying the
illuminated manuscripts of Rambam. Today helped reinforce the idea we talked about
in class, how he was a genius, though he had a “multifaceted personality” (written
on one of the informational plaques). I went to a Jewish day school for some of
elementary and middle school, and I had been introduced briefly to Rambam and
his accomplishments. However, I never grasped his imperfection, how he was fairly
arrogant. It was also amazing to see some of his work, in vibrant and intricate color,
surviving so many years.

After the room with the manuscripts, we moved into an exhibit split into four life
events: birth, bar/bat mitzvah, wedding, and death. I found these interesting,
knowing how important these events are in Judaism. We saw a bench meant for two
people, so that space is made for Elijah to attend circumcisions. In the wedding section,
we saw a German “Chuppah Stone,” that glass was thrown at to symbolize the
destruction of the second temple.

We then journeyed further into the museum, seeing artifacts from a range of time
periods. My favorite piece was a wooden knocker used for calling people to prayer.
My grandma made the observation that it was shaped like a shofar, which was also
used to call people to prayer.

We also got to see four recreations of synagogues. They were very different from
each other, ranging from a wooden arched ceiling to floors covered in sand to
muffle wooden shoes. Seeing the differences in culture helped me understand
the diaspora-Jews could really move! Which synagogue did you find the most
interesting/surprising? Why?

Oral Law Tiyul - Maya

On Tuesday, March 5th, we started our day bright and early to get on the buses and say goodbye
to Tzuba as we began our second full day Tiyul. On the bus, the sleepy teenagers of Kitat Nevel
looked out the window as the diverse Israeli landscape rushed past us in a colorful blur. After
being transported from the dry, rocky Judean Hills to the lush rolling hills of the northeast, we arrived
at our first destination: Beit She’arim National Park.

After a quick bathroom break, we sat down at a few picnic tables beneath a canopy of green
trees to begin learning about the basics of Jewish Oral Law. Evan began by reviewing our six
most important rabbis during the Oral Law Period, with emphasis on the last two: Rabbi Akiva
and Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi, or just Rabbi. Rabbi Akiva gave us the Six Orders of the Mishnah
as well as insight about the importance of economy in Jewish Society. Akiva stated that
without flour, there would be no Torah; in order for our people to survive and study Torah, it
is entirely necessary to uphold a strong and stable economy. Evan explained that the ancient
town at Beit She’arim perfectly exemplified this philosophy, with an economy centered around the
production of glass, stone, and perfume. However, we quickly moved onto a discussion of Rabbi,
the most important Rabbi of the time and our most influential contributor to Oral Law. Rabbi
accomplished many important tasks in his lifetime, the most important being the codification
of the Mishnah. His influence allowed us to continue on as a people and gave way to the
practice of Judaism as we know it today. Previously, oral law had little significance in Jewish
Culture; no one had a clear idea of what true oral law included, since Jews had been exiled
an persecuted for centuries, rendering us unable to codify any form of oral law. However, the
era of Rabbi was one of peace and prosperity for the Jewish people, finally allowing for the
codification of the Mishnah. There is much more to say about Rabbi, but the moral of the
story is that he was an incredibly influential figure in Jewish history.

After our brief period of note-taking, we transitioned to a more active form of learning and trekked
over to the burial caves of Beit She’arim. By looking at the tombs in these burial caves we were
able to learn a great deal about the culture of the Jewish people at the time of oral law. Some of
our findings were quite surprising, however; although there was a large menorah in the cave,
showing us that we were, indeed, standing in a Jewish burial site, most of the tombs had depictions
of animals or symbols of the Roman Empire—an example of Avodah Zara. However, we would later
learn that in the period of oral law, many strict Jewish laws were interpreted as to only apply in
certain contexts, therefore often allowing for the depiction of so-called idols during this era. We
then travelled to Rabbi’s tomb, first having a discussion atop the cave on the yeshiva, then
travelling inside to the actual burial site. Rabbi asked for a modest tomb, so the inside may not
have seemed special, but the yeshiva is evidence of the people’s immense respect and appreciation
for this influential figure.

Shortly after visiting Rabbi’s grave, we left Beit She’arim for our next destination: the natural
springs at Sachne. We ate a delicious pizza lunch and took a much-needed break from learning
to swim in the warm, turquoise water of the natural springs where fish nibbled at our feet. However,
we realized all good things must come to an end as we hesitantly got back into clothes and headed
to our next destination to begin learning again.

Our next and final stop was the Beit Alpha synagogue. When we first arrived, we watched a
movie about the construction of the synagogue and the intricate mosaic floor. What was interesting
about the floor is that it included zodiac symbols which may be interpreted as avodah zara, like the
symbols in the burial caves. However, we learned after that the Mishnah allows for the depiction
of “idols” in artwork because it is merely decoration. Finally, we had tefillah outside Beit Alpha and
got back on the bus to return to Tzuba. Continuing on the activity we did outside, how do you feel
about continuing a strong Jewish identity in a non-Jewish land?