Category: Rabbinic Thoughts

It’s our right to light : This Hanukkah, No Discrimination of Women at the KotelOn November 30, 2015 the Attorney General’s office wrote a letter to Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, administrator of the Western Wall and Holy Places, in response to Women of the Wall’s campaign. The bottom line: the Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony he has conducted until now constitutes discrimination and a violation of the commitments of the government’s report on the exclusion of women in the public sphere.In the closing of her unprecedented letter, Assistant Attorney General Dana Zilber writes, “Preventing women from participating in national ceremonies is wrongful discrimination and we request that [Rabinowitz] ensure this fact is not taken for granted and that steps are being taken to include women in the national candle-lighting ceremony on this coming Hanukkah at the Western Wall.” Zilber requested that the AG’s office receive a list of all those expected to participate in the ceremony this year, to assist with the enforcement of the decision on the matter.  Anat Hoffman, Women of the Wall Chair: “It is almost graphic how Women of the Wall were the match that ignited the flame on the first candle to ever be lit by a woman at the national Hanukkah ceremony at the Kotel. Whatever woman is chosen for this great honor, she is standing on the shoulders of Women of the Wall who struggled for 27 years to achieve freedom for women at the Western Wall. It is clear to me that one candle dispel a whole lot of darkness but no amount of darkness can extinguish that candle.”Wishing you a “Chag Urim Sameach”. Happy Hanukkah. Rabbi Julia Margolishttp://my.israelgives.org/en/myrighttolight#.VmEsK2QrJmA

Last Sunday I was invited to attend the SAJBD conference and subsequent Gala Dinner of the SAJBD 48th Biennial National Conference, titled “Gathering Voices – Combatting global racism and anti-Semitism”. Guest speakers included President Jacob Zuma, Ambassador Ronald Lauder and Professor Bernard- Henri Levy. Ambassador Ronald Lauder, an American businessman, art collector, philanthropist and political activist, is the president of the World Jewish Congress.Professor Bernard-Henri Lévy is a French public intellectual media personality, and author. He was one of the leaders of the “Nouveaux Philosophes” (New Philosophers) movement in 1976. In 2010, the Jerusalem Post named Lévy 45th on a list of the world’s 50 most influential Jews. The Boston Globe has said that he is “perhaps the most prominent intellectual in France today”. He frequently writes on the subject of anti-Semitism. In his passionate speech in the aftermath of the ‪Paris attacks at the conference, Bernard-Henri Lévy slammed the BDS movement and outlined the three pillars of today’s new anti-Semitism and the outrageous labelling of Israel as an apartheid state:1 Anti –Zionism: To say Jews are accomplices with a terrible state (Israel). To say Israel is not a legitimate state, and that Jews are part of this illegitimate state.2 Denial of the Holocaust.3 The rivalry of victims. These people say there is not enough space in a human heart to feel two different sorrows, one has to choose which victims to sympathise with, and often this is not sympathy for the Jews.I am a long time follower of his writings, and I found his speech the most pertinent during this conference. Levy ultimately gave a very clear analysis of the “new/ modern” form of anti-Semitism, and his speech can be found on the following link http://goo.gl/8aa8moWishing you a peaceful weekend. Shabbat Shalom. Rabbi Julia Margolis

On Tuesday morning I attended with several of our ITJ students an “Exclusive Women’s Breakfast” organised by Sharon Wapnick, WIZO. Dr Einat Wilf, the invited guest speaker, led a discussion on “Is there a place for feminism in the Middle East today?” Since leaving the Israeli Parliament in 2013, Dr Wilf has travelled the world as a “roving ambassador” for Israel, presenting Israel’s case to Jewish communities, student groups and parliaments. She is a powerful advocate for women’s rights and feminism in the Middle East and Africa; world-acknowledged expert on the BDS crisis and how to combat it; and one of Israel’s most articulate representatives on the international stage.Dr Wilf is an eloquent and charismatic speaker who speaks to all women irrespective of their status, age or creed; and who believes that the essence of peace is Palestinian recognition of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people.Some impressions from Jacqui Upton:Yesterday we attended the women’s breakfast with Einat Wilf, who discussed the topic of whether or not there is a place for feminism in the Middle East today. One of her initial points was that in order to judge the wellbeing of a country, one needs to look at the treatment of the women, and namely the girls, within that country. While there seems to have been some progress made in this regard, the Middle East remains very much behind in terms of gender equality, especially in the Arab run countries.Israel continues to make significant progress with regards to gender equality although there are still significant gaps for women leaders within society. She compared Israel as being on par with other large European countries in terms of the amount of women within parliament. She also discussed studies from Columbia University that prove that when women are in positions of leadership, they tend to promote more women into higher positions of authority. Another point she made was that words such as ‘feminism’ and Zionism’ have purposefully been tainted by those opposing the movements. If those that are practising feminist or Zionist principles withdraw from using those terms to describe their actions and beliefs, then the advances that have been made by both movements would be put in jeopardy.  Wishing you a peaceful weekend. Shabbat Shalom.Rabbi Julia Margolis 

Recipe for Potato Latkes – for Chanukah – from Gillian Read (ITJ)Ingredients: 1kg old or baking potatoes, peeled, soaked in cold water until needed; 1 onion, peeled; 25g plain flour (or fine matzah meal); 1 free-range egg, beaten; salt and freshly ground white pepper; olive or vegetable oil, for frying. Method: Finely grate the potatoes and onion and mix together. Place the grated potato and onion into a colander and squeeze out as much moisture as you can. Or roll up the potato and onion in a clean kitchen tea towel and wring well to extract the liquid. Mix the potato and onion with the flour, egg and salt and freshly ground white pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan until moderately hot and then place heaped tablespoons of the mixture into the pan to shallow-fry. Lower the heat to medium, flatten each latke with the back of a spoon and fry for about five minutes on each side, turning over when the edges turn golden-brown. If the heat is too high, the latkes will become dark-brown on the outside before they are cooked inside. Remove the latkes from the pan and drain on brown paper bags (they absorb the oil, leave the latkes crisper and the latkes won’t stick to the paper). Serve the latkes hot with soured cream and apple sauce.Chanukah is this year from 6 December to 14 December. Enjoy your latkes!

Last Tuesday I was invited to Radio Today to take part in a discussion about “Charter of Compassion” with Gillian Godsell and Archdeacon Michelle Pilet from the Anglican Church in Parkhurst. Conversation that inspired more about this subject, and I discovered some very interesting information.In February 2008 the TED prize was awarded to Karen Armstrong for her wish to create, launch, and propagate a global compassion movement based on the Golden Rule. The work with a group of significant global leaders to hone the language collected from thousands of contributors into what became the “Charter for Compassion,” launched on November 12, 2009.The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.We therefore call upon all men, women and children  to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.The podcast is http://jozi91072.podomatic.com/entry/2015-11-11T02_47_53-08_00Wishing you a peaceful weekend. Shabbat Shalom. Rabbi Julia Margolis

There so many subjects that I could write about this week: 20 years since Itzhak Rabin was murdered, America’s main modern Orthodox rabbinical association voted last week to ban women clergy, the mitzvah day in the end of the month, the projects that ITJ class are doing, very exciting and great subjects to talk about, but I want to write about different issue.I had an opportunity to read an article from Israel by Shoshana Jaskoll and she talks about the breast cancer awareness. In her article she writes that the death rate among Israeli haredi women from breast cancer is 30% higher in the general population. This, despite the fact that the rate of haredi women diagnosed with breast cancer was 70% lower than secular women, according to various studies.In haredi society, speaking of breasts and other female body parts is immodest. So they aren’t spoken about. This means that haredi women have fewer breast exams, and mammograms are not routinely done, and therefore too many women do not learn that they are ill until they are dying.This is very disturbing information, as we are living in the 21 century and it shouldn’t be even an issue to discuss. Lately I have had to face many women who were diagnosed with different types of cancer, their families and their children.  My very good friend’s mom is in a very serious condition of stage 4 cancer, because there were no signs… no one thought to go and check. We are always busy running around to do other very important things.  We, as women and mothers simply do not allow ourselves to take time and go for a check- up. It has to change.Wishing you a peaceful weekend. Shabbat Shalom.Rabbi Julia Margolis