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Posts Tagged ‘Broward County’

Making Jewish Education More Accessible – EXCITING NEWS!!!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 30, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Friends,

This week’s Torah portion begins with a very important verse: “G‑d said to Moses: Say to the priests, Aaron’s sons, and you shall say to them: ‘Let no priest become ritually impure through contact with a dead person…’” (Leviticus 21:1)  While I don’t want to get bogged down with the issue of ritual purity mentioned in this verse, I do want to draw your attention to what appears to be a very bad editing job.  Why does the verse repeat itself?  “Say to the priests” is immediately followed by “you shall say to them”.  Certainly this could have been written better!  Unless, of course, this poorly written verse is trying to teach us something deeper.  This is exactly what many wise Torah scholars argue: the first “say” is a command given by G-d to Moses, teaching him what to teach the priests; the second “say” is, according to scholars, a command given by G-d to parents – telling them what to teach their children.  Putting aside what exactly the parents are commanded to teach to their children, this verse is crucial because it is, according to many, the first time in the Torah that G-d instructs parents to educate their children.  We all know the emphasis Judaism places upon teaching our children – and, according to many Torah scholars – it all began here.

One of our most important goals at Ramat Shalom is to help you teach your children about Judaism.  Without a  knowledgeable, dedicated next generation, Judaism will have no tomorrow.  We are determined to make the words “l’dor va’dor/from generation to generation” a reality.

As our children get busier, as our lives grow more complex, Jewish educators find themselves facing more and more challenges.  Providing high quality, engaging Jewish education in a world where people barely have time to breathe, is no easy task.  Exciting our students and keeping them connected in a day and age where Instagram, Facebook, Instant Messaging and so much more are all just a click away, requires a great deal of creative thinking.  We must ensure that Jewish education evolves with the times.  This does not mean that we water it down and make it simpler.  On the contrary!  With today’s technology and our children’s willingness to embrace this technology, we have the ability to offer our children richer educational opportunities that are cutting edge and more accessible than ever.

As you know, beginning next school year, we are adjusting our Torah School schedule.  Our Sunday program will be expanded to three hours for our K-6th grades.  7th grade will meet on Wednesday evenings.  For our 3rd-7th grade students, we will be offering an optional Hebrew enrichment program on Wednesday afternoons at no additional cost.  Family days and special programs will be spread out throughout the year to encourage hands on learning and discussions.  In addition to all of this, I am excited to announce that Ramat Shalom is partnering with FYI Online (http://www.fyionlinelearning.com/),  a leader in online learning, to create a unique, interactive online classroom for our  older Torah School children.  The program, which I have been working on for months and will be ready by the end of the summer, will be an incredible new tool for our teachers, parents and students.  It will not be “busy work” or a high-tech computer game.  It will be an educational experience that will connect our students with their teachers and with important lessons in ways that will enrich their Jewish learning.  Through technology, the Torah School classroom will be accessible to busy parents who want to join their children in the learning experience.  Plus, the online experience ensures that a busy schedule is not an obstacle.  Torah School is there when you want it to be.  Keep in mind, our online program will not be a substitute for community and classroom learning.  It will be an amazing supplement to our Sunday and Wednesday programs and I can’t wait to introduce it to you towards the end of the summer.  One more important thing, thanks to the generosity of one of our families, our online program will be free to all of our Torah School families.  I am so proud that Ramat Shalom is doing so much to ensure that the next generation of Jews will be strong!

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Remember 6,000,000 – Remember Kolin

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 7, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

I recently received

My Town Kolin, a newly published English translation of the story of Kolin, Czechoslovakia.  There are many moving and incredible aspects of this book – but one that sticks out to me is the list of close to 40 Torah scrolls from Kolin synagogues that were stolen by the Nazis and now safely at home in synagogues across the world.  Right in the middle of the list is Ramat Shalom.  As so many of you know, we are so blessed with our 300-plus year old Holocaust Torah scroll from Kolin.  To see our community’s name in print, linked to the story of Kolin and its Jewish community is so powerful.

A chilling aspect of My Town Kolin is reading the stories and seeing the photographs of Kolin.  The book gives us names and photographs of her residents, Jews who most certainly came in contact with our Torah scroll – Jews whose lives were destroyed by the Holocaust.  The book also shares poetry and other writings of people from Kolin, including this poem from writer Camill Hoffman who was born in Kolin on October 31, 1878 and perished in Auschwitz in 1944:

Bells

 

How strangely, from the depths to afar they chime,

As if a dream of fairy tales in them slept,

The old bells in the hometown of mine!

Many a man in wonder shook his head.

In the rotten belfry suddenly

The dark gold sounds…and in the evening,

Later, through the quiet valley,

Grim song carries on fluttering.

When abroad, at midnight

A pain, suddenly interrupts my dream,

I can hear the chime in the distance, faint…

As from a town, sunk in depths and quaint,

At sea, a swimmer hears the bells’ flight.

And nobody knows how it saddens him.

After reading Mr. Hoffman’s words, every time I see our Holocaust scroll, I hear the bells.  And, as I do, I feel the sadness, the pain and the loss.  But, at the same time, I see the faces of our b’nai mitzvah students who carry our Holocaust scroll through the congregation during their service.  As I do, I can’t help but imagine that Mr. Hoffman (whose picture is in the book) would smile as he watched one of his Torah scrolls being held by the next generation of Jews.  And, I believe, that with the help of our b’nai mitzvah, the sound of the bells is evolving into a sound of hope.

This Sunday, we mark Yom HaShoah – Holocaust Memorial Day.  We will be having a special community-wide service Sunday morning followed by a presentation by our member, Hannah Temel, who is a survivor.  Tonight, we will talk more about Kolin and My Town Kolin.  Please join us.

Shabbat Shalom and may the memory of all of those we were lost in the Shoah be the blessing of our future.

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PODCAST SITE UPDATED!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on April 1, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Just a note to let you know that the Podcast Site is now updated – selected podcasts have been added and should be up on iTunes shortly.  The transition from the old site has take longer than expected – but I am making progress. Enjoy!

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If you like Pina Coladas….PURIM!!!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on February 22, 2013 | 1 Comment »

 

In January of 1980, Rupert Holmes’ “Escape”, also known as the “Pina Colada Song”, was the number one musical hit.  Many of us can remember singing it as it played on the radio in our station wagons or, if we were totally tubular, as it blasted through our Sony Walkman’s earphones!

As we prepare to celebrate Purim this weekend and return to the good old 1980’s (services tonight at 7:30PM – come in a 1980’s costume!!!), how totally righteous is it that Rupert Holmes rewrote his classic just for us this Purim!

Escape: The The Manischewitz Song

Rupert Holmes with some help from Rabbi Andrew (Psych!)

I was tired of my rabbi, we’d been together too long.

Like a worn-out recording, of my not-so-favorite song.

So while he stood there praying, my texts I went and read.

Thank G-d I put my phone on vibrate,

Cause I got this new message that said:

 

“If you like sweet Manischewitz, and think most Jews are insane.

If you take hot yoga at Ellen’s, if you have half-a-brain.

If you like the tuna at Marian’s,

And think the new restaurant’s shipshape,

I’m the new rabbi you’ve looked for,

Text me back, and escape. :) “

 

I didn’t think about my rabbi, I know that sounds kind of mean.

But me and my rabbi, had fallen into the same old dull routine.

So I sent a text back during services, I know that’s bad.

But even though I felt kind of naughty, I also felt pretty glad.

 

“Yes, I like sweet Manischewitz, and think most Jews are insane.

I prefer TooJay’s tuna, but, who am I to complain?

I’ve got to meet you by Friday sundown,

And cut through all this red tape.

At Lime in the Fountains, where we’ll plan our escape. <3″

 

So I waited with high hopes, then he walked in the place.

I knew the kippah in an instant, I knew that look on his face.

It was my own special rabbi, and he said, “Oy, it’s you.”

And we kibbitzed for a bissel, and I said, “I never knew!”

 

“That you liked sweet Manischewitz,

And think most Jews are insane.

You search for bargains at Marshalls,

But say that the Broward Mall has gone down the drain.

If you think Ramat’s Oneg is lousy

And think that they should serve chocolate crepes

You’re the rabbi that I’ve looked for, come with me, and escape.”

 

“If you like sweet Manischewitz, and think most Jews are insane.

If you take hot yoga at Ellen’s, if you have half-a-brain.

If you like the tuna at Marian’s,

And think the new restaurant’s shipshape,

I’m the new rabbi you’ve looked for,

Text me back, and escape.”

Please!  Join us tonight for Shabbat/Purim services, a festive 1980’s Oneg and a radical 1980’s song fest featuring “Escape: The Manischewitz Song” and many other “classics”.

You will laugh a lot and there is nothing wrong with that!

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Purim (Our children’s Shabbat/Purim service is at 6:30 tonight and remember the carnival is Sunday!!!)

L’Shalom,

Rabbi Andrew Jacobs

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Which Is More of a Threat to our National Security: Adult “Entertainment” or Muslim Extremism?

Posted in In The New, Islamic Extremism, Israel, tagged , , , , , , on December 18, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

My words at the December 18th rally against CAIR’s (Council for Islamic American Relations) “Adopt-A-Street” sign in Davie, Florida (Broward County).

Background: Broward County and the City of Davie are each asserting that the other is responsible for permitting CAIR to sponsor an “Adopt-A-Street” sign in Davie, Florida.  A rally took place before the Broward County Commission Building in downtown Fort Lauderdale on December 18th during which government officials were asked to remove the sign.

“Night after night, I see Muslim national organizations like the Council for American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, cry out over and over about anecdotal victimization while saying and doing absolutely nothing about the most vile hate-speak and actions”  (M. Zuhdi Jasser is chairman of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy – his words are quoted in article below*)

As we stand here today, it must be pointed out that this is not the first time that CAIR has been exposed for what it truly is – an organization with close ties to HAMAS, an organization that was labeled by the US government as an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas funding trial, an organization that gives a platform to anti-Israel and anti-Semitic individuals who preach hatred.

In late 2008 the FBI formally cut off relations with CAIR.

And, just recently, the FBI stepped in with a warrant for documents obtained by the authors of the book Muslim Mafia, documents which supposedly present firsthand evidence that CAIR is a front for a well-funded conspiracy of the Muslim Brotherhood (the parent of al-Qaida and Hamas) to infiltrate the U.S. and help pave the way for Saudi-style Islamic law to rule the nation.

Under investigation by the FBI.  Linked to the terror group Hamas – an organization that has murdered scores of innocent people – including teenager Daniel Wultz z”l who called Broward County his home.  And they can adopt a street here in Broward County and have their name publicized for all to see as if they were some wonderful organization!?

Come on!?

Over the past few weeks, we have watched as the names of powerful members of the Broward County community have been stripped from buildings and removed from organizations because of alleged financial scandals.  Yet, when asked to remove a sign publicizing an organization linked to terrorism – the answer received from the Public Information Officer of Davie was “no”.  Why, you ask?  Because of CAIR’s right to “freedom of speech”.

Freedom of speech?

This is an interesting argument given by the town of Davie which was just recently sued by the owners of the Davie based Club Eden, an adult entertainment establishment.  The Club alleged that the town’s zoning rules were unconstitutional in that they banned adult establishments from all of Davie and, in essence, denied them the freedom of speech.

Personally, as a father and a teacher, I understood the town of Davie’s attempt to try to limit the adult entertainment industry’s freedom of speech.  The current location of Club Eden is, in my opinion, too close to a school bus stop, residential neighborhoods, and popular shopping malls that I regularly visit with my children.

Under federal law, Davie had no choice but to allow the club to stay in business.  However, the Davie Town Attorney said that while the club was a legal business under the First Amendment – which includes the freedom of speech – the city wanted to take them off one of the busiest streets in town and put them in a more appropriate location.  A city should certainly be able to control what goes within her limits and where it goes on…And I guess the lawyers involved in the case agreed with this as it seems that a compromise has been reached. As was recently reported in the Sun-Sentinel, Club Eden will be moving to a new location in Davie, way off the beaten path.

So for those officials in the town of Davie who say that CAIR’s sign cannot be removed because of freedom of speech – I say to you: you have shown us that if you think it is in your city’s best interest, you will challenge an organization’s right to free speech as you did with Club Eden.

And, as you felt it was necessary to challenge an adult night club – I ask you: are you not obligated to challenge CAIR – an organization linked to the terrorist organization Hamas, an organization under investigation by the FBI?

I had hoped that your answer would be “absolutely!”  But, alas, your answer is “no…freedom of speech!”

What exactly is going on here!?

Let’s be honest, we are not here because people are fighting like crazy to protect CAIR’s right to freedom of speech.

No, we are here today for the same reason that Iran has been able to ignore the sanctions imposed by the international community and continue building her nuclear weapons.

We are here today for the same reason that Iran was able to launch a missile earlier this week that has the ability to reach Israel.

We are here today because we have dismissed the threats by the President of Iran to annihilate Israel and each day we do so, Iran gets closer and closer to making those threats a reality.

We are here today because we have been afraid to publicly connect the dots that appear to connect the shooter at Fort Hood murdered innocent soldiers because of his connections to radical Islam.

We are here today because we have not raised our voices and said “ENOUGH”.  Whether it is out of fear, the desire to be politically correct, or simply out of laziness – our silence is dangerous.  Because it empowers those who are committed to wage jihad against us.

I don’t want to be here today.  I am deeply troubled that I have to come before my government officials who we elected to protect us and keep our community safe and once again teach them about CAIR.  We’ve done it before.  We’ve stood before the School Board.  We’ve protested the signs on the buses.  This is not new.

But we obviously need to be louder, stronger, more committed.  We are here today because too many people have remained quiet about their concerns over Muslim extremists – whether it be concerns pertaining to events on the other side of globe in Iran or right here in Broward County, Florida.  The time for remaining silent is over.  It is time to stand up for our freedom of speech and use our words to express our alarm and get our elected officials to hear us and take action to keep us safe.

Tonight, in the Jewish world, we light the last candle of Chanukah as we celebrate the victory of the Maccabees over those who were attempting to silence them and crush their Jewish culture.   But, the Maccabees refused to give up.  They stood up for what they believed.  They took action.  They cared.  They were not afraid.

Today, I call upon every member of this community, no matter what your religious or cultural background – because this is an issue that affects us all – every single one of us – to rally together to say once and for all that the promotion and growth of Islamic extremism must be stopped globally and this can start locally right here in Broward County.  We need to say loudly and clearly – take the sign down.  The time for remaining silent, of turning a blind eye, of being afraid to speak up….that time is over.

CAIR, a group linked to HAMAS, a group under investigation by the FBI – CAIR should not be entitled to publicize their organization on our streets.

If Club Eden, an adult nightclub – with no connections to terror organizations – can be pushed to the deep dark corner of the City of Davie – the CAIR sign can and should be removed immediatey.

References:

press release pertaining to Town of Davie and CAIR sign: http://www.americansagainsthate.org/press_releases/PR-Braulio_Rosa.php

article pertaining to Club Eden: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2009-11-03/news/0911020418_1_club-eden-strip-club-town-officials

article pertaining to CAIR and FBI: http://www.actforamerica.org/index.php/learn/email-archives/1728-fbi-turns-up-heat-on-cair

letter from FBI: http://www.wnd.com/files/FBIletter-CAIR.pdf

related blog post: http://blogshalom.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/a-genuine-condemnation/

ADL’s statement on CAIR: http://www.adl.org/Israel/cair/default.asp

*very important anti-CAIR piece written by a prominent Muslim American: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/mar/29/20060329-084827-8739r/

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CITY OF DAVIE REFUSES TO REMOVE HAMAS-RELATED CAIR STREET SIGN

Posted in Action, In The New, Islamic Extremism, Israel, tagged , , , on December 16, 2009 | 3 Comments »

CITY OF DAVIE REFUSES TO REMOVE HAMAS-RELATED CAIR STREET SIGN

KAUFMAN CALLS ON DAVIE AND BROWARD COUNTY NOT TO BE WEAK-MINDED AND TO DEAL PROPERLY WITH TERROR

(Davie, FL) This week, the Chairman of Americans Against Hate (AAH), Joe Kaufman, had a telephone conversation with the Public Information Officer (PIO) of Davie, Florida, Braulio Rosa, explaining to Rosa why his city should act immediately to remove a sign that Broward County and Davie awarded to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a terrorist-associated organization. Kaufman told him that, at this Friday’s upcoming Fort Lauderdale rally about the CAIR sign, Kaufman and his group would rather praise the city for removing the sign, than criticize the city for refusing to do so, as is planned. However, Braulio said that, on the grounds of free speech, the sign would not be removed, and he used the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) as an example. Kaufman told him that it is not an issue of free speech, but an issue of terrorism, because, while CAIR is a hate group like the KKK, it is also a group that was founded by Hamas, an organization that has targeted and murdered innocent civilians, including Americans, with the most violent of means. According to the U.S. Justice Department, CAIR has been involved in the financing of Hamas. Kaufman sent an e-mail to Rosa detailing CAIR’s ties to Hamas and global Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook and called on Davie not to be weak with regard to the subject of terrorism. In his correspondence, Kaufman stated, “Please remove the sign, as it a symbol of Broward County’s and the city of Davie’s weakness and reluctance to deal properly with the issue of terrorism.” All are invited to attend Friday’s event, where AAH will demand action from Broward and Davie. When: Noon on Friday, December 18, 2009 Where: Outside the Broward County Commission building, at 115 S. Andrews Ave., in Downtown Fort Lauderdale AAH asks that attendees bring their American flags. All signage will be provided by Americans Against Hate. Joe Kaufman is available for interview. E-mail: info@americansagainsthate.org.

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Be A Modern Day Maccabee!!!

Posted in Action, In The New, Islamic Extremism, Jewish Holidays, tagged , , , , , , on December 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Tonight, we light the first candle of Chanukah in honor of the Maccabees’ triumph over the Greeks who were determined to annihilate our ancestors. Many focus on the “miracle” of the oil that burned for the eight days of our Festival of Lights. While the oil remains an integral part of our Chanukah rituals, Chanukah is ultimately a holiday that remind us of the courage of our ancestors who took a stand against those who sought to do them harm.

Today, especially in America, Chanukah is filled with candles, menorahs, gifts, latkes, and, most importantly, joy. The reason our contemporary version of Chanukah is celebratory is because the generations that came before us stood up and protected Judaism from forces that were determined to bring an end to our faith. While we have so much to be thankful for this Chanukah, it is important to point out that there are still individuals, groups, and nations determined to do us harm. While we must celebrate the victory of the Maccabees with joy – we can’t go through the eight days without acknowledging that the work of the Maccabees is not done. There are still people we have to stand up to.

Next Friday, as we prepare to light all eight candles on the Chanukiyah (Chanukah menorah), I will be joining many others at a rally against the Broward County government for giving a public street sign to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Hamas-associated organization that I have worked to expose for the past few years. The sign, which is located in Davie just outside Broward Community College and Nova Southeastern University, is part of Broward’s “Adopt-A-Street” program.

CAIR was created by Hamas operatives in 1994 and was recently named by the U.S. Justice Department as an unindicted co-conspirator for a Hamas financing trial that took place recently in Dallas, Texas. Since the trial, the FBI has refused formal contact with CAIR. In a letter to the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and Homeland Security, the FBI explained that it suspended contacts with CAIR because of evidence introduced during the trial in Dallas. “Until we resolve whether there continues to be a connection between CAIR or its executives and Hamas, the FBI does not view CAIR as an appropriate liaison partner,” the letter read.

CAIR supports Israel-bashers and outright anti-Semites. For example, as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reports on their website: “CAIR’s Florida chapter operates a Web site that makes anti-Semitic material available for visitors interested in learning about Islam. CAIR also organizes anti-Israel rallies during which protestors and speakers engage in anti-Semitic rhetoric, use offensive Holocaust imagery likening Jews and Israelis to Nazis, and express support for terror groups.”

Below are just a few links that will give you more information on CAIR:

*http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.3198/pub_detail.asp
*http://www.adl.org/Israel/cair/default.asp
*http://frontpagemag.com/2009/12/11/cair’s-call-for-jihad-by-jamie-glazov/
*http://www.politico.com/blogs/joshgerstein/1109/FBI_moves_to_seize_CAIR_records_from_author.html
*http://www.investigativeproject.org/985/fbi-cuts-off-cair-over-hamas-questions
*http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/10/fbi-cair-is-a-front-group-and.html
*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIobZujAoo4
*http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/17791
*http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/12/fbi-interested-in-documents-us.html

On Friday, December 18, at Noon, outside the Broward County Commission building, at 115 S. Andrews Ave., many of us will rally against CAIR’s street sign, calling upon the Broward County governement officials to remove the sign immediately. A group that is linked to Hamas and takes an active role in bashing Israel and Jews does not deserve a street sign in Broward County. And we have an obligation to let our local government know how we feel. And what a better time to do it than during Chanukah when we celebrate the strength and courage of the Maccabees. This is our opportunity to follow in our ancestors’ footsteps and play a role in stopping a group that is committed to our demise.

I invite you to join me next Friday. It will be a powerful and meaningful way to live the Chanukkah story.

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Chanukah!!!

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