Many years ago a great idea was conceived. Put a symbol on the label of products that are kosher, and kosher consumers will know what they can and cannot buy. With the proliferation of symbols, this has become a bit of a nightmare! There are so many symbols. Some are very interesting (I like the horse and buggy K from Amish country). Some are very similar to others. Very confusing.Here's an example of Singer's lyrics:
You don't have to go to Beit Shemesh, Israel to see the lengths some of our brethren go to in order to avoid looking at images of women of any age.
Our curiosity aroused (but only our curiosity), we checked the aisles wondering what the store did to Aunt Jemima Pancakes and Sun-Maid Raisins boxes, but alas, we couldn't find any. The only brands of these products they sell are Gefen and Mishpacha. We did, however, find boxes of Life Cereal that had a photo of a mother and daughter with some skin showing. (We didn't complain.)
The song was not chosen randomly, and neither was the timing. "We had all kinds of ideas," says Miri Shalem, the project's initiator and director of the Ramat Beit Shemesh community center.
"We thought, for example, about Aretha Franklin's 'Respect' or 'I Will Survive'. It was important that the song would be in English, so that the message would be conveyed abroad too."
The song was not chosen randomly, and neither was the timing. "We had all kinds of ideas," says Miri Shalem, the project's initiator and director of the Ramat Beit Shemesh community center.
"I Will Survive" was eventually dropped, "because we didn't want a connotation of survival," says Shalem. The rhythmic Queen song was chosen by the choreographer, Liat Amar, and the rest is history.
Flash mob is a way to convey a social message – and when religious and secular women dance together in the center of the city most identified with the exclusion of women, the message gets through.
The initiators – all social activists who hold management positions – set up a "women's council" several years ago, whose members are ultra-Orthodox, religious and secular women, veteran residents alongside new residents.
"We were very unhappy with everything that's happened recently in terms of the exclusion of women," adds Orna Nachmani, manager of the Beit Shemesh seminary.
"It was important for us not to attack a certain public, but on the contrary – to come and say that we have a voice. We expressed our voice through the dance."
The latest development in dubious “religious” trends: the rise of bar mitzvahs for dogs.
While not exactly mainstream, the ceremonies, known as “bark mitzvahs,” are apparently now a rite of passage for some Jewish dog owners and their pets, part of what the Associated Press describes as a “booming multimillion-dollar industry.”
The AP yesterday released footage of a ceremony honoring a New Jersey canine named Nicky, who celebrated reaching age 13 - in dog years - by donning a kippah for a ceremony attended by his owner and friends. “I really believe that the animals have a right to have a party and a religion,” said Lee Day, a talis-wearing woman described by the news service as a “bark mitzvah performer.”“This is nothing less than a desecration of a cherished Jewish tradition and degrades some of the central principles of Jewish life. I urge readers to reject such practices,” wrote Rabbi Charles A. Kroloff. “I enjoy a good time as much as the next person. But not at the expense of religious traditions that need strengthening, not desecrating.”
Predictably, not everyone is thrilled with the trend. “It’s really part of a sacred tradition,” said Rabbi Daniel Satlow, referring to the human version of the ceremony. “To imagine that a dog could do anything like this is degrading.”
Rappaport got his start in 2000 when he saw an advertisement in one of his local papers. “I like a challenge, and I’ve always had a flair for entertainment,” he said. “Comedy was something I always wanted to try my hand at.”
Success came early for the Orthodox Jewish doctor, who came in third place a mere three years contest after starting, followed by a second place finish the following year and taking the top spot in 2005.
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