Yeah, I’m going there.
Some good news for the Jews. Those of us who are real Jews by the way.
Union for Reform Judaism announces layoffs and furloughs
Financial impact of pandemic has been ‘crushing,’ according to URJ president
Two weeks after announcing the cancellation of its summer programs in the United States and Israel, the Union for Reform Judaism announced staff layoffs Wednesday.
Approximately 60 full-time employees, constituting 20% of the organization’s staff, were laid off. The organization also implemented a temporary pay reduction between 3-16% which began in April. Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, took a 16% pay cut as did the rest of the executive team.
Good. Fuck ’em.
Then there is this:
Pandemic forces the largest Jewish denomination to cancel summer camps. The last time was in 1947
The Union for Reform Judaism, which leads the largest Jewish denomination in North America, is canceling all of its overnight camps this summer because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The decision, announced Thursday, affects 15 camps across the country, which served 10,000 campers last year. All travel programs to Israel and other locations will also be canceled, according to a statement on URJ’s website.
Even better. Fuck ’em twice.
Now you might not understand why I am happy to see the Union for Reform Judaism go down like this, and why I hope they go down the shitter completely.
Let me tell you something about Reform Judaism.
They reformed Judaism like the Soviets reformed the Orthodox Church.
It has little to do with Judaism and everything to do with Kosher radical Leftism.
I know it’s been a month since Passover ended but let me tell you about what Reform Judiasm has done to Passover.
Now keep in mind that Jews have been celebrating Passover with a Seder for 2,500 years, going back to the 5th century BC. The Haggadah as we know it dates back to the 10th century, so it is over 1,000 years old.
These are traditions practiced for millennia, tying us back to ancient Judaism in one unbroken line.
So what has Reform Judaism added?
How about a fucking orange to the Seder Plate for LGBT suffering?
Susannah Heschel, a well-known Jewish feminist scholar (and daughter of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel), was introduced to an early feminist Haggadah that suggested adding a crust of bread on the seder plate, as a sign of solidarity with Jewish lesbians (which was intended to convey the idea that there’s as much room for a lesbian in Judaism as there is for a crust of bread on the seder plate).
Heschel felt that to put bread on the seder plate would be to accept that Jewish lesbians and gay men violate Judaism like hametz [leavened food] violates Passover.
So at her next seder, she chose an orange as a symbol of inclusion of gays and lesbians and others who are marginalized within the Jewish community. She offered the orange as a symbol of the fruitfulness for all Jews when lesbians and gay men are contributing and active members of Jewish life.
I’m sorry that remembering when God brought us out of slavery in Egypt and gave us the Ten Commandments doesn’t focus on your sexual identity. I guess the only thing for a radical feminist Lesbian Jew to do is to put an orange in the center of her Seder plate to make sure everyone at the table learns more about her sexual proclivities than the 2,500-year-old traditions of our people.
This is how you end up with articles being published like:
5 Ways To Queer Your Passover Seder
At this year’s table, draw from tradition to discuss relevant issues affecting the LGBT community.
Before launching into the four questions, it’s customary to assign four children (or young people) at the seder the following roles: the wise, the wicked, the simple, and the one who does not know how to ask. It’s not lost on some seder attendees the harshness of these descriptors—so why not reframe the conversation?
Instead of four children, Keshet, a Jewish LGBT organization, designates four allies: the ally who asks what queer means, the ally who stands up for a friend, the ally who speaks up about equality, the ally who comes out as an advocate to move equality forward.
This doesn’t draw from our traditions, it draws away from our traditions.
I try to be an empathic human being but it feels like this is designed to make me hate gay Jews. We can’t celebrate our most important holiday without the gay Jews trying to make it all about being gay? Can you not make your sexuality the center of attention for one night?
This isn’t the only Progressive bullshit that they want to add to the Seder.
Some Jews add a tomato for the migrant farmworkers and their rights. What’s next, leaving out a cup for Elija and the ghost of Cesar Chavez?
There is a whole list crap like this. A pinecone for prison reform.
A banana for Muslim Migrants in Europe. You know, the ones who are committing all sorts of violent acts driving the Jews out of Europe.
But that isn’t the worst, nope. Reform Judaism wants us to add an olive to the Seder plate for Palestinian solidarity.
No bullshit.
They want to pollute the Seder plate with a symbol for a group of people who have “wipe out Israel and all the Jews” as part of their official charter.
Just recently a Palestinian threw a cinder block off a roof, killing a Jewish soldier, and Reform Judaism wants me to put an olive on my Seder plate to stand in solidarity with the brick thrower.
That’s like putting a bratwurst on the Seder plate in memory of all the Nazis the Mossad hunted down and killed after WWII.
The Union of Reform Judaism has been silent on the issue of the attack on Orthodox Jews in New York but really wants us to queer our Seders in solidarity with Palestinian terrorists.
They can get fucked.
Since it’s the Orthodox Jews that have shown the most bravery, defying the illegal orders of Reichsführer de Blasio to continue to practice their religion (a modern-day Hannukah story), the children of Reform Jews should be sent to Orthodox summer camps and Yeshivas to learn what it really means to be Jewish. Which is more than Progressive talking points with a side of gefilte fish.
Seems to me progressives try to destroy a sense of connection to history and tradition no matter where they find it.
That way they can provide a new sense of place and purpose.
Its the “all inclusive(unless you different) crowd” Like elrushbo said- liberals destroy everything they touch.
I am with you 1000%, my Jewish brother!!! As a Christian, I will stand side by side with you, and make our swords as one!!! I despise anyone who is nazi prone, and I know God will destroy those who bring hate upon his people…
FUCK THEM ALL!!!
Your friend always…
Taz…
Dreck like this is why I prefer Reconstructionism over Reform. Especially Reform with stained glass windows and a choir.
I’ve bounced back and forth between Reconstructionist (which is also pretty liberal) and Conservative synagogues.
Sounds like the Jewish equivalent of a number of far left US mainline churches.
Well first I must say to any real Jews, Shabbat Shalom. Next I must say, is it not a bit of a farce for a gay Jew to say, “Hey! Let’s put a FRUIT here to represent,….uh…. wait, fruits???” Like you, I am not against gay people doing their thing- or their pal’s thing – in private. But I am UBER sick of gay people of whatever stripe, thinking the THEIR genital activities, should be the center of everyone’s universe. And their habit of attacking all sincere religious activities and trying to – as Boris said – destroy the historical lineage of our faith traditions, is beyond despicable. Such people do not want acceptance, they want to dominate and eliminate the faith of God fearing Jews and Christians and pervert religious faith into being some kind of degenerate political platform. And about that atrocious suggestion of adding an olive to a Seder plate as a symbol of compassion for the PLO or whatever – why not sit a human head on the table? To me, a gentile who loves Israel and Her people – and maybe my understanding is flawed – but to me, a Seder plate would be like a small prayer altar in my home or one in the homes of my Sikh or Hindu friends – a sacred place, not something to be just played around with – so IMHO, the suggestion of defiling the plate with other items is bordering on blasphemy anyway.
An olive doesn’t make any sense as a “palestinian” symbol. A better symbol would be a pushbutton — as in a detonator button.
I wouldn’t be quick to accept the assertion that the Union for Reform Judaism “leads” Reform Jews. I acquired Reform in-laws nearly fifty years ago ( they, and their daughter, are all gone now) who would never have put “identity” food fragments on their plates. As you say, the meal itself was their signal of solidarity. Remember that people can claim to be leaders, spokesmen, or representatives quite easily. They may even acquire some followers, but almost never nearly as many as they claim. Don’t, please don’t!, give that Union credit for leadership because you have differed with some Reform Jews.
I’ve been to a couple of Seders. The rabbi in question had an orange on the Seder plate and explained it, not as a symbol of this or that but as:
“…it makes as much sense as an orange on the Seder plate.”
The reason it was there was to make people think about their positions on different subjects. If you could put an Orange on the Seder plate, maybe you could look at (subject) with an open mind.
Unfortunately I don’t remember what the subject was, or even if the subject was important to the story. It wasn’t about LGBT, that I do know.