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Online Edition WILSHIRE BOULEVARD TEMPLE BULLETIN Volume 98, Number 2 • February 1, 2011 What’s a Jew to Do? “ oses are Red, Violets are Bluish, St. Valentine’s Day know oppose recognizing Valentine’s Day because it is named Ris Christian and I am Jewish.” That’s what my friend after a Saint and is the custom of Gentiles. Many other rabbis Neal Karlin wrote on the top of his Valentine’s Day box in school embrace a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Others believe there is when we were kids. It was Neal’s way of expressing the cultural nothing wrong with it. The most relevant rabbinic opinion is tensions for Jews on holidays like Halloween and Valentine’s from the Rama (Rabbi Moshe Isserlis, Poland, 1520-1572) who Day. There are numerous myths about the roots of Valentine’s lists four criteria that must be met in order to permit Jewish Day. NoneValentine’s can be proved. The legends are so suspect that the celebration of rituals initiatedDay by Gentiles. Catholic Church removed Valentine’s Day from its calendar in • Does the debated activity have a secular origin or value? 1969. On the other hand, we do know it is a day named after a • Can one rationally explain the behavior or ritual apart Saint and there was at least one documented case of Jews being from the gentile holiday or event? massacred on February 14th. In the mid-fourteenth century, it • If there are idolatrous origins, have they disappeared? was rumored that Jews created the Plague that was killing tens of • Are the activities actually consistent with Jewish millions of Christians in Europe. In Strasbourg, a mob used this tradition? as an excuse on February 14, 1349 to murder nearly 2,000 local Each of us must decide on our own. But there’s no doubt Jews to whom they owed massive debts. Nevertheless, 16,000 celebrating love is a good thing and that in my house, chocolate Christians in Strasbourg died a few months later of the Plague. and flowers are always a good idea. A number of rabbis have weighed in on whether or not Rabbi Steven Z. Leder Jews should celebrate Valentine’s Day. Most Orthodox rabbis I In This Issue BEYOND BRICKS AND Improving MORTAR Al Sh’losha D’varim Hebrew Torah Portion Torah Online: www.wbtla.org Standing at the Door PARASHAT VAYAKEL: EXODUS 35:1 - 38:20 ornings in my house seem to be a race to get out the This month inParashat Vayakel we are reminded again Mdoor. From the moment the kids wake up to the mo- to keep Shabbat, day of complete rest. It is God standing at the ment we get in the car to come to school, we are in constant door, reminding us to turn off our auto pilot and remember motion. I am on auto pilot and just before I go out the door, to slow down. For me, “standing at the door” means I have all my wife and daughter take me through my check list. If I did that I need for my day. For us, the “standing at the door” is a re- not take this time as a reminder, without fail, I would forget minder to take time out of our busy, hectic lives to rest, check my wallet, keys, phone, lunch, you name it. Even though in and be with the ones we love. I am thankful for my family it is the same every day, without my reminders, I would be for keeping me plugged in and prepared to work within our lost, or at least penniless, car-less, email-less and hungry. I am tradition. I am thankful for our tradition for keeping me un- thankful for the reminders, because otherwise I would just plugged to be with my family. I am thankful for the reminders. keep moving. Rabbi David Eshel Plugged In geT YoUR TICKETs ave you noticed we’re bringing our ticket sales into the modern Hage? We started using Paypal to make life easier for everyone – selling tickets to events like Jews and Gospel, Tu BSh’vat Wine Tasting onlIne and now PURIMland (March 13). It’s quick, and so much easier than bringing cash to any of our events. Skip the lines, cash and checks... PURIMland TIckeTs on sale { aT www.wbTla.oRg 2 Tikkun Olam Making aDifference “ his year I’m going to be less stressed, take more time off, Why not get involved in 2011? We have so many ways: Tget out of debt, eat healthier, quit smoking, save more, a Sunday morning spent at one of our food pantries feeding learn something new, go to the gym and lose weight.” What the hungry, volunteering to read to a child through Koreh LA, New Year’s resolutions did you make this year? traveling to part of the world that is in dire need of our help, Number ten on Time Magazine’s “Most Commonly mentoring a homeless family as they get back on their feet Broken New Year’s Resolutions” is volunteering. We have or participating with tens of thousands of Angelenos in Big good hearts and good intentions. We want to give back to our Sunday. Make 2011 the year you give back. communities and help those who are in need. We try to get Rabbinic Intern Beau Shapiro involved, to make a difference, but often we fall short and our commitment to volunteer goes the way of the gym and the diet. Get Involved... find more info on our website www.wbtla.org/pages/tikkun_socialaction Adult Opportunities years Laterand the 70Deman D to return jewish art anD property continues “ dele Bloch-Bauer” by Gustav Klimt fetched an unheard since a 1998 conference in which 44 countries agreed to a set of Aof price: one hundred and thirty-five million dollars, paid rules for the return of artwork looted in the Nazi era. The Nazis by collector Ronald S. Lauder for the Neue Gallerie on Fifth plundered more than 650,000 pieces of art and religious objects Avenue in New York City. However, prior to the Holocaust, from Jews and other victims. There is still more work to be this work and others of equal beauty and power were owned done to restore the artwork integral to the culture, economics by the Austrian Jewish sugar industrialist Ferdinand and Adele and religious presence of Jews in Europe. It is restitution, but it Bloch-Bauer. Adele died in 1925, and Ferdinand fled Austria still cannot bring back the men, women and children brutally at the Anschluss, when Hitler marched into Vienna in 1938. murdered. It can, however, realize their hope for a life of beauty Like other Jewish art and artifacts, the Nazis looted the Bloch- and renewal. Bauer’s artwork and kept it as their own. The Klimt works hung Join us in February and hear the process by which Mr. in the Belvedere Palace for years as Austrian property until an Donald Burris, J.D., and his firm passionately pursued looted art Austrian arbitration panel awarded the paintings to the family. stolen by the Nazis before and during World War II. Read more Is “Adele Bloch-Bauer” worth the millions? Perhaps not about this fascinating event on our website – it’s not to be missed. yet, however, she is worth more than the Middle European – Rabbi Karen L. Fox roughish-symbolic-chic style that she might represent. Many other survivor families still hope for restitution of their family From Tragedy to Triumph: art and objects. Representatives of 49 countries gathered in Altmann, Bennington and Looted Nazi Art Prague in June 2010 to assess the progress that has been made Thursday, February 24 at 7:30 p.m., Irmas Campus www.wbtla.org/events/item/432/adult_events 3 Brawerman Elementary School Al Sh’losha D’varim The World Stands on Three Things Torah, Prayer and Acts of Loving Kindness (Pirke Avot) ach Monday morning Brawerman students and faculty a parashah story each week. Everyone takes time for reflection Egather in the Marcia Israel Chapel/Auditorium for t’filah and meditation. (prayer) as we begin the new school week together. Rabbi We are grateful for the opportunities we have here at Elissa Ben-Naim guides the program of Torah learning and Brawerman to educate our children so that they can take their prayer. She is assisted and supported by a dedicated Hebrew/ place as the connecting links in the chain of our people and Judaic staff, song leaders and classroom teachers. within our Jewish world; sustained by Torah, prayer and acts of Three distinct morning services provide age appropriate loving kindness. opportunities for students to learn the liturgy and make connections that help them grow spiritually and Jewishly. Fourth, fifth and sixth graders read from their personal copies of our Temple siddur, Mishkan T’filah. They lead the service, read from the Torah and offer commentary on the parashah (Torah portion). Second and third graders also take part in the Torah reading and follow the prayers in our Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps’ siddur. Kindergartners and first graders learn words and melodies, sing out and enjoy Religious School: “Center for Learning & Engagement” Improving Hebrew ere we are, midyear through religious school – how fast and reviewing at home. In an effort to encourage that, we are Htime goes… In the first semester, we had our students happy to announce that we have purchased Hebrew flash cards learn in pods. Young students have been learning the Alef-Bet, that children and parents can use at home.
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