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Rabbi Haskel Lookstein Advanced to Rank of Associate Rabbi
Rabbi Haskel Lookstein Advanced To Rank Of Associate Rabbi Five years ago, Rabbi Haskel Look¬ stein was elected Assistant Rabbi of The Kehilath Jeshurun family Kehilath Jeshurun. Last week, the Board of Trustees of the congregation voted to promote him to the status of is bowed in at grief the passing of the immortal Associate Rabbi of our congregation. President of the United States JOHN F. KENNEDY KEHILATH JESHURUN MOURNS RABBI JOSEPH H. LOOKSTEIN A TRAGIC EVENT ON NATIONWIDE T.V. PROGRAM The assassination of John F. Kennedy Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein partici¬ last Friday led to a series of memorial pated in a one hour panel discussion on events which were quickly arranged ihe Columbia television network last for by our congregation. Sunday morning. His fellow panelists were outstanding representatives of At the conclusion of the Friday eve¬ the three major faiths in America. The service, while the deed was so ning discussion centered around the assas¬ fresh in our minds as to be unreal, sination of President Kennedy. Rabbi Rabbi Joseph hi. Lookstein spoke brief¬ Lookstein's remarks, some of which can ly about the meaning of the tragedy be found elsewhere in this bulletin, and pronounced a special benediction. were devoted primarily to the moral Rabbi Haskel Lookstein climate which exists in this On Saturday morning, the Rabbi set country. aside his announced sermon topic and We are proud that our Rabbi was Mr. Max J. Etra, on behalf of the devoted the sermon period to a re¬ singled out as one of the participants officers, proposed the promotion to ligious analysis of the event and of its in the program. -
Kehilathjeshurunbulletin ©
KehilathjeshurunBulletin © Volume L, No. 7 April 8, 1983 25 Nisan 5743 YOM HASHOAH ■ HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL TO FEATURE SHOWING OF GENOCIDE ELIZABETH TAYLOR AND ORSON WELLS NARRATE RAMAZ CHORUS TO PARTICIPATE THIS SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 9, 8:30 PM RAMAZ CHORUS TO FEATURE "A Single death is a tragedy. A million uncovering new historical material. It TWO ORIGINAL PIECES deaths is a statistic." Today, nearly half a unearthed thousands of feet of previously century after Stalin made that remark, the unseen film footage and still pictures. As part of the observance of Yom millions of victims of Hitler's final solution Because it is such an important story Hashoah that evening, the Chorus of the have become something worse: a forget¬ both historically as well as for the future of Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein Upper School table statistic! our children, Elizabeth Taylor and Orson of Ramaz, directed by Michael Berl, will Today, surveys reveal that most High Welles volunteered their time, their voices present choral selections appropriate to the School students are ignorant of the and their considerable talent in narrating Holocaust. Included in these will be two Holocaust. Not only High School students GENOCIDE. (continued on page 3) in developing Asian or African countries, but young children right here in America. A teenager can rationalize the behavior CONGREGATION MARCH FOR of Hermine Braunsteiner Ryan, a concen¬ KEHILATH JESHURUN tration camp guard sentenced for helping SOVIET JEWRY kill 100,000 prisoners at Majdanek, as lllth ANNUAL MEETING follows: "When the government tells you SOLIDARITY SUNDAY TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 3, 1983 what to do, you have to do it. -
Melilah Agunah Sptib W Heads
Agunah and the Problem of Authority: Directions for Future Research Bernard S. Jackson Agunah Research Unit Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Manchester [email protected] 1.0 History and Authority 1 2.0 Conditions 7 2.1 Conditions in Practice Documents and Halakhic Restrictions 7 2.2 The Palestinian Tradition on Conditions 8 2.3 The French Proposals of 1907 10 2.4 Modern Proposals for Conditions 12 3.0 Coercion 19 3.1 The Mishnah 19 3.2 The Issues 19 3.3 The talmudic sources 21 3.4 The Gaonim 24 3.5 The Rishonim 28 3.6 Conclusions on coercion of the moredet 34 4.0 Annulment 36 4.1 The talmudic cases 36 4.2 Post-talmudic developments 39 4.3 Annulment in takkanot hakahal 41 4.4 Kiddushe Ta’ut 48 4.5 Takkanot in Israel 56 5.0 Conclusions 57 5.1 Consensus 57 5.2 Other issues regarding sources of law 61 5.3 Interaction of Remedies 65 5.4 Towards a Solution 68 Appendix A: Divorce Procedures in Biblical Times 71 Appendix B: Secular Laws Inhibiting Civil Divorce in the Absence of a Get 72 References (Secondary Literature) 73 1.0 History and Authority 1.1 Not infrequently, the problem of agunah1 (I refer throughout to the victim of a recalcitrant, not a 1 The verb from which the noun agunah derives occurs once in the Hebrew Bible, of the situations of Ruth and Orpah. In Ruth 1:12-13, Naomi tells her widowed daughters-in-law to go home. -
Dear Friends, This Past Summer, Nicole Zeitler, an American Who
Dear Friends, This past summer, Nicole Zeitler, an American who had converted to Judaism under Orthodox auspice in America, was denied permission to marry in Israel because a local rabbinical court rejected her status as a Jew. Their problem was with Haskel Lookstein, the rabbi who had overseen her conversion. Rabbi Lookstein is a graduate of Yeshiva University’s Rabbinical School, the long-time rabbi of Congregation Kelilath Jeshuran, and founder of Ramaz (the Horace Mann of Jewish day schools). He is venerated by both Orthodox and non-Orthodox rabbi, by religious leaders of other faiths, and by New York City and State government officials. This is not the first time that the conversion by a previously sanctioned Diaspora rabbi has been questioned by local authorities in Israel. (Conversions by progressive or liberal rabbis – Reform, Conservative or Reconstructionist – have never been recognized by the Israeli rabbinate.) It is the first time, however, that the rabbi in question had something to do with the president-elect of the United States. Rabbi Lookstein was instrumental in the preparation of Ivanka Trump for conversion. So if Lookstein’s authority can be called into question with regard to Ms. Zeitler, could not the Jewish status of the president-elect’s daughter be declared invalid? Given Mrs. Kushner’s (nee: Trump) yihus, Israel’s two chief rabbis are finally pressing for the “serious reform” of a badly flawed system. They are now calling for clear and standard criteria for Orthodox conversions performed in the Diaspora. How ironic that Donald Trump would be indirectly responsible for bridging the growing rift between observant Jews in Israel and observant Jews in the Diaspora. -
Conversion Confusion By: Rabbi Jeremy Rosen
Conversion Confusion by: Rabbi Jeremy Rosen We know well enough by now that the status of conversions to Judaism is an unholy, inconsistent, politicized and often corrupt mess. As a people and as a religion we are just as confused, inconsistent, and illogical as any other. I am referring to the chaos that reigns within what is confusingly and illogically called Orthodoxy. According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Israel’s highest rabbinical court recently rejected a conversion performed by prominent American Modern Orthodox rabbi, Haskel Lookstein, upholding the decision of a lower rabbinical court. The Supreme Rabbinical Court had held two appeal hearings on the rejection of the woman’s conversion by the Petach Tikvah Rabbinical Court, where she had applied for marriage registration with her Israeli fiancé. Last week the Chief Rabbinate (countermanding) said it recognizes Rabbi Lookstein’s conversions, as it always has. Naturally this case has attracted extra publicity, because Rabbi Haskel Lookstein was the rabbi who arranged for Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka to receive an Orthodox conversion so that she could marry Jared Kushner. It would look very bad just as the Republican National Convention appoints Trump as their candidate for rabbis to suddenly cast aspersions on his daughter’s conversion. Yet it does raise the issue of what the criteria for an Orthodox conversion are. The episode illustrates the political tensions that exist in Israel between local rabbinic courts, the Supreme Rabbinic Court, and the Chief Rabbinate, each vying for power, and each believing it has the right to decide. So a conversion, even in Israel, recognized in one area might not be in another. -
Kehilath Jeshurun Bulletin
CELEBRATING OUR 136TH YEAR OF SERVICE KEHILATH JESHURUN BULLETIN Volume LXXVI, Number 4 July 10, 2007 24 Tammuz 5767 KJ AND RAMAZ PLAN MAJOR BUILDING PROJECT LOWER SCHOOL AND SYNAGOGUE HOUSE TO BE ENTIRELY REBUILT In an historic meeting of the School structure with 18 floors of Center which need a different kind of Boards of Trustees of the Congregation condominium apartments above. These structure to provide the proper education and Ramaz - a first in the history of this apartments, which will be sold by a for children in the 21st Century. The new community - and an open session for the developer who will build the building, will building will provide, among other things, entire community, a major plan was defray close to half the cost of the new the following: presented which will affect the future of community structure. FOR THE CONGREGATION this community for the next 50 years and The current Synagogue House - 1.A greatly expanded Chapel and a new beyond. The plan calls for the demolition as opposed to the main synagogue building Beit Midrash. of the Synagogue House and Ramaz which will remain intact - is over 80-years- 2.An enlarged social hall. Lower School building at 125 East 85th old. It no longer serves the needs of a 3.A significantly enlarged auditorium for Street and its replacement by a 10-story vastly expanded congregation or the meetings and both Synagogue House and Ramaz Lower Ramaz Lower School and Early Childhood (continued on page 7) 99 SENIORS ARE GRADUATED FROM THE JOSEPH H. LOOKSTEIN UPPER SCHOOL OF RAMAZ 57 TO SPEND NEXT YEAR IN ISRAEL SENIORS AND LOWER CLASSMEN WIN MANY ACADEMIC HONORS Once again it has been an amazing year for the students in Ramaz! The seniors also earned a wonderful record of college acceptances. -
Israel's Chief Rabbinate, the Conversion Crisis, and Halakhic Chaos
Israel's Chief Rabbinate, the Conversion Crisis, and Halakhic Chaos These articles by Isi Leibler originally appeared in the Jerusalem Post and Yisrael Hayom. The tensions created by the ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate within Israeli society have extended to the Diaspora and are now undermining relations with the Jewish state. Ironically, this is taking place at a time when many Israelis are returning to their spiritual roots. Although Tel Aviv remains outwardly a hedonistic secular city, the secular Ashkenazi outlook that dominated Israeli society is in decline, and even setting aside haredim, Israelis today have become increasingly more traditionally inclined and religiously observant. The past decades have witnessed the emergence of observant Jews at all senior levels of society. There has been a dramatic revolution in the Israel Defense Forces with national-religious soldiers now occupying senior positions, assuming roles in combat units parallel to what their kibbutz predecessors did in the early years of statehood. There is even a thirst for spiritual values among secular Israelis, accompanied by a major revival of the study of Jewish texts. Yet simultaneously, there is revulsion and rage at the corruption, extortion and political leverage imposed by powerful haredi political parties and their rabbis. Unfortunately, the ultra-Orthodox rabbis have effectively exploited their political leverage to assume control of the Chief Rabbinate, which, ironically, they themselves have always despised. Current Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau and his Sephardi counterpart, Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, represent the antithesis of the Chief Rabbinate created 90 years ago by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, who strove to unite the nation. -
Kehilathjeshurunbulletin ©
ADULT EDUCATION ISSUE KehilathjeshurunBulletin Volume XLIII Number 3 October © 10, 1975 5 Cheshvan, 5736 NEW GROUPS FORMED RABBI AND MRS. HASKEL LOOKSTEIN RETURN FROM FOR SINGLES AND TWO WEEKS IN SOVIET UNION SENIOR CITIZENS On Thursday, October 2, Rabbi and celebrated Shabbat and Yom Tov with Mrs. Haskel Lookstein returned The Sukkah Holiday period served from some of the most well-known "Refus- a Sukkot and Simchat Torah mission niks" as in the various cities. the beginning of two new groups to Leningrad, Riga and Moscow. This Slide Lecture, in our Tuesday, October 14th, congregational community. was the second visit of the Looksteins 8:00 P.M. to the Soviet Union. Rabbi and Friendship Circle Mrs. Lookstein will report While in Russia the Rabbi was ex¬ to the Kehilath On Wednesday afternoon, Septem¬ Jeshurun-Ramaz family tremely active both in and out of the at a ber 24, the meeting sponsored jointly by the Friendship jCircle formed synagogue various cities. He in the Kehilath Jeshurun Men's Club and the by some of the senior members of our had occasion to Ramaz Parents bring the greetings of Council. The report American Jews will to thousands of Jews take the form a community held its first meeting. Al¬ of slide lecture on in a most 30 people came in a driving rain variety of places and ways. Tuesday, October 14 at 8:00 P.M. in During course of the visit Rabbi the to hear Dr. Wolf Zuckerman share his the Kamber Auditorium. Lookstein addressed the Seminar of We invite you to attend the eve¬ experiences of practicing medicine in the Hebrew Teachers and the cele¬ ning and to hear what Africa and of his close association with brated Azbel Scientific Seminar. -
Rabbi Haskel Lookstein Answer the Question? and Dr
January 13, 1984 9 Shevat 5744 WHY ME? HOW DO YOU RABBI HASKEL LOOKSTEIN ANSWER THE QUESTION? AND DR. LEONARD FEIN This Monday, January 16, 8 PM (see Page 3) TO PRESENT SUNDAY SUPPER LECTURES THE CASE OF FEBRUARY 5 AND FEBRUARY 26 BABY JANE DOE: FEBRUARY 5 — THE HALAKHIK PERSONALITY: THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE RAV — RABBI JOSEPH B. SOLOVEITCHIK The Medical, Legal and RABBI HASKEL LOOKSTEIN Jewish Points of View FEBRUARY 26 — WHILE WAITING FOR THE MESSIAH — Tuesday, January 31, 8 PM THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN JEWRY (see Page 3) PROFESSOR LEONARD FEIN One of the oldest activities found on the CRISIS IN THE AMERICAN JEWISH FAMILY synagogue calendar will give us the oppor¬ RABBIS JOSEPH GRUNBLATT AND SOL ROTH tunity to hear two important programs TO OPEN ORTHODOX UNION'S LECTURE SERIES AT KJ presented during the month of February. SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 8:00 PM SUNDAY SUPPER LECTURES offer our community an opportunity to join together, socialize over dinner and then participate in the lecture program. Each lecture is follow¬ ed by an extensive question and answer discussion. The cost, including dinner, for the two lecture series is $15.00 per person. To at¬ tend only one of the lectures and dinner is $9.00 per person. Please use the reservation form in this Bulletin. THE PHILOSOPHY OF RAV SOLOVEITCHIK Over the RABBI SOL ROTH RABBI JOSEPH GRUNBLATT past several years Rabbi Haskel Lookstein has presented to the Sunday Sup¬ The New York Region's Orthodox Union pointed Samson Raphael Hirsch Professor per Lecture audience the Torah outlook of Round Robin Lecture Series will in Torah and Derekh Erctz at Yeshiva begin on such giants of the past as Rabbi Israel Sunday evening, January 22nd with a panel University. -
Who Let Jared and Ivanka Fly on Shabbat? by Jeffrey Salkin | 12 Hours Ago
Who let Jared and Ivanka fly on Shabbat? By Jeffrey Salkin | 12 hours ago Don’t look at me. I didn’t do it. Not like they would have Remember that those same Israeli Reform and asked me. Neither was it the rabbi who married them — Conservative rabbis have demonstrated more than the venerable Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, the dean of New adequate knowledge of halacha and Jewish thought. And York’s Orthodox rabbinate. yet, an Orthodox rabbi issues such a questionable psak din So, what rabbi would have given them permission (or, (halachic ruling). Right about now, the overwhelming as some reporters put it, “dispensation”) to fly to Saudi majority of American Jews are experiencing a massive Arabia on Shabbat? disconnect. I can say with little fear of contradiction: there was Shoutout to my friend, Rabbi Uri Regev, and his simply no way that Jewish law would permit airplane organization, Hiddush, that has been fighting for religious travel – or any vehicular travel — on Shabbat or a Jewish equality. But if you really want to get into “bad for the holiday. Jews” territory, you need only see how some gentiles are responding to this on Facebook. Oh, wait — there’s one. That would be to save a life. When life is at stake, almost any Jewish law can be I am talking about some of my gentile Facebook friends breached. That doesn’t apply here. – especially the Catholics. Some have cynically suggested that Rabbi Ploni (a classic Hebrew way of saying Rabbi No, a multi-billion dollar arms deal with the Saudis Whoeverstein) must have received some kind of bribe for doesn’t count. -
Kehilath Jeshurun Bulletin © FALL 1979 O"Wn ,I
SPECIAL MEMORIAL ISSUE Kehilath Jeshurun Bulletin © FALL 1979 o"wn ,i RABBI JOSEPH H. LOOKSTEIN (rn n 'wk-n)" .. n•> Vsa wn tpi , "h d t 15 nx 'n tpi" And God was with Joseph And he was a successful man... [Genesis, 39:2] RABBI JOSEPH H. LOOKSTEIN DIES AT AGE 76 WAS RABBI AT CONGREGATION KEHILATH JESHURUN FOR ALMOST 56 YEARS The Week of Shiva On Friday afternoon, the 18th of Tammuz, 5739, .cor¬ The period of shiva was observed at the residence of Mrs. responding to July 13, 1979, at 4:45, Rabbi Joseph H. Joseph H. Lookstein. Throughout the week thousands of Lookstein died peacefully in Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Miami t people came through the Lookstein home in an expression of Beach. The Rabbi, who would have been 77 years old next love and respect. The minyanim were filled to Chanukah, had served in the rabbinate of Congregation overflowing. At Mincha and Ma'ariv services throughout the week there were Kehilath Jeshurun for almost 56 years. He came to the Con¬ as many people who had to remain downstairs in the gregation on Sukkot 1923. lobby of the apartment house as there were who Rabbi Lookstein had taken ill on June 28 and he remained crovyded into the apartment itself. People waited patiently to express their con¬ in the hospital for a period of fifteen days, until his passing. dolences in person to all the members of the bereaved Mrs. Lookstein, his daughter, Dr. Nathalie Friedman, and his family, including the Rabbi's brother, Arthur Lookstein, and his son, Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, and son-in-law, Israel Fried¬ sister, Mrs. -
Modern Orthodox Judaism: a Documentary History Zev Eleff Copyrighted Material Foreword by Jacob J
Modern Orthodox Judaism: A Documentary History Zev Eleff Copyrighted material Foreword by Jacob J. Schacter Contents List of Illustrations xxiv Foreword xxv by Jacob J. Schacter Preface xxix Acknowledgments xli Part 1. Orthodox Judaism and the Modern American Experience 1. Engaging Reform 3 Introduction 3 Section 1 | Charleston Clamorings and Other “Heresies” “Retrograde Instead of Advancing” 5 Mordecai Noah | 1825 New Lights and Old Lights 6 A Member of the Reformed Society of Israelites | 1825 This Happy Land 7 Isaac Harby | 1825 A Jewish Luther 9 Jacob Mordecai | 1826 An Open Letter to Gustavus Poznanski 12 Isaac Leeser | 1843 “Some Wolves Clothed in Sheep’s- Cover” 16 Abraham Rice | 1848 What Prevails among the Jewish People? 18 Mordecai Noah | 1850 Buy the book Modern Orthodox Judaism: A Documentary History Zev Eleff Copyrighted material Foreword by Jacob J. Schacter Section 2 | Living Orthodox Judaism This Is Religious Liberty in America 19 Abraham Kohn | 1843 Our Holy Place 20 Trustees of the Congregation Shearith Israel | 1847 Strange Misbehavior 21 Max Lilienthal | 1854 An Aunt’s Admonishment 24 Anna Marks Allen | 1858 Conclusion 25 2. The Traditional Talmud and Response to Reform Prayer Books 27 Introduction 27 Section 1 | Talking Talmud “The Talmud Is Not Divine” 28 Benjamin Cohen Carillon | 1843 At the Risk of Being Considered Hyper- orthodox 31 Henry Goldsmith | 1843 A Return to the Maimonidean View? 33 Abraham Rice | 1844 The Cleveland Conference 35 Isaac Leeser | 1855 It Is Decidedly Heretical 38 Morris J. Raphall | 1856 Section 2 | The Modified Mahzor An Ornament for Parlor- Tables 39 Bernard Illowy | 1855 A Letter from an “Enlightened Orthodox” Jew 41 Benjamin Franklin Peixotto | 1859 x Contents Buy the book Modern Orthodox Judaism: A Documentary History Zev Eleff Copyrighted material Foreword by Jacob J.