DOCSLIB.ORG

Interpreting Jewish Liturgy: the Literary-Intertext Method

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Interpreting Jewish Liturgy: the Literary-Intertext Method INTERPRETING JEWISH LITURGY: THE LITERARY-INTERTEXT METHOD Eliezer Gershon Kaunfer Submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for The degree of Doctor of Hebrew Literature in Liturgy The Graduate School of The Jewish Theological Seminary 2014 0 INTERPRETING JEWISH LITURGY: THE LITERARY-INTERTEXT METHOD Abstract By Eliezer Gershon Kaunfer Advisor: Prof. Burton L. Visotzky This study conducts a close literary analysis of a variety of Talmudic-era prayers in order to develop a method of interpretation, called the “literary-intertext” method. Drawing on literary theory and the work of intertextuality in biblical and midrashic fields, this method offers a literary reading of prayer texts based on the juxtaposition with biblical intertexts. The method can be described as follows: Step 1: Approach the liturgical text from a standpoint of exegesis, in which allusions abound and the surface rendering is never satisfactory. Step 2: Using the tools of philology and academic inquiry, establish as many parallels to the liturgical text as one can to point more clearly to the identification of the intertexts. Step 3: Identify the biblical intertext or intertexts at play in the line of prayer, and consider the surrounding biblical context. Step 4: Identify the rabbinic interpretation(s) of the biblical intertext, giving additional layers of meaning to the text behind the prayer text. Step 5: Offer an interpretation or set of interpretations that relate to the prayer. In the course of this study, we employ this method with the first blessing of the amidah , the blessings that constitute havdalah , and the texts of confession for Yom Kippur. In each case, the multiplicity of interpretations that emerges through the juxtaposition of the prayer text with the biblical intertext (and its rabbinic understanding) extends far beyond the original surface rendering. These interpretations are offered throughout the analysis. 1 To Lisa, My loving partner on the journey וַאֲנַחְנוּ א נֵדַע מַה נַּעֲבֹד אֶת יְקֹוָק עַד בֹּאֵנוּ שָׁמָּה - שמות י : כו : And to Maytal and Amalya, May you continue to grow in tefilah , in Torah, and in hesed 2 Interpreting Jewish Liturgy: The Literary-Intertext Method Table of Contents Acknowledgements 4 Chapter 1: Introduction 9 Chapter 2: The First Blessing of the Amidah 39 Chapter 3: The Blessings of Havdalah 114 Chapter 4: The Confession Liturgy 168 Chapter 5: Conclusion 198 Bibliography 207 3 Acknowledgements תלמוד בבלי מסכת ברכות דף כח עמוד ב When I exit, I give thanks for my…“ portion.” - B Berakhot 28b וביציאתי אני נותן הודאה על חלקי I have been engaged in the words of prayer for as long as I can remember, and have profound gratitude to my parents, Rabbi Alvan and Marcia Kaunfer, for providing me a home suffused with the rhythms of prayer. As I became more interested in analyzing the words, and not just saying them, my father became my havruta , always ready with a reference, suggestion, or distillation of a complex idea. We spent many hours in havruta studying Joseph Heinemann’s classic study Ha-Tefilah Betkufat Ha- Tannaim Ve-Ha-Amoraim. It has been one of my greatest joys to share with my father in the study of the texts that form the backbone of this work. My first teachers were my parents, but I have been privileged to gain many more along the way. Since first hearing her teach at a Tikkun Leil Shavuot in the late 1990s, I have gravitated to the teaching of Dr. Devora Steinmetz. My thinking on the issues in this work, as well as countless other areas, has been deeply influenced by her. Specifically, our numerous conversations in Jerusalem in the summer of 2012 were particularly helpful. Judy Klitsner has influenced my understanding of the Bible in a profound way. She opened me up to the world of inner-biblical intertextuality through her teaching and writing. In more recent years, I have also benefited greatly from the approach of Rabbi David Silber and Rabbi Dudi Goshen to the reading of prayer and Tanakh . Rabbi Daniel Landes has been a rabbinic model to me, and continues to teach me much about reading Jewish texts with a lens for religious meaning. 4 My academic study of Jewish liturgy was first encouraged by Dr. Stephen Garfinkel, in a conversation in 2002; I was later accepted as the first student in a new MA in liturgy program at the Jewish Theological Seminary. While in that program, and transitioning to this project, Dr. Debra Reed Blank served as my advisor. She guided me through the maze of classes and requirements, and steered me to open new vistas of my own academic interest. Throughout the process, I have also been guided by other advisors: Rabbi Sami Barth, Hazzan Boaz Tarsi, and Dr. Robbie Harris. I also had the privilege of learning about liturgy from Professors Raymond Scheindlin, Lawrence Hoffman, Reuven Kimelman, Avigdor Shinan, Israel Francus, Yosef Tobi, Neil Danzig, David Golinkin and Stephen Geller. To them all I owe a debt of gratitude. I especially appreciated Larry Hoffman’s work Beyond the Text, first read on subway trips in Summer 2005, which significantly altered my understanding of the study of liturgy. I benefited from many conversations with Prof. Avraham Holtz, who generously read my papers for numerous classes throughout my time at JTS. I also thank Professors Uri Ehrlich, Dalia Marx, Seth Schwartz, Jeremy Dauber, Eliezer Diamond, Janet Walton, Rabbi Dr. Robert Scheinberg, Rabbi Dr. Jeffrey Hoffman and Haim Be’er for their encouragement and willingness to teach me over the years. I would not have completed this program without the caring and astute guidance of Prof. Burton L. Visotzky. Burt selflessly stepped in to serve as my advisor, and offered the perfect balance of goad and support that propelled me to move this project forward, even as I was working tremendously hard at my “day job” at Mechon Hadar. I benefited deeply from his careful readings, vast knowledge and high standards. I also deeply thank Prof. Menachem Schmelzer, my second reader for this study. Prof. Schmelzer opened up 5 the world of piyyut to me, as well as the scholarship of Daniel Goldschmidt, which had a significant impact on my studies over the years. He is a model of scholarship and Menschlichkeit . Much of the first two chapters of this dissertation were written while I served as a visiting scholar at the Mandel Leadership Institute in Jerusalem. Through the generosity of the foundation, and particularly Dr. Eli Gottlieb, I was able to formulate the basic arguments that led to the completed version of this work. The Mandel Leadership Institute is incredibly conducive to clear and sustained thinking on a single topic, and I thank the fellows and teachers there for providing such a supportive environment. I am privileged to work with incredible colleagues at Mechon Hadar. Shai Held and Ethan Tucker have been my fellow travelers in building a different kind of Jewish world since the mid-1990s at Harvard Hillel. They have both served as an inspiration to me, both on the academic plane and, more significantly, on the plane of Torah and mitzvot . Avital Hochstein has not only been a co-visionary at Mechon Hadar, but a classmate and havruta of mine in my course of study; I cherish our times learning together. Jason Rubenstein, Dena Weiss, Aviva Richman, Devorah Zlochower and Joey Weisenberg have all deepened my understanding of Torah and prayer. Over the years, I have floated a number of the ideas in this dissertation in classes to students at Mechon Hadar and at synagogues, minyanim and conferences around the country. In the course of those classes, I deepened my understanding of the texts, and learned tremendous amounts from the probing questions of those students. Special thanks to the year-round fellows at Mechon Hadar who offered their thoughts in the context of the tefilah class I taught over the past three years. 6 My family is populated by teachers, and I have done my best to learn from them. My brother Oren taught me what davening could look like years ago at the Carlebach Shul; now he has built a life of teaching children about prayer (and much more!) in Boston, and I continue to learn from him. My in-laws, Jake and Emma Exler, are model religious souls, teaching me by example what family love and responsibility look like when taken most seriously. I have fond memories of writing parts of this dissertation in their house in Baltimore, surrounded by Jake’s library. My brother-in-law and sister-in- law, Rabbi Steven Exler and Shira Billet, have provided sound advice from the depths of both of their learning. Just about all my aunts, uncles and cousins are in the world of education, and I have looked to each of them for inspiration over the years. My daughters Maytal and Amalya have been my cheerleaders as I ran this marathon, generously making space for “Abba to work on his book.” In sympathy, Maytal took on a project to complete a 100-page coloring book; we are predicted to finish around the same time. My love for them extends beyond the written word. I first met my extraordinary wife, Lisa Exler, in the context of prayer. We both attended the first Hadar Shavuot Retreat in 2002, and – separately – had profoundly meaningful prayer experiences there. Lisa has been a partner in the journey of understanding prayer in so many different ways: talking through ideas with me, contributing to prayer communities with me, and initiating our children into the life of Jewish prayer. Lisa’s selflessness and willingness to devote much lopsided time to Sunday parental care allowed me to write this dissertation in the ever-shrinking moments of solitude in our lives.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Exegese Judaica E O Movimento Interior Do Coração Do Faraó Cadernos De Sion
    A EXEGESE JUDAICA E O MOVIMENTO INTERIOR DO CORAÇÃO DO FARAÓ CADERNOS DE SION A EXEGESE JUDAICA E O MOVIMENTO INTERIOR DO CORAÇÃO DO FARAÓ Fernando Gross Doutorando em Teologia pela PUC-SP, Mestre em Teologia pela PUC-SP, Especialista em Teologia e História Judaica pelo CCDEJ e, atualmente, professor no CCDEJ RESUMO Dentro das narrativas e tradições bíblicas pertencentes ao Livro do Êxodo (7-10), este artigo tem como tema o estudo de parte da exegese judaica a partir do coração do faraó. Tem como objetivo uma aproximação da teologia cristã com os ensinamentos da Igreja, desde o Concílio Vaticano II e os atuais documentos da Igreja sobre a importância de uma rica complementaridade, que nos permita ler juntos os textos da Bíblia hebraica e ajudar-nos mutuamente a desentranhar as riquezas da Palavra (Evangelii Gaudium, n° 249). Destacamos para isso a metodologia da aproximação do pensamento de sete exegetas judeus a respeito do que se reflete sobre o coração opressor do rei do Egito. Como resultados apresentamos o quanto importante é conhecermos a exegese judaica para uma melhor compreensão da exegese cristã, considerando as conclusões na necessidade do diálogo com o vasto patrimônio cultural e ético do qual herdamos em nossa identidade cristã, a partir da raiz santa da identidade judaica. Palavras-chave: Torah; Judaísmo; Cristianismo; Coração do Faraó; Narrativas do Êxodo. ABSTRACT Within the biblical narratives and traditions belonging to the book of exodus (7-10), this article has as its theme the study of part of jewish exegesis from the heart of the pharaoh. it aims to bring christian theology closer to the church's teachings since the second Vatican Council and the current church documents on the importance of a rich complementarity that allows us to read together the texts of the hebrew Bible and help each other to unravel the riches of the word (Evangelii Gaudium, n ° 249).
    [Show full text]
  • Why Jews Quote
    Oral Tradition, 29/1 (2014):5-46 Why Jews Quote Michael Marmur Everyone Quotes1 Interest in the phenomenon of quotation as a feature of culture has never been greater. Recent works by Regier (2010), Morson (2011) and Finnegan (2011) offer many important insights into a practice notable both for its ubiquity and yet for its specificity. In this essay I want to consider one of the oldest and most diverse of world cultures from the perspective of quotation. While debates abound as to whether the “cultures of the Jews”2 can be regarded integrally, this essay will suggest that the act of quotation both in literary and oral settings is a constant in Jewish cultural creativity throughout the ages. By attempting to delineate some of the key functions of quotation in these various Jewish contexts, some contribution to the understanding of what is arguably a “universal human propensity” (Finnegan 2011:11) may be made. “All minds quote. Old and new make the warp and woof of every moment. There is not a thread that is not a twist of these two strands. By necessity, by proclivity, and by delight, we all quote.”3 Emerson’s reference to warp and woof is no accident. The creative act comprises a threading of that which is unique to the particular moment with strands taken from tradition.4 In 1 The comments of Sarah Bernstein, David Ellenson, Warren Zev Harvey, Jason Kalman, David Levine, Dow Marmur, Dalia Marx, Michal Muszkat-Barkan, and Richard Sarason on earlier versions of this article have been of enormous help.
    [Show full text]
  • Jewish Intertestamental and Early Rabbinic Literature: an Annotated Bibliographic Resource Updated Again (Part 2)
    JETS 63.4 (2020): 789–843 JEWISH INTERTESTAMENTAL AND EARLY RABBINIC LITERATURE: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIC RESOURCE UPDATED AGAIN (PART 2) DAVID W. CHAPMAN AND ANDREAS J. KÖSTENBERGER* Part 1 of this annotated bibliography appeared in the previous issue of JETS (see that issue for an introduction to this resource). This again is the overall struc- ture: Part 1: 1. General Reference Tools; 2. Old Testament Versions; 3. Apocrypha; 4. Pseudepigrapha; Part 2: 5. Dead Sea Scrolls; 6. Individual Authors (Philo, Jose- phus, Pseudo-Philo, Fragmentary Works); 7. Rabbinic Literature; 8. Other Early Works from the Rabbinic Period; 9. Addenda to Part 1. 5. DEAD SEA SCROLLS While the Dead Sea Scrolls are generally associated with Qumran, properly they also cover discoveries from approximately a dozen other sites in the desert wilderness surrounding the Dead Sea, such as those at Naal ever, Murabbaat, and Masada. The approximately 930 MSS from Qumran were penned from the 3rd c. BC through the 1st c. AD. The Masada texts include Jewish scrolls from the time leading up to the Roman conquest (AD 73) and subsequent Roman documents. The finds at Naal ever and Murabbaat include documents from the time of the Bar Kokhba revolt (AD 132–135). Other Bar Kokhba era documents are known from Ketef Jericho, Wadi Sdeir, Naal Mishmar, and Naal eelim (see DJD 38). For a full accounting, see the lists by Tov under “Bibliography” below. The non- literary documentary papyri (e.g. wills, deeds of sale, marriage documents, etc.) are not covered below. Recent archaeological efforts seeking further scrolls from sur- rounding caves (esp.
    [Show full text]
  • Angels and Demons: Managing Our Good & Evil Inclinations
    Shavuot 5780: Self-Guided Torah Study Experience Angels and Demons: Managing Our Good & Evil Inclinations By Rabbi Avi Heller, OU Regional Director for New Jersey In the comic books, the bad angel stands on one shoulder with a pitchfork and the good angel on the other with a halo. In Judaism, we call these two influences the “yetzer ha-tov”, the inclination to good and the “yetzer ha-ra” the inclination to evil. But those urges and desires are not imposed upon us from without; they are part of who we are and how Hashem created us. If God created us this way, there must also be a way to succeed in life with both the good and evil parts within us. With your chavruta, make your way through the following few sources. (The sources should take you around 30 minutes to read through and discuss.) STEP 1: Read these 2 verses about the creation of human beings from B’reisheet 1:27 and 2:7: ַו ִיּ ְב ָרא ֱאS ִקים ׀ ֶאת־ ָֽה ָא ָדם ְבּ ַצ ְלמוֹ ְבּ ֶצ ֶלם ֱאS ִקים ָבּ ָרא ֹאתוֹ ָז ָכר וּ ְנ ֵק ָבה ָבּ ָרא ָתֹא :םֽ (1:27) And Elokim created mankind in (h)is image, in the image of Elohim He created him, male and female He created them. ַו ִיּי ֶצר ה‘ ֱאS ִקים ֶאת־ ָֽה ָא ָדם ָﬠ ָפר ִמן־ ָה ֲא ָד ָמה ַו ִיּ ַפּח ְבּ ַא ָפּיו ִנ ְשׁ ַמת ַח ִיּים ַו ְי ִהי ָֽה ָא ָדם ְל ֶנ ֶפשׁ ַח ָֽיּה: (2:7) And Hashem Elohim formed mankind as dust from the ground and He blew a soul of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living spirit.
    [Show full text]
  • Sanhedrin 053.Pub
    ט"ז אלול תשעז“ Thursday, Sep 7 2017 ן נ“ג סנהדרי OVERVIEW of the Daf Distinctive INSIGHT to apply stoning to other cases גזירה שוה Strangulation for adultery (cont.) The source of the (1 ואלא מכה אביו ואמו קא קשיא ליה, למיתי ולמיגמר מאוב וידעוני R’ Yoshiya’s opinion in the Beraisa is unsuccessfully וכו ‘ ליגמרו מאשת איש, דאי אתה רשאי למושכה להחמיר עליה וכו‘ .challenged at the bottom of 53b lists אלו הן הנסקלין Stoning T he Mishnah of (2 The Mishnah later derives other cases of stoning from a many cases which are punished with stoning. R’ Zeira notes gezeirah shavah from Ov and Yidoni. R’ Zeira questions that the Torah only specifies stoning explicitly in a handful גזירה שוה of cases, while the other cases are learned using a דמיהם בם or the words מות יומתו whether it is the words Rashi states that the cases where we find . אוב וידעוני that are used to make that gezeirah shavah. from -stoning explicitly are idolatry, adultery of a betrothed maid . דמיהם בם Abaye answers that it is from the words Abaye’s explanation is defended. en, violating the Shabbos, sorcery and cursing the name of R’ Acha of Difti questions what would have bothered R’ God. Aruch LaNer points out that there are three addition- Zeira had the gezeirah shavah been made from the words al cases where we find stoning mentioned outright (i.e., sub- ,mitting one’s children to Molech, inciting others to idolatry . מות יומתו In any case, there .( בן סורר ומורה—After R’ Acha of Difti suggests and rejects a number of and an recalcitrant son גזירה possible explanations Ravina explains what was troubling R’ are several cases of stoning which are derived from the R’ Zeira asks Abaye to identify the source from which .
    [Show full text]
  • The Generic Transformation of the Masoretic Text of Qohelet 9. 7-10 in the Targum Qohelet and Qohelet Midrash Rabbah
    Durham E-Theses Wine, women and work: the generic transformation of the Masoretic text of Qohelet 9. 7-10 in the Targum Qohelet and Qohelet Midrash Rabbah Hardy, John Christopher How to cite: Hardy, John Christopher (1995) Wine, women and work: the generic transformation of the Masoretic text of Qohelet 9. 7-10 in the Targum Qohelet and Qohelet Midrash Rabbah, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/5403/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 WINE, WOMEN AND WORK: THE GENERIC TRANSFORMATION OF THE MA50RETIC TEXT OF QOHELET 9. 7-10 IN THE TARGUM QOHELET AND QOHELET MIDRASH RABBAH John Christopher Hardy This tnesis seeks to understand the generic changes wrought oy targum Qonelet and Qoheiet raidrash rabbah upon our home-text, the masoretes' reading ot" woh.
    [Show full text]
  • Torah in Triclinia: the Rabbinic Banquet and the Significance of Architecture
    Theological Studies Faculty Works Theological Studies 2012 Torah in triclinia: the Rabbinic Banquet and the Significance of Architecture Gil P. Klein Loyola Marymount University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/theo_fac Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Klein, Gil P. "Torah in Triclinia: The Rabbinic Banquet and the Significance of Architecture." Jewish Quarterly Review, vol. 102 no. 3, 2012, p. 325-370. doi:10.1353/jqr.2012.0024. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Theological Studies at Digital Commons @ Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theological Studies Faculty Works by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. For more information, please contact [email protected]. T HE J EWISH Q UARTERLY R EVIEW, Vol. 102, No. 3 (Summer 2012) 325–370 Torah in Triclinia: The Rabbinic Banquet and the Significance of Architecture GIL P. KLEIN INASATIRICALMOMENTin Plato’s Symposium (175a), Socrates, who ARTICLES is expected at the banquet, disappears, only to be found lost in thought on the porch of a neighboring house. Similarly, in the Palestinian Talmud (yBer 5.1, 9a), Resh Lakish appears so immersed in thought about the Torah that he unintentionally crosses the city’s Sabbath boundary. This shared trope of the wise man whose introspection leads to spatial disori- entation is not surprising.1 Different as the Platonic philosopher may be
    [Show full text]
  • The Laws of Shabbat
    Shabbat: The Jewish Day of Rest, Rules & Cholent Meaningful Jewish Living January 9, 2020 Rabbi Elie Weinstock I) The beauty of Shabbat & its essential function 1. Ramban (Nachmanides) – Shemot 20:8 It is a mitzvah to constantly remember Shabbat each and every day so that we do not forget it nor mix it up with any other day. Through its remembrance we shall always be conscious of the act of Creation, at all times, and acknowledge that the world has a Creator . This is a central foundation in belief in God. 2. The Shabbat, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, NCSY, NY, 1974, p. 12 a – (אומן) It comes from the same root as uman .(אמונה) The Hebrew word for faith is emunah craftsman. Faith cannot be separated from action. But, by what act in particular do we demonstrate our belief in God as Creator? The one ritual act that does this is the observance of the Shabbat. II) Zachor v’shamor – Remember and Safeguard – Two sides of the same coin שמות כ:ח - זָכֹוראֶ ת יֹום הַשַבָתלְקַדְ ׁשֹו... Exodus 20:8 Remember the day of Shabbat to make it holy. Deuteronomy 5:12 דברים ה:יב - ׁשָמֹוראֶ ת יֹום הַשַבָתלְקַדְ ׁשֹו... Safeguard the day of Shabbat to make it holy. III) The Soul of the Day 1. Talmud Beitzah 16a Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said, “The Holy One, Blessed be He, gave man an additional soul on the eve of Shabbat, and at the end of Shabbat He takes it back.” 2 Rashi “An additional soul” – a greater ability for rest and joy, and the added capacity to eat and drink more.
    [Show full text]
  • The Humanity of the Talmud: Reading for Ethics in Bavli ʿavoda Zara By
    The Humanity of the Talmud: Reading for Ethics in Bavli ʿAvoda Zara By Mira Beth Wasserman A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Joint Doctor of Philosophy with Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley in Jewish Studies in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Daniel Boyarin, chair Professor Chana Kronfeld Professor Naomi Seidman Professor Kenneth Bamberger Spring 2014 Abstract The Humanity of the Talmud: Reading for Ethics in Bavli ʿAvoda Zara by Mira Beth Wasserman Joint Doctor of Philosophy with Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley University of California, Berkeley Professor Daniel Boyarin, chair In this dissertation, I argue that there is an ethical dimension to the Babylonian Talmud, and that literary analysis is the approach best suited to uncover it. Paying special attention to the discursive forms of the Talmud, I show how juxtapositions of narrative and legal dialectics cooperate in generating the Talmud's distinctive ethics, which I characterize as an attentiveness to the “exceptional particulars” of life. To demonstrate the features and rewards of a literary approach, I offer a sustained reading of a single tractate from the Babylonian Talmud, ʿAvoda Zara (AZ). AZ and other talmudic discussions about non-Jews offer a rich resource for considerations of ethics because they are centrally concerned with constituting social relationships and with examining aspects of human experience that exceed the domain of Jewish law. AZ investigates what distinguishes Jews from non-Jews, what Jews and non- Jews share in common, and what it means to be a human being. I read AZ as a cohesive literary work unified by the overarching project of examining the place of humanity in the cosmos.
    [Show full text]
  • TRANSGENDER JEWS and HALAKHAH1 Rabbi Leonard A
    TRANSGENDER JEWS AND HALAKHAH1 Rabbi Leonard A. Sharzer MD This teshuvah was adopted by the CJLS on June 7, 2017, by a vote of 11 in favor, 8 abstaining. Members voting in favor: Rabbis Aaron Alexander, Pamela Barmash, Elliot Dorff, Susan Grossman, Reuven Hammer, Jan Kaufman, Gail Labovitz, Amy Levin, Daniel Nevins, Avram Reisner, and Iscah Waldman. Members abstaining: Rabbis Noah Bickart, Baruch Frydman- Kohl, Joshua Heller, David Hoffman, Jeremy Kalmanofsky, Jonathan Lubliner, Micah Peltz, and Paul Plotkin. שאלות 1. What are the appropriate rituals for conversion to Judaism of transgender individuals? 2. What are the appropriate rituals for solemnizing a marriage in which one or both parties are transgender? 3. How is the marriage of a transgender person (which was entered into before transition) to be dissolved (after transition). 4. Are there any requirements for continuing a marriage entered into before transition after one of the partners transitions? 5. Are hormonal therapy and gender confirming surgery permissible for people with gender dysphoria? 6. Are trans men permitted to become pregnant? 7. How must healthcare professionals interact with transgender people? 8. Who should prepare the body of a transgender person for burial? 9. Are preoperative2 trans men obligated for tohorat ha-mishpahah? 10. Are preoperative trans women obligated for brit milah? 11. At what point in the process of transition is the person recognized as the new gender? 12. Is a ritual necessary to effect the transition of a trans person? The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly provides guidance in matters of halkhhah for the Conservative movement.
    [Show full text]
  • Jefferson.Historical.Significance.2013 ( PDF )
    The Historical Significance of the Cambridge Genizah Inventory Project Rebecca J. W. Jefferson1, 2 1 Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit, Cambridge University Library 2 Isser and Rae Price Library of Judaica, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida [email protected] Abstract The Cambridge Inventory Project, sponsored by the Friedberg Genizah Project and carried out by a number of researchers at the Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit, was the first attempt to provide accurate information regarding the size and classification of the more than 193,000 Genizah manuscript fragments held at Cambridge University Library. Prior to this project, no authoritative list of valid shelf marks was available, nor was it known how many fragments were classified under any one shelf mark. The provision of such data and the creation of a searchable database were essential for the planning and implementation of a future digitization project. This article not only describes the ensuing Inventory Project, it also uses the project‘s findings, together with additional information in previously unseen archives, to provide a new history of how these collections were formed over time. Keywords Cambridge Inventory Project, Cambridge Genizah Collections, Cambridge University Library, Friedberg Genizah Project, Cairo Genizah, Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit, Genizah manuscripts, Genizah fragments, Solomon Schechter, library, digitization, shelf marks, handlists, folios, Hebrew, Arabic, collections, crates, residue A complete inventory of the Cambridge Genizah Manuscript Collections was compiled between the years 2004 and 2006. It was undertaken by researchers in the Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit,1 under the auspices of the Friedberg Genizah Project,2 in order to prepare the way for the eventual digitization of these manuscripts.
    [Show full text]
  • Wage Theft and Consumer Boycotts -למען נחדל מעשק ידינו
    Wage Theft and Consumer Boycotts -למען נחדל מעשק ידינו Morris Panitz, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies Introduction: The Consumer Boycott as a Resistance Strategy Consumer boycotts are a resistance strategy that draws heavily on the foundational principles of civil disobedience.1 An individual engaged in an act of civil disobedience “seeks not only to convey her disavowal and condemnation of a certain law or policy, but also to draw public attention to this particular issue and thereby to instigate a change in law or policy.”2 The public sphere serves as the ideal forum for civil disobedience for two reasons. First, the target of the direct action is forced to confront the issue under the scrutiny of the public eye, thereby raising the stakes for how the issue is dealt with. Ideally, the public will hold the target accountable for its response to the act of civil disobedience. Second, the calculation on the part of the target of whether or not to meet the demands of the protestors is partially determined by the following generated by the act of civil disobedience. Thus, the public sphere helps attract further support to instigate a change in law or policy. Consumer boycott campaigns are “where citizens act collectively and use their purchasing power to achieve economic, social or political objectives….Consumers can use their purchasing power as a kind of vote that is capable, among other things, of educating corporate 1 I am grateful to Rabbis Elliot Dorff and Aryeh Cohen for their thoughtful teaching and editorial remarks that shaped the development of this essay.
    [Show full text]