Ban On Circumcision?

You might have heard about this one but thought someone was kidding- this fall San Francisco will have a bill on the ballot that outlaws circumcision for any male under 18. It is called the MGM Bill (male genital mutilation.) It outlaws circumcision and makes it an offence punishable with a $1000 fine and a year in jail. (Bad news if you are a mohel!) This bill seems to ignore the fact that over 1.2 million circumcisions are done each year. It also ignores the many studies that prove that circumcision is a sound medical policy. Before I turn to the religious implications I remind you that it is a parent’s business if they wish a baby to be circumcised or not.

To me it is one of those laughable causes that make me wonder what people do with their time and energy. With all the problems in the world couldn’t these want-to-be- do-gooders find a more meaningful cause? It is almost a case of when you “think you’ve seen it all” something comes along that “takes the cake.”  Spiritually I worry about issues like these- it shows that people do need a cause, a belief, a reason to get up in the morning and think their actions really matter. I would not be the first person to question if “activism,”- the pursuit of causes and “isms” to believe in- has replaced the empty value systems of our country. There is far too little that people “believe in” any more, and in the place of meaningful values comes a flood of “causes” that sit on the edge of silly or worse!

This proposed ban on circumcision is such a case. Even if I was not a Jew I would feel that it is no one’s business if I decide to have my son circumcised. What’s next, a ban on bottle feeding? Maybe breast feeding needs to be stopped! I have to hope that there are still enough reasonable people in San Francisco to defeat this bill but I can’t help but wonder “what’s next?”

Lastly, let me change seats and put my “rabbi” cap on! It is obvious that, as Jews, we must speak out against any action that would, in effect, deny us the right to observe Judaism. Circumcision or, for us, Brit Milah, is the oldest observance in the history of our faith. It represents the covenant given to Abraham and the promise made to the Jewish people. That is the issue that causes my greatest concern. Is this wacky proposal a veiled attack on religion in general? Remember, circumcision is central to Islam also. Is preventing circumcision one more way to chip away at the right to observe any religion? It might sound like a broad indictment but I remind you that many people do believe that America should be a completely secular society. It is that group that would revel in a ban on circumcision.

I Was So Wrong


Last week I wrote a piece asking you to watch political events in Europe. I warned that the EU’s support of Palestinian statehood was a threat to the safety and existence of Israel. Well, I was so wrong—forget Europe. The most dangerous threat to Israel is in this country and he lives in the White House. Today, as I write, the news just broke- President Obama has called for Israel to return to the 1967 borders for the sake of “making peace in the mid-east.” If there was ever any doubt in your mind I hope you now have heard the message loud and clear—Barak Obama is no friend to Israel or the Jewish people of America.

Many Jewish voters have held on to the illusion of the Obama smoke-and-mirrors doubletalk. I can only hope that our community now admits the truth. America has no coherent foreign policy and certainly no logical policy regarding peace between Israel and the Arab world. Once again, Obama has sold out the safety of the Jewish State for the sake of his false beliefs that he can become the “savior” of the Arab world.

If we try to follow the twisted logic of the current administration this call for Israel’s retreat is in answer to the “Arab spring,” the false belief that the unrest in the Arab world will result in the establishment of moderate democracies. The problem is that there is no evidence to assure us that this will happen. The opposite is true- the rumblings from the Moslem Brotherhood shows that even the peace accord with Egypt may be discarded by a new Egyptian government. Syria is in crisis, Lebanon is increasingly under the thumb of Iran, and the nuclear threat to Israel remains. How can any of these developments be a basis for Israel to make itself more vulnerable than ever? It seems our president has much more faith in the future of the Arab world than most of us do. Well, maybe not faith, just wishful thinking.

Look at a map made before 1967. Try to remember what Israel looked like then. Now, imagine trying to protect that much-reduced little piece of land. Can it be any surprise that Israel has already rejected the Obama dictate? Why is our president so arrogant? How could he have the nerve to make such an outrageous statement the day before he was to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu? If I were the Prime Minister I would take great pleasure in not showing up for that meeting. Yes, if I sound bitter I am. If you voted for Obama I can only hope you come to your senses soon. In the meantime, enjoy the view from under the bus!

Eyes On Europe

With the Arab world in turmoil it is hard to keep up with the news. There are so many developments and such violence in countries that most of us could not find on a map. Yes, we may not be sure where those places are but we know that events there are important. At the same time we wonder about Libya,  then we hear more and more about Bin Laden’s death. So many events to monitor!

In my last article I asked for your attention concerning the up-coming move in the UN- to “vote” a Palestinian state into existence as a step toward bring peace to the region. I warned you to watch this unfold- it is nothing but a back door attack on Israel’s very existence. Recent events seem to confirm my fears. In a recent interview Gerard Araud, the French ambassador to the UN said, “The recognition of a Palestinian state is an option that we are thinking about with our European partners.” This is no surprise coming from France. It troubles me more because the ambassador seems to indicate that he is speaking on behalf of the European Union.  There is one exception to the wholesale European sellout— Angela Merkel has made it clear that Germany is against the recognition of a Palestinian state. In a statement to the newspapers she said that she intends to encourage Mahmoud Abbas not to seek such recognition.

I am happy that Israel has at least one ally in Europe but I am also struck by the irony! Germany has long been a good trade partner with Israel. If you have visited Israel you may have noticed how many German products are available there and you know how young Germans love to visit Israel. Yes, maybe it is the way that Germans cope with their guilt, but relations with Germany have been good for Israel.

I bring this to your attention because it is a time in which Germany’s support for Israel is stronger than ever but it is also the time in which Neo-Nazis are gaining more political influence than ever before. The last few weeks I have been watching the news coming out of a small village, Jamel Germany. It has become the hometown of the neo-Nazi movement complete with bonfires attended by hundreds who proclaim their allegiance to Hitler. On the way into town you pass road signs telling the direction to other cities including Braunan am Inn, Hitler’s birth place. While the National Democratic Party (the political arm of the neo-Nazis) preaches hatred for all foreigners, their hatred for Jews is not disguised in any way.

I bring you this story just to remind you that the nations of Europe have many problems- both social and economic- many of them are more than willing to advocate for a Palestinian state out of self-interest.  I appreciate that the vast majority of German citizens are remaining to true to the lessons of history.  Keep your eyes on Europe.

Upcoming LChaim Segments, JLTV, Tuesdays at 8pm and 11pm

5/24/11 - Rose Smith, newly installed president of NEXT GENERATIONS, an organization of children and grandchildren of Holocaust Survivors, and we present another video produced by NEXT GENERATIONS.

5/31/11 - An interview with Uri Man, a participant in March of The Living, and Rabbi Yaakov Thompson interviews Eric Stillman, president of the Broward County Jewish Federation and Robert Salamon of United Synagogue Youth.

6/7/11 - An interview with Paul Hirschenson, the Deputy Consul General of Israel, a story about the Touch A Heart Foundation, and Rabbi Yaakov Thompson interviews Jim Davis, Religion Editor for The Sun Sentinel

6/14/11 - We visit the David Posnack Jewish Community Center and watch some shayna punims in their annual pre-school fashion show, Rabbi Yaakov Thompson interviews two students who participated in the Nativ education program and spent 5 months in Israel.

6/21/11 - Show features coverage of the Yom Ha'Shoah ceremony that took place at our own Rabbi Yaakov Thompson's shul, Sunrise Jewish Center in Florida.

6/28/11 - We talk education with Baila Gansburg, director of the South Florida Jewish Academy, Linda Medvin, from the Florida task force on Holocaust education, and first up is Eileen Shapiro, a Holocaust Studies program planner.

Please join us each week for the LChaim Show, 239 on Comcast in South Florida. For the complete channel listing for your area visit JLTV.TV.. Visit us at Facebook.com/ToLife,Lchaim

The LChaim Show, April 12,2011

Tied to the Land


In this period between Passover and Shavuot we count forty nine days that join the two holidays together. The freedom of Passover finds its final purpose in the Giving of the Torah which we celebrate at Shavuot. This period of time is referred to as “the Omer.” In ancient times an “omer” was a dry measure of wheat which was brought to the Temple as a special agricultural sacrifice in thanks of the new spring crops. Today we keep the memory of that sacrifice alive by counting each day during the period and marking the progression toward Shavuot. This ancient sacrifice seems very far removed from our lives but, in truth, it can serve as a reminder of a very important lesson—the future of Jews everywhere is still bound up with the future of the State of Israel.

During this time of the Omer we are reminded just how important the Jewish homeland is to our people- after two thousand years the land of Israel still brought new strength and pride to Jews around the world. It is unfortunate that at this time when we celebrate our connection to the land we also have to keep a close eye on those who would destroy Israel. Need I say it? Yes, the UN is up to its usual bag of tricks and lies. The threat is a resolution that has been slated for September- the resolution would be a declaration of Statehood for Palestine which would, in effect, create a two-state partition without the involvement or agreement of Israel. Needless to say, this is no solution but rather an attempt by the UN to force, de facto, a Palestinian state into existence.

Such a resolution will do nothing to bring peace or safety to Israel, it is a lose/lose situation that will force a war with the Arab world. If you will allow me a loose analogy- this would be like the UN voting that the United States give California back to Mexico. It does nothing to respect national sovereignty or to set the stage for a peaceful outcome.

During this period of the Omer we are reminded that the fate of the Jewish people has always been tied to the fate of the Jewish homeland. That homeland was denied us for over two thousand years- we can’t let it been stolen again.

Fulfill the mitzvah of counting the Omer—let no day pass without a prayer for Medinat Yisrael and Am Yisrael.