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Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Re A Rough Couple Of Months (BTW, Thanks To Those Who've Borne With Me)—And I'll Hopefully Be Able To Help Anyone Whom Can Relate

"A merry heart is a good medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones."

Right now, I feel it—not to mention, too, while I often feel guilty about feeling my own pain and dealing with it as others are feeling and dealing with their pain. By the way—as I've mentioned—I'm a Jewish Christian, and I believe in the Parable of the Talents, etc.—and I'm baffled to realize to while some are suffering worse on the equality scare, all of us are suffering the same on the proportionality scale.

Nonetheless, I often feel guilty for feeling my—at least in comparison—1 while someone else feels his or her 2 or 5. Still, 1/1 = 2/2 = 5/5. Thus, it all comes down to a paradox: while some are going through worse than I'm enduring, I'm going through worse than others are enduring; yet, we're all enduring the same proportion of suffering.

Incidentally, I have to take issue with Amy Grant's "Better Than a Hallelujah": I find more Christian a "broken 'Hallelu Yah'" better than no "Hallelu Yah", even when I feel the way that the songwriters of "Better" do. Job knew that a broken "Hallelu Yah" was far better than anything that's apparently "better than a Hallelu Yah". Of course, one doesn't have to vocalize "Hallelu Yah" to say "Hallelu Yah". Notwithstanding, Christians have to try to say "Hallelu Yah" in all of our actions—didn't Paul remind us of that as he wrote down that we're to give thanks in all things?

Meanwhile, this is part of why many among everyone else laughs at, jeers, derides, and otherwise abhors Christians—there is a real problem when Leonard Cohen, who is not a Christian, gets part of the core of Christianity better than those whom profess to be Christians.

This also reminds me of how many other Non Christians—both Jewish and gentile—get that supposedly-Christian Donald Trump's lack of asking God for forgiveness—aka, lack of praising God for what he supposedly professes what the sacrifice of Christ means to him—shows up in his Non-Christian narcissism, greed, racism, sexism, ableism, and Anti Semitism.

On that note, I wonder how Jewish Christians such as Edith Stein (whom, out of strong conviction, became a Carmelite nun and a namesake of another Jewish Christian, St. Teresa), Eduardo Propper de Callejon, Sir Nicholas Wintour—the first having died in the Sho'ah, and the other two having risked their lives to save others from the Sho'ah—would feel about Donald Trump-supporting Jews and gentiles whom profess to have the same Messiah that they professed. Perhaps they would sum up their feelings with gentile Christian Corrie ten Boom's words: "You cannot love God without loving the Jewish people."

I, thus, have felt the weight especially as those whom also profess the Jewish Jesus of Nazareth and support Donald Trump have persecuted me—and others—for pointing out how a man who is his own idol, has an $100-Million jet and other opulence, and loves only White male gentiles cannot genuinely profess to be a Christian—that is, profess to love a self-sacrificing Jewish man whom (as I and other Christians believe) "was despised, and forsaken of men, a man of pains, and acquainted with disease," of which he healed those such a Syrophonecian-Greek girl continuously-bleeding woman whom touched one of his tzitziyot. By the way, I'm pretty sure that Donald Trump would not let in the Syrophonecian-Greek girl and her mother today, since he'd think them to be a part of Daesh instead of gentile Nasara (Note: some, as I learned while I Googled, have objected to "Nasara" because they think that they're being called "Nasara" in the sense of supporting Daesh—despite that Daesh hates "Nasara", Nazarenes, as much as Donald Trump does. Meanwhile, "Christian" was just as derogatory as "Nasrani"; so, the complainers, with all due respect, need to just embrace "Nasarani" as a way to be "Nasara" against Daesh.).

In sum, then, I've been feeling the pain with which I deal daily (e.g., CP, Depression), fallouts from more-recent pains that I've described (such as the continuing heartbreak of the ongoing baffling estrangement from a dear friend and father figure whom is also a writing mentor—not to mention the long backstory behind it), and the distress regarding the ascent of a modern-day prince of Tyre whom claims to be a Christian as he and supposedly-Christian supporters of his persecute me and others whom point out that he wouldn't let even Jesus into the U.S., let alone love the Syrophonecian-Greek mother whom came with her own "broken 'Halleu Yah'" and a chronically-bleeding and debilitated woman whom would need to come to the U.S. to get treatment if she lived today and God would choose only to show sufficient grace

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Originally On Writerbeat: Just Like Going To a Normative Jewish Funeral And Saying, "Do You Know Yeshua?"...

Some are using the Daesh terror attack against Brussels to push their own agendas. One of the agendas is Muslimophobia*. Another is Trumpism. Still another is blaming the EU for allowing in Middle Eastern refugees—aka, victim shaming—and still another is xenophobia and racism**.

Now is the time to simply comfort, console, grieve with, and support the Belgians—just like my role at a Normative (i.e., Non-Messianic) Jewish funeral would be to comfort fellow mourners among Tzion v'Yerushalayim, not ask "Do you know Yeshua?" or "Did [the decedent] know Yeshua?" or "Since [the decedent] died without knowing Yeshua, [he or she] is not in Heaven. Would you like to know how to stay out of Hell and avoid [the decedent]'s fate?"

Those who incite Muslimophobia, use Belgium's 9/11 to promote Donald Trump, or engage in shaming the Belgians and stereotyping are no better than, e.g., Jesus For Jesus under opportunistic and Holocaust-exploiting David Brickner or people whom go onto the comments section of "Times of Israel" articles about murder victims to proselytize—whom would similar to me were I to start giving the whole "Let me tell you about Yeshua" schpiel at, e.g., an Orthodox Jewish funeral (which is akin to what has happened in "Times of Israel" comments sections, with one incident in which a friend of a decedent's family friend had to get involved and ask people to refrain from proselytizing).


*Note that I did not say "Islamophobia". I grant that moderate Muslims are really Reform/Liberal/secular Mohammedans—and Jews in Poland were called "Mosaics", similarly and by the way; so, with all due respect, get over your political correctness. By the way, you could call Daesh, Al Qadea, etc. Orthodox Mohammedans or Ultra-Orthodox Mohammedans, since Mohammed was a violent man. By alienating Reform/Liberal/Secular Mohammedans ("moderate Muslims") are you going to help fight against Orthodox Mohammedism and Ultra-Orthodox Mohammedism?

**Stereotyping all Middle Eastern refugees as Mohammedans is wrong and may even be Anti Semitic in some cases, though you can be my guest if you want to risk labeling Jadid al-Islam (Mizrahi Anusim) and other Non Mohammedans, including Egyptian Jews and gentile Coptic Christians.

Monday, March 7, 2016

On Ted Cruz's 'Reputiat[ion]' of Mike Bickle's Statements

Ted Cruz's basic non apology is pretty pathetic to me:
"'Pastor Bickle and the International House of Prayer have devoted decades to promoting prayer, and to improving the lives of those who are suffering,” the statement said. “Nevertheless, the statements from Pastor Bickle concerning Adoph [sic] Hitler are not statements with which Senator Cruz agrees.'"

A real apology (in this case, using verses from the NKJV Version*) would've been a statement like:

"The Gospel of Matthew reads that Jesus admonished the following:

"'Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name...?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

"What Senator Ted Cruz has come to realize is that Mike Bickle is among 'false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.' Senator Cruz has also quoted, 'You will know them by their fruits' when he has talked about the likes of Donald Trump.

"Clearly, the self-titled 'Pastor' Mike Bickle does not even know the following from the Book of Isaiah: 'Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.' Any real pastor would've known this, and self-professed 'pastors' who are 'false prophets...[and] ravenous wolves' have no knowledge of what the Scriptures mean.

"Therefore, Senator Cruz and the Cruz 2016 Presidential Campaign have taken upon themselves the disavowal of and disassociation from Mike Bickle from hereon out, and Senator Cruz will be rejecting any and all further endorsements from the circles of Mike Bickle and the International House of Prayer." * The use of "murder" in Acts 5:30 in the New King James Version is unacceptable and incorrect, by the way.

Monday, February 8, 2016

Re "Michael Douglas Makes His Debut"

This is one of the few articles I've read from "The Forward" in a long time, by the way (I read it only because I hadn't known that it's from "The Forward" prior to clicking to link to it.). Anyway, I see that a more-prominent and non-Anusi side of the Daniloviches also has members whom took the initiative to reconnect earlier generations with our roots (I'd read that Dylan had Jewish friends at his school, etc., though I didn't realize until now that on his own side, he's like me in that way—though his and his side's exact connection to me and my side is still unknown to me.).

Incidentally, I still often can't wrap my head around that, that YouTube commenter was right: "Katarzyna" is one of those Daniloviches (On a would've-been-positive-if-not-tragic note, I found out that there were Chernetzkys in Chausy as well.):


Saturday, January 9, 2016

Megyn Kelly: "Conservative" and "A Lawyer" Mein Tuchus!

For anyone whom's wondering, "meir tuchus" means "my butt!" Anyway, no true conservative (Classical Liberal) and lawyer would state that "legal" inherently means "should be legal":


  1. As far as the SCOTUS being the final arbiters of the law, the SCOTUS ruled in favor of inherently-illegal doctrines such as "Ferguson v. Plessy" and, before that, "Sanford v. Scott". The former was not overturned until 1955 (when "Brown" was fully cleared for implementation), and "Scott" en de facto was never overturned until Jim Crow ended, despite that the end of the Civil War ended it en de jure. 
  2. DOMA was in force from the Clinton Administration until just relatively recently in the Obama Administration. 
  3. Legalizing same-sex marriage risks religious freedom within certain contexts. For example, why should an Orthodox rabbi be sued by a couple whom he refuses to marry when he believes that the Flood came because of same-sex marriage in part (which the Talmud does state)?
By the way, speaking of rabbis, one'd think that Orthodox rabbis such as Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs would be helpful during this time of Anti-Jewish and Anti-Christian intolerance—although he's not at all tolerant of either Jewish Christians or gentile ones, or any Orthodox Jew whom even tolerates Christians (despite how Christianity as Noahidism is viewed).


Re Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs' Intolerance of Tolerance Of Christianity

Does the rabbi know history and his own halakhah? To most talmidim b'halakhah harabanim, "To Do the Will of Our Father in Heaven" is a perfectly-fine statement—after all, Christianity is not considered avodah zarah for goyim, and is in fact considered a legitimate form of Noahidism.

As far as for Jewish Christians like myself, we should be fine if we don't proselytize; and we're still Jews "even if [we, as rabbis like Rabbi Jacobs assume that we,] sin"—and as Ya'akov and Lavan stated regarding their own case, יהוה will judge between us and those like this rabbi. Even Gamali'el—despite the bubbe meise that he became a Christian—was tolerant of Christians and figured that we'd eventually "come to nothing" if יהוה wasn't willed of God in some way.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Teaching Judaism In English Catholic Schools And Notre Dame Of Maryland University

As long as they teach about Judaism without Anti Semitism, I'm okay with it. BTW, part of "Never forget" is, e.g., remembering that some Catholic schools (e.g., Notre Dame of Maryland University​) taught and still teach Pseudo-Christian Anti Semitism—for the record, by the way, Jews, for example, did not steal Passover from the Syrians and were not even "possibl[y]" influenced by the Devil (The prophets were wise and would have known if the Devil, and not the Holy Spirit, was speaking to and through them.).

England, take note—Jews and Christians (including Jewish Christians like me) are watching what you do; and we have no problem telling you when "[we're] tired of your Anti Semitism" (and I still remembering saying that to a certain Religious Studies professor.). Gasp as you will (as my classmates did) and tell us to mind our own business ("Leave!"), and we will maintain that affronting God is affronting the Jewish people—and saying that, e.g., "It's possible [that the prophets were influenced by the Devil]" is affronting God.

Also, Islam is not the root of Christianity (Messianic/Nazarene Judaism).

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Why I Do What I Do As A (Hopefully-To-Be-More-Than-Aspiring) Commentator, Etc.

I saw that (who I think is) a relative liked one of my posts on my public Facebook page. See; that's part of why I do what I do, too—to bring my families and families like mine back into the fold of Israel​. Mind you, I am not asking anyone to convert back to Rabbinical Judaism—whether you're Messianic or not is your schtick.

Frankly (and I've said this before), I wouldn't care about my Jewish heritage if Jesus (Yeshua) weren't in my life—or, on the other hand, I'd, with all due respect, end up Reform Jewish—and I myself cannot abide by a doctrine that states:

"[T]he texts are certainly divinely inspired and reflect our ancestors' best understanding of God and their covenant with God, as well as their view of God's will, but that is not the same as being divinely-authored."
I've even said that my own father would be Reform were he honest with himself (and he would; trust me), and other relatives (e.g., certain Daniloviches) have gone this way (and they weren't even among the kevorim whom were Anusim).

(By the way, I can assure that the URJ's position does not reflect the position of all Jews in the city in which I was raised; and I apologize for Rabbi Scheinerman on behalf of Columbia-born and -raised. Whatever any of us think of the Talmud, quite a few of us believe in the Torah m'Sinai.)

I don't want especially anyone in hamishpachot b'mispachah Yisra'el sheli to think that:


  1. We ought to disown Yeshua just because we're Jewish and b'nei-Anusim.
  2. We ought to disregard our Jewish heritage because of Yeshua.
  3. We have no obligation to the rest of Beit Ya'akov
  4. We have to assimilate.
  5. We have any obligation to keep Torah, since it was fulfilled. 
There do not need to be any false mutual exclusions, let alone false dichotomies. As I said, then, part of why I do what I do, too is to bring my families and families like mine back into the fold of Israel​ without forcing them to give up or to accept Yeshua.


Thursday, July 2, 2015

I Knew That The World Views Christianity, Especially Jewish Christianity, As Criminal

With all due respect to Gretchen Carlson​, I had to cringe at the headline when I saw it (Skimming the article made me cringe more.). If she didn't know that the world considers Christianity to be criminal, I don't know what Bible she's reading. The Bible that I've read unequivocally states that the world will hate Christians, especially Jewish Christians. e.g.:

"9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

"16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."

(From Matthew 24 and 10, New King James Version​, respectively)

Now, are there exceptions among those of the world? Yes:

" I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person."

(From 1 Corinthians 5)

Gamali'el was an exception; and despite that a myth that he became a Jewish Christian persists, he was tolerant of Jewish Christians (Sadly, the myth comes from a misinterpretation of his tolerance.):

"33 When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them. 34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them: “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. 38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”"

(From Acts 5)

By the way, one of the blessings of finding about my Jewish heritage is that I've had my eyes open to just how much the world really does hate Christianity, and that hate stems back to when Pilate maliciously blamed the murder of Jesus on Jews—read the Jewish Virtual Library​ article on Pontius Pilate to see what Pontius Pilate's talk about Jesus being innocent really meant, and you will find that Pilate was sarcastic and Anti Semitic. What should have been obvious to me and others a long time ago, by the way, is that Pilate would not have crucified a man whom he really believed to be innocent. Besides, his reaction after "Ein lanu melekh aval Qeisar [We have no king but Caesar]" was a way of saying, "Oh, ****. I can't get them riled up enough. Besides, they're reminding me that Caesar is my boss. ****; I wanted to cause a riot and make those Jews look bad, though (****) they outsmarted me."^

Remember, too, that we did not know. We thought that Jesus fit Deuteronomy 13, and Paul told Timothy as much for his part in his first letter to him:

"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus."

(From 1 Timothy 1)

My point being, Christianity has been criminal since the time that Pilate scapegoated Jews—and really, ever since Anti Semitism has existed.

^Incidentally, "murder" is a mistranslation in Acts 5:30 in the New King James Version

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Afghan Buddhas & China, Jerusalem & the SCOTUS, &c.

In the same way that people are outraged over China's handling of Afghanistan's ancient Buddha statues and other Buddhist architecture, people would be more outraged about Jerusalem being stepped on by the SCOTUS and other (unintentional and intentional) Anti Semites if the Government of Israel held to the "Declaration of Establishment".

In other words, the SCOTUS and others, instead of doing what is right, are saying to Netanyahu and Agudat Yisra'el, "Why should we care about Jerusalem when you all are stepping on it, anyway? After all, you arrest an American oleh for eating a ham sandwich!"

By the way, I told you that Netanyahu and Agudat Yisra'el were trying to sell Israel to the "Palestinians"—you don't for example, propose an "establishment of a confederate Israeli-Palestinian state encompassing the territory of Israel, as well as the West Bank and the Gaza Strip" if you do not want a "Palestinian" state.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Madame Noire, J. Edgar Hoover & Clark Gable, And Ethnicity & Religion

I'd read about J. Edgar Hoover being Black on Madame Noire​ and thought it a bubbe meise once they claimed that Clark Gable was Black. Either way, Madame Noire can kindly give us Clark Gable* back—we don't go claiming that everyone is Jewish**.



*Clark Gable was the son of a "Hersh", and that spelling of "Hirsch" is exclusively of Naftali.
**In fact, those of us who are b'nei-Anusim have a hard enough time proving that we are Jews; and that's why we cringe at self loathers like George Soros—if we have sekhel, anyway—and gentiles who claim to be Jewish just because they're gerim—especially if they're Messianic ones.

To the goyim whom claim to be Jewish just because they're grafted in: get real! You do not suddenly become Jewish just because you're grafted in—"spiritual" does not equal "physical". I don't become Black just because I become a member of an AME church or a Rastafarian congregation—I also don't become gentile just because I become a Christian (as opposed to a Rabbinical or a Karaite Jew. By the way, "Christianity" means "Messianism"; so, one couldn't become a gentile by joining a different Jewish sect even if becoming a gentile by joining another religion was possible).

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

How Many Jews Really Died During The Holocaust, And When Did The Holocaust Really Begin And End?

We have to be honest: if we say only 6,000,000 Jews and go from 1933-1945, we're not even looking beyond what we knew at one point in history. The moment that the Great Depression began, the Anti Semitism that a then-still-relatively-marginal group known as the Nazis began to gain a scarily-massive affect. Also, Stalin wanted to destroy particularly Jews in the gulags and otherwise within the USSR. So, quite technically, the Holocaust began on October 24, 1929 and didn't end until the gulags closed. Also, how many Holocaust survivors (including Jewish-American and other Jewish Allied soldiers, Navymen, etc.) died post liberation and post war due to illnesses and injuries that they sustained while they were held in the murder camps and/or fighting against the Axis of Evil?

That doesn't even touch, e.g.:

  1. The Jews who died and were left uncounted because they did not count as Jews by Rabbinical and/or Karaite standards (or even by their own standards). 
  2. Unborn Jews who were miscarried and died in wombs, often with mothers whom knew of their pregnancies and were not spared the gas chambers, crematoriums, and other horrors despite their pleas for their babies to be saved.
  3. The Jews who died in hiding.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

An Open Letter To Everyone Whom Has And/Or Could Harass And Bully Me For My Beliefs, Etc.

The non-underlined text is in regards to what prompted me to write this letter to a specific person. The underlined text is specific and general, as I have had others similarly harass and bully me in the past:

My belief in Yeshua is not relevant to the subject of homosexual acts as to how that the treated in the Torah, which is a common ground for both Messianic and Non-Messianic Jews. I even told a fellow Messianic that proselytizing is unacceptable and intolerable. Your attempt to embarrass me for my beliefs is a violation of the Facebook TOS as well as Torah.

Per the Facebook TOS alone:

1) "We respect other people's rights, and expect you to do the same.
You will not post content or take any action on Facebook that infringes or violates someone else's rights or otherwise violates the law. 

"We can remove any content or information you post on Facebook if we believe that it violates this Statement or our policies."

2) "Posting things that don't follow the Facebook Community Standards (ex: threats, hate speech, graphic violence).

Using Facebook to bully, impersonate or harass anyone.

Abusing Facebook features (ex: sending friend requests to a lot of people you don't know). Overusing features could make other people feel uncomfortable or unsafe. As a result, we have limits in place to restrict the rate at which you can use features. Learn more about these limits." 

3) "We don’t tolerate bullying or harassment. We allow you to speak freely on matters and people of public interest, but remove content that appears to purposefully target private individuals with the intention of degrading or shaming them. This content includes, but is not limited to: "

4) "Content that attacks people based on their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability or disease is not allowed. We do, however, allow clear attempts at humor or satire that might otherwise be considered a possible threat or attack. This includes content that many people may find to be in bad taste (ex: jokes, stand-up comedy, popular song lyrics, etc.)." (What Facebook considers hate speech)


If you attempt to embarrass or shame me again, I will look into having charges for cyberbullying, hate crimes, and civil-rights violations pressed against you.

Sunday, April 5, 2015

How Popular Is One's...

1) Identifying as a Messianic Jew on his or her Facebook profile—not to mention constantly making known his or her Messianic faith on Twitter, Blogger, etc.—especially when his or her ancestors were Anusim?

2) Staying a Christian after he or she has found out that he or she is Jewish, and even because he or she is Jewish—not to mention that saying that b'nei-Anusim who convert to Non-Messianic Judaism have fallen away—and not to mention refusing to make aliyah as a "Non Jew of Jewish descent" and wanting to even make aliyah "illegally" if he or she can?

3) Noting that Psalm 18 (מזמור חי\יח) prophesies Yeshua?

4) Calling out Michael Freund, Benjamin Netanyahu, Agudat Yisra'el and many other Haredim, etc?

5) Wearing tzitiyot techelet that haven't been dyed with chilazon?

6) Citing Da'at Emet and others who know what the Talmud really is?

7) Saying, e.g., "Yeshua, Hu gam l't'chiyah"?

8) Pointing out that HaNeged Mashiach (the One Against the Messiah) will be a Karaite, not a Muslim?



I could go on, but the point is that it's not popular. When my sister even wondered if I would convert to Non-Messianic Judaism ("I never know what's next with you.") just because I thought about going to a mikvah "just because" (since it is a part of my heritage), I asked her "How popular..."?

So, how popular is one's, e.g., identifying as a Messianic Jew publicly, especially when his or her ancestors were Anusim?...

Didn't think so! So, don't ever let anyone tell me that I might convert to Non-Messianic Judaism!

Apparently, You're Not Supposed To Ask Why a Jew Is a Jew Or a Ger Is a Ger; And If You Do...

Don't let the others get to you. I had the same question and desire to know the story of a man whose story I read while I was randomly browsing ("Were you born Jewish or did you convert? Either way, tell us your story. I am curious to learn."). Besides:
1) We know of the conversion of Rachav.
2) We know of the conversion of Rut, the history of which G-d devoted a whole sefer b'Tanakh.
3) That's part of how I suspected that I'm Jewish. My paternal grandfather was very dark skinned for such a Polish and Lithuanian American, and the case turned out to be that he was a Litvak and Belarusish Yid (on his paternal side. On his maternal side, he was an Ungarish and a Slovakish Yid on his maternal side.). By the way, both of my father's parents were Anusim and bnei-Anusim (Pop-Pop made a veiled confession that we are Jewish in one of our final conversations after he denied it for years, and Grandma also made a veiled confession once. Dad, on the other hand, is still like Pop-Pop was—not happy that I found out.). Also by the way, Mom is Jewish (She denies her heritage as well.).
In addition, Rabbi Jack Romberg once wrote, "It is the power of constant questioning that creates the dynamism that keeps Judaism relevant. The world changes and Judaism must respond to those changes." That includes, of course, asking how a Jew found out that he or she is Jewish and/or came to terms with and/or came to appreciate and live in light of his or her Jewishness, or why a gentile stated "thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God" as Rut stated to Na'omi.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Stubborn Yemenim, And An Even-Worse Israeli Government

According to Ynetnews:

The Jews living in Yemen - most of whom had the opportunity to leave for Israel or another country, but refused – face an approaching danger from the advancing rebel forces, who have repeatedly made statements against Israel.
"We don't want to leave. If we wanted to, we would have done so a long time ago," Sanaa's chief rabbi Yahya Youssef said in February.

So, many of them are doing what G-d warned against through Yirmiyahu (cf. Yirmiyahu 8:1-7). By the way, for The Jewish Agency for Israel and the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs to focus on those of us who Agudat Yisrael doesn't consider Jewish enough and would still like to go home to Israel would be nice, especially since (as YNet reports), "The Foreign Ministry and the Jewish Agency have been in an ongoing state of frustration over the refusal of Yemen's Jews to leave".


If they can and won't leave Yemen, perhaps they'd like to give the aspiring olim among them and us "not-Jewish[-enough]" Jews their opportunities, since they won't take them. Then again, Netanyahu and his government may not allow that to happen, since that might actually bring in Yehudim and others whom would vote Likud, Agudat Yisra'el, etc.. out of office.

Monday, March 2, 2015

"Stand With Israel, Not Netanyahu"

Even I, a staunch Zionist who was already mad enough at Netanyahu and his Haredi Judaism which he attempts to disguise as Yahadut Chilonit, took a few steps back and thought:

If Netanyahu was largely passive while Arab citizens were being assaulted, he led the demonization campaign against the 47,000 African refugees and asylum seekers who entered Israel without permits. Despite reducing the number of refugees entering Israel to practically zero, thanks to the Sinai fence, he continues to lock up thousands of these desperate people – who, like our own Jewish ancestors, sought to escape persecution and poverty. Netanyahu’s policies flout Jewish values, and have been overturned multiple times by the High Court as immoral and unjustified. But they play well to his xenophobic base. 

Good points and reminders. In fact, I wager that some of the Sudanese and other refugees may even be Falasha and Lemba Jews who are making aliyah in what many would call an illegal way—and if any "illegal" olim are among the Sudanese refugees, the Government of Israel has no right to deny those olim ("eleh Kushim!") their taglit. Also, think about this: what if some illegal immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, etc. are Anusim who'd make aliyah if Netanyahu and his yadidim let them? After all, they're not considered Yehudim al pi HaHoq Shivut. They otherwise have to be under the auspices of nasty people such as Dr. Michael Freund. (Just like Netanyahu, Dr. Freund can fool people. That's even part of why I save most of my e-mails in my backup folders—that is, so I do not ever lose the proof of when I run into mitchazim like Dr. Freund. That's why I still have the link to the 2012 conversation.).

 Likud-led fear and hatemongering hardly stops with our non-Jewish minorities. Progressives, civil rights activists, leftists, the judiciary and anyone who criticizes the occupation have all been accused of being enemies of the state. So much for Jewish solidarity or democratic discourse. 
Indeed. I've experienced this myself. I even have a Facebook friend who called Senator Diane Feinstein (with whom I myelf hardly ever agree) a "witch" for standing against Netanyahu, and I've seen others harp on the fact that Senator Feinstein comes from a Jewish Catholic family (which I did not know until they harped on her for it. As I learned, the Feinsteins and the Rosenburgs were and are Russian Byzantine Catholics.).

From a family of Roman Catholic Anusim and b'nei Anusim, I know that feeling ("You're not Jewish!"; "Your family betrayed their people!"; "They're meshumadim!"; "They're bogadim!"; "Oh; no wonder your Hebrew's not good: your family didn't tell you that they're Jewish!")

Perhaps, by the way, maybe the Anusi and "meshumad" minds are among the ones which are quickest to pick up on trouble. Our ancestors knew when trouble was coming and/or already came, and at least two of us (Senator Feinstein and me, though I suspect that there are more who) knew that Netanyahu and the Haredim were trouble (By the way, I'll have some kavod for Taylor Swift if she goes to Israel and dedicates her famous song to Netanyahu.).

Anyway:

This week’s Netanyahu drumbeat claims that the Iranian threat trumps all traditional diplomatic considerations. But those who, like me, believe that Iran is an existential threat to Israel, and fear that the agreement currently being negotiated will be too forgiving and trusting of Iran need to acknowledge that Netanyahu has blown it. 
His anti-Obama tirades, his support for West Bank settlements over all other considerations, his efforts to undermine the Palestinian Authority, his expropriation of 988 acres of Palestinian land at the end of the Gaza War not only wasted the new diplomatic opportunities he promised toward the war’s end, but alienated and antagonized the very European leaders who, along with U.S. President Barack Obama, are the partners necessary to stop Iran’s nuclear program. 

Excellent reminder and point as well. For being such a Zionist, Netanyahu isn't taking the higher road. He also is not trusting יהוה. For example, bulldozing the houses of innocent Bedouins does not help—and deliberately failing to distinguish between the innocent and the guilty is a chillul יהוה.

Bulldozing the houses of terrorists and their accomplices is fine. Destroying terrorists and their accomplices is fine. Stereotyping all Arabs as terrorists and bulldozing their houses is not fine.

As for (and back to the point about) taking the higher road, to stoop down to the level of an enemy or even lower is a chillul יהוה (cf. Tehillim 25:21-22 and Mishlei 26:4). The applicable mitzvot, after all, say to love your neighbor as yourself (not be like him or her in doing evil), treat the stranger well (not do as he or she has done to you), and let יהוה avenge you. Netanyahu is doing the exact opposite when he has the IDF go beyond proactive counterproliferation, preemption, and deterrence.

By the way, counterproliferation, preemption, and deterrence are obviously mitzvot and acts of kiddush יהוה.

Netanyahu plays the statesman abroad, but back home he is known for his paranoia, his self-aggrandizement, and his lashing out against the courts, the universities and the media. Netanyahu aspires to be Israel’s Churchill, but in nurturing a nation divided against itself he has become our Nixon. 
I and others who follow news from and about 'Eretz Yisra'el keep trying to say that, though nobody believes us. Hopefully, Director Futterman (despite that he's looking at the situation from a leftist perspective) can affect you to get that through your head.


Sunday, February 22, 2015

"[A]ll Men Are Created Equal[ly]"? Or Are They Created Equitably?

By the way, if you want an example of a group who think that all should be equal:

The haredi press raised further concerns that many of the immigrants would refuse to undergo a conversion process or that the procedure would be conducted by institutions and courts which do not meet the strict standard, and that as a result their children will create mixed marriages later on.

Note "strict standard" and a dread of "mixed marriages". Also consider that Thomas Jefferson considered Blacks, e.g., to be "as incapable as children". So much for "equally":
1
:  in an equal or uniform manner :  evenly equally
>
2
:  to an equal degree equally
 by young and old>
Try "equitably" instead:

1
:  having or exhibiting equity :  dealing fairly and equally with all concernedequitable
 settlement of the dispute>
2
:  existing or valid in equity as distinguished from law equitable defense>
After all, the Haredim would have to treat Non-Haredi Jews as fellow Jews who were created b'tzelem Elohim v'm'Yisra'el; and Thomas Jefferson would have had to treat Blacks as fellow humans who were created b'tzelem Elohim. Since they wanted equality, though, they could make only those who fit their standards to be considered as their compatriots.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

What About "Falling Away", By the Way?

I was thinking again on the subject in Hebrews 6 and 10 today (and discussed it in light of a friend's status). Here's what I wrote later on the subject:

John 6:66, though, talks about disciples who no longer walked with Jesus. 1 Corinthians 3:15 also reads, "If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."Congregation Yeshuat Yisrael has a wonderful study on this, by the way (Seehttp://www.yeshuatyisrael.com/Power.../Hebrews%20Dilemma.pdf). 

This might shed light on the Parable of the Sower: 

" 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. "

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Addendum To the Postcript In My TOI "Wuerker" Post

Addendum and disclosure: 

I'll admit that finding sources that are neutral about (e.g., neither hostile against nor favorable toward) Jewish Christians is hard (I try to use sources that, even if they're not Jewish Christian/Messianic Jewish, accept that there are Jews who actually believe in a Jewish man named Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. I don't want to support sources that are hostile toward Jewish Christians, given that I am a Jewish Christian). Sadly, I kept Googling and ran into well-written articles that came from hostile sources (e.g., The Jewish Daily Forward, despite that they concede that Jews are an ethnos. Their article about Jewish Christians by Rabbi David Wolpe and most comments on the article were incredibly hostile.).

If only there were more sources that were neutral, even sources from those such as Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, Rabbi Carol Harris-Shapiro, Dan Cohn-Sherbok, and Ya'akov Ariel. While I won't agree with all of their conclusions (e.g., Dr. Levine's conclusion that the New Testament does have Anti Semitism), I can be thankful that they at least accept Jewish Christians as Jews.
I will add, too, that for them to accept Jewish Christians despite that they've received backlash that's similar or equal to what we Jewish Christians receive takes a lot of ko'ach; and if only we were that strong in our faith, Emateinu HaMeshichi (and that phrase I had to only confirm with Google translate. The case was the same for "ko'ach" and some other words and phrases. ראה? אני לומדת. :-) )

(By the way, yes, I checked: there are forms of "re'eh" that I need to learn.).