Jane Fonda on Elizabeth Taylor

Jane Fonda led the tributes pouring in from Taylor's celebrity friends. She said in a statement: 'Elizabeth, on every level, was a mensch. Kind, generous, brave.'

As for that use of mensch, Yiddish for a 'good soul' (but literally: a man or a nice human being), well

Maestro Zubin Mehta Receives a Star on the Walk of Fame
Mehta, who was the music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for over a decade, called a "mensch" by Kirk Douglas

and Taylor's former husband, Eddie Fisher:

"Late last evening the world lost a true America icon," Fisher's family said in a statement released by publicist British Reece. "One of the greatest voices of the century passed away. He was an extraordinary talent and a true mensch."

And the headlines announcing the passing of Tony Curtis announced he was a mensch

I guess that's a Hollywood buzzword.

In her memory:

Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe are in the powder room, getting themsleves even more pretty and discussing the aspects of Judaism they appreciate as converts.

In walks Brigitte Bardot.

Liz turns to Marilyn and whispers: "sha, redd yiddish".

By the way:

In her book Elizabeth Takes Off, Taylor writes, "[Conversion to Judaism] had absolutely nothing to do with my past marriage to Mike [Todd] or my upcoming marriage to Eddie Fisher, both of whom were Jewish. It was something I had wanted to do for a long time."

^

Wall Posters

Someone was spreading a rumour that Rabbi Weiss did not approve of the Kashrut of two slaughtering houses and he did not disapprove:

Two posters campaigning against the Chief Rabbinate's activity on behalf of conversions of soldiers:

^

That New Conversion Court Law

The most up-to-date version is here.


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Mixed Marriage in the NYTimes But Not In the Wedding Section

Mixed Marriage Woes

My soon-to-be mother-in-law, who is Jewish, never had a problem with me as a non-Jew — until now. She’s worried that I’m “indoctrinated” in Christianity and will force my views on our future children. But I wasn’t raised a Christian, nor do I consider myself one. My fiancé and I have tried explaining this to her several times, and I’ve agreed that our children will be raised Jewish. But it never seems to sink in.

Anonymous


Sounds like a perfect vehicle for Joan Rivers and Blake Lively. We’ll call it “Guess Who’s Coming to Seder?”

Interfaith issues can be tricky. But since we’re dealing with only one faith here (and one non-faith) [stupid. it's one faith that's isn't Jewish], this one isn’t exactly a brain-teaser. Plus, it sounds as if you’ve already handled the issue — and nicely, too.

Your imminent mother-in-law may be anxious about sonny-boy growing up and moving on — or she may have wanted a Jewish bride for him. But those are her issues to deal with, not yours, and she probably will, over time. [but it is also the husband-to-be's issues, no matter what his opinion be of which, somehow, we do not know anything]

Try to be as patient as possible. But make sure you feel supported by your fiancé and let him know when you don’t. And if I were you, I might not invite Big Momma to any Easter egg hunts in the near future.

Hello dear. Your children can't be Jewish if you are not Jewish. That's why you mother-in-law-to-be is upset.

Of course, if religion means nothing to you, why not go through a conversion process just for the heck of it. Then everyone will be happy, especially in another 20 years when your child decides that he/she would like to marry a Jew who is a bit more demanding and comitted to his/her religious values.

Backwards Rabbinical Thinking

The Jerusalem Post reports on a ridiculous situation among Jewish communities in Europe:-

Rabbi Kotel Dadon of Zagreb complained "If I can start to convert observant people who have already been coming to my synagogue for the past five years, I can have a minyan," explained. Instead, he faces a catch-22 that is keeping his community from growing.

Only with conversions can he build a viable community, but the poskim (halachic decisors) and batei din (rabbinic courts) of Europe won't convert someone living in a community that lacks the institutions necessary for Jewish life, such as the schools, ritual baths and kosher slaughterhouses required for an observant lifestyle.

"The question is whether Croatia has an infrastructure for Judaism," explained a rabbi familiar with Ehrentreu's opinion. "What is conversion? It's an acceptance of the yoke of mitzvot. If [the aspiring convert] doesn't know what mitzvot are, or cannot fulfill them, how can he accept them?"

And Jews living in small communities have the opportunity to go to the mikveh (ritualarium)? Does that make them less Jewish?

Judaism started with one Jew who converted non-Jews.

Even Chabad states:

Abraham nomadically wandered the length and breadth of the land proclaiming his belief, and he was so successful that he converted thousands to monotheism. His method was one of kindness—he set up a motel and after feeding and watering wayfarers they were introduced to the true belief and blessed G-d the Provider. Abraham converted the men and Sarah the women, and together they successfully brought many souls under the wings of the Shechinah, hence resensitizing the world to G-dliness.

I think the Rabbis could do a lot better.

RCA Declaration (of War) on an Israeli Beth-Din

RCA Affirms its Support for Israel’s Conversion Authority

RCA Reacts to Ruling of Israeli Rabbinical Appeals Court regarding Past Conversions by the Israeli Conversion Authority

May 6, 2008 — Leviticus 19:33 : “You (plural) shall not oppress the convert in your land.” Commentary of the Netziv: “The plural form of the verse teaches us that a third party who sees the oppression of a convert and does not protest is also guilty of oppression.”

The Rabbinical Council of America, having taken note of the recent ruling of the Bet Din Elyon (Rabbinic Court of Appeals) of Israel, nullifying certain conversions performed by the State Conversion Authority led by Rabbi Chaim Druckman, has today issued the following statement:

Having reviewed the ruling of the Bet Din Elyon in detail, and being fully mindful of the respect due the rulings of duly constituted rabbinical courts in their respective jurisdictions, the RCA finds it necessary to state for the record that in our view the ruling itself, as well as the language and tone thereof, are entirely beyond the pale of acceptable halachic practice, violate numerous Torah laws regarding converts and their families, create a massive desecration of God’s name, insult outstanding rabbinic leaders and halachic scholars in Israel, and are a reprehensible cause of widespread conflict and animosity within the Jewish people in Israel and beyond. The RCA is appalled that such a ruling has been issued by that court.

We have been assured by Israel’s Chief Rabbi Rav Shlomo Moshe Amar, who is also the President of the Rabbinical Courts System of Israel, that in releasing this ruling the court in question directly countermanded his instructions and policies. He has confirmed that the ruling has no legal standing at this time. We commend Rav Amar for his positive role in this matter since its very inception in the Ashdod regional court.

We add our rabbinic voice to those of others who have called for a thorough review and repudiation of the actions of a select few of the Bet Din Elyon, who in this ruling as in other previous instances, have sought to undermine the Conversion Authority.

For this reason, and others, it is more important than ever that the Conversion Authority be strengthened in its important work in bringing about halachicly proper conversions to our faith and to the Jewish people.

Given the very public nature of the challenge posed by the ruling in question, we call on the Chief Rabbis of Israel to reaffirm their support of the Conversion Authority and its leadership in clear and unambiguous terms at the earliest possible time. Until that will happen, each passing day will cause reprehensible anguish to halachic converts, irreparable harm to the fabric of the Jewish people, and a considerable debasement of the good name of Torah, halachah, and tradition.

He's Converted Me

What won me over to Judaism was the insistence that our sacred texts were still vivid, still alive, the idea that the Torah and the Talmud were meant to be wrestled with the way Jacob wrestled with the angel. In the Protestantism of my childhood, the Bible, especially the New Testament, was meant to be read, but reverentially. The words were cast in stone; they didn’t resonate with the earthy energy that I find in Torah.

And, too, I was moved by a tradition in which we are still in dialogue with our greatest teachers. We Jews speak of the ancient sages Hillel and Rabbi Akiva as if we just had an espresso with them at Starbucks. We still refer to Moses Maimonides, the brilliant 12th-century rabbi and physician, as if he still made house calls. We don’t dwell on saints and martyrs, but on flesh and blood men and women.



Now, I don’t want to give the impression that becoming a Jew-by-choice has been one smooth drive down some celestial highway of transcendence. There are doubts, outright arguments with God and the little voice that keeps whispering: “Oh, come on, man, how much can one tiny strip of bacon hurt?”

Wanna read more.

Here.