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עמוד:37
People eo e of the Book Proud to Belong e on to the ““ Jewish Club !”” Jonathan Lévi , Proud to Belong to the “ Jewish Club ” , Jewish Press ( 20 € Euros ) Have you ever watched the credits at the end of a movie and noticed the names of the Jews involved in the production of the film ? Do you often notice which celebrities are Jewish ? Have you ever heard a fellow Jew comment on a prize winner , saying “ Did you know that she ’ s Jewish ? ” How can we explain our fascination with identifying successful Jews ? In his book , Proud to Belong to the “ Jewish Club” , Jonathan Lévi attempts to answer this question as he analyzes the roots and expressions of Jewish pride . A thought provoking and enjoyable read ! The Right to Speak ea Up David Friedman , The Right to Speak Up , Testimony Press ( 18 € ) “ Yes , I support the State of Israel . No , I do not always agree with its policies . It is precisely because Israel is important to me that I request the right to speak up and to express my opinions on the radio and television , ” wrote David Friedman in his book , The Right to Speak Up . Not everyone agrees with David Friedman ’ s sharp words . “ It ’ s a disgrace and an insult ! The State of Israel already has enough enemies – the last thing we need is Jews voicing criticism , ” responded Rabbi Leon Valensi to Friedman ’ s book . Read this provocative book before you take a stand on this issue . The Jewish World Daughters au ers of the revolution by Françoise Fitoussi Imagine for a moment a rabbi standing on the bimah in the synagogue . What does he look like ? Does he have a beard ? Is he wearing a suit under his tallit *? If you ask Jews in North America , you may be surprised to discover that some of them will describe a rabbi wearing a skirt . A female rabbi ? Yes ! This wouldn ’ t surprise anyone in the United States or Canada . It all started with women ’ s demands to take part in prayer services and to study Torah – just like men . Were these women particularly religious or were they primarily motivated by their dream of equality ? Whatever their motives , they claimed that the Torah was given to all the children of Israel at Mount Sinai , to men and women alike ! These claims initiated a heated debate . Opponents to women rabbis argued furiously : “ A female rabbi ? A female cantor ? Whoever heard of such a thing ! These roles are completely inappropriate for women ! ” Supporters responded : “ Just as there are female doctors , CEOs of large companies , government ministers , and women who contribute to society in every field , women shouldn ’ t be prevented from contributing to Jewish religious life as rabbis !” Who won this debate ? It is difficult to say . Although women serve as rabbis in many Jewish communities in North America , this revolution has not spread throughout the entire Jewish world . In France , for example , you can count the number of women rabbis on one hand . Just as there are female doctors , CEOs of large companies , government ministers , and women who contribute to society in every field , women shouldn’t be prevented from contributing to Jewish religious life as rabbis ! Nevertheless , throughout the Jewish world and within every stream of Judaism in Israel and in the Diaspora , more and more women are becoming active participants in their Jewish communities : women serve as principals of Jewish schools , teach Torah classes , and play important roles in the management of synagogues . They have assumed many positions that in the past were filled only by men . This is the situation today . What does the future hold ? That is yet to be seen ... Tallit – – prayer shawl Rabbis on the day of their graduation , Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies , Jerusalem , Israel .
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