Why No Shellfish On My Dinner Table?

 Nadene Goldfoot                                             

                                                         Dinner table with kosher food

 I was asked why I didn't want to eat any oyster stew, and explained that I was Jewish following the laws of kashrut.  That didn't go over, even with Moses telling us not to eat shellfish.  Why not asked the oyster stew people?  Oyster stew is a stew made with oysters. It is popular in the United States and in The Gambia.   In New England cuisine, oyster stew is often associated with Thanksgiving. In Southern United States cuisine, oyster stew is often prepared on Christmas Eve.  It's also just served as a soup anytime.  

The short answer to why Jews observe these laws is: because the Torah says so. The Torah does not specify any reason for these laws, and for a Torah-observant, traditional Jew, there is no need for any other reason. 

Shellfish is not kosher because the Torah states that only fish with both fins and scales are kosher. This includes fish like salmon, bass, and trout, but not shellfish, crabs, shrimp, and lobster. 

The rationale for this is that fish with fins and scales live in the upper, clear parts of the water and grow from the air, while fish without fins and scales live at the bottom of the water and are scavengers,  and in the dirt, where they have a cold, sticky moistness. 

Some Jewish sources have suggested that the laws of kashrut fall into the category of "chukkim," laws for which there is no reason. We show our obedience to G-d by following these laws even though we do not know the reason. Others, however, have tried to ascertain G-d's reason for imposing these laws.Reform Judaism does not have a strict "all or nothing" approach to kashrut, or Jewish dietary laws. Reform Jews may choose to observe kashrut in different ways, including: Separating milk and meat, Abstaining from pork and shellfish, Eating only kosher meat, and Vegetarianism. 

According to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, 5% of Reform Jews keep kosher in their home. Some reasons why Reform Jews may choose to keep kosher include: Connection to other Jews, Ethical considerations, Acknowledging Jewish tradition, Personal expression of Judaism, and Meals as reminders of Jewish ideals and holiness. 

Some Reform Jews have historically dismissed kashrut, referring to it as "kitchen Judaism". However, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, has promoted kashrut as a model for Reform Jewish dietary practice. 

In his book "To Be a Jew" (an excellent resource on traditional Judaism), Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin suggests that the dietary laws are designed as a call to holiness. The ability to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil, pure and defiled, the sacred and the profane, is very important in Judaism. Imposing rules on what you can and cannot eat ingrains that kind of self control, requiring us to learn to control even our most basic, primal instincts.

Donin also points out that the laws of kashrut elevate the simple act of eating into a religious ritual. The Jewish dinner table is often compared to the Temple altar in rabbinic literature. A Jew who observes the laws of kashrut cannot eat a meal without being reminded of the fact that he is a Jew (meaning that he has certain expectation of himself and are reminded of by the dietary laws of Kashrut).

I have found that our restricted foods are following the phylum of the creation of animals.  Look at the fish, how it must have scales and fins.  We don't eat camels or rabbits or pigs; all without the points cattle have which is allowed to us for meat.  Cows are allowed in Kashrut law because they are considered kosher animals, which are defined as animals that have split hooves and chew their cud. Other kosher animals include sheep, goats, and deer. Animals that are not kosher include pigs, rabbits, squirrels, bears, dogs, cats, camels, and horses.   

Popular non-kosher meats are from pigs, rabbits and horses eaten by several cultures.  

 In defense for Moses:  Shellfish poisoning can occur when you eat shellfish that's contaminated with toxins produced by algae or cyanobacteria. The type of toxin in the shellfish determines the symptoms you experience. How do we know that people in Moses's era weren't experiencing this to a large degree if they ate any shellfish?  

The USA's Jewish population is 2% of the total and out of that is a small group of Orthodox Jews who follow our dietary laws. 

Yes, Conservative Jews in the United States generally follow the laws of kashrut, or Jewish dietary laws, but not as strictly as Orthodox Jews. Kashrut is a fundamental tenet of Conservative Judaism. 

 However,  Reform Judaism does not have a strict "all or nothing" approach to kashrut, or Jewish dietary laws. Reform Jews may choose to observe kashrut in different ways, including: Separating milk and meat, Abstaining from pork and shellfish, Eating only kosher meat, and Vegetarianism. 

According to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, 5% of Reform Jews keep kosher in their home. Some reasons why Reform Jews may choose to keep kosher include: Connection to other Jews, Ethical considerations, Acknowledging Jewish tradition, Personal expression of Judaism, and Meals as reminders of Jewish ideals and holiness. 

Some Reform Jews have historically dismissed kashrut, referring to it as "kitchen Judaism". However, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, has promoted kashrut as a model for Reform Jewish dietary practice. 

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/crime/2016/07/22/seven-facts-keeping

-kosher/87456202/#:~:text=%C2%BB%20Because%20the%20Torah%20allows

%20eating,dairy%20with%20meat%20or%20poultry.

BRAIN WASHING Through Kashrut and Through Video Games

 Nadene Goldfoot                                    

Hearing about one mother's confronting her sons' video games and how bloody they were made me think of why Moses introduced the Laws of Kashrut (Kosher Laws).  G-d through Moses was possibly brain-washing his people into thinking of kindness and consideration for others with the practice of dividing food into milkish and fleshish.  or milk and meat and not to eat them together in the same meal.  What are the designers of these video games doing to the minds of these teens?  Laugh at blood spilled in acts of violence !  

Two thoughts on the subject are that:  the Jewish religion does not cook/eat meat and dairy together because it is considered cruel to cook an animal in the very milk that was meant to nourish it.  You can't get around it by using goat milk instead of cow milk, either;  milk is milk and this also broadens to include milk products such as milk shakes and cheese.  

The reason given by rabbis for the division of food is that a cow gives us meat and milk.  It is a slap in the face for her to see people eating her children, the calves while drinking her milk.  For her peace of mind and feelings, we do not mix these foods in our body as a remembrance of her feelings.  This is a lesson that teaches us that even animals must be considered in the acts of ours.  This of course moves on to realizing that other people have feelings as deep as ours as well. 

Strict separation of meat and dairy products is enjoined, both in eating and in preparation. This restriction not only forbids the eating of these two types of food at the same meal but also requires that distinct sets of dishes, cutlery, utensils, and table linens be used for meat and dairy products during the time of preparation. Some foods are “neutral” (pareve) and may be eaten freely with meat or milk. No restrictions apply to the use of vegetables and fruit. 

In Orthodox Judaism the dietary laws are considered implications of the divine command to “be holy” (Leviticus 19:2), but in Reform Judaism their observance has been declared to be unnecessary to the life of piety.

As for these video games,  they are extremely bloody.  People are killed with blood spurting out, than can pick themselves up and go on killing others, while the gamer finds this very funny and gets a big laugh.  What on earth is it teaching these young teenager boys about life and death?  I notice that movies from other countries are also extremely bloody and have found an audience in these gamers as they have grown up as well.                                          

Sgt. Jeremy Feldbusch, 24 years old, an Army Ranger from the 3rd Battalion, 75th Regiment, was injured April 3, 2003, defending the Hadithah Dam and awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with valor. He is completely blind, his brain is held together with titanium plates, he suffers seizures and has some brain damage. Photographed in his home in Derry Township, Pennsylvania, October 18, 2003.

The Haditha Dam (Arabic: سد حديثة, romanized: Sadd Ḥadītha) or Qadisiya Dam is an earth-fill dam on the Euphrates River, north of Haditha (Iraq), creating Lake Qadisiyah (Arabic: Buhayrat al-Qadisiyyah). The dam is just over 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) long and 57 metres (187 ft) high. The purpose of the dam is to generate hydroelectricity, regulate the flow of the Euphrates and provide water for irrigation. It is the second-largest hydroelectric contributor to the power system in Iraq behind the Mosul Dam.  This was a big battle in Iraq that the USA was involved in.  

What do our soldiers think who have seen blood and gore on the front lines?  How many have suffered by mentally and physically from all the real blood and gore?  

Resource:

The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia

https://forward.com/food/319291/meditating-on-milk-and-meat/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/kashruth

https://www.britannica.com/topic/kosher

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/nuqxyu/til_the_jewish_religion_does_not_cookeat_meat_and/

Kabbalah (TRADITION) And Our Personality Types

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                    

Kabbalah is the mystical religious stream found in Judaism.  On a philisophical level, Kabbalah seeks to explain the connection between  1. G-d and creation, 2. the existence of good and evil, 3. and to show the road to spiritual perfection.  Throughout history, it's been influenced by other foreign thoughts such as GNOSTICISM and NEOPLATONISM while still always preserving its basic Hebrew character.

Originally it was an esoteric and "aristocratic" movement, it succeeded in appealing to the masses, becoming a popular religious movement in the 16th century and again in HASIDIM and again in our own 20th century.  

The term, Kabbalah, originally referred to the oral tradition which was received along with the Written Law.  By the 12th century, it was adopted by mystics as a sign to show the alleged continuity of their mystical "tradition" from early times.  

The term, MYSTICISM, strives for a vital intensive contact with the DIVINITY and in Jewish mysticism too, this desire for immediate awareness of and communion with G-d is basic.  A known Rabbi of Kabbalah is Dr. Howard A. Addison.  

Howard Avruhm Addison, Ph.D. :  

Howard Avruhm Addison is Gershom Scholem Professor of Jewish Spirituality and Director of the D.Min.Program in Jewish Spirituality. He is an Assistant Professor for Instruction at Temple University where he teaches in the Intellectual Heritage Program. Ordained as a Rabbi by the Jewish Theological Seminary (The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is a Conservative Jewish education organization in New York City, New York. It is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism and a center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies. The Jewish Theological Seminary Library is one of the most significant collections of Judaica in the world.), 

There are 9  personality types on an enneagram.  the 1. reformer, 2. helper, 3. achiever, 4. individualist, 5. investigator, 6. loyalist, 7. enthusiast, 8. challenger, 9. peacemaker

He is certified as an Enneagram teacher (The Enneagram of Personality, or simply the Enneagram, is a model of the human psyche which is principally understood and taught as a typology of nine interconnected personality types. The origins and history of ideas associated with the Enneagram of Personality are disputed.) by Helen Palmer, as a Fellow in Contemplative Group Leadership by the Shalem Institute, and as a Dream Group Leader by the Haden Institute. Rabbi Addison holds a B.A. degree from the University of Illinois, an M.A. in Philosophy from Hunter College/NYC, an M.A. in Hebrew Letters, and a Doctor of Divinity from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City, a D.Min. from the Chicago Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Foundation. A founding teacher of Lev Shomea, the first institute for training spiritual directors in the Jewish tradition, his writings include The Enneagram and Kabbalah: Reading Your Soul and the anthology, Jewish Spiritual Direction.

Resource:

The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia

The Enneagram and Kabbalah-Reading your Soul by Rabbi Howard A. Addison

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Theological_Seminary_of_America

https://gtfeducation.org/faculty-staff/howard-avruhm-addison-ph-d/

https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-descriptions/

Polygamy In Israel

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                    

Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah,  with Leah, his first wife, and Rachel, 2nd wife and sister to Leah, with them being 1st cousins;   with their possibly Egyptian handmaidens who were 3rd and 4th concubines or considered as wives,  Bilhah and Zilpah.  Jacob was 130 years old when he went to Egypt. (Genesis 47:9) He remained in Egypt until he died at 147, when his body was returned to Hebron in Canaan. He married his uncle Laban's 2 daughters in Haran. a trading town of NW Mesopotamia that was also known as Canaan.   (Gen30:18;  35:25-26).  To give one a general idea of when this took place, " Jacob lived 147 years, so he died 2255 years after Creation, otherwise known as 1505 BCE. In other words, Jacob lived 1652–1505 BCE, or born 261 years before Moses, which would be 3, 656 years ago.  

Polygamy, or the practice of having more than one spouse at a time, is legal in some countries, including many in sub-Saharan Africa. In these countries, polygamy is often legal to some extent, and is more common among Muslims than Christians. However, some countries have recently banned polygamy, while others have unique laws regarding it:

In the ancient Jewish culture, Isaac,  who was married to Rebecca, was regarded as the model in later monogamous  households.  Proverbs 31 shows a monogamous family.  It was the first Jewish kings, Saul, David and especially Solomon who practiced polygamy.  Solomon's concubines were even numbered and recorded.  He did this to keep peace among countries he dealt with, and it seemed to work on the most part.

During the Talmud period  only had a handful of rabbis who were recorded with more than one wife at a time.                                      

By 1000 CE in the takkanah of Rabbi Gershom, it forbid polygamy and gave formal sanction among Ashkenazi Jews to what was already generally accepted.   "Among these Takkonoth the most well known are the prohibition of polygamy (taking more than one wife), the decree against opening a letter addressed to others, and so on."

 However, among the Spanish and oriental Jews, on the other hand, polygamy continued to be legal, though by no means general.

In Italy, down to the 17th century, a person whose wife was barren, was occasionally permitted by papal license (Catholics) to take a 2nd wife.  Europeanization of many oriental communities in recent generation,  has seen polygamy becoming increasingly rare.

In Israel, monogamy is now enforced by law, though existing polygamous marriages are recognized.  Around 20 to 30 percent of Bedouin men practice polygamy, according to government figures, with the rate climbing as high as 60 percent in some villages. Bedouin polygamy takes many forms, from several wives cohabitating under the same roof to men picking up and moving on to second wives without looking back.  The Bedouins are Muslims and Islam permits a man to take up to four wives, though the practice varies greatly among different Muslim communities, often depending on education and income. 

 Polygamy is allowed by Sharia law, which governs family laws for Muslims in Israel, and tradition and custom also permit it. However, the Israeli state rarely enforces the law against Bedouin citizens, and many Bedouin are unaware that it's illegal. Some say that the Israeli legislature and legal system's ambivalence on the issue violates the human rights of Arab Bedouin women. 

Most modern Muslims view the practice of polygyny as allowed, but unusual and not recommended due to normative pressures for ordinary men. The practice of polygyny is often viewed in its historical context, as the marriage was the only way for a woman to be provided for during the time of Muhammad.

Polygamy is illegal in Israel under Israeli marriage law, which applies to all residents of East Jerusalem, including Arab Muslims. However, polygamy is permitted under Sharia law, which governs Muslims' personal status issues in Israel. As a result, polygamy is practiced among Israeli Arabs, especially in the Bedouin sector, where authorities often turn a blind eye to it. According to Israeli government data, at least 20% of Bedouin families are polygamous, but women's rights advocates estimate the figure is closer to 40%. 

Traditional Sunni and Shia Islamic marital jurisprudence allows Muslim men to be married to multiple women . Men can have up to four wives at a time according to the islamic jurisprudence.

Since the beginning of Israel's occupation of the West Bank in 1967, all of the territory's Jewish settlements have been subject to Israeli marriage law. Additionally, all residents of Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem (including Arabs) are also subject to Israeli marriage law.

In the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by Hamas, polygynous marriages are legal. They are also legal for Palestinians who are governed by the Palestinian National Authority (PA)  in the West Bank.  Polygymous marriages means many children come from such unions. 

 Iran: Men can practice polygamy if their first wife consents.

Polygynous unions are illegal under Israeli marriage law, which applies to Israeli settlers in the West Bank and to all residents of East Jerusalem, including Arab Muslims.

Polygamous marriages are not allowed in the USA, Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany.  

Resource

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygyny_in_Islam#:~:text=Traditional%20Sunni%20and%20Shia%20Islamic,according%20to%20the%20islamic%20jurisprudence.

https://apnews.com/general-news-486a1223036f436eb39bf497652a11ec#:~:text=Around%2020%20to%2030%20percent,second%20wives%20without%20looking%20back.

https://www.quora.com/When-did-the-patriarch-Jacob-live#:~:text=Jacob%20was%20born%2060%20years,Jacob%20lived%201652%E2%80%931505%20BCE.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_polygamy

1982 When Israel Went Into Lebanon

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                  

                                                  Michel Aoun, born 30 September 1933) is a Lebanese politician and former military general who served as the President of Lebanon from 31 October 2016 until 30 October 2022.  He is the last president.  He was succeeded by Najib Mikati (acting president. 

Operation Peace for Galilee (Hebrew: שלום הגליל, 'Shalom HaGalil'), also known as the First Lebanon War (Hebrew: מלחמת לבנון הראשונה, 'Milhemet Levanon HaRishona'), was a war launched by Israel against Palestinian terrorists based in southern Lebanon. The operation was launched on June 6, 1982, following the attempted assassination of the Israeli Ambassador to the UK by a terrorist cell. The stated objective of the operation was to put the communities of northern Israel out of reach of the terrorists in southern Lebanon by pushing the latter (terrorists) 40 km to the north. The war lasted more than three months until Israeli forces reached Beirut.

I was living in Israel  in Safed in 1982, having arrived  in Haifa in 1980.  

Since the end of the Six Day War of 1967, terrorist groups had been launching attacks from southern Lebanon, resulting in IDF reprisals, the most notable of which was the Litani Operation in 1978.  Eleven years (11 years) of terrorists launching attacks from southern Lebanon had been happening to Israelis.  

Terrorists in Lebanon belonged to various organizations, including Fatah, and they numbered 23,000. Their equipment consisted of light weapons, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, about 150 armored tanks, artillery cannons, troop carriers, and other armored vehicles. Their forces were organized in the region of the “Fatah Land” located on the southwestern slopes of Mount Hermon, south of Mount Lebanon, in the region of Nabatieh and along the coastal plain.

Hezbollah was established by Lebanese clerics primarily to fight the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. It adopted the model set out by Ayatollah Khomeini after the Iranian Revolution in 1979, and the party's founders adopted the name "Hezbollah" as chosen by Khomeini. Since then, close ties have developed between Iran and Hezbollah. The organization was created with the support of 1,500 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) instructors,  You can think of Hezbollah the creation of Khomeini, his personal fighting arm besides being the Shiite religious cleric.   

Is Hezbollah part of the Lebanese government?  Hezbollah has risen to become the most influential political organization in Lebanon but operates largely without accountability. It probably could take over the Lebanese state by force, but it is far more effective to exercise power in Lebanon’s weak state without taking on responsibilities of office.

Today, Lebanon is considered a failed state.  In 2023, 

The Lebanese parliament had failed, for the twelfth time to elect a president for the

 republic, a position that has remained vacant since Michel Aoun’s term ended last 

October and he left Baabda Palace. 

Resource:

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230619-lebanon-is-without-a-president-or-

government/

https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/wars-and-operations/first-lebanon-war/#:~:text=The%20operation%20was%20launched%20on,40%20km%20to%20the%20north.

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2024/06/hezbollah-out-of-lebanons-jewish-and.html

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2024/06/hezbollah-shiites-with-christian.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Aoun

Professor Emeritus Ernest Bloch in Portland, Oregon, Famous Musician

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                

       Ernest Bloch in 1917at age 37   He and his wife lived primarily in the small coastal community of Agate Beach, Oregon (now Newport). 

Ernest Bloch was an Oregon Jewish musician. Bloch was born in Geneva on July 24, 1880.  He began playing the violin at age 9, and began composing soon after. He studied music at the conservatory in Brussels, where his teachers included the celebrated Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe. He then traveled around Europe, moving to Germany (where he studied composition from 1900 to 1901 and back to Geneva before settling in the United States in 1916, taking US citizenship in 1924. In 1925 Bloch resigned from the Cleveland Institute, where he had not been happy, and relocated to San Francisco. He was named the director of the Conservatory and remained in that position until 1930, when the school was running low on funds. He returned to Switzerland, where he composed his "Avodath Hakodesh" ("Sacred Service") before returning to the US in 1939, the year Germany entered Poland.                                                

Bloch joined the music faculty at Berkeley in 1941 and taught there one semester each year until his retirement in 1952.In 1947 he was among the founders of the Music Academy of the West summer conservatory.

Ernest Bloch (July 24, 1880 – July 15, 1959) was a Swiss-born American composer. Bloch was a preeminent artist in his day, and left a lasting legacy. He is recognized as one of the greatest Swiss composers in history. As well as producing musical scores, Bloch had an academic career that culminated in his recognition as Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley in 1952.

Ernest and Marguerite Bloch lived in Agate Beach from 1941 to 1963. Ernest died in 1959, Marguerite in 1963. In 1976 the Governor of Oregon accompanied by Bloch’s three children dedicated the Ernest Bloch Memorial in a wayside in Agate Beach near the home in which the Bloch’s lived.

Bloch's compositions - in particular the Suite hébraïque for viola and orchestra, Baal Shem for violin and piano (later orchestrated) and Schelomo for cello and orchestra - often reflect his Jewish heritage. Bloch's father had at one stage intended to become a rabbi, and the young Ernest had a strong religious upbringing; as an adult he felt that to write music that expressed his Jewish identity was "the only way in which I can produce music of vitality and significance". 

"Perhaps what is at the heart of the question is his genius for evocative color in music. If some of his works evoke the atmosphere of the Old Testament, they also operate elsewhere with equally telling and totally different effect: the Gauguinesque South Seas in the slow movement of the first Quintet, and China [in the last of the] Four Episodes are examples. Beside Israel stand Helvetia and America; beside Scenes from Jewish Life stands Nirvana."

In the gap between 1916 and 1942 Bloch had taken a path from New York’s Mannes School of Music, London Chamber Orchestra, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, a sabbatical in his native land, UC Berkeley, and Agate Beach. 

His was a storied history filled with organizations (Library of Congress, London Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Juilliard School of Music and numerous others) 

world centers (New York, London, Tel Aviv, Chicago, Philadelphia) and giants of the 20th century, including Albert Einstein, Rafael Kubelik, Leonard Bernstein, Claude Debussy, Jascha Heifetz, Diego Rivera, Georges Szell, Serge Koussevitzky, Frida Kahlo, Griller Quartet, Zara Nelsova, Yehudi Menuhin, Isaac Stern, Igor Stravinsky, Sir Adrian Boult, and Ansel Adams.

Family Tree:  Geni.com

Ernest Bloch Hebrew: ארנסט בלוך
Birthdate:	July 24, 1880
Birthplace:	Geneva, Genève, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland
Death:	July 15, 1959 (78) Portland, Multnomah, OR, United States (Cancer)
Immediate Family:	Son of Meyer Maurice Bloch and Sophie Bloch Husband of Marguerite Elisabetha Augustine Bloch Father of Ivan Kolia Bloch; Suzanne Bloch and Lucienne Dimitroff

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Bloch

https://coastarts.org/events/bloch-legacy/#:~:text=Ernest%20and%20Marguerite%20Bloch%20lived,in%20which%20the%20Bloch's%20lived.

https://oregoncoasthistory.org/2023/07/11/the-man-from-agate-beach-the-legacy-of-ernest-bloch/

https://www.geni.com/people/Ernest-Bloch/6000000016202588775