Don't be fooled...

In case you have been swayed by the recent "Sholom Rubashkin" did no wrong movement...

"A former underage worker cried Monday while testifying she was exposed to harsh chemicals at an Iowa slaughterhouse where she and other teens worked 12 hours a day, six days a week. Yesenia Cordero Mendoza, now 18, was one of two former underage workers to testify against former manager Sholom Rubashkin, who faces 83 child labor violation charges stemming from a May 2008 raid at the plant in which 389 illegal immigrants, including 31 children, were detained."

How can you be outraged at his sentence but not at his actions? How can you try to act like what went on in Iowa was not wrong? This is not a case of people out to get us, this is a case of us forgetting ourselves. When I ate meat I mindlessly ate Rubashkins meat. I feel ill now because I am convinced that the meat I ate then was not Kosher. I didn't know, but I supported this.

We must be more mindful. We must infuse all aspects of our lives with Torah if we are going to avoid this ever happening again. This was Jewish industry that sold to Jewish people, and it had 16 year olds working 12 hour days for pennies. This plant was not Torah True.

First post of the year...

Sorry its been so long, but this was bigger than just a facebook post:

So now I am "non-Orthodox?" The majority of the worlds Jews are to be defined by what we are NOT? I refuse to accept that. How can we be such a weak majority? Time to rise up people, we have the numbers so we have the power here. Word, how bout all us non-Orthodox just start calling ourselves Orthodox? Then all those who define themselves by being not-us (yeah I'm calling you out Hershel Schachter, tell me what you stand for without it being a response to other Jews; wanna know what I stand for? Check the words of one of MY Ravs), can find a new name or just take over the title of non-Orthodox.

On the more real tip, this piece presents the problem as being the conveying of some "responsibility" over conversions (I'm assuming those performed in Israel) to the Haredi Chief Rabbinate. Ok, fine. I dont like it but it does not affect Diaspora Jews too much, its more about the half a million Israeli-Russians who are not halachically Jewish). However: "The bill contains a provision that would bar converts to Judaism from gaining automatic Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return if they had entered the country before their conversion."

Seems to me that "if they had entered the country before their conversion" could have been any time, and could be applied to people who do not convert in Israel. So if you went on a visit to Israel as a Christian, then returned home to the US a changed person and converted to Judaism with me as your Rabbi - you are not covered under the law of return. THAT IS A PROBLEM.