When I was 18, I spent a gap year in a seminary in Bet Shemesh, Israel. An experience like nothing other, it was a year where all I was expected to do was to learn and think and experience and remember what it means to be Jewish and someone who has an investment in the state of Israel.

One incident that really stood out from that year was Israel Independence Day. The night before, we spent it dancing with the communities in Chashmoniam and eating BBQ at our Rabbi’s house. It was a very typical night for Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day).

The next day we had off from classes and I came up with the idea that I was going to walk to Jerusalem. I had this notion that today we were going to do it like our ancestors, no more of these buses for spoiled modern day people. My only regret was that I didn’t have a camel (there is nothing in this lifetime that I enjoy more than a good camel ride). I was going to be Independent! And walk there on my own! Onwards to Jerusalem! What could go wrong?

I gathered up four of my bravest (or dumbest?) friends, packed up some water (or iced tea in my case, because I was the ringleader of dumb) and walked to the highway. Dressed in blue and white, with little Israeli flags fastened to our backpacks we marched down Route 38 as a tiny Israeli Day Parade. Every time a car honked at us, a cheer went up. We shouted ‘Am Yisroel Chai!’ to every confused driver. We were walking for two and half hours and not even one third of the way there.

Finally, we got to Route One, a busier highway than the previous. It was then we decided to take a shortcut through the hills, since it was already the afternoon and we hadn’t thought to bring a map, and wouldn’t be able to navigate when it got dark. We shrugged it off and decided to forge our own path through the woods. We had finished our water a little while ago and at least two of us were starting to feel sick. We walked through the woods until there was no cell phone service. Soon, we were thirsty and tired and lost.

After an hour of hiking, we all heard an engine behind us. And heard the yells of young boys, but what they were saying we couldn’t make out. Were they Arabs? “Arsim”? Israeli soldiers who wanted to escort us safely home? We didn’t know so we made the decision to jump in the nearby bushes and hide. We sat for about 20 minutes, but it seemed like an eternity. Hardly breathing, thoughts of Kobi Mandell and other unfortunate innocent hikers passed through our mind. It was then we finally realized that Israel isn’t a little spiritual playground made for us, but actually a potentially dangerous area. Finally, the trucks passed, thankfully not noticing us and we slowly moved on.

It was getting dark by now and even though we followed the path until the end, we still ended up on Route One. Despite protests from my friends, I didn’t want to give up and take a bus for the last 15 minutes. I convinced them that walking alongside the highway in the dark was going to show our independence! Until we reached a 50-foot drop which was a tunnel going under the highway. So, we silently made our way to the nearest Egged bus stop. And from the Tachana we walked to the Kotel.

Even though finally touching the Kotel after our huge ordeal was amazing and rewarding, I couldn’t figure out why I hadn’t made it all the way to Jerusalem on sheer will power. Isn’t that what Israel was about? Doing the impossible?

It wasn’t until a week later during a shiur that I realized no, that’s not what Israel is about. I learned that the word for ‘independence’ in Hebrew is a relatively new word. “Atzma’ut” was developed by Itamat Ben Avi (Eliezer Ben Yehuda’s son) in the 20th century. It is rooted in the Hebrew word “atzmi” and “birshut atzmo” which connote doing something independently, on one’s own steam. It’s not a biblical word because being ‘independent’ is not a real thing in Judaism. We are never doing things alone, we must always be aware of our family, our community and God above us.  Israel didn’t become “independent” through one person fighting; it became independent through thousands of Jews and non-Jews alike coming together for a cause. No one person can do anything in this life without the help of others. As Jewish people, we need each other to survive, whether through charity, visiting a sick person, in prayers, in holidays and especially in keeping Israel safe. It also made me realize that until we all feel safe hiking in the Israel, our job isn’t done.

Israel’s “Independence” Day has taught me that no one is a lone wolf in our journey as Jews. We might be able to govern our country on our own, but it needs everyone to keep it running, from the dumb seminary girls who create their own parades in the woods to the bus drivers who carry them the last leg of their trip. We can only function with each other. Am Yisroel Chai.

Why don’t you give helping out your  a shot and the Uri L’Tzedek Summer Fellowship in NY or LA Today? Fellows will have the opportunity to work on Uri L’Tzedek’s campaigns, including worker rights, prison reform and domestic violence. Some of the innovative projects include, Tav HaYosher (the ethical seal for kosher restaurants), organizational development, communications, education, service, community outreach, website development, and multi-media.

Please see here for further details on the Israel track.

– Aviva

Every year, we’ll read the same story, eat the same matzah and check our watches at the same point during Maggid. But this year, something a little different “cropped up.”

This year, one of the members of the Rabbis for Human Rights-North America, an organization of rabbis in NY that are dedicated to respecting and protecting the human rights of all people, Rabbi Paula Marcus has taken it upon herself to place a tomato on her seder plate to show solidarity with the migrant workers of today, many of whom are underpaid and work in unsanitary and dangerous conditions. Just like the orange on the seder plate, which popped up on seder plates in the 1980s to advocate for women’s roles in Judaism but is now largely associated with a symbol to include gays and lesbians in the Jewish community, the tomato is seeing some controversial reactions.

All opinions are welcome and discussed at my family’s seder but when a daughter of a family friend’s brought up the tomato, the seder lost its usual predictable pace and led to a long discussion which pushed Shulchan Aruch back about an hour.

The debate was this: Should we have a tomato on the seder plate? Is it the appropriate time to commiserate with those in slavery today?

And to answer that we need to ask: what is the seder essentially?

Is it a commemoration of a Jewish event in Jewish history set in the order written down over one thousand years ago and which every Jew will take part in whether in 15th century Spain or in 2012 via Skype? Is it a sacred ritual that discusses how we as a people formed the resilient nation we have today?

Or is the seder a living breathing process to which we can add our own customs depending on our society? Is the seder receptive to growth and changes? Do we use the seder as a vehicle to protest slavery that is still going on today even if those slaves aren’t necessarily Jewish?

Is it both?

I must admit that I don’t think it was solved at my seder (I think at some point my mom gave the “let’s wrap it up” look to my dad which ended the debate pretty quickly) but I think it’s an important topic everybody must discuss.

The concept of adding to the seder is not a new phenomenon; throughout the years many things have been added such as olives to symbolize the hope for peace in the Middle East, artichokes for interfaith families and rotten lettuce leaves, a proposal by the Progressive Jewish Alliance to remind us of the low-income families.

If we keep adding symbols for every problem and war in the world, our table would be covered in cocoa beans, pictures of the Dalai Lama, bricks, beached whales, landmines and orphaned sloths! There is literally no end to the symbols we could add because unfortunately we live in a world where there is endless suffering.

We don’t need these on our table. The seder, as it is, is already about remembering the past and preparing for the future. We don’t need a tomato on the table to remind us of suffering.

We need to focus on the lesson of Passover itself first. We need to learn from the Four Sons how important it is to ask questions, or to just show up if you don’t have questions. We need to learn from the 10 plagues how sometimes, praying and being passive isn’t enough. We need to learn from spilling of the wine that we’re not happy about taking force and that lives lost are still God’s creations. We need to learn from Dayenu how to be grateful. We need to learn from the Four Questions how important children are to our future. All these lessons are needed for us to then go out and create a fair society in which migrant workers get paid.

We need to taste the saltwater tears and sing ‘Next Year in Jerusalem’.

Only once we know where we come from can we become who we need to be, whether that’s someone who champions for rights of sweatshop workers or someone who takes in those sloths.

As one guest at my seder wisely noted, “It’s our job to be a light unto the nations, but we need to remember the source of the light.”

– Aviva

Just three weeks ago temperatures all over America skyrocketed and we skipped winter entirely. Wearing short sleeves and sunbathing like we were on summer vacation in Cancun.

But it’s not supposed to be like this. This feels weird. One of the reasons why spring is so enjoyable is because we suffered through a harsh winter. Without the cold snow, we can’t appreciate the sunny skies. Without the heavy coats, we don’t value the light T-shirts.
Basically, we don’t deserve spring without winter. And that is one reason why Passover, our celebration from slavery is in the spring, it’s called Chag Haviv (Holiday of the spring) in the Torah, and not just because it happens to fall out in Nissan. The liberation from Egypt took months, but we recognize it in Nissan, which is usually in March or April.

Much like the fact that we can’t fully realize what warm weather is without cold, as a nation we wouldn’t have been able to appreciate getting the Torah without years of hardship first.

There are no absolutes in this world, only how we perceive things. Happiness and misery are on two sides of the same scale and we measure happiness only compared to how much misery we’ve experienced. The harder we have it now, the better it will seem when we’ve gotten through the storm.

When we’re gathered around the seder table on Passover, we’ll tell of how our people survived hard times but we’ll also see our friends and family and see how they’re doing with their own troubles and encourage them that things will get better just like it did in Egypt.

We knew that we had celebrate this milestone in a meaningful way. Therefore, Uri L’Tzedek will be hosting a one-of-a kind event on March 18th called FesTAVal. The event will bring together the whole community of people who make the Tav HaYosher possible, including volunteers, kosher consumers, owners, allies, and community members.

The event will incorporate a great deal of art, emphasizing the importance of creativity, innovation and expression in activism and community-building work. Live music will include the Raya Brass Band, a blend of Eastern European music and American dance grooves, and C. Lanzbom and Noah Solomon (of Soulfarm fame) who will blow the crowd away with their amazing folk-bluegrass-rock hybrid. Attendees are invited to participate in a communal art piece that reaffirms the community’s dedication to the pursuit of social justice. Finally, there will be an exhibition of carefully selected art pieces by Inbal Abergil, David Handschuh, and Jesse Rabinowitz.

On your way in, don’t forget to get your photo taken. Grab a glass of wine, and head over to the tables where Tav restaurants will be offering samples of their cuisine. Take your samples over to the lounge areas and snack decadently while meeting new friends.

When you need a break from all that schmoozing, visit the service centers. One table will be piled high will various food ingredients. Attendees will be encouraged to put together sandwiches to be distributed to the homeless that evening—but they must take into account affordability, sustainability, worker’s rights, and TASTE as they do so. Participants will write down their prized sandwich combo and enter it into a raffle for a gift certificate to a Tav-certified restaurant. Another center will ask you to be an advocate for the Tav—find out which restaurants have the Tav, and which don’t. Help us thank them if they do, and ask them to join if they don’t.

We promise you—it will be the perfect evening, and for only $20 at the early-bird online price ($15 for JCC members!), you can’t really go wrong. Come help us to celebrate this amazing milestone, build a community of social-justice oriented Jews, and reaffirm our commitment to workplace justice.

Written by Dasi Fruchter, Director of Tav HaYosher Engagement

If my class of 15 20-somethings were going to rule the world (which is a scary thought in of itself since I’m pretty sure most of them spend 85% of class time playing Angry Birds) it made me wonder how the Jewish 20-somethings will feel about the new America. We are not our parents’ generation who were raised by immigrants, we have fewer connections with other countries and nationalities and although we still maybe identify with other cultures, most of us are completely and totally Americanized.

With elections coming up in November, do our Jewish values even factor into the candidates we choose? Do we care that Mitt Romney cut funding to a nursing home thereby taking away seniors option to have kosher food? Do we care whether a candidate supports abortions or gay marriage or Israel? How much influence does our Judaism have over our choice for a presidential candidate?

From the diverse group of young adults I asked (the sample size being taken from whomever was on Facebook chat at the time of this article), the answer was ‘very little’. Graphic designers living in Harlem agreed with young Rebbetzins and politically apathetic engineering students: Voting for an American president is best done as an American and not as a Jew.

“In terms of Israel…I wouldn’t vote for a candidate who wanted to get rid of the state or whatever but I don’t just vote for the candidate who’s the “most” pro-Israel” says Sharon, a 22-year old Hunter College senior, “religion and politics shouldn’t mix.”

Some list Israel as a point of concern but other issues are not as important. Mel, a 21 year-old Hebrew school teacher admits “Same sex marriage isn’t as strong as my feelings for Israel. Obama care won’t make or break a vote from me, but it will tip the scale towards no.”

Others note that these issues don’t affect them so they’re arbitrary. Kenny, a 20-year old from Queens notes, “Other people could marry the same sex or have abortions. I don’t really care about if they do or don’t. I don’t think their stances in those would affect my vote.”

The Jewish youth of today (or ‘Jewth’, copyright Aviva Woolf 2012) seem to concentrate on their American spirits rather than their heritage. Maybe the face of “New America” will really be a country with a divided Church and State. Sharon added, “Voting against gay marriage or abortions or whatever because your religion is against them is unfair to other people”. I guess someone hasn’t told that to Mitt Romney.

We would then go back to the classroom and mildly enjoy dried fruits. Ask anyone from my 5^th grade class today what Tu B’shvat is all about and they’ll tell you it’s to celebrate trees. Actually I just asked some of them (I haven’t made any new friends since 3^rd grade) and answers varied from ‘something about fruit’ to ‘why are you calling me at 3 a.m. to ask me about Tu B’shvat?’.

Anyways, despite what misinformed former 5^th graders will tell you, Tu B’shvat is not just to celebrate trees but is actually the New Year for trees. Which just begs the questions, do trees get to dip their own apples in some beehive-y goodness like we do on Rosh Hashana? What’s this holiday’s deal and how can I, as a born and bred native of the urban jungle fully appreciate what it means to rejoice over some bona-fide arbor?

The “New Year” for trees is referring to the fact that this is the time of year when the sap rises in trees, getting it ready for the Spring season. So while it’s still bitter cold winter (or 60 degrees this year in NY for some reason), trees are always preparing for the future.

But why specifically ‘trees’? Why not a celebration of water? Or animals? Or double stuff oreos? Two reasons.

One is that the Jewish nation and trees have a special connection. In the book of Deuteronomy (20:19), it states that “man is like a tree of the field.” And ‘Tzadikim’” (righteous) are like tree near a source of water. Trees, like us, are at the complete mercy of God to bring rain and protection. The Torah also likens the Torah to water, so Jews and the Torah go together like trees and water. When we commemorate trees, we really recognize our dependence on God.

Another reason to celebrate all things green is possibly to make sure future generations HAVE green to celebrate. Sure, in the times of the Tanach there were forests upon jungles of the stuff. Today? Not so much.  According to USDA Forest Service, in the US alone, 6,000 acres of forest are lost every day. Without action, children of the future could be walking to the Natural History Museum to look at trees. Or at least have to beg the Lorax for one precious fern seed to save us from ourselves.

So, whether  you live in a Manhattan penthouse or a cabin in rural Appalachia, Tu B’Shvat is still important because it recognizes not only nature but us as a Jewish people. As long as there are trees, God will take care of us. As long as we care about future generations, God will never leaf us (sorry.) Happy Tu B’Shvat!

-Aviva

Until about a month ago, none of this bothered me in the least.  Then reports of conditions at Apple contractors in China started emerging in the press.

First I read a scathing review of the recent Steve Jobs biography in New York Review of Books, which includes with the following passage: According to a study reported by Bloomberg News last January, Apple ranked at the very bottom of twenty-nine global tech firms “in terms of responsiveness and transparency to health and environmental concerns in China.”

Then I listened to a recent episode of This American Life and I started feeling concerned. This was followed by a two-part series on the economy of the IPhone in the New York Times, which you can read here and here.  The last article is by far the most disturbing.

I recently wrote the following short piece that will appear in the Febuary issue of Shma:

“And you shall bring no abhorrent thing into your house or you will be under the ban like it.  You shall surely despise it and shall surely abhor it, for it is under the ban.”

Simply read, this verse bans the abhorrent from the Jewish home. In doing so, it asks us to define the abhorrent; that which is so despised that it has no place in Jewish life and must be put under ban. The Rabbis of the Talmud have traditionally identified the abhorrent with idol worship. In their reading, anything that is contaminated through the worship of a foreign  God cannot be consumed by Jews.

In the 13^th Century, this views is radicalized by the anonymous author of the Sefer ha-Chinuch. Building on the traditional view, the Chinuch  writes that any object “that was gained through theft, violence or exploitation, or from any disgusting element” is considered abhorrent.  He continues that “man’s heart is inclined towards evil, which desires [items paid for by any means] and brings it into the home; and this inclination towards evil is called idol worship”  Idol worship is not what we initially thought: it is anything, any consumer good, which is produced through exploitative means is now identified as abhorrent  and banned.

In this era of globalization, in which 30 million people live as slaves, and millions more work in sweatshops around the world, the Chinuch’s identification of the abhorrent as exploitation forces us, as consumers, to ask uneasy questions about our consumption habits.  Knowing what we know, can we continue to naively purchase goods, globally produced, without the fear that we are bringing the abhorrent into our homes?

Here is my question: are Apple products abhorrent?  Is it forbidden to bring there products into our homes and offices? Should we place them into cherem as the Chunich suggests?

- Rabbi Ari Weiss, Director of Uri L’Tzedek

While this bill is still being debated and refined, it’s not a new thing. File sharing and illegal downloading have been around since the only ‘book’ Mark Zuckerberg knew of was The Cat in the Hat.  SOPA has already shut down some websites which share copyrighted material which caused a backlash from the internet community like we’ve never seen before. Pasty internet addicts clutched their Red Bulls and screamed that punishing websites that share intellectual property is a violation of the First Amendment. But is it? And how do we as Jews feel about this downloading phenomenon?

Obviously, the Talmud speaks no mention of Wikipedia or Megaupload, but we do have some interesting thoughts on the topic.

In Igrot Moshe by Rav Moshe Feinstein, he responds to a question about using copyrighted material without permission by saying that it falls under the concept of
‘Dinah Malchut Dinah‘ which states that we follow the law of the land that we live in. Which would make it illegal since most websites and DVDs show a disclaimer before you can upload saying that using copyrighted information without permission is punishable by up to five years in jail.

But isn’t the Freedom of Speech also the “law of the land”? Not when it comes to intellectual property. Paul Almeida, from the AFL-CIO, and one in favor of SOPA, said “The First Amendment does not protect stealing goods off trucks.” An action also not condoned by the Torah.

“But Katy Perry is so rich,” you say “the royalty she would be getting off this one song is so negligible that it shouldn’t even count as stealing.” And it’s true that the Torah says stealing something under one “Prutah” (a minimum of 5 cents in today’s currency) is not considered stealing. But Hollywood studios, recording labels and publishing houses lose up to $135 billion dollars a year in revenue every year due to piracy. And that’s not just the artist losing money, it’s every day people who do their jobs and deserve to be paid. You might also suffer from piracy as well, according to the Washington Post, the Association of Firefighters support the SOPA bill because piracy saps tax dollars that support emergency services.

The World Wide Web is still in a Wild Wild West phase with very little regulation, with millions of unknowing thieves. Fortunately, SOPA is only targeting websites which run illegal or infringing services, so Youtube, Facebook and all Red Bull fueled anger is safe …for now.

- Aviva Woolf, Uri L’Tzedek Blogger

• Visual and auditory hallucinations
• Hypersensitivity to noise and touch
• Insomnia and paranoia
• Uncontrollable feelings of rage and fear
• Distortions of time and perception
• Increased risk of suicide
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

We all know the story of the famous Gilad Shalit, right?  Hamas (“Palestinian Resistance Movement” in Gaza) captured Israeli Defense Forces soldier Shalit and held him captive for over five years.  But what many of us do not know about this story is that the Hamas placed Shalit in solitary confinement for the duration of his captivity.  Besides the rare phone calls and videos to his family that were forced by Hamas officials, Shalit had absolutely no contact with others until his release.

Shortly after his release, Shalit underwent several interviews.  When asked what he missed the most about his life, he said that he missed talking.

As Jews, we have a moral obligation to implement fair and just punishment to the greatest degree possible.  This widespread form of punishment has become a form of acceptable torture, and we, as the Jewish people, must take a stand to prevent this from hurting others and our own people.  Please sign this online petition to end the use of solitary confinement: http://bit.ly/ucqddR

Also, check out Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz’s article regarding solitary confinement for more information.

We should not protect ourselves from ideas that seem foreign or uncomfortable, thus it is our obligation to raise awareness about the controversial Bodies Exhibit.  I recently learned of this shocking exhibit by reading an article by Uri L’Tzedek founder and President Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, “The Bodies Exhibit & The Jewish Value of Honoring The Body.”

Located in Atlanta, Las Vegas, and New York, the Bodies Exhibit is one of the most viewed public displays in America.  The exhibit has preserved the deceased (from other countries) and placed their bodies in particular arrangements for the purpose of others’ entertainment.  In his article, Rabbi Yanklowitz discusses the issue of how Jews should react to placing bodies on display for entertainment, specifically against the backdrop of Jewish law and culture.

I urge you to read the Rabbi’s article, and view the exhibit’s website – if you have the stomach for it.

- Shira