The mind boggles! From a recent SAJBD update:

“Cape: SAUJS Cape Town hosted a very successful Shabbat dinner at which ANC Youth League President Julius Malema spoke. Mr Jacobson and Mr King attended on behalf of the Cape Council.“

What value could this dangerous, racist buffoon add to a Shabbat dinner? Have our young leaders totally lost the plot?

SAJBD – SA Jewish Board of Deputies

SAUJS – SA Union of Jewish Students http://amplify.com/u/bzmf6

Those signs that advertise “Tree felling and refuse removal” (usually nailed to the trunk of a beautiful, mature tree) really offend me. As if trees were just another form of refuse, something to be cleared out the way, instead of what they actually are: the life forms that quite literally hold the surface of our planet together, while putting oxygen in our lungs! http://amplify.com/u/byuwu

Those of the Orthodox persuasion and lacking a sense of humour may not find this as amusing as the rest of us:

Which tractate of the Talmud is the most popular with the Orthodox? Tractate 64 (alternatively, Tractate 48) - Bubbe Meises. http://amplify.com/u/by171

Jewish tribal loyalty and the Jewish conscience

I find myself agreeing with just about everything that Donniel Hartman writes. Support for Israel has somehow become a divisive issue for Jews. On the one hand, Jewish tribal loyalty seems to demand almost unquestioning support for Israel. On the other hand, though, the Jewish conscience and our experience with oppression is telling us that all is not well, and that Jewish governments can and do make some morally questionable choices (like the settlements in the West Bank). Those who question these decisions made by flawed mortals should not be seen as outside the pale. Loyalty must be balanced with conscience and reason.

in reference to: Talking About Israel: Goldstone, J-Street, AIPAC and the Space in Between (view on Google Sidewiki)