2 very cool articles I noticed:
1. Mohammed Ali's grandson is Jewish (not really, but let's go with it), and just celebrated his bar mitzvah. Ali's daughter married a Jewish fellow named Spencer Wertheimer and their sons name is Jacob Wertheimer (yes, he would only be Jewish according to the Reform acceptance of patrilineal descent and not according to the Orthodox requirement of matrilineal descent for determining Jewishness).
Wertheimer turned 13, and despite not having been raised with any particular religion, for some reason he felt connected to Judaism and chose to have a bar mitzvah. And Mohammed Ali was fine with it and participated (I don't know why anyone would think he would not be fine with it and would refuse to attend, but so be it).
(source: The Forward)
2. The Israeli Naval forces has a problem keeping its boats kosher. They don't have the Rabbinate personnel going out on the voyages to sea ensuring the kashrut of the kitchens, and while the soldiers are all meant to keep kosher, in practice it does not happen. This makes it very difficult for religious soldiers when they are out to sea - they have to make do with dry goods rather than have fresh meals.
The Rabbinate has come up with a plan to get the personnel on the boats to do a better job themselves of keeping things kosher. they are running a contest challenging all boats out to see to discover the boat with the fewest kashrut infractions. The winning boat, the boat with the fewest infractions, will be treated to, get this, a talk with a Rabbi. Amazing prize for a bunch of irreligious kids. Just joking. The prize does include a talk with a rabbi, but it also includes a concert, a barbecue and a tour to a heritage site. Not amazing, but it's a decent prize, especially the barbecue.
(source: The Times Of Israel)
Obviously the army rabbinate would have to teach the kids the basics, otherwise how would they know what is considered an infraction to avoid...
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
IDF regulations have covered 'the basics' for many, many years. The problem on Israel Navy ships has been lack of compliance. Rav Goren had instituted regulations that would prevent or minimize violations of kashrut; but they weren't well obeyed. When I enlisted in '80, the Navy was the last bastion of glatt treif in the IDF. Although I was interested in course Hovlim, for instance; no yeshiva student was going to the Navy in those days. I suspect that the influx of a number of young religious sailors to Shayetet and other units has moved that in a more moderate direction.
ReplyDeleteIts the great post.Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete