Welcome to the Jewish Life & Faith class blog! This will be our virtual forum for sharing thoughts and ideas on a wide variety of topics pertaining to Judaism, as well as a place for us to ask deep and difficult questions. I know that we will all gain from hearing each other's perspectives, and I ask that you take the time and effort to produce worthwhile content.
In the past week and a half we've touched on some fundamental ideas and questions that go straight to the core of what it means to think and live as a Jew in the 21st Century. I've been greatly impressed by your contributions, and now it's time for us to put some of them in writing.
Assignment: By Monday (Feb 2nd), please write in the comments section of this post 1-2 paragraphs on some of the ideas we've discussed so far in class that spoke to you in some way--maybe because they resonated with you as being truthful, intrigued you, or even disturbed or bothered you in some way. After you have shared your thoughts, comment on 2 other classmates' responses, and tell them why you either agree with, disagree with, or would add to what they wrote.
*Keep in mind: Although I am not going to be grading this assignment on the basis of your English language skills, I do fully expect you to use your best writing, so that you can be sure you're communicating clearly and efficiently. That includes using proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and writing conventions (complete sentences and paragraphs, topic sentences, etc.).
*Keep in mind: Although I am not going to be grading this assignment on the basis of your English language skills, I do fully expect you to use your best writing, so that you can be sure you're communicating clearly and efficiently. That includes using proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and writing conventions (complete sentences and paragraphs, topic sentences, etc.).
**Please note: Before you post anything at all on this blog, create a Google Doc titled "JL&F Blog" and write everything there first. Then copy and paste it into the blog (this goes for all blog submissions). Occasionally people will write a lengthy response and then hit "submit", only to see it all instantly disappear. As long as you've got the original version in your Google Doc, this isn't a big problem; you can just send me your submission and I will post it for you.
In class we have been researching famous Jewish philosophers and have started discussing what we found out. Some of them showed signs of greatness from the time they were little kids, which is interesting because it shows how their early life affected how they turned out in the future. It was also weird that the more people we talked about, the more I saw that some of them had things in common which could have led them to their positions. A couple of them grew up as orphans and were raised by their community which could have largely shaped them. Another thing that played into effect of their lives and movements was the time. The Ba’al Shem Tov for example, lived in a time where the Jews felt so lost, and by speaking up and sharing his ideas, he changed the whole Jewish world. It makes me think that you never know if your thoughts and ideas could be the ones to make a change.
ReplyDeleteEliana, those are some very great points that I very much agree with! It was so interesting to learn about these great people and their backgrounds, and how they are are similar to each other. Their accomplishments, philosophies, and contributions are greatly impacted by their backgrounds, and it was interesting learning about them.
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DeleteEliana, I agree with everything you said, the childhood of a person can be very important.
DeleteI also noticed the many similarities between the philosophers. I think that childhood has a huge affect on how a person turns out. It was really interesting that they were raised by their community. Maybe it was growing up with acts of kindness all around them in their community that helped them become such amazing people.
DeleteIt also stands out to me that these Jewish philosophers were so impacted by their childhood, even thought they all grew up hundreds of years apart in different areas of the world. It really shows how far Judaism has continued and overcome some of the most dramatic times in history.
DeleteEliana, I like your last point a lot. It's interesting to ponder the possibility of an individual's idea becoming "the next big thing", and making a change, when others recognize and follow it. Like Eliana mentioned, this can happen and the Baal Shem Tov's story is a perfect example. I agree with all your other points as well. Thanks for sharing. I hope YOUR ideas will make a change one day, just like the Baal Shem Tov's!
DeleteEliana, I really enjoyed reading yours. I agree with what you said, and their childhood's are very important for us to learn about. I agree that what happens in a person's childhood majorly affects their outcome.
DeleteWhile discussing some famous Jewish philosophers, I learned many new things about them, and the history of their lifetime. For example, how Rabbi Yehudah Halevi didn't have a last name because that was the way people lived during that time(I also enjoyed talking about how our last names originated, and discussing the reasons why it may have occurred), the different places that the Rambam lived in during his lifetime, or how Rabbi Chief Lord Jonathan Sacks went to Christian schools as a child. It was very enlightening to see that different side of these renowned individuals, and I enjoyed it greatly.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that I will never be able to comprehend is the whole situation with Shabbatai Zevi. I just don't get how someone can really think that they are god and do all of those crazy things. HE MARRIED A TORAH!!! I just can't!
I agree completely Chaya (Especially on the Shabbatai Zevi topic)!! I also like how you added learning about the origin of the last names, great point.
DeleteI agree with Chaya too. It was so interesting to learn about everything that happened in the philosophers' lives.
DeleteIt is crazy to think that EVERYONE has different backgrounds and different life experiences. Sometimes you look at a person and never could link together that they were brought up the way that they were or they had certain life experiences. People are shaped by their life experiences and it is important to learn not only about their accomplishments but about their backgrounds too!
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ReplyDeleteIn class this past week we researched famous philosophers and who they were, what they contributed to Jewish thought, and some of their writings. I think it’s very important that we learned about them, before reading from any of their books, because it gives us an understanding of where they’re coming from, and maybe why they have a certain view on a Jewish concepts. In my opinion it’s most important to learn about their childhood because usually a person’s childhood shapes a person. I agree with Eliana, that the more we learned about each philosopher/ Rabbi, the more I realized how much they had in common, for example, where they came from, and the time period. The time period, really affects everything because it could tell us how that philosopher came to be famous, and how people dealt with his thoughts back then and what it meant back then and what’s different nowadays. Something that really bothered me was the Wikipedia situation (how don’t they know how to spell?). Shabbatai Zevi married a Torah and he made it clear that he wasn’t Mashiach, it just makes no sense why he would attempt to gain followers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Bati. I also think it is important to learn about someone before learning from their books.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you, Batya. It is crucial to study a person's past life and background to understand why they became the individual they are! After you dig deep and take a "blast to the past" as you research an author, you have a better understanding of his/her book, and why it was written. Anyways, I enjoyed reading your post; thank you for sharing your thoughts!
DeleteI completely agree with you Batya, it is important to learn about these philosophers' backgrounds before learning their teachings. How they were brought up, when they lived, and what events occurred during their lifetime really affects their beliefs and philosophies.
DeleteThis past week we talked about some of the most famous Jewish philosophers in history. We talked about their lives starting from when they were children. The more philosophers we spoke about, the more I started to realize how one thing can affect so much in a person’s life. Each philosopher’s life that we talked about was clearly shaped by how and when he was raised. People’s surrounding have a much bigger effect on their life than they realize.
ReplyDeleteIt isn’t just the philosophers that change because of their outside influence. The 1600s was not the best time for the Jews. They felt so lost and were looking for anything that would bring them happiness. They were going through a really difficult part of Jewish History. When Shabbatai Tzvi said he was mashiach, this was exactly what they needed to get back on their feet. They were so excited by the idea of him that they didn’t realize when he began to act crazy. He even converted to Islam!
This past week, in our Jewish Life and Faith class we've been researching and talking about famous Jewish Philosophers. I think that talking and learning about these people is very important because these people are the ones who shaped Judaism. All of the people we've learned about are very different. Some of them were orphans, some of them were geniuses at a very young age. But in the end they all come together to shape Judaism.
ReplyDeleteI agree Meira! It is so interesting how so many people from so many backgrounds all contributed greatly to the Jewish world. It really can also give each one of us the confidence that we can all make an impact. Not neccaserally(excuse the spelling) for the whole Jewish nation, but even for just our school or community.
DeleteMeira, it is so important for us to acknowledge these people who really had an impact on Judaism. Sometimes the people in earlier history are forgotten, or the people around today are not credited, but Judaism is forever changed because of these people. In life, I think it is important to notice people who have impacted certain events and situations because they usually do not get as much credit as they deserve.
DeleteI like that Meira. It shows that no matter who you are or where you come from, everyone has the ability to change the world.
DeleteWhile researching while researching Rabbi Emanuel Feldman this past week, I noticed how simular his life is to many poeple that I know, yet he has become one of the great Jewish leaders in America. Rabbu Feldman grew p in Baltimore and attended Hebrew day school, but once he got to a certain age, there was no Jewish school for him to attend. He then decided to attend public school and learn torah at night iwth his father and rabbi. After high school, he spent some time in yeshiva and studied to become an orthodox rabbi. Somehow, the regular Jewish boy who grew up like many American Jewish kids ended up running a large synogauge in Atanta, writing for and becoming the editor for Tradition magazine, becoming vice president of the Rabbinical Council of America, writing books and articles on Judaic topics, and becoming a popular Jewish Law Prophesor at Emory University and Bar Ilan Unitversity. Someone who has the same background as many other kids do today made such a large impact on the Jewish world. This can show us that we can all make such a big difference. We don't need a crazy background story to get us anywhere, we just have to try and continue to grow.
ReplyDeleteThis past week, as I researched the background, teachings, and controversies of the Baal Shem Tov, I learned a few fascinating things! Initially (before the assignment), I did not know the Baal Shem Tov was the founder of the Chassidism! After I retained this small yet crucial piece of information, I was very interested to see how many more things I would learn through the researching process. Next, I discovered that the Baal Shem Tov taught Kabbalah, a book of very deep concepts, otherwise known as “Jewish mysticism”. As I continued to research, I came across the many who opposed the Baal Shem Tov at first, because they did not understand why he was teaching such a difficult text to simple people. Lastly, I understood, thanks to numerous websites and Mrs. Wittlin, that the reason the Baal Shem Tov taught Kaballah was because his main goal was to try to create a special connection between man and God (and get rid of subconscious religious actions).
ReplyDeleteI was intrigued that the Baal Shem Tov, with his completely new style of teaching, preserved through the controversy and believed in his idea. It’s crazy to think what would have happened if he would have said, “you know what, I think I’ll just give up with this whole Chassidism thing. Some people don’t seem to understand my teachings and I feel like it’s not worth it..”. (I also enjoyed learning about his past in general, but particularly his childhood struggles, since I believed they shaped him as a person.)
Very interesting Rena. There's so many names we hear that we don't really think deeply about and don't really find out more, but once we do it opens a whole new area of information. Even if you aren't curious about something, once you find out one thing, you keep getting more and more and you realize how much you didn't know. He is a very interesting person to learn about.
DeleteThis week in class we covered a lot. There was one particular thing that really stuck with me. We were talking about proof that God was real and we compared it to this deer that was extinct. Through that conversation, I learned a valuable lesson: there is a clear distinction between proof and belief.
ReplyDeleteWe have proof that the deer existed because of its physical body. We have belief that God exists. Yes, some can say that Matan Torah is proof that God exists and his miracles are a second proof, but there are also those that can say that there is no physical proof of His existence. I think as Jews, It is our duty to take the leap of faith and instead of needing physical proof that God exists, we need just need to believe in His existence through miracles and stories. No, we do not have physical proof, but that is why it is so important to believe.
I also thought that was very thought provoking. Belief and proof can work hand in hand. Also, someone can give you all the proof in the world, but you still play a part because you have to open your mind to belief. Our belief can be stronger than we know.
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