Category Archives: Talmud

Theater veteran Tovah Feldshuh has performed in 10 Broadway shows over the last five decades, garnering acclaim and Tony Awards love for Yentl and Goldas Balcony, among others. But theres a unique thrill to her current role on stage, as the endearing mother of Lea Micheles Fanny Brice in Funny Girl.

I get entrance applause at the top of the stairs, she says. Its kind of fabulous.

The crowd at Broadways August Wilson Theatre has been nothing short of euphoric ever since Feldshuh and Michele joined the company of Funny Girl in September. And the stakes couldnt have been higher. When the revival opened in March, 60 years after Barbra Streisands star-making turn in the beloved musical, it was plagued by negative reviews, bad buzz and wilting ticket sales.

Adding to the drama: Beanie Feldstein was originally cast as Fanny Brice instead of Michele, who has a long-publicized obsession with Funny Girl. One thing (criticism about Feldsteins voice) led to another (Feldsteins early exit from the show), resulting in Michele finally getting to take the main stage. The 73-year-old Feldshuh replaced Micheles former Glee co-star Jane Lynch, who initially played Mrs. Brice and left with Feldstein. Throughout the casting choices, surprise departures, and critical pile-on, theres been no shortage of headlines to dine out on the on- and off-stage gossip.

There is a reason its the most publicized show in New York, Feldshuh says over tea and fresh fruit at her Upper West Side apartment on a recent fall afternoon. It has a kernel of the American dream. Lea finally got the part she was destined to play in the first place, and shes brilliant in it.

Feldshuhs certain kind of maternal energy and shes played her share of Jewish mothers on stage and screen in Kissing Jessica Stein and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend seeps into real life as she interjects her musings about the theatre to make sure her company is well fed. Had we been cast in the first place, she says, taking a sip from her mug, this would not nearly have been as interesting a story.

Theres another reason that people have been clinging to the well-documented saga. Its a shot at redemption for Michele, who largely stepped back from the spotlight in 2020 after former Glee co-stars accused her of bad behavior on set. Feldshuh brushes off the idle chatter. I have no interest in reading about or knowing about it, she says in a way that, nonetheless, suggests shes acutely informed of the spectacle surrounding Michele. She adds, The Talmud says its forbidden to gossip.

Spoken like a true Jewish mother.

What has it been like to be back on Broadway?

Its a thrill. This thing fell into my lap. Forget just coming back to Broadway. What is it like to be in Funny Girl? Its like performing with The Beatles. Our performances, thanks to Lea Michele, are theatrical events.

Next year marks your 50th year on Broadway. How will you celebrate?

I want to have a party. We need to stop the conveyor belt and celebrate this accomplishment. Im so grateful I can do eight shows a week. I am an athlete. I am fit. I weigh 111.4 pounds, which is what I weighed in seventh grade. And you dont want to mess with me.

I was at your opening night, and the energy in the audience was electric. What was it like for you?

It was absolutely phenomenal. Basically the audience is saying to you, the second you step on stage, thank you. I feel very good about my work in the show. [The producers] let me say Oy, and they let Lea say Oy gevalt, and theyre letting me go, toi toi toi, which now gets a good laugh.

Has the reception been that enthusiastic every night?

We had no idea we would get that kind of reception. Weve only been doing it for five weeks, but thats the reception we get.

How were you first approached for the role?

I got this call from [producer] Daryl Roth saying Would you be interested in playing Rosie Bryce on Broadway? I said, I wouldnt be uninterested. I went to see the play, looked at the part and said, Maybe I can do something with this. I accepted the offer and saw the play innumerable times. Fanny Brice is the most startlingly brilliant role for a woman in the American musical theater. The rest of us are her spokes. But we dont have to be wallpaper. We function to bring out various assets and liabilities of Fanny Brices character. So I said yes. [But] how can I distinguish this part? Well, I got one advantage: Im Jewish. And Im the first actress of the Jewish religion to play this part on Broadway in 60 years.

Thats surprising to learn. What is gained by a Jewish actor playing Fannys mother?

As Katharine Hepburn said, God exists in the details. You want to come to any part youre playing as a sharpened pencil, a really fine point. And theres a difference between an Italian mother, an Irish mother, a Jewish mother, a Swedish mother A lot of Rosie Brice is not on the page. Its not some bravura role. How do you lift it off the page and make it deep, true, real and Jewish? This is a Jewish story about a Jewish girl. What makes it different, being a Jewish mother, is the manner in which a child is loved, cared for, touched. Its very demonstrative. The manner in which a Jew often catastrophizes first, which is written into Fannys part Wheres the torture? she says. The manner in which all is not always well, or all is not ever totally well; the Jew epigenetically has the specter of the possibility of extinction.

Did you do any research, or do you have enough experience from having a Jewish mother and being a Jewish mother?

and a Jewish grandmother. And no divorces in our family. I researched on Wikipedia that [Fannys mother] came here when she was 10 years old from Hungary. Had I been in the original production, I would have asked to explore the Hungarian accent. But I was a replacement, and to come in with that kind of a change would have been too drastic for the production. So I let it go. Other than that, its not that I didnt do research. I have enough in my memory bank.

Whats it like working with Lea Michele?

Lea never talks about herself. Never. The word diva doesnt even apply to her. It doesnt come close. Shes a working actress. Shes very good for the community.

What would surprise someone to know about her?

Her fans could enjoy the fact that her greatness of talent is coupled with her decency as a human being. And those who are not her fans, let me assure you, she is a dream to work with. Shes certainly wonderful to me. She calls me mom.

You were also in Yentl, another show thats closely associated with Barbra Streisand. Do you know each other?

She saw Kissing Jessica Stein and loved it, so she called me.

Have you spoken to her since youve joined Funny Girl?

I have not. I emailed her and said, Dearest Barbra, Im finally playing your mother. Love, Tovah. I dont know that shell come to see it. We all hope she will see it. I dont know. Shes in California, and shes 80.

How do you prepare to perform each day?

Would you like some of this apple? You should try some, its really good I get to the theater early. I like to close my eyes. I put my mask on and my earplugs on and listen to Headspace. I wake up at hour call. Just recalling the image Im starting to yawn. I change into the beginning of my costume and go to the stage to warm up my body and voice. By that time, its the half-hour mark. I get into my corset. Im one of two people who wear a corset in this show. I love wearing it. It makes me stand up straight. And then I start to go over the scenes.

How do you come down after a show?

The curtain call is so insane. It takes a while to relax. I ride my bike to the theater most nights. Now that were in a hit [show], everybodys flocking to the theater. So very often, well go out for a bite and then Ill bike home. I have a neon vest, and I bike up Central Park West. Im very careful. Sometimes I go to bed at 2 in the morning. I take Sleepytime Extra tea and melatonin. It takes tremendous discipline to calm down my mind.

Its a pretty long show. How do you spend time in between your scenes?

Could you pass the berries? When I was following Janes track, the dresser would say, And now Jane goes into the stage management office and sits and chats. I said, You got the wrong actor here. I do not sit. I do not chat. I study my script, like every good Jewish girl.

Is there a plan to record a cast album?

I hope so. What makes me sad is were not eligible for the Tonys. I hope they create something special for us.

Tovah Feldshuh (in red) on the Cannes red carpet for Armageddon Time.Getty Images

Youre also in James Grays new movie Armageddon Time. What was it like working with Jeremy Strong, Anne Hathaway and Anthony Hopkins?

Fabulous. Jeremy Strong as a real standout in that movie. Hes a superb artist and a wonderful man. When he works on set, hes in the tunnel. And, frankly, so are most of us. Tony is a gas. Hes hilarious. He can tell a dirty joke right before they say action and then do the part. And Anne Hathaway is like Lea Michele, just a superb human being. Shes very well brought up, very kind, very warm. Working for James Gray was pretty exciting because, who knew we were going to be invited to the Cannes Film Festival?

What was it like to go to Cannes?

It was exquisite. I was walking home Andy [Levy, Feldshuhs husband] and I rented a beautiful apartment near the Croisette and I met Julia Roberts. Shes a foot taller than me. She threw her arms around me and said, I have loved your work all my life. She started to name my theater credits. I said, You should run for president of the United States.

The rest is here:

Funny Girl Star Tovah Feldshuh on Sharing the Stage With Lea Michele and What the Talmud Says About Gossip - Variety

Marking the end of the annual Torah reading cycle, Simchat Torah is one of the most joyous days on the Jewish calendar. Tradition calls for dancing with Torah scrolls and eating festive meals and sweets.

Filled foods are a hallmark of the holiday, which this year will be observed from sunset Oct. 17 to sunset Oct. 18 (in Israel, and in Reform communities, its a day earlier).

In pursuit of tasty treats for such a sweet day, I explored a new cookbook that matches the stories of women in the Talmud with recipes. Feeding Women of the Talmud, Feeding Ourselves: Uplifting the Voices of Talmudic Heroines and Honoring them with Simple, Vegan Recipes is by Kenden Alfond, a blogger (Jewish Food Hero) who also wrote Beyond Chopped Liver.

The new book pairs stories about 69 women from the Talmud (written by female rabbis, educators and others) with mostly vegan recipes (gathered from 129 women who are chefs, food bloggers and home cooks from around the globe).

The recipe below inspired by the story of a rabbis daughter includes a layer of date caramel and is thus perfect for Simchat Torah. The story, which has inspired rabbinic thought on financially independent women, is about how the daughters wedding contract stipulates she retain her own possessions and manage her own finances.

The recipe is by Yal Alfond-Vincent (Alfonds Paris-based daughter), and my writeup is adapted for style, space and my experience in making it. Note that the cookies need to chill before being served.

Line the bottom and sides of a loaf pan (8-by-4-by-2 inches) with a large piece of parchment paper so its easy to lift out the squares.

Place almond flour, cup coconut oil, syrup and salt in the work bowl of a food processor. Process until until paste forms (3 to 5 minutes). Press mixture evenly into the bottom of prepared pan. Smooth with a metal spoon. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Once this layer is well chilled, pulse the almond butter, dates, figs, vanilla, lemon juice in the food processor until smooth. Taste and stir in more lemon juice if desired. Evenly spread on top of shortbread with a metal spoon. Wet the back of the spoon with water or additional juice and smooth. Return to fridge for at least 1 hour.

Melt the chocolate: Place chips or broken-up chocolate bars with remaining 1 tsp. coconut oil in small pot over low heat until smooth, stirring occasionally. Pour over the chilled caramel layer, titling the pan so the chocolate spreads evenly. Place pan level in refrigerator overnight. (Can be made 3 days ahead.)

Use the paper to lift the millionaire squares out of the pan in one piece. Cut into 16 pieces with sharp knife. Serve at room temperature. Wrap leftovers individually in plastic and store in refrigerator.

Notes: Use solid, room-temperature coconut oil, which will have a strong coconut taste. If thats an issue, use triple-refined coconut oil or a non-palm oil solid baking shortening. Choose a nut butter without added oil or sugar. Use vegan chocolate that is 54% to 72% cocoa solids. If using chips, 2 cups equals 12 oz.

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No-bake 'millionaire' bars are a rich treat for a sweet Simchat Torah J. - The Jewish News of Northern California

When the Supreme Court ruled in June to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to an abortion, 87-year-old Barbara Meislin immediately called her grant adviser at the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation and started mapping out which reproductive-rights organizations she could support through philanthropy.

We need to fight back, the Marin County resident said.

For Meislin, that meant adding money to her Federation donor-advised fund a managed account that lets her have a big say about which groups and causes will receive grants from those funds.

This summer, she focused on organizations supporting womens rights and democracy itself. Im doing everything I know how and can [do] to help us survive, she said.

Many local Jewish philanthropists say they feel the same way when it comes to defending womens reproductive rights.

It was sort of this steady march up with each threat over the Trump presidency, and now with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, [donors are] stepping it up again, said Amy Lyons, executive director of the John and Marcia Goldman Foundation, a Jewish-driven entity focused on supporting community needs across the Bay Area.

At the Federation, according to Rebecca Randall, the agencys managing director of philanthropy, donor-advised funds and supporting foundations granted $1.2 million in the name of reproductive rights from July 2021 through August 2022.

Since 2018, she added, more than 200 Federation donors and supporting foundations have given approximately $3.9 million to agencies that provide reproductive health care, protect abortion access and do other advocacy work around these causes. (By comparison, for the fiscal year ending in June 2016, the total given toward reproductive rights was only just above $250,000.)

This is one of those issues that we knew our community as a whole cared about, even if they hadnt necessarily started funding it in a big way, Randall said.

In May, seeking to support reproductive rights in a more explicit way, the Federation developed a guide titled Reproductive Rights Giving Opportunities.

The need for an abortion affects 1 in 4 women of reproductive age, the guide begins, adding that 75 percent of abortion patients are low-income women who cant use insurance for the procedure. The Rabbis of the Talmud are clear, it adds later, Abortion is permitted, and in some cases required, for the health and safety of women.

The guide lists agencies that the owners of donor-advised funds have recommended supporting, including the Abortion Care Network, two local branches of Planned Parenthood, Access Womens Health Justice, Center for Reproductive Rights, the Guttmacher Institute, NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation and National Network of Abortion Funds. An update this summer added the National Council for Jewish Women, which has its own Jewish Fund for Abortion Access. (Abortion access is a Jewish value plain and simple, its webpage states.)

The Rabbis of the Talmud are clear: Abortion is permitted, and in some cases required, for the health and safety of women.

Supporting reproductive rights is not the only hot issue these days, as there have been big jumps in other donor-advised giving at the Federation. In the fiscal year that ended in June 2022, for example, educational organizations were granted $23 million from Federation donors, a sizable increase of over $5 million from the previous fiscal year, according to Randall.

Meanwhile, the John and Marcia Goldman Foundation has doubled what it has granted to reproductive-rights groups over the last five years. Grantees include NARAL, Planned Parenthood and ACLU Northern California.

In July, the Goldmans added six $10,000 grants to smaller, grassroots organizations working toward the same goals, including Groundswells Catalyst Fund for Reproductive Services, which focuses on directing health resources to low-income women, women of color and transgender people. In August, the National Abortion Federation was added as a grantee.

In all, John and Marcia Goldman have donated $245,000 this year toward abortion access and womens reproductive health care, according to Lyons.

Prompted by the Supreme Court ruling in June, the S.F.-based Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund awarded two rounds of emergency grants totaling $1 million to reproductive health and rights groups. These include Just the Pill, I Need an A.com, If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice and the Abortion Movement Fund. The extra funding came in addition to Lisa and Douglas annual award of approximately $1.4 million in grants in support of abortion access and delivery. (John and Douglas Goldman are brothers.)

The S.F.-based Jewish Community Relations Council is one of the Federations largest grantees and a major partner in advocacy for abortion access and activism around legislation tied to protecting reproductive freedom.

JCRC aggressively advocated for Assembly Bill 1666, introduced by Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan of the East Bay and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in June. It protects California abortion providers and their patients from civic actions brought by states where abortions are banned or significantly restricted.

Jessica Trubowitch, JCRCs director of policy and partnerships, said that the rise in giving to Federation donor-advised funds speaks to the concern that our community has for where abortion rights and access are right now in many U.S. states.

Julia Abramson, JCRCs community relations associate, added that the grant money from the Federation helps her mobilize and attract more volunteers to participate in abortion rights advocacy. Shes currently running a campaign for Proposition 1, the Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment, which will be on the California ballot in November.

The Federations support really makes me happy and excited for what we can do in this Prop. 1 campaign, mobilizing our communities, Abramson said. So although its a very troubling and anxious time, it has me activated and hopeful.

Meislin echoed Abramsons feelings. She is encouraged by the growing philanthropy and political activism that has emerged since the landmark ruling in June that overturned Roe vs. Wade.

Im very concerned about the survival of our democracy right now, she said. I think were in very dire straits. Maybe things like this particular Supreme Court ruling have awakened people who would otherwise be half asleep.

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Jewish donations to support abortion rights groups are booming J. - The Jewish News of Northern California

Supermini 'Phantom Of The Opera' remix cover art - image courtesy of Universal Music Group

A brand new remix of 'The Phantom of the Opera', the title song from Andrew Lloyd Webbers The Phantom of the Opera, one of the most successful and spectacular productions of all time, is available now on streaming platforms. The new track, which features vocals from the current West End leads Killian Donnelly, and Lucy St. Louis is remixed by the Spanish DJ and Producer Supermini. You can check the remix out below.

This follows the 2021 release of 'About This' remix of the same track with lead vocals from previous Broadway cast Ben Crawford and Meghan Picerno.

Shop the best of Andrew Lloyd Webber's discography on vinyl and more.

This version debuted, with a huge international reaction, at a block party featuring a DJ set by Andrew Lloyd outside the Majestic Theater in New York City to celebrate the reopening of Phantom on Broadway after the COVID pandemic. All five tracks are available on one EP on all major streaming platforms from now.

The show resumed performances on Friday, October 22 at 8PM at The Majestic Theatre (245 West 44th Street) the musicals New York home for all 33 record-breaking years. As much a part of the city landscape as the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty,The Phantom Of The Operaremains an iconic New York City landmark.

At the time of the announcement, Andrew Lloyd Webber said, "I am a proud Brit, but Broadway has always been my spiritual home. To have Phantom lead the effort to bring our beloved community back to the stage is a moment of immense pride for me."

Since opening in 1986, The Phantom of the Opera has played to over 145 million people in 183 cities in 17 languages. It has now run for over 30 years in the West End and on Broadway. It is Broadways longest-running show and has received over 70 major theatre awards, including seven Tony Awards and four Olivier awards.

Buy or stream the Supermini remix of 'The Phantom Of The Opera'.

For the latest music news and exclusive features, check out uDiscover Music.

uDiscover Music is operated by Universal Music Group (UMG). Some recording artists included in uDiscover Music articles are affiliated with UMG.

Excerpt from:

Superminis Remix Of The Phantom Of The Operas Title Song is Out Now - Yahoo Entertainment

Anyone who tried singing with a group live on Zoom during the pandemic knows just how chaotic and deeply unsatisfying such an experience could be. Zoom just wasnt made for that.

As much of Jewish communal life resumes in person, many are thrilled to once again be raising their voices together in song and in the same key and tempo. On Oct. 30, Joey Weisenberg will provide a unique opportunity to do just that when he visits the Bay Area to teach a workshop and give a concert at Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco.

A giant of contemporary Jewish music, in the words of Sherith Israels Cantor Toby Glaser, Weisenberg will share techniques on setting up singing spaces, harmonizing, finding the groove and cultivating silence. A program presented by local cantors and a concert involving Weisenberg, local synagogue choirs and workshop participants will follow. All events will be in-person only.

Since communal life was disrupted by the pandemic, Ive gained a much deeper appreciation for the preciousness of every musical moment, Weisenberg, 40, wrote in an email to J. More than anything else, Im just excited to get to be a part of the beautiful spiritual soundscape we create together!

Weisenberg is the founder of the Philadelphia-based Rising Song Institute, which fosters Jewish spiritual life through music. (It is a program of the Hadar Institute, an egalitarian educational institution in New York.) He has led singing workshops around the world, and he said the Sherith Israel program is for Jewish professionals and lay leaders, musicians and anyone who wants to transform their local musical culture.

Glaser told J. he attended one of Weisenbergs workshops in New York a few years ago and was blown away by the experience.

His teaching is really grounded in Jewish thought, philosophy and scholarship, Glaser said. He really uses a lot of text, whether its from the Torah or the Talmud, to emphasize the way the melody affects us on a Jewish level.

In contrast to the Reform tradition of Jewish music, which is grounded in American folk music (think Debbie Friedman), Weisenberg works with melodies based on Jewish liturgical music, said Glaser. Its a different style to a lot of Jewish popular music thats been written, he said.

With its massive dome and evocative stained glass windows, Sherith Israels sanctuary is an ideal place to get transcendental with the music, Glaser said. Temple Isaiah in Lafayette and Congregation Rodef Sholom in San Rafael are co-sponsoring the events.

The author of Building Singing Communities: A Practical Guide to Unlocking the Power of Music in Jewish Prayer and The Torah of Music, Weisenberg plays multiple instruments and composes new nigguns, or wordless melodies. His latest album, Leila, dropped earlier this year.

He said he is looking forward to working with as many Jewish music lovers as possible.

The more people who attend, the richer the sounds, the deeper the conversation, the more uplifting the experience, he said. And I hope this will merely be the starting point of a much longer journey into collective song.

Read the original:

Joey Weisenberg coming to S.F. to help build 'singing communities' J. - The Jewish News of Northern California

Religious charges of Tahrif, the corruption of other peoples sacred scriptures, did not begin with Islam; they began with Judaism and Christianity. Rabbi Elazar ben Yossi HaGelili who livedin the first half of the 2nd century C.E. said: I said to the Cuthite scribes: You falsified the Torah and gained nothing from that. For you wrote near the terebinths of Moreh near Shechem, [near Shechem being an addition by the Cuthites to the Samaritan Torah]. (Sifre on Deuteronomy piska 56)

The Samaritan Pentateuch is the sacred scripture of the Samaritan community whose holy writings comprise solely the Torah, the Five Books Of Moses-Pentateuch, from the second centuryB.C.E. until today. The full text of the Samaritan Pentateuch, like the rabbinic Masoretic Text is known from medieval manuscripts dating to the ninth centuryC.E. onwards, and undoubtedly goes back to ancient pre Quran Jewish texts.

The rabbis describe the Samaritan Pentateuch as a falsification of the Jewish Torah (Jerusalem Talmud Sotah7.3; Babylonian Talmud Sotah33b; andSanhedrin90b) and its text was never quoted in rabbinic literature.

The Israelite Samaritans, as they call themselves, are closely related to the Jews, but they do not identify as Jews and therefore their Samaritan Pentateuch is not considered a Jewish text any more.

Yet the Dead Sea Scrolls contain texts that are very similar to the Samaritan Pentateuch which demonstrates that this text type was also considered to be an authoritative Jewish text in the generations prior to the birth of Prophet Jesus.

These predecessors of the Samaritan Pentateuch found at Qumran share all the major features with the Samaritan Pentateuch which was created probably in the second centuryB.C.E. by slightly rewriting one of these pre-Samaritan texts to reflect the importance of Mount Gerizim.

Organized Judaism from the Rabbinic period on-wards always considered the Masoretic Text as the only (kosher) text of the Bible, and thus by implication the original text of the Hebrew Bible.The rabbis describe the Samaritan Pentateuch as a falsification (Tahrif) of the Jewish Torah (Jerusalem TalmudSotah7.3; Babylonian TalmudSotah33b; andSanhedrin90b) and its text was never quoted in rabbinic literature.

Independently, Mani. who lived in Persia from 216-274 C.E. and was the founding prophet of the Manichaean religion, charged all the other then existing sacred scriptures with tahrif.

The Manichaean version of Genesis is not just a derivative distortion of orthodox scriptures. It is close to some older traditions from earlier stages of the biblical narrative tradition which were subsequently dropped from their original settings by the final redactors of Genesis, and which are now found in texts likeJubilees and portions of 1 Enoch.

A principal critique Mani levels against some of his prophetic predecessors is that they failed to insure the accurate registration and preservation of their writings, and so these writings; which eventually evolve into the canonical scriptures associated with religions like Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity; were corrupted and falsified by later generations of disciples and followers.

Ibn al-Nadm reports that Mndisparaged the other prophets in his writings. He found fault with them and charged them with lies, and maintained that devils had taken possession of them and had spoken using their tongues.

Christian polemicists have used tahrif claims since the time of Justin Martyr (c.100-165 C.E.), who was born of pagan parents. By 132 C.E. he had become a Christian and by the 140sbegan charging Jews with the alteration of those portions of Jewish scripture which purportedly predicted the advent of Messiah Jesus and the Christian Church.

Justin Martyr built on the New Testament writing of Paul (2 Corinthians 3:14), But their (Jewish) minds were closed. Until this very day, the same veil remains over their reading of the Old Testament [and] has not lifted, for only in Christ is it done away with.

Similar accusations would appear in Islam under the label of tahrif (alteration) particularly with regard to falsification in both Jewish and Christian scriptures (Quran 3:78; 4:46; and 5:15).

All of these pre-Quran influential religious thinkers were themselves influenced by a non-religious pagan Greek philosopher named Aristotle(384322 BC) who believed that truth had to be what is called today: a Zero Sum Game.

Greek philosophy, with its requirement that truth must be unchanging and universal, influenced most teachers of sacred scripture during early Medieval times to believe that religion itself was a zero sum game; the more truth I find in your scripture the less truth there is in mine.

Instead of understanding differing texts as complementary, polemicists made them contradictory and declared the other religions sacred text to be false.

If religion is to promote peace in our pluralistic world we must reject the zero sum game ideology and develop the pluralistic teachings that already exist within our own sacred scriptures, and especially in the Quran.

After all all prophets are brothers. They have the same father (God) but different mothers (mother tongues, motherlands and unique historical circumstances that account for all the differences in their scriptures).

Religions differ because the circumstances of each nation receiving them differ. Where sacred Scriptures differ they do not nullify each other; they only cast additional light on each other.

The Quran states, in opposition to the Greek Zero Sum Game theory of truth, that: If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (Gods plan is) to test you in what He has given you: so compete in all virtues as in a race. The goal of you all is to (please) Allah who will show you on judgment day) the truth of the matters in which you dispute. (Quran 5:48)

So until judgement day humans here on earth are limited to the particular truth of there own specific religion.

My own belief is based on an important Hadith of Prophet Muhammad. Abu Huraira relates, The people of the Book used to read the Torah in Hebrew and then explain it in Arabic to the Muslims. Allahs Apostle said (to the Muslims). Do not believe the people of the Book, nor disbelieve them, but say, We believe in Allah, and whatever is revealed to us, and whatever is revealed to you.

Following Muhammads teaching I neither believe nor disbelieve the Quran. If I believed in the Quran, I would be a member of the Muslim ummah (community). But I cannot disbelieve in the Quran because I believe that Prophet Muhammad was indeed a non-Jewish, Abrahamic prophet; and I respect the Quran as a revelation to a kindred people, in a kindred language.

In fact, the people, the language and the theology are closer to my own people, language and theology than that of any other religion on earth.

Unlike those in the past who played the zero sum game, I do not seek some verse in the Quran I can dispute or object to. Indeed, this is what the Quran itself teaches. For every community We have appointed a whole system of worship which they are to observe. So do not let them draw you into disputes concerning this matter. (22:67)

And the Quran clearly states: Those who believe (Muslims), those who advocate Judaism, Christians, Sabeans, whoever truly believes in God and the Last Day, and does good righteous deeds, surely their reward is with their Lord, they will not fear, nor will they grieve. (2:62)

Thank God, in 21th century America the majority of most religious groups now believe the teachings of the Quran cited above. A survey of over 35,000 Americans in 2008 found that most Americans agree with the statement: many religions not just their own can lead to eternal life. Among those affiliated with some religious tradition, seven-in-ten say many religions can lead to eternal life.

This view is shared by a majority of adherents in nearly all religious traditions, including 82% of Jews, 79% of Catholics, 57% of evangelical Protestants and 56% of Muslims. (From the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, 2008, Pew Research Center.)

Thus, in 21th century United States most Christians, Jews, and Muslims have rejected the zero sum mind set and believe in the Qurans pluralism teachings. Only those who reject God by disbelief or by unrepentant evil activities will be the losers when Judgement Day comes.

Although many, perhaps most theologians will learn that they might not be as smart as they thought they were.

It is also very important to understand that religious pluralism is the will of God is different from religious, moral or cultural relativism. Relativism teaches that all values and standards are subjective, and therefore there is no higher spiritual authority available for setting ethical standards or making moral judgments.

Thus, issues of justice, truth or human rights are, like beauty, just in the eye of the beholder. Most people, especially those who believe that One God created all of us, refuse to believe that ethics and human rights are simply a matter of taste. Religious pluralism as the will of God is the opposite of cultural or philosophical relativism.

The fundamental idea supporting religious pluralism is that religious people need to embrace humility in many areas of religion. All religions have always taught a traditional anti self centered personal egoism type of humility.

Religious pluralism also opposes a religious, philosophical, and self righteous intellectual egoism that promotes a tendency to turn our legitimate love for our own prophet and Divine revelation into universal truths that we fully understand and know how to apply.

Religious pluralism teaches that finite humans, even the most intelligent and pious of them, can not fully understand everything the way the infinite One does.

This is true, for every human being, even for Gods messengers themselves. When prophet Moses, who God spoke with face to face, as a person speaks with a friend (Exodus 33:11) asks to see God face to face, he is told, You cannot see My face, for no man can see My face and live. (33:20)

Similarly, in the Quran prophet Jesus admits to God, You know everything that is within myself, whereas I do not know what is within Yourself. (7:116) And when prophet Jesus was asked, in private, by his disciples, What will be the sign for your coming (back) and the end of the age? (Matthew 24:3) Jesus warns his disciples about upheavals and false Messiahs that will come. Then Jesus concluded by saying, But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, not even the son: only the Father. (24:36)

A similar statement was made by Prophet Muhammad when he was asked, Tell me about the Hour. He said: The one questioned about it knows no better than the questioner. (Muslim book 1 Hadith 1&4)

God taught the general principle of epistemological humility through his Prophet who taught his followers I am no novelty among the messengers. I do not know what will be done to me, or to you. (Quran 46:9)

In truth, the only universal truth should be the humility to admit: Only God knows

Read this article:

Islamic Tahrif Began With The Samaritans OpEd - Eurasia Review

(October 11, 2022 / JNS) Rosh Hashanah is so much more than the Jewish New Year: It is the wish of every Jewish parent, child, spouse, sibling and friend that the following year be joyous. This is the metaphor of the apples and honeywe wish each other a good and sweet year, shana tova umetuka.

Symbolically, we are told in the Talmud, Three books are opened in heaven on Rosh Hashanah, one for the thoroughly wicked, one for the thoroughly righteous and one for the intermediate. The thoroughly righteous are forthwith inscribed in the Book of Life, the thoroughly wicked in the Book of Death, while the fate of the intermediate is suspended until the Day of Atonement. In our tradition, this annual judgment is not considered finally sealed until Hoshanah Rabba, the seventh day of Sukkot.

At this perilous time, when our fates are symbolically being weighed in the balance, Jewish peoplein particular, Jewish students on American campusesare being targeted by vicious enemies who wish us ill.

At the University of California Berkeley School of Law, several affinity organizations, including the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, the Law Students of African Descent, the Women of Berkeley Law and the Queer Caucus were convinced to adopt a bylaw requiring that participating organizations will not invite speakers that have expressed and continued to hold views in support of Zionism [or] the apartheid State of Israel.

Yet Zionism, the desire to restore Jewish sovereignty in our ancient homeland of Israel, has been integrally connected to Jewish belief and identity throughout our millennia-old history. Only a small percentage of alienated Jews oppose Zionism, their own peoples right to self-determination. In effect, the nine Berkeley Law student organizations have become spaces where most Jews are not welcome without abjuring their essential beliefs.

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At the University of Michigan, an anti-Semitic group called the Goyim Defense League scattered anti-Semitic flyers in an area of Ann Arbor heavily populated by students. Goyim is a Hebrew word that means nations, sometimes in the connotation of non-Jews, as in Israel among the nations, an aphorism that dates to the 12th century masterpiece of physician-philosopher Rabbi Judah HaLevi, The Kuzari. HaLevi asserted, The People of Israel among the nations is like the heart among the organs.

Now, the Hebrew word is being appropriated by Jew-haters attempting to portray Jews as wicked manipulators who despise outsiders. The hate groups flyers conspiratorially portray COVID-19 lockdowns as the work of Jews, who they bizarrely claim would benefit from lockdowns because they supposedly make it easier for religious Jews to observe the Sabbath. In fact, the Jewish community has suffered immense disruptions to normal religious observance due to the pandemic.

At American University (AU) in Washington, D.C., a swastika was found on the ceiling tile of a dormitory bathroom. AUs president, Sylvia Burwell, rightly said, The discovery of this hate symbol during Rosh Hashanah, a holy time for our Jewish community members, adds to the harm and hurt. Days earlier, the administration had completed an inconclusive investigation into a prior incident of anti-Semitic symbols carved into a bathroom wall, including a swastika, a pair of SS lightning bolts and a Star of David crossed out with an X. The symbols, meant to terrify, recall the deliberate murder of over six million Jewish men, women and children in the Holocaust.

At Rutgers University in New Jersey, the headquarters of the Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi was vandalized and eggs were thrown at the fraternity house. The house had previously been targeted and egged during a Holocaust Remembrance Day event in 2021. The fraternity reports that it has been targeted for two years by harassers who shout anti-Semitic slurs at members. As a result, many of these students have reported that they have avoided wearing any Jewish jewelry, such as the Star of David.

The sacred period in the Jewish calendar between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur known as the Ten Days of Awe and the period leading up to Hoshanah Rabba are being deliberately profaned by vicious anti-Semites. Many Jews will be reminded of the haunting Rosh Hashanah prayer Unetanneh Tokef, which predicts, On Rosh Hashanah will be inscribed and on Yom Kippur will be sealedhow many will pass from the earth and how many will be created; who will live and who will die; who will die after a long life and who before his time; who by water and who by fire; who by sword and who by beast.

The text is ascribed to the great Rabbi Amnon of Mainz, who was tortured to death on Rosh Hashanah for his Jewish faith and identity. For centuries, that has been unthinkable in America. The Jewish community must stand strong against anti-Semitism on campus so that we are safe to celebrate our identity and mark our observances, as we have done for thousands of years. Anything less and the torch of religious liberty, the prized heritage and safeguard of American Jewry, will have truly begun to dim.

Hen Mazzig has been named among the top 50 LGBTQ+ influencers and as one of Algemeiners top 100 people positively influencing Jewish life. His award-winning articles have been published by The Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, NBC News, Haaretz, The Forward, The Jewish Chronicle, The International Business Times and more. He serves as a senior fellow at the Tel Aviv Institute and is the host of the podcast Fresh Look.

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Rosh Hashanah threats show that Jewish students are being targeted - JNS.org

Israel-Premier Tech has released a video documentary charting the progress and first ride of the group of Afghan refugees they helped to evacuate from the Taliban-run country earlier this summer.

In July, team owner Sylvan Adams met a group of 70 Afghan refugees - mainly female cyclists and athletes - at an airport in Rome after helping to assist in wider efforts to evacuate them from the country.

Under the Taliban regime many female athletes and women looking to develop their sporting opportunities were no longer safe.

One of the cyclists, Arica, explains that life in their home country quickly changed. According to the rules of the new regime in Afghanistan, they say that sport is forbidden for girls, she said. If a girl cycles, that girl must be killed by the government or people.

Now several months after their evacuation, Israel-Premier Tech has released a video of the group, titled Racing for change, cycling to freedom of the women on their first ride in LAquila, Italy after fleeing Afghanistan.

Its a beautiful day for me, one rider says as she beams into the camera. Another rider named Zarifa is visibly delighted to be riding again. The 20-year-old competed in races in the Middle Eastern country before the Taliban took control again.

Zarifa explains to the cameras that life as a female cyclist was difficult before the Taliban returned, although once the group were back in control what started as just initial negativity to women cycling turned into something far more sinister.

People always told us how bad it is for us to ride a bike its only for boys they used to say, she said. Then came the new regime and they started threatening to kill us if we dared to ride again. As well as cycling, studying also was quickly ruled out as being something open to young women in the region.

After the group initially escaped Afghanistan and Taliban rule, they were forced to wait for 10 months in Pakistan before Italy welcomed them as refugees. Israel-Premier Tech, the Italian government and Italian journalist Francesa Monzone were all instrumental in getting them to safety and making cycling and studying a possibility for them again.

On seeing the group now settled in LAquila, Israel-Premier Tech team owner Sylvan Adams said: Seeing our Afghans gratitude for having been brought to freedom, is truly uplifting, and gives me the strength to continue. This is tempered by the concerns and fears that our saved Afghans feel for their relatives and friends left behind.

We were only able to save a few but the Talmud tells us that even a single life saved uplifts our world.

Continued here:

Freedom to cycle The female Afghan refugees rediscovering life on the bike in Italy - CyclingWeekly

By Sruli Fried and Dovid Friedman

There are two central concepts in Jewish tradition that speak to our peoples passionate regard for unity, kindness, and charity. The first is that to save one life is to save an entire world. The second is that all people are responsible for one another.

These Talmudic moral principles inspire a deep-seated respect for one another and the unparalleled value of charity, compassion and human life.

These are values that fundamentally characterize our Jewish community, around the world, and here in the Lakewood area. Our community is home to countless charitable organizations and innovations and tremendous philanthropy dedicated to providing life-saving, life-sustaining, and financial support for the sick and impoverished. Time and again we have stepped up to help one another.

It is with this in mind that we call on our community once more to respond to the recent polio outbreak, which has led our neighbors to the north to declare a state of emergency, after a confirmed case and polio samples were found in wastewater in several nearby New York counties.

While the New Jersey Department of Health shows that the state overall has a high polio vaccination rate of 97.7% overall and 95.2% here in Ocean County significantly higher than neighboring Orange and Rockland counties in New York it is still critical that every one of us does our part to stop the spread of this dangerous and life-threatening disease.

Our purpose here is not to rehash a debate over vaccination in general. The pain of the chasm that has erupted in global society over the recent years is something that God should spare us from ever witnessing again.

Yet we are fully aware that the current apathy to established childhood vaccines is not taking place in a vacuum but is directly linked to those events. The journal Nature recently wrote how childhood vaccination rates are at a 30-year low in the wake of the pandemic so one would have to be ignorant not to make that correlation.

There is therefore an urgent need for all in positions of influence to come forth and say that while claims of religious freedoms or rights to personal privacy might be respectable in many cases, they cannot trump the far more fundamental rights to live a right that has been blessedly strengthened by the technological wonders introduced decades ago by the polio and other similar vaccines.

In this current debate, the reality is that every parent or individual who chooses to refrain or delay childhood vaccination is contributing, perhaps unwillingly, to the promotion of the belief that childhood vaccine refusal can be condoned.

But it cannot be condoned.

On the basic medical level, polio was a disease that had practically disappeared as a result of vaccination. And on the moral level, the very nature of infectious disease means that ones actions impact their families, neighbors, communities and, eventually, the world.

If we claim to be people of compassion, where we elevate lifesaving and unity to the highest levels, then we need to embrace those ideals whenever we are given the chance.

This is that chance.

We speak from very personal perspectives where we are literally pleading for a widespread re-examination of this issue. We are privileged to lead two community-based organizations, Chai Lifeline New Jersey and CHEMED, which help thousands of children and families, many of whom are now threatened by infectious outbreaks.

These include children with congenital or acquired conditions with suppressed immunity who would become the most susceptible victims if polio or other infectious diseases such as measles are not quashed. They are no less deserving of health than all those of us who were vaccinated for these diseases decades ago when it was so obvious that God had extended us his hand through the form of medical technology, and we were blessed to take it.

We write these words at the start of the Jewish New Year. This is a period of renewal and reflection, and a time for us all to recommit to one another. To our Jewish brothers and sisters, it is in your hands to save lives and prove that the values of charity and compassion will be what continue to define our people.

May you make that choice and may all humanity be blessed with a new year of happiness and true health.

Rabbi Sruli Fried, MSW, is the director of Chai Lifeline New Jersey.

Dr. Dovid Friedman is the CEO of CHEMED, which leads organizations dedicated to providing psychosocial support and healthcare to children and families in Lakewood and surrounding areas.

Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.

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Rabbi: Lets recommit to one another and get the polio vaccine | Opinion - NJ.com

Posted In: Hromadske Radio, Jews on Ukrainian Lands, , , Culture, History, Ethnography, Religion

[Editor's note: Russia's unprovoked and criminal war against Ukraine suspended the regular work of many organizations, reorienting their efforts. So it is with the Ukrainian Jewish Encounter. In the coming weeks, we will run interviews and articles done before the beginning of the war, which reflect the myriad of interests undertaken by Ukrainian journalists, scholars and writers.]

The unique structures of ancient synagogues are preserved in Ukraine to this day. How did their story begin?

We learned about the history of synagogues in Ukraine and this element of Ukrainian-Jewish architecture from Oksana Boiko, Candidate of Architectural Sciences, associate professor at the Department of Restoration of Architectural and Artistic Heritage (Lviv Polytechnic National University), and academic associate of the Ukrainian regional scientific and restoration institute Ukrzakhidproiektrestavratsiia.

Oksana Boiko is a researcher of architecture, particularly synagogue architecture. One of her studies, based on her dissertation, is entitled The Architecture of Masonry Synagogues in Right-Bank Ukraine, XVIXX Centuries.

Vasyl Shandro: Mrs. Boiko, I will ask you first to tell us what a synagogue is. What is the purpose of this building? Tell us about the terminology regarding the building. Are there parallel terms for the building? What is this sacred building that is called a synagogue?

Oksana Boiko: The term "synagogue" comes from the Greek language and means "place of assembly." As a rule, synagogues in Ukraine were called schools or temples (bozhnytsi). The Poles called them bonice. Sometimes the word appeared in such forms as bizhnytsia, and in Transcarpathia, I heard the term buzhnia.

Is there a difference between the buildings themselves and their names? Not at all. A synagogue is an assembly building; at the same time, it is a sacred building where people pray. Why a place of assembly? Because people gathered there. Even churches were called synagogues, as attested by ancient documents.

In a synagogue, people gathered to pray together. It was where they studied and commented on the Holy Scriptures, that is, the Torah. This is the sacred text of Judaism or the Pentateuch of the Covenant, and they also read the Talmud. What is the Talmud? It is a codex of Jewish laws governing the life of the community. The Talmud was the basic book regulating all spheres of life of Jews in the Diaspora. In general, for Jews scattered throughout the world, the synagogue was above all an assembly building, where, in addition to religious services in Diaspora conditions, other spheres of Jewish life took place, even trials. That is why a synagogue has a prayer hall, where various areas of life were discussed. Ancient synagogues also held jails. Sometimes a synagogue was expanded by the addition of various outbuildings where people studied, or societies of artisans prayed. Thus, the entire life of the Jewish community was concentrated in the synagogue.

Vasyl Shandro: In other words, it is not just a place for religious services, for prayers, but also a place for discussing and approving decisions that are important to the community

Oksana Boiko: Synagogue and temple are equivalent terms given to buildings in our country where Jews gathered to pray and to resolve their various issues. Ukrainians called synagogues "schools" with good reason: because people studied there. Jews read and studied the Holy Scriptures, and they themselves called their synagogues shuls. There was a synagogue in Lviv that was called Hasidim Shul.

Vasyl Shandro: From shul? That's from the Yiddish?

Oksana Boiko: From the Yiddish shul. Yiddish is based on the German language.

Vasyl Shandro: What do we know about the first synagogues? When did they start being built on the territory of Ukraine, and where?

Oksana Boiko: We have few documents about the [Kyivan Rus] princely era, but it is clear that Jews lived here during the princely era, and they were governed by Rus Law. We have one mention from Kyiv, under the year 1113, stating that the Jewish Gate [Zhydivski vorota] burned down. We know that in our country, Jews were called zhydy; today, they are called ievre. But the former term is disappearing, and that is a shame. Fortunately, it has not been expunged yet from the works of Ivan Franko because it is a specific term for Ukrainians as well as all the other Slavic peoples. Poles use this term. I digress because I mentioned the Zhydivski vorota. In ancient documents, communities are called iudeiski, Israelite; and their districts were called zhydivski; on maps, the district is written as iudeiska, etc.

Therefore, the Jews in Ukraine first appeared during the princely era, and then they built their temples; but we do not have any information about them. The earliest information concerning synagogues appears in the fifteenth century; that is the earliest. They were already built in the fourteenth century, but we have little information, only brief mentions; for example, there was a synagogue in Lviv. But we have more information on the period when our lands, western Ukraine, ended up under Poland. There are archival materials and studies about this.

Regrettably, the stratum of this building culture has mostly perished. The oldest synagogues were wooden; they could be half-timbered. Obviously, they were impermanent because they often burned down. The oldest, partly intact synagogue ruins in our lands is the Golden Rose Synagogue in Lviv, which was built in 1582. So, we can speak about the earliest synagogue-building culture.

Some ancient, preserved synagogues in Ukraine are in Lutsk (1624), Pidhaitsi (1627), and Ostroh (1630). Later, in the eighteenth century, there are synagogues in Sharhorod and Husiatyn. In other words, quite a lot of old synagogues have been preserved in our country, in contrast to Western Europe, where there is a gap in the building culture between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries

Vasyl Shandro: Because of policies?

Oksana Boiko: Yes, because the Jewish population was resettled, that is, it was expelled, and to a certain extent, this was connected with the formation and consolidation of Western states. Expulsions of Jews took place in Germany, Portugal, Spain, France, and Italy. Oddly enough, the Polish state offered Jews shelter, and they settled here, in our western Ukrainian lands. That is why by the late nineteenth century, one-third of all the Jews in the world lived in our lands.

Vasyl Shandro: This is truly an immense number. So can we say that the synagogue-building culture is a distinct stylistic phenomenon?

Oksana Boiko: Absolutely. Unfortunately, much has been lost, but at the same time, much has been preserved. Thus, we can trace the development of this construction. I am talking about masonry synagogues, because Jewish wooden architecture has not been preserved; that is a separate topic. There were far more wooden synagogues because they were cheaper to build.

It is worth mentioning where synagogues were built. Synagogues are an element of urban culture, urban architecture. And this is connected with the fact that Jews were mostly urbanites. Why? Because Jews were permitted to engage in trade and moneylending, and trade is the city. What is the city? The city means fairs and auctions. And when a city was being established, or it was developing, and privileges for fairs and auctions were being issued, the Jewish element appeared there. Once there were more of them, communities were formed, and the formed community had the right to establish a synagogue and a cemetery. These are the most indispensable elements of the functioning of a community.

Vasyl Shandro: Was it necessary to obtain permission to establish a synagogue and choose a site? Was it important who laid the first brick there? Was there a specific ritual involving the people who were supposed to launch the building of a synagogue, and how and in what place?

Oksana Boiko: Yes, obviously. The location of a synagogue was not accidental, and its selection was connected with the permission granted by the owner of the given city. A little bit of history is required here. All the ancient cities of western Ukraine were founded and developed according to the principles of Magdeburg Law, or the so-called German town law (I am talking about western Ukraine because I have studied it more). What does this mean? A city developed in keeping with city-building principles. Cities were either private and had owners, or they belonged to the king and had a governor. The essence of Magdeburg Law was self-government; cities evolved according to their own internal laws. At the request of an owner of a city, the king would grant such a right. Municipal self-government bodies headed by a mayor or reeve were introduced; they had their own courts the administrative part. Along with Magdeburg Law, the king granted privileges for trade, and at that point, Jews would arrive in that city.

In western Ukraine, all cities and towns were also built in keeping with Magdeburg Law, that is, according to a certain urban system: A market square was built in the center, from the corners of which radiated streets with residential buildings, and all around, this city was more or less fortified. What did these fortifications look like? They varied, and that is a separate topic. But various communities lived in that city. In our case, in western Ukraine, cities were settled by Ukrainians/Ruthenians, Poles, and Jews sometimes by Armenians in certain cities. And every community had a clearly designated spot for the construction of its temple.

Since this was the Polish period, a Roman Catholic church was built in the most prestigious place in the city: right in the corner of the market, this square area. Sometimes a city was established on some settlement where Ukrainians might already have their own church. The formed community of Jews also had a designated site for the construction of a synagogue. What does a formed community mean? It means that there had to be no fewer than ten people older than thirteen. As a rule, they were granted a spot at the back of the market quarter. Such were the times.

When you look at maps of cities and towns dating, say, to the mid-nineteenth century, you can see very clearly that a city so regular, so clear-cut, built according to the principles of Magdeburg Law has a neighborhood within the city limits that is built chaotically, with a big square in the center. That is the synagogue, and around it is a kind of "disorder," and this "disorder" is the Jewish quarters. Why this "disorder"? Jews lived according to their own laws, and they were not subordinated to the laws of the city, which is actually reflected very well on ancient maps.

The presence in the city of all these communities, mentioned earlier, shows the sacred space very clearly. When you look at a historic city, its space is accentuated by the sacred structures of all its communities. These are the domes of [Ukrainian] churches, the spires of Roman Catholic churches, and the cubes of synagogues. Some very fine exemplars have been preserved. In Lviv oblast, for example, there is a city called Uhniv, the smallest city in Ukraine. And this small city, oddly enough, has preserved all three sacred buildings: a cube-shaped synagogue, a church with nice, luxurious onion-like domes, and a Roman Catholic church with towers. Or Pidhaitsi, where you can also see the wonderful block of the synagogue. From a distance, when you are traveling to Buchach, the entire town opens up before you, along with a synagogue, a nice ancient Roman Catholic church with a tower, and a domed church.

This is the sacred space that is typical of western Ukrainian towns, where each community had its own place in the center of that municipal organism. And it was formed around sacred structures. It was the same in large cities, like Lviv, for example. In ancient times, all the communities were formed around their sacred structures.

Vasyl Shandro: So there are ten people over the age of thirteen. They have the resources and permits, and they begin to construct a synagogue. Who could be the builder? I mean, could it have been a multicultural team of laborers? Could a synagogue be built by non-Jews or the reverse: Could Jewish builders construct a Roman Catholic or Orthodox church? In other words, were any special principles that are known recorded governing the way this was supposed to take place?

Oksana Boiko: Absolutely. A very good question. They were built by the communities themselves, by affluent members of the community. They were often also built by a city owner, like Mikoaj Potocki of Buchach, who was a patron of the temples of all the communities. Sometimes the king himself helped out, like Jan Sobieski in Zhovkva or Zolochiv. The merchant Isak Nachmanowicz built himself the Golden Rose Synagogue in Lviv. The builders of ancient synagogues were Christians, and only in exceptional circumstances Jews. Why did Christians serve as builders? Because, as mentioned earlier, Jews are an urban element. In cities, we have auctions, and we have artisan guilds. Jews did not have the right to belong to building guilds. In other words, Jews were employed in moneylending and individual crafts, but they did not always belong to guilds. That is why they were called partachi (hucksters) artisans who worked outside of guilds, although later Jews could be cobblers and tailors.

As for the builders-architects, we have the names of the builders who constructed well-known synagogues, and they were Christians. One iconic structure, for example, the Golden Rose Synagogue in Lviv, was built by the Italian architect Pawe Szczliwy, who constructed many beautiful buildings in Lviv. Another one, the suburban Lviv synagogue, which no longer exists, was built by Amvrosii Prykhylny. Incidentally, both Szczliwy and Prykhylny, as well as Giacomo Madlena, who built the synagogue in Ostroh, or Petro Beber, who built the synagogue in Zhovkva, or [Andreas] Bononi, who built the synagogue in Peremyshl all of them were natives of Italy. In our country, the builders were Italians from northern Italy. They were called comaschi [natives of Como, in northern Italy's Lombardy region Trans.], or they were Lombards from southern Switzerland. The builders-architects of ancient synagogues were Christians.

In subsequent periods, during the existence of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, after the Compromise of 1867, when all peoples obtained preferences and the ghetto was destroyed, Jews could be builders of synagogues and other structures.

Vasyl Shandro: And now about interior decorations. Where synagogues are concerned, are we talking about treasures? Because when we talk about Roman Catholic or Orthodox churches, there is often a lot of gold and diamonds; it's very elegant. Are murals or expensive utensils integral elements of synagogues?

Oksana Boiko: It is very interesting that in ancient times the outside of a synagogue, its exterior, was not sumptuous; rather, it was ascetic, and all the attention was concentrated on interior decorations. Just like inside Christian churches, a lot of attention was paid to the interior dcor of the temple: carvings, murals, and trappings. There were many silver or copper candelabras with sumptuous engravings. Synagogues were opulent buildings, and their interiors were remarkably splendid. Special attention should be paid to murals because the walls and vaults of both wooden and masonry synagogues were covered with woven tapestries; they were substantial and extraordinary. There were no human figures in synagogue murals; people were not depicted because this was forbidden. But there were many Hebrew texts and symbolic images: many symbolic animals, including the mandatory eagle, ox, lion, or other beasts and birds. Signs of the zodiac were traditional. Symbols of the twelve tribes of Israel were also depicted. Musical instruments were a very popular subject of synagogue murals. These musical instruments were sometimes hung from trees. There were also subjects featuring the Temple in Jerusalem or those generally associated with the city of Jerusalem.

Synagogue murals were remarkable, but at the same time, they were canonical, so to speak. They passed from one period to another. Whereas the architecture changed in terms of style, interiors were conservative; that is, these murals depended on the hand of the master who created them. There is a synagogue with extraordinary murals in the town of Novoselytsia, in Bukovyna, which have miraculously survived. They were whitewashed because, during the Soviet period, that synagogue housed a Pioneer building. In 2008, when the owner began to do some work there, the whitewash crumbled, revealing magnificent murals featuring all those at times nave art elements that were mentioned earlier: the signs of the zodiac, or many different animals symbolizing something. For example, there is one very moving subject: a little donkey is carrying spread-out Torahs, and it is painted in a very nave and touching fashion.

This program is created with the support of Ukrainian Jewish Encounter (UJE), a Canadian charitable non-profit organization.

Originally appeared in Ukrainian (Hromadske Radio podcast) here.

Translated from the Ukrainian by Marta D. Olynyk.Edited by Peter Bejger.

NOTE: UJE does not necessarily endorse opinions expressed in articles and other materials published on its website and social media pages. Such materials are posted to promote discussion related to Ukrainian-Jewish interactions and relations. The website and social media pages will be places of information that reflect varied viewpoints.

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How and when did the first synagogues appear in Ukraine, and why is this an important aspect of Ukrainian history (Pt. 1) - UJE - Ukrainian Jewish...