  
|
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe
Syosset, New York
|
|
*JDate is the premiere Jewish singles community on the Net. It's the modern alternative to traditional Jewish matchmaking. According to their "vebzaytl" (website), "JDate is an ideal online destination for Jewish men and women to find friends, dates, and even soul mates, all within the faith. In just minutes, you can create a profile and be ready to mingle with oher JDate members in your area. Our vast membership base and user-friendly interface makes JDate a source of Jewish romance around the world."
Today's rabbi has many concerns and faces many problems. Rabbi Howard Shapiro of Temple Israel in West Palm Beach, FL, for example, wishes to restore this country to its rightful place--and that includes the economy, concern about its people and its place in the world.
What are the other concerns?
The excess of expense and display at bar mitzvah/bat mitzvah
celebrations. David Sherer wrote in reply to an article
; about the gaudiness, "Not only does the article contribute to the misconception
that most Jews are wealthy, it also furthers
the view that Jewish children, especially 'Jewish American Princesses,'
deserve the indulgences and extravagances that their
parents so foolishly dole out...the true
meaning of maturation and self-reflection
in the Jewish coming-of-age ceremony gets lost amid the often tasteless
displays. Keeping up with 'the
Jonesteins' never
looked worse."
Casino Style gaming, complete with Dealers, Play Money
and all the theatrics of a live-casino, at BAR MITZVAH'S?
For many compulsive gamblers, betting starts in
adolescence, and the problem is much more prevalent among males.
"Saichel"--common sense--tells you to choose a more appropriate
theme.
Hooters, the U. S. restaurant chain known for waitresses
in low-cut blouses and short skirts, opened a branch in Tel
Aviv. Ofer Ahiraz, who bought the Hooters franchise for
Israel, told Reuters, "Hooters can suit the Israeli entertainment
culture."
And a Hooters spokesman, Mike McNeil, said that "As
of now, there are no known religious concerns about Hooters
opening in Israel."
Dysfunctional families
Yiddishist, Sylvia Schildt, describes the term as "a meshpokhe mit/af
tsores" or "mit problemen."
Addiction of the Jewish community According to Dr. Jay
Holder, chemical dependency is the number one secret in the
Jewish community. Reportedly, up to 50% of patient
populations in residential teatments are Jews...as are 20% of those calling
national drug hotlines. The term "Jewsh alcoholic" is no
longer an oxymoron. Today, there are even glatt kosher
drug/alcohol rehab centers.
Jewish genetics disorders
Jews for Jesus
The stigma of incarceration
for Jewish prisoners Roughly 5,000 Jews, inclding about 300 women,
are serving time in 400 prisons across the U. S.
Holiday symbols now match up [Long Beach, NY] An
elfen Christmas tree was planted next to a 20-foot-high
menorah in front of City Hall in Long Beach,
New York, A game of religious one-upmanship resulted. To
satisfy
residents demanding instant equity, the vertically-challenged
Xmas tree was replaced with a 20-foot blue spruce,
about the same size as the menorah.
"The Bagel Theory"
The principle that we Jews, regardless of how observant or affliliated
we are, have a powerful need to connect with one
another. To that end, we find ways to bagel--basically,
to out ourselves to fellow Jews. Some will tell you
outright that
they are Jewish (a plain bagel), while others will
concoct subtler ways to let you know that they too are in the know.
(suggested by Jessica Levine Kupferberg)
Health news
It has been observed by doctors that Jews, largely those
belonging to the well-fed classes, suffer disproportionately
to other groups from gastrointestinal disorders. They
are tireless consumers of hot water before breakfast, of
seltzer
water, epsom salts, milk of magnesia, citrate
of magnesia, bicarbonate of soda, Ex-Lax, Tums, Pluto Water, and what
not. They are also afflcted with gallstones, peptic
ulcers, and liver trouble.
(Source: "A
Treasury of Jewish Humor" by Nathan Ausubel)
Now, "di frage"--the question: Can a rabbi give Cupid a nudge with JDate? Jeff Diamant (Religion News Service) and Newsweek Magazine (1/21/08)_ state that for the first time in its 10-year history, JDate is offering a bulk rate to rabbis who want to buy membership accounts for their congregants.
"Ver volt dos geglaibt?" (Who would have believed it?)
Rabbi Donald Weber of Temple Rodeph Torah in Marlboro, NJ, has paid out of his own pocket for 24 six-month subscriptions. Gail Laguna, a spokeswoman for JDate, said that no rabbi has reached out to the company like Rabbi Weber did.
Chana and Rabbi Kenneth Emert of Temple Beth Rishon in Wycoff, NJ, purchased a dozen 3-mo. memberships, anted up for single congregants using money from their synagogues' discretionary budget. Emert's only stipulation: "No mothers, no grandmothers." Singles, in other words, only.
Why are rabbis investing in JDate? The need is there because the American Jewish population has declined in recent decades. In fact, Rabbi Weber said that half the weddings he's officiating at now are people who met on JDate.
Rabbi Michael Cahana, from Cong. Beth Israel in Portland, Oregon, says, "We should use all the technological tools that are available to us."
________________________
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe, the mother of a
39-year-old single son,
has offered to pay
all the costs of a 3-month membership in
JDate.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
| N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z |
| Yiddish
Stuff Jewish Humor Schmooze News More Majorie Wolfe |
Principle Jewish Stories All Things Jewish Jewish Communities of the World |