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Author Archive for Rose Schwartz

Orthodox Jews Shun Other Jews for Reporting Child Abuse

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on May 10, 2012

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Some Orthodox Jews have been shunning others for reporting Jewish child molesters. This is one of those gut-curdling stories.

From The New York Times:

The first shock came when Mordechai Jungreis learned that his mentally disabled teenage son was being molested in a Jewish ritual bathhouse in Brooklyn. The second came after Mr. Jungreis complained, and the man accused of the abuse was arrested.

Old friends started walking stonily past him and his family on the streets of Williamsburg. Their landlord kicked them out of their apartment. Anonymous messages filled their answering machine, cursing Mr. Jungreis for turning in a fellow Jew. And, he said, the mother of a child in a wheelchair confronted Mr. Jungreis’s mother-in-law, saying the same man had molested her son, and she “did not report this crime, so why did your son-in-law have to?”

The moral fiber of a community strives for its people to feel safe from predators of all types. Mental and physical well being of children (but, really, all people) should be of the utmost importance. The safety of children needs to be considered. In some religious communities, it is not. We’ve all heard of priests molesting boys so much, it’s the butt of many jokes. This reminds me of this poorly executed Catholic group’s logo:

All silliness aside, the Catholic molestation cases are prevalent in our minds but not so much the Jewish ones. Whether or not this is only happening in a handful of communities, the problem is that this is happening at all. Sometimes “keeping to themselves” becomes a hefty issue that the larger society must sort out.

Pearl Engelman, a 64-year-old great-grandmother, also noted that the community has failed her.

In 2008, her son, Joel, told rabbinical authorities that he had been repeatedly groped as a child by a school official at the United Talmudical Academy in Williamsburg. The school briefly removed the official but denied the accusation. And when Joel turned 23, too old to file charges under the state’s statute of limitations, they returned the man to teaching.

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“There is no nice way of saying it,” Mrs. Engelman said. “Our community protects molesters. Other than that, we are wonderful.”

Don’t like Reddit’s r/atheism community? Just go to r/athiesm

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on April 19, 2012

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They call r/athiesm atheism for bad spellers but it seems to be another atheist community. Sure, it’s much, much smaller but the conversation is typically more fulfilling. There’s also been the addition of r/GodlessWomen for women concerned about the sexism in other communities. Also, for skepticism, check out r/skeptic. Personally, I don’t think r/atheism (spelled correctly) is that bad. What I mean to say is that there is no more misogyny than you would find in any anonymous forum. I actually think the atheist subreddit has less misogyny than, say, r/funny or on another website full of less geeky people. The misogyny other places on the internet is much worse. That surely doesn’t excuse anything but it helps to keep a bit of perspective.

I run into more transphobia on Reddit more than anything. The homophobia is bad and the biphobia is worse but the transphobia and gender-queerphobia is atrocious. I’m just pointing out something I have noticed. This, in no way, makes it “OK” for any sort of hateful comment against anyone.

I have noticed some women, even *gasp* feminists, exhibit a lot of transphobia. When dealing with issues of men and women, it’s important to remember that gender, like sexuality, is on a scale. Not everyone will fit into a neat little box.

That aside, anonymous comments are everywhere. We all know YouTube is one of the worst. I don’t put up many videos but I never check the comments. It’s the lowest common denominator of people who don’t read their entertainment. Everyone goes to YouTube at some point but those who hang out there often are probably not the reading type.

In any case, people have expressed concerns with r/atheism, so other communities are now emerging. I’d also like to say that r/atheism is a default subreddit, therefore non-atheists see it all the time. It is worth mentioning that not everything on r/atheism is even by atheists. People get their rocks off by making us look bad. But, if you still don’t like it, there are many other places even within Reddit that may be more palatable to some.

On Putting the Needs of Other People Before Yours

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on April 18, 2012

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I once stated that I was happy I made my father happy. I sacrificed having a wedding to please my father. My mother convinced me to make him happy. Looking back upon it, it makes me feel as if my feelings are not important. They weren’t that time, anyway.

I had a very small wedding. I don’t know if I wanted a big one but I wanted a secular one. I wanted a comedian to perform a very short ceremony followed by a more-casual-than-most type of reception. Since I had to have the Jewish ceremony, I opted for inviting no one but close family. Regret The ceremony was long because rabbis don’t do short ones. We had the shortened version; it was at least thirty minutes. The rabbi was more concerned with getting paid than following any Jewish tradition anyway. He was fine to hold it before the sun went down on Saturday (due to Shabbat).

My father was happy so that’s what matters, right? He essentially disavowed one of his sons (my half-brother) for becoming a Christian. He said he would have had nothing to do with me if I were gay (so, no, I could never tell him about my bi/pansexuality). Parents don’t always prescribe to the mantra of “unconditional love”.

Because my father was unhappy with his sons from a previous marriage, the need for me to not be the disappointment often weighed heavily on my shoulders. I gave in because he said he’d pay for it. My mother really talked me into, too. Perhaps one may think that, as a mother, she’d empathize with me even in some small way. She didn’t.

I wish I would have run off to City Hall rather than sell out everything about me.

My point is this: Do what makes yourself happy. You may regret putting yourself on the shelf later on. In times of need, you may wish to put your needs on the back burner for loved ones but don’t so it for too long. While I recognize that it is may be of utmost importance to put others before you in times of need, this was not a time of need.

My father was happy for one night. Now he’s gone and I’m regretful forever.

Documentary ‘Standing Silent’ uncovers sexual abuse in Baltimore’s Orthodox Jewish community

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on March 20, 2012

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‘Standing Silent’ follows uncovering of sexual abuse in Baltimore’s Orthodox Jewish community

“Standing Silent” is a new documentary by Phil Jacobs. It uncovers the ritual abuse in an Orthodox Jewish community in Baltimore, Maryland. Jacobs went on a quest to uncover the stories from the sexual abuse survivors.

The Washington Post has a piece on it. It’s very moving.

One by one the victims stood and described their alleged molesters: the Torah teacher, the rabbi, the ice cream truck driver, the man at the mikvah.

That meeting, held nearly six years ago in a small room in a synagogue in Pikesville, just outside Baltimore, went on for four hours. Seated in a circle with the other victims was Phil Jacobs, a Baltimore Jewish Times journalist. He was not there as a reporter. He was there because he, too, had experienced sexual abuse.

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“Standing Silent” was filmed between 2007 and 2010, with a three-person crew that traveled with Jacobs through Baltimore’s suburbs and to Israel, eventually recording more than 125 hours of video, much of it interviews with victims and alleged perpetrators.

Read More
Yacov Margolese and Murray Levin participate in a discussion group for sexual abuse victims
There is a gallery of a few still from the movie. You can view the “Standing Silent” gallery here. I’m unsure where to actually watch the film. Or when it’s coming out.

In any case, there’s also Survivors for Justice.

Israelis and Iranians reach out to one another on Facebook

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on March 20, 2012

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Israelis and Iranians reach out to one another, using Facebook as a means for communication.

One Iranian writes: “We are 2 civilizations with more than 2,500 years of friendship. Why should I hate Israel?”

With the war drums between Israel and Iran beating at a fevered pace, an Israeli couple has launched an online campaign with the hope of reaching out on a personal level to the people of Iran.

Ronny Edry, 41, said that he and his partner Michal Tamir, 35, both graduates of Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, created the poster campaign last Thursday on something of a lark, with no idea that within days it would take on a life of its own.

[Source]

I don’t know if ordinary citizens promises really hold up but it’s a nice thought. Visit Israel Loves Iran.

4 people killed in shooting at Jewish school in France

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on March 19, 2012

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Four were shot down in a French Jewish school.

A teacher was gunned down along with his two children at a Jewish school in southern France Monday, while the director of the school saw his daughter shot and killed in front of him, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a somber appearance at the school.

It is the third time in the past 10 days that a gunman on a motorcycle has fired on members of ethnic minorities in the southwest of France. Authorities believe the cases are linked, and a court in Paris has opened an investigation under anti-terrorism powers.

Monday’s killing of four people at Ozar Hatorah school in Toulouse was a “national tragedy,” Sarkozy said. He called for a minute’s silence in French schools on Tuesday.

The gunman pulled up in front of the Jewish school just before 8 a.m. and started shooting, authorities said.

I haven’t been posting much lately

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on January 17, 2012

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I actually got a well-paying freelance side job. Lately, I’ve been busy with managing websites and design elements.

I’m still around, so have no worries!

For now, enjoy this quick image manipulation I created recently. You can even see up my nose! :P

Shit Christians Say to Atheists

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on January 17, 2012

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It’s fairly accurate.

Deepak Chopra Releases a Video Apology to Richard Dawkins

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on December 1, 2011

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Deepak Chopra apologizes to Richard Dawkins for badmouthing him to Bill O’Reilly. Chopra states that he is closer to Dawkin’s line of thinking than O’Reilly.

A commenter on YouTube, dummychaos, puts it this way, “Bill O’Reilly brings out the worst from people. He’s pretty good at that.”

Here’s the original video from The O’Reilly Factor:

Westboro Baptist Church counter protest

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on November 2, 2011

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A little something I put together last night.

An Israeli novelist gets a legal writ of divorce between Jewish ethnicity and religion, others wish to follow in those footsteps

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on October 20, 2011

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Yoram Kaniuk, a prominent Israeli novelist, is now officially a Jew of no religion.

This historic case has inspired hundreds of other Israelis to get divorced from the Jewish religion. Israel is 15-37% atheist, so this comes as no surprise. The less religious people are in the middle east, the greater the chances are for an end the violence. If only more people of “Muslim” countries came out as atheists (or nonreligious), we could be closer that goal.

Kaniuk’s case has been celebrated as a victory for separation of state and religion in Israel. Actually, he may have fought the wrong battle. The court decision gives people more freedom to define themselves, but only according to predetermined categories. The division of Jewish ethnicity and religion is an embarrassingly simple bureaucratic distinction in place of the mixed up identities of real Jewish life—the kind of complications on which a novelist should thrive.

That said, the Kaniuk case has its benefits. It sheds light, for instance, on how Americans and Israelis misunderstand each other when they use the word Jew. And it helps show that the current Israeli government’s demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state is silly.

I’ve never liked the idea of a “Jewish state” because I don’t like the idea of any religion having it’s own state.

Israel doesn’t need a Palestinian stamp of approval to be a Jewish state. Nor does it need the registration system that Kaniuk used to voice his anger. It needs only a majority that considers itself Jewish in one not-quite-consistent way or another and that has the freedom to conduct a roiling, constant argument about Jewish culture. If Kaniuk’s suit reminds the rest of the tribe of how messy the issue of Jewish identity is, how unsuited it is for sharp delineations, he will have performed a service. [Read More.]

I wonder if this will, in fact, mix up any political happenings in regards to Judaism as an ethnicity rather than a religion.

Jewish atheists are good without god

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on October 6, 2011

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More and more atheist Jews seem to be atheists who still join in some traditions. From reform to observant Jews, the concept of god is sometimes superfluous.

For an atheist, Maxim Schrogin talks about God a lot.

Over lunch at a Jewish deli, he ponders the impulse to believe — does it come from within or without? Why does God permit suffering? Finally, he pulls out a flowchart he made showing degrees of belief, which ranges from unquestioning faith to absolute atheism. He stabs the paper with his pen.

“This is where I fall,” he said. “Zero.”

This is religion without god. It still unnecessarily labels children.

Still, Schrogin, 64, is a dues-paying member of Congregation Beth El, a Reform synagogue here in Berkeley. He is among its most active members, attending Torah study, and, for a time, heading its social action committee. He organizes its community service projects and works with leaders of other congregations to help the poor.

His two children were bar and bat mitzvahed. On Friday nights, he and his wife light Shabbat candles and recite Hebrew prayers. There is one song, sung by the congregation in Hebrew, that can bring him to tears.

Schrogin isn’t alone. [Read More.]

It’s becoming more common for Jews not to believe the stories of the old testament but still choose to be involved in their local Jewish community. I get why someone would go to a holiday family/friends gathering but I don’t personally understand that much devotion to a single place of worship (synagogue).

Obama is not a brown-skinned anti-war socialist who gives away free healthcare…

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on October 5, 2011

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I posted this on Tumblr earlier but thought of sharing it here as well.

Obama is not a brown-skinned anti-war socialist who gives away free healthcare… You’re thinking of Jesus.

Twilight of Violence: An Interview with Steven Pinker by Sam Harris

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on October 4, 2011

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Sam Harris has a great interview with Steven Pinker on his latest book, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined.

Harris sits down with Pinker for a discussion about the history of violence.

Sam Harris asks, “Need I remind you that the ‘atheist regimes’ of the 20th century killed tens of millions of people?”

Steven Pinker has a great response.

This is a popular argument among theoconservatives and critics of the new atheism, but for many reasons it is historically inaccurate.
First, the premise that Nazism and Communism were “atheist” ideologies makes sense only within a religiocentric worldview that divides political systems into those that are based on Judaeo-Christian ideology and those that are not. In fact, 20th-century totalitarian movements were no more defined by a rejection of Judaeo-Christianity than they were defined by a rejection of astrology, alchemy, Confucianism, Scientology, or any of hundreds of other belief systems. They were based on the ideas of Hitler and Marx, not David Hume and Bertrand Russell, and the horrors they inflicted are no more a vindication of Judeao-Christianity than they are of astrology or alchemy or Scientology.

Second, Nazism and Fascism were not atheistic in the first place. Hitler thought he was carrying out a divine plan. Nazism received extensive support from many German churches, and no opposition from the Vatican. Fascism happily coexisted with Catholicism in Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Croatia.

Third, according to the most recent compendium of history’s worst atrocities, Matthew White’s Great Big Book of Horrible Things (Norton, 2011), religions have been responsible for 13 of the 100 worst mass killings in history, resulting in 47 million deaths. Communism has been responsible for 6 mass killings and 67 million deaths. If defenders of religion want to crow, “We were only responsible for 47 million murders—Communism was worse!”, they are welcome to do so, but it is not an impressive argument.

Fourth, many religious massacres took place in centuries in which the world’s population was far smaller. Crusaders, for example, killed 1 million people in world of 400 million, for a genocide rate that exceeds that of the Nazi Holocaust. The death toll from the Thirty Years War was proportionally double that of World War I and in the range of World War II in Europe.

When it comes to the history of violence, the significant distinction is not one between theistic and atheistic regimes. It’s the one between regimes that were based on demonizing, utopian ideologies (including Marxism, Nazism, and militant religions) and secular liberal democracies that are based on the ideal of human rights. I present data from the political scientist Rudolph Rummel showing that democracies are vastly less murderous than alternatives forms of government. [Read More.]

While us atheists realize that Hitler’s world philosophy was shaped from Christianity and the bible, some people still like to say he was an atheist. He considered Jews to be atheists because they did not accept Jesus as the messiah. He hated Jews. He hated atheists. He hated a lot of people. As an atheist Jew, I take much offense to allegations that Hitler was an atheist. As far as the others go, I don’t have nearly as much personal angst. In any case, it wasn’t so-called atheist philosophies that shaped their policies.

The book: The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined

Gnostic/Agnostic ↔ Theist/Atheist Graph

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on October 4, 2011

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There have been other versions around but I made this one. Initially, I made it to go with an Examiner piece.

From gnostic to agnostic, theist to atheist; there are many positions having to do with belief or possible knowledge of a belief. Gnostic and agnostic have to do with knowledge, while theist and atheist have to do with belief. Agnostic is not a mid point between atheism and theism.

Zoidberg the Messiah?

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on October 3, 2011

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OMZ! I know some people are tired of Zoidberg. Not me. :P

Need a new messiah? Why not Zoidberg?