Masorti Australasia

New Book: _The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews_

"What does it mean to be an observant Jew in the 21st century? The question sounds deceptively simple, but the answer takes more than 30 rabbis and nearly 1,000 pages in the massive volume being published later this month by the Rabbinical Assembly of Judaism’s Conservative movement, The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews. That’s nearly twice the length of the book it updates, Rabbi Isaac Klein’s 1979 A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice."

Full review at:

http://www.thejewishweek.com/arts/books/middle_movement_affirms_updates_its_m...

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Sydney Jewish Museum

Posted by Masorti Australasia

How big is Masorti in Israel? How big could it be?

Quote:"Of course, we still confront the fact the government provides more than $450 million a year to Orthodox programs and institutions and pays the salary of 3,000 or more Orthodox rabbis, while Masorti gets less than $50,000"

https://app.e2ma.net/app/view:CampaignPublic/id:33444.5638605/rid:

Dear Friends,

I’ve been saying for years that Masorti in Israel is a dynamic, growing movement.
Now, we have solid proof, hidden in plain sight.

Would you believe that more Israelis self-identify as Masorti and Reform than say they are Haredim? What if I told you there is independent data that 30% of all Israeli Jews have been to a Masorti or Reform service?

Where does this information come from?

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Posted by Masorti Australasia

Question: Can the same set of glass dishes be used for both meat and milk foods?

Glass Dishes « A Question of Jewish Law

http://jewishlaw.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/meat-and-milk/

Question: Can the same set of glass dishes be used for both meat and milk foods?

Answer: The prohibition of mixing meat and milk is based on a verse from the Torah: You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk. [Ex 23:19; Lev. 34:26; Deut. 14:21] This verse is repeated three times – from which the Rabbis derived that there are three different prohibitions against mixing meat and milk: it is forbidden to eat meat and milk together; it is forbidden to cook meat and milk together even if you don’t eat it; and it is forbidden to profit from cooking meat and milk together, even if you are not the one doing the cooking or consuming the meal. This is one of the strictest prohibitions in the Torah.

The Rabbis understood that cooking utensils absorb the flavour of the food that is cooked in them. The reason for maintaining separate dishes and utensils for meat and for milk is to prevent any possible mixing of the flavours of meat and milk. If the same utensil was used for both meat and milk, it would inevitably lead to a transgression.

The Rabbis also understood that materials absorb and release flavours differently. This idea is deduced from a passage in the Torah: when the Israelites captured the Land of Midyan, they were commanded to purify the utensils they had taken. Moses commands the Children of Israel: Any article that can withstand fire – these you shall pass through fire and they shall be clean … and anything that cannot withstand fire you must pass through water. [Num 31:23] Based on this statement, intricate procedures were formulated to ‘kosher’ dishes that have become forbidden.

The status of glass is unique. Avot D’ Rabbi Natan, an early Tana’itic source, states that a glass vessel doesn’t absorb and doesn’t release. [Version A, Chapter 41] The majority of the Poskim consider glass to be completely non-absorbent. If we follow this reasoning, a glass dish can be used for both milk and meat because no flavour can be transferred. It is sufficient to give it a good wash between uses. This is the opinion of Joseph Karo in the Shulchan Aruch [OC 451:26], and is the standard practice of Sefardi Jews.

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Posted by Masorti Australasia

Article: IDF nabs Palestinian carrying 2 bombs - Israel News, Ynetnews

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4221715,00.html

Terror attack averted: Security forces arrest man in possession of two explosive devices at West Bank roadblock Saturday; suspect taken in for interrogation

Itamar Fleischman: Latest Update: 04.28.12, 21:14 / Israel News

Terror attack averted: IDF troops nabbed Saturday evening a Palestinian in possession of two explosive devices near the Hawara roadblock in the West Bank, south of Nablus.

The bombs were later blown up by sappers in a controlled detonation. The Palestinian terror suspect was taken in for interrogation by security authorities.

Saturday’s arrest marks the latest in a string of incidents involving Palestinian terrorists detained in possession of arms.

Last Saturday, Border Guard and Judea and Samaria police forces thwarted a terror attack in the area after detaining two Palestinians armed with four pipe bombs, a handgun and some ammunition. The two suspects disembarked from a taxi at a West Bank junction and aroused the suspicion of policemen on routine operations at the site.

Some three weeks ago, another terrorist was detained in possession of seven improvised explosive devices, three knives and rifle bullets. The suspect was nabbed while going through a West Bank roadblock.

Officials estimated that the Palestinian planned to carry out attacks against Israeli civilians or soldiers during the Passover vacation

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New Book: _The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews_

Sydney Jewish Museum

How big is Masorti in Israel? How big could it be?

Question: Can the same set of glass dishes be used for both meat and milk foods?

Question: Can the same set of glass dishes be used for both meat and milk foods?

Article: IDF nabs Palestinian carrying 2 bombs - Israel News, Ynetnews