"כל ליצנותא אסירא בר מליצנותא דעבודת כוכבים"
מגילה כ"ה:
Three rabbis and six Jewish teenagers were among those arrested Monday at a climate protest at the Manhattan headquarters of BlackRock, the largest investment management company in New York.
The demonstration, organized by the Jewish Youth Climate Movement with support from the interfaith organization GreenFaith, demanded the firm stop its investments in and cut ties with companies that fund the fossil fuel industry, which include Enbridge, Inc., Formosa Plastics and Shell.
GreenFaith originally got its name because people have so much faith in their money [which is colored green] - as IF they can "take it with them". But they can't. Instead - we must believe in environmental issues. If we focus heavily on the environment, went the thinking of the founders of the group, then our Judaism will become yet more watered down and distorted. Why make a religion about G-d when instead it can be about progressive "woke" issues?? Isn't Judaism about "waking up" from our collective spiritual slumber?
The demonstraters also fulminated against the name "BlackRock". Black Lives MATTER but BlackRocks DON'T!!! How can these EVIL people conflate the value of "rocks" [despite all of our love and worship of Mother Nature] with people of Color.
Rabbis Rachel Timoner and Stephanie Kolin of Congregation Beth Elohim [I happen to have an old friend whose name is "Beth" (who might actually be reading this) and she doesn't think for a SECOND that she is E-lohim. But that is besides the point] in Park Slope, Brooklyn and Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, vice president of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, were among those arrested.
Rabbis Rachel Timoner and Stephanie Kolin of Congregation Beth Elohim [I happen to have an old friend whose name is "Beth" (who might actually be reading this) and she doesn't think for a SECOND that she is E-lohim. But that is besides the point] in Park Slope, Brooklyn and Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, vice president of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, were among those arrested.
It was also reported that when congregants in their congregation complain about the temperature in the Temple when they attend services on the Shabbat and the High Holy Days, Rabbis Timoner and Kolin use it as an opportunity to sermonize about effects of climate change. "If you want to be comfortable in Temple - we MUST stop using fossil fuels."
Since only three rabbis and six teenagers were arrested, they weren't able to get a minyan together in jail. So we at the Jewish Week call upon more women rabbis to attend these protests which will a - allow you to get some much needed fresh [albeit polluted] air and b - there will be a minyan in jail. Why should Otisville be the only jail where you can get a decent minyan? That is a misogynist place where they only count men for minyan - but it is just as well. Women generally don't go to jail for stealing millions of dollars. They just go to jail for protesting just causes.
Daf Yomi in Beth Elohim will resume after HaRav Reb Rach and HaRav Reb Steph Shlita are released from their incarceration. In the meantime, people are encouraged to listen to Rabbi Leibowitz on Yutorah [yes, he is Orthodox and male. Two strikes against him. But Orthodox males are Jewish too and we respect that space - despite our deep aversion to them and what they stand for. Things like Donald Trump. OHHHH!! We can't say that name without getting TOTALLY nauseous]. The Semichat Chavera program will likewise continue. They are presently learning the laws of littering in public spaces which will be followed by the laws of micro-aggressions [one example of which is this entire post😀😂].
