Maimonides' Thirteen Principles: The Last Word in Jewish Theology?

 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjtiJCUj-LxAhWJIsAKHZArBLcQFnoECAMQAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.yutorah.org%2F1993%2F905%2F704648.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3HqSZJGAaYMKSPp53roHQk

 In the inaugural issue of the Torah u-Madda Journal, R. Yehuda Parnes argued that heresy is forbidden to be studied. This led him to condemn study in "areas that spark and arouse ideas which are antithetical to the tenets of our faith." Further developing his point, he left no doubt as to what he meant by "the tenets of our faith." "Torah u-Madda can only be viable if it imposes strict limits on freedom of inquiry in areas that may undermine the yod gimel 'ikkarei emunah." In other words, in his view, it is the "Thirteen Principles of Faith" of Maimonides that are determinative with regard to what constitutes heresy.

At first glance this may not appear to be at all controversial. After all, who better than Maimonides would be qualified to set forth the dogmas of Judaism? The immediate reaction of many Orthodox Jews would probably be the same as R. Parnes' in identifying heresy with anything that opposed any of the well known Maimonidean principles. Indeed, a recent author has written: "It should be stressed that all Torah scholars agree on the validity and significance of the Principles." Similarly, another one has written: "The fact is that Maimonides' Thirteen Principles are all derived from the Talmud and
the classic Jewish tradition, and were never in dispute. With reference to these statements, a comment by Gershom Scholem, made in a entirely different context, is relevant: "This seems to me an extraordinary example of how a judgment proclaimed with conviction as certainly true may nevertheless be entirely wrong in every detail." This is so, for even a cursory examination of Jewish literature shows that Maimonides' principles were never regarded as
the last word in Jewish theology. This despite the fact that Maimonides contended that anyone who even had a doubt about one his principles was a heretic worthy of death!

Why was Maimonides controversial?

 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjg65_OjOLxAhUPY8AKHdgwAMIQFnoECAMQAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.shulcloud.com%2F618%2Fuploads%2FPDFs%2FDivrei_Torah%2Fwhywasmaimonidescontroversial.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2uRkgxwsnv6HKC2dyJJ47V

 7-All Jews must accept the 13 Principles of FaithControversial when proposed. 

Luminaries such as Hasdai Crescas and Yosef Albo asked: Is the rest of Judaism any less important? All agreed that the principles are indeed in Judaism, but many were uncomfortable with the idea of a formal creed, that would separate “good” Jews from “heretics”. More importantly, Judaism stresses action, that is commandments, not belief. Belief is not central in Judaism. Your thoughts are your own, and you are not accountable for them. So Jews ignored the 13 principles for many centuries.

Sages and Saints (Naso 5779)

 https://rabbisacks.org/sages-and-saints-naso-5779/

 What is much more puzzling is the position of Maimonides, who holds both views, positive and negative, in the same book, his law code the Mishneh Torah. In Hilchot Deot, he adopts the negative position of R. Eliezer HaKappar:

Conservative Media Is Amplifying the Critical Race Theory Opposition

 https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/06/conservative-media-critical-race-theory-opposition

The Black Lives Matter protest movement not only turned a spotlight on horrific incidents of police violence, but forced Americans to confront systemic racism and explore tragic moments in the country’s history. Thoroughly addressing the Tulsa Race Massacre, establishing Juneteenth as a national holiday commemorating the end of slavery, and shedding light on the racist origins of local and federal policing have helped spur a long-overdue reckoning. But conservative lawmakers and the right-wing media industry are now hell-bent on stifling educators from teaching about America’s history of racism and how it still impacts people of color today. 

In making “critical race theory” their new culture war scapegoat, conservative networks have relied heavily on reactionary commentary coming from concerned parents and school employees. Over the past few weeks, Fox News featured numerous guests who fit that bill, but in the cases of 11 of them, the network failed to fully disclose their professional conservative ties, according to a report from the progressive nonprofit Media Matters for America. The news watchdog found that Fox introduced the guests as everyday Americans––teachers, members of school boards, and parents of students––who just want to voice their concerns. But the network either downplayed or omitted their conservative career ties, such as GOP strategist, think tank staffer, Republican lobbyist, and professional pundit. 

Who’s afraid of ‘Critical Race Theory’? Jews should embrace the right’s latest bogeyman

 https://forward.com/opinion/459785/whos-afraid-of-critical-race-theory-why-jews-should-embrace-the-rights/

 Critical Race Theory has become the latest misunderstood academic bogeyman in politics. From Donald Trump to Senator Josh Hawley to Jewish publications across the nation, everyone seems to think that the greatest threat facing our nation is a rather obscure academic discipline that examines systemic racial inequality in America.

It’s no surprise that conservative politicians want to paint anything addressing the impact of racism as somehow “evil” or divisive. Unfortunately, the deliberate demonizing and misconstruing of an important academic methodology is affecting the general public’s view of this work and driving a wedge between marginalized groups like Black and Jewish Americans. “We live in a world in which everyone is being told to side either with the ‘racists’ or the ‘anti-racists’” wrote the writer Bari Weiss in Tablet Magazine recently. “Jews who refuse to erase what makes us different will increasingly be defined as racists, often with the help of other Jews desperate to be accepted by the cool kids.”

As a Jewish scholar who uses Critical Race Theory in my work, let me assure you: This take is wrong. Jews have nothing to fear from Critical Race Theory.

Critical race theory is not anti-Semitic

 https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/critical-race-theory-is-not-anti-semitic

As the rhetorical battle over Israel and Palestine wages, some progressives find ourselves caught in the middle.  Too many leftist groups have taken a Palestine-by-any-means-necessary approach that can veer into anti-Semitism.  The right-wing in the U.S. is gleefully pointing to the anti-Semitism as a reason to blame critical race theory for all manner of evils.  Critical race theory is not anti-Semitic, and it’s not anti-Palestinian either.

 A key reason for liberals to recognize nuance in the Middle East is that some on the right in the U.S. are trying to twist the anti-Israel rhetoric of the few into a reason for all Jews to support conservative politics.  This may entice some to support any and all of the current Israeli government’s policies over recognition of the many problems with Trumpian authoritarian politics.  Indeed, The Wall Street Journal recently published a claim that progressives' use of critical race theory fosters anti-Semitism.  When people on the left act as if Hamas’s attacks on Israel are unproblematic and take issue with Israel’s right to exist, however, we play into the right’s recruitment of U.S. Jews.

 

Banning critical race theory will gut the teaching of Jewish history

 https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/banning-critical-race-theory-will-gut-the-teaching-of-jewish-history-673335

 Yet in nearly two dozen states, the movement to impose restrictions on the teaching of history is gaining momentum. Incited by a national hysteria over “critical race theory,” advocates of these educational fatwas are borrowing a page from authoritarian governments like Vladimir Putin’s Russia in a clumsy effort to avoid discussing the messy, controversial and painful moments in America’s history.  

And as a professional historian, I can tell you that these bans will be terrible for anyone teaching or studying Jewish history.

What exactly is critical race theory, and how is it apparently  — in the words of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who is seen as a potential presidential candidate — teaching our kids “to hate each other” and “hate our country”?

Failed Louisiana Holocaust education bill was used to pan critical race theory

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/failed-louisiana-holocaust-education-bill-was-used-to-pan-critical-race-theory/

But Mintz had second thoughts once he began learning more about the content and the backers of the proposed legislation. Its sponsor, a Republican state representative named Valarie Hodges, had also expressed hostility toward teaching the histories of other racial and religious minorities. Some of the original bill’s language seemed to suggest that lessons on the Holocaust would be framed partially as a celebration of the American military. And during debate, the bill’s supporters would “deploy Jews rhetorically, without involving Jews,” he said.

 

 

The Conservative Case Against Banning Critical Race Theory

 https://time.com/6079716/conservative-case-against-banning-critical-race-theory/

 The case against CRT, in short, is not about a fixed set of ideas. It is about wanting to avoid certain feelings of discomfort or even shame. But the right has encountered this idea before—and seemed not to like it. Until recently, commentators on the political right have claimed that universities are captured by “leftist” students who “don’t think much” about free speech, or who “don’t want to be bothered anymore by ideas that offend them.” A “jargon of safety” in universities, complained commentator Megan McCardle, is then used to “silence” those who don’t agree.

Ironically then, if there is a lesson to be learned from the war on CRT, it has nothing to do with how to talk about race—and everything with how the Trumpian revolution continues to devour the principles of American conservatism.

Texas Democrats leave state to try to stop GOP voting bill

 https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-texas-voting-voting-rights-7d9f2da74fb647b40214fa88ccdbcebb

 The cross-country exodus was the second time that Democratic lawmakers have staged a walkout on the voting overhaul, a measure of their fierce opposition to proposals they say will make it harder for young people, people of color and people with disabilities to vote. But like last month’s effort, there remains no clear path for Democrats to permanently block the voting measures, or a list of other contentious GOP-backed proposals up for debate.

In Israel, activists and families push for stiffer sentences for child sex abusers

 https://forward.com/news/472617/in-israel-activists-and-families-push-for-stiffer-sentences-for-child-sex/

 “The Israeli public still looks at child abuse as something that happens to others,” said Anat Ofir, director of the Child Abuse Prevention Initiative at the Haruv Institute, which launched a media campaign five years ago to raise awareness of the issue.

MK Miri Regev: 'Writing is on the wall' for Temple Mount bridge collapse

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/mk-miri-regev-writing-is-on-the-wall-for-temple-mount-bridge-collapse-673572

 The bridge was constructed in 2007 and was intended to remain in place for several months until a more permanent solution was built. Due to claims from the Wakf Islamic religious trust, instituted by Jordan after the War of Independence, that Israel was trying to destabilize the Temple Mount, a more permanent solution was never found, and the wooden bridge remained in place.

In 2011, the Jerusalem city engineer issued an order to close the bridge due to safety concerns, but it has remained open for public use.

Earlier this year, experts from the Western Wall Heritage Foundation warned that the bridge’s wood was extremely dry and cracked, attempts to treat it had failed, and replacing it was the only option.

Lord George Gordon

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_George_Gordon

 

 In 1787, at the age of 36, Lord George Gordon converted to Judaism in Birmingham,^{[dubious – discuss]} and underwent brit milah (ritual circumcision; circumcision was rare in the England of his day) at the synagogue in Severn Street now next door to Singers Hill Synagogue. He took the name of Yisrael bar Avraham Gordon ("Israel son of Abraham" Gordon—since Judaism regards a convert as the spiritual "son" of the Biblical Abraham). Gordon thus became what Judaism regards as, and Jews call, a "Ger Tsedek"—a righteous convert.

 

50 Shades of Gay: How Views on Homosexuality Are Splitting the Orthodox World

 https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-how-homosexuality-splits-the-orthodox-world-1.5383363

 As liberal as they become, Katz does not believe that Orthodox rabbis will ever agree to perform same-sex marriages, though Sperber thinks there may be a way around this. “The problem is with the word ‘marriage,’” he notes. “Perhaps they can call it something else like a ‘partnership.’”