My Passover Dream

I had a crazy dream the other day and when I woke up, I realized it was a “Passover” dream.  I was having dinner with some observant friends of mine and when we were finished, we went outside to a beach where it was still light out.   Soon, I began to notice groups of Chassidic men dressed in black (their usual attire) balancing on very tall waves.  While they were balancing, they were smiling, dancing, and doing other tricks such as spinning and balancing on their heads.  It was amazing!  When I awoke, I made the connection between the  parting of the Red Sea when the Jews fled Egypt.  Beautiful!  Happy Passover!

Jews Should be Vegetarians

Plug in "Kosher" on PETA's website to get the facts

I read this article a long time ago (3 years?), but I wanted to bring it some more attention. Richard H. Schwartz argues that Vegetarianism is a Jewish Value. I completely agree (though I still eat fish, I’m not that proud of it and perhaps someday I’ll stop). Indeed, even if all efforts are made to kill the animal humanely, there seems to be a “loophole” in the Kosher laws that says nothing about how an animal is kept.

PETA's Website will give you the facts

I’m not sure Jews who keep Kosher know this or really care, but since there are no requirements regarding how an animal to be served Kosher is raised and kept, the conditions are oftentimes just as atrocious as non-Kosher meat and poultry. I’ve gone on before about how just there mere raising of cattle does tremendous damage to the earth G-d left us to care for.

The Loss of a Child is Always Unfair

One of my “sister” bloggers at LA Moms Blog just lost her daughter. At these times, I have a hard time believing that G-d cares about us, that G-d is watching us, and that G-d is all-powerful. I have been struggling with these alleged characteristics of G-d for a long time. I just can’t love a G-d that allows children and other innocents to suffer. I am fine with thanking G-d for all of my blessings. I feel that my life is very blessed. But when I look back in history or I look at the suffering that is going on today, I just can’ t believe that an all-knowing, all-powerful, merciful G-d exists among all this. Don’t even start with that crap that “G-d works in mysterious ways . . . ” and that “we just aren’t meant to understand it . . .” No matter what G-d’s reason is for this kind of suffering, I can’t love G-d for it. I can be thankful to G-d for my own blessings, but I can’t sing praises as long as this kind of suffering continues.