Meeting of Minds at JTimes
by Dr. Michael Laitman A couple of days ago I had the pleasure of having a very lively discussion with two very knowledgeable and eloquent individuals. Shalom C. Elcott is the president & CEO of the Jewish Federation & Family Services of Orange County, and Tal Ronen is the founder of the YK Center for Prosperity and co founder of Reboot, along with Professor Yehuda Kahane. Together with host, Chaim Ratz, we shot two special episodes of JTimes, a TV series broadcast on JLTV and Shalom TV. The discussion developed around the role of the Jewish people and the reasons for anti-Semitism. It was very interesting to hear Mr. Elcott’s input regarding the generous donations of Jews toward non-Jewish causes such as hospitals and universities. According to him, only 11% of funds donated by Jews go to purely Jewish causes, and the rest are donated to the benefit of the general population. Even more fascinating to me was his explanation of how the majority of Jewish millennials veer off from anything that emits a scent of religiousness. It is as though they are looking for a spiritual connection rather than a religious one per se. All of us in the studio were well aware of the fact that many young Jews want nothing to do with Judaism. However, we were talking more about those who are still connected, but are searching for a way that will cater to their needs, which, as just mentioned, are more spiritual than religious. I think it is a very good sign that this is happening because it gives us a chance...
What Does It Mean To Be Jewish Today? Course – Lesson 7: Contemporary Anti-Semitism
Lesson 7: Contemporary Anti-Semitism [ With Chaim and Gilad] Chaim: Hello. Welcome to Lesson # 7 or What Does It Mean to Be Jewish Today. Gilad: Hello to all of our viewers. [Reminders re chat, questions etc.] Speaking of questions, we ended the last session with a bit of homework. We talked about unity and how to implement and we suggested that you try it out. We gave a few rules, we called it a workshop and we said to get together. It’s the holidays. Everybody is together—families, and what not. Sometimes it’s a very festive atmosphere but it can also be a little pressing, a little tense, so we suggested a few rules for the discussion. No negation of what the other person says. You only add. You use an attention object. Everybody is equal. Everybody’s opinion matters; you only add to it. You don’t put down another person’s words. You only speak one at a time; that’s why you have the attention object, etc. We also said that those rules are actually what create what scientists have found today to be collective intelligence, that it creates this social sensitivity among the participants, and people who usually burst into conversation, like I just did to you now [laughter]… So if you create that in a circle with people and go according to these rules, then you develop this social sensitivity. You’re forced, according to these rules, to listen to a person and not just butt in and force your opinion. This creates something new that people don’t usually experience. That’s the idea, to create something new, not...
Our Inescapable Mission
Anti-Semitism began when the Israeli nation fell from its moral height of love of others. Through anti-Semitism, the nations of the world prod us to disclose the method of connection and achieving love of...
NY Times Article “What We Jews Owe The World”
What Jews Owe the World by Dr Michael Laitman This article was orginally published in the New York Times, Print Edition. Buying Our Way to Heaven The holiest day of the year for Jews is Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), when they fast and pray. A key part of the prayer is reading the book of Jonah the Prophet. Interestingly, many observant Jews believe that buying the privilege to read the book will make them successful for the rest of the year. Naturally, only the wealthiest in the community can afford to compete for it. The sums vary according to the affluence of the community, and in some cases the privilege is sold for well over half a million dollars. Cracking the Code What people are not aware of, however, is the real reason why the book of Jonah is so important. Kabbalists determined that this reading is the most important in the year because it details the code for saving humanity, and this, in the eyes of Kabbalists, is more important than anything. Jonah’s story is special because it speaks of a prophet who first tried to dodge his mission, but finally repented. Another special aspect of Jonah’s story is that his mission was not to admonish the people of Israel, but to save the city of Nineveh, whose residents were not Jewish. In light of today’s precarious state of the world, we should take a closer look at this story and its meaning for each of us. Shape Up or Ship Out G-d orders Jonah to tell the people of Nineveh, who became very mean to one...
What Does It Mean To Be Jewish Today? Course – Lesson 6: The Roots of Anti-Semitism
Lesson 6: The Roots of Anti-Semitism [With Chaim and Gilad] Chaim: Welcome to What Does It Mean to Be Jewish Today, Lesson 6. We are going to focus on answering your questions today, but before we do we want to remind you where we’re at a point where we’re talking about the Jews being different from other nations because of the role they have, and the sense that they are different exists in everyone—non-Jews and Jews alike. Gilad: So the usual, the chat’s open and we’ll be taking our questions there. So let’s begin. Let’s begin with your questions from last week and also questions that students have sent during the week and after last week’s lesson. Some of them already relate to this week’s chapter, but in any case, we’re going to answer all of them. Question: Why is there so much hate toward Israel/Jews if they’re the people who contribute the most to the progress/development of the world—Nobel prizes, inventions, high tech, etc.? That’s been discussed quite often. The problem is that it’s discussed mainly by Jews. Jews are wondering why is there so much hatred towards us if we’re giving humanity so much? We’re giving humanity such great scientists in medicine and in physics and in high tech and let’s not forget culture, with all the Jewish actors and film-makers and owners of the big studios in Hollywood, producers, writers. We have tons but none of it matters. Why? Because all of these Nobel prizes and great contributions do not make people happier. They may make them culturally richer, may make their lives easier if...
My Trip to LA and DC
by Dr. Michael Laitman It has been approximately six weeks since my return from a trip to LA and DC, and nearly five weeks since the start of the course, “What Does It Mean To Be Jewish Today?” based on my book, Like a Bundle of Reeds: why unity and mutual guarantee are today’s call of the hour. Despite the successful media engagements and the encouraging responses from audiences, since my return, much has happened in the world, but most of it has not been positive. The drop in oil prices has caused a major economic and social crisis in Russia, which is bound to have adverse effects worldwide. The Israeli government has argued itself to extinction and declared a new election, the last thing that people need. Anti-Semitism has been, well, anti-Semitism. It’s not only vibrant, but has spread as far as Australia and New Zealand. In the US, it is gradually becoming institutionalized, primarily in campuses (see Harvard and the SodaStream case), and in Europe it is growing increasingly violent. In short, we have our work cut out for us. Many people feel that if only the Jews, or at least the Jewish state, would cease to exist, so would their problems. That is not the case. The world’s problems will cease to exist when Israelis and Jews all over the world do what they have to do, namely unite, in order to share that unity with every person in the world, from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS’ leader, to Pope Francis. People will take what they need from this unity, but we have to give it...