Comments on: Signs of the Times http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/07/13/signs-of-the-times/ A Journal of Jewish Thought and Opinion Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:28:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: David Gerstman http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/07/13/signs-of-the-times/#comment-62437 David Gerstman Mon, 17 Jul 2006 16:21:39 +0000 http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/07/13/signs-of-the-times/#comment-62437 I keep my own list of names for the Yehi Ratzon in Refainu. I cannot bring myself to cross out names. Maybe, now I am unfortunately no longer mentioning about half the people on the list, I'll make up a new one. I keep my own list of names for the Yehi Ratzon in Refainu. I cannot bring myself to cross out names. Maybe, now I am unfortunately no longer mentioning about half the people on the list, I’ll make up a new one.

]]> By: Seth Gordon http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/07/13/signs-of-the-times/#comment-62246 Seth Gordon Fri, 14 Jul 2006 16:23:43 +0000 http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/07/13/signs-of-the-times/#comment-62246 In the same vein: once, when I was a gabbai, I was saying the mi-sheberach for relatives of a man who had just had an aliyah, and read off, from the card in front of me, the list of his relatives--including his wife, who had died around a year before then. Ouch! In the same vein: once, when I was a gabbai, I was saying the mi-sheberach for relatives of a man who had just had an aliyah, and read off, from the card in front of me, the list of his relatives–including his wife, who had died around a year before then. Ouch!

]]> By: mycroft http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/07/13/signs-of-the-times/#comment-62167 mycroft Thu, 13 Jul 2006 22:20:02 +0000 http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/07/13/signs-of-the-times/#comment-62167 I have had somilar feelings in the US in a related issue. There is aphysician who treats alot of very sick people. He comes to schul with a big list that he gives to the Gabbai to say a misheberach for. I recognized that unfortunately a couple of names had gone to the olam haemet-he crossed off the names. I felt it was a lack of sensitivity-he could produce a new list. So the issue Rabbi Feldman is also in the US-maybe not in southern hospitality of Atlanta-but I've seen it here. I have had somilar feelings in the US in a related issue. There is aphysician who treats alot of very sick people. He comes to schul with a big list that he gives to the Gabbai to say a misheberach for. I recognized that unfortunately a couple of names had gone to the olam haemet-he crossed off the names. I felt it was a lack of sensitivity-he could produce a new list. So the issue Rabbi Feldman is also in the US-maybe not in southern hospitality of Atlanta-but I’ve seen it here.

]]> By: Nachum http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/07/13/signs-of-the-times/#comment-62156 Nachum Thu, 13 Jul 2006 19:51:09 +0000 http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/07/13/signs-of-the-times/#comment-62156 Rabbi Feldman, maybe these people *meant* for you to be troubled in this way? Rabbi Feldman, maybe these people *meant* for you to be troubled in this way?

]]> By: Jewish Observer http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/07/13/signs-of-the-times/#comment-62149 Jewish Observer Thu, 13 Jul 2006 19:15:18 +0000 http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/07/13/signs-of-the-times/#comment-62149 it's like the culture shock of Israelis using german products, driving german cars etc. when no one from our circles in the USA would do that. I think there are a couple of dynamics at play : - general culture gap between amercians and israelis. Israelis are not as sensitive as we are. american culture is very tuned in to the art of positioning, spin, couching things the best way. this is not a skill / value of the israeli culture - they have more of a "right" based on who they are, where they live, and what they are doing on behalf of the rest of us. when they are in the army and someone nebach dies, they have to deal with things much larger and more gruesome than striking through a name. whereas these sensitivities are perhaps appropriate for uswho aren't really dealing with the realities, you can make a case that they are less applicable to israelis it’s like the culture shock of Israelis using german products, driving german cars etc. when no one from our circles in the USA would do that.

I think there are a couple of dynamics at play :

- general culture gap between amercians and israelis. Israelis are not as sensitive as we are. american culture is very tuned in to the art of positioning, spin, couching things the best way. this is not a skill / value of the israeli culture

- they have more of a “right” based on who they are, where they live, and what they are doing on behalf of the rest of us. when they are in the army and someone nebach dies, they have to deal with things much larger and more gruesome than striking through a name. whereas these sensitivities are perhaps appropriate for uswho aren’t really dealing with the realities, you can make a case that they are less applicable to israelis

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