The NIF recently sent out a letter to Rabbis asking them to join in a day of touring of select NIF funded organizations and meet a self-declared former Zionist.
Obviously this mini tour isn't meant for Orthodox rabbis. It isn't meant for Traditional rabbis. I'm not sure it's meant for Conservative rabbis, which only really leaves Reform rabbis - whom I suppose they think are anti-Zionist enough for them.
How do I know this?
Because the NIF "rabbinical guests" on the mini-tour will be having lunch at a non-Shomer Shabbat, non kosher(!) restaurant. You would think that if they wanted religious rabbis involved the meal would be somewhere kosher.
I can see it now, "Rabbi, will you be having Mozzarella cheese on your lamb, courtesy of the NIF's new Pluralism program?"
UPDATE: The NIF removed all mention of which specific restaurant lunch will be at. Good thing we took a screen shot (for those NIF supporters who think we made this up). I bet it will be at the same place.
Hattip to Yisrael Medad who sent me the original email the NIF sent out (thinking I was a Rabbi I guess).
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14 comments:
The question is what type of rabbis did they send it to. If they specifically targeted Reform--that is one thing, though "Reform" here tends to be much more observant/knowledgable than the US version. I would not be at all surprised if someone were to tell me that most Israeli "reformim" were shomer kashrut--I have friends who fit that description!
On the other hand, if they sent it out to a variety of rabbis, that (may be) just stupidity.
How non-Kosher is this non-Kosher place? Where is said restaurant located? I am asking that in all seriousness. There are places that maintain EVERYTHING but shomer shabbat (milk OR meat etc) and then there are places that are way into the traif thing.
I realize that you guys see the NIF as the devil incarnate. Just that, if you want to convince people outside of your choir, you will need to make sure you are high on facts and low on hysteria.
The restaurant is not Shomer Shabbat, and serves both milk and meat dishes together. I made that very clear.
Does that really sound like the kind of place a Rabbi should be eating in, or be invited to eat in?
Simply put, it is an Arab shop. Naturally, they do not care to separate milk and meat.
Who cares if they serve cheeseburger and pizza? Those Orthodox Jews need to get on with the program!
That's Leftist pluralism for the Jews. It leaves out the "other" Jew!
Joe - the issue isn't Shomer Shabbat at all. I have no problem if a non-Jewish-owned restaurant is open on Shabbat. The issue is that there is straight-up basar b'chalav:
"Thin pita wrap baked in the oven and filled with minced lamb and pine nuts, served with mint yoghurt."
does anyone really think that a frum person would have anything to do with the nif?
this wasnt stupidity. like all anti religious, anti jewish and anti israel groups, they go out of their way to spit on halacha.
for example, the capo dickie silverstein held a forum on israel this past friday night in a church.
and they wonder why they cant get respect from the majority of jews.
JoeS,
You didn't make it clear at all. Your only reference to basar b'chalav is in a snide comment at the end, about which, quite honestly, I wasn't really sure if it reflected the facts or was just included as hyperbole.
However, there is probably no issur of basar b'chalav here. As the meat is presumably not kosher, ein issur chal al issur comes into play, and only the issue of of basar neveilah is relevant. Not that it makes it kosher, but you're barking up the wrong tree.
Clear writing - X
Accuracy - X
One more strike, and you're out.
:-)
I knew I should have written Yogurt and not Mozzarella.
Well, the C Rabbis can always go for the salad.
Reminds me of my friend who used to go to McDonald's (in America) and eat the French Fries there. "Nothing not kosher there, it's potatoes cooked in vegetarian oil," he would constantly lecture me.
Sure.
Joe- first and foremost, on the link you provide, where does it say they're eating lunch in that cafe? It just says they're eating lunch in Yafo. Want to double-check before you post?
And as for the commenter who said that the majority of Jews don't respect them... "frum" organizations only wish that they could get the same "respect" (read- donations) as the NIF from Jews across the world. And you may wish to remain in denial about the fact that plenty of "frum" people have supported them for years too.
Whether the Muqata authors like it or not (yes, you've all made it quite clear), the NIF remain a representative voice of a large chunk of Israelis and the Jewish world, and smear campaigns are only serving to garner them increasing support among Jews in Israel and around the world. As Gila mentioned, your "choir" may believe every word you write about them here, but you're in danger of losing any readers bearing other opinions as long as you continue with this sort of posting.
Nice work. Glad someone sent that notice out to you.
Hey Joe. "in danger of losing readers"! only if your readership is restricted to NIF members. Good to know their dwindling numbers read your blog.
Anonymous- no self-respecting "NIF Member" (which I am not, by the way!) would ever read Joe's blog, but on occasion a dwindling number of center-leftists read Jameel's blog.
And Joe- Thanks for your screenshot- but I can only conclude that if the current online timetable no longer publicises the lunch location, then presumably it has been changed, perhaps even out of a realisation that the place isn't Kosher enough for their target audience? Basic ups and downs which happen all the time in orgs/companies trying to arrange meals for diverse participants: In short, you got your laugh, but there doesn't appear to be anything sinister going on.
But as for "what the NIF is"- Joe, you are simply wrong, and anyone who is even vaguely familiar with the NIF knows you are wrong. Even your hearsay is wrong- donations and support have by all accounts risen since the disgusting Im Tirzu campaign. But don't worry- I "know" you well enough not to ever expect you to admit it (let alone apologise to me for being rude above, or concede that I might actually be right) and I won't even expect such an admission in the future, wherein those of us who have been genuninely familiar with the work of the NIF for years and years will be proved correct- by the time which you'll doubtless have moved on to your next exclusive scandal about how terrible the Evil Leftists are for !
(At the risk of annoying Lurker who doesn't like me bringing up religious symbolism) I don't think it would hurt to consider where in the calendar the Jewish people are now, and perhaps try to come up with some posts dedicated to creating Jewish unity, as Jameel appears to be doing? Or is that too much to ask??
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