Sunday, April 30, 2006

What do you say to this

Community leaders this week stressed that a ‘rabbi’ in the UK who lives with seven so-called ‘wives’ had nothing to do with ‘contemporary Jewish custom and practice’.
Philip Sharp’s extraordinary lifestyle was splashed all over the media in recent days as a BBC TV documentary exposed his bizarre family set-up.
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Historic Ceremony Marks Yom Hashoah The 45-year-old who was once a DJ on the Jewish party circuit and who is variously described as a ‘rabbi’ and a ‘former rabbi’, claimed: “Six years ago I had an incredible visitation of God who began to speak to me in a way he’d never spoken to me before. I began to see things I knew hadn’t been seen for centuries. He added: “God would give me revelations and would talk to me about my role in the restoration of the true nation of Israel as a prophet.”Among the instructions Sharp was given was that he should live like a biblical king, taking several wives“This is about true biblical covenant”, he said, “and it’s very, very beautiful.”And while he didn’t sport a kippah, the programme showed Sharp wearing tsitsit, making Kiddush, blowing the shofar and quoting from the Torah. The various women in his life, meanwhile, who have names like Chava and Hannah, kept their hair covered and wore Stars of David around their necks.And though the documentary talks of Sharp preaching at synagogues and of his wives, who have distinctly Jewish names, ‘embracing Judaism’, it only mentions briefly that he was actually a ‘messianic rabbi’. According to the narrator: “He met his wives when they joined his congregation in Hove. When he became a king, the community were outraged and status as rabbi was revoked.”Expressing their concern over the depiction of Sharp’s lifestyle, the Board of Deptuies issued a statement in which they said: “As far as The Board is aware Philip Sharp has no recognised rabbinical training or ordination, and therefore no right to be called rabbi. His lifestyle, with multiple female partners, is inconsistent with contemporary Jewish custom and practice kippot.”The British Jewish Community does not regard messianic groups, such as Jews for Jesus, and Sharp’s Shema Israel congregation as Jewish. They play no part in organised Jewish life in this country.Readers of the various articles should not mistakenly believe that the practices and lifestyle described are part of the Jewish religion.”

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

A new kippah every day

So I decided to try this I want to get a new kippah every day from Passover until shvues so I will remember to count sefira the challenge is to get 49 different kippot. The answer is to go to skullcap.com they have a large variety of kippot and yarmulkes many different colors and styles so I have no problem getting it

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

So it Passover

So its Passover and we need to celebrate with the family so I guess we need to get kippot for everyone, I found this place to get the kippot they offer all kinds of kippot I just don't know what style kippah to choose I will have to pick randomly

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Police officials faced fallout

NEW YORK — Police officials faced fallout Wednesday from a street disturbance in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn, including accusations that their department's highest-ranking uniformed officer flew into a rage and cursed at the crowd with kippot. Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Democrat, said many civilians heard Chief of Department Joseph Esposito yell "[obscenity] the Jews with the kippot!" and "[obscenity] the community!" while officers struggled to tame an unruly crowd Tuesday night in Borough Park. The politician and other community leaders were demanding an apology.

Esposito "lost it last night," Hikind said. "He thought he was in the Wild West." Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, a Republican, said that although officials would review the entire episode, "from what I can see the Police Department acted appropriately." The department released a statement saying Esposito "acknowledged that in attempting to bring under control a chaotic situation in front of the 66th Precinct stationhouse last night he used inappropriate language in instructing police officers to 'Get these … people out of here.' " Hundreds of residents had stormed the streets amid accusations — later denied by police officials — that officers used excessive force in arresting 75-year-old Arthur Schick after a traffic stop. Sariel Widawsky, co-owner of a bakery in the neighborhood, said he saw the traffic stop through the front window of his store. "They pushed Arthur against the car and physically manhandled him in a way unbefitting such a well-respected and liked member of the community," Widawsky said. "He shouldn't be treated like that." Schick said by telephone Wednesday that he had been making a turn and didn't notice a passing police car with its emergency lights flashing. He said the squad car returned and pulled him over, and an officer told him he had been driving while using his cellphone and asked to see his license and registration. Schick said he asked the officer for his name and the name of his partner. He said that the officer handcuffed him and that his partner "used excessive force" and pushed him. Schick said he was unable to get up the step of a police van, so about four officers forced him into it.He said one of the officers told him, "This is the way we put in [racial slur]." Police said two other people who got involved in the incident were also arrested. They had no comment on Schick's claim of the use of a racial slur. As word of the arrests spread, angry protesters — many of them young Orthodox Jews wearing traditional black suits and hats — flooded the streets and set small fires. Some surrounded the police station and chanted, "No justice, no peace," before officers in riot gear were dispatched to disperse the crowd. Schick said Wednesday that he thought the behavior of the protesters was improper. "I feel that it was a disgrace," he said. "It was wrong." Hikind blamed the police. "The behavior of the young people in the street was unfortunate, but it escalated because of the police," he said. Of Esposito, the assemblyman said: "We don't want his head. We want an apology." Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly insisted he had "total confidence" in the chief. "Sometimes in a chaotic situation things may be said that people might regret in the future," Kelly said. "But he's an outstanding commander, and I think overall the situation was handled well."