Kadesheinu beMitsvotekha ; The function of the Mitsva

The mitsva reflects one of the most pivotal concepts of Judaism. It sanctifies those who answer its calling, and the Jew and Judaism is unique and “chosen” because of it. In this article we highlight the various ways the mitsvot and Halakha transform us and mold the Jewish personality: (a) by converting the “ought” into a “must”; (b) by transforming daily prosaic acts of man into sacred deeds; (c) by converting simple chronological, linear time into special moments of kedusha. The mitsva involves the total personality - “head, heart and hand” and makes the body equally important with the soul in the service of Hashem. Sanctification is accomplished both through deed and thought. The Torah wants the Jew to build an environment which strengthens his religious values and has designated Erets Yisrael as the most fitting place for kedusha

Museum Approaches to Judaica: The Forgotten Spoils of the Nazi Plunder of Europe

Museum professionals are faced with many legal and ethical issues on a daily basis, many of which are rooted in the actions of people in the past. One of the largest issues discussed in our community over the last several decades stems from the mass looting of artwork across Europe by the Nazis during World War Two. While much attention has been given to the procedures and practices museums must go through in order to identify potential stolen works and return them to their rightful owners, Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues were also ransacked by German soldiers and anything of perceived value was stolen. Countless works of Judaica, or Jewish ceremonial objects, and sacred texts were taken from communities and families alike. What has happened with these objects after that fall of the Third Reich, especially when the majority of the Jewish population that once owned these items never returned? My thesis examines the underrepresented topic of looted Judaica from World War Two, particularly looking at its role in museum collections. I examine the actions taken after the war to redistribute heirless property to Jewish museums and institutions around the world and the ongoing international efforts and discussions on provenance research and restitution of these objects as new Jewish communities are forming across Europe. I also examine the issue of object care for looted Judaica from the Registrar’s or Collection Manager’s perspective, identifying special requirements for these objects under Jewish law. Through a series of three case studies, I explore the actual implementation of restitution and special care procedures in Jewish museum today in order to determine the current state of the field. Ultimately, I argue that Jewish institutions need to devote more time to developing restitution claim procedures and policies, while also reshaping their collection care guidelines to reflect, not only museum best practices, but also respect to Jewish tradition and law

Los primeros sobrevivientes de la Shoa en Argentina : su imagen y memoria en la sociedad general y judía: 1945-50 (Primera Parte)

En la primera parte de esta indagación histórica se explora la imagen de los sobrevivientes en la sociedad general, con el trasfondo de la política inmigratoria argentina del peronismo entre 1946-50 que discriminaba a los refugiados judíos; después se indaga el lugar de la ayuda a esos sobrevivientes dentro de las prioridades de la comunidad judía organizada. Finalmente, se aborda un aspecto aún no investigado: el esfuerzo solitario de sus familiares residentes en Argentina para procurar, de organizaciones locales comunitarias e internacionales judías, el ingreso y socorro a los sobrevivientes que fueron localizados en los campos de personas desplazadas (DPs) y en otros lugares de Europa. Además se explora el impacto y memoria de la Shoa en los esfuerzos de reconstitución comunitaria a nivel institucional y educativa de la Kheila de Buenos Aires, realizados durante los primeros años de posguerra cuando la ayuda a los sobrevivientes que empezaban a arribar a Argentina quedó librada a la solitaria solidaridad de sus familiares locales y de asociaciones de coterráneos. Dada su extensión, aquí se publica la primera parte de este trabajo, el cual será completado en el número siguienteIn the first part of this historical study, the image of the of the survivors present in the general society is explored, with the background of the inmigratory policy of Peronism during 1946-50, which discriminated Jewish refigees; after that, the focus is on the importance given to help for the refugees in the agenda of priorities of the organized Jewish community. Finally, an aspect that hardly has been researched until recently is considered: the solitary effort of relatives resident in Argentina, trying to obtain from local communitarian and international Jewish organizations entry to Argentina and help for the survivors found in the Displaced Persons (DPs) camps and in other European localizations. Moreover, the impact and memory of the Shoa in the efforts of communitarian reconstruction on the institutional and educational levels of the Buenos Aires Kheila is explored. in a time - the first post war years - when aid for the survivors who began arriving in Argentina was practically reduced to lhe Ionely solidarity of local relatives and associations of feDow countrymen. Given its extension, only the first part of the artide is published here; the final part will appear in the next issue.Fil: Senkman, Leonardo. Universidad Hebrea de Jerusale

Strongholding the Synagogue to Stronghold the City: Urban-Religious Configurations in an Israeli Mixed-City

This article explores the geopolitical significance of public religious institutions and the ways in which it has corresponded to changes in their urban environment. Based on a spatial analysis and ethnography of urban synagogues in the northern Israeli mixed city of Acre that were established and constructed by communities of Jewish immigrants from North African countries, we demonstrate how significant shifts in the city's demographic pattern and landscape have affected these institutions' ascribed functions and meanings. We theorise this dynamic as ‘strongholding’, or, more specifically, strongholding the synagogue as a means of strongholding the city. The formation of the synagogue as a stronghold is enacted through a dual configuration process by which the religious legitimacy, which the synagogue bestows on those who maintain it, is interwoven into a broader urban sociopolitical struggle to claim a presence in the city

Theodicy and End-of-Life Care

Acknowledgments The section on Islamic perspective is contributed by information provided by Imranali Panjwani, Tutor in Theology & Religious Studies, King's College London.Peer reviewedPublisher PD