+ First, of course, I have to mention Esther ... er ... Madonna ... er ... whatever her name is. She was in Israel to ring in the New Year and hung out with Shimon Peres (Israel's president) and they bestowed holy books upon each other. I think Hugo Rifkind over at the Times Online put it quite poinently when he said:
Madonna, who is to actual Judaism what the Beach Boys were to actual surfing (in that she can’t do it, and doesn’t really want to, but pretends it has influenced her songs), has been visiting Israel for the Jewish new year. “I am an ambassador for Judaism,” she told Shimon Peres, the Israeli President. Maybe she could open an embassy in Baghdad.How can she be an ambassador for Judaism, when she isn't Jewish? QUE!? I do not understand!
On a similar note, Rosie O'Donnell also was in Israel to get her kabbalah on. When it was suggested perhaps she'd gone all converty on us, her response on Perezhilton.com was "there is no need to convert /its not a religion." Gag me with a freakin' spoon. When will the kabbalah bandwagon quit rolling? Really, I'm tired of hearing about Madonna and her posse.
+ Dennis Prager of The Bulletin rails against Rabbi Eric Yoffie, the head of the Reform movement, in this article over a talk he gave to the Islamic Society of North America, where he said:
"Why should anyone criticize the voluntary act of a woman who chooses to wear a headscarf or a veil? Surely the choice these women make deserves our respect, not to mention the full protection of the law."His conclusion is that Yoffie was trying to cozy in with the audience and thus round-about supported one of the most oppressive things "imposed" upon women. Now, isn't it possible that Rabbi Yoffie understands that there is no way to say what is right and what is wrong. Imposing one's beliefs on another is not the way we get things done, last time I checked. Thus, this statement, to me, is him simply saying "Islam is Islam, and no one should criticize it." It's sort of like ... it would be if a Muslim leader said no one should criticize women wearing wigs to cover their hair in public. Would he be endorsing it? Probably not. I highly doubt Yoffie was in any way attempting to ENDORSE the burkah.
Seriously man, get a grip.