@jmb@babka.social
@jmb@babka.social avatar

jmb

@jmb@babka.social

I very occasionally post here.

My main account is instead at:
okpeace.org/@jmb - #Activism and #Oklahoma.

I'm part of the #Reform and #Humanistic movements of #Judaism. As a proud convert, I fight discrimination against converts and POC in Jewish spaces.

#Peace #ShalomSalaam #DemocraticSocialist

Posts here are my opinion only (no one else) and aren't legal advice. Boosts express interest, not agreement.

Lastly - #WarCrimes are always evil, no matter what the cause.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

jmb, to Stoicism
@jmb@babka.social avatar

Lots to think about here. It expresses well much of my dissonance with the Zionist/Anti-Zionist polarity.

Also I don't agree with all of the points but still think it is worth considering.

P.S. if you are offended by salty language this post isn't for you

https://mo-husseini.medium.com/50-completely-true-things-1ce672087b28

jmb, to Israel
@jmb@babka.social avatar

https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-responds-to-netanyahus-claim-that-criticism-of-the-israeli-governments-policies-is-antisemitic/

Thank you Bernie Sanders for speaking some truth to .

Excerpt: Mr. Netanyahu. Antisemitism is a vile and disgusting form of bigotry that has done unspeakable harm to many millions of people. But, please, do not insult the intelligence of the American people by attempting to distract us from the immoral and illegal war policies of your extremist and racist government. Do not use antisemitism to deflect attention from the criminal indictment you are facing in the Israeli courts. It is not antisemitic to hold you accountable for your actions.

jmb, to random
@jmb@babka.social avatar

A little bit of humor

jmb, to Birding
@jmb@babka.social avatar

1/2

I recently read (or rather listened) to abook that I want recommend: "Better Living Through Birding: Note from a Black Man in the Natural World"

It is an autobiography of Christian Cooper, a truly fascinating human being. Cooper is (sadly) most famous for being the Central Park birder who was threatened by a racist white woman (and you know probably the rest of that story, so I won't retell it here), but there is much more to his story including of course the (he weaves stories of his hobby and passion throughout the book), but also as a writer for who played a key role in bringing several characters to the universe. And throughout it all, he also explains eloquently the joys and heartbreak of being a man in a world that is often hostile towards gayness and blackness ---and I can't forget to mention his interesting ideas about nature-based spirituality, but also issue of accumulated trauma and family drama.

Continued...

jmb, to Stoicism
@jmb@babka.social avatar

1/2

One challenge of ( ) is that besides doing a Seder or two, there is not a lot to do during the rest of the 7 (or 8, depending on your minhag) days of Passover besides maybe attending a festival service and of course avoiding chametz (grain products, except for Matzoh).

So I've been thinking about what I can do to make this time more meaningful. The theme of Passover is about and , but that is, of course, a complicated thing when so many people, especially in / , do not feel free or safe.

Continued...

jmb, to Palestine
@jmb@babka.social avatar

This reflects my intention for the upcoming season of , to yearn for peace and liberation for all of the peoples who live in /

jmb, to random
@jmb@babka.social avatar

Looking for a different kind of ?

Check out from the and the

jmb, to Jewish
@jmb@babka.social avatar

https://www.skinnyguardian.xyz/uk/film2024mar26steven-spielberg-denounces-antisemitism-and-makes-first-comments-on-gaza/

Excerpt (Part 1/2): ...Spielberg said: “Those who can not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. I am increasingly alarmed that we may be condemned to repeat history – to once again have to fight for the very right to be Jewish.”

He added: “The echoes of history are unmistakable in our current climate. The rise of extremist views has created a dangerous environment, and radical intolerance leads a society to no longer celebrate differences but instead conspire to demonise those who are different to the point of creating ‘the Other’… This is happening alongside anti-Muslim, Arab, and Sikh discrimination. The creation of ‘the Other’ and the dehumanisation of any group based on their differences, is the foundation of fascism.”

Continued...


jmb, to oklahoma
@jmb@babka.social avatar

I'm very proud of the students at High school who walked out of classes today in protest of their school's bullying policies and the ongoing mistreatment of transgender youth.

Students at Nex Benedict’s Oklahoma school walk out to protest bullying policies
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/nex-benedict-death-protest-bullying-owasso-oklahoma-rcna140501

jmb, to Israel
@jmb@babka.social avatar

https://twitter.com/OrenZiv_/status/1761789742801134032

Here are the words of Sophia Orr, a brave Israeli conscientious objector who is going to military prison rather than agreeing to serve in the IDF:

"I'm coming here today to refuse to enlist in the IDF, as an act of solidarity and love to the Palestinian people. And to say that war has no winners, that violence only leads to more violence, and that everyone's being held by this war and by the occupation, that the only way that we can ever solve this is by a political solution and to share peace to everyone.

It's also a message to the people of Gaza . . . (that) here are people fighting for them and that we are trying to make peace, some of us, and it's also a message to the people in Israel, to show them that refusing is possible, and to raise that message and to raise that voice as loudly as they can.

levjoy, to random

“I’ve been to a lot of Passover celebrations,” she added, “and it’s so weird that the story is only of Jewish subjugation, even though subjugation is still so present for other people.” She went on: “Black people still haven’t had their histories honored. We are still gaslit about the impact of slavery and the continued impacts of white supremacy.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/18/magazine/black-jewish-activists-palestine.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Ok0.RPHy.OoaQ7LAqhy_O&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

jmb,
@jmb@babka.social avatar

@emilyk @serge @levjoy

I have never been to a seder, ever, that only spoke of the oppression of Jewish people. These seders used a variety of hagadot (some homemade, some not), but all of them included multiple references to the ideals of solidarity and that our historic and present suffering is tied to the suffering of others.

This is painfully lazy reporting.

jmb, to random
@jmb@babka.social avatar

Kinda nervous tonight as I'm going to get to carry the Torah scroll on the hakafah tonight at my Reform temple.

It is my first time to get to do this, so definitely a Shehecheyanu
moment!

GreenFire, to random
@GreenFire@mstdn.social avatar

That they seem to be able to publish these types of lies with no repercussions is probably my biggest fear for our future.

I know it's a junk website putting out crap for clicks, but Microsoft has it up on their "news" page and no telling how much traction this crap gets other places.

jmb,
@jmb@babka.social avatar

@shekinahcancook @GreenFire I report far worse stuff than this, and many networks just ignore it.

One example from last week:: I reported two cases where users posted porn images and links on the comments of everyone who left criticism about a company (I seriously wonder if the company was behind it --- I was on the page myself to complain about their hyperaggressive salespeople who ignore "no soliciting" signs).

I reported both occasions to Facebook for violations of their TOS.

The reviewers say, "we don't think there is anything wrong" but you can appeal the decision . . .

Except the appeal button doesn't work.

I expect this from Birdsite but not on FB (which I thought had slightly higher standards). I was wrong.

MJ, to random
@MJ@progressivecafe.social avatar

One true believer with a degree in zoology is behind many of the legislative and courtroom efforts to push forward homeschooling today. The ideology that drives him is conservative right-wing Christianity and he is determined to break our public schools.

Public education matters.

How Brian Ray’s flawed research legitimized American homeschooling -
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/12/11/brian-ray-homeschool-student-outcomes/

jmb, (edited )
@jmb@babka.social avatar

@shekinahcancook @MJ in Oklahoma, we homeschool so our son WILL learn about evolution (my high school bio teacher was so afraid she skipped the chapters on the subject), won't be forced to participate in compulsory flag salutes, will be able to be his proud neurodivergent self without shame and bullying, etc.

I know this is not what you are talking about, but I do you think it is important for folks to know that a significant number of the left-leaning and queer folks are choosing to opt out of public schools for the sake of their children's well-being, particularly in locales where fundamentalists and fascists have taken control of school boards.

jmb,
@jmb@babka.social avatar

@shekinahcancook @MJ

Strongly agree.

The lack of any real standards for homeschooling in many states (including my own) is absurd. We keep copious records (for the sake of college admissions), but none is required by the state.

glynmoody, to Israel
@glynmoody@mastodon.social avatar

‘People will die in the streets’: Gaza dreads onset of winter as disease rises - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/10/people-will-die-in-the-streets-gaza-dreads-onset-of-winter-as-disease-rises important: situation in is already catastrophic, but it will get much, much worse once winter sets in. we could see >100,000 deaths unless stops this slaughter

jmb,
@jmb@babka.social avatar

@baruch @glynmoody the battle of Mosul should not be something that should ever be repeated. The civilian death toll was far, far too high.

jmb,
@jmb@babka.social avatar

@glynmoody @baruch and just to be clear for anyone who accuses me of hypocrisy about this, I have been protesting the US involvement in wars since 2000, but especially us abuses in those wars.

Even the "good" war that the US fought (WW2) was the same war that the US committed some of its most atrocious of war crimes, including the atom bomb drops in Japan and the use of jellied burning gasoline being dropped on German cities. Both instances were textbook examples of intentionally targeting civilian populations, both were evil and wrong.

oregonmiles, to Israel
@oregonmiles@babka.social avatar

What a luxury and privilege it is to sit back and sagely proclaim that one is "against all violence." Such talk is truly a luxury of the privileged, to which not everyone can afford access.

In the real world, difficult choices must be made, and sometimes they involve legitimate violence, in self-defense, to protect or rescue innocents, to prevent even greater violence, and even to administer justice.

It is very important to be clear in one's own mind about the cost and the value of different deployments of violence.

Everyone one has the right to be a pacifist and to "turn the other cheek", but no one has the right to demand that others live by their personal pieties.

Justice and ethics are too pressing for such small-scale personal piety.

If only we actually could say truthfully that "violence is not the way." Tragically, sometimes violence is exactly the only way.

jmb,
@jmb@babka.social avatar

@oregonmiles When our collective tax dollars pay for the violence, we all have a duty and obligation to speak out if we believe it is wrong.

This is what being in a democracy is all about. We all have a voice.

jmb,
@jmb@babka.social avatar

@oregonmiles will you also be supporting the plans being discussed to flood the tunnels?

jmb, to Israel
@jmb@babka.social avatar

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/28/opinions/elon-musk-israel-tour-antisemitism-filipovic/index.html

Glad to see more and more commentators speak with clarity about the absurdity of going to right now, to somehow address the spewing forth from his mouth, and from his platform --- but also the offensiveness that is taking time in the middle of a hostage crisis to entertain a ultrawealthy jerk.

jmb, to Israel
@jmb@babka.social avatar

https://lithub.com/gazas-main-public-library-has-been-destroyed/

jmb, to Jewish
@jmb@babka.social avatar

After seeing a fun post on facebook from the Jewish Langauge Project, I thought it would be fun to figure out to say Happy Hanukkah in Tsalagi (Cherokee).

Here's what I came up with:

In Sequoyah's syllabery:
ᎠᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ ᎭᏄᎧ

Pronounced:
a-li-he-li-s-di Ha-Nu-Ka

Sources:
https://language.cherokee.org/word-list/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee_syllabary

jmb, to TeslaMotors
@jmb@babka.social avatar

Why in the hell is courting a proud antisemite like ?

Seriously, why?

raf, to random
@raf@babka.social avatar

Don't forget, what's happening in Ukraine is also a genocide by the UN definition of genocide

jmb,
@jmb@babka.social avatar

@shekinahcancook @raf but is the answer to throw away the standards?

dukepaaron, to Jewish
@dukepaaron@babka.social avatar

Micah Halpern making the case that (types) should be put in .

I believe the Satmars and Chabad both did this with Neturei Karta.

Obviously, this is a 'not-to-be-taken-seriously' proposal from a typically over the top media/policy personality. But the overt declarations of ostracism he includes probably will play out somewhat in the real world, at least socially, in terms of shul and holidays.

Which creates lots of problems. The more isolated and ostracized the community makes them, the less the connection they'll have to the Jewish community and the weirder shit will get over time. We create pariahs at our own risk.

And even as I say that, I couldn't possibly see myself chatting over kiddush or hosting them at my seder. 🤷‍♂️

https://m.jpost.com/opinion/article-774473

jmb,
@jmb@babka.social avatar

@dukepaaron in other words, not saying that these people are no longer Jews, but rather stating that their behavior makes being a part of the community impossible right now.

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